cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Absorbing boundary conditions for scalar waves in anisotropic media. Part 2: Time-dependent modeling

With the ultimate goal of devising effective absorbing boundary conditions (ABCs) for general anisotropic media, we investigate the well-posedness and accuracy aspects of local ABCs designed for the transient modeling of the scalar anisotropic wave equation. The ABC analyzed in this paper is the perfectly matched discrete layers (PMDL), a simple variant of perfectly matched layers (PML) that is also equivalent to rational approximation based ABCs. Specifically, we derive the necessary and sufficient condition for the well-posedness of the initial boundary value problem (IBVP) obtained by coupling an interior and a PMDL ABC. The derivation of the reflection coefficient presented in a companion paper (S. Savadatti, M.N. Guddati, J. Comput. Phys., 2010, doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2010.05.018) has shown that PMDL can correctly identify and accurately absorb outgoing waves with opposing signs of group and phase velocities provided the PMDL layer lengths satisfy a certain bound. Utilizing the well-posedness theory developed by Kreiss for general hyperbolic IBVPs, and the well-posedness conditions for ABCs derived by Trefethen and Halpern for isotropic acoustics, we show that this bound on layer lengths also ensures well-posedness. The time discretized form of PMDL is also shown to be theoretically stable and some instability related to finite precision arithmetic is discussed.
511 TOTAL PARENTERAL NUTRITION-RELATED CHOLESTASIS IN INFANTS

This study estimated the proportion of infants on total parenteral nutrition (TPN) who developed cholestasis. Risk factors associated with the development of this disease were identified. Data were abstracted from medical records of 624 infants ≤30 days of age who were treated with TPN. A case of TPN-related cholestasis was defined as an infant whose serum level of direct bilirubin was ≥1.5 mg/dl subsequent to initiation of TPN. Risk factors were assessed using multiple regression logistic analysis. Forty-six of the 624 infants in the cohort (7.4%) were classified as having TPN-related cholestasis. Even though the proportion of infants with TPN-related cholestasis was small, specific risk factors were identified. The multivariable analysis indicated that cholestasis was associated with intracranial hemorrhage (IH) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), conditions seen primarily in premature infants, and with sepsis and gastrointestinal (GI) conditions requiring surgery, seen in both term and preterm infants. Two distinct processes appear to have occurred: 1) in infants who experienced PDA or IH (conditions associated with hypoxia) where TPN may be the necessary trigger for the development of cholestasis, and 2) in infants with GI surgical conditions or sepsis, where cholestasis may develop with or without parenteral infusions.
Parliamentary Attainder in the Reign of Henry VIII

‘Attainder’, A. F. Pollard once wrote, was ‘the characteristic instrument of Tudor policy’, and ‘acts of attainder [the’ favourite weapon’ of Henry VIII. Unfortunately Pollard did little more than throw out these striking phrases; he never made a systematic study of parliamentary attainder under die second Tudor. The use of attainder in die fifteenth century has been subjected to recent scholarly scrutiny, and certain bills from die period of Thomas Cromwell's ascendancy have been discussed by Professor Elton. But a careful examination of attainder under Henry VIII is still lacking. Since his reign marks die heyday of attainder by statute, such an inquiry is clearly important.
Factors that affect visually impaired users' acceptance of audio and music websites

The number of users with visual impairments is on the rise. Companies have an opportunity to increase their reach and revenue by ensuring their websites are accessible to these users. Developing websites around the needs of those with visual impairments is especially critical as the affluent Baby Boomer generation ages and is faced with a multitude of vision problems. Despite this fast growing, web-reliant population, little work has been done to develop a behavioral model that addresses its needs. Grounded in accessibility and acceptance theories, this research proposes a model that predicts Web usage behavior of blind and low-vision users. Our results show that one of the most widely used acceptance models does not predict the adoption behavior of visually impaired users as effectively as a modified model that includes information accessibility. Those with visual impairments decide to revisit a website based, in part, on its accessibility as well as its ease of use and usefulness. These results suggest that traditional acceptance models may predict the behavior of users with visual impairments better when reliability and convenience of access to Information are also considered.
The Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Criminal Justice Settings

The criminal justice system has traditionally applied punitive approaches to individuals with substance use disorders, which has offered little to no opportunity for rehabilitation. However, over t...
Molecular Basis of Selectivity of Nucleoside Triphosphate Incorporation Opposite O6-Benzylguanine by Sulfolobus Solfataricus DNA Polymerase Dpo4: Steady-State and Pre-Steady-State Kinetics and X-Ray Crystallography of Correct and Incorrect Pairing.

Abstract Previous work has shown that Sulfolobus solfataricus DNA polymerase Dpo4-catalyzed bypass of O6-methylguanine (O6-MeG) proceeds largely in an accurate but inefficient manner with a “wobble” base pairing between C and O6-MeG (Eoff, R. L., Irimia, A., Egli, M., and Guengerich, F. P. (2007) J. Biol. Chem. 282, 1456–1467). We considered here the bulky lesion O6-benzylguanine (O6-BzG) in DNA and catalysis by Dpo4. Mass spectrometry analysis of polymerization products revealed that the enzyme bypasses and extends across from O6-BzG, with C the major product (∼70%) and some T and A (∼15% each) incorporated opposite the lesion. Steady-state kinetic parameters indicated that Dpo4 was 7-, 5-, and 27-fold more efficient at C incorporation opposite O6-BzG than T, A, or G, respectively. In transient state kinetic analysis, the catalytic efficiency was decreased 62-fold for C incorporation opposite O6-BzG relative to unmodified DNA. Crystal structures reveal wobble pairing between C and O6-BzG. Pseudo-“Watson-Crick” pairing was observed between T and O6-BzG. Two other structures illustrate a possible mechanism for the accommodation of a +1 frameshift in the Dpo4 active site. The overall effect of O6-BzG is to decrease the efficiency of bypass by roughly an order of magnitude in every case except correct bypass, where the effect is not as pronounced. By comparison, Dpo4 is more accurate but no more efficient than model replicative polymerases, such as bacteriophage T7- DNA polymerase and human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase in the polymerization past O6-MeG and O6-BzG.
Multiple and Unacceptable Solutions in Nonlinear Programming Discriminant Analysis

SYNOPTIC ABSTRACTDiscriminant analysis is an important approach used to solve many practical problems in various fields. A number of mathematical programming models have been developed for this analysis. While some drawbacks with linear programming models have been discussed, little has been done on nonlinear programming (NLP) models due to their complexity. This paper examines the significance of multiple and unacceptable solutions in NLP discriminant analysis, identifies the conditions under which these solutions are generated, and proposes a regularization method to eliminate multiple solutions.
Chemically sensitive structure-imaging with a scanning transmission electron microscope

Conventional high-resolution electron microscopy uses the phase-contrast method1, in which the diffracted beams emerging from the sample are recombined on the viewing screen of the microscope. The resultant contrast depends on the relative phases of the diffracted beams, which is sensitive to microscope and sample parameters, so that images must be interpreted by means of simulation, and defect models are somewhat empirical. By using a high-angle detector in a scanning transmission electron microscope, these problems may be avoided and high atomic-number contrast may be obtained. Here we present results of this technique applied to single crystals of the high-transition-temperature superconductors YBa2Cu3O7–x and ErBa2Cu3O7–x. The heavy-atom planes are directly imaged as bright lines, and the probable structure of an observed defect is directly inferred from its image.
Formulation of the Boltzmann equation in terms of scattering matrices

Abstract We present a rigorous mathematical derivation of the Scattering Matrix Approach from the path integral formulation of the Boltzmann equation. We also show that in the limiting cases, the Scattering Matrix Approach correctly reproduces McKelvey's earlier results. This proof puts the Scattering Matrix Approach in a more general perspective and relates it to other techniques for solving the Boltzmann equation.
3D PET using a Conventional Multislice Tomograph without Septa

A conventional multislice positron emission tomography scanner was modified to operate without interplane septa to evaluate its performance in collecting and reconstructing data in a three-dimensional (3D) format, thereby significantly increasing system sensitivity. A 3D filtered backprojection algorithm was implemented and tested, using both computer simulations and phantom measurements. No artifacts were apparent in the test images, although the algorithm was shown to lead to a 11% degradation in transaxial resolution in the outer planes. Following septa removal, sensitivity was found to increase by a factor of 7 with an increase in scatter fraction from 16 to 41%. Axial resolution degraded from 6.9 to 7.7 mm full width at half maximum at the center of the field of view. The maximum count rate without septa was 2.4 x 10(5) cps, at a concentration of 0.4 microCi/ml, compared with 1.3 x 10(5) cps at 1.5 microCi/ml with septa. Brain studies were performed with volunteers using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose, 18F-fluorodopa, and H2 15O to compare noise-equivalent count rates and qualitatively assess image quality over a wide range of imaging conditions.
Computation of the physio-chemical properties and data mining of large molecular collections.

Very large data sets of molecules screened against a broad range of targets have become available due to the advent of combinatorial chemistry. This information has led to the realization that ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) and toxicity issues are important to consider prior to library synthesis. Furthermore, these large data sets provide a unique and important source of information regarding what types of molecular shapes may interact with specific receptor or target classes. Thus, the requirement for rapid and accurate data mining tools became paramount. To address these issues Pharmacopeia, Inc. formed a computational research group, The Center for Informatics and Drug Discovery (CIDD).* In this review we cover the work done by this group to address both in silico ADME modeling and data mining issues faced by Pharmacopeia because of the availability of a large and diverse collection (over 6 million discrete compounds) of drug-like molecules. In particular, in the data mining arena we discuss rapid docking tools and how we employ them, and we describe a novel data mining tool based on a 1D representation of a molecule followed by a molecular sequence alignment step. For the ADME area we discuss the development and application of absorption, blood–brain barrier (BBB) and solubility models. Finally, we summarize the impact the tools and approaches might have on the drug discovery process. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 23: 172–183, 2002
Being Successful with Dyslexia

Several readers of this journal have expressed appreciation for our occasionally publishing articles by individuals with learning disabilities. In the following, David Wambsgans, an adult with learning disabilities, offers an autobiographical account of his educational, social, and vocational experiences. The article has not been edited and appears as he wrote it for publication.—JLW
Spinophilin Stabilizes Cell Surface Expression of α2B-Adrenergic Receptors

The third intracellular (3i) loops of the α2A- and α2B-adrenergic receptor (AR) subtypes are critical for retention of these receptors at the basolateral surface of polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCKII) cells at steady state. The third intracellular loops of the α2A, α2B, and α2C-AR subtypes interact with spinophilin, a multidomain protein that, like the three α2-AR subtypes, is enriched at the basolateral surface of MDCKII cells. The present studies provide evidence that α2-AR interaction with spinophilin contributes to cell surface stabilization of the receptor. We exploited the unique targeting profile of the α2B-AR subtype in MDCKII cells: random delivery to apical and basolateral surfaces with rapid (t ½ ≤ 60 min) apical versus slower (t ½ = 10–12 h) basolateral turnover. Apical delivery of a spinophilin subdomain containing the α2-AR-interacting region (Sp151–483) by fusion with apically targeted p75NTR extended the half-life of α2B-AR at the apical surface to ∼3.6 h and eliminated the rapid phase (0–60 min) of α2B-AR turnover on that surface. Furthermore, we examined α2B-AR turnover at the surface of mouse embryo fibroblasts derived from wild type (Sp+/+) or spinophilin knock-out (Sp–/–) mice. Two independent experimental approaches demonstrated that agonist-evoked internalization of HA-α2B-AR was accelerated in mouse embryo fibroblasts derived from Sp–/– mice. These findings are consistent with the interpretation that endogenous spinophilin contributes to the stabilization of α2B-AR and presumably all three α2-AR subtypes at the surface of target cells and may act as a scaffold that could link α2-ARs to proteins interacting with spinophilin via other domains.
Coprecipitation and redox reactions of manganese oxides with copper and nickel

Abstract Open-system, continuous-titration experiments have been done in which a slow flux of ∼0.02 molar solution of Mn2+ chloride, nitrate, or perchlorate with Cu2+ or Ni2+ in lesser concentrations was introduced into an aerated reactor solution held at constant temperature and at constant pH by a pH-stat titrator that added dilute NaOH. The resulting mixtures of metal oxyhydroxides and their native solutions were aged for periods as long as 2 1/2 years. Fresh and aged precipitates were characterized by chemical analysis, oxidation state determinations, X-ray and electron diffraction, and electron microscopy. The precipitates can be described as mixtures of oxide and oxyhydroxide species, using concepts of equilibrium and nonequilibrium chemical thermodynamics. The metal-ion content of the aged precipitates in systems that contained copper is distributed among three principal components. One of these is a mixed oxide Cu2Mn3O8 in which all Mn is in the 4+ oxidation state. A major component in all precipitates is feitknechtite, βMnOOH. These forms are supplemented by CuO or by birnessite or ramsdellite forms of MnO2 where stoichiometry and thermodynamic calculations predict them. In systems that contained nickel and manganese, identifiable components included βMnOOH, Ni(OH)2, and the same two forms of MnO2. The oxidation number of the precipitated manganese increased during aging, and the pH of the supernatant solution decreased. The maximum Mn oxidation number observed was 3.55 in an Mn + Cu precipitate aged for 18 months. Concentrations of Cu2+ and Ni2+ generally decreased to values substantially below those predicted by oxide or hydroxide equilibrium. Scavenging effects of this type are common in natural aqueous systems.
New Bio-Inspired, Multiphase Forced Convection Cooling by ABS Plastic or Encapsulated Paraffin Beads

Preliminary experimental results of forced convection by octadecane paraffin (encapsulating phase-change material (EPCM)) particles, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic particles, or by clear (of particulates) water flowing through a heated parallel-plates channel are reported. The objective is to investigate the mixing effect of the particles vis-a-vis the latent heat effect. The particle concentration is kept at 3% in volume. The results, in terms of surface-averaged channel temperature and heat transfer coefficient for different fluid speed and heat-flux, indicate the mixing effect to account from 19% to 68% of the heat transfer enhancement produced by using EPCM particles. Hence particle mixing, even at a very low particle concentration, is an effective convection mechanism.
Nitric oxide reduction coupled with carbon monoxide oxidation in the presence of soluble metal catalysts.

Solutions of RhCl 3 ·xH 2 O in ethanol and Ru(NO) 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 in benzene catalyze the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide concomitant with the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. The reaction, which is followed by gas chromatography and by the decrease in pressure of the system, proceeds to 47 percent conversion of the reactants after 63 hours.
Comparison of two teaching methods on children's knowledge of their internal bodies.

This study investigated the relationship of two teaching modalities used in the instruction of internal body parts for children aged 4 1/2 to 7 1/2 years, who used Piagetian preoperational thought patterns. Initially, all subjects' Piagetian cognitive levels were determined and their knowledge of their bodies pretested using a recall memory approach. Using stratified random assignment, 159 subjects were assigned by grade and class to one of three groups. Subjects in the first experimental group were taught about their internal bodies using a multisensory teaching method employing anatomic dolls. A cognitive-perceptual teaching method using two-dimensional drawings was used with the second group. The third group served as controls. Posttesting was done at 1 and 6 weeks postintervention using recall and recognition memory approaches. A multisensory teaching approach was shown to be significantly, p less than .001, more effective than a cognitive-perceptual teaching approach at both post-testings by both measurement methods. Memory retention of children enmeshed at varying levels of preoperational thought was not significantly different, regardless of teaching method used.
The physiology of attention: participation of cat striate cortex in behavioral choice

In the awake, behaving cat, we have compared response of striate cortex neurons to informative and to noninformative stimuli. A cat pressed a pedal in response to a flashed pattern repeated every 10 s, receiving a reward if the press was within a 0.5-1.5-s post-stimulus window. There were three trial types: 50% of the trials had only the initial informative flash, 25% had an additional physically identical, but unrewarded, flash 500 ms after the first, and 25% had an unrewarded flash 3-5 s after the informative flash. Cats learned to respond only to the rewarded flashes. Neurons were divided into two categories: 27 neurons defined as "primary" showed an early burst of firing 30-70 ms after stimulus onset, and 17 did not. The distinction was arbitrary, since all cells were exposed to the same stimulus. For stimuli preceding a pedal press, stimulus-synchronized histograms of primary neurons had a smaller early burst and more firing before and after it. Response-synchronized histograms showed an abrupt decrease in firing shortly before the pedal press. The effects were stronger for primary cells in the stimulus-synchronized data and stronger for non-primary cells in the response-synchronized data.
Additional Techniques for Studying the behavior of wild bees

This supplement to a paper byLinsleyet al. (1952) describes techniques for the study of socialHalictidae as well as other bees. Methods used to judge relative ages of bees include study of mandibular wear and wing wear. Marking of individuals with quick drying paints is described. Marked bees may be returned to their nest through a glass tube. Paints often wear off; more permanent marking may be achieved by staining wings with an alcohol or acetone solution of methyl or ethyl eosin. Methods are described for delaying bees as they enter or leave their nest, so that color markings can be more easily seen. Small wire screen cones placed over nest entrances often serve this purpose. Methods of obtaining data from nests which are very close together are described, as well as methods of making population estimates of bees by means of the Lincoln Index. The following observations on each bee are recommended to learn as much as possible of habits and caste differences: (1) size of ovaries, (2) number of enlarged ovarioles, (3) number and size of largest oocytes, (4) presence of sperm cells in spermatheca, (5) presence of pollen in gut, (6) length of wing or some other index of size, (7) amount of wing and mandibular wear. The pollen loads of bees entering a nest can be marked with powder of different colors. Subsequent examination of cell provisions shows how many foragers cooperated in provisioning a cell. Replacement of a part of a nest with a glass tube provides opportunities for study of activities inside of the nest.
Sexual Intercourse at Term and Onset of Labor

OBJECTIVE:To determine whether sexual intercourse at term hastens the onset of labor and to observe its effect on cervical status.METHODS:Women with low-risk pregnancies at term were asked at each of their term prenatal visits whether they had engaged in penile-vaginal intercourse during the previou
Fornix system efferent projections in the squirrel monkey: an experimental degeneration study.

The efferent projections of the fornix system have been studied in the squirrel monkey using modified silver staining techniques to delineate degenerating fibers and terminal boutons after inducing careful lesions of the subcallosal fornix and dorsal fornix. Subcallosal fornix projections, after supplying the medial and lateral septal nuclei, are traced via precommissural fibers to terminal degeneration in the nucleus of the diagonal band of Broca, nucleus accumbens, gyrus rectus, olfactory tubercle, medial and lateral preoptic areas, and medial hypothalamus. Degenerating precommissural subcallosal fornix fibers course with the medial forebrain bundle throughout the extent of the lateral hypothalamus, extending caudally to the medial mammillary nucleus with specific hypothalamic offsets to the tuberal region and nucleus intercalatus (“lateral cortico-hypothalamic tract”). Subcallosal postcommissural fornix fibers are traced to terminal degeneration in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and medial preoptic and anterior hypothalamic structures (“medial cortico-hypothalamic tract”); fornix column fibers disperse throughout the perifornical nucleus; these fibers more caudally supply nucleus intercalatus and medial mamillary nucleus. In the thalamus postcommissural fibers supply the nucleus reuniens, the paraventricular, anterior ventral, and lateral dorsal nuclei. In the mammillary nucleus a laminated radiation is described with some fibers extending caudally to the prerubral field. A “midline subcallosal stria,” derived from the subcallosal fornices, distributes fibers to the subfornical organ, the dorsal part of the medial septum, the precommissural fornix and especially the medial cortico-hypothalamic tract. The dorsal fornix projection is predominantly pericallosal to the gyrus rectus and parolfactory area, with only a minor callosal-penetrating contribution to pre- and postcommissural fibers. The composite projections of the hippocampal formation fornix system appear more extensive than those of the amygdala to basal forebrain, preoptic, and hypothalamic areas.
Down-regulation of bcl-2 is a potential marker of the efficacy of progestin therapy in the treatment of endometrial hyperplasia.

Abstract Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the expression of bcl-2, a regulatory protein in programmed cell death, in endometrial hyperplasia before and after progestational therapy. Methods. Pre- and posttreatment paraffin-embedded endometrial tissue samples from 20 women with an initial diagnosis of endometrial hyperplasia were obtained from archived files. Cases were evaluated and classified as either complete resolution of hyperplasia or persistent hyperplasia in response to progestin treatment. Sections were examined for bcl-2, estrogen receptor, and progesterone receptor expression using immunohistochemistry and compared within the treatment response groups. Results. Among the 20 women studied, 13 had complete regression of their hyperplasia with progestin treatment and 7 had evidence of persistent disease after therapy. Bcl-2 expression was significantly decreased after treatment from a mean reactivity score of 2.08 to 0.31 ( P = 0.0005) in the group of patients whose hyperplasia completely regressed with progestin administration. Among the women who had persistent hyperplasia after therapy, no significant change was observed between pre- and posttreatment bcl-2 expression, with a mean reactivity of 1.86 to 1.29, respectively ( P = 0.075). Progestational therapy significantly decreased the status of estrogen receptors from a mean score of 2.08 to 0.46 ( P = 0.0005) in completely resolved cases of hyperplasia and from 2.00 to 0.43 ( P = 0.0025) in persistent hyperplasias. Treatment also significantly decreased the status of progesterone receptors from a mean reactivity score of 1.92 to 0.31 ( P = 0.0005) in cases of regressed hyperplasia and from a mean reactivity of 1.86 to 0.29 ( P = 0.005) in persistent cases of hyperplasia. Conclusions. Bcl-2 expression decreases following successful progestin treatment of endometrial hyperplasias, whereas it remains expressed in hyperplasias which persist despite progestational therapy. This suggests that bcl-2 expression may represent a component of the therapeutic effects exerted in the endometium during progestational therapy in the treatment of hyperplasia. The activity of the oncoprotein may be a potential measure of the progress of treatment.
Glutamine attenuates inflammation and NF-κB activation via Cullin-1 deneddylation

Glutamine (GLN) can inhibit NF-kBeta activation and cytokine expression following sepsis. NF-kappaB activation and inflammatory cytokine expression, depend on neddylation of Cullin-1 (Cul-1) to proceed. Our aim was to evaluate whether GLN inhibits Cul-1 neddylation, and further determine if GLN-mediated Cul-1 deneddylation attenuates NF-kappaB activation and subsequent cytokine expression following experimental sepsis in the mouse. Sepsis-induced via cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) led to a significant increase in lung Cul-1 neddylation. GLN administration post-sepsis led to enhanced lung Cul-1 deneddylation and attenuated NEDD8 expression (p<0.01 vs. saline). Cul-1 deneddylation was associated with decreased NF-kappaB activation and IkappaB alpha degradation in GLN treated mice (( *)p<0.01 vs. saline). Lastly, GLN treatment led to a significant decrease in lung TNF-alpha and IL-6 post-sepsis. These are the first data describing a direct effect of GLN on Cul-1 deneddylation and provide a possible mechanistic explanation for GLN's anti-inflammatory effects.
The early modern afterlife of Ovidian erotics: Dryden's Heroides

This essay examines translations of Ovid's Heroides as they evolve from the late sixteenth century into the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. It focuses on the figure of Sappho in Ovid's fifteenth epistle as the principal guide to the trajectory of an Ovidian erotics that develops within a changing literary and cultural context in early modern London. The analysis begins with a brief survey of early translations and then explores in detail the additions, variations, and accretions that occur in the many editions (from 1680 until after 1720) of Ovid's Epistles, translated by several hands, originally gathered by John Dryden and published by Jacob Tonson both during and after Dryden's lifetime, as well as the significance of the parodies of Dryden's collection and the independent life taken on, a century later, by Sir Carr Scrope's translation for Dryden of ‘Sappho to Phaon’. The essay contributes to our knowledge of the life of literary coteries in early modern London, of early book history as it was guided by an important London publisher, and of early modern gender dynamics as they were mediated by London literary circles and their relation to the classics.
Generating balanced incomplete block designs from planar near rings

Abstract In [5], Ferrero demonstrates a connection between a restricted class of planar near rings and balanced incomplete block designs (BIBD). In particular, if the order v of an abelian group ( A , +) is relatively prime to 6, then Ferrero constructs a planar near ring ( A , +, ·) whose blocks Ag + h , g ≠ 0, are the blocks of a BIBD with parameters (v, β, k, r, λ) = (v, v(v − 1) 2 , 3, 3(v − 1) 2 , 3) . In this paper we show: (1) that the restrictions imposed by Ferrero on planar near rings can be relaxed, (2) the construction of two large family of BIBD's, and (3) that the additive group of a planar near ring need not be abelian in contrast to that of a planar near field [10].
Further Activation of Oxidised Metabolites of 1-Nitropyrene

Abstract The environmental genotoxin 1-nitropyrene owes most of its mutagenic activity in the Salmonella plate incorporation assay with strain TA98 (approximately 300 rev/nmole) to the arylnitrenium ion derived from the hydoxylamine intermediate formed during nitroreduction. In contrast, the major metabolites of 1-nitropyrene, 1-nitropyren-6-ol and 1-acetamidopyren-6-ol, both require oxidative metabolism by S9 fraction to express their mutagenicity in the Salmonella plate incorporation assay. The activity of 1-nitropyren-6-ol exhibits an S9-concentration dependence that is narrow and peaks at 0.2 mg protein per plate (950 rev/nmole), whereas the mutagenicity of 1-acetamidopyren-6-ol increases with increasing S9 up to 3 mg protein per plate (about 1000 rev/nmole). In incubations catalysed by S9, 1-nitropyren-6-ol forms one major metabolite, identified by 1H-NMR as 1-nitropyren-4,6-diol, and 1-acetamidopyren-6-ol gives rise to multiple unidentified products. This pattern of metabolism is consistent with act...
WCRP -- A software development system for efficient wavelet-based image codec design

A wavelet-based image codec compresses an image with three major steps: discrete wavelet transform, quantization and entropy coding. There are many variants in each step. In this research, we consider a versatile software development system called the wavelet compression research platform (WCRP). WCRP provides a framework to host components of all compression steps. For each compression stage, multiple components are developed and they are contained in WCRP. They include a selection of floating-point and integer filter sets, different transform strategies, a set of quantizers and two different arithmetic coders. A codec can be easily formed by picking up components in different stages. WCRP provides an excellent tool to test the performance of various image codec designs. In addition, WCRP is an extensible system, i.e., new components available in the future can be easily incorporated and quickly tested. It makes the development of new algorithms much easier. WCRP has been used in developing a family of new quantization algorithms that are based on the concept of Binary Description of multi-level wavelet coding objects. These quantization schemes can serve different applications, such as progressive fidelity coding, lossless coding and low complexity coding. Both progressive fidelity coding and lossless coding performance of our codec are among the best in its class. A codec of low implementational complexity is made possible by our memory-scalable quantization scheme.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effect of afterload reduction on plasma volume during acute heart failure

Previous investigations in our unit indicated that acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema is associated not only with an increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and pulmonary arterial wedge pressure but also with a relative increase in colloid osmotic (oncotic) pressure and peripheral hemoglobin concentration. This combination of changes suggested that acute congestive heart failure with pulmonary edema, unlike chronic congestive heart failure, is associated with a contraction of intravascular blood volume. In this study, plasma volume changes were measured before and during the treatment of acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema in 14 patients with arteriosclerotic heart disease. The plasma volume measurement in all 14 patients before the initiation of treatment was either normal or decreased. After treatment with the alpha adrenergic blocking agent phentolamine, the plasma volume increased rather than decreased when measured 4 and 12 hours after the initiation of treatment. During this time colloid osmotic pressure and peripheral hemoglobin concentration progressively decreased. These findings suggest that acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema is associated with the extravasation of large quantities of plasma water from the intravascular compartment into the interstitial compartment and contraction of the intravascular plasma volume. The treatment of acute cardiogenic pulmonary edema is associated with the return of hypo-oncotic fluid from the interstitial compartment back into the intravascular compartment with expansion of plasma volume and reduction of colloid osmotic pressure and hemoglobin concentration.
Estimating the Rate of Phenotypic Evolution from Comparative Data

This study presents a method to estimate rates of evolutionary change in continuous characters from comparative data. The technique is similar to those introduced previously in which between-species divergence is estimated as a function of time since divergence but also takes into account the possible statistical nonindependence of trait values measured from phylogenetically related species in an approach similar to the independent contrasts methods used in interspecific data analysis. The use of Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes is also proposed to extend the standard Brownian motion model of evolutionary change and to allow for tests of neutral evolution versus evolution under stabilizing selection. Applications of the method to test specific hypotheses of phenotypic evolution (including the adequacy of Brownian motion to describe real data), to compare rates of change of different types of characters or different groups of organisms, and to estimate branch lengths in units of expected variance of change as ...
Experimental Evidence of Temperature Path Independence in the Polycrystalline Alloy Ni3AI

The results from a series of elevated temperature prestrain experiments on a hypostoichiometric polycrystalline Ni{sub 3}Al are presented. Experiments were conducted to examine the deformation characteristic of thermal reversibility or temperature path history independence (TPHI). Temperature path history independence was experimentally observed from prestraining experiments (also known as Cottrell-Stokes experiments) in which the specimen was deformed at different temperatures; the results were compared to those obtained from tests conducted at constant temperature. The purpose of such experiments was to macroscopically evaluate the effects of intrinsic dislocation mobility and dislocation substructure on deformation. These experiments provide a framework in which to evaluate fundamental characteristics of thermally activated deformation processes. The results for polycrystalline Ni{sub 3}Al alloys indicate that the mechanisms responsible for thermal strengthening is independent of prior deformation history. This observation implies that the mechanism of anomalous strengthening in such alloys is fully reversible and independent of the development of a dislocation substructure.
Involvement of the xenobiotic response element (XRE) in Ah receptor-mediated induction of human UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) plays an important physiological role by contributing to the metabolism of endogenous substances such as bilirubin in addition to xenobiotics and drugs. The UGT1A1 gene has been shown to be inducible by nuclear receptors steroid xenobiotic receptor (SXR) and the constitutive active receptor, CAR. In this report, we show that in human hepatoma HepG2 cells the UGT1A1 gene is also inducible with aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ah receptor) ligands such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), beta-naphthoflavone, and benzo[a]pyrene metabolites. Induction was monitored by increases in protein and catalytic activity as well as UGT1A1 mRNA. To examine the molecular interactions that control UGT1A1 expression, the gene was characterized and induction by Ah receptor ligands was regionalized to bases -3338 to -3287. Nucleotide sequence analysis of this UGT1A1 enhancer region revealed a xenobiotic response element (XRE) at -3381/-3299. The dependence of the XRE on UGT1A1-luciferase activity was demonstrated by a loss of Ah receptor ligand inducibility when the XRE core region (CACGCA) was deleted or mutated. Gel mobility shift analysis confirmed that TCDD induction of nuclear proteins specifically bound to the UGT1A1-XRE, and competition experiments with Ah receptor and Arnt antibodies demonstrated that the nuclear protein was the Ah receptor. These observations reveal that the Ah receptor is involved in human UGT1A1 induction.
Temporary Vena Caval Interruption and Thrombolysis in the Management of Deep Vein Thrombosis.

Temporary interruption of the inferior vena cava (IVC) with a retrievable filter should be considered in patients with objectively verified proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the legs who have a temporary contraindication to therapeutic anticoagulation, or in patients who experience severe complications from anticoagulation. The risk of the temporary filter being left in place permanently must be considered. Use of a retrievable filter in conjunction with therapeutic anticoagulation during the early phase of therapy for acute DVT in patients whose cardiopulmonary reserve is limited (ie, those with preexisting pulmonary hypertension) may be a future indication for this intervention. Interruption of the superior vena cava with a retrievable filter has been performed in a small number of cases, but there are insufficient data to guide risk:benefit analysis for this procedure. Thrombolysis, either systemic or local, results in a higher rate of thrombus resolution than anticoagulation alone. However, the long-term benefit of thrombolysis in preventing or improving the post-thrombotic syndrome remains unproven. Due to the substantial risk and cost of thrombolytic therapy, it should not be performed in the routine treatment of DVT. Thrombolytic therapy, in the absence of contraindication, should be considered in highly symptomatic, massive iliofemoral DVT. Catheter-directed thrombolytic therapy has shown promise in case series, but its role remains to be elucidated in randomized trials.
Hydrogen bonding and molecular orientation in water/fluorine adlayers on silver (110)

Abstract The orientation and hydrogen bonding interactions of water coadsorbed with atomic fluorine on Ag(110) were examined with high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and time-of-flight measurements of electron stimulated desorption ion angular distribution (TOF-ESDIAD). Water exhibits four stabilized adsorption states in the presence of fluorine, identified as the B, A 1 , A 2 , and A 3 states in order of their decreasing desorption temperatures. The B state interacts with fluorine through one hydrogen bond with the other hydrogen remaining free as evidenced by an O–H stretching frequency of 3700 cm −1 . Water molecules in the A 1 state interact through two strong hydrogen bonds in a ratio of one water molecule per fluorine atom and cause a (2 × 1) to (1 × 2) surface phase transition of fluorine. Surprisingly, TOF-ESDIAD measurements detect no H + emission from either the B or A 1 states indicating that all hydrogens are either pointed towards the surface or far enough away from the surface normal to escape detection by ESDIAD. Instead, emission of only high mass ions (O + /OH + /H 2 O + /F + ) occurs in two beams along the [110] direction for the B state and along the [001] direction for the combined B + A 1 states. The A 2 and A 3 states of water hydrogen bond to the B and A 1 states and exhibit vibrational spectra that approach that of ice, although the interaction with fluorine remains sufficiently strong to impart measurable spectral differences.
An approximate solution for the contact area and elastic compliance of a smooth punch of arbitrary shape

Abstract An approximate solution is developed for the contact area and the load-penetiation relation for frictionless indentation of the elastic half-space by a punch of arbitrary profile. The method makes use of a previous result to the effect that the contact area in this problem is that which maximizes the total indenting force. An estimate of this force is obtained by applying the reciprocal theorem to the solution for indentation by a flat punch of the same plan-form, for which an approximate solution has recently been developed by Fabrikant. The method is illustrated using an example, the results of which are compared with a direct numerical solution using Hartnett's algorithm.
Regulators of IAP function: coming to grips with the grim reaper

Inhibitor of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are a conserved class of proteins that control apoptosis in both vertebrates and invertebrates. They exert their anti-apoptotic function through inhibition of caspases, the principal executioners of apoptotic cell death. Recent advances in vertebrates and Drosophila have demonstrated that IAPs use ubiquitin conjugation to control the stability, and thus the activity, of select target proteins. The Drosophila IAP1 gene is an instructive example: it employs at least two distinct ubiquitin-dependent mechanisms of protein destruction. The apoptosis-inducing genes grim, reaper and hid modulate these mechanisms, and determine the outcome.
An Iterated loop matching approach to the prediction of RNA secondary structures with pseudoknots

Motivation: Pseudoknots have generally been excluded from the prediction of RNA secondary structures due to its difficulty in modeling. Although, several dynamic programming algorithms exist for the prediction of pseudoknots using thermodynamic approaches, they are neither reliable nor efficient. On the other hand, comparative methods are more reliable, but are often done in an ad hoc manner and require expert intervention. Maximum weighted matching, an algorithm for pseudoknot prediction with comparative analysis, suffers from low-prediction accuracy in many cases. Results: Here we present an algorithm, iterated loop matching, for reliably and efficiently predicting RNA secondary structures including pseudoknots. The method can utilize either thermodynamic or comparative information or both, thus is able to predict pseudoknots for both aligned and individual sequences. We have tested the algorithm on a number of RNA families. Using 8--12 homologous sequences, the algorithm correctly identifies more than 90% of base-pairs for short sequences and 80% overall. It correctly predicts nearly all pseudoknots and produces very few spurious base-pairs for sequences without pseudoknots. Comparisons show that our algorithm is both more sensitive and more specific than the maximum weighted matching method. In addition, our algorithm has high-prediction accuracy on individual sequences, comparable with the PKNOTS algorithm, while using much less computational resources. Availability: The program has been implemented in ANSI C and is freely available for academic use at http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~zhang/projects/rna/ilm/ Supplementary information: http://www.cse.wustl.edu/~zhang/projects/rna/ilm/
Long-term expression of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in response to an acute colonic inflammation

This study examined the long-term effects of an acute colitis on central corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) expression. An increase in CRF mRNA in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) was observed during active colitis, and the effect in the PVN was maintained following recovery. In summary, hypothalamic gene expression of CRF persists in the PVN despite resolution of an acute colitis.
Hereditary Deafness Syndromes with Onset in Adult Life

The types of hereditary deafness in man can be separated from each other by the type of hearing loss and its age of onset, by the mode of transmission and by the associated defects caused by the abnormal gene. In this report we reviewed the clinical findings, laboratory findings, etiology, treatment, prognosis, and the diagnostic features of the 12 known types of hereditary deafness which begin in adult life.
A 66-MHz configurable secondary cache controller with primary cache copyback support

The authors describe a 66-MHz secondary cache controller which supports a primary cache operating in copyback mode. The device integrates a 278-kb direct-mapped cache tag array plus control logic to provide full multiprocessing capability and is configurable to support cache sizes from 256 kbytes to 1 Mbyte. Implemented in a 0.8- mu m twin-well double-poly triple-metal CMOS process, the device uses a high-resistivity poly load memory cell to achieve high density. >
Indirect effects of overfishing on Caribbean reefs: sponges overgrow reef-building corals

Consumer-mediated indirect effects at the community level are difficult to demonstrate empirically. Here, we show an explicit indirect effect of overfishing on competition between sponges and reef-building corals from surveys of 69 sites across the Caribbean. Leveraging the large-scale, long-term removal of sponge predators, we selected overfished sites where intensive methods, primarily fish-trapping, have been employed for decades or more, and compared them to sites in remote or marine protected areas (MPAs) with variable levels of enforcement. Sponge-eating fishes (angelfishes and parrotfishes) were counted at each site, and the benthos surveyed, with coral colonies scored for interaction with sponges. Overfished sites had >3 fold more overgrowth of corals by sponges, and mean coral contact with sponges was 25.6%, compared with 12.0% at less-fished sites. Greater contact with corals by sponges at overfished sites was mostly by sponge species palatable to sponge predators. Palatable species have faster rates of growth or reproduction than defended sponge species, which instead make metabolically expensive chemical defenses. These results validate the top-down conceptual model of sponge community ecology for Caribbean reefs, as well as provide an unambiguous justification for MPAs to protect threatened reef-building corals. An unanticipated outcome of the benthic survey component of this study was that overfished sites had lower mean macroalgal cover (23.1% vs. 38.1% for less-fished sites), a result that is contrary to prevailing assumptions about seaweed control by herbivorous fishes. Because we did not quantify herbivores for this study, we interpret this result with caution, but suggest that additional large-scale studies comparing intensively overfished and MPA sites are warranted to examine the relative impacts of herbivorous fishes and urchins on Caribbean reefs.