cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Ru(II) bis-terpyridine-like complex that catalyzes water oxidation: the influence of steric strain.

The complexation of 2,9-dicarboxy-1,10-phenanthroline (DPA) with [Ru(tpy)Cl3] (tpy = 2,2′;6,2″-terpyridine) provides a six-coordinate species in which one carboxyl group of DPA is not bound to the Ru(II) center. A more soluble tri-t-butyl tpy analogue is also prepared. Upon oxidation, neither species shows evidence for intramolecular trapping of a seven-coordinate intermediate. The role of the tpy ligand is revealed by the preparation of [Ru(tpy)(phenq)]2+ (phenq = 2-(quinol-8′-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline) that behaves as an active water oxidation catalyst (TON = 334). This activity is explained by the expanded coordination geometry of the phenq ligand that can form a six-membered chelate ring that better accommodates the linear arrangement of axial ligands required for optimal pentagonal bipyramid geometry. When a 1,8-naphthyidine ring is substituted for each of the two peripheral pyridine rings on tpy, increased crowding in the vicinity of the metal center impedes acquisition of the prerequisite reaction ge...
Variability of prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time in the diagnosis of increased surgical bleeding

BACKGROUND: Prothrombin time (PT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) are used to diagnose causes of increased surgical bleeding and to guide treatment of acquired coagulation factor deficiency. This study compared the sensitivity of various commercial PT and APTT tests in patients with dilutional coagulopathy. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A prospective study was used to identify patients who experienced increased surgical bleeding during elective extensive (>10 spinal segments) spinal fusion and instrumentation. In patients with clinical signs of increased bleeding, blood was obtained to compare the sensitivity of various commercial PT and APTT tests. PT, PT ratio, the International Normalized Ratio (INR), APTT, and APTT ratio were compared for their sensitivity in the diagnosis of a dilutional coagulopathy. RESULTS: Sixteen patients experienced increased bleeding during surgery. Mean estimated blood volume lost exceeded 1 blood volume (1.14 ± 0.28). PT and APTT test results varied markedly. In the most sensitive PT and APTT tests, the results were 1.5 times the mean reference range values in all but on of the patients. The least sensitive combination of tests had results that were 1.5 times the mean reference range values in only 2 of 16 patients. Variability among tests was not reduced by the use of the PT or the APTT ratio, by the use of INR, or by incorporation of a measure of PT or APTT test sensitivity to factor-deficient serum. CONCLUSION: In surgical patients with dilutional coagulopathy, diagnostic and treatment decisions could depend on which PT and APTT test was used to determine the etiology of increased bleeding. This study indicates that the relationship between increased bleeding and an increased PT and APTT may be more difficult to define than is suggested by current practice guidelines. Each laboratory must establish guidelines based on reagent and instrument sensitivity to coagulation factor dilution.
Physiology and metabolism of sugar alcohols in higher plants

Until recently sugar alcohols received little or no mention in plant physiology texts. The omission is surprising for several reasons. Sugar alcohols are common constituents of many organisms. In fungi, algae and lichens they are frequently the major single carbohydrate present (Bieleski 1982, Lewis 1984). In these organisms, as well as in certain angiosperms, they play a central role in metabolism and physiology, often functioning as the common currency of carbohydrate metabolism in place of neutral sugars like sucrose and polysaccharides like starch. Sugar alcohols are acyclic polyols. The term acyclic polyol refers to a straight-chain, polyhydric alcohol, and, along with alditol, sugar alcohol, polyalcohol and polyhydric alcohol is commonly used in reference to the reduction products of sugars and closely related derivatives. In these compounds the aldehyde or keto group of a sugar is reduced to a hydroxyl group. Most acyclic polyols have both trivial and systematic chemical names, being named for their original source and the sugar from which they are derived, e.g., sorbitol (from Sorbus) is also named glucitol (from glucose), and adonitol (from Adonis) is also ribitol (from ribose). Nomenclature can, however, be complicated and more detailed discussions are available (Bieleski 1982). Chemically, physically and biologically the sugar alcohols (hereafter polyols) closely resemble the sugars from which they are derived and it is usually convenient to regard them as special kinds of sugars or carbohydrates. Unfortunately, many techniques used by physiologists for carbohydrate analyses do not reveal the presence of polyols. Gas and high pressure liquid chromatography can, however, be used to separate and identify all the polyols, and enzymic analysis is available for sorbitol.
Metal-carbon stretching vibrations for CO on silver

Abstract Vibration bands for CO adsorbed on a polycrystalline silver foil have been seen in both the 2000 cm −1 region and the 400 cm −1 region with a RAIRS measurement using a commercial grating infrared spectrometer. The AgC stretching vibration band at 430 cm −1 results from an adsorbed CO molecule that desorbs between 200 and 300 K and has a CO stretching vibration band at 2060 cm −1 . The integrated absorption coefficient of the AgC stretching band is about 0.03 of that of the CO stretching band.
Of Denominations and Districts: Examining the Influence of "Pro-life" Denominational Communities on State Representatives

One of the most notably unsolved puzzles in the study of politics and religion is whether and how Christian denominations influence the behavior of state-level politicians.1 As an initial step in addressing this puzzle, this essay suggests that the influence of Roman Catholic and evangelical Protestant denominational communities in three political "battleground" states have a significant statistical effect on the abortion position of state representatives. The general lack of empirical focus on religious community influ ence in state politics, the extant literature has covered the topic well in relation to members of Congress.2 Since social and political values are codified through the legislative process, scholars have often found that religious communities successfully hone their collective political atten tion on the legislative theater.3 In order to conduct an analysis of reli
How might demyelinating disorders and glaucoma modify synaptic function

Abstract Latencies of visually evoked potentials (VEPs) tend to be abnormally long in multiple sclerosis (MS). Similar VEP delays are seen in glaucoma. Such delays could result in part from reduced intensities of synaptic inputs at post-retinal synaptic relays, and defects of axoplasmic transport might be one cause for this. The effective rate of synaptic activation of a given postsynaptic neuron can be decreased either by reducing the arrival-rate of presynaptic action potentials (e.g., by complete or partial blockage of conduction in some presynaptic axons), or by reducing the quantity of neurotransmitter released per action potential (e.g., as a consequence of presynaptic neurotransmitter depletion). It is proposed that in both glaucoma and MS, delayed VEPs may result from either or both of these mechanisms. Firstly, loss and functional impairment of optic nerve axons occurs in each disorder. Secondly, in glaucoma the increased intraocular pressure tends to block the rapid anterograde axoplasmic transport (RAAT) which brings neurotransmitter supplies to the axon terminals. This could result in neurotransmitter depletion in the lateral geniculate relay, decreased synaptic effectiveness of remaining normally-conducting optic nerve axons, and thereby increased VEP latencies. RAAT is also blocked by demyelinated lesions that have been produced experimentally by injection of diptheria toxin. If it is impaired by the demyelinated plaques of multiple sclerosis, then VEP slowing by a similar presynaptic depletion mechanism could ensue.
Inhibition of guinea pig C′2 by rabbit: Quantitative measurement of inhibition, discrimination between immune inhibition and complement fixation, specificity of inhibition and demostration of uptake of C′2 by EAC′1a,4

Abstract On repeated inoculation with alum-precipitated, partially purified guinea pig C′, rabbits form antibody which inhibits the hemolytic activity of C′2. A sensitive method has been designed for precise quantitative measurement of inhibiting antibody. The procedure excludes the possibility of complement fixation and, hence, the inhibitory effect is attributed to steric hindrance. The shape of the anti-C′2 neutralization curve indicates that a single molecule of antibody suffices for inhibition of C′2, and that the C′2 molecule can bind several molecules of neutralizing antibody. Quantitative inhibition analyses indicate that C′2 physically combines with EAC′1a,4 to yield the intermediate EAC′1a,4,2a.
Mobbing Calls of the Phainopepla

-When mobbing potential predators, male Phainopeplas (Phainopepla nitens) utter smoothly upswept vocalizations, unlike the harsh, staccato mobbing calls of other birds and mammals. A Phainopepla repeats this call as it approaches the bottom of its diving arc over the predator. We suggest that these calls do not serve to attract additional mobbers to the scene. Rather, they appear to emphasize the diving attacks directed toward the predator. Birds and mammals commonly call while harassing or "mobbing" potential predators. Mobbing calls are usually characterized by wide frequency-spectra, sharp onset and termination, and rapid repetition, giving them harsh or click-like qualities (Marler 1955, 1969). These acoustic characteristics enhance the ability of potential mobbers (and predators) to locate the source of the sound (Marler 1955, Konishi 1973, Owens and Goss-Custard 1976, Shalter and Schleidt 1977, Shalter 1978). Most published discussions of mobbing calls emphasize the interspecific similarity in their acoustic structure, especially when compared to the songs of the same species (e.g., Marler and Hamilton 1966). Indeed, the emphasis on presumed convergence on a single acoustic structure for mobbing calls even extends to non-avian species, including a primate (Vencl 1977) and sciurid rodents (see references in Owings and Leger 1980). In spite of these widespread similarities, we should not expect all birds to arrive at the same acoustic structure in their mobbing calls. First, the average proximity of the caller to other individuals that may be recruited to the mobbing assemblage can vary widely among species, thus favoring long-distance sound conduction in some species but not in others. When communicating over long distances, habitat structure (e.g., vegetation density) and meteorological variables (e.g., air turbulence) may act as selection pressures favoring certain acoustic features over others (for details see Morton 1975, Marten and Marler 1977, Wiley and Richards 1978). Second, the function of mobbing calls may vary across species (Curio 1978). For example, mobbing calls may serve to attract others to the predator so that group action may drive it away. However, mobbing calls can also be predator-directed, that is, a means of harassing or distracting the predator in a manner analogous to the diving attacks commonly performed by mobbers. If mobbing calls are in fact predator-directed, the acoustic structure may reflect this use and one might expect less emphasis on features that enhance their localization. We describe here a mobbing call that appears to differ from those typical of most birds and mammals. The calls are those of male Phainopeplas (Phainopepla nitens) in central California (see Walsberg 1977, 1978, and Willis 1976, for discussions of Phainopepla breeding habits and ecology).
Redefinition of normal sinus heart rate.

intuitive as well as deductive implications. This essay embodies a proposal, based on original work published elsewhere,' to revise the operative (le, working) definition of the expected ("normal") heart rates in resting individuals from the traditional 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) to 50 to 90 bpm. The results in 500 normal subjects, summarized in the Figure 1 , give illustrative support to the proposal, and closely conform to epidemiologic results of other investigators in even larger numbers of normal sub- jects between 20 and 80 years old.2'3 Concordant as they are, however, all three investigations are suppor- tive without being absolutely fundamental to the argument in the sense that its major thrust addresses physicians' intuitions, particularly those that develop from everyday experience. At the low end of the range, we are aware of the large numbers of normal persons, especially those who are physically fit, who have resting heart rates well below 60 and even 50
Number density measurements on analytical discharge systems: application of “hook” spectroscopy

Abstract Various methods for determining atomic, ionic and electron number densities are reviewed. Time- and spatially-resolved number densities of sodium atoms in the post discharge environment of a high voltage spark are then quantitatively determined using the anomalous dispersion “hook method”. Number densities are calculated from hook separation near the Na D-lines. Lateral profiles are subsequently transformed to the radial domain using a derivative free Abel inversion process. Advantages, limitations, and practical ramification of the hook method are discussed.
Clock transport synchronization and the dragging of inertial frames for elliptical orbits

It is shown that is is possible to test for the dragging of inertial frames in Einstein's theory of general relativity by using the discrepancy between clocks synchronized by clock transport in elliptical orbits. Possible experiments are discussed.
LGBT Pedagogy: A Review of Activities for Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the University Classroom

As the title implies, Activities for Teaching Gender and Sexuality in the University Classroom is a collection of activities exploring different aspects of gender and sexuality that can be used in the classroom setting. This book not only is a useful resource for university instructors but also has many other practical applications for administrators both in higher education and advanced high school settings.
A New Non-Intermittent Sensitometer

A new non-intermittent sensitometer has been constructed which consists of two sector wheels rotating about the same axis at different angular speeds. During the exposure, the larger disk makes only one revolution. In this interval, the small disk makes many revolutions but the large wheel covers the photographic material except for one revolution of the small wheel.With the ordinary sector wheel sensitometer, the exposure range is rarely more than 256 to 1 because of the difficulty of cutting the wheel. It is shown that by using two sector wheels, the exposure range may easily be increased to 16,384 to 1. An extension of this principle to three disks would not involve any serious mechanical difficulties and would increase the exposure range to more than one million to one.
Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping (IABP) at Different Levels of Experimental Acute Left Ventricular Failure

Effectiveness of infra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) as a circulatory assist device was experimentally evaluated in eight groups of dogs at various stages in the sequence: coronary occlusion—myocardial infarction—acute left ventricular failure—coronary shock. When instituted during the period of reversibility of myocardial ischemic changes produced by coronary ligation, IABP unproved collateral coronary flow, limited the extent of myocardial necrosis and prevented the development of left ventricular failure. When instituted following the development of acute left ventricular failure, IABP “assisted” the left ventricle, as evidenced by improvement in left ventricular dimensions, pressures, flows, systemic and myocardial metabolic parameters. When instituted at the stage of shock, IABP had only slight and transient effects. Problems related to the use of IABP were studied. Lack of a 100 percent fail-safe device was viewed as the main deterrent, at the present time, to clinical application.
Electron Cyclotron Drift Instability Experiment

The electron cyclotron drift instability has been observed in a controlled, steady-state experiment. Enhanced noise bands are seen in the first two Bernstein wave dispersion branches. Dispersion, noise frequency dependence upon magnetic field and ion beam velocity, and saturation are demonstrated.
Female hypogonadism: evaluation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis

Female hypogonadism refers to deficient or abnormal function of the hypothalamic–pituitary–ovarian axis that clinically presents with menstrual cycle disturbances. Female hypogonadism can be due to a congenital or acquired cause, and the defect can be at the level of the hypothalamus, pituitary or ovary. A careful history, physical exam and selected laboratory testing can often determine the locus of the defect and whether it results from a structural or hormonal problem. Laboratory testing generally relies on basal hormone levels; however, timing of blood sampling in relation to menses is important to interpretation of the data.
SU-E-J-177: Characterization of the Effect of 'Lung Detail' CT Reconstruction Algorithm on Radiation Therapy Dose Calculation.

Purpose: Precise tumor delineation is important in thoracic radiation therapy planning, and using a ‘lung detail’ computed tomography(CT) reconstruction algorithm can assist in visualizing the tumor. We seek to determine the dosimetric impact of utilizing a lung detail algorithm versus a standard algorithm on calculated dose in radiation treatment planning. Methods: Ten patients, with 12 tumors, were analyzed in this study. Two CT scans, one reconstructed using a standard algorithm and one using a lung detail algorithm, were generated for each of 12 lungtumors.Treatment plans were calculated for each CT scan, with 7 tumors receiving stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and 5 receiving intensity‐modulated radiation therapy(IMRT). The Hounsfield unit (HU) and dose values for each voxel of the planning tumor volume (PTV), esophagus, spinal cord, and contralateral lung in both the CT and doseimages were exported to MATLAB. For each contour, the voxel‐by‐voxel differences in the HU and dose distributions between the two scans were analyzed along with dose‐volume histogram (DVH) data. Results: Despite changes in HU values, the voxel‐by‐voxel analysis showed a negligible shift in dose values. The mean differences in dose for PTV, esophagus, spinal cord, and contralateral lung ranged from −12.12 to 22.57, −2.21 to 7.40, −0.50 to 5.93, and −1.12 to 7.41 cGy, respectively. DVH comparisons demonstrated no meaningful difference between plans. The mean PTV, esophagus, spinal cord, and contralateral lungdosesmeasured from the DVH shifted between plans an average of 3.5, 2.93, −0.6 and −0.35 cGy, respectively. These dose differences are all less than 1% of the dose prescribed to the tumor and are not measurable by current technology. Conclusions: The lung detail reconstruction algorithm, when applied to thoracic radiation treatment planning CT scans, can help precisely delineate tumor with negligible dosimetric impact.
Genome-wide Association Studies in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Review

Over the past decade, research aiming to disentangle the genetic underpinnings of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease has mostly focused on the identification of common variants through genome-wide association studies. The identification of several new susceptibility genes through these efforts has reinforced the importance of amyloid precursor protein and tau metabolism in the cause of the disease and has implicated immune response, inflammation, lipid metabolism, endocytosis/intracellular trafficking, and cell migration in the cause of the disease. Ongoing and future large-scale genome-wide association studies, translational studies, and next-generation whole genome or whole exome sequencing efforts, hold the promise to map the specific causative variants in these genes, to identify several additional risk variants, including rare and structural variants, and to identify novel targets for genetic testing, prevention, and treatment.
Completeness of ASM Refinement

ASM refinements are verified using generalized forward simulations which allow to refine m abstract operations to n concrete operations with arbitrary m and n. One main difference to data refinement is that ASM refinement considers infinite runs and termination. Since backward simulation does not preserve termination in general, the standard technique of adding history information to the concrete level is not applicable. The powerset construction also adds infinite runs and is therefore not applicable too. This paper shows that a completeness proof is nevertheless possible by adding infinite prophecy information, effectively moving nondetermism to the initial state. Adding such prophecy information can be done on the semantic level, but also by a simple syntactic transformation that removes the choose construct of ASMs. The completeness proof is also ported to give a completeness proof for IO automata.
Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.

Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn or persistent fetal circulation is a clinical syndrome that is usually apparent within the first 2 days after birth because of the presence of hypoxemia (2;12;19). The syndrome was first described in an abstract by Gersony, Due, and Sinclair (6) in 1969. Two infants were reported who had “RV decompensation, cyanosis and clear lung fields… in the absence of recognizable cardiac, pulmonary, hematologic or CNS disease.” The syndrome has been associated with aspiration of meconium, diaphragmatic hernia, asphyxia, hemorrhage, shock, and maternal infection (4;18). In other cases, there is no clear antecedent event. Despite considerable interest in the problem and a wealth of research related to pulmonary vasoregulation and vascular development in the fetus and newborn, the etiology of the syndrome remains obscure 20 years since its recognition.
PLEISTOCENE GEOLOGY OF CROTON POINT, N.Y.*

Croton Point, a peninsula projecting westward into the Hudson River, is inferred to have originated by deltaic deposition of glacial outwash in a postglacial lake that formerly existed in the Hudson valley.
Use of relays in extending network lifetime

We describe a simple physical-layer relay scheme for wireless communication in which a set of low-noise linear amplify-and-forward relays are placed between transmitter and receiver to assist radio communication. By exploiting the geometric gain resulting from the location of properly deployed relays, part of the radio transmission power of the information source can be off-loaded to these relays. We argue that such a simple relay scheme can thus provide a transparent and management-free alleviation to the problem of limited battery time in application scenarios like sensor networks, where radio transmission can consume a significant portion of the battery-provided energy. We use simulation to quantify the bit error rate (BER) performance of the relay scheme in a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime when used in conjunction with the maximal ratio combining (MRC) scheme and Alamouti space-time codes. We show that, under a reasonably precise indoor radio propagation model derived from measurements, the proposed relay scheme is capable of reaping the geometric gain attained from a set of relays deployed midway between the transmitter and the receiver to extend effectively the battery lifetime of the network.
Changing politics of race and region: Latino migration to the US South

Questions and practices of race in the US South have historically been unthinkable outside the register of a black-white binary. In recent years, this connection between the South as a region and race as a dualism has been challenged by Latino migration to southern cities and towns. This article reviews the emerging literature on this southern arm of Latino migration, arguing for more attention to its interactions with racial formations and practices in southern communities and the geographic and place contingency of its features across the region. To achieve more critical understandings of these processes, it suggests, future studies must contextualize this migration in relation to studies of both immigrant gateway cities across the USA and the historical geographies of race and ethnicity in southern cities.
Using Quantitative TEM Analysis of Implant Damage to Study Surface Recombination Velocity in Silicon

Silicon wafers with shallow trench isolation structures 3700A deep were self-implanted with silicon at 40keV, and a dose of 1E15/cm2. This produced an amorphous layer 1000A deep. The samples were subsequently annealed at temperatures ranging from 750°C to 900°C. The excess interstitials can recombine at the “surface” created by the proximity to the trench sidewall. Plan-view TEM was used to quantify the dislocation distribution as a function of distance from the trench sidewall. It was found that there was no measurable change in defect density as a function of distance from the trench. This was true for both the 20 minute isochronal anneal, and the isothermal study 750°C. This suggests there is a relatively weak recombination of interstitials at the surface. This is surprising given most of the TCAD models assume a very fast surface recombination velocity.
Appearance of Symmetry, Beauty, and Health in Human Faces.

Symmetry is an important concept in biology, being related to mate selection strategies, health, and survival of species. In human faces, the relevance of left-right symmetry to attractiveness and health is not well understood. We compared the appearance of facial attractiveness, health, and symmetry in three separate experiments. Participants inspected front views of faces on the computer screen and judged them on a 5-point scale according to their attractiveness in Experiment 1, health in Experiment 2, and symmetry in Experiment 3. We found that symmetry and attractiveness were not strongly related in faces of women or men while health and symmetry were related. There was a significant difference between attractiveness and symmetry judgments but not between health and symmetry judgments. Moreover, there was a significant difference between attractiveness and health. Facial symmetry may be critical for the appearance of health but it does not seem to be critical for the appearance of attractiveness, not surprisingly perhaps because human faces together with the human brain have been shaped by adaptive evolution to be naturally asymmetrical.
Complex Binding Interactions between Multicomponent Mixtures and Odorant Receptors in the Olfactory Organ of the Caribbean Spiny Lobster Panulirus argus

Our study was designed to examine how components of complex mixtures can inhibit the binding of other components to receptor sites in the olfactory system of the spiny lobster Panulirus argus. Biochemical binding assays were used to study how two- to six-component mixtures inhibit binding of the radiolabeled odorants taurine, L-glutamate and adenosine-5'-monophosphate to a tissue fraction rich in dendritic membrane of olfactory receptor neurons. Our results indicate that binding inhibition by mixtures can be large and is dependent on the nature of the odorant ligand and on the concentration and composition of the mixture. The binding inhibition by mixtures of structurally related components was generally predicted using a competitive binding model and binding inhibition data for the individual components. This was not the case for binding inhibition by most mixtures of structurally unrelated odorants. The binding inhibition for these mixtures was generally smaller than that for one or more of their components, indicating that complex binding interactions between components can reduce their ability to inhibit binding. The magnitude of binding inhibition was influenced more by the mixture's precise composition than by the number of components in it, since mixtures with few components were sometimes more inhibitory than mixtures with more components. These findings raise the possibility that complex binding interactions between components of a mixture and their receptors may shape the output of olfactory receptor neurons to complex mixtures.
Taghanic Onlap and the End of North American Devonian Provinciality

Marine onlap of major proportions generally has been attributed to the Late Devonian in the United States west of the Mississippi River, but this onlap ensued early during the Taghanic Stage and thus began as a late Middle Devonian event. Pre-Taghanic Givetian marine areas of eastern and western North America were not connected across the southern United States and were connected only briefly between western Canada and the north-central United States (Indiana and Michigan). Pre-Taghanic Middle Devonian brachiopod faunas of eastern and western North America belong to different faunal provinces, that is, to the Appalachian and Old World provinces respectively. The Taghanic onlap of the continental backbone in the southwestern United States provided shallow-water marine areas for dispersal of bethonic animals and the resulting intermigration brought an end to brachiopod provinciality that had prevailed since the Early Devonian. By analogy, provincial shifts in established faunal successions should provide dates for other sedimentary-tetonic events. Because Appalachian Province fossils are known to range as far as Colombia and Venezuela in Emsian-Eifelian time, but not at the same time to the American west, a large land barrier is postulated for times of provinciality, that is, during the intervals Ludlow-early Siegenian, and Emsian-mid-Givetian. Other intervals during the Silurian and Devonian were times of breaching of the land barrier by marine seas. Taghanic brachiopod faunas of Givetian age in western North America are represented by two faunas, a lower one with chonetids of the aurora type and Leiorhynchus of the mesacostale type, and an upper one with Leiorhynchus hippocastanea, Hadrorhynchia sandersoni, and Warrenella occidentalis. Elements of the latter fauna have been reported lower in the Givetian due to confusion with the fauna that includes Leiorhynchus castanea. The Leiorhynchus hippocastanea fauna occurs with hermanni-cristatus zone conodonts above the “C.” aurora fauna and marks the top of the Givetian, above the range of Stringocephalus in North America. The aurora group of chonetids is proposed as a new genus Rhyssochonetes, based on the new subspecies R. aurora solox.
Life history traits in Hippodamia convergens (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) after selection for fast development

Abstract Individuals of the convergent lady beetle Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, selected for a fast developmental rate (intensely selected line) through five generations, were assessed for unintended selective effects on adult weight and longevity, survivorship, food consumption, fecundity, and population growth parameters. Beetles from an intensely selected line were compared with beetles from a moderately selected line and field-collected wild types. After selection, survivorship from first instar to adult emergence at 18, 22, and 26°C was improved by 9.4, 8.5, and 22.2%, respectively, in the intensely selected line. Selection of individuals for fast development did not affect adult weight (19.6 mg), fecundity (344 eggs), longevity (53 days), nor third-fourth instar consumption of aphids (106 mg of pea aphids). Also, the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and number of beetle generations per year were calculated for the intensely selected line, the moderately selected line, and wild-type beetles. The rm was higher for the intensely (0.099) than for the moderately selected line (0.091) and wild type (0.092). A degree-day model demonstrated that the intensely selected line may complete 3.9 and 5.3 generations in Corvallis and Hermiston, Oregon, respectively. The moderately selected line and wild-type populations would only complete 3.4 and 3.2 generations in Corvallis, respectively, and 4.6 and 4.5 generations in Hermiston, respectively.
Monte Carlo simulations of pure liquid substituted benzenes with OPLS potential functions

Intermolecular potential functions have been developed for use in computer simulations of substituted benzenes. Previously reported optimized potentials for liquid simulations (OPLS) for benzene and organic functional groups were merged and tested in Monte Carlo statistical mechanics simulations for the pure liquids of toluene, m-cresol, anisole, aniline, and benzonitrile at 25°C at 1 atm. The merged potential functions yielded acceptable thermodynamic results for the liquids except in the case of aniline, for which the error in the heat of vaporization was 12%. This was remedied by enhancing the polarity of the model to be more consistent with the observed dipole moment of aniline. Overall, the average errors in computed heats of vaporization and densities were then 2 and 1%, respectively. The structures of the liquids were characterized through energy and radial distribution functions. For m-cresol and aniline, the molecules participate in averages of 1.6 and 1.4 hydrogen bonds, respectively. Condensed phase effects on the torsional energies for anisole, m-cresol, and aniline were found to be small; m-cresol has a slightly enhanced tendency to be nonplanar in the liquid than in the gas phase, while anisole shows the opposite pattern. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia complicating multiple myeloma.

Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia complicated the course of two patients with multiple myeloma. The diagnosis was established in both cases by bronchoalveolar lavage, which demonstrated the typical pneumocysts. Clinical and roentgenographic improvement in both patients was observed following a course of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. One patient had lymphocyte subsets performed with a CD4/CD8 ratio of 0.8; both patients were HIV antibody-negative by ELISA. Both patients tolerated prophylactic TMP-SMX given concurrently with the subsequent chemotherapy for myeloma. We suggest that the immune defect seen in multiple myeloma may have placed these patients at risk for opportunistic infections such as P carinii pneumonia; however, as opposed to patients with AIDS, our patients tolerated therapy with TMP-SMZ quite well. (Chest 1991; 99:656–59)
Stochastic and physical modeling of motion of municipal solid waste (MSW) particles on a waste-to-energy (WTE) moving grate

Abstract Numerical analysis of the mixing of municipal solid waste (MSW) particles as they travel on the grate of a mass-burn waste-to-energy (WTE) combustion chamber is necessary for understanding the parameters that control the combustion processes and designing the grate. In order to characterize the heterogeneous particle behavior, a 2-dimensional stochastic model of MSW particle mixing within a WTE combustion bed was developed. This model was calibrated and validated by means of a full-scale physical model of the Martin reverse acting grate, using tracer particles of sizes ranging from 6 to 22 cm. It was found that different particle sizes result in different residence times according to the Brazil Nut Effect (BNE). The motion of the reverse acting grate, in the speed range of 15–90 reciprocations/h, increases the mean residence time of small and medium particles by 69% and 8%, respectively and decreases that of large particles by 19%. Also, within this speed range, the mixing diffusion coefficient of each particle size was quantified. The ratio of particle diameter to the height of moving bar, d/h, was found to be a major parameter for the mixing diffusion coefficient and the particle residence time at reciprocation speeds exceeding 30 recip./h. Based on these quantitative results and the local MSW particle size distribution, the grate motion and the moving bar height can be designed for optimum operation.
Interface optimization for concurrent systems under timing constraints

The scope of most high-level synthesis efforts to date has been at the level of a single behavioral model represented as a control/data-flow graph. The communication between concurrently executing processes and its requirements in terms of timing and resources have largely been neglected. This restriction limits the applicability of most existing approaches for complex system designs. This paper describes a methodology for the synthesis of interfaces in concurrent systems under detailed timing constraints. The authors model interprocess communication using blocking and nonblocking messages. They show how the relationship between messages over time can be abstracted as a constraint graph that can be extracted and used during synthesis. They describe a novel technique called interface matching that minimizes the interface cost by scheduling each process with respect to timing information of other processes communicating with it. By scheduling the completion of operations, some blocking communication can be converted to nonblocking while ensuring the communication remains valid. To further reduce hardware costs, the authors describe the synthesis of interfaces on shared physical media. They show how this sharing can be increased through rescheduling and serialization of the communication. In addition to systematically reducing the interface synchronization cost, this approach permits analysis on the timing consistency of interprocess communication. >
Seismic behavior of the southern San Andreas fault zone in the northern Coachella Valley, California: Comparison of the 1948 and 1986 earthquake sequences

Moderate earthquakes in 1948 and 1986 that occurred along the southern San Andreas fault zone are examined to help understand the subsurface geometry and seismic behavior of active fault segments in the northern Coachella Valley. The 1986 North Palm Springs earthquake occurred between the Banning and Mission Creek traces of the San Andreas fault zone. Based on data from both portable and permanent stations, aftershocks of the 1986 event define a nearly planar surface that strikes about N60° to 70°W, is about 15-km long, and dips northeast from near the Banning surface trace at about 45° to 50°. Relocation of the mainshock using revised station corrections and a local velocity model inverted from the aftershock arrival times indicates a location at 34°N00.26′, 116°W36.34′, and a focal depth of 10.4 km. The first-motion focal mechanism for the mainshock indicates pure right-slip on a plane dipping northeast at 40° to 45° with a strike of N60°W. Previous moment-tensor solutions (e.g., Hartzell, 1989) exhibit significant oblique-reverse slip on a plane with a more westerly strike and a seismic moment of 1.4 to 1.7 × 1018 N-m ( Mw = 6.1). Actual and synthetic Wood-Anderson recordings indicate a local magnitude of ML 6.0. The 1948 Desert Hot Springs earthquake produced waveforms similar to 1986, although amplitudes for 1948 are typically 20 to 30% larger. The 1948 mainshock is relocated at 33°N55.2′, 116°W28.9′, with a focal depth of 12 km, a revised magnitude of ML 6.3, and an estimated seismic moment of 2 to 3 × 1018 N-m. Based on arrival-time information from close (<20 km) portable stations deployed in 1948 to 1949, the 1948 aftershock distribution is about 15-km long, 8- to 10-km wide, and abuts the 1986 aftershock sequence to the southeast along the Banning fault. The 1948 aftershock zone is consistent with a focal mechanism that exhibits predominantly right-slip motion (rake 169°) on a plane that strikes N55°W and dips more steeply northeast at 60° to 70°. In 1986, the horizontal extent of the rupture may have been controlled by secondary cross faults and possible changes in fault geometry, while the down-dip extent may have been controlled by the presence at depth of a regional detachment. In 1948, the rupture likely had a steeper dip than in 1986 and extended southeast as far as the northern Indio Hills, where the surface trace of the Banning fault undergoes an approximate 7° change in strike. These results indicate that the Banning fault is nonvertical, is likely segmented according to fault dip, as well as fault strike, and has been the primary locus of recent moderate-sized earthquake activity in the northern Coachella Valley.
Novas imagens do envelhecimento e a construção social do curso da vida

A primeira parte deste artigo discute a emergencia da “velhice” como uma nova etapa da vida no contexto da descoberta de outros estagios; a segunda parte aborda o surgimento de descontinuidades no curso da vida; a ultima parte discute a contribuicao de mudancas historicas na familia e no curso da vida para a segregacao por idade. Abstract The first part of this article discusses the emergence of “old age” as a new stage of life in the context of the discovery of other stages of life; the second part addresses the emergence of discontinuities in the life course; and the last part discusses the contribution of historical changes in the family and the life course to age segregation.
Mast Cell Activation Is Enhanced by Tim1:Tim4 Interaction but Not by Tim-1 Antibodies

Polymorphisms in the T cell (or transmembrane) immunoglobulin and mucin domain 1 ( TIM-1) gene, particularly in the mucin domain, have been associated with atopy and allergic diseases in mice and human. Genetic- and antibody-mediated studies revealed that Tim-1 functions as a positive regulator of Th2 responses, while certain antibodies to Tim-1 can exacerbate or reduce allergic lung inflammation. Tim-1 can also positively regulate the function of B cells, NKT cells, dendritic cells and mast cells. However, the precise molecular mechanisms by which Tim-1 modulates immune cell function are currently unknown. In this study, we have focused on defining Tim-1-mediated signaling pathways that enhance mast cell activation through the high affinity IgE receptor (FceRI). Using a Tim-1 mouse model lacking the mucin domain (Tim-1 Dmucin), we show for the first time that the polymorphic Tim-1 mucin region is dispensable for normal mast cell activation. We further show that Tim-4 cross-linking of Tim-1 enhances select signaling pathways downstream of FceRI in mast cells, including mTOR-dependent signaling, leading to increased cytokine production but without affecting degranulation.
362 EFFECT OF INDUCIBLE NITRIC OXIDE SYNTHASE INHIBITORS ON ISOPROSTANE PRODUCTION IN MURINE LUPUS NEPHRITIS

Purpose There is an increase in renal nitric oxide (NO) production in lupus nephritis (LN) that appears to be pathogenic, as pharmacologic inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) abrogates disease in mice. However, the mechanism through which iNOS activity is pathogenic in murine LN is not known. One mechanism may be via increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by iNOS. We investigated the effect of inhibiting iNOS activity in murine LN on ROS production. Methods Fifteen MRL/lpr mice having active LN were put into three treatment groups. Group one received distilled water (n = 6), group two NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA) (a nonspecific iNOS inhibitor, n = 5) and group three N6-(1-iminoethyl)-L-lysine, dihydrochloride (L-NIL) (a specific iNOS inhibitor, n = 4). Following two weeks of treatment, 24-hour urine sample were collected from each group. Urine samples were analyzed for nitrate + nitrite (NOX) using a chemiluminescence NO analyzer. Urine 8-isoprostane F2α (8-iso PGF2α, a surrogate marker for systemic ROS production) was analyzed by isotopic dilution, immunoaffinity extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-negative ion chemical ionization. Results were reported as mean ± standard error. A one-way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of drug on 8-iso PGF2α excretion. Results The iNOS inhibitors significantly reduced urine NOX levels (control 10.4 ± 2.5, L-NMMA 1.3 ± 0.5 L-NIL 1.0 ± 0.4 μmoles/mouse/day respectively: p .05 for all treatments vs. control). With iNOS inhibitor therapy, isoprostane levels were reduced in association with reductions in NOX levels (r = .85, p Conclusion These findings are consistent with a majority of ROS production in this murine model of LN occurring via iNOS activation. Future studies will compare the effect of iNOS inhibitors to that of potent antioxidants in reducing the severity of LN in murine models.
Statins in the Management of Pediatric Dyslipidemia

Hypercholesterolemia is a major concern in the USA, with studies identifying children as young as 2years old with early-stage atherosclerosis. Genetics play a major role in the dyslipidemia of children, but other factors, such as diet and lack of physical activity, confound the problem. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a genetic condition that causes lifelong elevations in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). The heterozygous form of the disease affects around 1 in 200 people, and the homozygous form of the disease affects around 1 in 160,000-300,000 people. Early identification and appropriate management of patients with FH are essential to reduce cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. Consequently, US dyslipidemia guidelines recommend routine screening of all children aged 9-11years, and that LDL-C levels should be <110mg/dL in children and adolescents. The primary management strategy in all children with dyslipidemia is diet and lifestyle; a healthy diet (including fruits, vegetables, fish, and whole grains) and increased physical activity should be encouraged. Most patients with FH will also require pharmacotherapy to reduce LDL-C levels to ≤130mg/dL. Statins are recommended as first-line therapy due to their proven efficacy in reducing LDL-C and improving other lipid parameters in children. They have also been shown to have a positive effect on atherosclerosis. Safety is of particular concern with children; however, studies have so far shown that the side-effect profile of statins in children is similar to that in adults. Despite improvements in disease management, FH remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, highlighting the need for greater awareness and understanding.
Tensor Decompositions for Identifying Directed Graph Topologies and Tracking Dynamic Networks

Directed networks are pervasive both in nature and engineered systems, often underlying the complex behavior observed in biological systems, microblogs and social interactions over the web, as well as global financial markets. Since their structures are often unobservable, in order to facilitate network analytics, one generally resorts to approaches capitalizing on measurable nodal processes to infer the unknown topology. Structural equation models (SEMs) are capable of incorporating exogenous inputs to resolve inherent directional ambiguities. However, conventional SEMs assume full knowledge of exogenous inputs, which may not be readily available in some practical settings. This paper advocates a novel SEM-based topology inference approach that entails factorization of a three-way tensor, constructed from the observed nodal data, using the well-known parallel factor (PARAFAC) decomposition. It turns out that second-order piecewise stationary statistics of exogenous variables suffice to identify the hidden topology. Capitalizing on the uniqueness properties inherent to high-order tensor factorizations, it is shown that topology identification is possible under reasonably mild conditions. In addition, to facilitate real-time operation and inference of time-varying networks, an adaptive (PARAFAC) tensor decomposition scheme that tracks the topology-revealing tensor factors is developed. Extensive tests on simulated and real stock quote data demonstrate the merits of the novel tensor-based approach.