cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A New Species of Intromugil (Digenea: Haploporidae) and Redescription of Intromugil mugilicolus

Abstract: Intromugil alachuaensis n. sp. is described based on specimens collected from the flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) from the Santa Fe River in Florida. The new species is the fourth recognized species in the genus and the second from North America, with the other 2 being confined to South America. Intromugil mugilicolus from Louisiana and Mississippi is redescribed based on the holotype and newly collected material that was not flattened prior to fixation. Two generic features not previously reported are apparent in the new material from I. mugilicolus and I. alachuaensis n. sp.: an armed oral sucker and a series of sacs containing glandular material arranged in symmetrical rows in the hermaphroditic duct. Intromugil alachuaensis differs from I. mugilicolus by having an oral sucker longer than wide, body spines smaller and lanceolate rather than longer and hastate, and smaller vitelline follicles. Intromugil alachuaensis n. sp. differs from Intromugil simonei by having a large elongated phar...
Inhibition of Chronic Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PanIN) by Capsaicin in LSL-KrasG12D/Pdx1-Cre Mice

Capsaicin is a major biologically active ingredient of chili peppers. Extensive studies indicate that capsaicin is a cancer-suppressing agent via blocking the activities of several signal transduction pathways including nuclear factor-kappaB, activator protein-1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3. However, there is little study on the effect of capsaicin on pancreatic carcinogenesis. In the present study, the effect of capsaicin on pancreatitis and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) was determined in a mutant Kras-driven and caerulein-induced pancreatitis-associated carcinogenesis in LSL-Kras(G12D)/Pdx1-Cre mice. Forty-five LSL-Kras(G12D)/Pdx1-Cre mice and 10 wild-type mice were subjected to one dose of caerulein (250 μg/kg body wt, intraperitoneally) at age 4 weeks to induce and synchronize the development of chronic pancreatitis and PanIN lesions. One week after caerulein induction, animals were randomly distributed into three groups and fed with either AIN-76A diet, AIN-76A diet containing 10 p.p.m. capsaicin or 20 p.p.m. capsaicin for a total of 8 weeks. The results showed that capsaicin significantly reduced the severity of chronic pancreatitis, as determined by evaluating the loss of acini, inflammatory cell infiltration and stromal fibrosis. PanIN formation was frequently observed in the LSL-Kras(G12D)/Pdx1-Cre mice. The progression of PanIN-1 to high-grade PanIN-2 and -3 were significantly inhibited by capsaicin. Further immunochemical studies revealed that treatment with 10 and 20 p.p.m. capsaicin significantly reduced proliferating cell nuclear antigen-labeled cell proliferation and suppressed phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and c-Jun as well blocked Hedgehog/GLI pathway activation. These results indicate that capsaicin could be a promising agent for the chemoprevention of pancreatic carcinogenesis, possibly via inhibiting pancreatitis and mutant Kras-led ERK activation.
Effect of polyester blends in hydroentangled raw and bleached cotton nonwoven fabrics on the adsorption of alkyl-dimethyl-benzyl-ammonium chloride

The adsorption kinetics and isotherms of alkyl-dimethyl-benzyl-ammonium chloride (ADBAC), a cationic surfactant commonly employed as an antimicrobial agent, on hydroentangled nonwoven fabrics (applicable for wipes) including raw cotton, bleached cotton, and their blends with polyester (PES) were studied at room temperature. The adsorption kinetics of ADBAC on all nonwoven fabrics was best described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model. Unlike bleached cotton/PES blends, the equilibrium adsorption capacities of ADBAC on raw cotton/PES blends were enhanced in comparison with predictions based on the binary mixing rule. The adsorption rates for raw cotton, determined by the KASRA (kinetics of adsorption study in the regions with constant adsorption acceleration) model and Elovich equation, were significantly greater than those for bleached cotton, resulting in a rapid decrease of adsorption rates when blending with PES, which has a negligible interaction with ADBAC. This distinctive adsorption property of...
Functional prediction of intraday cumulative returns

We define cumulative intraday returns and consider their prediction from such returns on a market index. We model these returns as curves in a function space. We propose several functional regression models which can be viewed as extensions of the capital asset pricing model to intraday returns defined as curves. After deriving parameter estimates and prediction functions for these mod- els, we compare their prediction errors by application to cumulative intraday returns of large U.S. corporations. We find that complex functional regression models do not perform better than a simple model. In particular, we find that modelling error dependence does not improve forecasts.
Reactive Routing for Multi-Hop Dynamic Ad Hoc Networks Based on Opportunistic Large Arrays

A mobile ad hoc network is an infrastructureless multi-hop system of wireless autonomous mobile nodes. Reactive routing protocols like ad hoc on demand distance vector routing (AODV) and dynamic source routing (DSR) are appropriate for mobile environments, because they cope quickly with topological changes. Lately cooperative-transmission-based routing protocols have been proposed to further save energy and enhance reliability. However they require an existing conventional route and individual addressing of the cooperating nodes, which involves a lot of overhead. In this paper, we propose a new opportunistic large array (OLA)-based extension to AODV, which incorporates cooperative diversity into both route discovery and data transmission without requiring any pre-existing route or any individual addressing of relay nodes. An OLA is a form of cooperative diversity in which a group of simple, inexpensive relays or forwarding nodes operate without any mutual coordination, but naturally fire together in response to energy received from a single source or another OLA. Our proposed scheme inherits from OLA lower transmit energy and low computational overhead. However, this paper highlights a newly discovered feature of OLAs, which is robustness against mobility. We show through extensive simulation that this new technique yields significantly longer route lifetimes compared to the traditional AODV scheme, assuming node mobility according to the random waypoint mobility model. We also compare the end-to-end delays of the traditional and proposed schemes. To the best knowledge of the authors, this work is the only unicast, distributed, cooperative ad hoc routing scheme that does not require a pre-existing route.
Psychological Roots of Moral Exclusion

This paper asks whether or not there is a need, which emerges inescapably during the course of human development, to identify some people as allies and others as enemies. In answering this question, it describes the potential for moral splitting within all of us, and the circumstances that activate this potential.
Reproductive Factors and Risk of Endometrial Cancer The Iowa Women's Health Study

Gravidity and parity have strong inverse relations with endometrial cancer occurrence. To determine whether gravidity masks an association with other reproductive factors, the authors analyzed data from a cohort study of 24,848 postmenopausal Iowa women aged 55-69 years who were cancer free at baseline in 1986 and who had not had a hysterectomy. During 5 years of follow-up, 167 incident endometrial cancer cases were documented. As expected, the mean gravidity of cases was lower than that of noncases (2.6 vs. 3.5, p < 0.0001). Endometrial cancer occurrence was associated positively with early age at menarche, late age at natural menopause, and total length of ovulation span, but history of infertility and ages at first and last pregnancy were unrelated to risk after adjustment for gravidity. Two additional factors remained statistically significant independent of gravidity: a history of ever (vs. never) having had an induced abortion (relative risk = 2.5, 95% confidence interval 1.1-5.7) and timing of spontaneous abortions (miscarriages). Results suggest that a miscarriage late in reproductive life, followed by lack of a subsequent full-term pregnancy, may be a marker for progesterone deficiency. If so, the findings support the "unopposed" estrogen hypothesis for the etiology of endometrial cancer.
A technique for detecting GABA in the human brain with PRESS localization and optimized refocusing spectral editing radiofrequency pulses

A proton magnetic resonance spectral editing technique is presented that uses PRESS excitation to achieve spatially localized measurements of brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The homonuclear difference spectroscopy technique employs a frequency selective inversion pulse to suppress the creatine resonance at 3.0 ppm. The timing of this pulse is optimized to maximize the suppression of creatine by minimizing the effect of the editing pulse on the 3.0 ppm resonances. The PRESS excitation achieves three dimensional spatial localization in a single acquisition making it less sensitive to patient motion than multiple acquisition techniques. The performance and utility of this technique were evaluated by phantom experiments and by in vivo measurements of brain GABA concentration in 10 normal subjects.
DSPs for image and video processing

As communications get digital there is an increased use of image and video processing in embedded multimedia applications. Digital signal processors (DSPs) provide excellent computing platforms for these applications not only due to their superior signal processing performance compared to other processor architectures, but also because of the high levels of integration and very low-power consumption. This paper presents an overview of DSP architectures and their advantages for embedded applications. The speci"c signal processing demands of image and video processing algorithms in these applications and their mapping to DSPs are described. Recent results of successful implementation of two major embedded image and video applications } digital still cameras and video phones } on TI’s TMS320C54x DSP series conclude the paper. ( 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Pontius of Cluny, the Curia Romana and the End of Gregorianism in Rome

Scholarly opinion is generally agreed that the order of Cluny reached its apogee during the abbacy of St. Hugh, who ruled from 1049 to 1109, and began its decline as a result of the misrule of his successor, Pontius of Melgueil, abbot from 1109 to 1122. The rule of Pontius' successor, Peter the Venerable (1122–1157), is generally regarded as an attempt to realize two aims: justification of Cluniac monasticism before the criticism of St. Bernard of Clairvaux and reparation of the damage done to the spiritual life at Cluny by Pontius. It is the purpose of this article to subject the accepted view of Pontius' career to scrutiny and to present an alternative interpretation of the known facts. This alternative view will be based upon the demonstration that the available evidence concerning Pontius' disgrace and condemnation can be properly understood only if it is set into the context of events which transpired in the Roman Curia from 1112 to 1130.3
Developmental relationships between trigeminal ganglia and trigeminal motoneurons in chick embryos. III. Ganglion perikarya direct motor axon growth in the periphery.

The previous study in this series demonstrated that the ingrowth of the central axons of the trigeminal (V) ganglion is prerequisite to V motor axon outgrowth and somatic translocation. In the present experiment we determined whether further interactions with V ganglion cell bodies were required by V motoneurons after the V ganglion innervates the brainstem. Soon after the ganglion axons had penetrated the brainstem they were severed, and a barner, either permeable or impermeable, was placed between the ganglion cell bodies and the metencephalon. V motor axons grew along aberrant pathways to circumvent the impermeable barriers, many rerouting to reach the V ganglion. Only those V motor nerves which contacted the V ganglion distal to the barrier reached their target musculature in the mandible. The pattern of migration of V motoneurons was normal regardless of the V motor nerve trajectory, but the cell bodies of those axons which did not reach a muscle were not fully differentiated. When permeable barriers (Millipore filters) were implanted, the nerves followed two types of trajectories. If the pore size of the filter was small (0.45 and 0.025 μm), the V motor nerves grew identically to those observed in embryos in which impermeable barriers had been implanted. If the pore size of the filter was large (8.0 and 0.08 μm), the V motor nerve grew along its normal path directly to the barrier. Small axonal bundles from these nerves frequently grew into the filter toward the distal V ganglion. These results indicate that V motor axons preferentially grow to the V ganglion perikarya after exiting from the brainstem. Contact with the V ganglion always results in V motor nerve growth to the mandible while growth of the V motor axons to aberrant target sites only occurs when the axons fail to contact the V ganglion cells distal to the barrier.
The Fractional Order Fourier Transform and its Application to Quantum Mechanics

We introduce the concept of Fourier transforms of fractional order, the ordinary Fourier transform being a transform of order 1. The integral representation of this transform can be used to construct a table of fractional order Fourier transforms. A generalized operational calculus is developed, paralleling the familiar one for the ordinary transform. Its application provides a convenient technique for solving certain classes of ordinary and partial differential equations which arise in quantum mechanics from classical quadratic hamiltonians. The method of solution is first illustrated by its application to the free and to the forced quantum mechanical harmonic oscillator. The corresponding Green's functions are obtained in closed form. The new technique is then extended to three-dimensional problems and applied to the quantum mechanical description of the motion of electrons in a constant magnetic field. The stationary states, energy levels and the evolution of an initial wave packet are obtained by a systematic application of the rules of the generalized operational calculus. Finally, the method is applied to the second order partial differential equation with time-dependent coefficients describing the quantum mechanical dynamics of electrons in a time-varying magnetic field.
Comprehensive evaluation of long term trends in occupational exposure: Part 2. Predictive models for declining exposures

OBJECTIVES: To explore the effects of various factors related to the industry, the contaminant, and the period and type of sampling on long term declining trends in occupational exposure. METHODS: Linear regression analyses were used to assess the relation between reductions in exposure and geographical location, industrial sector, type of contaminant, type of monitoring, carcinogenic classification, calendar period, duration of sampling, and number of reductions in the threshold limit value during the sampling period. Both univariable and multivariable models were applied. RESULTS: Based on univariable analyses, the findings suggest that exposures declined more rapidly in manufacturing than in mining, more rapidly for aerosol contaminants than for vapours, and more rapidly when biological, rather than airborne, monitoring was conducted. Exposures collected more recently (first year of sampling in 1972 or later) fell more rapidly than exposures first evaluated during earlier periods. Irrespective of when the data were collected, the results also suggest that the longer the duration of sampling the slower the rate of decline. Taken together, we found that characteristics related to the contaminant, the industry, the sampling period, and the type of sampling explained a substantial proportion of the variability for exposures evaluated before 1972 (R2 = 0.78) and for sites evaluated both before and after 1972 (R2 = 0.91), but explained essentially no variation for data gathered exclusively after 1972 (R2 = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: By identifying factors that have affected the rates of reduction in a consistent fashion, the results should guide investigators in estimating historical levels when studies assessing exposure-response relations are carried out.
BBCC2015 Tenth edition of "Bioinformatics and Computational Biology in Campania"

BBCC represents the meeting point of researchers with a common interest for bioinformatics, in the Italian region Campania. I organize it yearly since 2006, so it reaches now the tenth edition. The birth of this meeting was the consideration of the high number of research institutes in this region, with many teams involved in bioinformatics studies, and many others in biomedical area, as well as in mathematics and informatics, so they may be interested to approach the bioinformatics community. At the end of 2006, I was involved with other colleagues in the organization of the meeting (April 2007, Naples) of the Bioinformatics Italian Society, BITS (www.bioinformatics.it). The Italian national community of bioinformatics has an annual meeting, since 2004 in the form of the society meeting, and also before the foundation of BITS. However, no specific event was regularly organized at regional level, as an opportunity for bioinformaticians in Campania to meet and discuss as an unique community. Therefore, I decided to organize a meeting of bioinformatics for the Campania region researchers, also for stimulating the local community in the view of the approaching annual meeting in Naples. In December 2006, the meeting registered the participation of about 100 researchers and students, an unexpected success and a strong motivation to repeat the meeting as an annual appointment. Since that first edition, the meeting has been held in the last months of the year, having every year about 100 participants. The formula of the meeting is very simple: a single-day event, with speakers on very different topics, open to the participation of colleagues from other regions and countries that introduced other ideas and suggestions for the community. This is the origin and ten years of life of the “Bioinformatica e Biologia Computazionale in Campania BBCC” meeting series.
The Maoist Enemy: China’s Challenge in 1960s East Germany:

This article examines the challenge of Chinese communism in East Germany in the 1960s. It shows how the Sino–Soviet Split and the Chinese Cultural Revolution endangered the public transcripts of East German state socialism by undermining its organizing metaphors and principles. Chinese cadres used their East Berlin embassy as a stage, showcase and megaphone for their dissenting vision of communism throughout the decade, winning some support from elderly communists, young anti-authoritarians and students from the Global South. Studying the East German campaign against what was known as ‘Mao Zedong Thought' sheds light on the transnational traffic of actors and ideas within the Second World in the turbulent decade of the 1960s. The official and vernacular response to the Maoist challenge suggests that East German ideology was constituted by a double demarcation in the 1960s, against Western social democracy and capitalism to its right and Chinese communism to its left.
Comorbid PTSD, Bipolar I, and Substance Use Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is not always the sole diagnosis seen in patients suffering from it. This chapter will discuss cases that typify the comorbidity of PTSD, bipolar I, and substance use disorder when seen together, and the unique challenges that this constellation of symptoms brings to severe PTSD cases. Both pharmacological and therapeutic implications for treatment are discussed, as well as the possible prognostic indicators seen in such cases. In particular, this chapter will highlight the difficulties that come from A-level recommended treatments for bipolar I disorder being given a D-level rating (harms outweigh benefits) for the treatment of PTSD by the Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense (VA/DOD) guidelines. It will also discuss the risks of polypharmacy, how sobriety can impact PTSD treatment, nontraditional and somatic therapies, and explore potential prognosis and treatment strategies for these comorbid disorders when seen together.
PREDICTION OF WAVE RUNUP AND RIPRAP STABILITY

A numerical model has been developed to predict the wave motion on a rough impermeable slope and the hydraulic stability and sliding motion of armor units under the action of a specified normally incident wave train. The developed numerical model has been compared with riprap test results to calibrate and verify the model.
Whole body PET/CT scans for patients with lymphoma

2717 Objectives At Froedtert Hospital, referring physicians disagree about whether or not to perform a PET/CT scan using the whole body protocol (top of the head to bottom of the toes) versus the standard protocol (base of the skull to the mid-thigh) when performing a scan on patients with lymphoma. At Froedtert Hospital, if patients are suspected or have a known disease outside of the base of the skull to mid-thigh region, the whole body protocol will be used for the patient’s scan. The objective of this study was to determine whether or not the whole body protocol should be used when imaging lymphoma patients with PET/CT. Methods Retrospectively, lymphoma patient PET/CT exams between July 2011 and January 2012 were reviewed to determine if the whole body protocol was used. All of the patients in this study underwent their PET/CT scan at Froedtert Hospital to look for the presence of lymphoma. Results The reviewed data include 308 patient exams. Out of the 308 patients, 42 (13.6%) had disease outside of the standard protocol scan range and therefore under went a whole body exam. Conclusions The results showed about 14% of lymphoma patients qualified for a whole body scan because of the location of their disease. However, the question remains whether or not 14% is a significant number to have all lymphoma patients imaged using the whole body protocol. It is unknown how many of the remaining 86% of patients needed a whole body scan because of undocumented disease outside of the standard protocol area. Finally, one must take into consideration the role of ethical practices in making sure that patients are receiving the best care possible. It is clear that further research needs to be completed in order to gain a clearer perspective on this debatable issue
Accuracy of the Double Variation Technique of Refractive Index Measurement.

Errors in the double variation teclinique of refractive index measurement are analyzed using a new approach. The ability to measure matching wavelength is characterized, along with the effect on the calculated refractive index. Refractive index accuracy and precision are very dependent on the specifics of each calibration set, particularly the difference in dispersion between the liquid and solid. Our best precision (±1 or 2×10-4) is attained only when the difference in dispersion between liquid and solid is small, and is dependent on an individual operator's ability to perceive changes in relief. This precision is impossible to achieve for the other glass/liquid combinations, where we are limited by a precision of approximately 1 nm in the selection of matching wavelength. A bias in the measurement of matching wavelength exists that affects the accuracy of the calculated refractive indices. The magnitude of the bias appears to be controlled by the bandpass of the graded interference filter. The errors in refractive index using a graded interference filter with a bandpass of 30 nm FWHM (full width at half maximum intensity) are an order of magnitude larger than the errors using a filter with a bandpass of 15 nm FWHM.
Catalytic Conversion of Carbon Dioxide to Methane on Ruthenium–Cobalt Bimetallic Nanocatalysts and Correlation between Surface Chemistry of Catalysts under Reaction Conditions and Catalytic Performances

Catalytic conversion of CO2 to CH4 on cobalt oxide and Ru-doped cobalt oxide nanorods was studied with in-house ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP–XPS) using monochromated Al Kα. A correlation between catalytic performances of the two catalysts and their surface chemistry under reaction conditions was built. Active phases of the two catalysts are metallic cobalt and bimetallic Co–Ru, respectively. Light-off temperature of Co–Ru catalyst is lower than that of a cobalt catalyst. Selectivity to production of CH4 and activity on the Ru-doped cobalt oxide are obviously enhanced by formation of bimetallic Co–Ru ultrathin film in its surface region in contrast to that of cobalt catalyst in the temperature range of 200–340 °C.
In Vitro Uptake of Fe59 in Adult and Immature Avian and Human Red Cells

Abstract STUDIES were initiated to determine whether Fe59 could be incorporated into erythrocytes in vitro. Such a method was needed to follow the development and differentiation of avian red blood cells. Initial surveys of recent literature revealed no such method to be available. A series of exploratory studies were carried out to develop a procedure giving reproducible and significant results. It was determined that the erythrocytes of several species did incorporate iron in vitro. The following procedure gave best results in terms of incorporation of iron consistent with least damage to red cells. Two milliliters of a washed two percent suspension of either turkey, pigeon, chicken or human red blood cells were added to a solution consisting of two milliliters of saline and two tenths of a milliliter of ferric59 citrate (one microcurie per milliliter with a specific activity of 19.3 millicuries per milligram (Fe). This mixture was incubated for thirty…
Fellowship of the snow

W ell, that is a WTA (Western Trauma Association) moment! Classic Western Trauma! That would make the perfect WTA abstract! These phrases are a unique part of our lexicon and mythology. I do not think I have ever heard of an AAST (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) moment and definitely not an SUS or American Surgical moment. There is no doubt that this is a special and unique organization such that being your president is the pinnacle of my professional career. When I thought about the most memorable addresses I have heard in this forum during the past 2 decades, they have been personal and have come from the heart. They also most commonly could not have been given as presidential addresses to any other ‘‘professional’’ organization. Thus, they were the true embodiment of a ‘‘WTA moment.’’ I surely have no idea where medicine is going or how to best teach the next generation. My own research, which you have heard mentioned, is fairly eclectic, and while I consider it interesting, it likely holds minimal interest for many. Sort of like porcupines making love, fascinating as a concept, but not something you really want to see. No, what I kept coming back to is what the WTA represents, why this is the perfect meeting, and why we actually need the WTA in our lives, maybe even more now than when it was founded. More importantly, it is what the WTA might be able to teach you about balance in your professional life; how some of these concepts might sustain you for the 51 weeks we are not together; and just how did a bunch of orthopods on a ski boondoggle get it so right or, if they did not, how the wisdom of those who followed did. To accomplish this, I am going to go through a bit about our society and especially the structure of our annual meetingVhow
TRYPSIN : A CASE STUDY IN THE STRUCTURAL DETERMINANTS OF ENZYME SPECIFICITY

Trypsin and chymotrypsin have similar tertiary structures, although very different substrate specificities. Trypsin hydrolyzes peptides at Lys/Arg residues while chymotrypsin recognizes large hydrophobic residues. Recent work has shown that trypsin is not converted into a protease with chymotrypsin-like activity when the S1 substrate binding site residues are replaced with their chymotrypsin counterparts. Chymotrypsin-like activity is reconstituted in the trypsin framework when two surface loops are substituted with the analogous loops of chymotrypsin in addition to the substitutions at the S1 site. Chymotrypsin-like activity is further improved when Tyr172, another residue located outside the S1 site, is replaced with Trp. These mutant enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of enzyme-bound substrate at rates comparable to chymotrypsin, but are defective in substrate binding. X-ray crystal structures of the chymotrypsin-like mutants reveal that the loops are disordered and that the Tyr172 to Trp substitution stabilizes the loops. These observations demonstrate that substrate specificity is derived from a network of structural interactions which extends beyond the S1 site.
Correcting Transition Curvature in Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording

Resulting from the curved thermal profile by near-field transducers, the transition curvature in heat-assisted magnetic recording is one of the critical factors significantly limiting the technology from achieving expected high area density capability. In this paper, we present a systematic micromagnetic modeling study to understand the underlying physics and to arrive at a solution that can correct the transition curvature for enhancing recording performance. Analysis show that the straightened transitions of the recording with the solution can yield a linear density increase of 50% at the same high track densities.
Using Technology to Improve Treatment Outcomes for Children and Adolescents with Eating Disorders

Dissemination and implementation of evidence-based treatments are among the biggest challenges facing clinical psychiatry. Developing scalable evidence-based treatments is a major priority and fraught with challenges. This article describes the development of 3 technology-based innovations. It discusses the use of massive open online courses (MOOCs) and mobile applications. Three projects are presented: (1) the modification of a MOOC methodology for psychotherapy training clinicians in manualized family-based therapy (FBT) for adolescents with anorexia nervosa; (2) a modified MOOC platform for the delivery of FBT; and (3) the development of mobile applications for treatment augmentation and delivery.
THE CHEMISTRY OF ALIPHATIC NITROGEN CATION RADICALS ()

Nitrogen cation radicals have the potential to effect highly selective chlorinations and oxidations. Already internal 4-chlorinations (Hoffmann-Loffler reaction) and ω-1 chlorinations (Minisci chlorinations) are known. Studies on the effect of substrate protonation, the effect of bulky R groups in R 2 NH + · , and the use of trialkyl nitrogen cation radicals are presented.
Steroidogenesis and Enzymatic Conversions of Adrenal Steroid Hormones

The adrenal synthesizes three main classes of hormones: mineralocorticoids (17-deoxy pathway), glucocorticoids (17-hydroxy pathway), and sex steroids. A simplified scheme of adrenal steroidogenesis appears in Fig. 1. Each hydroxylation step is indicated and the newly added hydroxyl group is circled. The adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) acts on the adrenals to increase the conversion of cholesterol to pregnenolone, the principal substrate for all these pathways. ACTH binds to receptors on the external membranes of adrenal cortical cells, stimulating increased synthesis of adenosine-3′,5′- monophosphate (cyclic AMP). Cyclic AMP activates adrenal cellular phosphoprotein kinases, which catalyze the side-chain cleavage, converting cholesterol to pregnenolone (Garren et al. 1971; Harding 1979).
Improving the Electability of Atheists in the United States: A Preliminary Examination

Decades of polling data and recent research have demonstrated the magnitude of anti-atheist prejudice in the United States and its relationship to perceptions of atheists as immoral and untrustworthy. Across three studies, I examine the malleability of bias against atheists in the context of election politics. Informational manipulations of an atheist candidate's stated values (Study 1) and popularity (Study 2) improve participants’ perceptions of the morality and trustworthiness of and likelihood of voting for that atheist candidate, but religiously affiliated participants still prefer a similarly situated Christian candidate. Study 3 shows that participants are more likely to vote for an atheist when the opposing candidate was described as a theocrat. Implications of this research for ameliorating the under-representation of non-religious individuals in government are discussed.
Design, synthesis and evaluation of antitumor acylated monoaminopyrroloquinazolines

Abstract Pyrroloquinazoline is a privileged chemical scaffold with diverse biological activities. We recently described a series of N-3 acylated 1,3-diaminopyrroloquinazolines with potent anticancer activities. The N-1 primary amino group in 1,3-diaminopyrroloquinazoline is critical for its inhibitory activity against dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR). In order to design out this unnecessary DHFR inhibition activity and further expand the chemical space associated with pyrroloquinazoline, we removed the N-1 primary amino group. In this report, we describe our design and synthesis of a series of N-3 acylated monoaminopyrroloquinazolines. Biological evaluation of these compounds identified a naphthamide 4a as a potent anticancer agent (GI50 = 88–200 nM), suggesting that removing the N-1 primary amino group in 1,3-diaminopyrroloquinazoline is a useful chemical modification that can be introduced to improve the anticancer activity.
Wolbachia elevates host methyltransferase expression to block an RNA virus early during infection

Wolbachia pipientis is an intracellular endosymbiont known to confer host resistance against RNA viruses in insects. However, the causal mechanism underlying this antiviral defense remains poorly understood. To this end, we have established a robust arthropod model system to study the tripartite interaction involving Sindbis virus and Wolbachia strain wMel within its native host, Drosophila melanogaster. By leveraging the power of Drosophila genetics and a parallel, highly tractable D. melanogaster derived JW18 cell culture system, we determined that in addition to reducing infectious virus production, Wolbachia negatively influences Sindbis virus particle infectivity. This is further accompanied by reductions in viral transcript and protein levels. Interestingly, unchanged ratio of proteins to viral RNA copies suggest that Wolbachia likely does not influence the translational efficiency of viral transcripts. Additionally, expression analyses of candidate host genes revealed D. melanogaster methyltransferase gene Mt2 as an induced host factor in the presence of Wolbachia. Further characterization of viral resistance in Wolbachia-infected flies lacking functional Mt2 revealed partial recovery of virus titer relative to wild-type, accompanied by complete restoration of viral RNA and protein levels, suggesting that Mt2 acts at the stage of viral genome replication. Finally, knockdown of Mt2 in Wolbachia uninfected JW18 cells resulted in increased virus infectivity, thus demonstrating its previously unknown role as an antiviral factor against Sindbis virus. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence supporting the role of Wolbachia-modulated host factors towards RNA virus resistance in arthropods, alongside establishing Mt2's novel antiviral function against Sindbis virus in D. melanogaster.
Calculation of Time Varying System Reliability Using a List Processing Technique

Abstract In Part I, a review of the implementations of list processing techniques for the evaluation of the time invariant reliability of large systems is made. Using tree theory, an endorder traverse is used to rapidly prune an input, oriented fault tree by identifying known patterns and replacing corresponding branches by leaves. In Part II, this approach is generalized to include systems in which the success probabilities of component parts are a function of time. Instead of repruning the fault tree at each time step, the original tree is mapped into a corresponding series of linked lists allowing efficient evaluation.
Abstract 119: Comparison of Gated SPECT, Echocardiography and Angiography Ejection Fractions

Background: Gated stress studies with Thallium previously suggested that SPECT overestimated the ejection fraction obtained with other modalities, limiting its use. Objective: To compare ejection f...
Relative Abundance, Growth, and Mortality of the White Catfish, Ameiurus catus L., in the St. Marys River

Declines in Ameiurus catus (White Catfish) abundance throughout much of their native range have been attributed to the rapid colonization of invasive Ictalurus furcatus (Blue Catfish) and Pylodictis olivaris (Flathead Catfish). Because of the potential for imperilment throughout a majority of its native range, we examined the White Catfish population in the St. Marys River, GA, one of the few locations where the catfish assemblage is still native. White Catfish (n = 1244) dominated the ictalurid assemblage, making up 79% of the catfish caught in the St. Marys River. Overall, length of White Catfish varied from 89 to 486 mm TL, with the majority of fish between 220 and 260 mm. Ages of White Catfish varied from 1 to 11 years but was dominated by the 2012 year class (age 3). We estimated a von Bertalannfy growth model for the population (L∞ = 486 mm TL, K = 0.246, t0 = -0.290). Catch-curve analysis indicated that White Catfish had a 45% annual survival rate in 2015. This White Catfish population assessment will provide biologists with baseline parameters to aid in future management and conservation of this declining native species.
Dietary nitrate supplementation opposes the elevated diaphragm blood flow in chronic heart failure during submaximal exercise.

Abstract Chronic heart failure (CHF) results in a greater cost of breathing and necessitates an elevated diaphragm blood flow (BF). Dietary nitrate (NO 3 ‾) supplementation lowers the cost of exercise. We hypothesized that dietary NO 3 ‾ supplementation would attenuate the CHF-induced greater cost of breathing and thus the heightened diaphragm BF during exercise. CHF rats received either 5 days of NO 3 ‾-rich beetroot (BR) juice (CHF + BR, n = 10) or a placebo (CHF, n = 10). Respiratory muscle BFs (radiolabeled microspheres) were measured at rest and during submaximal exercise (20 m/min, 5% grade). Infarcted left ventricular area and normalized lung weight were not significantly different between groups. During submaximal exercise, diaphragm BF was markedly lower for CHF + BR than CHF (CHF + BR: 195 ± 28; CHF: 309 ± 71 mL/min/100 g, p = 0.04). The change in diaphragm BF from rest to exercise was less (p = 0.047) for CHF + BR than CHF. These findings demonstrate that dietary NO 3 ‾ supplementation reduces the elevated diaphragm BF during exercise in CHF rats thus providing additional support for this therapeutic intervention in CHF.
The Franck-Condon Principle

The Franck-Condon Principle is a thread running through all of molecular spectroscopy and much of atomic and molecular physics. Many dynamical problems require the evaluation of nuclear motion wavefunctions and overlap integrals; and product distributions are often governed by the squares of such integrals, i.e. by Franck-Condon factors. In this paper I address the question: What is the range and nature of the Franck-Condon distributions occurring in such problems? I will focus my attention on electronic transitions in diatomic molecules, but the results are applicable to other processes. Note that the term “distribution” is appropriate, because at the outset we know from closure that the Franck-Condon factors from a given initial level (υi) to all possible levels of a second electronic state must sum (for discrete final states υf,) and integrate (for the continuum ∈f,) to unity.
Learning Technology in Transition: from Individual Enthusiasm to Institutional Implementation.

“In April 2003, The Association for Learning Technology (ALT) celebrated its tenth anniversary and this book has been produced in order to commemorate this landmark achievement.” So speaks the Editor of this panoramic of articles by authors primarily from the United Kingdom, but also from The Netherlands and Australia, as she begins the first of eleven chapters that chronicle the evolution of learning technology in ALT’s first decade. As the book’s title indicates, the articles relate how the uses of learning technologies in higher education and further education began with individuals who enthusiastically promoted their use. Then, at about the mid-point of this ten-year time period, with the help of several government based funding initiatives, the use of learning technologies began to become embedded into institutional structures and strategic plans. The individual enthusiasts who had been working in advance of the institutions became leaders on related committees and in departments dedicated to the use of learning technology.
Twin planetary systems in embryo

The system called L1551 IRS5 is a binary star in the process of forming. Around each star is a small disk of gas and dust that may be turning into planets. The disks are so massive that planets might form in a completely different way from planets in our Solar System.
RELIABILITY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM APPROXIMATELY-SOLVED PROBLEMS

Publisher Summary This chapter presents the analysis of approximate solutions and approximate solution sets. Restricted to linear operator equations, it focuses on the solution of Lx = y for the unknown x . The usual assumption is that L is a linear operator with domain in a normed linear space X and a range in another normed linear space Y . Exact solutions of Lx = y are not computable; therefore, their properties are largely irrelevant. The chapter presents the computation of an approximate solution. Then it is substituted into the above equation to compute ∥ L - y ∥. The magnitude of this quantity determines how suitable is as an approximation. In fact, in the absence of any other information, it is taken as the only measure of the goodness of the approximation.
Central Auditory Processing Disorders

Central auditory processing disorders (CAPDs) are a collection of conditions in which the ability to detect sounds, localize their sources, or determine their identity and meaningfulness is impaired due to a functional compromise of the central auditory nervous system by disease, damage, or maldevelopment. Symptoms of CAPDs range from subtle difficulties understanding speech in a noisy environment to a complete inability to extract meaning from speech, identify environmental sounds, or appreciate music. This article characterizes various acquired and developmental forms of CAPD, discusses methods used for their diagnosis and summarizes a number of treatment approaches.
Voltage-Tunable Parallel-Plate Capacitors Fabricated on Low-Loss MBE-Grown BST

This paper describes the fabrication and measurement of tunable, lumped-element parallel-plate capacitors (PPC). The devices utilize electric-field tunable Ba x Sr (1-x) TiO 3 (BST) thin films grown by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on SrTiO 3 (STO) substrates. A high-quality interface was achieved by hot-sputtering epitaxial Pt top electrodes after an in-situ anneal in O 2 . The Pt top electrode and the BST mesa were etched by two separate ion milling steps while the Pt metallization was thickened with Ti/Au to facilitate probing. The fabricated devices consisted of one-port PPCs which were directly probed by ground-signal-ground (GSG) RF probes. The devices were biased using a bias tee on the measurement port while wideband RF scattering parameters were measured from 100 MHz to 10 GHz. The PPCs exhibit a high quality factor of 720 at 100 MHz which drops to 120 at 1 GHz due to the large device area and parasitic electrode resistance. This parasitic resistance was exacerbated by measuring with relatively wide-pitch probes. The high quality factor combined with 2.2:1 tunability yields an exceptionally high commutation quality factor CQF of 750,000 at 100 MHz, 2000 at 1 GHz, and 200 at 10 GHz. These results are the first RF results of MBE-grown PPCs and demonstrate the extremely high quality of BST grown by hybrid MBE.
Open posterior capsular release with an osteotome in total knee arthroplasty does not place important neurovascular structures at risk.

Posterior capsular contracture is a potential consequence of osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and surgical procedures of the knee. Many patients who undergo TKA will be found to have some degree of flexion contracture intraoperatively, which necessitates posterior capsular release. There is no information in the literature about the safety of posterior capsular release done during TKA. The present cadaveric study investigates the safety of posterior capsular release during TKA. This study involved ten fresh-frozen cadaver specimens, each of which underwent three successive releases of the posterior capsule medially, laterally, and in the midline. One senior joint surgeon performed this procedure with a 1.27 cm curved osteotome, hugging the bone posteriorly on the distal aspect of the femur until the osteotome moved freely behind the bone without resistance. The distance from the distal aspect of the femur to the tip of the osteotome was then measured. Finally, the popliteal fossa was dissected, and the course of the neurovascular bundle was followed to assess for any macroscopic injury. The capsule was penetrated at a median depth of 13.6 cm (range 10.3–17.6). Even at this depth, no injuries to the popliteal artery, tibial nerve, or popliteal vein occurred in any of the 30 penetrating events. This study suggests that posterior capsular release can be performed safely with this technique.
State-Based Liver Distribution: Broad Sharing With Less Harm to Vulnerable and Underserved Communities Compared With Concentric Circles

Allocation of livers for transplantation faces regulatory pressure to move toward broader sharing. A current proposal supported by the United Network for Organ Sharing Board of Directors relies on concentric circles, but its effect on socioeconomic inequities in access to transplant services is poorly understood. In this article, we offer a proposal that uses the state of donation as a unit of distribution, given that the state is a recognized unit of legal jurisdiction and socioeconomic health in many contexts. The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients liver simulated allocation model algorithm was used to generate comparative estimates of regional transplant volume and the impact of these considered changes with regard to vulnerable and high-risk patients on the waiting list and to disparities in wait-list access. State-based liver distribution outperforms the concentric circle models in overall system efficiency, reduced discards, and minimized flights for organs. Furthermore, the efflux of organs from areas of greater sociodemographic vulnerability and lesser wait-list access is more than 2-fold lower in a state-based model than in concentric circle alternatives. In summary, we propose that a state-based system offers a legally defensible, practical, and ethically sound alternative to geometric zones of organ distribution.