cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An 800 nW Switched-Capacitor Feature Extraction Filterbank for Sound Classification

This paper presents a 32-channel analog filterbank for front-end signal processing in sound classification systems. It employs a passive N-path switched capacitor topology to achieve high power efficiency and reconfigurability. The circuit’s unwanted harmonic mixing products are absorbed by the machine learning model during training. To enable a systematic pre-silicon study of this effect, we develop a computationally efficient circuit model that can process large machine learning datasets on practical time scales. Measured results using a 130 nm CMOS prototype IC indicate competitive classification accuracy on datasets for baby cry detection (93.7% AUC) and voice commands (92.4% average precision), while lowering the feature extraction energy compared to digital realizations by approximately $2\times $ and $10\times $ , respectively. The 1.44 mm2 chip consumes 800 nW, which corresponds to the lowest normalized power per simultaneously sampled channel in recent literature.
From Alpha to Zeta: Identifying variants and subtypes of SARS-CoV-2 via clustering

The availability of millions of SARS-CoV-2 sequences in public databases such as GISAID and EMBL-EBI (UK) allows a detailed study of the evolution, genomic diversity and dynamics of a virus like never before. Here we identify novel variants and subtypes of SARS-CoV-2 by clustering sequences in adapting methods originally designed for haplotyping intra-host viral populations. We asses our results using clustering entropy --- the first time it has been used in this context. Our clustering approach reaches lower entropies compared to other methods, and we are able to boost this even further through gap filling and Monte Carlo based entropy minimization. Moreover, our method clearly identifies the well-known Alpha variant in the UK and GISAID datasets, but is also able to detect the much less represented (
Use and Toxicity of Checkpoint Inhibitors for Solid Tumor Treatment in a Veteran Population.

Background New immunotherapy agents have provided additional options for the treatment of a variety of malignancies, including the programmed death 1 (PD-1) protein inhibitors nivolumab and pembrolizumab. Initial dosing was based on patient weight, but subsequent studies supported fixed dosing, thereby prompting a change in US Food and Drug Administration-approved dosing. Depending on patient weight, one dosing strategy may be more cost-effective than another; thereby, a combination of dosing strategies may be beneficial for institutions. While these agents have been shown to be efficacious, they have been associated with immune-related adverse events (IrAEs). The purpose of this study was to determine the dosing strategy used and identify actual and potential cost savings, as well as to determine the incidence of hypothyroidism with PD-1 inhibitors in patients of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Methods This was a retrospective chart review of VA patients who received a PD-1 inhibitor for the treatment of a solid tumor between January 2015 and July 2017. Data were collected from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse through the VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure. The dosing strategy for a PD-1 inhibitor was categorized into weight-based vs fixed-dosing where possible and used to identify actual and potential cost-savings opportunities. Thyroid laboratory values and levothyroxine prescriptions were evaluated to determine the overall incidence of the prespecified IrAEs. Descriptive statistics were used for primary and secondary outcomes. Results Nivolumab was the primary PD-1 inhibitor used for solid tumor treatment. Both nivolumab and pembrolizumab were primarily dosed based on patient weight. Nivolumab orders resulted in $8,514,300 estimated actual cost savings with $5,591,250 estimated missed cost savings identified. Of the patients who received nivolumab, 3249 patients were evaluated for thyroid dysfunction; 514 (15.8%) developed primary hypothyroidism based on laboratory values and levothyroxine prescription data. Conclusions Utilization of a combination of both weight-based and fixed-dosing strategies for nivolumab has the potential for cost savings, thereby benefiting the health care institution. The incidence of IrAEs identified among patients who received PD-1 inhibitor within the VA health care system was similar to the incidences reported in published literature. This further supports recommendations for close IrAE monitoring and treatment.
The reaction of protein tryptophanyl residues with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Structure of a model adduct.

Abstract The 3H labeling of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase, following treatment with [4-3H]NADH and acid hydrolysis, has been reexamined. Although earlier evidence suggested that the label was in a tryptophanyl residue, the present study has shown that the labeling is due, at least in part, to an acid-catalyzed addition of the dihydronicotinamide moiety to a tryptophanyl residue of the protein. The same adduct appeared to be formed from the reaction of NADH with N-acetyltryptophan in place of enzyme. The analogous adduct from the model compounds 1-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-1,4-dihydronicotinamide and 3-methylindole had the structure 1-(dimethylaminoethyl)-6-(3-methyl-3H-indol-3-yl)-1,4,5,6-tetrahydronicotinamide. These results indicate that the labeling was due to an electrophilic attack by the 6 position of the dihydropyridine on the 3 position of the indole.
Analysis of the Effects of Radiolytic-Gas Bubbles on the Operation of Solution Reactors for the Production of Medical Isotopes

One of the primary methods to produce medical isotopes, such as 99 Mo, is by irradiation of uranium targets in heterogeneous reactors. Solution reactors present a potential alternative to produce medical isotopes. The Medical Isotope Production Reactor (MIPR) concept has been proposed to produce medical isotopes with lower uranium consumption and waste than those in heterogeneous reactors. Com- mercial production of medical isotopes in solution reactors requires steady-state operation at ;200 kW. At this power regime, fuel-solution temperature increase and radiolytic-gas bubble formation introduce a negative reactivity feedback that has to be mitigated. A model based on the point reactor kinetic equations has been developed to investigate these reactivity effects. This model has been validated against experi- mental results from the Los Alamos National Laboratory uranyl fluoride Solution High-Energy Burst Assembly (SHEBA) and shows the feasibility of solution reactors for the commercial production of medical isotopes.
Performance evaluation and prediction for 3d ear recognition

Existing ear recognition approaches do not give theoretical or experimental performance prediction. Therefore, the discriminating power of ear biometric for human identification cannot be evaluated. This paper addresses two interrelated problems: (a) proposes an integrated local descriptor for representation to recognize human ears in 3D. Comparing local surface descriptors between a test and a model image, an initial correspondence of local surface patches is established and then filtered using simple geometric constraints. The performance of the proposed ear recognition system is evaluated on a real range image database of 52 subjects. (b) A binomial model is also presented to predict the ear recognition performance. Match and non-matched distances obtained from the database of 52 subjects are used to estimate the distributions. By modeling cumulative match characteristic (CMC) curve as a binomial distribution, the ear recognition performance can be predicted on a larger gallery.
Monocyte-mediated immune defense against murine Listeria monocytogenes infection.

Infection of mice with Listeria monocytogenes induces a robust innate inflammatory response that restricts bacterial growth in the liver and spleen prior to the development of protective T cell responses. Ly6Chi monocytes contribute to the innate immune response following L. monocytogenes infection and in their absence, mice rapidly succumb to infection. Emigration of Ly6Chi monocytes from the bone marrow into the circulation is the first step in their recruitment to sites of L. monocytogenes infection and is triggered by CCL2- and CCL7-mediated stimulation of CCR2 chemokine receptors on monocytes. CCL2 expression by mesenchymal stem cells in the bone marrow, in response to TLR stimulation, drives monocyte emigration from cellular compartments into vascular sinuses of the bone marrow. In addition to TLR ligands, type I interferon-mediated signals can also drive monocyte emigration from the bone marrow during L. monocytogenes infection. Once Ly6Chi monocytes enter the bloodstream, trafficking to sites of infection in the liver and spleen is CCR2 independent. In the liver, CD11b on the monocyte and ICAM-1 on the surface of endothelial cells target Ly6Chi monocytes to foci of L. monocytogenes infection. At the site of infection, Ly6Chi monocytes undergo MyD88-dependent differentiation into TNF and iNOS-producing dendritic cells (TipDCs) and express MHC class II, B7.1, and CD40 on their cell surface. How TipDCs mediate bacterial clearance during early L. monocytogenes infection remains an active area of investigation.
To the beat of their own drum: women in salsa

Salsa music is a Pan-Latino form of cultural expression born of an American experience. While its roots are varied—primarily but not exclusively Cuban and Puerto Rican, it mixes tradition and innovation, privileging mixture. Although much has been written about Salsa in the last fifteen years, the contributions of women as performers have been large ignored. This paper attempts to fill in that gap by arguing that Salsa, as an American music, was enriched by early contributions of two female performers, Celia Cruz and La Lupe. By engaging with the music scene in New York, these women reinvented themselves as Salsa stars in the 1960s and early 70s. Their stage performances and personas, however, were markedly different--- particularly their staging of race and gender. Cruz became “the lady,” while La Lupe’s performances were marked by frenzy and excess. Both also worked within established racial codes that would seek to constrain performative possibilities for black women. They simultaneously, although in different ways, played into and challenged those racial codes thereby contributing to this uniquely American sound.
Mapping Chromosomal Genes of SACCHAROMYCES CEREVISIAE Using an Improved Genetic Mapping Method

ABSTRACT A triploid (3n) strain of Saccharomyces cereuisiae was constructed carrying a standard marker on each of chromosomes I through XVII in the ——/+J+ configuration. This is called a "supertriploid." Meiotic spores from this strain (n + ∼ n/2) were mated with a haploid (n) carrying an unmapped mutation. Meiotic analysis of each zygote clone (2n + ∼ n/2) produced in this way resulted in elimination of an average of 4.2 chromosomes as the possible location of the unmapped marker. The distribution of extra chromosomes in the 2n + ∼ n/2) strains was nearly random. Meiotic segregrants of these crosses carrying the unmapped mutation in the -/+ configuration were then crossed with multiply marked haploid strains to further narrow the possible location of the unmapped mutation to a single chromosome. Scoring of markers by complemention tests was simplified by mating spore clones with mixtures of a and α strains, each pair carrying the same set of markers. Using this new, more rapid method ("supertriploid mapping"), eight genes required for the maintenance of the killer plasmid were located on the genetic map of S. cerevisiae .
Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Silencing of Rodent α1(I) Collagen by a Homologous Transcriptionally Self-Silenced Transgene

Transient transfection of rodent fibroblasts with plasmids carrying a full-size pro-alpha1(I) collagen gene (pWTC1) results in rapid reduction of the endogenous transcripts by >90%, while the transgene mRNA is undetectable. Using deletion constructs, two adjacent 5' noncoding regions of the gene are identified as causing transcriptional silencing of the endogene in normal and v-fos-transformed cells but not in nontumorigenic revertants, which show partial relief from v-fos transformation-induced alpha1(I) gene suppression. The 3' end of the transgene carries an additional element(s), causing posttranscriptional silencing of the endogene in all cells including the revertant. Data indicate that the transgenes are transcriptionally self-silenced. Genome-integrated transgenes that are transcriptionally active also allow expression of the endogene, suggesting gene activation by chromosomal factors missing in pWTC1. Silencing is not regulated by antisense RNA. Silencing of the endogenous pro-alpha1(I) collagen gene is not linked to the level of transgene expression.
Ignition Delay Study of Moist Hydrogen/Oxidizer Mixtures Using a Rapid Compression Machine

Abstract Autoignition of moist hydrogen/oxidizer mixtures has been studied experimentally using a rapid compression machine (RCM). This work investigated the effect of water addition on ignition delays of stoichiometric hydrogen/oxidizer mixtures in the end of compression temperature range of TC = 907–1048 K at three different end of compression pressures viz. PC = 10 bar (1 MPa), 30 bar (3 MPa), and 70 bar (7 MPa). RCM experiments were conducted with 0%, 10%, and 40% molar percentages of water in the reactive mixture. At PC = 30 bar and 70 bar, the presence of 10% and 40% water vapor was shown to promote autoignition. However, at PC = 10 bar, water addition (10%) was seen to retard the reactivity, thereby increasing the ignition delay. Comparison with different reaction kinetic mechanisms reported in literature shows widely different results of simulated ignition delays for the temperature and pressure range studied, although most of the mechanism predictions demonstrate similar trend in ignition delay with water addition. A recent chemical kinetic mechanism, which shows good agreement with the present experiments at higher pressure but some discrepancy at lower pressure, was used for brute force sensitivity analysis in order to identify the important reactions for the dry mixtures in the temperature and pressure window investigated. An important reaction identified was further adjusted within the uncertainty limit as an attempt to improve the results from mechanism prediction for the ignition delay at low pressure (PC = 10 bar) without water addition. In addition, the modification in the reaction rate leads to good agreement between the experiment data and the mechanism prediction for the moist mixtures at varying compressed pressures.
U-series disequilibria in Kick’em Jenny submarine volcano lavas: A new view of time-scales of magmatism in convergent margins

Abstract We present data for U and its decay series nuclides 230Th, 226Ra, 231Pa, and 210Po for 14 lavas from Kick’em Jenny (KEJ) submarine volcano to constrain the time-scales and processes of magmatism in the Southern Lesser Antilles, the arc having the globally lowest plate convergence rate. Although these samples are thought to have been erupted in the last century, most have (226Ra)/(210Po) within ±15% of unity. Ten out of 14 samples have significant 226Ra excesses over 230Th, with (226Ra)/(230Th) up to 2.97, while four samples are in 226Ra–230Th equilibrium within error. All KEJ samples have high (231Pa)/(235U), ranging from 1.56 to 2.64 and high 238U excesses (up to 43%), providing a global end-member of high 238U and high 231Pa excesses. Negative correlations between Sr, sensitive to plagioclase fractionation, and Ho/Sm, sensitive to amphibole fractionation, or K/Rb, sensitive to open system behavior, indicate that differentiation at KEJ lavas was dominated by amphibole fractionation and open-system assimilation. While (231Pa)/(235U) does not correlate with differentiation indices such as Ho/Sm, (230Th)/(238U) shows a slight negative correlation, likely due to assimilation of materials with slightly higher (230Th)/(238U). Samples with 226Ra excess have higher Sr/Th and Ba/Th than those in 226Ra–230Th equilibrium, forming rough positive correlations of (226Ra)/(230Th) with Sr/Th and Ba/Th similar to those observed in many arc settings. We interpret these correlations to reflect a time-dependent magma differentiation process at shallow crustal levels and not the process of recent fluid addition at the slab–wedge interface. The high 231Pa excesses require an in-growth melting process operating at low melting rates and small residual porosity; such a model will also produce significant 238U–230Th and 226Ra–230Th disequilibrium in erupted lavas, meaning that signatures of recent fluid addition from the slab are unlikely to be preserved in KEJ lavas. We instead propose that most of the 238U–230Th, 226Ra–230Th, and 235U–231Pa disequilibria in erupted KEJ lavas reflect the in-growth melting process in the mantle wedge (reflecting variations in U/Th, daughter–parent ratios, fO2, and thermal structure), followed by modification by magma differentiation at crustal depths. Such a conclusion reconciles the different temporal implications from different U-series parent–daughter pairs and relaxes the time constraint on mass transfer from slab to eruption occurring in less than a few thousand years imposed by models whereby 226Ra excess is derived from the slab.
Genetic mapping of a mouse modifier gene that can prevent ALS onset

Mutations in the cytoplasmic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene on human chromosome 21q22.1 cause 10-20% of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) cases. The expression of the ALS phenotype in mice carrying the murine G86R SOD1 mutation is highly dependent upon the mouse genetic background. This is similar to the phenotypic variation observed in ALS patients containing identical SOD1 mutations. In the FVB/N background, mice expressing mG86R SOD1 develop an ALS phenotype at approximately 100 days. However, when these mice were bred into a mixed background of C57Bl6/129Sv, the onset of the ALS phenotype was delayed (143 days to >2 years). Using 129 polymorphic autosomal markers in a whole genome scan, we have identified a major genetic modifier locus with a maximum lod score of 5.07 on mouse chromosome 13 between D13mit36 and D13mit76. This 5- to 8-cM interval contains the spinal muscular atrophy (SMA)-associated gene Smn (survival motor neuron) and seven copies of Naip (neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein), suggesting a potential link between SMA and ALS.
Guidelines for the epidemiologic assessment of occupational asthma. Report of the Subcommittee on the Epidemiologic Assessment of Occupational Asthma, Occupational Lung Disease Committee.

Physician reporting of cases of communicable disease has played an important role in detection and control of disease outbreaks.’ A similar expectation exists for physician reporting of occupational diseases, including occupational asthma. The diagnosis of a single case of occupational asthma may be a sentinel event that reveals the need to search for other cases, as well as remediable underlying causes.’ As stated by Rutstein et al.,3 such an occurrence may: “(1) provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies, or (2) serve as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal protection, or medical care may be required.” Also, other purposes may be served by consequent epidemiologic and industrial hygiene studies. An epidemiologic survey may be needed to convince responsible parties that a health problem exists that is in some measure attributable to workplace exposures. An epidemiologic survey will be needed to quantitate the magnitude of a work-related health problem, whether the magnitude is expressed as disease prevalence, incidence, or some other measure. An epidemiologic study may identify personal risk factors that explain why certain persons have manifested a disease as a consequence of their occupational exposure(s). Resultant recommendations for control of exposures in the workplace may facilitate management of the index case and affected co-workers, and help prevent the occurrence of additional cases.
Chelating Agents as Color Stabilizers for Epinephrine Hydrochloride Solutions

Some amino acid derivatives have been examined for their effect on inhibition of discoloration of epinephrine hydrochloride solutions buffered at pH 4.0. The chelating agents were studied alone and in combination with sodium bisulfite. The efficacy of these agents was evaluated by comparing their ability to retard the discoloration of epinephrine hydrochloride solutions in the presence and absence of ferric iron. The progress of color formation was followed spectrophotometrically for periods up to forty-five days. In the absence of iron contaminant, the chelating agents were found to be of little value in preventing discoloration. In the presence of iron contaminant, Sequestrene® NA2, Versenol®, and Perma Kleer®-80, in that order, significantly inhibited color formation and their efficacy was enhanced with the addition of sodium bisulfite. Versene® Fe-3 Specific was of little value under these conditions.
Moral relativism is moral realism

I begin by describing my relation with Nicholas Sturgeon and his objections to things I have said about moral explanations. Then I turn to issues about moral relativism. One of these is whether a plausible version of moral relativism can be formulated as a claim about the logical form of certain moral judgments. I (now) agree that is not a good way to think of moral relativism. Instead, I think of moral relativism as a version of moral realism. I compare moral relativism with the relativity of motion and with the relativity of language. Moralities are real in a way that is similar to the way that languages are real. Next I discuss resemblances between nonhuman animal behavior and human behavior having to do with language or communication and with moral or proto-moral behavior. However, I am more interested in aspects of language and morality that are not found in nonhuman animals, aspects that appear to depend on a kind of recursive structure in human language and morality but not in animals. This leads me to argue that aspects of moral theory might benefit from a comparison with certain aspects of linguistic theory. Another comparison is between moralities and legal systems: I speculate that the content of legal and moral systems is influenced by legal and moral bargaining.
Induction of cyclooxygenase-2 by activated Ha-ras oncogene in Rat-1 fibroblasts and the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway.

Abstract Elevated cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression and activity have been observed in several different transformed cell types that express mutated ras genes. To investigate the mechanism of increased COX-2 expression following Ras-mediated transformation, Rat-1:iRas cell line was transfected with an Ha-Ras Val-12 cDNA expression vector that is under the transcriptional control of the lac operon and is inducible with isopropyl-1-thio-β-d-galactopyranoside (IPTG). IPTG treatment caused parallel increases in the levels of Ha-Ras and COX-2 proteins in Rat-1:iRas cells. The increased expression of COX-2 was accompanied by increased prostaglandin E2 production. Selective inhibition of COX-2 activity suppressed the production of prostaglandin E2 by >90% but did not alter the progress of the morphological transformation. The level of COX-2 mRNA was up-regulated by activated Ha-Ras. Induction of Ras increased the transcription of COX-2 by 44.3 ± 10.1% and increased the half-life of COX-2 mRNA by ∼3.5-fold. A specific mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (PD 98059) caused a delay in both the activation of ERK1/2 and the induction of COX-2 in IPTG-induced Rat-1:iRas cells. Inhibition of ERK activity by PD 98059 also suppressed the induction of COX-2 by epidermal growth factor in intestinal epithelial cells and significantly reduced the expression of COX-2 in Ha-Ras-transformed rat intestinal epithelial cells. ERK activity appears to be required for induction of COX-2 by Ras.
Monitoring organ response in amyloidosis

Comment on Palladini et al, page [3854][1] Palladini and colleagues demonstrate that NT-proBNP can be measured serially to detect cardiac responses in patients with immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis following therapy designed to reduce the plasma-cell burden in the bone marrow. Evaluating
DIABETES INSIPIDUS: TREATMENT WITH INTERMEDIN AND PITMELANIN

The treatment of diabetes insipidus presents many difficult problems since pituitrin, one of the most effective agents, often has undesirable secondary reactions. Its pressor and gastro-intestinal effects are frequently very distressing to the patient. It has been considered probable that the anti-diuretic action of pituitrin is due to a separate entity (1). Kamm and his co-workers (2) succeeded in obtaining two fractions, the oxytocic and vasopressor, having separate and distinct effects. The pressor fraction (pitressin, vasopressin, B-Hypophyamine), in addition to its effect on the blood pressure, has anti-diuretic properties, and produces an expansion of the melanophores of amphibians. Rowe (3) demonstrated the presence of the melaiiopliorie active substance in association with the vasopressin fraction, and expressed the opinion that it might be a separate principle, and I am informed by Kamm‡ that he has now obtained the pressor principle of the posterior lobe free of melanophore activity. Knaus, Drey...
Synthesis and β-amyloid binding properties of rhenium 2-phenylbenzothiazoles

Abstract As a first step toward the development of 99mTc PiB analogs, we have synthesized six neutral Re 2-phenylbenzothiazoles via pendant or integrated approach. These Re compounds bind to Aβ1–40 fibrils with fairly good affinities (Ki = 10.0–88.6 nM) and have moderate lipophilicities (log PC18 = 1.21–3.26). The Re compounds prepared via the integrated approach are smaller in size, and therefore their corresponding 99mTc analogs would have a greater chance of crossing the blood-brain barrier well. For potential clinical applications, further optimization on the structure–activity relationship to obtain Re 2-phenylbenzothiazoles with higher binding affinities (
When Creators, Corporations and Consumers Collide: Napster and the Development of On-line Music Distribution

The Internet is often depicted as the ultimate arena for unfettered capitalism, erasing geographic boundaries and barriers to entry while providing a plethora of goods and services to consumers. This article traces how public and private reactions by the five major record companies to new Internet distribution technologies have undermined this popular myth. We use a political economic approach to examine the case of AM through format changes and setting standards for other technologies; and through lobbying and legal activities.
Self-Digitization of Samples into a High-Density Microfluidic Bottom-Well Array

This paper describes a sample digitization method that generates tens of thousands of nanoliter-sized droplets in a high-density array in a matter of minutes. We show that the sample digitization depends on both the geometric design of the microfluidic device and the viscoelastic forces between the aqueous sample and a continuous oil phase. Our design avoids sample loss: Samples are split into tens of thousands of discrete volumes with close to 100% efficiency without the need for any expensive valving or pumping systems. We envision this technology will have broad applications that require simple sample digitization within minutes, such as digital polymerase chain reactions and single-cell studies.
Product compositions and formation kinetics in rapid pyrolysis of pulverized coal—Implications for combustion

Previous work in this laboratory on the rapid pyrolysis of a lignite and a bituminous coal has been extended to include time-resolved measurements of volatiles composition. Approximately monolayer samples of small coal particles supported in a metal screen were rapidly heated in helium to a desired temperature, held there for a desired time, and then rapidly cooled. Volatiles were rapidly diluted and quenched, and all products were collected. Sample weight loss and product compositions were determined as a function of heating rate (270-10,000°C/s), peak temperature (up to 1100°C), holding time at peak temperature (0–30s), pressure (0.0001–100 atm), and particle, size (74–1000 μm). Volatile yields increase montonically as temperature increases, with the evolution of different products or groups of products occurring in sequential but overlapping temperature intervals. The lignite volatiles are dominated by CO, CO2 and H2O, while the main volatiles from the bituminous coal are tar and light hydrocarbons. Heating rate has negligible effect on total yields or product distributions from either coal over the range studied. Pressure and particle size have little effect on product yields from the lignite. In contrast, for the bituminous coal, increases in pressure or particle size result in less tar and more char and hydrocarbon gases, apparently reflecting mass transport limitations and the occurrence of secondary reactions within or on the coal particles. The kinetics of the evolution of different products from the lignite is successfully modeled by one, two or three first-order decomposition reactions. For bituminous coal, a similar model which includes evaporation and diffusion of tar along with pyrolytic and secondary reactions is found to be consistent with the observed behavior. Use of the data to calculate the heating value and surface flux of volatiles under conditions pertinent to pulverized coal combustion indicates, in agreement with previous work, that combustion on the particle surface may in some cases precede the occurrence of a volatiles flame away from the surface.
Analyzing the Dressler Catalog Using the Pointwise Dimension

In this paper I explore the application of the pointwise dimension as a large-scale structure descriptor to the Dressler catalog. This technique has been particularly illuminating in the study of correlations between morphology and environment, and its application to the familiar problem of morphology-environment relationships offers new insights. An examination of the 55 clusters in the Dressler catalog (each cluster containing between ~40 and ~250 galaxies with morphology information) finds that for the combined Dressler data, Komolgorov-Smirnov tests show that the environments of the early-type galaxies are statistically different to the 99% level from the environments of the late-type galaxies. This result is in agreement with the general concept of a morphology-density relationship. Furthermore, 14 individual clusters were examined; these clusters had velocities determined for many of the individual galaxies. These velocities were used solely to determine cluster membership. Each of these 14 clusters showed very few of the statistical differences between morphological environments that characterized the combined Dressler catalog. This contradiction found between the combined sample (for which foreground members were not removed) and these individual clusters (for which contamination was seriously reduced) suggests that the morphology-density relationship is not applicable to at least one-quarter of the clusters from which the result was credited in the first place (and in which the relationship should therefore be most evident), and it is therefore not as fundamental a relationship as has been previously assumed.
A full coupled‐cluster singles and doubles model: The inclusion of disconnected triples

The coupled‐cluster singles and doubles model (CCSD) is derived algebraically, presenting the full set of equations for a general reference function explicitly in spin–orbital form. The computational implementation of the CCSD model, which involves cubic and quartic terms, is discussed and results are reported and compared with full CI calculations for H2O and BeH2. We demonstrate that the CCSD exponential ansatz sums higher‐order correlation effects efficiently even for BeH2, near its transition state geometry where quasidegeneracy efforts are quite large, recovering 98% of the full CI correlation energy. For H2O, CCSD plus the fourth‐order triple excitation correction agrees with the full CI energy to 0.5 kcal/mol. Comparisons with low‐order models provide estimates of the effect of the higher‐order terms T1T2, T21T2, T31, and T41 on the correlation energy.
The Depressing Effect of Diet on Physical Growth in Phenylketonuria

SUMMARY The study documents significant decrements in gain of height and weight for patients treated with PKU irrespective of the age at which diet therapy was started. Comparison of data with those from other centres is made and the authors conclude that PKU or its treatment is associated with diminished stature. RESUME Les effets restrictifs du regime sur la croissance physique dans la phenylcetonurie Cette etude supporte le point de vue d'une diminution significative de taille et de poids des sujets phenylcetonuriques traites, quelque soit l'âge auquel le regime est commence. Une comparaison est faite avec les donnees venant d'autres centres et les auteurs concluent que la phenylcetonurie ou son traitement est associe a une diminution staturale. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Der hemmende Effekt der Nahrung auf das physische Wachstum bei der Phenylketonurie Die Untersuchung ergibt unabhangig vom Alter, in dem die Ernahrungstherapie begonnen wurde, signifikante Abnahmen an Grose und Gewicht be Patienten mit Phenylketonurie. Es wird uber einen Vergleich der Ergebnisse mit denen anderer Zentren berichtet, und die Autoren ziehen den Schlus, das die Phenylketonurie oder ihre Behandlung mit einer kleineren Statur verbunden sind. RESUMEN El efecto depresivo de la dieta sobre el crecimiento fisico en la fenilcetonuria El estudio aporta documentos sobre una disminucion significativa del crecimiento de peso y estatura en pacientes fenilcetonuricos tratados. sin ninguna relation con la edad en que se initio la dieta. Se aporta la comparacion de estos datos con los de otros centros y los autores concluyen que la fenilcetonuria o su tratamiento va asociada a una estatura disminuida.
Spectral imaging characterization of MOEM tunable Fabry-Perot filter

A miniature MOEM tunable Fabry-Perot (FP) filter development program to fabricate filters operating over spectral regions from the visible to the longwave infrared has recently succeeded in fabricating filters operating over visible/near infrared wavelength region from 400 to 800 nm. The main objective of this program is to design miniature hyperspectral imagers by placing such a miniature tunable FP filter in front of a commercial focal plane array with a suitable optical train. This novel MOEM filter design is based on using two semitransparent 30-nm thick silver-film mirrors-one fixed and one moving with application of an electrostatic force. The silver films were grown on low-cost thin commercial quartz wafers with low total thickness variation. The moving mirror is held in place by three leaf spring arm structures which were fabricated by wet etching of the quartz substrate. The size of the MOEM device is 18×24 mm 2 . The tunable FP filter has a 6-mm optical aperture. The fixed part has three electrodes to apply voltages and the moving mirror is used as a ground electrode. Au bumps were deposited in both parts in order to control the initial air gap distance and an Au-Au bonding was used to bond the two parts together. The electrostatic actuation changes the spacing between the two mirrors which changes the transmitted wavelength. The spectral imaging performance of MOEM filter was characterized using a tunable source and a CCD camera with suitable optics. This paper describes the MOEM filter, its characteristics and present spectral imaging characterization experiment and results.
Multi-agent collaboration in time-constrained domains

Abstract Timeliness is usually an indispensable attribute of planning and problem solving for resource allocation in command, control and communication systems. The success of such a system is judged on its ability to respond to scheduled and unscheduled tasks within a permissible time period. The response is based on a plan that covers the following activities: resource allocation, plan execution and monitoring and dynamic plan mending, if necessary. Decision making for resource selection can become very time consuming when there are many resources and the number of constraints is large. In a changing environment of multiple agents, restrictive organizational structures and strict communication protocols may cause intolerable further delays. Traditional approaches to planning in deterministic environments require a predictable amount of time to produce and execute plans. However, given more time, such systems usually cannot improve on the plans. In this paper we describe a multi-agent resource scheduler which uses a prioritized rule base to model decision making under the constraints of time. We also discuss dynamic scoping as a negotiation technique for inter-agent cooperation and constrained lattice-like communications as an optimized message routing strategy. Finally, we present some empirical results from a sequence of experiments.
Composition of Cows’ Milk. I. Environmental and Managerial Influences

Abstract Means and standard deviations for 4,664 age-adjusted 305-day lactational records on 3,472 Holstein-Friesian cows were milk 6,820 ±1,384 kg; fat, 3.67 ± .41% and 245 ± 50 kg; solids-not-fat, 8.51 ± .37% and 560 ± 112 kg. Age at calving accounted for 10.0–14.3% of the total variance in milk, fat, and solids-not-fat yields, and days milked for 14.0–18.0%. Month of calving accounted for 0.5–5.8%, days carried calf for 0.1–1.2%, and body weight for zero to 0.8% of the total variance in yields. Age at calving and days carried calf affected solids-non-fat per cent significantly and accounted for 12.4 and 0.4%, respectively, of the total variance. Fat per cent was not affected significantly by any of the factors. Lactational records of milk, fat, and solids-not-fat yields before comparing with one another or for use in genetic analyses should be adjusted for age at calving, number of days milked, and month or season of calving.
Powers of observation

A perceptive history documents the many remarkable people who envisioned, built and launched the Hubble Space Telescope, explains Robert A. Brown.
Analysis of ordered arrays of adsorbed lysozyme by scanning tunneling microscopy

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has been used to observe lysozyme at a graphite surface directly in order to gain mechanistic information about the molecular events involved in protein adsorption. The experiments were performed using an insulated tip in an aqueous protein solution, allowing the time course of the adsorption process to be followed, including the evolution of ordered arrays. Ordered arrays of protein molecules were observed, with lattice spacings that varied with bulk protein concentration and salt strength. Fourier analysis was used to determine the average cell dimensions of an array. From the observed lattice spacings, it was possible to estimate the surface coverage of the protein, and thus, by varying the conditions, adsorption isotherms could be obtained. These isotherms compare well with adsorption isotherms measured using total internal reflectance fluorescence (TIRF) spectroscopy on a hydrophobic surface. Since the protein is charged and the electrolyte has an effect on the isotherms, electrostatics are a likely controlling factor. Molecular electrostatics computations were thus used to investigate the possible origins of the lattice structure, and they suggest that favorable intermolecular interactions among adsorbed molecules are consistent with hydrophobically dominated protein-surface interactions.
Effect of exercise training on antioxidant and metabolic functions in senescent rat skeletal muscle.

Aging is known to be associated with alterations of both oxidative capacity and antioxidant status in skeletal muscle. In the present investigation we compared the activity of enzymes involved in both
Plasma corticosterone levels and salt intake in experimental hypertension in the rat

Abstract Plasma corticosterone levels were determined in uninephrectomized, adrenalectomized rats during development of corticosterone-induced hypertensive vascular disease. The mean maximum plasma corticosterone concentration (92.6 μg. per 100 ml.) occurred 1 hour after subcutaneous injection of the steroid. This level was not significantly different from that observed (84 μg. per 100 ml.) in normal rats 1 hour after exposure to nonspecific stress. The mean plasma levels of corticosterone in hypertensive rats receiving 2.5 mg. and 1.25 mg. per 100 gm. body weight were 46 and 48.2 μg. per 100 ml., respectively. These values are well within the physiologic range attained during response to stress and only slightly higher than the mean 12 hour levels produced by 8 I.U. of long-acting ACTH. The significant difference observed between the blood pressures of animals receiving 2.5 mg. and 1.25 mg. of corticosterone twice daily is presumed to be due to difference in salt consumption.
Androgen and Spermatogenesis in the Hypophysectomized Guinea Pig.

SummarySpermatogenesis was maintained by subcutaneous injection of 3 mg daily of testosterone propionate in 4 guinea pigs hypophysectomized for 60 to 155 days. Tubular atrophy in the pig may not be complete as late as 84 days after hypophyseal ablation. Adrenal atrophy occurs after removal of the pituitary, but increase in body weight does not necessarily cease.
CCL3L1 and CCL4L1: variable gene copy number in adolescents with and without human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.

CCL3L1 and CCL4L1 : variable gene copy number in adolescents with and without human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection
Oxidative stress induces mitochondrial dysfunction and a protective unfolded protein response in RPE cells

How cells degenerate from oxidative stress in aging-related disease is incompletely understood. This study's intent was to identify key cytoprotective pathways activated by oxidative stress and determine the extent of their protection. Using an unbiased strategy with microarray analysis, we found that retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells treated with cigarette smoke extract (CSE) had overrepresented genes involved in the antioxidant and unfolded protein response (UPR). Differentially expressed antioxidant genes were predominantly located in the cytoplasm, with no induction of genes that neutralize superoxide and H2O2 in the mitochondria, resulting in accumulation of superoxide and decreased ATP production. Simultaneously, CSE induced the UPR sensors IRE1α, p-PERK, and ATP6, including CHOP, which was cytoprotective because CHOP knockdown decreased cell viability. In mice given intravitreal CSE, the RPE had increased IRE1α and decreased ATP and developed epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as suggested by decreased LRAT abundance, altered ZO-1 immunolabeling, and dysmorphic cell shape. Mildly degenerated RPE from early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) samples had prominent IRE1α, but minimal mitochondrial TOM20 immunolabeling. Although oxidative stress is thought to induce an antioxidant response with cooperation between the mitochondria and the ER, herein we show that mitochondria become impaired sufficiently to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition despite a protective UPR. With similar responses in early AMD samples, these results suggest that mitochondria are vulnerable to oxidative stress despite a protective UPR during the early phases of aging-related disease.
Modification of Standard Enzymatic Protocol to a Cost-Efficient Format for Mixed-Linkage (1→3,1→4)-β-d-Glucan Measurement

ABSTRACT The current enzymatic assay approach (AACC International Approved Method 32-23) for the measurement of mixed-linkage β-glucan in small grains was modified to a cost-efficient and high-throughput format without compromising the accuracy of the results. Ten barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes used in the study represented a wide range of β-glucan content levels. A reduced reaction volume is used in the new protocol to adapt to a 96-well plate format. The volume of key components lichenase and β-glucosidase were reduced to 25% of the volume required in the original protocol and the cost per sample was reduced to 22% of that in the original protocol. Labor cost was also decreased to 25% of the original protocol as a result of format changes. The accuracy of the measurement from the modified protocol was comparable to the current standard enzymatic procedure. β-Glucan measurement accuracy of the modified and original protocols were also compared using 21 oat (Avena sativa L.) samples. The results in...
Central projections of the trigeminal nerve in the bull frog (Rana catesbeiana).

The trigeminal nerve was unilaterally transected proximal to its ganglion in ten adult bull frogs. The course and termination of the axons were determined with the aid of Nauta and Fink-Heimer techniques. The trigeminal primary afferents can be traced to five loci within the central nervous system, namely: the main sensory nucleus of the trigeminus, the descending nucleus of the trigeminus, a hitherto undescribed “ventral trigeminal field”, the rostral part of the nucleus of the solitary tract, and to the commissural nucleus of Cajal.
Products of Chord Lengths of an Ellipse

This often-rediscovered result first appeared, with a trigonometric proof, in a paper by Sichardt [3] about hydraulics. Mazzoleni and Shen [2] gave a proof using the residue theorem. Actually, the product is easily determined using polynomials as follows. Construct the chords using the nth roots of unity cwj, j = 0,..., n 1 with base point )o = 1. Since these points are the roots of the polynomial zn 1, the desired product is then given by the absolute value of
Comparative Analysis of Environmental and Clinical Populations of Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is a major, global cause of meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients. Despite advances in the molecular epidemiology of C. neoformans, its population structure and mode of reproduction are not well understood. In the environment, it is associated with avian guano or vegetation. We collected nearly 800 environmental isolates from three locations in the United States (viz., North Carolina, California, and Texas) and compared them with one another and with clinical isolates from North Carolina. As expected, they consisted of the most prevalent serotypes, serotypes A and D, as well as serotype AD hybrids. The majority of environmental isolates were obtained from pigeon excreta. All environmental and clinical isolates of serotype A or D had the MATα mating-type allele. However, the AD hybrids included MATa alleles typical of serotypes A and D. Using an amplified fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting technique with two primer pairs, we identified 12 genotypes among the isolates of serotype A. Six of these genotypes were present in both the clinical and the environmental populations. However, one of the most prevalent environmental genotypes was absent from the clinical samples, and two other genotypes were isolated only from patients. The combined molecular data suggest that this environmental population of C. neoformans is predominantly clonal, although there was evidence for recent or past recombination.
Minimum moment required to bind a charged particle to an extended dipole

Abstract The problem of the minimum dipole moment of a finite dipole which will bind a charged particle is solved. First it is shown that such a value exists, and then a numerical solution is obtained using a previously published result. An approximate analytic result is also given.