cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and SAR of arylaminoethyl amides as noncovalent inhibitors of cathepsin S: P3 cyclic ethers

The synthesis and structure-activity relationship of a series of arylaminoethyl amide cathepsin S inhibitors are reported. Optimization of P3 and P2 groups to improve overall physicochemical properties resulted in significant improvements in oral bioavailability over early lead compounds. An X-ray structure of compound 37 bound to the active site of cathepsin S is also reported.
Photocathodes: Their efficiency and stability

Abstract As photodiodes are more frequently being used in the vacuum ultraviolet and X-ray spectral region, there is more interest in the photocathode efficiency, stability, speed of response and in the techniques of absolute efficiency calibrations. These properties are reviewed and special problems such as saturation effects and detection of polarized radiation are discussed.
Testing for a change point in a sequence of exponential random variables with repeated values

Two test statistics are proposed for the change-point problem with repeated values when the data follow an exponential distribution. The properties of these two statistics have been studied and their asymptotic distributions under the alternative have been derived. The powers of the two test statistics are compared. Real-data examples are presented to illustrate the application of these tests.
On enzymatic activity in organic solvents as a function of enzyme history.

Catalytic activities of {alpha}-chymotrypsin and subtilisin Carlsberg in various hydrous organic solvents were measured as a function of how the enzyme suspension had been prepared. In one method, lyophilized enzyme was directly suspended in the solvent containing 1% water. In another, the enzyme was precipitated from its aqueous solution by a 100-fold dilution with an anhydrous solvent. In most cases, the reaction rate in a given nonaqueous enzymatic system strongly (up to an order of magnitude) depended on the mode of enzyme preparation. The magnitude of this dependence was markedly affected by the nature of the solvent and enzyme. A mechanistic hypothesis proposed to explain the observed dependencies was verified in additional experiments in which the water contents and enzyme history were further varied.
Gum tragacanth in Iran

Several species of the genus Astragalus, growing wild in Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan and adjacent Russia are the commercial sources of this exudate, obtained by tapping the branches or roots. Its hydrophilic and colloidal properties are of value in the manufacture of ice cream, liquors, lotions, sizings and other industrial products.
Hemodynamic changes induced by cardiac angiography with ioxaglate: Comparison with diatrizoate

The hemodynamic and electrocardiographic changes induced by left ventriculography and coronary arteriography with ioxaglate (a new low osmolality angiographic contrast agent) were characterized and compared with the changes induced by a commercial formulation of the commonly used angiographic contrast agent, diatrizoate (Renografin-76). Left ventriculography and coronary arteriography were performed in 25 patients utilizing ioxaglate and in another 25 patients utilizing diatrizoate. Both agents increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and decreased arteriovenous oxygen difference after left ventriculography, but the magnitude of the increase caused by ioxaglate was significantly less than that caused by diatrizoate (changes in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure was 5.3 ±1.3 mm Hg with ioxaglate and 9.5 ± 1.5 mm Hg with diatrizoate [p Both agents were well tolerated when used for coronary arteriography with no adverse events occurring in either group. Ioxaglate is a well tolerated cardiac angiographic contrast agent that produces less hemodynamic disturbance than diatrizoate. Accordingly, it may be particularly well suited to use in patients with impaired left ventricular function.
Pebble orientation on large, experimental debris-flow deposits

Abstract Replicable, pronounced orientation of discoid pebbles (≥8 mm) embedded on surfaces of large (∼10 m3) experimental debris-flow deposits reveals that strongly aligned, imbricate fabric can develop rapidly over short distances in mass flows. Pebble long axes aligned subparallel to deposit margins as well as subparallel to margins of surge waves arrested within the deposits. Pebble alignment exhibited modes both parallel to (a(p)), the primary flow direction; intermediate axes dipped preferentially inward from surge-wave margins (b(i) orientation). Repetitive development of margin-parallel, imbricate fabric distributed across deposit surfaces provides compelling evidence that deposits formed dominantly through progressive incremental accretion rather than through simple en masse emplacement. Pronounced fabric along deposit and arrested surge-wave margins reflects significant grain interaction along flow margins. This sedimentological evidence for significant marginal grain interaction complements theoretical analyses (Iverson, 1997) and other experimental data (Major, 1996; Iverson, 1997) that indicate that resistance along flow margins is an important factor affecting debris-flow deposition. The fabric on the experimental deposits demonstrates that debris flows can develop strongly imbricate particle orientation that mimics fabric developed during fluvial deposition. Particle shape and local stress fields appear to have more control over fabric development than does general depositional process. Other criteria in addition to particle orientation are needed to discriminate mass flow from fluvial gravel deposits and to unravel depositional history.
Developmental plasticity in fat patterning of Ache children in response to variation in interbirth intervals: A preliminary test of the roles of external environment and maternal reproductive strategies

A firm link between small size at birth and later more centralized fat patterning has been established in previous research. Relationships between shortened interbirth intervals and small size at birth suggest that maternal energetic prioritization may be an important, but unexplored determinant of offspring fat patterning. Potential adaptive advantages to centralized fat storage (Baker et al., 2008: In: Trevathan W, McKenna J, Smith EO, editors. Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives. New York: Oxford) suggest that relationships with interbirth intervals may reflect adaptive responses to variation in patterns of maternal reproductive effort. Kuzawa (2005: Am J Hum Biol 17:5-21; 2008: In: Trevathan W, McKenna J, Smith EO, editors. Evolutionary Medicine and Health: New Perspectives. New York: Oxford) has argued that maternal mediation of the energetic quality of the environment is a necessary component of developmental plasticity models invoking predictive adaptive responses (Gluckman and Hanson 2004: Trends Endocrinol Metab 15:183-187). This study tested the general hypothesis that shortened interbirth intervals would predict more centralized fat patterning in offspring. If long-term maternally mediated signals are important determinants of offspring responses, then we expected to observe a relationship between the average interbirth interval of mothers and offspring adiposity, with no relationship with the preceding interval. Such a finding would suggest that maternal, endogenous resource allocation decisions are related to offspring physiology in a manner consistent with Kuzawa's description. We observed exactly such a relationship among the Ache of Paraguay, suggesting that maternally mediated in utero signals of postnatal environments may be important determinants of later physiology. The implications of these findings are reviewed in light of life history and developmental plasticity theories and ourability to generalize the results to other populations. Recommendations for further empirical research are briefly summarized.
PATTERNS OF MATING IN WILD SUNFLOWER HYBRID ZONES.

Theory predicts that homoploid hybrid speciation will be facilitated by selfing, yet most well-documented hybrid species are outcrossers. One possible explanation for this puzzle is that conditions in hybrid populations may favor selfing, even in otherwise outcrossing species. For example, in self-incompatible plants, mixtures of self and interspecific pollen often induce selfing. Here, we examine patterns of mating in three hybrid zones and four "pure" populations of Helianthus annuus and H. petiolaris, wild, self-incompatible sunflower species that are thought to have parented three homoploid hybrid species. Fourteen to 16 maternal families from each pure population and 44-46 maternal families from each hybrid zone were analyzed for seven polymorphic isozyme loci. Maximum-likelihood (ML) methods were used to estimate multilocus outcrossing rates (Tm ) and hybridization frequencies for each maternal family, each phenotypic group within each hybrid zone (annuus-like, hybrid, and petiolaris-like), and each population. As predicted for self-incompatible species, all four parental populations have outcrossing rate ML estimates of 1.0. Within the hybrid zones, outcrossing rates were lowest in the H. annuus-like fraction of the population (0.73, 0.72, and 0.74 in the three hybrid zones, respectively), largely intermediate in the H. petiolaris-like group (0.94, 0.90, and 0.94), and highest in the hybrid group (0.97, 0.93, and 0.97). Although outcrossing rates are lower in hybrid zones than in pure populations, it is unlikely that the observed decrease facilitates hybrid speciation because outcrossing rates in the critical hybrid fraction of the population do not differ significantly from 1.0. Dividing the outcrossed pollen pool into intraspecific and interspecific components revealed that maternal plants are largely fertilized by conspecific pollen, confirming an important role for pollen competition as a reproductive barrier. Highly sterile hybrid plants do not appear to discriminate between parental species pollen, but hybrids with higher fertility tend to be fertilized by pollen from the parental group they resemble genetically. Thus, gametic selection leads to substantial assortative mating in these hybrid zones.
Learning to ask the right questions to help a learner learn

Intelligent systems require substantial bodies of problem-solving knowledge. Machine learning techniques hold much appeal for acquiring such knowledge but typically require extensive amounts of user-supplied training data. Alternatively, informed question asking can supplement machine learning by directly eliciting critical knowledge from a user. Question asking can reduce the amount of training data required, and hence the burden on the user; furthermore, focused question asking holds significant promise for faster and more accurate acquisition of knowledge. In previous work, we developed static strategies for question asking that provide background knowledge for a base learner, enabling the learner to make useful generalizations even with few training examples. Here, we extend that work with a learning approach for automatically acquiring question-asking strategies that better accommodate the interdependent nature of questions. We present experiments validating the approach and showing its usefulness for acquiring efficient, context-dependent question-asking strategies.
Promyelocytic leukemia protein 4 induces apoptosis by inhibition of survivin expression.

The promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) plays an essential role in multiple pathways of apoptosis. Our previous study showed that PML enhances tumor necrosis factor-induced apoptosis by inhibiting the NFκB survival pathway. To continue exploring the mechanism of PML-induced apoptosis, we performed a DNA microarray screening of PML target genes using a PML-inducible stable cell line. We found that Survivin was one of the downstream target genes of PML. Cotransfection experiments demonstrated that PML4 repressed transactivation of the Survivin promoter in an isoform-specific manner. Western blot analysis demonstrated that induced PML expression down-regulated Survivin. Inversely, PML knockdown by siRNA up-regulated Survivin expression. A substantial increase in Survivin expression was found in PML-deficient cells. Re-expression of PML in PML–/– mouse embryo fibroblasts down-regulated the expression of Survivin. Furthermore, cells arrested at the G2/M cell cycle phase expressed a high level of Survivin and a significantly lower level of PML. Overexpression of PML in A549 cells reduced Survivin expression leading to massive apoptotic cell death associated with activation of procaspase 9, caspase 3, and caspase 7. Together, our results demonstrate a novel mechanism of PML-induced apoptosis by down-regulation of Survivin.
Fighting or Feeding Fires

"Pop," said Edgar, looking up from the book he was reading, "what is meant by 'diplomatic phraseology'?" "Well," replied the father, "if you were to say to a homely girl, 'Your face would stop a clock,' that would be uncomplimentary and utter stupidity; but if you said to her, 'When I look into your eyes, time stands still,' that would be diplomatic phraseology."3 The greatest teacher of all time indicated that the tongue is a small part of the entire body but all powerful. "Out of the same mouth procedeth blessing and cursing. My brethen, these things ought not so to be."4 The tongue cannot be totally regulated, but can be governed. Ginott gives the following vignette illustrating how one teacher was a fire-fighter and not a fire-feeder.
A Novel Neural Network-Based Asphalt Compaction Analyzer

Achieving the desired density during field compaction of asphalt mixes is critical to meeting the design specifications of an asphalt pavement. Existing techniques measure the density of asphalt mixes at a discrete number of points. As such, the process is cumbersome, time consuming, and is not indicative of the overall compaction achieved unless large amounts of data is collected and analyzed. In this paper, the concept of a novel neural network-based asphalt compaction analyzer capable of predicting the density continuously, in real time, during the construction of the pavement is presented. The concept is verified using laboratory data from an asphalt vibratory compactor (AVC). The compaction analyzer is based on the hypothesis that a vibratory compactor and the hot mix asphalt (HMA) mat form a coupled system having unique vibration properties. The measured vibrations of the compactor along with the process parameters such as lift thickness, mix type, mix temperature, and compaction pressure can be use...
Acousto-electro-optic phase gratings for optical signal processing applications.

Electrooptic and acoustooptic phase gratings perform many useful operations and often compete with each other for similar applications. Using piezoelectric crystals, it is possible to generate a simultaneous acousto-electro-optic (AEO) grating, which has advantages over applying either effect separately. The AEO effect using surface acoustic waves and electrooptic interdigital transducers is discussed. Coupled mode theory has been used to analyze the resulting diffraction effects, and experimental results in both the Bragg and Raman-Nath regimes are reported. The device can perform fundamental operations such as convolution, correlation, and optical matrix processing. We propose AEO components for use in spread spectrum systems, hybrid optical bistability, and adaptive phased array antenna control.
On the pH-dependence of the light-induced hydrogen ion gradient in spinach chloroplasts.

Abstract The dependence of the light-induced H + gradient in chloroplasts (ΔpH) on external pH was examined using the distribution of aniline, an amine of low p K a . ΔpH was essentially independent of pH over the range of 7–8. It was previously reported that ΔpH, determined from the distribution of relatively polar amines of high p K a , decreased as the pH was lowered below 8. It is suggested that, in the case of amines of high p K a , ΔpH values determined at low external pH values are too low because the permeability of chloroplasts to the amine cation relative to that of the unprotonated form may be significant.
Traumatic thoracic aortic aneurysm: treatment with endovascular stent-grafts.

PURPOSE: To demonstrate the feasibility and safety of endovascular stent-graft placement for treatment of traumatic aortic aneurysm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten patients with traumatic aortic aneurysm were treated with endovascular stent-grafts. Three patients had an acute traumatic aneurysm; seven had a chronic aneurysm. Stent-grafts were constructed from modified Z-stents covered with woven polyester or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene graft material and were deployed through a 20-24-F delivery sheath in an exposed artery located remotely from the lesion. RESULTS: Stent-graft placement and thrombosis of the aneurysmal sac were successful in all patients. Major complications were encountered in three patients after endovascular treatment. One patient had a peri-graft leak; complete thrombosis of the aneurysmal sac was achieved after coil embolization of the leak. Transposition of the left subclavian artery was necessary to relieve left arm ischemia in another patient. In the third patient, stent placement...
Manifestation of the limb prepattern: limb development in the absence of sonic hedgehog function.

The secreted protein encoded by the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) gene is localized to the posterior margin of vertebrate limb buds and is thought to be a key signal in establishing anterior-posterior limb polarity. In the Shh(-/-) mutant mouse, the development of many embryonic structures, including the limb, is severely compromised. In this study, we report the analysis of Shh(-/-) mutant limbs in detail. Each mutant embryo has four limbs with recognizable humerus/femur bones that have anterior-posterior polarity. Distal to the elbow/knee joints, skeletal elements representing the zeugopod form but lack identifiable anterior-posterior polarity. Therefore, Shh specifically becomes necessary for normal limb development at or just distal to the stylopod/zeugopod junction (elbow/knee joints) during mouse limb development. The forelimb autopod is represented by a single distal cartilage element, while the hindlimb autopod is invariably composed of a single digit with well-formed interphalangeal joints and a dorsal nail bed at the terminal phalanx. Analysis of GDF5 and Hoxd11-13 expression in the hindlimb autopod suggests that the forming digit has a digit-one identity. This finding is corroborated by the formation of only two phalangeal elements which are unique to digit one on the foot. The apical ectodermal ridge (AER) is induced in the Shh(-/-) mutant buds with relatively normal morphology. We report that the architecture of the Shh(-/-) AER is gradually disrupted over developmental time in parallel with a reduction of Fgf8 expression in the ridge. Concomitantly, abnormal cell death in the Shh(-/-) limb bud occurs in the anterior mesenchyme of both fore- and hindlimb. It is notable that the AER changes and mesodermal cell death occur earlier in the Shh(-/-) forelimb than the hindlimb bud. This provides an explanation for the hindlimb-specific competence to form autopodial structures in the mutant. Finally, unlike the wild-type mouse limb bud, the Shh(-/-) mutant posterior limb bud mesoderm does not cause digit duplications when grafted to the anterior border of chick limb buds, and therefore lacks polarizing activity. We propose that a prepattern exists in the limb field for the three axes of the emerging limb bud as well as specific limb skeletal elements. According to this model, the limb bud signaling centers, including the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA) acting through Shh, are required to elaborate upon the axial information provided by the native limb field prepattern.
Evaluation of short read metagenomic assembly

Assembling short reads obtained from community samples using next-generation sequencing technologies is challenging due to several reasons. In this study we assess the performance of a state-of-the-art Eulerian-path based assembler on a series of simulated dataset with varying complexities. We evaluate the feasibility of metagenomic assembly with reads restricted to length 36 base pairs, obtained from the Solexa/Illumina platform. We developed a pipeline to evaluate the quality of assembly based on contig length statistics and accuracy. We studied the effect of overlap parameters used for the metagenomic assembly and developed a clustering solution to pool the contigs obtained from different runs of the assembly algorithm which allowed us to obtain longer contigs from different runs. We also computed an entropy/impurity metric to assess the degree of chimericity in the assembled contigs. We also compared the metagenomic assemblies to the best possible solution that could be obtained by assembling individual source genomes. Our results show that accuracy was better than expected for the metagenomic samples with a few dominant organisms and was especially poor in samples containing many closely related strains.
RBE: Rendering by example

Rendering is defined to be a customized presentation of data in such a way that allows users to subsequently interact with the presented data. Traditionally such a user interface would be a custom application written using conventional programming languages; in contrast we propose an application-independent, declarative (i.e., what-you-want) language that we call Rendering By Example, RBE, with the capability to specify a wide variety of renderings. RBE is a domain calculus language over user interface widgets. Most previous domain calculus database languages (e.g., QBE, LDL, Datalog) mainly addressed the data processing problem. The main contribution in developing RBE is to model semantics of user interactions in a declarative way. This declarative specification not only allows quick and ad-hoc specification of renderings (i.e., user interfaces) but also provides a framework to understand renderings as an abstract concept, independent of the application. Further, such a linguistic abstraction provides the basis for user-interface research. RBE is part of the ICBE language that is being prototyped in the Picture Programming project at HP Labs. >
Metabolic crossroads of iron and copper

Interactions between the essential dietary metals, iron and copper, have been known for many years. This review highlights recent advances in iron-copper interactions with a focus on tissues and cell types important for regulating whole-body iron and copper homeostasis. Cells that mediate dietary assimilation (enterocytes) and storage and distribution (hepatocytes) of iron and copper are considered, along with the principal users (erythroid cells) and recyclers of red cell iron (reticuloendothelial macrophages). Interactions between iron and copper in the brain are also discussed. Many unanswered questions regarding the role of these metals and their interactions in health and disease emerge from this synopsis, highlighting extensive future research opportunities.
The stereoselective synthesis of 3-fluoro-azetidinones

Abstract 3-Fluoro-azetidinones were prepared by both the enolate-imine and ketene-imine condensation reactions. The reactions of fluorinated ketenes with imines were remarkably stereoselective forming products derived from lk reaction topicity.
Federal Fishery Policy and the Geographic Distribution of Commercial U.S. West Coast Fish Landings: Insights from the 2003 Federal Groundfish Permit Buyback

Abstract This study investigates the relative geographic stability of fish landings over time on the West Coast of the United States. Special attention is given to how that distribution was affected by a federal policy to improve fishery efficiency through a program to buyback limited-entry groundfish trawl permits. The findings indicate that programs that promote efficiency may also affect where fish are landed. The 2003 buyback was found to have an effect on the geographic distribution of landings by reducing the geographic dispersion of industry participants. This shift in landings is likely to have economic impacts on communities where landings are reduced though upstream and downstream third party impacts. JEL Classification Codes: R11, R15, Q22
The Political Economy of Truth in the ''War on Terror'' Discourse: Competing Visions of an Iraq/al Qaeda Connection

The textual analysis in this paper examines an interview with Vice-President Dick Cheney by Gloria Borger on CNBC's 2004 Capital Report. The interview took place on 17 June 2004, the day after the 9/11 Commission released Staff Statement No. 15, a twelve page preliminary report that concluded no “collaborative relationship” existed between Iraq and al-Qaeda. The aim of the analysis is to show how the struggle over “truth” unfolds in micro-level discursive interaction and to underscore the way this process is embedded within and contributes to the circulation of truth claims associated with the macro-level War on Terror Discourse (WoTD).
Disease Modifiers in the Management of Ulcerative Colitis

Although an individual’s susceptibility to develop inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) appears to be genetically determined, the actual development of the disease is largely influenced by environmental factors. In developed countries, IBD emerged during the middle of the twentieth century, initially in the form of ulcerative colitis (UC), but over the past several decades, Crohn’s disease (CD) has become the predominant form of IBD. Interestingly, in parts of the world where IBD was rare, epidemiologic studies have demonstrated the emergence of UC. These data support the role of environmental influence on the development of IBD. Additionally, epidemiologic studies show an increased risk of IBD with immigration from a country with low IBD prevalence to high prevalence regions.
The effect of nitrogen addition on soil organic matter dynamics: a model analysis of the Harvard Forest Chronic Nitrogen Amendment Study and soil carbon response to anthropogenic N deposition

Recent observations indicate that long-term N additions can slow decomposition, leading to C accumulation in soils, but this process has received limited consideration by models. To address this, we developed a model of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics to be used with the PnET model and applied it to simulate N addition effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. We developed the model's SOC turnover times and responses to experimental N additions using measurements from the Harvard Forest, Massachusetts. We compared model outcomes to SOC stocks measured during the 20th year of the Harvard Forest Chronic Nitrogen Amendment Study, which includes control, low (5 g N m -2 yr -1 ) and high (15 g N m -2 yr -1 )Na ddi- tion to hardwood and red pine stands. For unfertilized stands, simulated SOC stocks were within 10 % of measurements. Simulations that used measured changes in decomposition rates in response to N accurately captured SOC stocks in the hardwood low N and pine high N treatment, but greatly underestimated SOC stocks in the hardwood high N and the pine low N treatments. Simulated total SOC response to experimental N addition resulted in accumulation of 5.3-7.9 kg C per kg N following N addition at 5 g N m -2 yr -1 and 4.1-5.3 kg C per kg N following N addition at 15 g N m -2 yr -1 . Model simulations suggested that ambient atmospheric N deposition at the Harvard Forest (currently 0.8 g N m -2 yr -1 )h as led to an increase in cumulative O, A, and B horizons C stocks of 211 g C m -2 (3.9 kg C per kg N) and 114 g C m -2 (2.1 kg C per kg N) for hardwood and pine stands, respectively. Simulated SOC accumulation is primarily driven by the modeled decrease in SOM decomposition in the Oa horizon.
Left-Hemisphere Activation and Deficient Response Modulation in Psychopaths:

Psychopathic offenders have difficulty processing contextual or secondary cues once they have initiated goal-directed behavior or allocated attention to a primary task. To test the hypothesis that this deficit in response modulation is specific to conditions in which psychopaths' left-hemisphere resources are engaged, we administered a serial recall task to 21 incarcerated psychopaths and 21 control subjects. Subjects were instructed to memorize eight words that were presented one at a time, each in one of the four corners of the visual display. Subjects' primary task was to recall the words in serial order. Then, without forewarning, they were asked to recall the words' locations. As predicted, psychopaths performed as well as control subjects in recalling words from the left and right spatial fields, but recalled significantly fewer locations from the right spatial field. Thus, psychopaths' deficient response modulation was specific to conditions in which their left-hemisphere resources were actively engaged.
Cavermap-assisted sural nerve interposition graft during radical prostatectomy

Sural nerve interposition grafting of deliberately excised neurovascular bundles is controversial. Nevertheless, as proof of principle the authors have shown that bilateral sural nerve graft at the time of non nerve-sparing retropubic prostatectomy allows for recovery of potency. Deliberate, wide excision of the neurovascular bundle in the presence of extracapsular extension of the carcinoma may improve cancer control in patients undergoing radical, retropubic prostatectomy. The authors describe the rationale, technique, and outcomes data generated at their institution in patients undergoing deliberate excision of one or both cavernosal neurovascular bundles with sural nerve interposition graft at the time of retropubic prostatectomy.
Pathophysiology and Management of Abdominal Compartment Syndrome

Abdominal compartment syndrome is a potentially lethal condition caused by any event that produces intra-abdominal hypertension; the most common cause is blunt abdominal trauma. Increasing intra-abdominal pressure causes progressive hypoperfusion and ischemia of the intestines and other peritoneal and retroperitoneal structures. Pathophysiological effects include release of cytokines, formation of oxygen free radicals, and decreased cellular production of adenosine triphosphate. These processes may lead to translocation of bacteria from the gut and intestinal edema, predisposing patients to multiorgan dysfunction syndrome. The consequences of abdominal compartment syndrome are profound and affect many vital body systems. Hemodynamic, respiratory, renal, and neurological abnormalities are hallmarks of abdominal compartment syndrome. Medical management consists of urgent decompressive laparotomy. Nursing care involves vigilant monitoring for early detection, including serial measurements of intra-abdominal pressure.
Circulating tissue factor procoagulant activity is elevated in stable moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients have increased risk for cardiovascular mortality and venous thromboembolism. Tissue factor (TF) is the physiological initiating mechanism for blood coagulation and is pro-inflammatory.
Electromagnetic field analysis and dynamic simulation of a two-valve solenoid actuator

A vector potential finite-element model (FEM) and computational scheme are developed for the evaluation and improvement of the dynamic performance of axisymmetric two-valve solenoid actuators. The derivation of the magnetic energy functional corrects errors that are found in previous formulations. The model is used to study the magnetic characteristics and dynamic behavior of a prototype solenoid valve. Calculated results, including the magnetic force and coil inductance as functions of the coil current and plunger position, as well as the closing and opening times for both valves, show good agreement with measured data. Suggestions are made for a design with better performance, and the superiority is verified by tests. Results indicate that the model and computations are an effective tool for the design of magnetic solenoid valves. >
Engineering and Preclinical Evaluation of Attenuated Nontyphoidal Salmonella Strains Serving as Live Oral Vaccines and as Reagent Strains

While nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) has long been recognized as a cause of self-limited gastroenteritis, it is becoming increasingly evident that multiple-antibiotic-resistant strains are also emerging as important causes of invasive bacteremia and focal infections, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths. We have constructed attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis strains that can serve as live oral vaccines and as “reagent strains” for subunit vaccine production in a safe and economical manner. Prototype attenuated vaccine strains CVD 1921 and CVD 1941, derived from the invasive wild-type strains S. Typhimurium I77 and S. Enteritidis R11, respectively, were constructed by deleting guaBA, encoding guanine biosynthesis, and clpP, encoding a master protease regulator. The clpP mutation resulted in a hyperflagellation phenotype. An additional deletion in fliD yielded reagent strains CVD 1923 and CVD 1943, respectively, which export flagellin monomers. Oral 50% lethal dose (LD50) analyses showed that the NTS vaccine strains were all highly attenuated in mice. Oral immunization with CVD 1921 or CVD 1923 protected mice against lethal challenge with wild-type S. Typhimurium I77. Immunization with CVD 1941 but not CVD 1943 protected mice against lethal infection with S. Enteritidis R11. Immune responses induced by these strains included high levels of serum IgG anti-lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and anti-flagellum antibodies, with titers increasing progressively during the immunization schedule. Since S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis are the most common NTS serovars associated with invasive disease, these findings can pave the way for development of a highly effective, broad-spectrum vaccine against invasive NTS.
Biculturalism, Locus of Control, and Leader Behavior in Ethnically Mixed Small Groups1

The study examined the interactive effects of degree of biculturalism and locus of control on leader behavior in supportive and nonsupportive ethnically mixed small groups. Subjects were 36 male Chicano college students who participated in a small group discussion composed of four members: a naive subject who invariably served as group leader, and three confederates representing distinct ethnic groups (Anglo, Black, and Chicano). Behavioral observations revealed several interesting interactions involving group support. High biculturals, in comparison to low biculturals, adopted a more active leader role in nonsupportive than in supportive groups, asking for more opinions and evaluations, and making more clarification statements. Furthermore, while low bicultural externals and high bicultural internals tended to be more interpersonally assertive and to make more clarification statements under supportive conditions, it was low bicultural internals and high bicultural externals who exhibited the most active leader roles in nonsupportive groups. Additional findings revealed that statements made by the Anglo confederate were clarified more often in the supportive condition, while statements made by either the Black or the Chicano confederate were clarified more often in the nonsupportive condition. The results are discussed in relation to previous literature and the need to develop a more responsive social psychology of interethnic dynamics.
On the feasibility of intersubband transition lasers

The feasibility and potential of laser sources based on intersubband transitions in quantum wells and strained layers will be presented. The basic schemes and proposed structures for both electrically and optically pumped devices are discussed. Both conduction band and valence band quantum wells as well as strained layers may be used as the active layer of these lasers. These sources can be either optically or electrically pumped with each having its own advantages. Various material systems which are appropriate for these applications will be described. >
Access by Blind Students and Professionals to Mainstream Math and Science

The Oregon State University Science Access Project has developed computer technologies providing access to math and science information for people with print disabilities. The Accessible Graphing Calculator (AGC) is a Windows application that can display graphs through an audio tone plot. The Tiger Tactile Graphics and Braille Embosser is a true WYSIWYG Windows "printer for the blind" that embosses graphics as variable height gray-scale images and can emboss text as braille. The WinTriangle self-voicing RTF scientific word processor is under development but already used to create information readable by blind people and sighted scientists. The new Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) web graphics language is ideal for creating extremely accessible graphics of great complexity. These are viewed by blind people with the Accessible SVG Viewer and a tactile copy. The Tiger, WinTriangle, and the ASVG Viewer are becoming user interfaces to HTML/mathML, SVG - a monumental breakthrough to truly equal access.
Conformational preferences of oligopeptides rich in α‐aminoisobutyric acid. I. Observation of a 310/α‐helical transition upon sequence permutation

The solution conformation of peptides rich in the alpha, alpha-dialkylated amino acid Aib has proven to be a subtle problem, not because of helix/coil transitions, but rather because of alpha-helical/3(10)-helical competition. A special series of peptides containing 75% Aib has been synthesized that feature identical amino acid composition but differing sequences; they are sequence permutation isomers. Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen-bonding studies reveal that there is a sequence permutation induced transition between the two alternative helical forms within this set. The implications for the design and conformational prediction of helical Aib-rich peptides are discussed.
A SIMPLIFIED METHOD FOR THE ROUTINE MEASUREMENT OF URINARY ESTRIOL

A method for the measurement of urinary estriol, suitable for the hospital laboratory, is described. It involves enzymatic hydrolysis of urinary estriol glucuronide, ether extraction, rapid saponifieation, simplified column chromatography, and fluorometry. The specificity of the assay has been checked by comparing the amount of estriol so obtained with the amount of estriol methyl ether isolated from the same extract of urine after methylation and re-chromatography. The method has been shown to be sensitive and accurate by the performance of recovery experiments with estriol glucuronide added to urine and by means of duplicate analyses of urine, which agree within 10 per cent. Assay results correlate well with cyclic changes in the secretory function of the ovaries during the menstrual cycle, and with other measurements of adrenocortical hyperfunction in patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The method can detect increased estrogen secretion by the adrenal cortex in response to the administration ...
A practical method for computing vertex covers for large graphs

The authors present a new heuristic solution technique for the vertex cover problem. This technique is computationally efficient for very large graphs containing thousands of vertices and edges. It is based upon a general heuristic problem solving framework known as parallel dynamic interaction (PDI). A novel aspect of PDI is that it employs an inherently parallel computational structure that is easily implementable on shared memory multiprocessors of modest size. Empirical data indicate that PDI consistently outperforms other reported vertex cover heuristics, including those that require orders of magnitude greater execution time. >
IRTL (information resource transaction layer) middleware design for P2P and open GRID services

In this paper we present an IRTL (Information Resource Transaction Layer) middleware architecture that addresses some of the important technical challenges associated with heterogeneous resource transactions in the p2p-computing environment. This IRTL will facilitate discovery, valuation, negotiation, coordination, charging and exchange of resources among peer users as a middleware platform. The proposed ITRL will provide an adaptive service that integrates heterogeneous peer-based resources through a service interface independent of any particular system. This paper demonstrates the architecture and design of the IRTL and its mechanisms and protocols for information transaction. By marrying recently developed information resource description facilities with generic functional middleware managers, it presents a middleware service layer with rich support for information resource transactions and resolution. We conclude by discussing the applications and services of the IRTL middleware in the context of the p2p computing, the GRID, and context-aware services.
Interference alignment with per-antenna power constraints

Interference alignment is a technique for designing transmit precoders that is known to achieve the maximum multiplexing gain in the interference channel. Prior work on interference alignment has assumed sum-power constraints in designing the transmit precoders. In practice, however, each transmit antenna has its own power amplifier which constrains the power radiated from each antenna. This paper proposes and analyzes two algorithms for performing interference alignment with per-antenna equality and inequality power constraints. It is proven that incorporating inequality constraints can be done arbitrarily and does not affect the feasibility of interference alignment. Further, we show that incorporating equality constraints is more difficult and requires more antennas for interference alignment to be feasible, especially in the case of single-stream systems. It is shown through analysis and numerical sum-rate calculations that per-antenna inequality constraints result in a systematic power loss versus the cases of per-antenna equality constraints or no constraints at all.
A real time coincidence system for high count-rate TOF or non-TOF PET cameras using hybrid method combining AND-logic and Time-mark technology

A fully digital FPGA-based high count-rate coincidence system has been developed for TOF (Time of Flight) and non-TOF PET cameras. Using a hybrid of AND-logic and Time-mark technology produced both excellent timing resolution and high processing speed. In this hybrid architecture, every gamma event was synchronized by a 125 MHz system clock and generating a trigger associated with a time-mark given by an 8-bit high-resolution TDC (68.3 ps/bin). AND-logic was applied to the synchronized triggers for the real-time raw sorting of coincident events. An efficient FPGA based Time-mark fine-sort algorithm is used to select all the possible coincidence events within the preset coincidence time window. This FPGA-based coincidence system for a modular PET camera offers reprogrammable flexibility and expandability, so the coincidence system is easily employed, regardless of differences in the scale of the PET camera detector setup. A distributed processing method and pipeline technology were adopted in the design to obtain very high processing speed. In this design, both prompt and time-delayed accidental coincidences are simultaneously processed in real time. The real-time digital coincidence system supports coincidence in 2 to 12 detector module setups, capable of processing 72 million single events per second with no digital data loss and captures multiple-event coincidence for better imaging performance evaluation. The coincidence time window-size and time-offset of each coincidence event pair can be programmed independently in 68.3 ps increments (TDC LSB) during the data acquisition in different applications to optimize the signal-to-noise ratio. The complex coincidence system is integrated in one circuit board with 1.5 Gbps fiber optic interface. We demonstrated the system performance using the actual circuit and Monte Carlo simulations.
Limestone Xenoliths in Hills Pond Lamproite, Woodson County, Kansas

The Hills Pond lamproite is part of a sill complex intruded into the northern portion of the Silver City Dome (Fig. 1). This intrusion is related closely in age, composition, and tectonic setting to a nearby intrusion at Rose Dome (Berendsen and Blair, 1991). Rose Dome includes well-known xenoliths of granite derived from the deep crust. However, xenoliths of any type have never been reported before from the Hills Pond lamproite. The seeming lack of xenoliths at Silver City has been puzzling. The following summary is based mainly on Bickford, Wetherill, and Franks (1971); Franks, Bickford, and Wagner (1971); and Wojcik and Knapp (1990). The intrusive rock of Silver City and Rose Dome was referred to earlier as mica peridotite or kimberlite. It now is recognized as lamproite, a potassium-rich, intermediate to ultramafic, alkalic rock with high K/Na and K/Al ratios. Intrusion of lamproite took place approximately 88-90 million years ago during the mid-Cretaceous, when the present surface was covered by about 1 km of overburden strata. The intrusions are hosted at the surface in
Some Observations on the Lack of Mutual Effects Between the Stomach and a Jejunal Graft Implanted Therein

Summary During the course of experiments performed for other purposes on dogs opportunities have occurred to make numerous incidental observations which support the opinion that, within the limitations of present conditions and methods, the mucosa of a jejunal pedicle graft can withstand active peptic digestion for very long periods of time and, conversely, the secretion of acid by the stomach is not changed by the presence of jejunal mucosa or its secretions.
A simple method of obtaining dated pregnancies and observable labors in experimental mice.

THE E X PER I MEN TAL study of labor and delivery is usually difficult. Experimentation on humans in labor is limited by ethical considerations. Subhuman mammals can be subjected to a wide range of experimental manipulations, but their use has been hindered by the unpredictability of their labors. Collecting data on sufficient animals to draw valid conclusions often requires a 24 hour a day vigilance over a long period and proves impractical. A new set of techniques has been developed to facilitate experimentation on laboring mammals which produces large numbers of pregnancies within a short time span and results in predictable, easily observable parturition. These techniques were developed to study the effect of environment on labor!' 2, 8 but are applicable to other conditions relating to parturition. Mice were chosen as the experimental mammal for the development of the new experimental techniques because they are inexpensive to maintain in large numbers, require little space, and are available in a number of genetically controlled strains.
Entrepreneurial Optimization of the Timing of Bankruptcy

Small incorporated firms display different bankruptcy filing characteristics than either large or unincorporated firms. Horvath and Woywode (1996) find that these firms' bankruptcy filings peak earlier (before recessions), their filing ratios are always larger and that they are more solvent than other firms. This article develops a model which could explain those differences. A significant fraction of small firm owners guarantee their firms' debts with their personal wealth. When creditors of their firms deplete the firms' assets, however, they face costs associated with enforcing these guarantees against the entrepreneur's personal wealth, namely the cost of a second bankruptcy procedure. The result is that occasionally, creditors will decide to not enforce their guarantees. This windfall to the entrepreneur--unique to the small incorporated business--is shown to drive bankruptcy filings so that we should expect to observe small firms to be more solvent and file more frequently than others, as well as to file with greater frequency at times of volatility of asset values, a state that may precede recessions.