cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Novel β-Hydroxyacid Dehydrogenases in Escherichia coli and Haemophilus influenzae

Our laboratory has previously reported a structurally and mechanistically related family of beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenases with significant homology to beta-hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase. A large number of the members of this family are hypothetical proteins of bacterial origin with unknown identity in terms of their substrate specificities and metabolic roles. The Escherichia coli beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase homologue corresponding to the locus was cloned and expressed with a 6-histidine tag for specific purification. The purified recombinant protein very specifically catalyzed the NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of d-glycerate and the NADH-dependent reduction of tartronate semialdehyde, identifying this protein as a tartronate semialdehyde reductase. Further evidence for identification as tartronate semialdehyde reductase is the observation that the coding region for this protein is directly preceded by genes coding for hydroxypyruvate isomerase and glyoxylate carboligase, two enzymes that synthesize tartronate semialdehyde, producing an operon clearly designed for d-glycerate biosynthesis from tartronate semialdehyde. The single beta-hydroxyacid dehydrogenase homologue from Haemophilus influenzae was also cloned, expressed, and purified with a 6-histidine tag. This protein also catalyzed the NAD(+)-dependent oxidation of d-glycerate but was significantly more efficient in the oxidation of four-carbon beta-hydroxyacids like d-hydroxybutyrate and d-threonine. This enzyme differs from all the presently known beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases which are well established members of the short chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily.
Bivalve skeletons record sea-surface temperature and δ18O via Mg/Ca and 18O/16O ratios

Paleotemperatures have been widely deduced from skeletal 18 O/ 16 O ratios, but these are also dependent on salinity. Without an independent measure of salinity, 18 O/ 16 O ratios cannot provide accurate data on past temperature and climate. We grew marine mollusks (bivalves) in the field while real-time data on local seawater temperature and chemistry (Mg, Ca, δ 18 O, and salinity) were gathered. Here we show that for Mytilus trossulus, skeletal Mg/Ca ratios provide an accurate measure of temperature and that weekly sea-surface temperatures may be estimated with an apparent accuracy of approximately ± 1.5 °C. Thus, with analyses of both Mg/Ca and δ 18 O from the same specimen, it is possible to determine seawater temperature and δ 18 O.
Developmental and activational effects of sex hormones on the attractiveness of dog urine.

Abstract Adult male dogs were exposed to urine from five types of experimental donors: females ovariohysterectomized as adults (FOA), females treated with testosterone in utero (FTU), females treated with testosterone in early infancy (FTI), females treated with testosterone in utero and in early infancy (FTUI), males castrated as adults (MCA); and also to control urine from intact stud males (SM). Urine was collected from the five experimental groups of donors during three phases of the experiment: (a) during a period of no hormone treatment (NH); (b) following treatment with estradiol (E); and (c) following treatment with testosterone (T). Intact males were given no hormonal treatment and served as subjects and urine donors. Subjects spent about the same amounts of time investigating control SM urine in all three phases. In the NH phase, the investigation times for the five experimental samples were significantly greater than that of the SM sample. However, there were no significant differences between the investigation times of the five samples. During the E phase, in comparison with the NH phase, the investigation times were greater for all experimental samples. The increase in attractiveness was significant for FOA and FTU urine. During the T phase, compared with the NH phase, the investigation times were less for four experimental samples (FTU, FTI, FTUI and MCA urine), and FTI, FTUI and MCA urine were no longer preferred to the SM control. However, the decrease in attractiveness was significant for MCA urine only.
Relativistic Runaway Problem

IN Newtonian theory, if a test particle is in a circular orbit around a central mass m and m decreases suddenly to half or less of its original value, the test particle escapes. (We ignore shock waves, etc., asif the mass loss were due to neutrinos.) Recent discoveries of compact orbiting bodies suggest1,2 examination of corrections due to general relativity. The calculation is easily done with the metric3 Open image in new window where u is a timelike coordinate and m=m(u) is the central mass. We examine the case where m suddenly changes from an initial constant value m0 to a final value m1. Both before and after the mass loss, a simple transformation3 shows that in equation (1) r is the same as the Schwartzchild coordinate r. The solution by Case2 was based on the assumption that dr/dτ is conserved under sudden mass change, which assumption we shall show to be invalid.
Fluoroquinolone-resistant Moraxella catarrhalis in a patient with pneumonia: report from the SENTRY antimicrobial surveillance program (1998)

Fluoroquinolone resistance in Moraxella catarrhalis isolates has been quite rare. This report presents a case history of a 22-year-old man with compromised immune status and severe pneumonia caused by M. catarrhalis. The organism was markedly resistant (MICs, 1.5- > 32 micrograms/mL) to several marketed fluoroquinolones including the agent (levofloxacin) used for concurrent and prior therapy. The emergence of this problematic strain seems related to chronic exposure of the patient to compounds in the class and poor patient compliance to prescribed medications. The strain was not clonally related to other M. catarrhalis strains isolated in the same hospital during early 1998. This second documented case of a fluoroquinolone-resistant M. catarrhalis clinical isolate presents a warning that resistances can emerge in at-risk patients, and that surveillance systems (SENTRY) will be necessary to monitor for unusual organisms and spread of resistance phenotypes among commonly isolated respiratory tract pathogens.
Further structure-activity relations of heterocyclic analogues of hemicholinium-3.

The importance of the 3-methyl group on the pyridinium ring of bis-quaternary nitrogen salts for hemicholinium-3-like activity having been conditionally established (Benz & Long, 1969a, b), derivatives containing classical isosteres of the 3-methyl group and the three oxidation states of the 3-methyl group were examined. Oxidation of the 3-methyl group to -CH2OH decreased activity tenfold. Subsequent oxidation to -CHO and -COOH further decreased activity. When the 3-methyl group was replaced by a halogen, activity was maintained by the iodo-derivative but decreased as the size of the halogen decreased and as the electronegativity increased. Substitution of an ethyl group for the 3-methyl decreased activity twofold, whereas replacement with -OH eliminated activity.
A Linkage Disequilibrium–Based Approach to Selecting Disease-Associated Rare Variants

Rare variants have increasingly been cited as major contributors in the disease etiology of several complex disorders. Recently, several approaches have been proposed for analyzing the association of rare variants with disease. These approaches include collapsing rare variants, summing rare variant test statistics within a particular locus to improve power, and selecting a subset of rare variants for association testing, e.g., the step-up approach. We found that (a) if the variants being pooled are in linkage disequilibrium, the standard step-up method of selecting the best subset of variants results in loss of power compared to a model that pools all rare variants and (b) if the variants are in linkage equilibrium, performing a subset selection using step-based selection methods results in a gain of power of association compared to a model that pools all rare variants. Therefore, we propose an approach to selecting the best subset of variants to include in the model that is based on the linkage disequilibrium pattern among the rare variants. The proposed linkage disequilibrium–based variant selection model is flexible and borrows strength from the model that pools all rare variants when the rare variants are in linkage disequilibrium and from step-based selection methods when the variants are in linkage equilibrium. We performed simulations under three different realistic scenarios based on: (1) the HapMap3 dataset of the DRD2 gene, and CHRNA3/A5/B4 gene cluster (2) the block structure of linkage disequilibrium, and (3) linkage equilibrium. We proposed a permutation-based approach to control the type 1 error rate. The power comparisons after controlling the type 1 error show that the proposed linkage disequilibrium–based subset selection approach is an attractive alternative method for subset selection of rare variants.
Effect of insulinopenia and adrenal hormone deficiency on acute potassium tolerance

Effect of insulinopenia and adrenal hormone deficiency on acute potassium tolerance. The ability to dispose of an acute intravenous potassium load was examined in glucocorticoid-replaced adrenalectomized rats and in rats made insulinopenic with somatostatin. Adrenalectomy resulted in a significantly greater rise in plasma potassium concentration compared with controls (1.46 ± 0.11 vs. 0.92 ± 0.05 mEq/liter, P Effet de l'insulinopenie et du deficit en hormones surrenaliennes sur la tolerance aigue au potassium. La capacite de disposer d'une charge intraveineuse aigue de potassium a ete etudiee chez des rats surrenalectomises, compenses en glucocorticoides, et chez des rats rendus insulinopeniques par la somatostatine. La surrenalectomie a eu pour consequence une augmentation du potassium plasmatique significativement plus grande que celle des controles (1,46 ± 0,11 au lieu de 0,92 ± 0,05 mEq/liter, P
The Study of Medical Institutions Eliot Freidson's Legacy

During more than three decades of scholarship on American medicine, Eliot Freidson has both contributed to and advocated a distinctive variety of medical sociology: one that applies structural pers...
F2-isoprostanes as an indicator and risk factor for coronary heart disease

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading single cause of death in the United States and most Western countries, killing more than 400,000 Americans per year. Although CHD often manifests suddenly as a fatal myocardial infarction, the atherosclerosis that gives rise to the infarction develops gradually and can be markedly slowed or even reversed through pharmacological and lifestyle interventions. These same atherosclerotic processes also drive related vascular diseases such as stroke and peripheral artery disease, and individuals surviving occlusive events often develop additional complications including ischemic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Therefore, better detection of subclinical atherosclerosis, along with more effective treatments, could significantly reduce the rate of death from CHD and related vascular diseases in the United States. In recent years, oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in plasma lipoproteins has been postulated to be a critical step in the development of atherosclerosis. If so, then monitoring lipid peroxidation should be a useful indicator of disease risk and progression. This review focuses on the evidence that specific PUFA peroxidation products, the F(2)-isoprostanes, are useful biomarkers that could potentially be utilized as indicators of CHD.
Suppression of the secretion of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide after total cavopulmonary connection.

Abstract Objectives: Among the modifications of the Fontan operation currently being used, total cavopulmonary connection offers the greatest potential for optimizing early and long-term postoperative outcomes. Although studies have established that abrupt increases in right atrial pressure elevate the plasma atrial natriuretic peptide level after the Fontan procedure, changes in plasma natriuretic peptide levels after total cavopulmonary connection have not been clarified. Our hypothesis is that secretion of atrial natriuretic peptide may be suppressed in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary connection because the atrium continues to function at low pressure in those patients. In this study, we measured plasma levels of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide before and during the postoperative period in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary connection. Methods: We evaluated 60 patients: 30 patients underwent total cavopulmonary connection and 30 patients underwent definitive repair for Fallot's tetralogy. Blood samples for measurement of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide were obtained before the operation and in the postoperative period. Results: Plasma levels of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide were significantly lower during the early postoperative period in patients undergoing total cavopulmonary connection than in patients undergoing definitive repair for Fallot's tetralogy. No correlations were identified between the atrial natriuretic peptide levels and central venous pressure after total cavopulmonary connection. Conclusion: These results suggest that total cavopulmonary connection attenuates the secretion of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide in the early postoperative period. The suppressed release of atrial and brain natriuretic peptide after total cavopulmonary connection may have clinical importance. (J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;120:764-9)
Parental affectionless control and suicidality

Abstract Objective Although poor parental bonding is a known risk factor for suicidality, current literature is inconsistent about the relative role of low parental care and parental overprotection, as well as the combination of the two, termed “affectionless control”. This review presents the current state of knowledge of the relationship between suicidality and these two aspects of parental bonding. Method The computerized databases Medline, PubMed, PsychINFO, PsychLit, and Google Scholar were searched using combinations of the following keywords: suicidality, suicide, suicide attempt, suicidal behavior, parental bonding, and parental bonding instrument. Using the results, we reviewed the reports on the relationship between suicidality and parental bonding as measured by validated parental bonding instruments. Results Twelve papers were analyzed. All of them used the parental bonding instrument (PBI) and one used both the PBI and the object representation inventory (ORI). Most reports agreed that, in mothers, either lack of maternal care and/or overprotection was associated with an increase in suicidal behavior, while in fathers only low care was consistently associated with suicidality. This lack of constancy with regard to the effect of paternal overprotection appears to be due to cultural differences in fathers' role in child rearing. With these differences acknowledged, affectionless control in both parents emerges as the parenting style most strongly associated with suicidal behavior. Common methodological problems included low numbers of subjects, inconsistent control groups, and the lack of a uniform definition of suicidality. Conclusion Despite methodological limitations, current literature consistently indicates that parental affectionless control is associated with suicidal behavior. Recognizing affectionless control as a risk factor for suicide and developing early interventions aimed at modifying affectionless and overprotective parenting style in families with a history of affective disorders may be effective in reducing suicidal risk.
Polycyclic Quinolones. Part 2. Synthesis of Novel 4-Oxo-1,4-dihydrobenzo[h][1,3]thiazeto[3,2-a]quinoline Carboxylic Acids via Oxidative Cyclization of the Corresponding 2-Mercaptoquinoline Precursors.

Sticking point in the formation of the 1,3-thiazeto[3,2-a]quinoline skeleton is a cyclization step using the system vicinal dihaloalkane / potassium iodide as a controlled source of iodine monobromide which halogenates the carbon α to the thiol.
SKINNER'S UTOPIA: BIDIRECTIONAL INFLUENCES

Walden Two (Skinner, 194811976) is a utopian novel that gave popular form to the principles presented in The Behavior of Organisms (Skinner, 1938). The novel has received much commentary, analysis, and criticism (e.g., Freedman, 1972; Weigel, 1977; "Newest Utopia," 1948). Skinner stated that, "I wrote the book quite seriously. It is not a dystopia. I thought such a community was possible at the time I wrote the book, and I think so now" (Evans, 1968, p. 46). Fishman (1991) and Kinkade (1973) chronicle the actual implementation of the ideas presented in Walden Two. Skinner (1979) acknowledged the influence of the original WaMen (Thoreau, 185411968), H e also stated that in writing Walden Two he "adopted a standard utopian strategy . . ." (Skinner. 1979. D. 296). . . Skinner was queried by the author regarding the extent to which he had been influenced by the original Utopia (More, 151611965) during the production of his novel. His typically candid response was that, whde he had not read Utopia at that time, he had read New Atlantis (Bacon, 161711952), He assumed that Bacon had read More and concluded that he had been influenced indirectly by More via Bacon (B. F. Skinner, personal communication, 1974). Utopian authors describe their own conceptions of perfect societies. However, the conceptions vary greatly; More relied on political control while Skinner employed behavioral engineering. Both the means and the ends are very different for these two authors. When considering such works in the context of the history of ideas it is important to explore the antecedent conditions associated with their production. It seems Skinner was successful in creating a classic of utopian literature without the direct influence of the work that named the genre.
A massive parallel computation in Boolean logic

Abstract A code in MasPar MPL for the computation of the prime implicants and all the minimal sums of a Boolean sum-of-product form has been presented. This is an extension to parallel computation of a previously published serial code in C [3] based on the method of consensus taking.
Copper(I)−Dioxygen Reactivity of [(L)CuI]+ (L = Tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine): Kinetic/Thermodynamic and Spectroscopic Studies Concerning the Formation of Cu−O2 and Cu2−O2 Adducts as a Function of Solvent Medium and 4-Pyridyl Ligand Substituent Variations

The kinetic and thermodynamic behavior of O2-binding to Cu(I) complexes can provide fundamental understanding of copper(I)/dioxygen chemistry, which is of interest in chemical and biological systems. Here we report stopped-flow kinetic investigations of the oxygenation reactions of a series of tetradentate copper(I) complexes [(LR)CuI(MeCN)]+ (1R, R = H, Me, tBu, MeO, Me2N) in propionitrile (EtCN), tetrahydrofuran (THF), and acetone. The syntheses of 4-pyridyl substituted tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine ligands (LR) and copper(I) complexes are detailed. Variations of ligand electronic properties are manifested in the electrochemistry of 1R and ν(CO) of [(LR)CuI−CO]+ complexes. The kinetic studies in EtCN and THF show that the O2-reactions of 1R follow the reaction mechanism established for oxygenation of 1H in EtCN (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 9506), involving reversible formation (k1/k-1) of [(LR)CuII(O2-)]+ (2R), which further reacts (k2/k-2) with 1R to form the 2:1 Cu2O2 complex [{(LR)CuII}2(O22-)]2+ (3R)....
Dietary accumulation of UV-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) by the green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis)

The bioaccumulation of ultraviolet radiation-absorbing mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) by Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis (Muller) was determined in specimens maintained on MAA-rich and MAA-deficient diets. Individuals were fed either the red alga Mastocarpus stellatus (Stackhouse), which has a high concentration of the MAA shinorine (6.98 nmolmg−1 dry wt), and trace amounts of the MAAs porphyra-334, asterina-330 and palythine, or the brown alga Laminaria saccharina (Lamouroux), which contains no detectable MAAs. Reproductively spent urchins were fed ad libitum during a 9 mo period in 1992 to 1993 until they were once again gravid. To monitor accumulation, samples of urchin tissues and ingested food were taken throughout the 9 mo period from males and females maintained on each diet, and the concentrations of MAAs determined using high performance liquid chromatography. Urchins maintained on a diet of M. stellatus showed an ovarian shinorine concentration (8.33 nmol mg−1 dry wt) 25 times higher than those fed L. saccharina. There was no change in MAA content of testes or somatic tissues in either feeding group. More than 99% of the MAAs present in an experimental meal of M. stellatus were removed during passage through the gut. Previous studies have inferred dietary accumulation of MAAs by comparing MAAs present in animal tissues with the consumer's potential diet in the field. This is the first study to have monitored MAA accumulation in animal tissues in conjunction with a controlled diet having a known MAA composition. Concentrating MAAs in the ovaries may provide eggs released into the water column with protection from damaging solar ultraviolet radiation.
The mechanical response of gold substrates passivated by self-assembling monolayer films.

Interfacial force microscopy has been used to show that a single layer of self-assembling molecules adsorbed on a gold substrate can prevent adhesion between gold and a tungsten probe. The passivated gold is able to elastically support large repulsive loads, with plots of load versus deformation closely following the Hertzian model. The gold shear-stress threshold for plastic deformation is determined to be ∼1 gigapascal, which is in agreement with the theoretical value for the intrinsic gold-lattice stability.
Sigma bond metathesis with pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands in sterically crowded (C5Me5)3M complexes

To further explore the reactivity of the (C5Me5)− ligand in the sterically crowded (C5Me5)3M complexes, reactions with PhEEPh (E = S, Se, Te) have been examined. With M = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, and Y, PhSSPh reacts to form the expected reduction products, [(C5Me5)2M(SPh)]2, but the major organic byproduct is not the sterically induced reduction product, (C5Me5)2. Instead, the sigma bond metathesis product, C5Me5SPh, is the major byproduct. In contrast, reactions with (C5Me5)3Ce and (C5Me5)3U gave a mixture of C5Me5SPh and (C5Me5)2 as byproducts. PhSSPh reactions with the lanthanide nitrile adducts, (C5Me5)3Ln(NCCMe3)2 (Ln = La, Ce) and (C5Me5)3Nd(NCCMe3), formed [(C5Me5)2Ln(SPh)(NCCMe3)]2 and only C5Me5SPh as the byproduct. PhSeSePh reactions paralleled the PhSSPh results, but reactions of PhTeTePh with (C5Me5)3La, (C5Me5)3Sm, and (C5Me5)3La(NCCMe3)2 gave only (C5Me5)2 as a byproduct.
Icons, Miracles, and the Ecclesial Identity of Laity in Late Imperial Russian Orthodoxy

Le processus d'identification des laics avec la communaute ecclesiale orthodoxe russe a ete favorise, fin XIXe debut XXe siecle, par deux facteurs relies entre eux, l'engagement croissant et le zele des laics dans la formation de la culture de la veneration des icones et l'enseignement orthodoxe «officiel» sur les icones et les miracles. Cet article debute par la description de la nature de l'engagement des laics concernant les icones et les manieres dont ils les veneraient. Il presente ensuite l'enseignement orthodoxe sur les icones sources de miracles tel qu'il est expose dans la litterature religieuse et les sermons de l'epoque. Il s'acheve par la consideration du sens de l'inclusion ecclesiale que ces icones aident a cultiver.
Comparison of the fatigue characteristics of centrifuged and uncentrifuged simplex P bone cement

Fatigue test specimens of Simplex P bone cement (Howmedica Inc., Rutherford, NJ) prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions and specimens of Simplex P prepared by centrifuging the cement immediately after mixing were subjected to fully reversed tension-compression fatigue tests at initial strain levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.001. S:N curves for both cement preparations were generated and compared on the basis of regression analysis, Weibull analysis, and Student's t tests. Centrifuged Simplex P was able to withstand significantly more fatigue cycles than uncentrifuged Simplex P at all strain levels tested. Importantly, at the more physiologic strain levels of 2,000 and 1,000 microstrain, the centrifuged cement demonstrated superior fatigue life. Specifically, at the 1,000-microstrain level eight of the 11 uncentrifuged specimens fractured before undergoing 10 million cycles. Of those that failed, the average number of cycles to failure was 1.8 million with a range of 560,000 to 4 million cycles. In contrast, all 11 centrifuged specimens tested at 1,000 microstrain remained intact at 10 million cycles.
Bathymetry of the MODE-I region

Depth soundings before and during the Mid-Ocean Dynamics Experiment (MODE-I) are integrated to produce bathymetric charts of the MODE-I region at scales of 1:500,000 and 1:250,000. Seven undersea features are named. The southwestern portion of the Bermuda Rise is characterized by rugged bottom topography generally striking north-northeast to south-southwest. Southeast of the Blake Bahama Outer Ridge, a zone of morphology paralleling the regional contours of the lower continental rise and associated deeps along many of the steep slopes on the Bermuda Rise suggest that the submarine terrain may be influenced by erosion by bottom currents.
Using E-Z Reader to simulate eye movements in nonreading tasks: a unified framework for understanding the eye-mind link

Nonreading tasks that share some (but not all) of the task demands of reading have often been used to make inferences about how cognition influences when the eyes move during reading. In this article, we use variants of the E-Z Reader model of eye-movement control in reading to simulate eye-movement behavior in several of these tasks, including z-string reading, target-word search, and visual search of Landolt Cs arranged in both linear and circular arrays. These simulations demonstrate that a single computational framework is sufficient to simulate eye movements in both reading and nonreading tasks but also suggest that there are task-specific differences in both saccadic targeting (i.e., decisions about where to move the eyes) and the coupling between saccadic programming and the movement of attention (i.e., decisions about when to move the eyes). These findings suggest that some aspects of the eye-mind link are flexible and can be configured in a manner that supports efficient task performance.
The emergence of functional play in infants: Evidence for a major cognitive transition

Abstract Sixty-four infants, eight boys and eight girls at each of four ages, 9 1 2 , 11 1 2 , 13 1 2 , and 15 1 2 months, were observed during a 15-minute free play session. Three types of play (stereotypical, relational, and functional) and the number of appropriate uses for specific realistic toys were recorded. Stereotypical play (87% of total active play at 9 1 2 months) gave way to relational (35% at 13 1 2 months) and functional play (52% at 15 1 2 months) as the dominant activity. Both functional play and the number of different appropriate uses of toys were rare at 9 1 2 months, appeared reliably at 11 1 2 months and increased lineraly through 15 1 2 months. A change in the quality of play from indiscriminate mouthing, waving, banging, and fingering of objects to the matching of appropriate uses for a large array of toys indicates that the child's manipulations become more object specific and functional over this 6-month age span. Among possible explanations for the linear increase in the frequency and diversity of appropriate toy uses is the suggestion that an important cognitive change occurs toward the end of the first year of life. A case study is presented to illustrate the application of the play procedure for both assessment and treatment.
Regression imputation of missing values in longitudinal data sets

A stand-alone, menu-driven PC program, written in GAUSS, which can be used to estimate missing observations in longitudinal data sets is described and made available to interested readers. The program is limited to the situation in which we have complete data on N cases at each of the planned times of measurement tl, t2,..., tT; and we wish to use this information, together with the non-missing values for n additional cases, to estimate the missing values for those cases. The augmented data matrix may be saved in an ASCII tile and subsequently imported into programs requiring complete data. The use of the program is illustrated. Ten percent of the observations in a data set consisting of mandibular ramus height measurements for N = 12 young male rhesus monkeys measured at T = 5 time points are randomly discarded. The augmented data matrix is used to determine the lowest degree polynomial adequate to tit the average growth curve (AGC); the regression coefficients are estimated and confidence intervals for them are determined; and confidence bands for the AGC are constructed. The results are compared with those obtained when the original complete data set is used.
Enduring problems for molecular accounts of operant behavior.

Abstract Although the Associative Learner (AL) theory advocated by Shimp, Childers, and Hightower (1990) can simulate several features of human and nonhuman performance in free-operant situations, it fails to account for many of the findings that are theoretically most powerful. It underestimates the sensitivity of behavior to relative reinforcement rate and totally omits any role for incentive variables such as amount and delay of reinforcement. At present, it is not sufficiently comprehensive to serve as an adequate alternative to Herrnstein's (1961, 1970) matching theory as a general account of behavior.
Efficient frequency domain video scrambling for content access control

Multimedia data security is very important for multimedia commerce on the Internet such as video-on-demand and real-time video multicast. Traditional cryptographic algorithms for data security are often not fast enough to process the vast amount of data generated by the multimedia applications to meet the real-time constraints. This paper presents a joint encryption and compression framework in which video data are scrambled efficiently in the frequency domain by employing selective bit scrambling, block shuffling and block rotation of the transform coefficients and motion vectors. The new approach is very simple to implement, yet provides considerable level of security, has minimum adverse impact on the compression efficiency, and allows transparency, transcodability, and other content processing functionalities without accessing the cryptographic key.
Overexpression of extracellular superoxide dismutase decreases lung injury after exposure to oil fly ash

The mechanism of tissue injury after exposure to air pollution particles is not known. The biological effect has been postulated to be mediated via an oxidative stress catalyzed by metals present i...
Phase I trial of weekly docetaxel and gemcitabine in patients with refractory malignancies.

BACKGROUND A Phase I study using weekly docetaxel and gemcitabine was conducted to investigate toxicity; to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of each agent; and, in a preliminary fashion, to determine the antitumor activity of the combination. METHODS Docetaxel and gemcitabine were administered intravenously on Days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days. The dose levels of docetaxel and gemcitabine were as follows: Level I, docetaxel 20 mg/m2and gemcitabine 400 mg/m2; Level II, docetaxel 30 mg/m2and gemcitabine 400 mg/m2; Level III, docetaxel 30 mg/m2and gemcitabine 600 mg/m2; Level IV, docetaxel 36 mg/m2and gemcitabine 600 mg/m2; and Level V, docetaxel 36 mg/m2and gemcitabine 800 mg/m2. RESULTS Thirty-three eligible patients were entered. The diagnoses were as follows: Eleven patients had nonsmall cell lung carcinoma, 3 patients had carcinoma of the bladder, 3 patients had renal carcinoma, 2 patients had adrenal carcinoma, 5 patients had unknown primary tumors, and 9 patients had miscellaneous malignancies. Fifty-nine percent of patients had received prior chemotherapy. The median age was 62 years (range, 27–77 years), and the median Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status was 1 (range, 0–1). Five patients were treated at Dose Levels I and II, 6 patients were treated at Dose Levels III and V, and 11 patients were treated at Dose Level IV. Grade 3–4 toxicities during Cycle I included neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, mucositis, and diarrhea. Dose-limiting toxicity, consisting of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, occurred in three of six patients at Dose Level V. The combination of docetaxel 36 mg/m2 and gemcitabine 600 mg/m2 (Dose Level IV) was determined as the MTD and was the recommended Phase II dose. Two patients had a partial response: one patient with bladder carcinoma (Dose Level II) and one patient with nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (Dose Level III). CONCLUSIONS Overall, weekly docetaxel and gemcitabine were well tolerated. Further studies using this combination are planned, including a Phase II trial in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung carcinoma. Cancer 2003;97:170–8. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10991
Influence of the Antibiotic Erythromycin on Anaerobic Treatment of a Pharmaceutical Wastewater

A laboratory-scale anaerobic sequencing batch reactor was used to treat a model substrate mixture representing pharmaceutical wastewater at an organic loading rate of 2.9 g COD/(L d). After reaching stable operation the reactor was first exposed to low (1 mg/L) and, subsequently, to high (200 mg/L) concentrations of the antibiotic erythromycin. The addition of low levels of erythromycin resulted in a significant but limited reduction of biogas production by 5% and the higher level of erythromycin did not impact biogas production further, suggesting that a substantial fraction of the microbial populations in the ASBR were resistant to the antibiotic. Effluent soluble COD could not be accounted for in measured volatile fatty acids, perhaps suggesting the production of soluble microbial products. In batch tests evaluating the specific methanogenic activity, conversion of the model substrate mixture was only slightly affected by the presence of erythromycin. However, the conversion of butyric acid was inhibit...
Pathogenicity of Steinernema carpocapsae and S. glaseri (Nematoda: Steinernematidae) to Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae)

The entomopathogenic nematodes Steinernema carpocapsae (Weiser) and S. glaseri (Steiner) are pathogenic to engorged adult, blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis (Say), but not to unfed females, engorged nymphs, or engorged larvae. Nematodes apparently enter the tick through the genital pore, thus precluding infection of immature ticks. The timing of tick mortality, and overall mortality after 17 d, did not differ between infections by S. carpocapsae and S. glaseri. These nematodes typically do not complete their life cycles or produce infective juveniles in I. scapularis. However, both species successfully produced infective juveniles when the tick body was slit before nematode infection. Mortality of engorged I. scapularis females infected by S. carpocapsae was greater than uninfected controls, but did not vary significantly with nematode concentration (50-3,000 infective juveniles per 5-cm-diameter petri dish). The LC50 was 347.8 infective juveniles per petri dish (5 ticks per dish). Hatched egg masses of infected ticks weighed less than those of uninfected controls. Mortality of infected ticks was greatest between 20 and 30 degrees C, and was lower at 15 degrees C.
A spatially resolved physical model for transient system analysis of high temperature fuel cells

Abstract This work builds upon previous high temperature fuel cell (HT-FC) modeling studies, capturing both steady state performance and transient behavior of HT-FC stacks by merging simplified dimensional aspects of a planar fuel cell stack with first principles physical modeling. Dynamic simulations are developed that spatially resolve fluctuations in temperature, pressure and concentration distributions during transient operation. A significant portion of the heat transfer occurs prior to and after the air passes over the electrochemically active portions of the cell, justifying additional heat transfer pathways from the stack to the air in order to accurately characterize the thermal transients and temperature distributions in the HT-FC stack. The highly configurable MatLab-Simulink® model developed can simulate both solid oxide and molten carbonate fuel cells utilizing either direct or indirect internal reforming. The perturbation response characteristics of the dynamic model to load, fuel flow, air flow and composition perturbations are discussed, and control strategies are introduced that minimize temperature fluctuations. Analysis indicates air flow and inlet temperature controls are sufficient to control average temperature and average internal temperature gradients. Internal heat transfer dynamics substantially change the spatial temperature distribution and local temperature gradients during typical operating conditions and perturbations.
Determination of the triplet and excited singlet absorption spectra of chlorophyll a with a tunable dye laser

Abstract A tunable dye laser has been used to obtain the optical spectra of the triplet and first excited singlet states of chlorophyll a in pyridine produced by irradiation with a nitrogen laser. The singlet spectrum is characterized by an absorption at 440 nm.
Gas endarterectomy of right coronary artery; the importance of proximal bypass graft.

Results of gas endarterectomy of the right coronary artery were evaluated in 29 consecutive patients. There were one surgical and two early postsurgical deaths. All three had postmortem examination, and in two there was occlusion of the gas endarterectomy. Five patients did not have repeat catheterization. Twenty-one patients were completely re-evaluated and had repeat cardiac catheterization one to sixteen months after surgery (mean eight months). Ten patients (Group A) had gas endarterectomy without a saphenous vein graft to the right coronary artery. Only one patient had significant vessel patency. Eleven patients (Group B) had the combined procedure of a saphenous vein graft anastomosed to the segment of artery that had the endarterectomy. There was excellent graft patency in seven patients (64%) and good distal flow into the segment that had endarterectomy in six of the seven patients. In conclusion, gas endarterectomy is not of value unless it can be combined with a saphenous vein graft to provide good flow to the distal vessel that had endarterectomy. Results with the combined procedure suggest that even with a severely diseased artery, gas endarterectomy can often provide continuing distal runoff for the graft.
The endogenous cannabinoid system and the treatment of marijuana dependence

The active principle of marijuana, Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta9-THC), exerts its pharmacological effects by binding to selective receptors present on the membranes of neurons and other cells. These cannabinoid receptors are normally engaged by a family of lipid mediators, called endocannabinoids, which are thought to participate in the regulation of a diversity of brain functions, including pain, mood, appetite and memory. Marijuana use may lead to adaptive changes in endocannabinoid signaling, and these changes might contribute to effects of marijuana as well as to the establishment of marijuana dependence. In the present article, I outline current views on how endocannabinoid substances are produced, released, and deactivated in the brain. In addition, I review recent progress on the development of pharmacological agents that interfere with endocannabinoid deactivation and discuss their potential utility in the treatment of marijuana dependence and other aspects of drug abuse.
Are Analysts' Stock Recommendations Really Relative to the Market?

The skewness in security analysts' recommendations is well documented, and is generally attributed to analysts' need to maintain good relations with the companies they follow. I examine another possible explanation — that analysts do not really rate stocks relative to the market, but incorporate overall market performance. Unlike other explanations for the skewness, this one implies there will be shifts in the recommendation distribution over time as market conditions change. I find that the shifts in the distribution during 1984–1992 are related to lagged market returns. Analysts moved toward more positive recommendations following months with poor market returns, and turned more negative following strong returns, suggesting analysts were betting on returns reversals. This effect was not observed during 1992–1999. However, the recommendation distribution shifted steadily toward buys during this period of overwhelmingly positive market returns. The results suggest that lagged market returns affect analysts' recommendation distributions. I document, however, that the recommendation distribution is not a useful market timing tool.
Addressing Gender Equity in Nonfaculty Salaries

While over one hundred studies have been conducted at both the institutional and national levels to determine if male and female faculty receive different levels of pay, there are very few published studies that have addressed similar gender equity concerns for other groups of academic employees. This research illustrates ways in which gender equity studies can be performed on noninstructional employees such as operating staff (OS) and professional/administrative staff (PAS) in higher education. The article addresses the selection of variables for inclusion in the multiple regression model, the alternative approaches for measuring the unexplained wage gap, and the methods that could be utilized for adjusting women's salaries when inequities are found to exist. To illustrate these concepts, data on the operating and professional/administrative staff at one institution are analyzed. It is found that experience and market differences account for about eighty percent of the pay difference between male and female professional/administrative staff and half of the pay difference for operating staff, and that the cost of adjusting women's salaries varies significantly across methods.
Analysis Of Laser Diagnostics In Plumes

Feasibility studies have been carried out for a ground-based LIDAR experiment to measure spatially resolved rocket plume temperature profiles, based on a specific detection scheme proposed by workers at the University of South Florida. This experiment involves the Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) measurement of temperature, using observations of the first vibrational overtone band of HC1. Results from plume flow field codes and spectral simulations have been used to test the feasibility of the above DIAL experiment, and additional preliminary ground based tests are proposed here, which would logically lead up to the more complex DIAL experiment.
MODELLING OF RATE-DEPENDENT ANISOTROPIC MATERIAL BEHAVIOR BY PLASTICITY THEORY

Constitutive equations appropriate to the rate-dependent plastic deformation of anisotropic materials are developed. The method used in the derivation consists of the inclusion of the appropriate rate of deformation variable in the functional definition of the yield surface and the requirement that the state point remain on this yield surface during an increment of plastic strain.
Osmolyte-mediated encapsulation of proteins inside MS2 viral capsids.

The encapsulation of enzymes in nanometer-sized compartments has the potential to enhance and control enzymatic activity, both in vivo and in vitro. Despite this potential, there is little quantitative data on the effect of encapsulation in a well-defined compartment under varying conditions. To gain more insight into these effects, we have characterized two improved methods for the encapsulation of heterologous molecules inside bacteriophage MS2 viral capsids. First, attaching DNA oligomers to a molecule of interest and incubating it with MS2 coat protein dimers yielded reassembled capsids that packaged the tagged molecules. The addition of a protein-stabilizing osmolyte, trimethylamine-N-oxide, significantly increased the yields of reassembly. Second, we found that expressed proteins with genetically encoded negatively charged peptide tags could also induce capsid reassembly, resulting in high yields of reassembled capsids containing the protein. This second method was used to encapsulate alkaline phosp...
Synthesis and x-ray study of fluorite related phases in the system Ho2O3WO3

Abstract The preparation and identification of three new fluorite related compounds in the system Ho2O3WO3 is described. Ho6WO12 is isostructural with other heavy rare earth tungstates and uranates of the same stoichiometry. It has a rhombohedral structure whose hexagonal cell parameters are a o = 9.755 ± 0.001 A and c o = 9.308 ± 0.002 A . Ho14W4O33 was tentatively indexed on the hexagonal cell: a o = 9.752 ± 0.003 A and c o = 18.769 ± 0.006 A . The major reflections of the third compound, Ho10W2O21, were indexed on the tetragonal pseudocell: a o = 5.287 ± 0.001 A and c o = 5.268 ± 0.002 A , but the true structure has lower symmetry and/or a larger cell. The possible structural relation of Ho10W2O21 and Ho14W4O33 to pure rare earth oxides with the same metal-oxygen ratios (M4O7 and M6O11) is discussed.
Ion trap collisional activation of the deprotonated deoxymononucleoside and deoxydinucleoside monophosphates

Deoxymononucleoside and deoxydinucleoside monophosphate anions formed by electrospray have been subjected to ion trap collisional activation. The threshold for decomposition via loss of base is significantly lower for the deoxymononucleoside 3′-monophosphates than for the corresponding 5′-monophosphates, which indicates that the presence of a charged 3′ phosphate group facilitates base loss. The behavior of the bases among each class of isomers shows slight variation in threshold and tandem mass spectrometry efficiency with tile notable exception of 2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-monophosphate. This ion is exceptionally stable toward decomposition via base loss, which reflects a strong hydrogen bonding interaction between the base and the phosphate group. All dinucleotides fragment via similar mechanisms, but the propensity for neutral base loss relative to loss of a charged base is highly dependent on the identities of both the 5′ and 3′ bases. The behavior of the dinucleotides under collisional activation conditions supports the proposal that base loss proceeds via a proton-bound dimer intermediate in which loss of the charged base directly competes with loss of the neutral base. Application of the kinetic method allows for quantitative predictions of the differences of the gas-phase acidities of the dimer components.
Atomic layer deposition of ultrathin and continuous metal films

The atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ultrathin and continuous metal films is very challenging. This paper describes a general procedure that can yield an ultrathin and continuous metal ALD film using a W ALD adhesion layer.