cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of combustion-generated radicals in the toxicity of PM2.5

Electron paramagnetic resonance analyses of samples of ambient, fine particulate matter (PM2.5), as well as fly-ashes and soots from a wood-burning fireplace, a boiler cofired with chlorinated organics, a pilot-scale hazardous waste incinerator, and laboratory combustion of various halocarbons reveal that they contain stable free radicals. All of the radical systems were indefinitely stable in air. Extracts of PM2.5 and the incinerator ash caused damage to DNA, both in vitro and in cell systems. Cellular damage to DNA was prevented by addition of the enzymes superoxide dismutase and/or catalase that destroy the superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide, respectively. This type of DNA damage and protection is observed for the semiquinone radicals in cigarette tar. Therefore, we have tentatively assigned the structure of the observed radicals as semiquinones. In solution, semiquinone radicals undergo redox cycling, reducing oxygen and forming superoxide radical and hydrogen peroxide, and ultimately the hydroxyl radical that can initiate DNA damage. Since ambient PM2.5 is primarily composed of combustion-generated particulate matter, our results imply that combustion sources produce semiquinone-type radicals that persist on fine particles in the atmosphere. The fine particles provide a carrier for deposit of the radicals deep in the human respiratory tract. These radicals then initiate immune system responses that can trigger the production of further radicals as well as other species that can damage DNA or induce damage to the respiratory tract.
Confirmatory factor analysis of the depressive cognition scale.

The purpose of this study was to validate the single-factor structure of the Depressive Cognition Scale (DCS) among individuals from the U.S. general population. The sample was composed of 629 adults from 42 states of the United States. All measures of model fit of the DCS exceeded the recommended criteria for the good model fit (χ2/df = 2.57, goodness-of-fitness index = .98, adjusted goodness-of-fitness index = .96, comparative fit index = .99, Tucker Lewis index = .98, root mean square error of approximation = .05, root mean residual = .01, and the P value for test of close fit = .464). Thus, the DCS was found to be a reliable and valid instrument to measure depressive cognitions among individuals from the general population.
Nuclear magnetic relaxation in electron transfer reactions

Abstract The effect on nuclear magnetic relaxation of electron transfer between a diamagnetic species and a paramagnetic species possessing one unpaired electron is considered. Expressions are derived for the T 1 , T 2 , and exchange-induced shift of the diamagnetic NMR signal, taking into account the effects of electron-nuclear dipolar relaxation, electronic longitudinal relaxation, and the isotropic contact shift arising from the unpaired electron. The treatment clarifies the contribution to the diamagnetic linewidth of scalar relaxation, and indicates under what conditions various approximate equations in the literature are valid. The results also demonstrate qualitatively how paramagnetic ions may be classified as shift or relaxation reagents on the basis of the rate of electron longitudinal relaxation.
Broadband mode-evolution-based four-port polarizing beam splitter

The first demonstration of a four-port integrated polarizing beam splitter is reported. The device was fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator platform and exhibits crosstalk level < -10dB over a 150nm bandwidth.
Matroid intersection, pointer chasing, and Young's seminormal representation of Sn

We consider the number of queries needed to solve the matroid intersection problem, a question raised by Welsh (1976). Given two matroids of rank r on n elements, it is known that O(nr1.5) independence queries suffice. However, no non-trivial lower bounds are known for this problem. We make the first progress on this question. We describe a family of instances of rank r = n/2 based on a pointer chasing problem, and prove that (log2 3) n-o (n) queries are necessary to solve these instances. This gives a constant factor improvement over the trivial lower bound of n for matroids of this rank. Our proof uses methods from communication complexity and group representation theory. We analyze the communication matrix by viewing it as an operator in the group algebra of the symmetric group and explicitly computing its spectrum.
A controlled-precision algorithm for mode-switching optimization

This paper describes an adaptive-precision algorithm for solving a general optimal mode-scheduling problem in switched-mode dynamical systems. The problem is complicated by the fact that the controlled variable has discrete and continuous components, namely the sequence of modes and the switching times between them. Recently we developed a gradient-descent algorithm whose salient feature is that its descent at a given iteration is independent of the length (number of modes) of the schedule, hence it is suitable to situations where the schedule-lengths at successive iterations grow unboundedly. The computation of the descent direction requires grid-based approximations to solve differential equations as well as minimize certain functions on uncountable sets. However, the algorithm's convergence analysis assumes exact computations, and it breaks down when approximations are used, because the descent directions are discontinuous in the problem parameters. The purpose of the present paper is to overcome this theoretical gap and its computational implications by developing an implementable, provably-convergent, adaptive-precision algorithm that controls the approximation levels by balancing precision with computational workloads.
IRS: an infrared spectrograph for SIRTF

The infrared spectrograph (IRS) to be flown in the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) makes use of many recent technological advances and will enable numerous new scientific investigations. The IRS is a broad-band (5 to 40 micrometers ) low and medium resolution (R equals (lambda) /(Delta) (lambda) equals 80 and 600) spectrograph, designed to take advantage of the low background conditions provided by SIRTF; it has no moving parts, and it will be background limited over much of its wavelength range. The IRS is a joint project of Cornell University, the California Institute of Technology, the University of Rochester, Ball Aerospace Group, the NASA Ames Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Alan: An Action Language For Modelling Non-Markovian Domains

In this paper we present the syntax and semantics of a temporal action language named Alan, which was designed to model interactive multimedia presentations where the Markov property does not always hold. In general, Alan allows the specification of systems where the future state of the world depends not only on the current state, but also on the past states of the world. To the best of our knowledge, Alan is the first action language which incorporates causality with temporal formulas. In the process of defining the effect of actions we define the closure with respect to a path rather than to a state, and show that the non-Markovian model is an extension of the traditional Markovian model. Finally, we establish relationship between theories of Alan and logic programs.
Spent Nuclear Fuel Structural Response when Subject to an End Impact Accident

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) is tasked with licensing safe spent fuel storage and transportation systems. A subset of this responsibility is to investigate and understand the structural performance of these systems. In a joint effort between staff at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the USNRC, computational studies were performed to predict the structural response of spent nuclear fuel when subject to an end impact accident. In this study the structural performance of a typical pressurized water reactor fuel assembly is evaluated using the ANSYS® /LS-DYNA® finite element analysis code.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Undersampled projection-reconstruction imaging for time-resolved contrast-enhanced imaging†

In time-resolved contrast-enhanced 3D MR angiography, spatial resolution is traded for high temporal resolution. A hybrid method is presented that attempts to reduce this tradeoff in two of the spatial dimensions. It combines an undersampled projection acquisition in two dimensions with variable rate k-space sampling in the third. Spatial resolution in the projection plane is determined by readout resolution and is limited primarily by signal-to-noise ratio. Oversampling the center of k-space combined with temporal k-space interpolation provides time frames with minimal venous contamination. Results demonstrating improved resolution in phantoms and volunteers are presented using angular undersampling factors up to eight with acceptable projection reconstruction artifacts.
Identification of non-tissue-specific helix-loop-helix genes in Xenopus laevis

We have isolated four non-tissue-specific helix-loop-helix (HLH) transcription factors from Xenopus laevis (Xl). While some are clearly orthologous to known mammalian HLH proteins, others have dramatic amino-acid differences in otherwise highly conserved protein domains. We propose that these changes arose following the tetraploidization of Xl approx. 30 Myr ago.
Effects of health facilitator performance and attendance at training sessions on the acquisition of tobacco refusal skills among multi-ethnic, high-risk adolescents

The study examined the effectiveness of a psycho-social tobacco use prevention intervention with a refusal skills training component on the refusal skills of high-risk adolescents, and investigated skill acquisition as related to subject demographics, performance of health facilitators and attendance at skills training sessions. Tobacco refusal skills were assessed for a group (n = 389) of high-risk, seventh-grade students participating as intervention and control subjects in Project SHOUT, a large tobacco use prevention program in the San Diego area. In addition, subject demographics, ratings of health facilitator performance and information about subjects' attendance at skills training sessions were collected. Subjects' responses to audiotaped peer offers of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco were coded for content and quality. Greater tobacco refusal skills among intervention subjects was hypothesized. Further health facilitator performance, attendance at training sessions and subject demographics were thought to be related to skill acquisition. High-risk intervention subjects gave significantly higher quality tobacco-refusal responses than did controls, although the differences between means were small. Results suggested that Hispanic adolescents were particularly receptive to the refusal skills training. The association between health facilitator performance and skill acquisition varied by subject ethnicity, as did the relationship between attendance at training sessions and skill acquisition.
Immunospecificity of chromatin nonhistone protein--DNA complexes in normal and neoplastic growth.

Increasing experimental evidence indicates that the nonhistone proteins of chromatin are involved in the process of cytodlfferentiation and regulation of genetic activity. They were shown to be very heterogeneous and tissue-specific by electrophoretic criteria and the presence of certain nonhistone proteins in reconstituted chromatin was found to be necessary for the in vitro transcription of tissuespecific RNA species [l-4] . Another group of nuclear nonhistone proteins is actively phosphorylated and the extent of the phosphorylation could be correlated to the transcriptional activity of chromatin templates [5-71. By complement fixation, a mixture of nonhistone proteins and DNA, produced by selective dehistonization of chromatin, is immunochemically tissue specific [8,9]. We report here that the neoplastic transformation changes the immunospecificity of nonhistone protein-DNA complexes in chromatin.
Extent of transcription by the RNA-dependent DNA polymerase of Rous sarcoma virus.

THE identification of RNA-dependent DNA polymerases as components of RNA tumour viruses1–6 is consistent with Temin's provirus theory, which contends that RNA tumour viruses transform cells by integrating DNA copies of their genome into host cell chromosomes7,8. Transcription of the entire RNA genome into double stranded DNA would permit an integrated provirus to serve as template for the replication of new viral RNA, but the DNA molecules produced by these polymerases are small compared with their viral RNA templates: formation of hybrids of short DNA pieces transcribed against 70S RNA3,6,9 is followed by incorporation of most of this single stranded DNA into similarly small double stranded DNA of 4-10S10–12.
Abstract 278: Post-transciptional activation of anti-oxidant enzymes by imatinib

Patients with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML) can be treated with targeted bcr-abl kinase inhibitors, such as imatinib. Recently, we reported that mononuclear cells obtained from individuals treated with imatinib often exhibit an increase in the enzyme activity of the antioxidant selenoprotein, glutathione peroxidase (GPx). Treatment of the bcr-abl positive cell line KU812 resulted in increased GPx enzyme and GPx1 protein levels in a dose (100-150 nM) and time (0-7 days) dependent manner, with a maximal increase of 3-fold. Imatinib-induced changes in other anti-oxidant enzymes were also assessed. Of these, no change in the levels of either catalase or GPx-4 were detected, although the levels of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) increased by a maximal level of 4-fold in imatinib-treated cells. Similar results were obtained in another bcr-abl positive, CML cell line, MEG-01. The elevation in the levels of these proteins occurred via a post-transcriptional mechanism as no increase in the steady state levels of the corresponding mRNA was detected by RT-PCR. The effect of imatinib was likely to be dependent on the presence of the bcr-abl fusion product as no changes in either GPx-1 or MnSOD were detected in either the immortalized lymphocyte cell line GM10832 or the prostate cancer-derived LNCaP human cell lines, neither of which contain bcr-abl. Since the mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) is a known protein substrate for the abl kinase, and mTOR activity can regulate protein translation, it was investigated whether inhibiting mTOR with rapamycin (1ng/ml) affected GPx-1 and MnSOD levels. Exposure of the KU812 and MEG-01 cells, as well as LNCaP and GM10832 with rapamycin resulted in increased GPx-1 protein and enzyme levels (2- to 4-fold), but had no measurable effects on MnSOD. These results indicate that imatinib, likely by the inhibition of bcr-abl, can post-transcriptionally enhance both GPx-1 and MnSOD levels, although by different mechanisms. These data may have therapeutic significance as both of these anti-oxidant enzymes may influence several different clinically relevant biological processes, including DNA damage susceptability, cell signaling and apoptosis. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 278. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-278
Hypotonic versus isotonic fluids in hospitalized children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective To determine whether the use of hypotonic vs isotonic maintenance fluids confers an increased risk of hyponatremia in hospitalized children. Study design A search of MEDLINE (1946 to January 2013), the Cochrane Central Registry (1991 to December 2012), Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (1990 to December 2012), and Pediatric Academic Societies (2000-2012) abstracts was conducted using the terms “hypotonic fluids/saline/solutions” and “isotonic fluids/saline/solutions,” and citations were reviewed using a predefined protocol. Data on the primary and secondary outcomes were extracted from original articles by 2 authors independently. Meta-analyses of the primary and secondary outcomes were performed when possible. Results A total of 1634 citations were screened. Ten studies (n = 893) identified as independent randomized controlled trials were included. Five studies examined subjects in the intensive care unit setting, including 4 on regular wards and 1 in a mixed setting. In hospitalized children receiving maintenance intravenous fluids, hyponatremia was seen more often in those receiving hypotonic fluids than in those receiving isotonic fluids, with an overall relative risk of 2.37 (95% CI, 1.72-3.26). Receipt of hypotonic fluids was associated with a relative risk of moderate hyponatremia ( Conclusion In hospitalized children in intensive care and postoperative settings, the administration of hypotonic maintenance fluids increases the risk of hyponatremia when compared with administration of isotonic fluids. For patients on general wards, insufficient data are available based on the reviewed studies, and individual risk factors must be assessed.
CTEQ5 parton distributions and ongoing studies.

The CTEQ5 parton distributions are described, with emphasis on the changes since CTEQ4. The most significant change is in the quark flavor dependence of the parton distributions. Ongoing studies of large-x parton distributions are discussed. Luminosity estimates are given for HERA in order to improve the present uncertainties of the quark distributions. A discussion of how to improve the gluon uncertainty in the future is presented.
Physical activity in infancy: developmental aspects, measurement, and importance

Relative to work on nutrient intake and growth in infancy and toddlerhood, research on physical activity (PA) from birth to age 24 mo is limited. In this review, the developmental course of PA in infancy and toddlerhood is described, and the issues that surround its measurement are addressed. Of the variety of techniques that allow for gauging PA in infancy and toddlerhood, caregiver questionnaires, direct observations, and motion sensors have been used most frequently. Although each method has shown utility, the limitations of each are also acknowledged. In addition, the relation of early PA to nutrition and overweight in infants is considered. Despite the challenges to accurately monitoring early PA, its possible contribution to early excess weight gain should be recognized.
Assessing Surface Water Quality and Its Relation with Urban Land Cover Changes in the Lake Calumet Area, Greater Chicago

Urban land use and land cover change significantly affect spatial and temporal patterns of runoff, which in turn impacts surface water quality. With the exponential growth in urban areas over the past three decades, changes in land use and land cover to cater for the growth of cities has been a conspicuous spectacle in urban spaces. The main goal of this study was to assess the impacts of land cover change on runoff and surface water quality using a partial area hydrology framework. The study employed ArcHydro GIS extension and a modified version of Long-Term Hydrologic and Nonpoint Source Pollution model (L-THIA-NPS) in estimating runoff and nonpoint source pollutant concentration around Lake Calumet between 1992 and 2001. Data employed include National Land Cover Data set, rainfall data, digital elevation model (DEM), Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) data, and The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s STORET (storage and retrieval) water quality data. The model was able to predict surface water quality reasonably well over the study period. Sensitivity analysis facilitated a manual calibration of the model. Model validation was executed by comparing simulated results following calibration and observed water quality data for the study area. The study demonstrates that the level of concentration of nonpoint source pollutants in surface water within an urban watershed heavily depends on the spatiotemporal variations in areas that contribute towards runoff compared to the spatial extent of change in major land use/land cover.
Defect selective etching of thick AlN layers grown on 6H-SiC seeds – a transmission electron microscopy study

In the present study, the type and densities of defects in AlN crystals grown on 6H-SiC seeds by the sublimation-recombination method were assessed. The positions of the defects in AlN were first identified by defect selective etching (DSE) in molten NaOH-KOH at 400 °C for 2 minutes. Etching produced pits of three different sizes: 1.8, 2.4, and 2.9 m. The etch pits were either aligned together forming a sub-grain boundary or randomly distributed. The smaller etch pits were either isolated or associated with larger etch pits. After preparing cross-sections of the pits by the focused ion beam (FIB) technique, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to determine the dislocation type (edge, mixed or screw) associated with a specific etch pit size. Preliminary TEM bright field and dark field imaging using different zone axes and diffraction vectors indicates an edge dislocation with a Burgers vector 1/3 ] 0 2
Visual-haptic relations in a two-dimensional size-matching task.

Visual and haptic perceptions of the two-dimensional size of square stimuli were compared using cross-modal, intramodal, and bimodal matching tasks. In a repeated-measures factorial design, 12 women participated in five matching tasks involving various combinations of vision and haptic touch; five sizes of standard squares were matched with a comparison range of 10 squares during each task. Analysis showed that, for stimuli with side lengths of .75 in. and smaller, matching accuracy was superior when vision was used during the matching task regardless of the modality used during inspection. When haptic touch was used in the matching task, accuracy was better when vision had been used during inspection than when it bad not. These results were consistent with those of previous studies comparing size perception by vision and other forms of touch. The over-all relationship between matched size and inspected size was best accounted for by a third-order polynomial function.
Environmental Stewardship in Early Childhood

(2011). Environmental Stewardship in Early Childhood. Childhood Education: Vol. 87, No. 4, pp. 232-238.
Congenital Tuberculosis in an Integrated Healthcare System

Abstract ISSUE: Congenital tuberculosis (TB) is a rare, but devastating, perinatal event. Congenital TB is transmitted from a mother with acute primary, miliary, endometrial, or cervical disease. The infant presents between 2 and 4 weeks of age with hepatosplenomegaly and respiratory symptoms. Congenital TB may be the first indication of maternal TB. A 2-week-old Hispanic infant presented to the Emergency Department with abdominal distention and fussiness. He was diagnosed with congenital miliary TB, affecting his liver and lungs. The mother had received prenatal care and had a negative tuberculin skin test (TST) at 10 weeks. After her infant's diagnosis, she was found to have a TST of 20 millimeters. A chest radiograph showed a pleural effusion. Although pleural fluid, sputum cultures, and an endometrial biopsy were negative for TB, she was treated for TB disease. PROJECT: The Infection Control and Infectious Disease Departments reviewed this case to determine if any additional interventions could have prevented this outcome. RESULTS: Case review showed that the clinical presentation in the mother was suggestive of primary TB. During such an infection, although the TST may be initially negative, the mother may have hematogenous dissemination of TB. This may have led to the congenital TB. LESSONS LEARNED: TST during pregnancy may help identify mothers with active or latent TB infection. However, a negative TST during the prenatal period does not preclude the subsequent occurrence of congenital TB.
Simulating power/energy consumption of sensor nodes with flexible hardware in wireless networks

Energy consumption and real-time performance are two important metrics for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). To estimate these metrics, a number of simulation environments have been developed. However, these environments were made specifically for sensor nodes with fixed architectures. The recent generation of sensor nodes often has flexible architectures through the use of programmable hardware components, i.e., Field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). So far, no simulators have been developed to evaluate the performance of such flexible nodes in wireless networks. In this paper, we present PowerSUNSHINE, a power- and energy-estimation tool that fills the void. PowerSUNSHINE is the first scalable power/energy estimation tool for WSNs that provides an accurate prediction for both fixed and flexible sensor nodes. In this paper, we first describe requirements and challenges of building PowerSUNSHINE. Then, we present power/energy models for both fixed and flexible sensor nodes. Two testbeds, a MicaZ platform and a flexible node consisting of a microcontroller, a radio and a FPGA based co-processor, are provided to demonstrate the simulation fidelity of PowerSUNSHINE. We also discuss several evaluation results based on simulation and testbeds to show that PowerSUNSHINE is a scalable simulation tool that provides accurate estimation of power/energy consumption for both fixed and flexible sensor nodes.
The Phase Behavior of Multicomponent Self-Assembled Monolayers Directs the Nanoscale Texturing of Si(100) by Wet Etching

We demonstrate a novel soft-lithography-based methodology for generating nanoscale structures on Si(100) substrates via wet chemical etching. The feature generation apparently results from the phase dynamics of a multicomponent resist ink which phase separates on the Si surface. The monolayers formed from inks comprised of different mole fractions of docosyltrichlorosilane and octyltrichlorosilane contact printing are annealed in air and then placed into KOH etching solutions to generate dense textures of nanoscale features. We examine the resulting etch structures via atomic force microscopy and find that the different mole fractions of the model inks used here influence the nanoscale textures of the structures obtained. The photoluminescence of the etched samples was examined, both for the samples obtained from the etching and following a subsequent treatment in a buffered HF solution.
Profitability under an Open versus a Closed System

This paper explores the conditions under which a monopolist selling a system consisting of a main component and differentiated secondary components can increase profits by allowing competition in the aftermarket for the secondary components. Opening the system in this fashion can increase profits by giving consumers an added incentive to incur the setup cost of purchasing the main component. This paper extends the second-sourcing literature by showing the explicit effects of various parameters of demand on the decision to open the system. The results show that an open system is likely to be more profitable than a closed one when demand for the system is more elastic, when secondary-component variety is more valued, and when the share of the main component in the total system budget of the consumer is high.
Ionisation constant of fumarase

Resume 1. 1. Les valeurs des constantes d'ionisation des groupes qui interviennent dans l'activite catalytique de la fumares ont ete determinees par deux methodes independantes. 2. 2. Les constantes d'ionisation de ces groupes sont augmentees par l'addition de divers anions, parmi lesquels les substracts. Les auteurs considerent que ce phenomene est en grande partie resposable de l'activation ou de l'inhibition par ces anions aux divers pH.
An Analysis of the "Screening Out" Model of Police Officer Selection

Psychological selection criteria for police officers have traditionally been part of a "screening out" model. This model has targeted for elimination from further consideration candidates with prob...
A P element with a novel fusion of reporters identifies regular, a C2H2 zinc-finger gene downstream of the circadian clock.

Abstract Elucidating the mechanisms that link the circadian pacemaker to the timing of behaviors it controls is one of the greatest challenges in circadian biology. We report the generation of a P element, P luc+ , containing a novel reporter fusion. Our fusion reporter capitalizes on the use of luciferase bioluminescence to easily analyze temporal expression as well as the strength of myc epitopes and GFP to identify spatial expression. Using P luc+ we have identified and characterized a novel C 2 H 2 zinc-finger gene, regular ( rgr ), that cycles circadianly in phase with period ( per ) gene expression, but shifts to light–dark regulation in Clk Jrk mutant flies. By following myc expression of the P luc+ reporter, we demonstrate that Rgr is expressed in a discrete number of neurons in the brain which overlap with axons expressing pigment-dispersing factor.
DETERMINATION OF CATECHINS IN COMMERCIAL GRAPE SEED EXTRACT

An HPLC-UV method with gradient elution for the quantification of catechins [(+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin and (−)-epicatechin gallate] in grape seed extract was developed. The presence of monomers, dimers, and/or trimers of catechin were assayed with an initial HPLC-APCI-MS analysis, which was followed by isolation, purification, and characterization with spectral (NMR and MS) analyses of the compounds of interest. The results confirmed the presence of above catechin monomers in grape seed extract. Three peaks of interest in HPLC-APCI-MS chromatogram were identified to be gallic acid, procyanidin-B4, and procyanidin-B2, respectively.
Review essay / The “P” word: Profiling

David A. Harris, Profiles in Injustice: Why Racial Profiling Cannot Work New York: The New Press, 2002, xi + 276 pp.
Sowing the seeds of an empire

Sir Joseph Banks: 18th Century Explorer, Botanist and Entrepreneur. By Charles Lyte. ISBN 0-7153-7884-8. Pp.248. (David and Charles: 1980.) £10.50, $32. The Journal of Joseph Banks in the Endeavour 1768-1771. With commentary by A.M. Lysaght. Facsimile edition, 2 vols, limited to 500 copies. Vol.I, pp.616, ISBN 0-904351-03-3; Vol. II, pp.732, ISBN 0-904351-04-1. (Genesis Publications, Guildford, Surrey: 1980.) £230.
Kloosterman sums and traces of singular moduli

Abstract We give a new proof of some identities of Zagier relating traces of singular moduli to the coefficients of certain weakly holomorphic half integral weight modular forms. These identities play a central role in Zagier's work on the infinite product isomorphism introduced by Borcherds. In addition, we derive a simple expression for writing twisted traces of singular moduli as infinite series.
The Short-Term Infusion of Ovine Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Does Not Alter Luteinizing Hormone Concentrations in Young Adult Men

Chronic stress leads to suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis with decreased plasma LH concentrations. This is believed to be due to the influence of elevated levels of endogenous CRH mediated via the endogenous opiate peptide receptor. Efforts to reproduce this phenomenon with exogenous CRH have produced varied results depending on the dose and route of administration of CRH as well as on the species, gonadal state, and endogenous opiate peptide system tone of the experimental subjects. In humans, conflicting results for CRH-induced suppression of the HPG axis exist for women, and the issue has not been addressed sufficiently in men. We, therefore, studied the effects of a 4-h infusion of ovine CRH (oCRH) on LH secretion in 11 healthy, nonobese young adult men (age range, 20–33 yr). Subjects were admitted to the General Clinical Research Center on 4 occasions in randomized order. They underwent blood sampling for LH at 10-min intervals from 1800–0600 h. From 2200–0200 h, subjects r...
Prevention of hemorrhage by elastic suture material used for securing intravenous catheters within major branches of the portal vein

Portal venous infusion of chemotherapy may prove to be an important treatment effective in diminishing the incidence of hepatic metastases from colorectal cancer. To infuse drugs safely and reliably, we have cannulated major branches of the portal vein exposed during right or left colectomy. To prevent bleeding into the free peritoneal cavity upon catheter removal, the cannula is secured with elastic suture material. The technique has been used in 30 patients without complication.
Efficient computation of the 2D periodic Green's function using the Ewald method

An efficient computation of the periodic Helmholtz Green's function for a 2D array of point sources using the Ewald method is presented. Limitations on the numerical accuracy when using the "optimum"E parameter (which gives optimum asymptotic convergence) at high frequency are discussed. A "best"E parameter is then derived to overcome these limitations, which allows for the fastest convergence while maintaining a specific level of accuracy (loss of significant figures) in the final result. The actual loss of significant figures has been verified through numerical simulations. Formulas for the number of terms needed for convergence have also been derived for both the spectral and the spatial series that appear in the Ewald method and are found to be accurate in almost all cases.
Molecular communication options for long range nanonetworks

Nanotechnology is an emerging field of science devoted to provide new opportunities in a vast range of areas. In this paper, different techniques are proposed to enable the long range interconnection of nano-machines, deployed over distances from a few centimeters up to several meters. Long range nano-communications will enable the development of applications that could not be implemented using other techniques. The usage of both short-range nano techniques and long range micro techniques are not practical or are unfeasible for a huge application scope. Biologically inspired research provides promising features to long range communication, such as very low power consumption and biocompatibility. In this paper, several bio-inspired techniques are discussed following a twofold taxonomy divided according to whether a fixed physical link is required for signal propagation or not, i.e., either wired or wireless communication. In the first group, pheromones, spores, pollen and light transduction are discussed. In the second group, neuron-based communication techniques and capillaries flow circuit are explored. All proposed techniques offer a good framework for long-range molecular communication, and their components and test-beds can benefit from different research expertise, e.g., entomology for pheromones, mycology for spores, neuroscience for axons, and biochemistry for capillaries.
Orientation of myosin binding protein C in the cardiac muscle sarcomere determined by domain-specific immuno-EM

Myosin binding protein C is a thick filament protein of vertebrate striated muscle. The cardiac isoform [cardiac myosin binding protein C (cMyBP-C)] is essential for normal cardiac function, and mutations in cMyBP-C cause cardiac muscle disease. The rod-shaped molecule is composed primarily of 11 immunoglobulin- or fibronectin-like domains and is located at nine sites, 43nm apart, in each half of the A-band. To understand how cMyBP-C functions, it is important to know its structural organization in the sarcomere, as this will affect its ability to interact with other sarcomeric proteins. Several models, in which cMyBP-C wraps around, extends radially from, or runs axially along the thick filament, have been proposed. Our goal was to define cMyBP-C orientation by determining the relative axial positions of different cMyBP-C domains. Immuno-electron microscopy was performed using mouse cardiac myofibrils labeled with antibodies specific to the N- and C-terminal domains and to the middle of cMyBP-C. Antibodies to all regions of the molecule, except the C-terminus, labeled at the same nine axial positions in each half A-band, consistent with a circumferential and/or radial rather than an axial orientation of the bulk of the molecule. The C-terminal antibody stripes were slightly displaced axially, demonstrating an axial orientation of the C-terminal three domains, with the C-terminus closer to the M-line. These results, combined with previous studies, suggest that the C-terminal domains of cMyBP-C run along the thick filament surface, while the N-terminus extends toward neighboring thin filaments. This organization provides a structural framework for understanding cMyBP-C's modulation of cardiac muscle contraction.
Increased toxicity and lack of efficacy of Rofecoxib in combination with chemotherapy for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer: A phase II study.

Preclinical and clinical models have demonstrated that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is overexpressed in primary and metastatic colorectal tumors. In preclinical models, there appears to be additive or synergistic effects when combining 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDs) for the treatment of colorectal neoplasms. This data raised the question as to whether adding a COX-2 inhibitor to 5-FU-based regimens would increase the response rates with an acceptable toxicity profile in patients with metastatic colon cancer. In the current study, patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, who were either untreated or previously treated (more than 1 year ago) with adjuvant 5-FU and Leucovorin (LV) received 5-FU and LV (Mayo regimen) in addition to Rofecoxib. Tumor samples from all patients exhibited evidence of moderate COX-2 over-expression. 4 patients entered on the study developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding (grade III). Other toxicities included grade II stomatitis (3 patients), grade II thrombocytopenia (1 patient), grade II diarrhea (2 patients) and grade I nausea (1 patient). There were no partial or complete responses in the first 10 patients entered on the study so the study was terminated (probability of success < 0.3 with type 1 error of 0.05 and power of 0.8). Thus, Rofecoxib did not appear to increase antitumor activity and resulted in increased gastrointestinal toxicity when combined with 5-FU/LV. Future studies will need to consider the added gastrointestinal toxicity of Rofecoxib when combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of patients with colorectal cancer. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Mini Mental State Exam as a Predictor of Neuropsychological Functioning after Cardiac Surgery

Objective:The present longitudinal study was designed to: 1) determine the ability of the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) to predict neuropsychologic impairment based on neuropsychologic testing five to seven days and six weeks after cardiac surgery; and 2) to determine whether the traditional or the education-related MMSE norms are more appropriate to use for this purpose.Method:The day before surgery (T1), before hospital discharge (T2), and six weeks after surgery (T3), 247 subjects completed a battery of five neuropsychologic tests. Subjects also completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Speilberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Subjects completed the MMSE two to three days after surgery.Results:Stepwise regression analyses revealed that the MMSE significantly predicted only a small portion of the variance in neuropsychologic test performance at T2, and to an even lesser extent at T3, over and above the demographic variables. In assessing the association between an impai...
On the diffusion field in the neighborhood of two identical spheres

Under steady state conditions the reduction in the diffusive flux into a sphere due the presence of a neighboring, identical sphere is calculated. Taking the flux into a sphere as 1 when the particles are at infinite separation, the flux decreases to a minimum value of 0.693 when the spheres are touching.
A New Symbolic Channel Router: YACR2

YACR2 is a channel router that minimizes the number of through vias in addition to the area used to complete the routing in a two-layer channel. It can route channels with cyclic constraints and uses a virtual grid. YACR2 uses preferably one layer for the horizontal segments of the nets and the other for the vertical ones but it may require the routing of a few horizontal segments in the second layer. Experimentally YACR2 performs better than any of the channel routers proposed thus far both in terms of area used and through vias. It routed the Deutsch Difficult Example in density with substantially less vias than Burstein's hierarchical router and with the default parameter values in less than 3 s of CPU time on a VAX 11/780.
A review of current studies on complexity of algorithms for partial differential equations

We review current work in analytic computational complexity of sequential algorithms for partial differential equations. Included are studies which analyze and compare classes of algorithms for hyperbolic, elliptic and parabolic problems. Emphasis is on the criteria and techniques used to perform the analysis and comparisons.
Tritium labeled trans-4-n-butyl-2,3-3H-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid. Preparation of testosterone 17β-trans-4-n-butyl-2,3-3H-cyclohexanecarboxylate and [4-14C]-testosterone 17β-trans-4-n-butylcyclohexane carboxylate

The synthesis of trans-4-n-butyl-2,3-3H-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid is described. The title compound was synthesized by catalytic tritiation of 4-n-butylcyclohex-2-enecarboxylic acid, which was obtained from a “double” Birch reduction of 4-n-butylbenzoic acid. The trans-acid was isolated from a mixture of cis/trans diastereomers by the selective formation of a thiourea inclusion complex. The title compound was used for the synthesis of the 17β-ester of testosterone. In addition, [4-14C]-testosterone was esterfied using unlabelled trans acid. The three radiolabelled compounds will be used in metabolism studies.
The Drosophila peanut gene is required for cytokinesis and encodes a protein similar to yeast putative bud neck filament proteins

We have identified a Drosophila gene, peanut (pnut), that is related in sequence to the CDC3, CDC10, CDC11, and CDC12 genes of S. cerevisiae. These genes are required for cytokinesis, and their products are present at the bud neck during cell division. We find that pnut is also required for cytokinesis: in pnut mutants, imaginal tissues fail to proliferate and instead develop clusters of large, multinucleate cells. Pnut protein is localized to the cleavage furrow of dividing cells during cytokinesis and to the intercellular bridge connecting postmitotic daughter cells. In addition to its role in cytokinesis, pnut displays genetic interactions with seven in absentia, a gene required for neuronal fate determination in the compound eye, suggesting that pnut may have pleiotropic functions. Our results suggest that this class of proteins is involved in aspects of cytokinesis that have been conserved between flies and yeast.
The Effects of Glutathione (GSH) Depletion on Liver and Lung Heme Oxygenase(HO) in Neonatal Rats † 313

The Effects of Glutathione (GSH) Depletion on Liver and Lung Heme Oxygenase(HO) in Neonatal Rats † 313
The effect of soaps and detergents on the critical solution temperature of triethylamine and water

Abstract Soaps and detergents cause an elevation of the critical solution temperature of the system triethylamine-water. This is probably due to the greatly increased mutual solubilities of the liquids in the presence of the soap and detergent ions. Cationic detergents, anionic soaps and detergents, and mixtures of the two types produce changes of the critical solution temperature which may be explained by the principle that “like dissolves like.”
Multiple-sphere configurations in the path-integral representation of the wave function of the Universe.

We consider the minisuperspace path integral for a closed homogeneous isotropic model in 2+1 dimensions using Einstein gravity with a cosmological constant and an antisymmetric tensor field matter source. We apply Hartle-Hawking boundary conditions. We therefore sum over three-geometries connecting a two-sphere of given radius to zero. The minisuperspace path integral reduces to a single ordinary integration over the lapse, and we study this integral by finding the saddle points---representing classical solutions---and the steepest-descent contours connecting them. We find that the integral has an infinite number of saddle points. Each represents a three-geometry interpolating between zero and the final two-sphere with an arbitrary number of wormhole-connected three-spheres in between. The value of the integral depends crucially on how the contour of integration is chosen, and the extent to which certain multiple-sphere configurations contribute depends on whether or not a chosen contour may be distorted into a steepest-descent path passing through the corresponding saddle points. Although steepest-descent contours passing through an infinite number of saddle points may be found, we argue, using standard steepest-descent arguments, that it is misleading to approximate the value of the path integral by summing exp(-I) for each of the saddle points. The reason is that the polynomial corrections about the dominant saddle point are much greater than any of the contributions from the subdominant saddle points. This means that although the path integral has the formal appearance of a sum over multiple-sphere configurations, the only significant contribution comes from the one or two configurations with least action. Possible implications for the sum over spheres in the Coleman mechanism are discussed.
Next generation framework for aquatic modeling of the Earth System

Abstract. Earth System model development is becoming an increasingly complex task. As scientists attempt to represent the physical and bio-geochemical processes and various feedback mechanisms in unprecedented detail, the models themselves are becoming increasingly complex. At the same time, the complexity of the surrounding IT infrastructure is growing as well. Earth System models must manage a vast amount of data in heterogeneous computing environments. Numerous development efforts are on the way to ease that burden and offer model development platforms that reduce IT challenges and allow scientists to focus on their science. While these new modeling frameworks (e.g. FMS, ESMF, CCA, OpenMI) do provide solutions to many IT challenges (performing input/output, managing space and time, establishing model coupling, etc.), they are still considerably complex and often have steep learning curves. The Next generation Framework for Aquatic Modeling of the Earth System (NextFrAMES, a revised version of FrAMES) have numerous similarities to those developed by other teams, but represents a novel model development paradigm. NextFrAMES is built around a modeling XML that lets modelers to express the overall model structure and provides an API for dynamically linked plugins to represent the processes. The model XML is executed by the NextFrAMES run-time engine that parses the model definition, loads the module plugins, performs the model I/O and executes the model calculations. NextFrAMES has a minimalistic view representing spatial domains and treats every domain (regardless of its layout such as grid, network tree, individual points, polygons, etc.) as vector of objects. NextFrAMES performs computations on multiple domains and interactions between different spatial domains are carried out through couplers. NextFrAMES allows processes to operate at different frequencies by providing rudimentary aggregation and disaggregation facilities. NextFrAMES was designed primarily for hydrological modeling purposes, but many of its functionality should be applicable for a wide range of land surface models. In its present capabilities NextFrAMES is probably inadequate to implement fully coupled Earth System models, but future versions with the guidance from Earth System developers might someday eliminate its limitations. Our intent with NextFrAMES is to initiate a dialog about new ways of expressing models that is less tied to the actual implementation and allow scientist to develop models at a more abstract level.