cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deconvoluting BAC-gene relationships using a physical map.

Deconvolution of relationships between bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones and genes is a crucial step in the selective sequencing of regions of interest in a genome. It often includes combinatorial pooling of unique probes obtained from the genes (unigenes), and screening of the BAC library using the pools in a hybridization experiment. Since several probes can hybridize to the same BAC, in order for the deconvolution to be achievable the pooling design has to be able to handle a large number of positives. As a consequence, smaller pools need to be designed, which in turn increases the number of hybridization experiments, possibly making the entire protocol unfeasible. We propose a new algorithm that is capable of producing high-accuracy deconvolution even in the presence of a weak pooling design, i.e. when pools are rather large. The algorithm compensates for the decrease of information in the hybridization data by taking advantage of a physical map of the BAC clones. We show that the right combination of combinatorial pooling and our algorithm not only dramatically reduces the number of pools required, but also successfully deconvolutes the BAC–gene relationships with almost perfect accuracy. Software is available on request from the first author.
Spectral hole burning in thulium-doped glass ceramics

We have used spectral hole burning to measure the homogeneous linewidth of the H631–F331 transition of Tm3+ ions doped into oxyfluoride glass ceramics consisting of nanocrystals of LaF3 in an aluminosilicate glass matrix. From the magnitude of the hole width in the nanocrystals and its dependence on temperature, we propose that excitation of tunneling modes in the adjacent glassy phase as well as of confined mechanical modes in the nanocrystals is responsible for the broadening.
Marriage between Japanese Women and U.S. Servicemen since World War II

(1991). Marriage between Japanese Women and U.S. Servicemen since World War II. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 135-154.
The Normal-State Transport Properties of the High-Temperature Cuprate Superconductors

A discussion of the normal-state Hall effect and magnetoresistance is given. Recent results on the temperature dependence of the Hall current in YBCO implies that the Hall damping rate I/τH of charge carriers varies as T 2, in contrast with the linear-T dependence in the transport scattering rate. The effect of impurities on I/τH is discussed. Magnetoresistance provides a measurement of the carner dephasing rate I/τφ . In Bi 2201, I/τφ is found to vary as T1/3, implying greatly enhanced level widths compared with k B T. New observations of spin-dependent magnetoresistance in longitudinal field are discussed.
On Preference Orders for Sequencing Problems Or, What Hath Smith Wrought?

When in 1956 W. E. Smith proposed the ratio rule for solving the unconstrained weighted completion time problem, he suggested an abstraction in the form of a preference order. Over the years, the concept of a preference order has been much elaborated. It is now applied to abstract problems in optimal sequencing, with general precedence constraints being dealt with by the technique of modular decomposition. This paper provides a unified and self contained exposition of these results, with some new material on the treatment of contiguity constraints.
Abstract 3268: Ct Perfusion As A Tool To Predict The Risk Of Hemorrhagic Transformation In Ischemic Stroke Treated With Tissue Plasminogen Activator: A Single Center Experience.

Objective: To use the Computed Tomography Perfusion (CTP) parameters at the time of hospital admission, including Cerebral Blood Volume (CBV) and Permeability Surface area product (PS), to identify patients with higher risk to develop hemorrhagic transformation in the setting of acute stroke therapy with intravenous thrombolysis. Methods: Retrospective study that compared admission CTP variables between patients with Hemorrhagic Transformation (HT) acute stroke and those with no hemorrhagic transformation. Both groups received standard of care intravenous thrombolysis with tPA. Twenty patients presented to our stroke center between the years 2007 - 2011 within 3 hours after stroke symptoms onset. All patients underwent two-phase 320 slice CTP which creates CBV and PS measurements. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they had HT on a follow up CT head without contrast, done within 36 hours of the thrombolysis therapy. Clinical, demographic and CTP variables were compared between the HT and non-HT groups using logistic regression analyses. Results: HT developed in 8 (40%) patients. Patients with HT had lower ASPECT score ( P =.03), higher NIHSS on admission ( P= .01) and worse outcome ( P= .04) compared to patients who did not develop HT. Baseline blood flow defects were comparable between the two groups. The mean PS for the HT group was 0.53 mL/min/100g brain tissue, which was significantly higher than that for the non-HT group of 0.04 mL/min/100g brain tissue ( P Conclusions: Admission CTP measurements might be useful to predict patients who are at higher risk to develop hemorrhagic transformation after acute ischemic stroke therapy.
Process Development and Scale-up of a β-Secretase Inhibitor via a Stereospecific Jocic Reaction

A scalable process for the synthesis of a spiropiperidine β-secretase inhibitor is described. Key stereochemical transformations utilized are a diastereoselective trichloromethyl addition followed by an unprecedented stereospecific Jocic reaction with an aniline nucleophile. Simplified processing was developed for a Dieckmann cyclization/decarboxylation sequence to give a process suitable for the production of kilogram quantities of API.
“We sometimes wonder what they will spring on us next”: Immigrants and Border Enforcement in the American West, 1882–1930

Complex patterns of unsanctioned immigration emerged along the Mexican and Canadian borders in the late-nineteenth century, spurring federal efforts to fortify the borders. Despite the elaboration of federal border controls, illicit entry flourished, individual immigrants and transnational smuggling syndicates demonstrated tireless ingenuity in subverting the official border.
Adjusting the stability of metal-organic frameworks under humid conditions by ligand functionalization.

The practical use of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) in applications ranging from adsorption separations to controlled storage and release hinges on their stability in humid or aqueous environments. The sensitivity of certain MOFs under humid conditions is well-known, but systematic studies of water adsorption properties of MOFs are lacking. This information is critical for developing design criteria for directing future synthesis efforts. The goal of this work is to understand the influence of the extent of Zn–O bond shielding on the relative stabilities of MOFs belonging to same family of isostructural, noncatenated pillared MOFs [Zn(L)(DABCO)0.5], where L is the functionalized BDC (1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid) linker. The different extent of Zn–O bond shielding is provided by incorporating a broad range of functional groups on the BDC ligand. The resulting MOFs have varying surface areas, pore sizes, and pore volumes. Stability is assessed through water vapor adsorption isotherms combined with powder ...
Uma agenda inacabada: monitorando os avanços e desafios dos direitos reprodutivos

Trata-se de resenha sobre o livro: CAVENAGHI, Suzana; CABELLA, Wanda. Comportamiento reproductivo y fecundidad en America Latina: una agenda inconclusa. Serie e-Investigaciones. 3. 1. ed.Rio de Janeiro: Alap, 2014. 1. 220 p
Risk Management as Applied to Collider Dipole Magnet Development

The overall purpose of the CDM risk management activity is to identify risk warning thresholds in the areas of Engineering, Test, Production, Facilities,Quality and Management, and to identify and implement risk mitigation plans in order to reduce adverse impacts to the CDM program. We use DoD 4245.7-M, Transition From Development to Production and Best Practices as a guideline.
Legacy and Applications

The works of Vickrey and Mirrlees opened a floodgate, not only in the literature on optimal taxation, but also in general welfare economics and in incentive compatibility.
The relationship between police practice, community characteristics, and case attrition∗

More than half of the suspects arrested for felonies in the United States are released. Are police failing to provide enough evidence for prosecution of these suspects? This article summarizes a study of 25 Los Angeles County police departments and concludes that although such a conclusion seems logical, case‐attrition patterns may not be a valid basis for evaluating the quality of police work. For the two categories of crime studied, robbery and burglary, some departments convicted twice the number of their arrestees as others. Community crime rates play a slight role in this and the money and resources departments can devote to each arrest are also factors. Purely demographic differences between communities appear to account for little, if any, variation in case attrition. Although critics clamor for more convictions, the police may not see this as their role. According to the study, none of the respondents knew or cared where they stood in relation to other departments’ attrition rates. In most officer...
Optical manipulation of a single human virus for study of viral-cell interactions

Although Ashkin and Dziedzic first demonstrated optical trapping of individual tobacco mosaic viruses in suspension as early as 1987, this pioneering work has not been followed up only until recently. Using human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) as a model virus, we have recently demonstrated that a single HIV-1 virion can be stabled trapped, manipulated and measured in physiological media with high precision. The capability to optically trap a single virion in suspension not only allows us to determine, for the first time, the refractive index of a single virus with high precision, but also quantitate the heterogeneity among individual virions with single-molecule resolution, the results of which shed light on the molecular mechanisms of virion infectivity. Here we report the further development of a set of microscopic techniques to physically deliver a single HIV-1 virion to a single host cell in solution. Combined with simultaneous epifluorescence imaging, the attachment and dissociation events of individual manipulated virions on host cell surface can be measured and the results help us understand the role of diffusion in mediating viral attachment to host cells. The establishment of these techniques opens up new ways for investigation of a wide range of virion-cell interactions, and should be applicable for study of B cell interactions with particulate antigens such as viruses.
Interactions of the pineal hormone melatonin with oxygen-centered free radicals: a brief review.

Melatonin,N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine, is a hormonal product of the pineal gland. Its synthesis is higher at night than during the day in all vertebrates including man. Once melatonin is produced in the pineal gland it is quickly released into the vascular system. The rapid release of melatonin is generally believed to relate to its high lipophilicity which allows it to readily pass through the membrane of the pinealocytes and the endothelial cells which line the capillaries. The result of the nocturnal synthesis and secretion of melatonin is high blood levels at night. Also because of its highly lipophilic nature, melatonin from the blood readily escapes into every other bodily fluid and all cells in the body. Until recently it was generally thought that melatonin's action in the organism depended on its exclusive interaction with specific receptors on cells located in discrete locations. Certainly, the interactions of melatonin with these membrane-bound receptors are believed to mediate the endocrine and circadian rhythm effects of melatonin. It was recently discovered, however, that melatonin's primary action may not depend on the previously described membrane receptors. We have found that melatonin is a very potent hydroxyl radical scavenger; free radicals and the hydroxyl radical in particular, because of its very high reactivity, can be extremely damaging to macromolecules in cells. Compared to glutathione and mannitol, two well known free radical scavengers, melatonin is a more powerful scavenger and affords protection of molecules, especially DNA, from oxidative damage. Melatonin's extremely high diffusibility is important for its scavenging action because this feature allows it to enter all cells and every subcellular compartment. Whereas the free radical quenching activity of melatonin does not require a receptor, we also have evidence that it may be bound in the nucleus thereby providing on-site protection to DNA. Besides scavenging the highly toxic hydroxyl radical, melatonin also stimulates glutathione peroxidase activity which metabolizes the precursor of the hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide, to water. Thus, melatonin has at least two means to protect the cell from oxidative damage, i.e., it breaks down hydrogen peroxide to harmless water and, in the event any hydroxyl radicals are formed, melatonin scavenges them. Melatonin may be the premier molecule to protect the organism from oxidative damage.
Surface Grafting of Functionalized Poly(thiophene)s Using Thiol–Ene Click Chemistry for Thin Film Stabilization

Regioregular poly[(3-hexylthiophene)-ran-(3-undecenylthiophene)] (pP3HT) and vinyl terminated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (xP3HT) were synthesized by the McCullough method and surface grafted to thiol modified silicon dioxide wafers using thiol–ene click chemistry. Utilizing this method, semiconducting, solvent impervious films were easily generated. Thiol–ene click chemistry is convenient for film stabilization in electronics because it does not produce side products that could be inimical to charge transport in the active layer. It was found through grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering (GIWAXS) that there is no change in microstructure between as-spun films and thiol–ene grafted films, while there was a change after the thiol–ene grafted film was exposed to solvent. Organic field-effect transistors (oFETs) were fabricated from grafted films that had been swelled with chloroform, and these devices had mobilities on the order of 10–6 cm2 V–1 s–1, which are consistent with poly(thiophene) monolayer dev...
Shared Representations Underlie Metaphonological Judgments and Speech Motor Control

Researchers often use metalinguistic judgments to investigate phonological representations. The representations are assumed to govern speech motor control and thereby shape articulatory and acoustic characteristics of speech. Yet little is known about the relationship between metalinguistic judgments, phonological representations, and motor control. This paper reports on an experiment that directly investigates the relation between metalinguistic judgments and articulatory control, hypothesizing that the two share a common representation. This hypothesis predicts that differences in judgments should be correlated with differences in the acoustic characteristics of responses. An experiment was conducted in which syllable count judgments and productions of words with tense vowel/diphthong nuclei and liquid codas were obtained from native speakers of English. A subset of these words have previously been shown to exhibit ­variation in syllable count judgments. Acoustic analyses of productions showed that rime ­durations and formant trajectories differed between words associated with monosyllabic vs. disyllabic syllable count judgments. These results support the hypothesis that a common representation is utilized by the processes responsible for metaphonological judgments of syllable count and speech motor control.
The non-perpendicular and non-parallel alkyne bridge in W2(μ-C2H2)(μ-OCH2tBu)2(OCH2tBu)61Dedicated to Professor Ken Wade, FRS, on the occasion of his 65th birthday.1

Abstract The bonding in the ethyne adduct W 2 ( μ -C 2 H 2 )( μ -ONp) 2 (ONp) 6 (Np=CH 2 t Bu) has been examined by various computational methods [Extended Huckel (EHMO), Fenske–Hall, and Gaussian 92 RHF (Restricted Hartree–Fock) and density functional (Becke-3LYP) calculations] employing the model compound W 2 ( μ -C 2 H 2 )( μ -OH) 2 (OH) 6 . EHMO and Fenske–Hall calculations suggest, based on total orbital energy, that a μ -parallel ethyne geometry should have the lowest energy, although traditional frontier orbital arguments agree with the observance of a skewed acetylene bridge. Gaussian 92 computations reproduce the non-perpendicular/non-parallel μ -C 2 H 2 geometry in close agreement to that observed in the solid-state (X-ray) structure, which leads us to suggest that the distortion is not sterically imposed by the attendant alkoxide ligands. The observed geometry can be rationalized in terms of Jahn–Teller distortional stabilization from either the μ -parallel or μ -perpendicular mode, i.e., the geometry is favored on electronic grounds, though the potential energy surface is rather shallow. These results are discussed in terms of previous studies of the addition of alkynes to d 3 –d 3 dinuclear complexes of tungsten and in terms of relationships between d 2 -W(OR) 4 and d 8 -Os(CO) 4 fragments.
Psychoanalysis and Dramatic Art

This essay reviews the application of psychoanalysis to dramatic art. Four major areas are covered; studies of playwrights, studies of individual plays, studies of audience response, and studies of acting. Based on his studies of acting in live theatrical productions, the author offers three theorems to underscore the central role of unconscious enactment in the evolution of theatrical performance.
Generation of Specific Human CD8+ T Cell Responses to the Myeloproliferative Disorder Associated V617F Mutated JAK2 Kinase by Use of Analog Peptide Vaccine Candidates.

The recent identification of the JAK2 V617F mutation in myeloproliferative diseases including polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and myelofibrosis has the potential to serve as a new therapeutic target for these disorders. We hypothesized that the mutated JAK2 kinase sequence could generate new immunogenic peptide-epitopes that could be recognized by the human immune system. Therefore, such sequences could be potential vaccine candidates. The myeloproliferative diseases, especially PV and ET, are ideal diseases for a vaccine approach as they are indolent disorders and also not suitable for use of possibly toxic chemotherapies. Using computer based predictive algorithms, potentially immunogenic nonamer peptides spanning the V617F region of JAK2 were identified. Since JAK2 is a normally expressed self-protein, the goal is to break immune tolerance to the mutated JAK2 sequence without allowing significant recognition of the native sequence. Therefore, synthetic analogs of the V617F mutated peptides with stronger predictive binding to MHC were designed by introducing single amino-acid substitutions into the HLA-A0201 and A0301 binding positions. Corresponding non-mutated native sequences showed little predicted binding. The binding of the mutated and synthetic analog peptides was confirmed in vitro using an MHC class I stabilization assay on TAP deficient cells. Native sequences bound poorly as expected. JAK2 peptides derived from V617F sequences as well as their analogs were used to elicit MHC-restricted, peptide-specific CTL responses in an in vitro model using T-cells from either HLA-A0201 or A0301 healthy donors after stimulation with autologous monocyte-derived dendritic cells. The analog peptides were shown to be immunogenic in vitro, and activated CD8+ T cells that recognized the synthetic analog peptide pulsed targets as determined by an IFN-gamma ELISPOT assay. In addition, and most importantly, these T cells cross-reacted with cellular targets that were pulsed with the mutated V617F peptide associated with the myeloproliferative diseases, but not with the native JAK2 peptide. These analog peptides thus satisfied our initial goals for a vaccine candidate. Further studies with these peptides and others eliciting CD4+ responses will determine their potential for successful use as vaccine candidates
Verstimmung. E. T. A. Hoffmann und die Trivialisierung der Musik

Einige Texte E.T. A. Hoffmanns werden vor dem Hintergrund des Problems der musikalischen Stimmung gelesen. Die Prominenz der weiblichen Stimme und die Verstimmtheit der mannlichen Charaktere erweisen sich dabei als Transponierungen eines musikologischen Sachverhaltes, der fur das Diskurssystem des beginnenden 19. Jahrhunderts emblematischen Charakter hat.
Preparing School Leaders for Young Learners in the US

In the United States there has been a recent movement to expand access to preschool for children ages 3 and 4 through ΓC£universal pre-kΓC¥ where states fund programs for all age-eligible students. This has caused an increasing number of preschool programs to be housed in public schools and led by principals, though school leaders are unlikely to have any experience or training in early childhood. At the same time, the Global Education Reform Movement (GERM) is taking hold and pressuring schools to utilize educational practices that are opposed to best practices in early childhood education. In response to current research about teaching and learning and challenges facing schools, the Professional Standards for Educational Leadership 2015 (PSEL 2015) were created to influence how leaders are prepared, hired, evaluated, and supported in their work. This article brings together these three current forces in public education in the US, and describes how they compliment and contrast each other. The fundamental logic behind this work is (a) to meet the PSEL 2015, principals will need a greater understanding of early childhood education; (b) by understanding early childhood education, leaders will have a better framework from which to make decisions about how to address GERM; and (c) leaders need to implement GERM properly in order to meet the PSEL 2015. Thus, developing a force of school leaders who understand and support best practices in ECE may ultimately improve learning outcomes for all students.
Exploring the Role of Temporoparietal Cortex in Upright Perception and the Link With Torsional Eye Position.

Upright perception is a key aspect of orientation constancy, as we maintain a stable perception of the world despite continuous movements of our eyes, head and body. Torsional position of the eyes can impact perception of upright by changing orientation of the images on the retina relative to gravity. Here we investigated the role of temporo-parietal cortex in upright perception with respect to ocular torsion, by means of the inhibitory effect of continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We used a subjective visual vertical (SVV) paradigm to track changes in upright perception, and a custom video method to track ocular torsion simultaneously. Twelve participants were tested during lateral head tilt of 20o to the left. TMS at the posterior aspect of the supramarginal gyrus (SMGp) resulted in an average SVV shift in the opposite direction of the head tilt compared to sham stimulations (1.8o). Ocular torsion following TMS at SMGp showed no significant change compared to sham stimulations (-0.1o). Thus, changes in upright perception at SMGp was dissociated from ocular torsion. This finding suggests that perception of upright at SMGp is primarily related to processing sensory inputs, as opposed to subcortical regions that have direct influence over ocular torsion.
The methodological application of goal attainment scaling in pediatric rehabilitation research: a systematic review

Purpose: The objectives of this review article were to (1) describe the populations and interventions to which Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS) has been applied in pediatric rehabilitation, (2) summarize the scientific rigor of published studies utilizing GAS as an outcome measure in pediatric rehabilitation, and (3) illustrate the responsiveness of GAS following intervention.Materials and methods: Four electronic databases were searched for English language, human subject studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data, graded evidence, and rated study quality.Results: Fifty-two studies utilizing GAS as an outcome measure within pediatric rehabilitation were included. A majority of studies were characterized as low-level evidence in the Sackett hierarchy (Sackett levels IV-V; 33 of 52). Quality appraisal scores for all reviewed studies ranged from 1-13 points (17 possible points) and averaged 4.71 points. GAS appeared to detect meaningful change in more than 60% of studies.Conclusions: GAS is a clinically useful tool for measuring progress toward goals, but has not been utilized with a high level of methodological rigor in research. Emphasis on reduced variation in administration and interpretation will strengthen the utility of GAS for efficacy and program evaluation in future research.Implications for rehabilitationGoal Attainment Scaling (GAS) can be used across a diversity of interventions and diagnoses as an outcome measure in pediatric rehabilitation.Careful consideration should be used in the study design to standardize administration and scoring of GAS to strengthen the study.Goal Attainment Scaling is responsive to change, and the tool appears to detect meaningful change the majority of the time in pediatric rehabilitation.
Analytical Solutions for Reactive Transport of Multiple Volatile Contaminants in the Vadose Zone

Groundwater contamination usually originates from surface contamination. Contaminants then move downward through the vadose zone and finally reach the groundwater table. To date, however, analytical solutions of multi-species reactive transport are limited to transport only in the saturated zone. The motivation of this work is to utilize analytical solutions, which were previously derived for single-phase transport, to describe the reactive transport of multiple volatile contaminants in the unsaturated zone. A mathematical model is derived for describing transport with phase partitioning of sequentially reactive species in the vadose zone with constant flow velocity. Linear reaction kinetics and linear equilibrium partitioning between vapor, liquid, and solid phases are assumed in this model.
An author's philosophy of physiology textbook writing

Then I thought of another answer almost as facetious as the first. This was that many textbooks of medical physiology had become very discursive, written primarily by teachers of physiology for other teachers of physiology, and written in language understood by other teachers but not easily understood by the basic student of medical physiology. This, I am afraid, is a failing of all of us in medical teaching. But, here again, I truly did not think of this at all when I began writing my own textbook of medical physiology.
CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR CIO STRATEGIC FOCUS - AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

The evolving role of Chief Information Officers (CIO) has been widely recognized in IS literature. Yet the enablers of CIOs to focus on strategic activities towards CIO effectiveness have been understudied from constructs, structures, processes and mechanisms perspective and the evidence is largely anecdotal. Cloud computing technologies are gaining adoption and anecdotal evidence suggests that these technologies may allow CIOs to focus more on strategic activities. Drawing on IS literature and on the Attention Based View of the firm from Organizations literature, we posit that cloud computing can enable CIOs to focus on strategic activities and organizational complementarities augment the impact. Our large dataset of US firms provides conclusions beyond single instances and largely supports our propositions. We find that cloud computing can in fact enable CIO strategic focus and complementarities in process and systems capabilities and organizational learning maximize the value.
Relative effects of S-adenosylmethionine depletion on nucleic acid methylation and polyamine biosynthesis

Treatment of cultured L1210 cells with 1 mM-L-2-amino-4-methoxy-cis-but-3-enoic acid (L-cisAMB), a methionine-analogue inhibitor of S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) synthetase (EC 2.5.1.6), produced a rapid and near-total depletion of AdoMet by 4 h. After this, the pools recovered to 60% of control by 48 h, apparently because of an increase in AdoMet synthetase activity. Both AdoMet depletion and the accompanying increase in synthetase activity were substantially enhanced by lowering methionine concentrations in the media from 100 microM to 30 microM, the minimal concentration that supports cell growth at control values. During a 4 h incubation in media containing 30 microM-methionine, 1-5 mM-L-cisAMB depleted cellular AdoMet to undetectable values, and inhibited nucleic acid methylation by 44-72% and RNA methylation by 60-87%. Under these same treatment conditions, putrescine pools increased by about 3-fold, whereas spermidine pools decreased by only 20% and spermine pools remained the same. Pool changes were accompanied by a 2-4-fold increase in ornithine decarboxylase activities and AdoMet activities. Thus the rapid depletion of AdoMet pools by L-cisAMB results immediately in a decrease in methyl-transfer reactions involving nucleic acids, whereas, by contrast, biosynthesis of higher polyamines appears to be minimally affected, owing to compensatory increases in key enzyme activities.
The genetics and biochemistry of the reversible ADP-ribosylation systems of Rhodospirillum rubrum and Azospirillum lipoferum

In 1949, Gest and Kamen observed nitrogen fixation by Rhodospirillum rubrum, as well as the inhibition of that activity by ammonium (5). While the specific mechanism of that inhibition, the ADP-ribosylation of dinitrogenase reductase, has been known for several years, it is only recently that we have gained some insight into the regulation of that process. The presence of such a reversible ADP-ribosylation system has also been established in Rhodobacter capsulatum (7) and Azospirillum spp. (6), while suggestive evidence exists for other photosynthetic diazotrophs as well as Azorhizobium caulinodans (see ref. 14 for a more extensive review).
The Pell equation

The so-called Pell equation x2 − ny2 = 1 (wrongly attributed to Pell by Euler) is one of the oldest equations in mathematics and it is fundamental to the study of quadratic Diophantine equations. The Greeks studied the special case x2 − 2y2 = 1 because they realized that its natural number solutions throw light on the nature of \(\sqrt{2}\). There is a similar connection between the natural number solutions of x2 − ny2 = 1 and \(\sqrt{n}\) when n is any nonsquare natural number.
A Double-Guidewire Technique to Facilitate Deep Cannulation and Stenting in a Patient With Altered Gastrointestinal Anatomy

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) in patients with altered gastrointestinal (GI) anatomy remains a challenging procedure. We experience particular difficulty passing a catheter and devices in patients who have biliary stricture or severe deformity, despite successful biliary guiding. A 70-year-old man with Roux-en-Y reconstruction for gastric cancer suffered pancreatic head cancer with biliary stricture. Seven months after biliary stenting, he developed acute occlusive suppressive cholangitis due to stent occlusion. We extracted the stent and inserted a guidewire into the intrahepatic bile duct. However, we were unable to pass the catheter due to severe stricture of the lower common bile duct and axis-dismatch between the bile duct and the catheter. After inserting another of the same guidewire into the bile duct, we were able to easily pass the catheter into the bile duct, resulting in the successful insertion of a new plastic stent. A double-guidewire technique is useful and worth attempting for the deep insertion of devices through biliary strictures in patients with an altered GI anatomy. J Med Cases. 2019;10(1):1-3 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3220
Multi-Criteria Scheduling: A Mathematical Model

This section details a mathematical model that further explains the multi-criteria scheduling mechanism outlined in the main thesis. The traditional scheduling systems covered in Chap. 3 typically use two primary variables: load and priority. To avoid the limitations faced by such schedulers, the scheduler presented in our work uses as a third independent variable—seniority—to determine the order in which tasks are scheduled for execution. Unlike load and priority, seniority is system-calculated and changes over time. This aspect of this tertiary variable is also not modeled in scheduling systems.
Striving to Remain a Native American in America: Resistance to Past and Present Injustices (Letter to My Son on the Day of His Second Piercing)

As a Native American, I wrote a letter to my grown son, recalling the onslaught of overt and subtle prejudices he endured as a direct result of his honoring traditional Native American ways. I focus primarily on my son’s unique heroic struggle in an oppressive and highly racialized society, but make glancing references throughout about Native Americans’ current intolerable predicament in the United States. I remind my son of lessons taught in tribal ceremonies about transforming the passionate aggressiveness of the warrior into a compassion that accomplishes lasting change. I write these things with my son’s permission.
Advances in Financial Machine Learning: Lecture 9/10 (seminar slides)

Machine learning (ML) is changing virtually every aspect of our lives. Today ML algorithms accomplish tasks that until recently only expert humans could perform. As it relates to finance, this is the most exciting time to adopt a disruptive technology that will transform how everyone invests for generations. In this course, we discuss scientifically sound ML tools that have been successfully applied to the management of large pools of funds.
Theatre and/as Preservation: Rafael Alberti’s Noche de Guerra en el Museo del Prado (1956)

This article proposes a contextual analysis of Rafael Alberti’s Noche de guerra en el Museo del Prado (1956). Set during the Spanish Civil War, the play culminates with the hanging of a Generalisimo. Taking into consideration Alberti’s Communist militancy, this article enquires into why he wrote a play that insisted on wartime rhetoric and proposed a violent overthrow of the dictator in 1956, the same year that the Communist Party of Spain disallowed these disruptive measures. The new strategy was to leave behind bellicose rhetoric and replace it with self-imposed tactical amnesia and the construction of a peaceful transition to a democratic regime. Instead, Alberti rejected the possibility of forgetting, and presented theatre and artistic heritage as pedagogical tools and rituals of collective memory. Noche de guerra contends that a conscious society cannot and must not be amnesic. Theatre and artistic heritage foster militant forms of remembrance.
Cannabis use and metabolic syndrome among clients with first episode psychosis

Aim To explore the relationship between cannabis use and metabolic syndrome (MetS) among those who have experienced first episode psychosis (FEP). Methods A retrospective analysis of 404 participants enrolled in the Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode-Early Treatment Program (RAISE-ETP) was conducted. Using multiple logistic regression, we investigated the correlation between cannabis use and rate of MetS at baseline and across time as well as the specific metabolic derangements among cannabis users and abstainers. Results Although cannabis users had similar rates of MetS at baseline when compared with abstainers, those who used cannabis at any time during the study period tended to have lower triglycerides and elevated high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Cannabis users were less likely to develop MetS, relative to nonusers. Conclusions Cannabis use may be associated with lower incidence of MetS in patients who have experienced FEP. Further research is indicated to develop these observations.
Metabolic parameters in smokers undergoing smoking reduction

Abstract Introduction Few human studies have explored the mechanisms of smoking-induced insulin resistance. Aims: To prospectively examine the metabolic changes of smoking reduction. Methods Cigarette smokers (n = 22; ½−2 packs per day) were enrolled in a smoking reduction program (counseling plus bupropion × 8 weeks; Phase I) followed by monitoring only (no counseling or bupropion × 16 weeks; Phase II). We serially measured exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) and urine nicotine metabolites; fat distribution, and metabolic parameters by hyperinsulinemic clamps including hepatic glucose output (HGO) and indirect calorimetry, adjusted for total caloric intake and expenditure. Results CO and nicotine metabolite levels fell with smoking reduction during Phase I (all p Conclusions Smoking reduction produced a transient worsening of central fat redistribution followed by a more significant improvement; along with other net beneficial metabolic effects.
Case 1: Intracranial Calcifications Associated with Hepatosplenomegaly and Thrombocytopenia.

A 2.4-kg female is delivered at 37 weeks and 5 days of gestation via primary cesarean section at a community hospital to a 32-year-old gravida 1, para 0 woman because of decreased fetal movement and a low biophysical profile score. The pregnancy was complicated by herpes zoster virus (HZV) infection in the late first trimester, nonprimary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection treated with suppression therapy, and gestational diabetes mellitus controlled with insulin. Early ultrasonography showed a cystic hygroma that resolved by 21 weeks’ gestation. Findings on fetal echocardiography and genetic testing are normal. The delivery is unremarkable, and the neonate’s Apgar scores are 8 and 8 at 1 and 5 minutes, respectively. The initial examination findings are remarkable for petechiae on the forehead, microcephaly, hepatosplenomegaly, and a heart murmur. As increasing petechiae spontaneously appear, the neonate develops respiratory distress and hypoxemia, for which she is started on nasal continuous positive airway pressure. Initial complete blood cell count and differential are notable for white blood cells of 49,000/μL (49×109/L) with a lymphocyte predominance and platelets of 16×103/μL (16×109/L). Chest radiography shows a prominent cardiothymic silhouette and low lung volumes but no focal airspace disease. Because of her need for respiratory support and severe thrombocytopenia, she is transferred to our tertiary referral NICU. Upon admission, she undergoes intubation and is given surfactant but demonstrates no improvement. Echocardiography performed on …
Power and sample size calculation for stepped-wedge designs with discrete outcomes.

Stepped-wedge designs (SWD) are increasingly used to evaluate the impact of changes to the process of care within health care systems. However, to generate definitive evidence, a correct sample size calculation is crucial to ensure such studies are properly powered. The seminal work of Hussey and Hughes (Contemp Clin Trials 28(2):182–91, 2004) provides an analytical formula for power calculations with normal outcomes using a linear model and simple random effects. However, minimal development and evaluation have been done for power calculation with non-normal outcomes on their natural scale (e.g., logit, log). For example, binary endpoints are common, and logistic regression is the natural multilevel model for such clustered data. We propose a power calculation formula for SWD with either normal or non-normal outcomes in the context of generalized linear mixed models by adopting the Laplace approximation detailed in Breslow and Clayton (J Am Stat Assoc 88(421):9–25, 1993) to obtain the covariance matrix of the estimated parameters. We compare the performance of our proposed method with simulation-based sample size calculation and demonstrate its use on a study of patient-delivered partner therapy for STI treatment and a study that assesses the impact of providing additional benchmark prevalence information in a radiologic imaging report. To facilitate adoption of our methods we also provide a function embedded in the R package “swCRTdesign” for sample size and power calculation for multilevel stepped-wedge designs. Our method requires minimal computational power. Therefore, the proposed procedure facilitates rapid dynamic updates of sample size calculations and can be used to explore a wide range of design options or assumptions.
Nationwide assessment of energy costs and policies to limit airborne infection risks in U.S. schools

Abstract Practices such as improved ventilation and air filtration are being considered by schools to reduce the transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Improved ventilation may significantly increase the energy cost of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), exacerbating financial challenges schools face amidst the worst pandemic in decades. This study evaluated HVAC energy costs for reducing COVID-19 airborne infection risks in 111,485 public and private schools in the U.S. to support decision-makings. The average annual HVAC energy cost to maintain the infection risk below 1% for the schools in the U.S. is estimated at $20.1 per square meter or $308.4 per capita with improved ventilation and air filtration, where the private schools have higher costs than the public schools on average. The cost could be reduced by adopting partial online learning. It was also found that additional cost to control infection risk with increased ventilation and air filtration is significantly lower for PK-5 schools than that for middle and high schools, indicating the possibility of remaining in-person instructions for PK-5 schools with necessary governmental assistance. Analyses of school HVAC energy costs to reduce airborne infection risks under different intervention scenarios provide important operational guidelines, financial implications, and policy insights for schools, community stakeholders, and policymakers to keep schools safe during the ongoing pandemic and improve preparedness for epidemics projected in the future.
Obtaining baseline measurements of ocean ambient sound at a mobile test berth site for wave energy conversion off the central Oregon coast

A year-long experiment to monitor underwater ambient noise measurements in shallow, (∼50m) open water along an energetic coastline in the Pacific Northwest (USA) was conducted. Bottom mounted passive acoustic recorders were deployed in March 2010 by Oregon State University (OSU) and NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory's Marine Acoustics Research Group in an area designated by the Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) as a mobile ocean test berth (MOTB) site for wave energy conversion (WEC) platforms off the central coast of Oregon. Acoustic recording packages recorded continuous (1 Hz–2 kHz) sampling at two offshore locations near and within the MOTB. Maximum and minimum total sound pressure levels recorded during the experiment reached 136 dB re 1 µPa and 95 dB re 1 µPa respectively. Meanwhile, the time averaged sound pressure levels for the year long deployment were 113 dB re 1µPa. These data provide the initial baseline recordings required for a meaningful assessment of the shallow water ambient noise levels in the Oregon nearshore coastal environment prior to the installation and operation of wave energy conversion devices.
A Small Country: Analysis of Export Tax in Terms of Adjustment Weights.

Treating both free trade tax and after export tax foreign prices as floor prices, this paper analyzes autarky, free trade, export tax for a small county. The findings are in terms of competitive three adjustment weights.
The Lawyer with the ADR Tattoo

Should you hide it at the interview? For the first few months on the job? For longer, at least until you have figured out the workplace culture? If you don’t hide it, should you be concerned about the message you are sending to clients and colleagues about your professional competence? Your intellectual talents? Your ability to get the job done?When it comes to lawyers and tattoos, the conventional wisdom is clear: hide the ink. Although more than 45 million Americans today have a tattoo, and although “creative” professions such as marketing and graphic design have readily adopted tattoo culture, more conservative industries such as law and finance still do not welcome visible tattoos in the workplace. Tattoos have historic associations with “sailors, criminals, the ‘savage’ races, and circus entertainers,” none of which are generally in keeping with what most believe a lawyer ought to look like. As one anonymous online poster puts it, “if I walked into a lawyer’s office and noticed a lawyer had a tattoo I would walk straight out again.” When it comes to lawyers and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), the conventional wisdom appears to be the same: hide it — that is, downplay any propensities toward creative, nonadversarial, collaborative practice. This conventional wisdom seems especially true for newly graduated lawyers seeking employment and junior law faculty seeking tenure. Despite the tremendous growth of ADR inside and outside traditional legal processes, many potential clients and employers still appear to yearn for the razor-sharp take-no-prisoners litigator or dealmaker. This Essay considers whether ADR presents a branding problem for legal professionals and, if so, how those professionals can reclaim the brand in productive, career-affirming ways. Whether one should self-identify as proponent, practitioner, or scholar of alternative practices implicates broad tensions not only around assimilating with integrity into any longstanding change-resistant profession but also around the shortcomings of the adversarial system and the legitimacy of ADR.
Ribosomal peptidyl transferase can withstand mutations at the putative catalytic nucleotide

Peptide bond formation is the principal reaction of protein synthesis. It takes place in the peptidyl transferase centre of the large (50S) ribosomal subunit. In the course of the reaction, the polypeptide is transferred from peptidyl transfer RNA to the α-amino group of amino acyl-tRNA. The crystallographic structure of the 50S subunit showed no proteins within 18 A from the active site, revealing peptidyl transferase as an RNA enzyme1. Reported unique structural and biochemical features of the universally conserved adenine residue A2451 in 23S ribosomal RNA (Escherichia coli numbering) led to the proposal of a mechanism of rRNA catalysis that implicates this nucleotide as the principal catalytic residue2,3. In vitro genetics allowed us to test the importance of A2451 for the overall rate of peptide bond formation. Here we report that large ribosomal subunits with mutated A2451 showed significant peptidyl transferase activity in several independent assays. Mutations at another nucleotide, G2447, which is essential to render catalytic properties to A2451 (refs 2, 3), also did not dramatically change the transpeptidation activity. As alterations of the putative catalytic residues do not severely affect the rate of peptidyl transfer the ribosome apparently promotes transpeptidation not through chemical catalysis, but by properly positioning the substrates of protein synthesis.
Financial intermediaries and monetary control: An example

Abstract Gurley, Shaw, Tobin, and Brainard argued that uncontrolled financial intermediaries impede monetary control as measured by the short-term effects of open-market operations on interest rates. But their models neglected the fundamental role of intermediaries — that of connecting financial markets by reducing information and transactions costs. It is possible to understand the impact of intermediaries only by first considering as imperfect system containing forces that induce their development. This paper presents conditions in which the introduction of intermediaries — and the accompanying increased access of traders to a diversity of investments — results in potentially more effective official control of interest rates.