cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid synthesis of Group VI carbonyl complexes by coupling borohydride catalysis and microwave heating

Abstract Several Group VI tetracarbonyl phosphine and tertiary amine complexes [M(CO)4 L2, M = Cr, Mo, W, L2 = 2PPh3, dppm, dppe, dppp, dppb, bpy, phen, dppf] were synthesized in minutes in the microwave at moderate temperature, atmospheric pressure, and utilizing NaBH4 as a catalyst. The reactions were optimized by careful solvent selection. The octahedral complexes were isolated in percent yields ranging from 17 to 95. The lower temperatures, shorter reaction times, benign solvents, and lower pressures as compared to the traditional thermal syntheses provide a rapid, eco-friendly synthetic route to these common Group VI complexes.
AUGMENTATION OF ACTH-RELEASING ACTIVITY OP SYNTHETIC CORTICOTROPIN RELEASING FACTOR (CRF) BY VASOPRESSIN IN WOMEN

In order to study the interaction between vasopressin (VP) and hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) on the release of ACTH, VP and CRF were administered separately and in combination to normal cycling women. The combined hormones raised plasma ACTH levels higher than the sum of the separate responses and 5 times more than CRF alone. This study reveals for the first time synergism between VP and CRF in their ACTH releasing effects in humans.
The gap junction as a "Biological Rosetta Stone": implications of evolution, stem cells to homeostatic regulation of health and disease in the Barker hypothesis

The discovery of the gap junction structure, its functions and the family of the “connexin” genes, has been basically ignored by the major biological disciplines. These connexin genes code for proteins that organize to form membrane-associated hemi-channels, “connexons”, co-join with the connexons of neighboring cells to form gap junctions. Gap junctions appeared in the early evolution of the metazoan. Their fundamental functions, (e.g., to synchronize electrotonic and metabolic functions of societies of cells, and to regulate cell proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis), were accomplished via integrating the extra-cellular triggering of intra-cellular signaling, and therefore, regulating gene expression. These functions have been documented by genetic mutations of the connexin genes and by chemical modulation of gap junctions. Via genetic alteration of connexins in knock-out and transgenic mice, as well as inherited connexin mutations in various human syndromes, the gap junction has been shown to be directly linked to many normal cell functions and multiple diseases, such as birth defects, reproductive, neurological disorders, immune dysfunction and cancer. Specifically, the modulation of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC), either by increasing or decreasing its functions by non-mutagenic chemicals or by oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in normal or “initiated” stem cells and their progenitor cells, can have a major impact on tumor promotion or cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. The overview of the roles of the gap junction in the evolution of the metazoan and its potential in understanding a “systems” view of human health and aging and the diseases of aging will be attempted.
The Facial Expression Coding System (FACES): Development, validation, and utility.

This article presents information on the development and validation of the Facial Expression Coding System (FACES; A. M. Kring & D. Sloan, 1991). Grounded in a dimensional model of emotion, FACES provides information on the valence (positive, negative) of facial expressive behavior. In 5 studies, reliability and validity data from 13 diverse samples, including students, psychiatric patients, and community adults, are presented, and results indicate that raters can reliably agree on instances of positive and negative expressive behavior. Validity studies indicate that FACES ratings are related in predictable ways to another observational coding system, facial muscle activity, individual-difference measures of expressiveness and personality, skin conductance, heart rate, and reports of experienced emotion. FACES can be a useful tool for assessing expressive behavior in a variety of contexts.
Influence of glucose and fructose on high-methoxyl pectin gel strength and structure development

High-methoxyl (HM) pectin/sugar gels are viscoelastic materials whose elastic (storage modulus, G′) and viscous (loss modulus, G″) characteristics can be measured by dynamic rheological technique. At 10C, over the frequency range 0.1–10 Hz, magnitudes of G′ and G″ of glucose gels were higher than those of fructose gels. Magnitudes of G′ and G″ of both sugar gels increased with pectin concentration according to power laws; the increase in G′ was higher than that of G″. Much useful information on food gels can also be obtained by following the sol-gel transition process. Complex viscosity (η*) at 1 Hz was used to follow structure development (SD) and SD rate during sol-gel transition of pectin-fructose/glucose dispersions. Integrated average viscosities and SD rates were also higher for glucose gels than for fructose gels.
Manufacturer's Drummer, 1852, With Comments on Western and Southern Markets

Changes in the role of the commercial drummer during the thirty years prior to the Civil War are suggested by comparison of reports received from a salesman in the 1850's with similar reports received from a salesman for the same firm in the 1830's. The trips and reports of the earlier salesman, who traveled for J. M. L. & W. H. Scovill, a Connecticut brass rolling and fabricating partnership, were described in the last issue of this Bulletin. The chief complaint of the salesman in the 1830's was that the merchants of any importance made regular trips to Philadelphia or New York. Such merchants preferred to make all their purchases at one time in order to save trouble and expense in transportation and they also bought most of their goods from established jobbers to whom they were known and who would extend credit.
Heterogeneous Reactions of Epoxides in Acidic Media

Epoxides have recently been identified as important intermediates in the gas phase oxidation of hydrocarbons, and their hydrolysis products have been observed in ambient aerosols. To evaluate the r...
User-Centric Resource Allocation Hierarchy in Grid Computing

With the joint effort of the research community and industry companies, Grid computing has the potential to become a ubiquitous service that is accessible by everyone. Consequently, the policies to manage the allocation of limited computing resources to users become very important. End users will pay for the computation service they get, and choose from more than one grid service provider (GSP) based on their experiences with these GSPs; GSPs want to allocate the resources in a user-centric way to attract and retain users. During the resource allocation procedure, there are three most basic questions: "Where should one find the proper resources for users' jobs?", "When multiple jobs are waiting, which one should be scheduled first?", and "Given the hardware characteristics, how should jobs be further scheduled to maximize the utilization of hardware?" These questions lead to a natural hierarchical resource allocation scheme, which involves three levels: (1) Find the proper resources for the proper jobs, (2) prioritize and schedule jobs to execute in a reasonable order, and (3) coordinate jobs to execute on the hardware efficiently. This paper reviews and classifies related work, and suggests future research directions.
The politics and economics of food and famine in Bangladesh in the early 1970s – with special reference to Amartya Sen's interpretation of the 1974 famine

Bangladesh confronted two formidable food crises in 1972 and 1974. While the government succeeded in averting a widely predicted famine in the first case, it failed to prevent an actual famine in the later case when such a cataclysmic disaster was least anticipated. Evidence suggests that the 1974 famine was caused by successive onslaughts of natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and man-made disasters such as the government's inability to import foods, the directing of subsidised food to the politically vocal urban population, an abrupt fall in food aid and political and administrative corruption that encouraged massive hoarding and the smuggling of food grain. This article argues that Noble Laureate economist Amartya Sen's seminal analysis of the 1974 Bangladesh famine on the basis of his ‘entitlement approach’ fails to capture most of these circumventing factors. The article also argues that by undermining the politico-administrative dynamics of the famine, and by applying his entitlement approach only half-heartedly in examining it, Sen somewhat trivialises the sufferings of a famine-affected population under a corrupt and inefficient political regime.
The utility of amplified fragment length polymorphisms in phylogenetics: a comparison of homology within and between genomes.

The amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) technique is being increasingly used in phylogenetic studies, especially in groups of rapidly radiating taxa. One of the key issues in the phylogenetic suitability of this technique is whether the DNA fragments generated via the AFLP method are homologous within and among the taxa being studied. We used a bioinformatics approach to assess homology based on both chromosomal location and sequence similarity of AFLP fragments. The AFLP technique was electronically simulated on genomes from eight organisms that represented a range of genome sizes. The results demonstrated that within a genome, the number of fragments is positively associated with genome size, and the degree of homology decreases with increasing numbers of fragments generated. The average homology of fragments was 89% for small genomes ( 2 Gb). Fragment homology for large genomes can be increased by excluding smaller fragments, although there is no clear upper limit for the size of fragments to exclude. A second approach is to increase the number of selective nucleotides in the final selective amplification step. For strains of the same organism, homology based on chromosome location and sequence similarity of fragments was 100%. Fragment homology for more distantly related taxa, however, decreased with greater time since divergence. We conclude that AFLP data are best suited for examining phylogeographic patterns within species and among very recently diverged species.
Effects of Vagus Stimulation and of Acetylcholine on Myocardial Contractility, O2 Consumption and Coronary Flow in Dogs

During vagus nerve stimulation the heart rate was maintained at a constant level by an electric pacemaker. Under these conditions no changes were found in ventricular function curves, myocardial oxygen consumption and coronary blood flow. Acetylcholine infusion, with heart rate maintained constant, caused decreased myocardial contractility and coronary and peripheral vasodilation.
B Lymphocytes Provide an Infection Niche for Intracellular Bacterium Brucella abortus

Background. Brucella spp. are intracellular bacteria that establish lifelong infections whose mechanisms of chronicity are poorly understood. Notably, B cells facilitate the establishment of the high infection plateau that persists for months. Methods. We evaluated the contribution of murine B cells toward providing infection niches for Brucella by using flow cytometry and microscopy and by determining live bacterial counts associated with B cells both in vivo and in vitro. Results. Herein we demonstrate that immunoglobulin M and complement-opsonized Brucella abortus infects and survives inside primary murine B cells protected from bactericidal effects of gentamicin. The entry was dependent on microfilaments for internalization and subsequently brucellae reside in a late endosomal/lysosomal compartment. Throughout the infection, 10% of colony-forming units from infected mice was associated with B cells, and these cells transferred disease to naive hosts. Furthermore, Brucella-positive cells were positive for transforming growth factor (TGF) β1, and about 10% of such cells were B cells, similar to rates found for other intracellular pathogens that induce their hosts cells to produce TGF-β1. Conclusions. To conclude, infected B cells contribute to chronic bacterial infections by providing an intracellular niche that may exert an immunoregulatory role. Although professional phagocytic cells harbor intracellular bacteria including Brucella, infection of lymphocytes by bacteria has not been previously appreciated.
Warping and cracking of the Pacific plate by thermal contraction

[1] Lineaments in the gravity field and associated chains of volcanic ridges are widespread on the Pacific plate but are not yet explained by plate tectonics. Recent studies have proposed that they are warps and cracks in the plate caused by uneven thermal contraction of the cooling lithosphere. We show that the large thermoelastic stress produced by top-down cooling is optimally released by lithospheric flexure between regularly spaced parallel cracks. Both the crack spacing and approximate gravity amplitude are predicted by elastic plate theory and variational principle. Cracks along the troughs of the gravity lineaments provide conduits for the generation of volcanic ridges in agreement with new observations from satellite-derived gravity. Our model suggests that gravity lineaments are a natural consequence of lithospheric cooling so that convective rolls or mantle plumes are not required. INDEX TERMS: 1208 Geodesy and Gravity: Crustal movements—intraplate (8110); 1236 Geodesy and Gravity: Rheology of the lithosphere and mantle (8160); 1219 Geodesy and Gravity: Local gravity anomalies and crustal structure; 3045 Marine Geology and Geophysics: Seafloor morphology and bottom photography; 8159 Tectonophysics: Rheology—crust and lithosphere; KEYWORDS: thermal contraction, Pacific plate, gravity anomalies
Suicide-related behaviors in older patients with new anti-epileptic drug use: data from the VA hospital system.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently linked antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure to suicide-related behaviors based on meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. We examined the relationship between suicide-related behaviors and different AEDs in older veterans receiving new AED monotherapy from the Veterans Health Administration (VA), controlling for potential confounders. VA and Medicare databases were used to identify veterans 66 years and older, who received a) care from the VA between 1999 and 2004, and b) an incident AED (monotherapy) prescription. Previously validated ICD-9-CM codes were used to identify suicidal ideation or behavior (suicide-related behaviors cases), epilepsy, and other conditions previously associated with suicide-related behaviors. Each case was matched to controls based on prior history of suicide-related behaviors, year of AED prescription, and epilepsy status. The strongest predictor of suicide-related behaviors (N = 64; Controls N = 768) based on conditional logistic regression analysis was affective disorder (depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Odds Ratio 4.42, 95% CI 2.30 to 8.49) diagnosed before AED treatment. Increased suicide-related behaviors were not associated with individual AEDs, including the most commonly prescribed AED in the US - phenytoin. Our extensive diagnostic and treatment data demonstrated that the strongest predictor of suicide-related behaviors for older patients newly treated with AED monotherapy was a previous diagnosis of affective disorder. Additional, research using a larger sample is needed to clearly determine the risk of suicide-related behaviors among less commonly used AEDs.
Ulnar variance as a predictor of persistent instability following Galeazzi fracture-dislocations

We investigated the radiographic parameters that may predict distal radial ulnar joint (DRUJ) instability in surgically treated radial shaft fractures. In our clinical experience, there are no previously reported radiographic parameters that are universally predictive of DRUJ instability following radial shaft fracture. Fifty consecutive patients, ages 20–79 years, with unilateral radial shaft fractures and possible associated DRUJ injury were retrospectively identified over a 5-year period. Distance from radial carpal joint (RCJ) to fracture proportional to radial shaft length, ulnar variance, and ulnar styloid fractures were correlated with DRUJ instability after surgical treatment. Twenty patients had persistent DRUJ incongruence/instability following fracture fixation. As a proportion of radial length, the distance from the RCJ to the fracture line did not significantly differ between those with persistent DRUJ instability and those without (p = 0.34). The average initial ulnar variance was 5.5 mm (range 2–12 mm, SD = 3.2) in patients with DRUJ instability and 3.8 mm (range 0–11 mm, SD = 3.5) in patients without. Only 4/20 patients (20 %) with DRUJ instability had normal ulnar variance (−2 to +2 mm) versus 15/30 (50 %) patients without (p = 0.041). In the setting of a radial shaft fracture, ulnar variance greater or less than 2 mm was associated with a greater likelihood of DRUJ incongruence/instability following fracture fixation.
An efficient volume-removal algorithm for practical three-dimensional lithography simulation with experimental verification

A fast three-dimensional volume removal algorithm for resist dissolution is presented and verified with applications to optical lithography with phase-shift masks, resist silylation, and electron-beam lithography. Memory requirements are reduced by dynamically allocating complete topography and material information only at surface cells, and setting other cells as either bulk material or developer. The dissolution algorithm uses a fixed time step and stores the volume of material remaining in the surface cells. A simple redistribution scheme is used if more volume would be removed from a cell in one time step that is currently present. The compactness and speed of the algorithm make it suitable for use on engineering workstations. Simulations requiring 100*100*100 cells can be performed in a few minutes. Theoretical defocus effects in phase-shift mask lithography and shot-size error in electron-beam lithography are compared with experiment. A dry-etch resist silylation process is also investigated. >
Characterization of high frequency interconnects using finite difference time domain and finite element methods

MIC and MMIC packages capable of good performance at frequencies as high as 60 GHz need to have small volume, low weight, microstrip and/or coplanar waveguide (CPW) compatibility and exhibit negligible electrical interference with the rest of the circuit. In order to acquire some of these characteristics, special provisions need to be made during circuit layout and design, resulting in high-density packages. The designed circuits have a large number of interconnects which are printed on electrically small surface areas and communicate through the substrate in a direct through-via fashion or electromagnetically through appropriately etched apertures. In a circuit environment of this complexity, parasitic effects such as radiation and cross talk are intensified, thus, making the vertical interconnection problem very critical. In this paper, transitions using through-substrate vias are considered and analyzed both in the time and frequency domains using the Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) technique and the Finite Element Method (FEM), respectively. The merits of each method in conjunction with accuracy, computational efficiency and versatility are discussed and results are compared showing excellent agreement. Specifically, a microstrip short-circuit, a microstrip ground pad, a CPW-to-microstrip through-via transition and a channelized CPW-to-microstrip transition are analyzed and their electrical performance is studied. >
Biomechanical and Injury Response of Human Foot and Ankle Under Complex Loading

Ankle and subtalar joint injuries of vehicle front seat occupants are frequently recorded during frontal and offset vehicle crashes. A few injury criteria for foot and ankle were proposed in the past; however, they addressed only certain injury mechanisms or impact loadings. The main goal of this study was to investigate numerically the tolerance of foot and ankle under complex loading which may appear during automotive crashes. A previously developed and preliminarily validated foot and leg finite element (FE) model of a 50th percentile male was employed in this study. The model was further validated against postmortem human subjects (PMHS) data in various loading conditions that generates the bony fractures and ligament failures in ankle and subtalar regions observed in traffic accidents. Then, the foot and leg model were subjected to complex loading simulated as combinations of axial, dorsiflexion, and inversion loadings. An injury surface was fitted through the points corresponding to the parameters recorded at the time of failure in the FE simulations. The compelling injury predictions of the injury surface in two crash simulations may recommend its application for interpreting the test data recorded by anthropometric test devices (ATD) during crash tests. It is believed that the methodology presented in this study may be appropriate for the development of injury criteria under complex loadings corresponding to other body regions as well.
Interaction of Implantable Defibrillator Therapy with Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Deletion/Insertion Polymorphism

ACE Polymorphism and Sudden Cardiac Death. Introduction: The angiotensin-converting enzyme deletion allele (ACE D) decreases survival in patients with advanced heart failure. Whether the adverse impact on survival reflects an increased risk of pump failure or arrhythmic sudden death remains uncertain. If the ACE D genotype increases the risk of sudden death, implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapy should diminish its negative impact. We sought to evaluate the effect of ICD therapy on ACE D genetic risk. Methods and Results: The Genetic Risk Assessment of Cardiac Events (GRACE) study enrolled 479 patients at the University of Pittsburgh between 1996 and 2001. Blood was genotyped for the ACE D/I (deletionlinsertion) polymorphism. Of the 479 patients, 82 (77% male, 84% Caucasian, age 56 ′ 11 years, 60% ischemic, left ventricular ejection fraction 0.23 ′ 0.08) received an ICD and were selected for outcomes analysis (mean follow-up 871 ′ 538 days). Transplant-free survival and survival alone were compared in ACE DD patients (n = 24, 29%) versus ACE DI/II patients (n = 58, 71%). Survival was significantly improved in ACE DI/II patients compared to those without an ICD (1 year: 93% vs 87%; 2 year: 89% vs 77%; P = 0.02) but not in ACE DD patients. Transplant-free survival among patients with an ICD was significantly worse in ACE DD versus ACE DI/II (1 year: 67% vs 88%, 2 year: 55% vs 80%, P = 0.03). Analysis of survival as a single endpoint revealed a similar result (1 year = 78% vs 94%; 2 year: 72% vs 88%; P = 0.05). ICD telemetry data showed a nonsignificant trend toward fewer individuals with arrhythmias in the ACE-DD group (46% vs 65%, P = 0.22) Conclusion: ICDs do not diminish the adverse influence of the ACE DD genotype on survival. This finding suggests that mortality in this high-risk genetic subset of patients is due to progression of heart failure rather than arrhythmic sudden death.
TIBOR: A Resource-bounded Information Foraging Agent for Visual Analytics

Visual analytics is the science of applying reasoning and analysis techniques to large, complex real-world data for problem solving using visualizations. Real world knowledge gathering and investigative tasks are very complex because the problem-solving context is constantly evolving, and the data may be incomplete, unreliable and/or conflicting. We describe a mixed-initiative reasoning agent that will assist investigative analysts to choose from and reason about enormous databases of text, imagery, video and Webcast. This agent leverages sequential decision making and an AI blackboard system to support hypothesis tracking and validation in a highly uncertain environment. Resource-bounded control mechanisms enable the agent to reason about the uncertainty. We have also designed a user interface that will enable analysts to gather and sift large amounts of evidence and to collaborate with and, where necessary, to control the agent.
Advanced Hybrid Gas Turbine Plant Concept for Electrical Power Generation and Alternate Transportation Fuels Production

In long–term U.S. energy planning three major factors are paramount, (1) environmental considerations will play a major role in power plant design, (2) alternate (and cleaner burning) transportation fuels must be introduced to wean the country from dependence on imported oil, and (3) increasing reliance will be placed on indigenous resources, namely uranium and coal. It will likely take several decades for the above goals to be implemented on a large scale, and will surely necessitate the utilization of advanced technologies. A proposed advanced version of the modular helium reactor (MHR) has bi–modal operating capability in that it can be used for power generation, and the emission–free production of clean–burning fuels to meet transportation needs. The advanced hybrid MHR plant concept utilizes a direct cycle helium nuclear gas turbine for electrical power generation (with an efficiency potential of 50%), and in addition embodies an intermediate heat transport loop for high temperature process heat needed for the emission–free conversion of coal into future cleaner burning transportation fuels, namely methanol, synthetic natural gas, or hydrogen. The high grade sensible reject heat from both the prime–mover and process heat loop is ideally suited for desalination, and thus gives the plant capability for generating three revenue streams. This paper highlights an advanced very high temperature hybrid plant concept, and discusses the enabling technologies necessary to make such an energy complex a reality, perhaps in the first decade of the 21st century. Such a power generating and fuel production facility would be in concert with improved clean air goals, and the national security and economic advantages of making U.S. power and fuel supplies dependent only on indigenous resources.Copyright © 1991 by ASME
Defeating memory corruption attacks via pointer taintedness detection

Most malicious attacks compromise system security through memory corruption exploits. Recently proposed techniques attempt to defeat these attacks by protecting program control data. We have constructed a new class of attacks that can compromise network applications without tampering with any control data. These non-control data attacks represent a new challenge to system security. In this paper, we propose an architectural technique to defeat both control data and non-control data attacks based on the notion of pointer taintedness. A pointer is said to be tainted if user input can be used as the pointer value. A security attack is detected whenever a tainted value is dereferenced during program execution. The proposed architecture is implemented on the SimpleScalar processor simulator and is evaluated using synthetic programs as well as real-world network applications. Our technique can effectively detect both control data and non-control data attacks, and it offers better security coverage than current methods. The proposed architecture is transparent to existing programs.
Optimal algorithms for Byzantine agreement

We exhibit randomized Byzantine agreement (BA) algorithms achieving optimal running time and fault tolerance against all types of adversaries ever considered in the literature. Our BA algorithms do not require trusted parties, preprocessing, or non-constructive arguments.Given private communication lines, we show that n processors can reach BA in expected constant time in a syncronous network if any
Using stochastic models for analyzing power system dynamics

The problem of bistable dynamic power systems driven by colored and Markov jump noise processes is analyzed. The authors address the development of specific stochastic models that reflect inherent fluctuations of power system parameters and characteristics. These models cover certain fluctuations, such as those due to the effect of random customer switching and ambient weather conditions. In addition, an example of a discrete stochastic model is presented to reflect other switching events, such as those due to transformer tap changers. One of the most important features of these models is the capability to properly represent prevailing conditions leading up to voltage collapse scenarios. >
Relationships among Demographics, Social Support, Job Satisfaction and Burnout among School Psychologists

This study examines the relationships among demographic variables, social support levels, global job satisfaction and burnout dimensions in a sample of school psychologists employed as practitioners in school settings. The results indicate that social support is associated with school psychologists' self-perceived burnout and job satisfaction. Specifically, support from supervisors (namely, friends, spouse or co-workers) is the most influential contributor to school psychologists' well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Measurement of Acculturation, Scale Formats, and Language Competence Their Implications for Adjustment

This study was conducted to test whether the lack of independence between ethnic and mainstream cultural orientations is partially due to the adoption of a specific scale format. It was hypothesized that unique structural features commonly found in bidimensional acculturation instruments (paired questions that differ only in their cultural orientations and utilize the “frequency” format) cause strong inverse associations between the two cultural orientations. This study also explored the relative importance of language competence over the other domains of acculturation in the prediction of psychosocial adjustment (i.e., self-esteem, perceived stress, peer relationship, adjustment to college, family conflict). As predicted, results from a sample of 489 Asian Americans supported the hypothesis that the scale formats contribute to the lack of orthogonality. They also showed that language competence was a stronger predictor of adjustment than the other domains of acculturation, implying that language competen...
Editorial overview: host-microbe interactions: parasites.

This is the 11th issue of Current Opinion in Microbiology’s collection of reviews on host–parasite interactions and I am honored to edit the new decade’s first issue. After I was approached to take on this task, I went back and reread previous issues and was impressed not only by the impact and significance of those reviews but of their timeliness. These reviews also highlighted two important motivations that drive most of our research. First, parasites cause severe and life-threatening human diseases that exact significant health and economic tolls. New treatments against these infections are still needed since the current ones are limited by emerging drug resistance, poor efficacy, and intolerable side effects. In addition, the development of effective vaccines has remained elusive. Second, parasites have evolved unique strategies to successfully co-exist with their hosts. This includes modulation and evasion of immune responses as well as manipulation of host signaling, metabolism, and gene expression. While the study of how parasites co-opt their host cells is important for drug development studies, they also reveal novel biological mechanisms that spurs discovery in other eukaryotes. As an example, Trypanosomes dramatically modify mitochondrial transcripts by inserting and deleting uridines to create a final mRNA. This was the first mechanism of RNA editing, which is now considered a widespread eukaryotic mechanism to modify mRNAs.
Reply: The MOGE(S) classification for a phenotype-genotype nomenclature of cardiomyopathy: more questions than answers?

Dr. Pasotti, as most other cardiologists with expertise in cardiomyopathies do [(1)][1], so aptly perceives the need for a more comprehensive classification that describes the phenotype and the related “red flag” involvement of other organs, and genetic (or nongenetic) basis of the disease and
The Key to Learning: Engaging Undergraduate Students in Authentic Social Work Research

Social work educators highlight the value of research skills, and students often resist. Millennial students seek social connection and relevance in their educational experiences. The results of a study designed to investigate whether engaging students in authentic research increases their research knowledge and skills are reported. Forty-eight undergraduate social work students in a research method class conducted a study of adolescents’ views on poverty. In addition, students worked in teams to conduct quantitative surveys on a poverty-related topic of their choice. Three types of data were collected to evaluate the research question: student grades, a midterm evaluation of the team aspect, and an end-of-course reflection. Students’ grades were high, their perceptions of the course at midterm were predominantly positive, and their final reflection showed that the large majority (86%) thought the course design helped them improve their research knowledge and skills.
Study provides insufficient evidence of a link between clarithromycin and myocardial infarction.

As a GP registrar who regularly prescribes antibiotics, I read Wong and colleagues’ paper on clarithromycin and cardiovascular outcomes and the associated editorial with interest.1 2 I disagree with the editorial in that the study contains only two, not three, separate study designs. My main concern with the paper is that the second study design simply shows, using two statistical methods, that people with …
Coherent High Harmonic X-ray Beams and Applications in Coherent Imaging and Spectroscopy

It is now possible to control the spectral, temporal and polarization of high harmonic x-ray beams for a wide range of applications in imaging and spectroscopy.
A note on Rashevsky's theorem about point-bases in topological biology

A graphG may have more than one point-baseB G. In a primordial graphP of Rashevsky's (1954) TransformationT, some of the pointbases may consist of nonspecialized points only, and some other pointbases may contains specialized points. In this case, Rashevsky's Theorem (1955a) on point-bases may not hold. The Theorem is certainly true ifall point-bases ofP consists of nonspecialized points. A rigorous proof is given. Some results are derived for the more general case, when point-bases include both kinds of points. A general expression for the point-base ratio of the transformed graphP(T) is obtained. It is shown that with some biologically plausible assumptions Rashevsky's interpretation of the point-base ratio and his conclusions are still true. A few simple Theorems on point-bases of graphs are included in this work.
ISOLATED CORONARY VASCULITIS AS A CAUSE OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION: A DIAGNOSTIC DILEMMA

Coronary artery vasculitis (CAV) is a rare cause of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It can be either isolated or due to other systemic vasculitides. Limited information is available about the angiographic appearance and therapeutic options for isolated CAV. A 47-year-old previously healthy woman
Method and Application of Sintered NdFeb Strip Casting Production Planning

Aiming at the production characteristics of sintering Nd_2Fe_(14)b magnetic materials;the production order' s required strip weight is not always less than the maximum weight of each furnace;each furnace's weight is a range not a fixed value;the various grade stocks is within the required scope of the enterprise.Five Categories eleven rules were extracted from the experience of site planners,historical production performance and production process constraints in this paper.First,set strip casting furnace's weight according to whether common grade work sheet or long order work sheet;second,conduct work sheet's group furnace according to work sheet priority and production process constraints;Finally,adjust furnace weight or furnace number based on historical production performance and production process constraints set inventory preparation weight.This method is applied to the production planning subsystem that developed for the enterprise.The actual application results show that this method improves the ability of work sheets on time delivery,reduces tardiness from 40%to 20%,optimizes inventory preparation,and realizes energy saving consumption reducing.
Abstract 4513: Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of indenoisoquinoline LMP400 (Indotecan) in BALB/c female mice bearing CT-26 colon tumors

Introduction: The indenoisoquinoline, LMP400 (NSC743400, indotecan), is currently in Phase I clinical trials for the treatment of solid tumors and is administered as an IV infusion. The compound is an inhibitor of topoisomerase I (TOP1) and does not appear to be a substrate for BCRP (ABCG2) or P-gp (ABCB1). In this study, we evaluated the plasma pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of LMP400 and the tumor expression of TOP1 and γH2AX in mice bearing CT26 murine colon tumors after either IV or PO administration of LMP400. Methods: CT26 murine colon tumors were implanted in female BALB/c mice and 3 weeks after tumor implantation, the mice were administered 18 mg/kg LMP400 IV or PO. Blood and tissues were collected between 5 and 2880 min after IV dosing or 5 and 1440 min after PO dosing. Blood was centrifuged to obtain plasma. Tumor samples for TOP1 ELISA were snap-frozen within 2 min after euthanasia of the mice while other tissues were weighed prior to being frozen in liquid N2. Concentrations of LMP400 were determined by LC-MS/MS and non-compartmental analysis was performed using PK solutions. Bioavailability was calculated from plasma AUC (0-∞). Tumor samples were analyzed by western blot for TOP1 and γH2AX concentrations and by ELISA for TOP1. Results: Plasma Cmax occurred at 5 min (4633 ± 505 ng/mL) after IV and 15 min (890 ± 279 ng/mL) after PO administration. Plasma AUC0-∞ for IV and PO were 1639 or 628 μg•min/mL, respectively. Plasma t1/2 for IV and PO were 1515 min and 312 min, respectively. Clearances for LMP400 IV and PO in plasma were 16 and 29 mL/min/kg, respectively. Oral bioavailability was 58%. After administration of LMP400 IV, AUC0-∞ in tumor, liver, kidney, lung, brain, skeletal muscle and fat were 11324, 48670, 54789, 65242, 3009, 5710 and 10849 μg•min/mL, respectively. After administration of LMP400 PO, AUC0-∞ in tumor, liver, kidney, lung, brain, skeletal muscle and fat were 2711, 6802, 4037, 3715,1066, 804, and 5882 μg•min/mL, respectively. TOP1 in tumor was inhibited while γH2AX/H2AX was increased between 2h and 24h after either IV or PO dosing. Conclusion: LMP400 is bioavailable after PO administration to mice and results in tumor inhibition of TOP1 and increases in γH2AX/H2AX ratios, suggesting that LMP400 could be effective if administered as an oral formulation. Support: UM1CA186690 and P30-CA-47904 Note: This abstract was not presented at the meeting. Citation Format: Jianxia Guo, Julianne Holleran, John C. Schmitz, Kenneth Czambel, Jan H. Beumer, Julie L. Eiseman. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of indenoisoquinoline LMP400 (Indotecan) in BALB/c female mice bearing CT-26 colon tumors. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 4513. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-4513
Evidence for an enterogastric reflex for the inhibition of acid secretion.

In order to identify the mechanisms responsible for the inhibition of gastric secretion observed during acidification of the duodenal bulb, dogs were prepared with a gastric fistula (GF), Heidenhain pouch (HP), and pancreatic fistula. The duodenal bulb (5 cm) was separated from the stomach by a mucosal septum at the pyloric end and was brought to the surface in a mucocutaneous fistula distally. After the first series of experiments were completed, the dogs were reoperated and the duodenal bulb was completely separated from the stomach. The experiments were then repeated. Perfusion of the innervated duodenal bulb with 8 mEq of HC1 per hr resulted in 50% inhibition of pentagastrin (2 μg per kg-hr) -induced acid secretion from the GF and slight stimulation of pancreatic volume, bicarbonate, and protein output. Acid and pepsin secretion from the HP were unchanged by acidification of the bulb. A small dose of synthetic secretin (0.2 U per kg-hr) increased pancreatic secretion more than did bulbar acidification but did not inhibit acid secretion. A larger dose of secretin (1.6 U per kg-hr) caused 50% inhibition of acid secretion from both the GF and HP. Following the surgical separation of the duodenal bulb from the pylorus, acidification of the bulb failed to inhibit gastric secretion from the GF as well as from the HP. We interpret these results as evidence for the existence of a neural reflex, triggered by acid in the duodenal bulb, and inhibiting gastric secretion. Earlier studies by several groups have shown that acidification of the bulb inhibited HP secretion, thus indicating a hormonal mechanism. We cannot explain the failure to find evidence of such a mechanism in this study.
Influence of proton radiation on the minority carrier lifetime in midwave infrared InAs/InAsSb superlattices

Influence of proton radiation on the minority carrier lifetime and on carrier concentrations in InAs/InAsSb superlattices has been studied for radiation doses up to 300 krad. The lifetime decreased from 1.8 μs down to 430 ns as the dose was increased. A variation of the carrier concentration in the range 1–2 × 1015 with increasing radiation dose was observed. The lifetime drop was however mainly caused by added Shockley-Read-Hall defects in the material. The position of these Shockley-Read-Hall centers was estimated to ∼60 meV below the conduction band edge from comparison between calculated and measured temperature dependencies of the minority carrier lifetime.
The Effects of Exchange-rate Changes on Domestic Prices, Trade and Employment in the US, European Community and Japan

Following the advent of floating rates in 1973, there have been some sizeable swings in exchange rates involving the US dollar and other major currencies. Most recently, the dollar has appreciated sharply with respect to many other currencies. This appreciation has been a cause for concern to US policy-makers because, coming at a time of recession, it might aggravate the already painful process of adjusting domestically to the changing pattern of comparative advantage in both import-competing and export industries.
The NPC in the political system

For much of its first generation, the NPC operated in an inhospitable environment enfeebled by an ineffectual structure. External pressures and internal constraints circumscribed legislative development and ultimately caused legislative decline. This chapter draws on both Chinese and western legislative theory to assess the consequences of decline on four activities commonly associated with legislatures – law making, supervision, representation, and regime support. By determining what the NPC contributed to the political system, I summarize the findings to this point and establish a baseline against which post-Mao changes can be measured. Law making and influence over policy In theory, legislatures legislate. Nelson Polsby writes: “legislative activity at its core refers to a process of law making, to a pattern of actions which regularly results in the promulgation of general rules having application to some specified population.” Students of nonwestern legislatures have long known, however, that many legislatures seldom make rules and often are excluded from important political decisions. With several notable exceptions, the influence of legislatures pales before that of executives. Popular assemblies generally pass executive proposals with minimal change or opposition; few regularly make political decisions or allocate values. The NPC from 1954 to 1976 was not among these few. Deputies “did not enjoy and exercise the right to decide on laws.” Laws were infrequently submitted and less frequently amended. Before convening, NPC and NPCSC members did not know what proposals they would see, and at the end, they could do little more than raise their hands in agreement.
Algeria: The Cycle of Reciprocal Fear

In March 1962, France and Algeria, parties to seven years of conflict, agreed upon the need to destroy an illusion. For more than a century Algeria had been regarded as an integral part of metropolitan France, despite the patently non-Gallic character of its indigenous population. Bloody insurrection and the realization in France that the Mother Country could not undo the wrongs of previous generations brought the illusion into disrepute; it was interred in July 1962 with the acquisition of full independent status by Algeria. This separation restored France to a reasonable semblance of well-being; Algeria, on the other hand, suffered a far less happy fate. At independence Algeria found itself on the threshold of renewed conflict. The principals in this second act of violence were not the European settlers ( colons ) who had dominated Algeria's political life for generations as baronial overlords. The vast majority of settlers, approximately 850,000 out of a total of one million, had scuttled and run out of fear of vengeful retribution by Algeria's nine million Muslims. Nor were the half-million French soldiers remaining on Algerian soil participants in the new drama; the overwhelming majority were anxious to depart this melancholy land without molestation. The principals were the founders and leaders of the Algerian revolution, men who, at the hour of triumph, fell into disagreement over the distribution of power and ignored a more compelling imperative - - the rehabilitation of a wartorn society.