cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Boxer Muhammad Ali and Soldier Idi Amin As International Political Symbols: The Bioeconomics of Sport and War

Did Idi Amin join the army because of a lack of alternative economic opportunities for uneducated Kakwa in colonial Uganda? Or was he helped by the prior attractiveness of “tall African specimens” to those who were recruiting for the King's African Rifles?Why have black people performed better by world standards in athletics than in most other sports and games? Does the explanation lie in the low economic status of blacks? Or is it partly a question of the physical attributes of some black “athletic specimens?”Did the food culture of the Gurkhas and Punjabis help to make them “martial people” suitable for recruitment into the Indian army? Or were there primarily economic differences between them and the less martial communities of India like, say, the Gujerati?
Hollow fiber array affinity chromatography

Preparative separations of creatine phosphokinase and bovine albumin are carried out by hollow fiber liquid chromatography. The hollow fibers used are poly(propylene), 240 μm in diameter. They are uniformly coated with cross-linked poly(vinyl alcohol) and then reacted with the triazine dye Procion Blue MX-R. Experiments with these fibers show good protein separations, including those of the phosphokinase from the rabbit heart and the rabbit brain. Other experiments show that overloading can be successfully predicted. In terms of resolution at low sample loads, hollow fiber chromatography is currently inferior to analytical columns, though it is potentially superior for preparative separations.
Effects of Nutrition on Egg Development and Survival in the Face Fly, Musca autumnalis

Meridic diets for Musca autumnalis De Geer, that included gastric mucin, sodium caseinate, and egg albumin gave results equal, or superior, to the laboratory diet used as a control. Proteins that promoted only poor egg development were bovine blood fibrin, lactalbumin, serum albumin, gelatin, vitamin-free casein, and salivary mucin. A diet containing amino acids rather than protein promoted egg development, but less than diets containing the 3 best proteins. Diets, containing from 40% to 70% protein promoted maximum development, but above 90% protein, low carbohydrate concentration limited survival of the face fly.
SU-E-T-388: Estimating the Radioactivity Inventory of a Cyclotron Based Pencil Beam Proton Therapy Facility

Purpose: Parts of the cyclotron and energy degrader are incidentally activated by protons lost during the acceleration and transport of protons for radiation therapy. An understanding of the radioactive material inventory is needed when regulatory requirements are assessed. Methods: First, the tumor dose and volume is used to determine the required energy deposition. For spot scanning, the tumor length along the beam path determines the number of required energy layers. For each energy layer the energy deposition per proton can be calculated from the residual proton range within the tumor. Assuming a typical layer weighting, an effective energy deposition per proton can then be calculated. The total number of required protons and the number of protons per energy layer can then be calculated. For each energy layer, proton losses in the energy degrader are calculated separately since its transmission efficiency, and hence the amount of protons lost, is energy dependent. The degrader efficiency also determines the number of protons requested from the cyclotron. The cyclotron extraction efficiency allows a calculation of the proton losses within the cyclotron. The saturation activity induced in the cyclotron and the degrader is equal to the production rate R for isotopes whose half-life is shorter that the projected cyclotron life time. R can be calculated from the proton loss rate and published production cross sections. Results: About 1/3 of the saturation activity is produced in the cyclotron and 2/3 in the energy degrader. For a projected case mix and a patient load of 1100 fractions per week at 1.8 Gy per fraction a combined activity of 180 mCi was estimated at saturation. Conclusion: Calculations were used to support to application of a radioactive materials license for the possession of 200 mCi of activity for isotopes with atomic numbers ranging from 1-83.
Heterobiaryl and heterobiaryl ether derived M5 positive allosteric modulators.

This Letter describes a chemical lead optimization campaign directed at VU0238429, the first M5-preferring positive allosteric modulator (PAM), discovered through analog work around VU0119498, a pan Gq mAChR M1, M3, M5 PAM. An iterative parallel synthesis approach was employed to incorporate basic heterocycles to improve physiochemical properties.
Role of Candida albicans polymorphism in interactions with oral epithelial cells.

Background: Candida albicans is a polymorphic organism which undergoes morphologic transition between yeast, pseudohyphal and hyphal forms. The ability of C. albicans to change from yeast to filamentous types is a major virulence determinant of this organism. However, the exact role of hyphal transformation in establishing oral mucosal infection is still poorly understood. Methods: In this study we used mutants with defects in filamentation, as well as oral strains, which differ in their capacity to form true hyphae, to examine the role of hyphal transformation in the interactions of C. albicans with oral epithelial cells in vitro. These interactions included the ability of these strains to adhere to and injure epithelial cells, as well as their ability to trigger a proinflammatory cytokine response. Results: We found that strains SC5314 and ATCC28366 formed true hyphae on epithelial cells, whereas strain ATCC32077 and the tup1/tup1 mutant formed only pseudohyphae. Double mutant efg1/efg1cph1/cph1 grew exclusively as blastospores. We also found that yeast and pseudohyphal strains showed reduced adherence capacity to oral keratinocytes and caused minimal cell damage. Moreover, we showed that both yeast and pseudohyphal forms have a strongly attenuated proinflammatory phenotype, since they failed to induce significant interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-8 responses by oral epithelial cells. Conclusions: Germination of C. albicans into true hyphae is particularly important in the interactions with oral epithelial cells in vitro.
Analysis of Component Variance: Block Designs and Repeated Measures

propored by the aurhorr, is extended ro include block designs and derigor wirh repeated measurer. A method for coding dara matrices to be used in block designs and repearedmeasures designs is given. The correlation mauix obtained from the dara matrix is "factored into a marrix of triangular component loadings. The necessary F ratios are obtained from elements of the matrix of triangular component loadings and the appropriate ratio of degrees of freedom This is the method of analysis of component variance as presented by Pinneau and Ender (1971) BLOCK DBSIGNS The general merhod of coding block designs (randomized block, Latin square, erc.) is as follows: When rhere are n blocks, n -1 columns of the dara mauix are used to code block effects. Each column compares one block wirh the nth block. For example, in the first column, scores that are in block one are coded +1, those in block n are coded -1, and all others are coded 0. The second column of the dam matrix compares block rwo wirh the nth block. This procedure is repeated until all n -1 blocks have been compared with the nth block. This method of coding results in linear contrasts of the block means. It also ensures that the coded values for block effects will be orthogonal to the values obtained by the merhod of coding treatment effects proposed by Pinneau and Ender (1971). Once coded, the dara are analyzed according to the method of analysis of component variance as previoosly described ( 1971 ) REPeATeo Me~su~es: K GROUPS As suggesed by Hays (1963), repeated-measures designs with n subjects and k treaunent levels can be coded and analyzed as a type of block design. In this instance, each subjecr is treated as a block; therefore, rhere ate as many levels of the blocking variable as rhere are subjects. The method of coding the first column of the data matrix would be to code all the repented scores on subject one (block 1) as +I, those on subject n (block n) as -1, and the remaining as 0. The second column conrrasrs subject (block) rwo wirh sitbject (block) n This procedure is repeated until all n -1 subjects (blocks) are conuasted with the last subject (block). Next, treatment variables are coded as previously de
The sheep kidney contains a novel unidirectional, high affinity NADP+-dependent 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD-3)

The 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11 beta-HSD) enzymes convert corticosterone and cortisol to 11-dehydrocorticosterone and cortisone, and are thought to convey extrinsic specificity to the mineralocorticoid receptor by limiting access of the relatively more abundant glucocorticoids to it. Two different 11 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11 beta-HSD) have been described and cloned. The liver-type, NADP(+)-dependent 11 beta-HSD-1, has an affinity in the micromolar range and bidirectional activity. The NAD(+)-dependent 11 beta-HSD-2 has a higher affinity, in the nanomolar range, and exhibits only oxidase activity. 11 beta-HSD-2, because of its affinity and co-localization with the mineralocorticoid receptor, is likely to serve as the "gatekeeper" for the mineralocorticoid receptor in the kidney. Although the rat kidney expresses both isoforms, only the high-affinity, NAD(+)-dependent 11 beta-HSD-2 has been reported in the sheep kidney. We found both 11 beta-HSD NAD(+)- and NADP(+)-dependent activities in sheep kidney to be present. The NAD(+)-dependent activity exhibited a Km similar to that reported in the literature, 3.85 +/- 1.28 nM for corticosterone and 21.3 +/- 5.8 for cortisol, was distributed in approximately equal amounts between microsomes and nuclei, and was unidirectional, converting corticosterone to 11-dehydrocorticosterone. The enzyme exhibited prominent substrate inhibition. The NADP(+)-dependent activity had a Km for corticosterone of 4 +/- 1.3 nM for a Km for cortisol of 35.2 +/- 2 nM, 100-fold lower than that described for the 11 beta-HSD-1 in the liver of sheep and other species, and was more prevalent in the microsomes than the nuclei. This enzyme was not inhibited by its substrate. The NAD(+)-dependent activity was approximately 3-10 times greater than the NADP(+)-dependent activity when incubated with 5 nM corticosterone substrate, but had similar activity when incubated with 100 nM substrate concentrations. CHOP cells (a modified Chinese hamster ovary cell line) transiently transfected with the sheep 11 beta-HSD-2 plasmid exhibited a marked preference for NAD+ as co-factor. Oxidation of corticosterone by transfected cells in the presence of NADP+ was present, but minimal; NADP+ did not support the metabolism of cortisol, the primary glucocorticoid of sheep. These data suggest the existence of another NADP(+)-dependent enzyme, 11 beta-HSD-3, which, because of its high affinity and unidirectional oxidase activity, may play a physiological role in the modulation of glucocorticoid binding to both the mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors.
The heparin-thrombin complex in the mechanism of thrombin inactivation by heparin

Heparin and thrombin, at very low concentrations, are shown to form a complex with a very high association constant. The heparin-thrombin complex contains an altered thrombin structure, as evidenced by a 70% decrease in the thrombin arnidase activity. In the presence of α 2 -antithrombin the heparin-thrombin complex can be completely inactivated. It is shown that heparin and α 2 -antithrombin do not interact under conditions in which the heparin-thrombin complex is formed and observed. Therefore, it is proposed that the first molecular event in the heparin-mediated thrombin inactivation process in blood is the rapid formation of the heparin-thrombin complex. The complete inactivation of the thrombin in this complex is achieved by further reaction with α 2 -antithrombin in blood, the latter reaction probably being the rate limiting step in the thrombin inactivation process.
Workplace Safety in Atlanta's Construction Industry: Institutional Failure in Temporary Staffing Arrangements

This article examines workplace safety conditions in Atlanta’s construction industry in light of the growing presence of temporary staffing agencies in the industry. Using data collected from surveys of building contractors, temporary staffing agencies, and temp workers, the article explores the ways in which the use of agency-supplied temps by construction contractors subverts workplace health and safety regulations, thereby exposing construction workers to heightened risk of injury. Statistics on workplace injuries in the U.S. are unequivocal—construction is a hazardous industry for its workers. Over the past several decades, unions, government agencies, the insurance industry, and employer associations have launched initiatives to protect the safety of construction workers. These efforts have evolved into a regulatory framework—a workplace safety regime—that creates incentives for employers to take steps to reduce workplace injuries. Despite these efforts, however, injury rates in the construction industry remain disturbingly high, in part because employers have not fully responded to this system of incentives. More troubling, the changing landscape of U.S. employment arrangements is challenging this already inadequate system of incentives. This system, which is comprised of labor market forces, workers’ compensation policies, and occupational safety and health regulations, has evolved in relation to standard employment arrangements (full-time work, under a contract of unlimited duration with a single employer) that have been the norm for decades. With the growth in nonstandard employment arrangements, and employment through temporary staffing agencies in particular, the adequacy of the existing system of incentives is further called into question. This article examines workplace safety conditions in Atlanta’s construction industry in light of the growing presence of temporary staffing agencies in the industry. Using data collected from standardized surveys of building contractors, temporary staffing agencies, and temp workers, the article explores the ways in which the use of agency-supplied temps by construction contractors
Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis in patients with colorectal cancer: long-term functional and oncologic outcomes.

When colorectal cancer complicates chronic ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis, the role of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis is uncertain because of concerns that the procedure may compromise oncologic therapy and that oncologic therapy may compromise ileal pouch-anal anastomosis function. AIM: This study was undertaken to investigate the impact both of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis on cancer outcomes and of cancer treatments on ileal pouch-anal anastomosis function. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Of 1,616 patients undergoing ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for chronic ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis (1981–1994), 77 patients were identified with adenocarcinoma of the colon (56), rectum (17), or both (4). Data were obtained from an ileal pouch-anal anastomosis registry, case notes, and postal and telephone surveys. RESULTS: Mean age of the 77 index patients was 37 (range, 13–60) years. Stage distribution was as follows: Stage 0, 9; Stage I, 31; Stage II, 15; Stage III, 22 patients. Twelve patients died with systemic disease (6 with a local component) after a mean follow-up of 6 (range, 2–15) years. Twenty-two patients received adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy, 16; radiotherapy, 2; both, 4 patients). Chemotherapy complications requiring dose reduction or interruption occurred in three (15 percent) patients. One patient developed radiation enteritis (17 percent). Pouch failure occurred in 16 percent of cancer patients, compared with 7 percent for the overall registry. There were no differences between cancer and non-cancer groups in operative complications, median stool frequency, incontinence, pad usage, or pouchitis. CONCLUSIONS: Although pouch failure is more common, ileal pouch-anal anastomosis can be performed in the setting of colorectal cancer without significant impact on oncologic outcome or long-term ileal pouch-anal anastomosis function.
Robust Approximate Zeros in Banach Space

We extend Smale’s concept of approximate zeros of an analytic function on a Banach space to two computational models that account for errors in the computation: first, the weak model where the computations are done with a fixed precision; and second, the strong model where the computations are done with varying precision. For both models, we develop a notion of robust approximate zero and derive a corresponding robust point estimate. A useful specialization of an analytic function on a Banach space is a system of integer polynomials. Given such a zero-dimensional system, we bound the complexity of computing an absolute approximation to a root of the system using the strong model variant of Newton’s method initiated from a robust approximate zero. The bound is expressed in terms of the condition number of the system and is a generalization of a well-known bound of Brent to higher dimensions.
Hawaiian xenolith populations, magma supply rates, and development of magma chambers

Hawaiian volcanoes pass through a sequence of four eruptive stages characterized by distinct lava types, magma supply rates, and xenolith populations. Magma supply rates are low in the earliest and two latest alkalic stages and high in the tholeiitic second stage. Magma storage reservoirs develop at shallow and intermediate depths as the magma supply rate increases during the earliest stage; magma in these reservoirs solidifies as the supply rate declines during the alkalic third stage. These magma storage reservoirs function as hydraulic filters and remove dense xenoliths that the ascending magma has entrained. During the earliest and latest stages, no magma storage zone exists, and mantle xenoliths of lherzolite are carried to the surface in primitive alkalic lava. During the tholeiitic second stage, magma storage reservoirs develop and persist both at the base of the ocean crust and 3–7 km below the caldera; only xenoliths of shallow origin are carried to the surface by differentiated lava. During the alkalic third stage, magma in the shallow subcaldera reservoir solidifies, and crustal xenoliths, including oceanic-crustal rocks, are carried to the surface in lava that fractionates in an intermediate-depth reservoir. Worldwide xenolith populations in tholeiitic and alkalic lava may reflect the presence or absence of subvolcanic magma storage reservoirs.
Type I interferon induction is correlated with attenuation of a South American eastern equine encephalitis virus strain in mice

North American eastern equine encephalitis virus (NA-EEEV) strains cause high mortality in humans, whereas South American strains (SA-EEEV) are typically avirulent. To clarify mechanisms of SA-EEEV attenuation, we compared mouse-attenuated BeAr436087 SA-EEEV, considered an EEEV vaccine candidate, with mouse-virulent NA-EEEV strain, FL93-939. Although attenuated, BeAr436087 initially replicated more efficiently than FL93-939 in lymphoid and other tissues, inducing systemic IFN-alpha/beta release, whereas FL93-939 induced little. BeAr436087 was more virulent than FL93-939 in IFN-alpha/beta-deficient mice, confirming that type I IFN responses determined attenuation, but the viruses were similarly sensitive to IFN-alpha/beta priming in vitro. Infection with BeAr436087 protected against FL93-939 disease/death, even when given 8 h afterward, suggesting that the environment produced by BeAr436087 infection attenuated FL93-939. We conclude that avoidance of IFN-alpha/beta induction is a major virulence factor for FL93-939. Furthermore, BeAr436087 could be used for vaccination and therapeutic treatment in the event of exposure to NA-EEEV during a bioterrorism attack.
Automaticity in cardiac cells.

Abstract Automaticity is the result of dynamic changes in transmembrane currents during electrical diastole. It is readily demonstrated in most cardiac cell types. In all four cardiac cell types studied by the voltage clamp technique (Purkinje, ventricular, atrial, and sino-atrial node fibers), the major change detected during diastolic depolarization is a decrease in outward current. This decrease in a repolarizing current (largely potassium mediated) permits an inward current (sodium and/or calcium mediated) to depolarize the cell. All four cardiac cell types appear to possesess a time-dependent potassium conductance which controls the decrease in outward current over the −70 to −30 mV potential range. Purkinje fibers manifest an additional conductance which is responsible for automaticity in this type of cell at potentials between −100 and −70 mV.
Application of plasmonic subwavelength structuring to enhance infrared detection

Nanoantennas are an enabling technology for visible to terahertz components and may be used with a variety of detector materials. We have integrated subwavelength patterned metal nanoantennas with various detector materials for infrared detection: midwave infrared indium gallium arsenide antimonide detectors, longwave infrared graphene detectors, and shortwave infrared germanium detectors. Nanoantennas offer a means to make infrared detectors much thinner, thus lowering the dark current and improving performance. The nanoantenna converts incoming plane waves to more tightly bound and concentrated surface waves. The active material only needs to extend as far as these bound fields. In the case of graphene detectors, which are only one or two atomic layers thick, such field concentration is a necessity for usable device performance, as single pass absorption is insufficient. The nanoantenna is thus the enabling component of these thin devices. However nanoantenna integration and fabrication vary considerably across these platforms as do the considerations taken into account during design. Here we discuss the motivation for these devices and show examples for the three material systems. Characterization results are included for the midwave infrared detector.
Activation of Ovarian Procathepsin B by Coexistent Cathepsin D during Late Oocyte Maturation in Scad

In pelagic egg-spawning marine fish, hepatically derived vitellogenin undergoes limited proteolysis within the follicles during early oocyte maturation followed by additional degradation during late oocyte maturation. This study demonstrates the role of cathepsin D expressed in late maturating oocytes of round scad Decapterus maruadsi, in relation to ovarian cathepsins B and L that are possible agents causing yolk degradation. Ovarian cathepsins B, D and L in late oocyte lysate were isolated by gel filtration, and their respective molecular masses were estimated as 26.7, 34.9 and 29.9 kDa. The effect of pepstatin, a potent inhibitor of cathepsin D, was examined on their activities in the oocyte lysate and isolates of cathepsins. In both sources, the activity of cathepsin D was completely inhibited whereas that of cathepsin L was not inhibited. However, the activity of cathepsin B in the lysate was significantly reduced while no inhibition of its activity was observed in the isolate. Results indicate that ovarian cathepsin D is involved in activation of coexistent procathepsin B during late oocyte maturation in scad.
Accumulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein and histone H4 in brain storage bodies of Tibetan terriers with hereditary neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

The neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs) are inherited neurodegenerative diseases characterized by massive accumulation of autofluorescent storage bodies in neurons and other cells. A late-onset form of NCL occurs in Tibetan terrier dogs. Gel electrophoretic analyses of isolated storage body proteins from brains of affected dogs indicated that a protein of approximately 50 kDa was consistently prominent and a 16 kDa component was present in some brain storage body preparations. Mass spectral analysis identified the 50 kDa protein as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), isoform 2. GFAP identification was supported by immunoblot and immunohistochemical analyses. Histone H4 was the major protein in the 16 kDa component. Specific accumulation of GFAP and histone H4 in storage bodies has not been previously reported for any of the NCLs. Tibetan terrier NCL may be the canine correlate of one of the human adult-onset NCLs for which the genetic bases and storage body compositions have not yet been determined.
A New AFM Cantilever Design for Manipulation at the Nanoscale

Prototyping and fabrication of nanodevices require subnanometer tolerances and highly accurate sensing and actuation. Improved control on manipulating matter at the nanoscale is of relevance in different fields such as the automotive industry, biotechnology and communication. Limitations of existing nanomanipulation systems include constrained motion of manipulator end-effectors. In the present paper, a new AFM probe design suitable for nanomanipulation is proposed. The design includes a nanomanipulation piezotube that allows actuation and sensing of the tip motion in three directions. In addition, a piezopatch is attached to the cantilever holder for in-situ stiffness tuning needed for manipulating large and sticky nanosamples. Design considerations and path tracking performance of the proposed manipulator are analyzed.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Human CD4+ cells transfected with IL-16 cDNA are resistant to HIV-1 infection: Inhibition of mRNA expression

Interleukin-16 (IL-16) is secreted by activated CD8+ T lymphocytes and acts on CD4+ T lymphocytes, monocytes and eosinophils. Recently, the C-terminal 130-amino acid portion of IL-16 was shown to suppress HIV-1 replication in vitro. To explore the potential of human IL-16 for gene therapy, this portion was transfected into HIV-1-susceptible CD4+ jurkat cells by means of a mammalian expression vector. The stable transfectants synthesized and secreted IL-16 protein. The expression of IL-16 did not alter growth rate and CD4 expression; however, HIV replication was inhibited by as much as 99%. Furthermore, during the initial phase of the infection, equal amounts of HIV-1 proviral DNA were found in cells transfected with IL-16 and with vector alone. In contrast, the 2-kilobase HIV-1 transcripts were markedly reduced and the 4-kb and 9-kb transcripts were undetectable in the cells transfected with IL-16. These findings indicate that IL-16-mediated inhibition of HIV-1 is not at the level of viral entry or reverse transcription, but at messenger RNA expression.
UV photosynthesis of nickel carbonyl

In the presence of low-molecular-weight organic acids, such as formic, acetic, and propionic, inorganic nickel salts in aqueous solutions are converted to the volatile tetracarbonyl by UV irradiation. Experiments were performed using a flow-through photoreactor, consisting of a 6 m length polytetrafluoroethylene tubing wrapped around a low-pressure mercury vapor UV lamp (254 nm, 15 W). The efficiency of transformation was estimated to be 95%. As no carbon monoxide or external reductant is required, photochemical synthesis may prove to be useful in material chemistry and applicable to the extractive metallurgy of nickel, as well as its refining and recycling. Copyright © 2004 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Catecholamine Influences on Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortical Networks

The symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involve impairments in prefrontal cortical top-down regulation of attention and behavior. All current pharmacological treatments for ADHD facilitate catecholamine transmission, and basic research suggests that these compounds have prominent actions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). The dorsolateral PFC is especially sensitive to levels of norepinephrine and dopamine, whereby either too little or too much markedly impairs PFC function. Recent physiological studies have shown that norepinephrine strengthens PFC network connectivity and maintains persistent firing during a working memory task through stimulation of postsynaptic α2A-adrenoceptors on PFC neurons. Conversely, dopamine acts at D1 receptors to narrow spatial tuning, sculpting network inputs to decrease noise (i.e., stabilization of the representation). The stimulant medications and atomoxetine appear to enhance PFC function by indirectly increasing these catecholamine actions through blockade of norepinephrine and/or dopamine transporters. In contrast, guanfacine mimics the enhancing effects of norepinephrine at postsynaptic α2A-receptors in the PFC, strengthening network connectivity. Stronger PFC regulation of attention, behavior, and emotion likely contributes to the therapeutic effects of these medications for the treatment of ADHD.
Evaluation of anthropometric equations to assess body-composition changes in young women

Background Healthy young women who engage in an exercise program may lose fat that is not reflected in body weight changes because of concurrent gains in fat-free mass (FFM). Objective This study addressed the question of how well anthropometry-based predictive equations can resolve these changes. Design Several widely used skinfold-thickness- or circumference-based equations were compared by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to study 150 healthy young women before and after 8 wk of Army basic combat training (average energy expenditure: 11.7 MJ/d). Results Women lost 1.2 +/- 2.6 kg fat (mean +/- SD) and gained 2.0 [corrected] +/- 1.5 kg FFM. Fat loss (r = 0.47), but not FFM gain (r = 0.01), correlated with initial fatness. Thus, for many women who lost fat, body weight did not change or increased. Fat loss was associated with a reduction in abdominal circumference but this alone was not a consistent marker of fat loss. One circumference equation and one skinfold-thickness equation yielded the smallest residual SDs (2.0% and 1.9% body fat, respectively) compared with the other equations in predicting body fat. The sensitivity and specificity of the best equations in predicting changes in percentage body fat were not better than 55% and 66%, respectively. Conclusions These data suggest that for women, anthropometry can provide better estimates of fatness than body mass index but it is still relatively insensitive to short-term alterations in body composition. Not surprisingly, the circumference equation that includes the most labile sites of female fat deposition (ie, waist and hips instead of upper arm or thigh) proved to be the most reliable.
Human Experimentation with Neisseria gonorrhoeae: Rationale, Methods, and Implications for the Biology of Infection and Vaccine Development

Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection is limited to the human host. Experimental urethral infection in male volunteers was used to study different aspects of the infection. Urethral installation of a variety of gonococcal variants (10(4)-10(6)) led to infection in 27 subjects, who developed pyuria and shed bacteria in urine before urethritis developed 1-6 days after gonococcal inoculation. The incubation period was affected by the inoculation procedure and size of the inoculum. Subjects were treated with intramuscular ceftriaxone (250 mg) if urethritis developed or at 6 days after inoculation. Urine cultures became negative within several hours of therapy, and symptoms resolved within 1 day of therapy. Infected patients suffered no major complications. Experimental male urethral gonococcal infection provides a unique opportunity to understand the biology and immunology of gonococcal infection and is an efficient method to test gonococcal vaccine candidates.
The Effects of Organizational Communication on Job Satisfaction and Motivation Factors for Management

Most executives agree that effective communication is essential for the successful performance of organizations. In fact, it seems clear that communication is the key to all interpersonal activity. Communication is the process for conveying meaning from one person to another or from the formal organization to the individual employee. Communications from the organization are the essential ingredients in the formation of individual role expectations, better known as "sent roles. " [9, p. 15]Role Claritymay be defined as the extent to which required information is communicated -to and understood by the employee. In other words, the worker experiences a lack of role clarity when the information needed to do his job effectively is either nonexistent or inadequate. Prior research shows that role clarity problems lead to stress, tension, anxiety, dissatisfaction, turn-over, lack of job interest, and less innovation. [1;5;8;9;16] One conclusion from these studies would be that different workers from different wor...
Methyl jasmonate inhibits postharvest sprouting and improves storage quality of radishes

Treatment of topped radishes (Raphanus sati6us L., cv. Cherry Belle) with methyl jasmonate was effective in inhibiting postharvest sprouting of new leaves and growth of roots. Radishes were trimmed to 5-mm tops and dipped in various methyl jasmonate suspensions for 3 min. After storage at 15°C for 7 days, the growth of new leaves were 26, 22, 7, 3a nd 1m m in 0, 10 5 ,1 0 4 ,1 0 3 ,o r 210 3 M methyl jasmonate-treated radishes, respectively. The lengths of root growth were also reduced by methyl jasmonate, particularly at higher concentrations. These treatments also substantially prevented weight loss, possibly as a secondary effect from reducing the transpiration surface. In treatments where sprouting was inhibited, there was better retention of organic acids including malate, citrate, and succinate; and carbohydrates including fructose, glucose, and sucrose during storage compared to controls. Fumigation with methyl jasmonate vapor in enclosed containers was also effective in inhibiting the sprouting of leaves and root growth and in maintaining postharvest quality, but to a lesser extent than dipping treatments. © 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Ecosystem focused therapy in poststroke depression: a preliminary study

Objective Post stroke depression (PSD) occurs in the context of abrupt, often catastrophic disability that finds the patient and his/her family unprepared. We developed Ecosystem Focused Therapy (EFT), a systematic intervention aimed to increase the PSD patient’s and his/her ecosystem’s ability to address the “psychosocial storm” of PSD and utilize available treatments effectively and efficiently. This is a preliminary study of its efficacy.
Advanced Package Prototyping Using Nano-Particle Silver Printed Interconnects

To reduce manufacturing cost, lead time, and process complexity, an embedded-active approach that targets rapid prototyping and low-volume production in micro-system packaging is being developed. The approach involves a rapid prototyping of micro-system packaging by a data-driven chip-first packaging process using direct printing of nano-particle metals. In the chip-first process, bare dice are first embedded into a copper or stainless steel carrier substrate, fixed by filling the gap between the chips and the substrate with thermoplastic adhesives, and planarized to a common planar surface. On the coplanar substrate, polyimide film is laminated to form a dielectric layer. Through the dielectric layer to the chip metal pads, micro vias are drilled by laser ablation. The vias are filled with nano-particle silver (NPS). The NPS is deposited by screen printing or aerosol-jet printing and an electrical circuit is formed. This packaging approach is a dry process and it does not require any photo masks for circuit patterning, resulting in reducing packaging turn-around time from months to days. It is also less limited by substrate composition and morphology, eliminates the need for special chip processing such as flip chip solder bumps, and permits using any chip technology and any chip supplier allowing mixed devices. The embedded-active process with NPS avoids the extreme processing conditions required for standard IC fabrication such as wet chemistry processing and vacuum sputtering. The NPS can be sintered at plastic-compatible temperatures as low as 230?C to form material nearly indistinguishable from the bulk metal. The embedded-active packaging shows good reliability performance in terms of thermal shock, which is performed in the range of -40?C and 125?C. These results represent an important step to a system packaging characterized by high-density, low-cost, and data-driven fabrication for rapid package prototyping. This paper presents details of the rapid prototyping process sequence, an initial reliability characterization of the package architecture, and a failure mode analysis of the packages.
Propositional Temporal Interval Logic is PSPACE Complete

We define a notion of πα equivalence of two execution sequences, where π is the set of variables shared between the two sequences and α is a set of variables disjoint from π appearing in only one of them. We call the set of variables α as auxiliary variables. We extend the notion of πα equivalence to formulas in temporal logics, and there by to classes of temporal logics. Under such a notion, we provide sound and complete translation scheme from Propositional Temporal Interval Logic(PTIL) to Linear Time Propositional Temporal Logic (PTL). We do so via the introduction of a chop operator into PTL. The PTIL that we consider is of Swartz, Melliar-Smith variety[13]. The translations that we give are Polynomial in space and time. Together with the results of Sistla and Clarke[14], we conclude that the satisfiability problem for PTIL is PSpace. Known decision procedures for PTIL are exponential in space[9]. The translations provide a means with which synchronization skeletons could be synthesized from specifications given in PTIL. We have constructed a prolog based prototype implementation of the synthesizer.
Nonautonomous Beverton-Holt Equations and the Cushing-Henson Conjectures

In [3] Jim Cushing and Shandelle Henson published two conjectures (see Section 3) related to the Beverton-Holt difference equation (with growth parameter exceeding one), which said that the B-H equ...
Identifying Evolving Groups in Dynamic Multimode Networks

A multimode network consists of heterogeneous types of actors with various interactions occurring between them. Identifying communities in a multimode network can help understand the structural properties of the network, address the data shortage and unbalanced problems, and assist tasks like targeted marketing and finding influential actors within or between groups. In general, a network and its group structure often evolve unevenly. In a dynamic multimode network, both group membership and interactions can evolve, posing a challenging problem of identifying these evolving communities. In this work, we try to address this problem by employing the temporal information to analyze a multimode network. A temporally regularized framework and its convergence property are carefully studied. We show that the algorithm can be interpreted as an iterative latent semantic analysis process, which allows for extensions to handle networks with actor attributes and within-mode interactions. Experiments on both synthetic data and real-world networks demonstrate the efficacy of our approach and suggest its generality in capturing evolving groups in networks with heterogeneous entities and complex relationships.
Heterogeneous rpoS and rhlR mRNA Levels and 16S rRNA/rDNA (rRNA Gene) Ratios within Pseudomonas aeruginosa Biofilms, Sampled by Laser Capture Microdissection

The local environmental conditions in biofilms are dependent on the impinging aqueous solution, chemical diffusion, and the metabolic activities of cells within the biofilms. Chemical gradients established in biofilms lead to physiological heterogeneities in bacterial gene expression. Previously, we used laser capture microdissection (LCM) and quantitative reverse transcription (RT)-PCR to target defined biofilm subpopulations for gene expression studies. Here, we combined this approach with quantitative PCR of bacterial DNA to normalize the amount of gene expression per cell. By comparing the ratio of 16S rRNA to 16S rDNA (rRNA gene), we demonstrated that cells at the top of thick Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms have 16S rRNA/genome ratios similar to those of cells in a transition from the exponential phase to the stationary phase. Cells in the middle and bottom layers of these biofilms have ratios that are not significantly different from those of stationary-phase planktonic cultures. Since much of each biofilm appeared to be in a stationary-phase-like state, we analyzed the local amounts of the stationary-phase sigma factor rpoS gene and the quorum-sensing regulator rhlR gene per cell. Surprisingly, the amount of rpoS mRNA was largest at the top of the biofilms at the air-biofilm interface. Less than one rpoS mRNA transcript per cell was observed in the middle or base of the biofilms. The rhlR mRNA content was also greatest at the top of the biofilms, and there was little detectable rhlR expression at the middle or bottom of the biofilms. While the cell density was slightly greater at the bottom of the biofilms, expression of the quorum-sensing regulator occurred primarily at the top of the biofilms, where the cell metabolic activity was greatest, as indicated by local expression of the housekeeping gene acpP and by expression from a constitutive P(trc) promoter. The results indicate that in thick P. aeruginosa biofilms, cells in the 30 microm adjacent to the air-biofilm interface actively express genes associated with stationary phase, while cells in the interior portions do not express these genes and therefore are in a late-stationary-phase-like state and may be dormant.
Impact of Petroleum-Expulsion Fractures on Productivity of the Bakken Shales: A Geological Interpretation of Pressure Transient Behaviors

The impact of petroleum-expulsion fractures on productivity of the Bak ken shales were investigated by integrating epifluorescence petrography, pressure transient analysis and analysis of p etroleum-expulsion fracturing. In early exploration vertical wells, drilling breaks from ten minutes to one minute per foot with gas increases from ten units to several hundred units were considered poor shows in the s ource rocks of the Bakken shales. Drill Stem Tests (DST) over the Bakken shales were reported with average production rate s that reach several tens of barrels per day. These shales were overpressured with no matrix porosity in e vidence and permeability in the micro Darcy scale. Production was assumed to come from fractures. Speculative concl usions were drawn about these fractures to be related to source-rock maturity, petroleum expulsion and overpressur ing. These conclusions were a significant promoter for exploration in the Bakken Formation. Those speculative conclusions have encouraged to review a total of 64 Drill Stem Tests (DST) over different intervals that include the Bakken Formation and/or the underlying three For ks Formation. Resistivity logs, cores and thin sections were studied to conduct an integrated geological interpretation for pressure transient behaviors of the Bakken shales. The study highlights that the Bakken shales are naturally fractured and can be interpreted on resistivity curves separation. The Three Forks and Middle Bakken pressure transient behaviors imply spherical flow which indicates that there is always contribution from the Bakken Shales. T he Bakken pressure transient behavior shows dual porosity flow (naturally fractured) with low fract ure system’s storativity (�) implying that fluid is mostly stored in the matrix. The study also suggests that the matrix gives up its fluid rapidly to the fracture system indicating high interporosity flow ( �) and implying that petroleum-expulsion fractures contribution is pr esent. The significance of petroleum-expulsion fractures resides in its ability to provide higher permeability pathways through the Bakken shales, and explains their high deliverability. The v olume expansion due to petroleum generation is invoked as a mechanism to increase pressures to levels of inducing expulsion fractures responsible for primary migration of petroleum and forming the Bakken unconventional pervasive petroleum system.
Adhesion and short-range forces between surfaces. Part II: Effects of surface lattice mismatch

The adhesion forces and interaction potentials between two mica surfaces as a function of the orientation (twist angle) of their surface lattices are reported. The forces were measured in air, in water, and in an aqueous KCl solution where oscillatory structural forces are present. In air, the adhesion is relatively independent of the twist angle θ in the range −10° < θ < +10° due to a 0.4 nm thick amorphous layer at the interface. In water, apart from a relatively angle-independent baseline adhesion, a sharp adhesion peak (energy minimum) occurs at θ = 0°, corresponding to maximum alignment of the surface lattices. As little as ±1° away from this peak the energy decreases by 50%. In aqueous KCl solution, due to potassium ion adsorption the water between the surfaces becomes ordered, resulting in an oscillatory structural force where the adhesive minima occur at discrete separations corresponding to an integral number of water layers. The adhesion energies corresponding to the first three potential minima were angle dependent near θ = 0° (again decreasing by 50% at ±1° away from θ = 0°). The repulsive maxima were also affected near θ = 0°. The results show that the whole interaction potential between two surfaces in liquids depends on the orientation of the surface lattices, and that these effects can extend at least four molecular layers. We discuss the consequences of these findings for material properties such as grain boundary energies, cracks, and friction.
Two dimensional simulation of quantum-well lasers

ABSTRACT We describe a two-dimensional model for quantum-well lasers that solves self-consistently the electrical andoptical equations. The model includes a wavelength- and position-dependent gain function which is derived froma quantum-mechanical calculation. We have also incorporated the effects of strain into the model, through ananisotropic parabolic band approximation of the band structure from a Luttinger-Kohn k.p theory. With thismodel we are able to predict the lasing characteristics such as the light-current behavior, current and opticalfield distributions, as well as the optical gain, spontaneous emission rate and dependence of the characteristics on geometry and layer design. Examples of the utility of our approach are shown which, for instance, clearly show the benefit of strain to laser design.1. INTRODUCTION Semiconductor lasers are complicated devices to model because of their multi-dimensional nature which involves the interaction of the electrical carriers with light in a geometry that is often tailored to influence the laser diode's
Ultrastructural Abnormalities of the Trabecular Meshwork Extracellular Matrix in Cyp1b1-Deficient Mice:

Cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) is highly expressed in human and murine ocular tissues during development. Mutations in this gene are implicated in the development of primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) in humans. Mice deficient in Cyp1b1 (Cyp1b1(-/-) ) present developmental abnormalities similar to human primary congenital glaucoma. The present work describes the ultrastructural morphology of the iridocorneal angle of 21 eyes from 1-week-old to 8-month-old Cyp1b1(-/-) mice. Morphometric and semiquantitative analysis of the data revealed that 3-week-old Cyp1b1(-/-) mice present a significantly (P < .005) decreased amount of trabecular meshwork (TM) collagen and higher TM endothelial cell and collagen lesion scores (P < .005) than age-matched controls. Collagen loss and lesion scores were progressively increased in older animals, with 8-month-old animals presenting severe atrophy of the TM. Our findings advance the understanding of the effects of CYP1B1 mutations in TM development and primary congenital glaucoma, as well as suggest a link between TM morphologic alterations and increased intraocular pressure.