cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arms Trafficking in Transnistria: A European Security Threat?

The Republic of Transnistria is a separatist region of the state of Moldova. With the active support of Russian military stationed in Moldova, Transnistria formed a de facto state following a short war with Moldova in 1992. Today, still lacking recognition by the international community, Transnistria has become a haven for transnational criminal activities including illegal trade in arms, human trafficking, and money laundering. This paper tries to evaluate whether this small separatist region, geographically located in Europe, truly represents a serious security issue through a review of literature and a survey provided to key organizations in the region.
Abstract 4827: Does beam radiation treatment of prostate cancer increase rectal cancer risk.

Background: Prostate cancer (PC) is the most common invasive cancer among US men. The majority of PCs are organ-confined at diagnosis and are candidates for treatment using external beam radiation alone (RAD), prostatectomy alone (SURG), or other protocols. This research was conducted at Loma Linda University using California Cancer Registry (CCR) population-data for 1988-2010. The CCR is part of the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Since 1988, there has been mandatory state-wide reporting of information for all invasive cancers to the CCR including cancer diagnosis and stage, treatment, and demographic characteristics, with greater than 99% case reporting. From 1988-2010, nearly half a million California men were diagnosed with prostate cancer (PC). The majority were organ-confined at diagnosis. Problem: We sought to assess whether RAD treatment of prostate cancer, that exposes peri-rectal tissue to ionizing radiation, was followed by increased risk of rectal cancer, relative to SURG. Methods: We conducted record linkage for all new prostate and rectal (rectum and rectosigmoid junction) cancers in California 1988-2010, identifying men diagnosed with rectal cancer 5+ years following RAD or SURG treatment of organ-confined prostate. Among the men treated with RAD vs SURG, the Cox proportional hazards ratio (HR) for rectal cancer was assessed. Demographic covariates included: age ( Results: There were 194 new rectal cancers among 54,130 PC cases that had been treated with RAD and 254 cases among 69,105 SURG patients. Adjusting for demographic covariates and year of PC diagnosis, the rectal cancer HR with 95% CI for RAD vs. SURG was: HRRAD/SURG=1.58, 95% CI=1.28-1.94. Following are HRs for age (continuous variable) (HRAge=1.02, 95% CI=1.00-1.34) and categories of race/ethnicity (HRA-O/NHW=0.99, 95% CI=0.66-1.49; HRNHB/NHW=1.09, 95% CI=0.75-1.57; HRHisp/NHW=1.07, 95% CI=0.78-1.47); SES (HRSES1/SES5=0.92, 95% CI=0.64-1.34; HRSES2/SES5=1.17, 95% CI=0.87-1.57; HRSES3/SES5=1.20, 95% CI=0.92-1.57; HRSES4/SES5=1.19, 95% CI=0.93-1.54); and PC diagnostic year (continuous variable) (HRYear=0.94, 95%CI=0.92-0.97). Discussion/Conclusions: Findings reveal increased rectal cancer hazards among organ-confined prostate cancer patients treated with RAD, relative to SURG, that is substantially independent of demographic covariates. Treatment of rectal cancer among PC patients treated with RAD is further complicated because they may have already received maximum pelvic RAD dose. Further analyses that seek to distinguish roles of different dose and delivery methods for RAD are ongoing. Citation Format: John W. Morgan, Brice Jabo, Mark Ghamsary, David Bush. Does beam radiation treatment of prostate cancer increase rectal cancer risk. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4827. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-4827
Regeneration of three populations of olfactory axons as a function of temperature

Abstract Following injury near the mucosa, 3 populations of regenerating axons have been shown to invade successively the olfactory nerve. At 21 °C, each of the first 2 phases (I and II) represents 3–5% of the original axonal population. Phase III corresponds to the massive arrival of new axons and contains 50–70% of an intact nerve axonal population. The influence of temperature on the elongation rates of these 3 phases of growing fibers has been followed from 10 to 35 °C. No regeneration occurs at 10 °C. Between 14 and 31 °C the elongation velocity of the most rapidly growing fibers (phase I) increases linearly from 1.6 to 10.3 mm/day. These values are identical to the rates of slow intra-axonal flow measured in all 3 phases of regenerating axons. In the same range of temperature, the elongation velocity of the other two populations, increases exponentially from 0.5 to 9 mm/day for phase II and from 0.3 to 6.3 mm/day for phase III. Above 33 °C, rates of phases II and III fibers do not reach the values predicted from the exponential functions. The 3 phases fused as a single axonal population whose elongation velocity was shown at 34 and 35 °C to increase linearly according to the equation defined for phase I. Since a similar rate of slow flow was measured in all 3 populations, it can be concluded that slow flow defines the upper limit of the elongation velocity of a regenerating fiber. However, other factors acting on the regenerating neuron (mainly protein synthesis), might prevent it from reaching the maximal possible elongation velocity.
Non-suppressible parathyroid hormone secretion is related to gland size in uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism

Non-suppressible parathyroid hormone secretion is related to gland size in uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism. To determine the relative importance of parathyroid gland enlargement and alterations in calcium sensing (set-point changes) in the pathogenesis of uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism (2°HPT), we investigated the relationship between estimates of parathyroid gland size and calcium-mediated parathyroid hormone (PTH) suppression in 19 normocalcemic 2°HPT patients on chronic maintenance hemodialysis. We compared our results to calcium-mediated PTH suppression in 12 normal volunteers, 12 patients with familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FBHH), a disorder of abnormal calcium sensing, and 9 subjects with primary hyperparathyroidism (1°HPT), which is characterized by both calcium set-point abnormalities and parathyroid gland enlargement. We found that the 2°HPT group displayed a distinctive pattern of calcium-mediated PTH suppression characterized by a failure to normally suppress PTH at supraphysiologic ionized calcium concentrations, similar to 1°HPT, but without the right-ward shift of the calcium-PTH suppression curve that characterizes calcium sensing abnormalities in FBHH and 1°HPT. In the patients with 2°HPT, hypercalcemic suppression resulted in an ending PTH (as a percent of baseline) that was significantly higher (39.8 ± 4.47%), and a slope of the calcium-PTH suppression curve that was significantly less negative (-4.8 ± 0.53), compared to respective values of 19.4 ± 1.81% ( P = 0.0009) and -9.0 ± 1.02 ( P = 0.001) in normals and 19.1 ± 2.49% ( P = 0.001) and -9.6 ± 1.11 ( P = 0.0006) in FBHH. Values of ending PTH and slope in 2°HPT patients, however, were similar to those found in 1°HPT (49.8 ± 6.35%, P = 0.21 and -4.5 ± 0.74, P = 0.72). The ionized calcium concentration required to attain half maximal PTH suppression (EC50) in 2°HPT (1.20 ± 0.02 mmol/liter) was not significantly different from normals (1.25 ± 0.01 mmol/liter, P = 0.12) but was significantly less than in 1°HPT (1.52 ± 0.02 mmol/liter, P P r = 0.71, P r = 0.67, P = 0.002) in 2°HPT. Thus, calcium non-suppressible PTH secretion in 2°HPT does not represent a simple set-point error, but rather correlates with the degree of parathyroid gland enlargement.
Denaturation of Bovine β-Lactoglobulin in the Presence of n-Octyl-, Decyl-, and Dodecyldimethylphosphine Oxides

Denaturation of bovine β-lactoglobulin (β-L) in pH 2.9, 0.2 M glycine buffer was investigated by DSC in the presence of three nonionic surfactants, n-octyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO8), n-decyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO10), and n-dodecyldimethylphosphine oxide (APO12), and by ITC at temperatures from 25 to 61 °C. The thermal transition was eliminated when the molar ratio of surfactant to β-L was between 88 and 133, 21−25, and 11−22 depending upon the protein concentration for APO8, APO10, and APO12, respectively. A protocol was developed that may be used for future studies that involve ligands with large temperature-dependent heats of dilution. Approximately 30 mol of APO10 and APO12 per mole of β-L were bound at 45 °C and 37 °C, respectively, with an average affinity of (2.5 ± 0.7) × 103 M-1. This amount of surfactant would cover about 50% of the protein surface and may correspond to a new class of nonspecific neutral ligand binding sites that facilitate the digestion of lipids by neonatal calves. Tit...
When Is It Reasonable to Split Pediatric En Bloc Kidneys for Transplantation Into Two Adults

Abstract Background Traditionally, kidneys from donors ≥60 years old and pediatric kidneys are considered marginal organs for transplantation. Pediatric donor kidneys are underutilized for transplantation into adult recipients due to concern for poor outcomes. Methods Using data from the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network, we analyzed patterns of pediatric kidney use (single vs en bloc) in the United States from 1987 to 2007. Using the Cox proportional hazards model, graft outcomes of pediatric donor kidneys transplanted as single vs en bloc grafts from different donor weight groups were compared with renal transplantation from donors ≥60 years old in an attempt to define a pediatric donor weight at which kidneys can be justifiably split to expand the donor pool. Results Compared with older donor kidneys, graft failure risk of pediatric single kidneys was consistently lower when the donor weight exceeded 10 kg. On the other hand, graft survival benefit for pediatric en bloc kidneys was evident starting at donor weight ≤10 kg in comparison to older donor kidneys. Pediatric en bloc kidneys performed consistently better than pediatric single kidneys for all donor weight groups. Conclusions Splitting of pediatric donor en bloc kidneys for transplantation into 2 adults when the donor weight exceeds 10 kg was associated with acceptable graft outcomes. This practice, along with increased use of small pediatric donor kidneys, may help to alleviate the waiting list burden in renal transplantation.
Early expression of stem cell-associated genes within the CD8 compartment after treatment with a tumor vaccine

Abstract Using a mouse neuroblastoma cell line, we have demonstrated that vaccination of tumor-free mice with a cell-based vaccine leads to productive immunity and resistance to tumor challenge, while vaccination of tumor-bearing mice does not. The T cell immunity induced by this vaccine, as measured by in vitro assays, is amplified by the depletion of Treg. Our goal is to understand this barrier to the development of protective cellular immunity. mRNA microarray analyses of CD8+ T cells from naive or tumor-bearing mice undergoing vaccination were carried out with or without administering anti-CD25 antibody. Gene-expression pathway analysis revealed the presence of CD8+ T cells expressing stem cell-associated genes early after induction of productive anti-tumor immunity in tumor-free mice, prior to any phenotypic changes, but not in tumor-bearing mice. These data demonstrate that early after the induction of productive immune response, cells within the CD8+ T cell compartment adopt a stem cell-related genetic phenotype that correlates with increased anti-tumor function.
Achieving Optimal Growth through Product Feedback Inhibition in Metabolism

Recent evidence suggests that the metabolism of some organisms, such as Escherichia coli, is remarkably efficient, producing close to the maximum amount of biomass per unit of nutrient consumed. This observation raises the question of what regulatory mechanisms enable such efficiency. Here, we propose that simple product-feedback inhibition by itself is capable of leading to such optimality. We analyze several representative metabolic modules—starting from a linear pathway and advancing to a bidirectional pathway and metabolic cycle, and finally to integration of two different nutrient inputs. In each case, our mathematical analysis shows that product-feedback inhibition is not only homeostatic but also, with appropriate feedback connections, can minimize futile cycling and optimize fluxes. However, the effectiveness of simple product-feedback inhibition comes at the cost of high levels of some metabolite pools, potentially associated with toxicity and osmotic imbalance. These large metabolite pool sizes can be restricted if feedback inhibition is ultrasensitive. Indeed, the multi-layer regulation of metabolism by control of enzyme expression, enzyme covalent modification, and allostery is expected to result in such ultrasensitive feedbacks. To experimentally test whether the qualitative predictions from our analysis of feedback inhibition apply to metabolic modules beyond linear pathways, we examine the case of nitrogen assimilation in E. coli, which involves both nutrient integration and a metabolic cycle. We find that the feedback regulation scheme suggested by our mathematical analysis closely aligns with the actual regulation of the network and is sufficient to explain much of the dynamical behavior of relevant metabolite pool sizes in nutrient-switching experiments.
Photoionization of highly stripped atomic ions: Relativistic calculations

Abstract Relativistic central-field (Dirac-Slater) calculations of photoionization of atoms and ions have been performed. The results show that the photoionization cross sections for inner-shell njl electrons are largely unaffected by removal of outer shell electrons (with principal quantum number greater than n ) except for a shift in threshold, just as in the non-relativistic case. The most dramatic results are obtained for Th( Z =90) compared with Th 80+ where σ( hv ) remains almost constant through 80 stages of ionization. The results are explained in terms of the fact that 〈 r 〉 is primarily a function of principal quantum number.
A PC-based motor control task for evaluation and serial monitoring of upper extremity motor function.

Keywords Motorfunctiontest.ITapplication.Tele-rehabilitation.GamingWe are presenting a stimulus delivery and experimentalcontrol program that could be used for periodic monitoringof motor function following medical intervention. The ap-plication, initially developed to interface with multipleTranscranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) units for motorcontrol experiments, uses a pointing task with multiplelevels of difficulty to provide a motor challenge to subjects.The software is optimized to acquire time and performancemeasures; task difficulty can be finely adjusted to individualperformance, which suggests possible use in adults andchildren with motor disabilities.Recently, computer games, virtual reality technolo-gies, and robotic arms have been proposed as rehabili-tation tools. Virtual reality (VR), has been applied tovarious areas of health sciences.
MT-II induces penile erection via brain and spinal mechanisms

alpha-Melanocyte-stimulating hormone induces penile erection via melanocortin (MC) receptors in areas surrounding the third ventricle, but spinal and peripheral mechanisms have not been demonstrated. We used pharmacological strategies to localize the site of the proerectile action of the melanocortin receptor agonist MT-II. We administered MT-II intracerebroventribularly (i.c.v.), intrathecally (i.th.), and intravenously (i.v.) and scored penile erection and yawning for 90 min in awake male rats. In some animals i.c.v. or i.th. SHU-9119 was injected 10 minutes before i.c.v. and i.th. MT-II to confirm the MC receptor action of the agonist and to distinguish spinal from supraspinal effects. To exclude a site of action in the penis, we recorded intracorporal pressure responses to intracavernosal injection of MT-II in the anesthetized rat. MT-II induced penile erections in a dose-dependent fashion, with optimal response at 1 microg for both i.c.v. and i.th. routes. Supraspinal MT-II-induced erections were completely suppressed by 1 microg SHU-9119 i.c.v. Yawning was observed with i.c.v. and i.v. MT-II, whereas spinal injection did not produce this behavior. SHU-9119 blocked the erectile responses to i.th. MT-II when injected i.th. but not i.c.v. Intracavernosal MT-II neither increased intracorporal pressure nor augmented neurostimulated erectile responses. The lumbosacral spinal cord contains MC receptors that can initiate penile erection independent of higher centers. We confirmed the supraspinal proerectile action of MT-II. These results provide insight into the central melanocortinergic pathways that mediate penile erection and may allow for more efficacious melanotropin-based therapy for erectile dysfunction.
Topological disposition of Cys 222 in the alpha-subunit of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor analyzed by fluorescence-quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance measurements.

The structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR) has been studied using a combination of fluorescence quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) collision gradient methods. The...
Minimum wages, poverty, and material hardship: new evidence from the SIPP

While a number of policymakers have argued that raising the minimum wage will reduce material hardship, empirical evidence to support or refute this claim is scant. Using data drawn from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, we examine the effect of minimum wage increases on poverty, material hardship, and government program participation. Difference-in-difference estimates provide little evidence that state and federal minimum wage increases between 1996 and 2007 reduced poverty, material hardship, or receipt of public program benefits among all individuals, workers, younger individuals without high school degrees, or younger black individuals. Our findings are robust across several measures of hardship, including poverty, financial hardship, housing stress, food insecurity, durable goods deprivation, and health insecurity. We find some evidence of modest redistribution effects of the minimum wage among low-skilled individuals.
Rehospitalization in surviving patients of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (the CASCADE study)

Abstract Surviving patients of out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation (VF) often need rehospitalization after initial hospital discharge, but little is known regarding the frequency of or reasons for rehospitalization. Rehospitalization was examined in 224 patients enrolled in the Cardiac Arrest in Seattle: Conventional Amiodarone Drug Evaluation (CASCADE) study, a randomized clinical trial comparing amiodarone with other antiarrhythmic drug therapy in survivors of out-of-hospital VF. The annual rate of rehospitalization was 79 100 patients/ year; 168 of 224 patients (75%) were hospitalized at least once before censoring or cardiac mortality. Baseline toft ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in patients who were rehospitalized. Rehospitalization rates were lower in patients randomized to amiodarone therapy and in those with the automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, although neither difference was statistically significant. However, length of stay for the first rehospitalization was shorter for patients with automatic implantable cardioverterdefibrillators (p = 0.005). More than 50% of patients were rehospitalized in the first year after enrollment; 65% with ejection fractions ≤0.3 were rehospitalized in the first year. Rehospitalization was a frequent occurrence for surviving patients of out-of-hospital VF, particularly in those with low ejection fractions.
A Search Procedure for Hamilton Paths and Circuits

A search procedure is given which will determine whether Hamilton paths or circuits exist in a given graph, and will find one or all of them. A combined procedure is given for both directed and undirected graphs. The search consists of creating partial paths and making deductions which determine whether each partial path is a section of any Hamilton path whatever, and which direct the extension of the partial paths.
Auditory temporal processing thresholds, habituation, and recognition memory over the 1st year☆

Abstract Selective impairments have been found in the ability of language impaired (LI) children to process the rapidly changing temporal cues critical to language comprehension and production. Performance on temporal perception and production tasks alone enable correct identification of 98% of LI from normal children. These findings suggest that auditory temporal processing (ATP) deficits might serve as a behavioral “marker” of language impairment and could be useful in early identification. Measures of perceptual-cognitive abilities in infancy such as habituation and recognition memory have been shown to be particularly sensitive to language delays. Specific links have been demonstrated between these measures and language comprehension. We hypothesize that a critical mechanism contributing to “speed of processing,” as measured by rate and amount of habituation and novelty preference on recognition memory tests, may be temporal processing efficiency in infancy. Auditory temporal processing thresholds were examined in two groups of infants from 6 to 10 months of age: infants from families with no known history of LI and infants from families with a positive history of LI. Infants from families with a positive history of LI had significantly lower mean thresholds than control infants. Habituation, ATP thresholds, and recognition memory were found to be significantly associated suggesting that they may be tapping similar processes.
A HIGH-LEVEL WHOLE-BODY COUNTER.

Abstract A whole-body counter measuring an activity range from 150 mc down to 10 μc for γ-emitting radioisotopes is in clinical use. Several designs were considered and the detection uniformity for each system was measured. The accepted design uses a collimated detector mounted 9 ft above a prone or supine subject. Whole-body retention counts can be performed in 1 min for activities greater than 50 μc; 10-min counts are required for 10 μc.
Capillary instabilities in thin films

Very thin films, less than 100 nm-thick, are used in a variety of applications, including as catalysts and for thin film reactions to form patterned silicides in electronic devices. Because of their high surface to volume ratio, these very thin films are subject to cap-illary instability and can agglomerate well below their melting temperatures. In order to develop a general understanding of agglomeration in very thin films, we have studied initially continuous and patterned films of gold on fused silica substrates. Two in situ techniques were used to monitor agglomeration: 1) heating and video recording in a transmission electron microscope, and 2) measurement of the intensity of laser light transmitted through a sample heated in a furnace. Electron microscopy allowed inves-tigation of the role of the microstructure of the Au film and analysis of light transmis-sion during heating allowed determination of temperature-dependent and film-thick-ness-dependent agglomeration rates. These results will be described along with models for the agglomeration process.
The Battle of the Forms--There Is a Purpose.

This article provides an alternative approach to the daunting task of teaching business undergraduates a fundamental appreciation of the flexibility of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and the ability of the UCC to adapt to the needs of commerce by facilitating fair, efficient transactions. Paradoxically, we suggest using one of the most difficult sections of the UCC, Section 2-207, the often discussed “Battle of the Forms,” to make UCC concepts and the relationships of those concepts to modern business transactions easier to understand. This alternative approach is also designed to help students appreciate the challenges of establishing rules to assure fair and efficient transactions and how changes in the way transactions occur impact the laws and how the laws impact the changes. This article also presents exercises, questions, and illustrative flowcharts used successfully over several years in undergraduate business law classes. These tools produce an integrated method for presenting UCC Section 2-207. While no sane individual has ever professed a love for UCC study, students and faculty have expressed tolerance and a palpable appreciation for these methods.
Effect of Herbicides and Oat Amendment on Soybean Disease Development and Seed Quality

The effects of four herbicides and hand weeding and no weeding on soybean disease development and seed quality were studied in the field. Chloramben, dinoseb, fluchloralin, and trifluralin were preplant incorporated at recommended rates. In addition, the effect of an in-furrow oat (Avena sativa L.) amendment used as an inoculum carrier was studied in all treatments. Compared with the hand-weeded control, yield, incidence of Septoria leafspot (Septoria glycines), and the recovery of Phomopsis spp. from pod and stem tissues were reduced in the week-infested control and dinosebtreated plots. Recovery of Alternaria spp. was greater from crown tissues of plants grown in chloramben- and fluchloralin-treated plots compared with, either the weed-infested or hand-weeded control. Septoria leafspot ratings and recovery of Phomopsis spp. from various plant tissues were higher in plants from hand-weeded plots compared with weed-infested plots, whereas the opposite was truefor, the recovery of Fusarium spp. Chloramben-treated plots were high-yielding and had the best weed control of all herbicide treatments. Seed quality was not affected by herbicide treatment. Plants from furrows with autoclaved oats had a lower incidence of Septoria glycines, a greater recovery of Fusarium spp. from pod and stem pieces, and produced seed with lower quality than plants from rows with no oat amendment.
Basic and Applied Sciences in the Field of Pain: An Excellent Update

This volume, a compilation of the lectures and papers presented at the 11th World Congress on Pain, which took place in Sydney, Australia, from August 21e26, 2005, is an extraordinary update in basic and applied sciences in the field of pain. Having reviewed several synopses of pain topics over the past few years, I found interesting differences in this work that make it a ‘‘must have.’’ In general, publications on actualization in pain management tend to emphasize the latest advances in pathophysiology and pharmacology. Of additional value in this text is a more extensive exploration of the field as a whole, devoting a great many pages to issues related to the neuropsychological aspect of the problem (Part VI: Psychological and Psychosocial Factors, Gender Issues, and Epidemiology of Pain), and it explores the
U.S. Policy and the STEM Workforce System

This article describes the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce system and discusses various policy mechanisms that can influence it. Discussion of STEM workforce poli...
Population pharmacokinetic model for irinotecan and two of its metabolites, SN-38 and SN-38 glucuronide

Objective The objective of the study was to develop and validate a population pharmacokinetic model for irinotecan and 2 of its metabolites, SN-38 and SN-38 glucuronide (SN-38G). Methods Plasma concentrations were obtained during and up to 48 hours after a 90-minute continuous intravenous infusion of irinotecan (100–340 mg/m2) in 78 patients. Data splitting was used to create model-building and model-validation data sets. Pharmacokinetic parameter estimates were obtained by compartmental methods to describe the disposition of metabolites that are dependent on the disposition of the parent compound. Relationships between patient attributes and estimates of clearance (CL) and volume of the central compartment for irinotecan, as well as CL and volume of the central compartment adjusted for the fraction metabolized for SN-38 and SN-38G, were explored by use of generalized additive models and graphic analysis. Selected covariates were introduced into the final population model by stepwise additions or deletions with the likelihood ratio test. Results SN-38 and SN-38G were shown to be formation rate-limited and were characterized by first-order rate constants of formation and elimination. Two subpopulations of SN-38 disposition were identified, presumably because of differences in the fraction of metabolite formed from the parent compound. Estimated irinotecan CL (25.2 L/h) was similar to that determined in other studies. Age and performance status were found to be important predictors of irinotecan CL, whereas variability in systemic exposure to the active metabolite, SN-38, was predicted by sex and hepatic function. Conclusion The validated population pharmacokinetic model describing the disposition of irinotecan and 2 of its metabolites should facilitate the design of future studies to elucidate the relative contributions of the parent compound and SN-38 to the pharmacologic and toxic effects of irinotecan therapy. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2002) 72, 638–647; doi: 10.1067/mcp.2002.129502
Calculated platelet dose: Is it useful in clinical practice?

The corrected count increment (CCI) can standardize assessment of platelet transfusions by correcting for patient's body surface area (BSA) and platelet dose (PD). By using a fixed CCI and a desired post-transfusion platelet count, CCI formula can be used to calculate PD. Our transfusion service has used the following formula since May 1990, to determine the number of platelet units to transfuse in non-bleeding patients: 1 where, 7,000 is expected platelet count increment per unit transfused, and 1.7 is BSA in square meters in a normal adult. To evaluate its usefulness, a retrospective review was performed of all 2,202 platelet transfusions at our level-one trauma center, between 1/1/98 and 12/31/00. Eighty-three transfusions in 69 adult patients, in which a calculated PD was determined prior to transfusion, were evaluated for platelet increments at 1, 1-18, or 18-24 hours post-transfusion. Transfusions that used the calculated PD (n = 49) were compared with those that were based on clinical judgment alone (n = 34). These two groups were comparable in their pre-transfusion platelet counts, ABO compatibility, and unit storage duration. The mean calculated PD transfused in the first group was 6 U +/- 1 standard deviation, which was not different from the second group (P = 0.2). There was no difference in the platelet count increments at 1, 1-18, or 18-24 hours post-transfusion. This study suggests that using a PD based on the CCI formula does not reduce platelet usage when the routine PD is six or less platelet concentrates.
The effects of sex, age, and interval duration on the perception of time

The present experiment examined the interactive effects of sex, age, and interval duration on individual’s time perception accuracy. Participants engaged in the duration production task and subsequently completed questionnaires designed to elicit their temporal attitudes. The overall group of 100 individuals was divided evenly between the sexes. Five groups, each composed of 10 males and 10 females, were divided by decades of age ranging from 20 to 69 years old. The specific time estimation task was an empty interval production procedure composed of 50 trials on each of four different intervals of 1, 3, 7, and 20 s, respectively. The presentation orders of these intervals were randomized across participants but yoked across the sexes within each of the respective age groups. Analysis of the production results indicated significant influences for the sex of the participant while age did not appear to affect estimates of these short durations. Temporal attitudes, as reflected in responses to time questionnaire inquiries, did however exhibit significant differences across age. The contending theoretical accounts of such sex and age differences are considered and explanatory accounts that present a synthesis of endogenous and exogenous causal factors are discussed in light of the present pattern of findings.
The effects of constant light and constant darkness on the pineal organ of the goldfish, Carassius auratus

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) were subjected to both long- and short-term (1, 3, 6, and 170 days) constant light or constant darkness to determine the effects of environmental lighting on the morphology of photoreceptor cells in the pineal organ. Morphometric analysis of electron micrographs from each experimental group suggested that the effects of constant darkness are morphologically expressed only after long-term (6 months) exposure. These included an increase in the volume of photoreceptor and phagocytic cells, area of rough endoplasmic reticulum, and volume of mitochondria per photoreceptor cell, and a decrease in the size of individual Golgi bodies. On the other hand, the response to constant light occurred generally within the first 6 days. Under these conditions, there was a reduction in outer-segment volume, but an increase in both the volume of Golgi per photoreceptor cell and size of individual Golgi bodies. Synaptic ribbons in these specimens were longer at every time sampled. The results of this study provide evidence that photoreceptor cell organelles involved in synthesis and secretion, as well as photosensory functions, are influenced by environmental lighting.
Routing Primitives for Wireless Mesh Networks: Design, Analysis and Experiments

In this paper, we consider routing in multi-hop wireless mesh networks. We analyze three standardized and commonly deployed routing mechanisms that we term "node-pair discovery" primitives. We show that use of these primitives inherently yields inferior route selection, irrespective of the protocol that implements them. This behavior originates due to overhead reduction actions that systematically yield insufficient distribution of routing information, effectively hiding available paths from nodes. To address this problem, we propose a set of "deter and rescue" routing primitives that enable nodes to discover their hidden paths by exploiting already available historic routing information. We use extensive measurements on a large operational wireless mesh network to show that with node-pair discovery primitives, inferior route selections occur regularly and cause long-term throughput degradations for network users. In contrast, the deter and rescue primitives largely identify and prevent selection of inferior paths. Moreover, even when inferior paths are selected, the new primitives reduce their duration by several orders of magnitude, often to sub-second time scales.
Spectral intensities in the fundamental bands of HF and HCl

Abstract The transition intensities of the fundamental bands of natural isotopic HF and HCl vapors have been measured with Doppler-limited resolution using a tunable difference-frequency laser spectrometer. Precise values for the band intensities, vibrational moments and Herman-Wallis F factors have been obtained for H19F, H35Cl and H37Cl.
Impact of oxidation on nanoparticle adhesion to carbon substrates

Carbon supported platinum (Pt/C) catalysts are of vital importance to today's fine chemical industry. However, both Pt and its carbon support surface undergo oxidation during operation. There is a lack of information on how surface oxidation affects the durability of Pt/C catalysts. In this study, we report the impact of oxidation of Pt/C on the binding energy and nanoparticle adhesion force. Classic molecular dynamics simulations are performed on systems containing PtO nanoparticles of 4 nm and graphite surfaces oxidized with either epoxy or hydroxyl groups at several oxidation extents (10%, 25% and 50%). Appropriate for service in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), the effect of a thin Nafion film (1 nm thick) at different hydration levels (λ = 3, 6, 9 and 15) is also included in the system to study the impact of oxidation on the interface structure of the electrolyte and the electrode. This study shows that the adhesion of both the Nafion film and the PtO nanoparticle is drastically affected by the type and degree of oxidation on the carbon surface. The oxidation with hydroxyl groups on the graphite surface enhanced the binding energy between the polymer electrolyte and the carbon electrode, while oxidation with the epoxy group beyond a certain amount caused delamination of the film. The adhesion of the PtO nanoparticle was similarly enhanced by the hydroxylated surface and diminished by the epoxidized surface. The binding energies and adhesive forces are reported for all systems studied.
Sex education and related skills: A series of programs implemented with severely handicapped students

A series of programs to teach sex education and related skills to severely handicapped students is presented. The programs were implemented over a seven year period. Training was conducted in public school, home and community settings. The programs encompass skills in the areas of “Bodily Distinctions,” “Reproduction and Birth Control Information,” “Family Life,” “Self Care” and “Social Manners and Interactions.” The programs were data based and continuously have been revised and extended in response to student performance. The cooperation and support of the students' parents was considered crucial to program development and to facilitate the transfer of skills from the school to the home setting. Students who have received training in these sex education and related skill programs currently are using the skills in a variety of school, home and community settings.
A Revised Model for the Structure and Function of the Lactose Permease EVIDENCE THAT A FACE ON TRANSMEMBRANE SEGMENT 2 IS IMPORTANT FOR CONFORMATIONAL CHANGES

The lactose permease is an integral membrane protein that cotransports H+ and lactose into the bacterial cytoplasm. Previous work has shown that bulky substitutions at glycine 64, which is found on the cytoplasmic edge of transmembrane segment 2 (TMS-2), cause a substantial decrease in the maximal velocity of lactose uptake without significantly affecting the Km values (Jessen-Marshall, A. E., Parker, N. J., and Brooker, R. J. (1997) J. Bacteriol.179, 2616–2622). In the current study, mutagenesis was conducted along the face of TMS-2 that contains glycine-64. Single amino acid substitutions that substantially changed side-chain volume at codons 52, 57, 59, 63, and 66 had little or no effect on transport activity, whereas substitutions at codons 49, 53, 56, and 60 were markedly defective and/or had lower levels of expression. According to helical wheel plots, Phe-49, Ser-53, Ser-56, Gln-60, and Gly-64 form a continuous stripe along one face of TMS-2. Several of the TMS-2 mutants (S56Y, S56L, S56Q, Q60A, and Q60V) were used as parental strains to isolate mutants that restore transport activity. These mutations were either first-site mutations or second-site suppressors in TMS-1, TMS-2, TMS-7 or TMS-11. A kinetic analysis showed that the suppressors had a higher rate of lactose transport compared with the corresponding parental strains. Overall, the results of this study are consistent with the notion that a face on TMS-2, containing Phe-49, Ser-53, Ser-56, Gln-60, and Gly-64, plays a critical role in conformational changes associated with lactose transport. We hypothesize that TMS-2 slides across TMS-7 and TMS-11 when the lactose permease interconverts between the C1 and C2 conformations. This idea is discussed within the context of a revised model for the structure of the lactose permease.
Riboflavin 5'-hydroxymethyl oxidation. Molecular cloning, expression, and glycoprotein nature of the 5'-aldehyde-forming enzyme from Schizophyllum commune.

Vitamin B2-aldehyde-forming enzyme catalyzes oxidation of the 5′-hydroxymethyl of riboflavin to the formyl group. We have purified the enzyme from the culture media ofSchizophyllum commune (ATCC 38719) by modifying the procedure of Tachibana and Oka (Tachibana, S., and Oka, M. (1981)J. Biol. Chem. 256, 6682–6685) for cell-free extract. By SDS-polyacrylamine gel electrophoresis, the enzyme appears to be 78 kDa. The enzyme has a blocked amino terminus, so fragments were obtained by cleaving the purified enzyme with lysyl endopeptidase. Selected peptides were sequenced from their amino termini. We have isolated a full-length cDNA clone using a DNA hybridization probe amplified by polymerase chain reaction with two degenerate oligonucleotide primers, the design of which was based on one of the partial amino acid sequences. From the cDNA clone, it is evident that the enzyme has a Ser/Thr-rich fragment near the COOH-terminal Asp. The enzyme was determined to be a glycoprotein; however,O-deglucosylation only slightly affects activity. Computer searches showed that the B2-aldehyde-forming enzyme has little homology with other proteins, but domain motifs may reflect N-myristoylation of a dehydrogenase with a signature similar to 4Fe-4S ferredoxins. The enzyme cDNA was subcloned into a Pichia expression vector pPIC9K to produce a recombinant protein which exhibited B2-aldehyde-forming enzyme activity.
Wnt11 and Wnt7a are up-regulated in association with differentiation of cardiac conduction cells in vitro and in vivo

The heart beat is coordinated by a precisely timed sequence of action potentials propagated through cells of the conduction system. Previously, we have shown that conduction cells in the chick embryo are derived from multipotent, cardiomyogenic progenitors present in the looped, tubular heart. Moreover, analyses of heterogeneity within myocyte clones and cell birth dating have indicated that elaboration of the conduction system occurs by ongoing, localized recruitment from within this multipotent pool. In this study, we have focused on a potential role for Wnt signaling in development of the cardiac conduction system. Treatment of embryonic myocytes from chick with endothelin-1 (ET-1) has been shown to promote expression of markers of Purkinje fiber cells. By using this in vitro model, we find that Wnt11 are Wnt7a are up-regulated in association with ET-1 treatment. Moreover, in situ hybridization reveals expression, although not temporal coincidence of, Wnt11 and Wnt7a in specialized tissues in the developing heart in vivo. Specifically, whereas Wnt11 shows transient and prominent expression in central elements of the developing conduction system (e.g., the His bundle), relative increases in Wnt7a expression emerge at sites consistent with the location of peripheral conduction cells (e.g., subendocardial Purkinje fibers). The patterns of Wnt11 and Wnt7a expression observed in vitro and in the embryonic chick heart appear to be consistent with roles for these two Wnts in differentiation of cardiac conduction tissues.
Biological treatment of benzene in a controlled trickle bed air biofilter.

Abstract Trickle bed air biofilters (TBABs) are suitable for treatment of relatively high volumes of volatile organic compounds due to their controlled environment. A laboratory-scale TBAB was used for the treatment of an air stream contaminated with benzene under different loading rates (LRs) ranging from 7.2 to 76.8 g m −3 h −1 . The TBAB was operated at pH 7 and 25 °C. Consistent long-term performance of the benzene TBAB depends on various factors one of which is the excess amount of biomass accumulated within the bed. Three experimental strategies for biomass control were employed in the study: weekly backwashing for 1 h, starvation (no benzene feed for a period of 2 d/week) and stagnation (no benzene, air and nutrient flow for a period of 2 d/week). The experimental plan was designed to investigate the long-term performance of the TBAB with emphasis on the empty bed resident time (EBRT), different benzene LRs, removal efficiency with TBAB depth, volatile suspended solids and carbon mass balance closure. For benzene loading up to 34.1 g m −3 h −1 , removal efficiency consistently over 98% was achieved. At the maximum LR 76.8 g m −3 h −1 the removal efficiency was still above 80% by utilizing stagnation strategy for 2 d and gas flow switching once per week as means of biomass control. Backwashing once per week provided less efficient performance as compared to stagnation while starvation showed the worst performance. EBRT at 120 s provided the best performance while EBRT at 90 s showed slightly lower performance.
Bipartite determinants mediate an evolutionarily conserved interaction between Cdc48 and the 20S peptidase

Proteasomes are essential and ubiquitous ATP-dependent proteases that function in eukarya, archaea, and some bacteria. These destructive but critically important proteolytic machines use a 20S core peptidase and a hexameric ATPase associated with a variety of cellular activities (AAA+) unfolding ring that unfolds and spools substrates into the peptidase chamber. In archaea, 20S can function with the AAA+ Cdc48 or proteasome-activating nucleotidase (PAN) unfoldases. Both interactions are stabilized by C-terminal tripeptides in AAA+ subunits that dock into pockets on the 20S periphery. Here, we provide evidence that archaeal Cdc48 also uses a distinct set of near-axial interactions to bind 20S and propose that similar dual determinants mediate PAN–20S interactions and Rpt1–6–20S interactions in the 26S proteasome. Current dogma holds that the Rpt1–6 unfolding ring of the 19S regulatory particle is the only AAA+ partner of eukaryotic 20S. By contrast, we show that mammalian Cdc48, a key player in cell-cycle regulation, membrane fusion, and endoplasmic-reticulum–associated degradation, activates mammalian 20S and find that a mouse Cdc48 variant supports protein degradation in combination with 20S. Our results suggest that eukaryotic Cdc48 orthologs function directly with 20S to maintain intracellular protein quality control.
Every discrete, finite image is uniquely determined by its dipole histogram.

A finite image I is a function assigning colors to a finite, rectangular array of discrete pixels. Thus, the information directly encoded by I is purely locational. Such locational information is of little visual use in itself: perception of visual structure requires extraction of relational image information. A very elementary form of relational information about I is provided by its dipole histogram DI. A dipole is a triple, ((dx, dy), alpha, beta), with dx and dy horizontal and vertical, integer-valued displacements, and alpha and beta colors. For any such dipole, DI((dx, dy), alpha, beta) gives the number of pixel pairs ((x1, y1), (x2, y2)) of I such that I[x1, y1] = alpha, I[x2, y2] = beta, and, (x2, y2) - (x1, y1) = (dx, dy). Note that DI explicitly encodes no locational information. Although DI is uniquely determined by (and easily constructed from) I, it is not obvious that I is uniquely determined by DI. Here we prove that any finite image I is uniquely determined by its dipole histogram, DI. Two proofs are given; both are constructive, i.e. provide algorithms for reconstructing I from DI. In addition, a proof is given that any finite, two-dimensional image I can be constructed using only the shorter dipoles of I: those dipoles ((dx, dy), alpha, beta) that have magnitude of dx < or = ceil((# columns in I)/2) and magnitude of dy < or = ceil((# rows in I)/2), where ceil(x) denotes the greatest integer < or = x.