cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hexose transport and phosphorylation by hamster kidney cortex slices and everted jejunal rings

Abstract 1. 1. Net influx and efflux of two model hexoses, 2-deoxy- d -glucose and 3-O- methyl- d -glucose , were compared in hamster kidney cortex slices and everted jejunal rings. 2. 2. The gut concentrated 3-O- methyl- d -glucose (0.01 mM) but equilibrium was not reached over a 3 h time course. By comparison the kidney was unable to accumulate this hexose and maximal uptake occurred in 30 min. Initial efflux was more rapid from kidney than intestine. No phosphorylated derivatives were found in either organ preparation. 3. 3. The kidney concentrated 2-deoxy- d -glucose (0.01 mM) to levels 14 times that in the medium. Jejunal rings accumulated this hexose only 2-fold over the same 3-h time course. These differences in net influx were reflected by the more rapid efflux of 2-deoxy- d -glucose from gut than kidney. In contrast to the findings for 3-O- methyl- d -glucose , 2-deoxy- d -glucose-6-phosphate was found in both tissue preparations. 4. 4. The relationship of phosphorylation to 2-deoxy- d -glucose transport was evaluated. In both kidney and intestine at initial times of uptake, intracellular free 2-deoxy- d -glucose was present in concentrations 5–6 times that of its phosphorylated derivative. When tissues were preloaded with 2-deoxy- d -glucose and placed in hexose-free medium the intracellular concentration of free hexose fell while the phosphate ester remained constant or rose. These observations indicate that phosphorylation of 2-deoxy- d -glucose occurs passively after active membrane transport; that phosphorylation is rate limiting allowing for the accumulation of free hexose; and that once phosphorylated, 2-deoxy- d -glucose does not add to the free hexose pool.
The clinical specialty unit: The use of the psychiatry inpatient unit to treat chronic pain syndromes

The authors describe a 15-bed psychiatry inpatient unit, the Clinical Specialty Unit (CSU), designed to treat patients with chronic pain syndromes. They argue that the use of psychiatry beds for this purpose is appropriate, given the nature of the chronic pain disorder, but is not without its liabilities. The administrative structure and roles of the multidisciplinary team are described.
Parametric pumping separations of multicomponent mixtures: an equilibrium theory

Abstract The equilibrium theory of parametric pumping is extended to multicomponent separations. A new parapump process is described in which it is possible to cause certain solutes to migrate upward in a chromatographic column while the other solutes migrate downward at the same time, thereby effecting separation. This new process uses a nonsysmmetric flow pattern in the direct thermal mode operation. Separation can be predicted from algebraic equations developed under the assumptions of linear isotherms, no axial dispersion, and instantaneous local equilibrium.
Correlations in ice-rule ferroelectrics

We discuss the character of long-wavelength polarization fluctuations in model ice-rule ferroelectrics. Because polarization is locally conserved in these systems, polarization correlations are strikingly different in character from those in systems having rotationally invariant correlations. Several aspects of the problem can be discussed quite fruitfully in the language of two-dimensional potential theory. Comparisons are made between predictions of this model family and neutron scattering experiments on a quasi-two-dimensional ice-rule ferroelectric, copper formate tetrahydrate.
A True Gamma-Radiation Spectrometer

A true gamma-radiation spectrometer is described which utilizes a standard 3- by 3-in. diam NaI(Tl) scintillation detector and outputs the gamma spectrum (in photons MeV-1 cm-2 sec-1) with all spurious peaks and tails corrected. A small digital computer is utilized to accumulate the pulse-height distribution and simultaneously perform a digital filtering operation in real time.
Successful laboratory screening for congenital hypothyroidism.

Abstract An infant with subclinical congenital hypothyroidism was successfully detected by a screening test which measured thyroid-stimulating hormone (T.S.H.) in umbilical cord serum. The frequency of congenital hypothyroidism is approximately 1 in 8500. The diagnosis of hypothyroidism and initiation of replacement therapy within the first three weeks of life through a screening programme should significantly reduce the number of patients with irreversible mental retardation caused by untreated congenital hypothyroidism. The measurement of T.S.H. in cord serum or on day three of life should provide a simple, accurate technique of rapid screening for congenital hypothyroidism.
Low-concentration supported precious metal catalysts prepared by thermal transport

Cas de catalyseurs Pt, Pd et Rh, sur support d'alumine. Etude de l'influence d'additif au support (CeO 2 ). Les catalyseurs sont prepares soit par impregnation, soit par transfert thermique
Surrogate modeling of 3D crack growth

Abstract This paper presents the development of a surrogate modeling technique for efficient non-planar fatigue crack growth analysis in mechanical components under multi-axial loading. Non-planar crack fronts are freely deformable space curves and require a high-dimensional representation. The large number of Cartesian co-ordinate variables involved in crack front representation makes it prohibitively expensive to train surrogate models for crack growth. Therefore, in our previous work, the crack shape was approximated using a planar parametrized representation. However, the parametrized representation limits the choice of crack shapes that can be considered. This paper presents the development of a non-parametric crack shape representation that allows for construction of a surrogate model for non-planar crack growth with complex crack shapes. The surrogate model is trained using a few runs of high-fidelity 3D simulations and predicts the evolution of a non-planar crack front under a given multi-axial, variable amplitude load history. We first parametrize the crack fronts as 3D spline curves with a fixed number of nodes. Instead of modeling the crack growth in this high dimensional data space, we project the data to a lower dimensional space using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and then model the crack growth in this lower dimensional space. Finally, the predicted crack fronts are recovered using PCA back to the original data space. The proposed crack representation, growth modeling and recovery are illustrated using training points gathered from high-fidelity 3-D finite element simulations of non-planar crack growth in a cylindrical component similar to a rotorcraft mast, and the ability of the surrogate model to accurately predict the evolution of the crack growth over entire load histories is demonstrated.
Chemical dry etching of GaAs(100) by HC1: products, rate, and a kinetic model

Abstract The chemical dry etching of GaAs by HC1 has been studied using molecular beam scattering techniques. Unlike Cl2 which etches GaAs at room temperature, HCl does not etch GaAs at a measurable rate below 670 K. For an incident HCl flux of 3.6 monolayers/s and surface temperatures of 670–870 K, the major volatile reaction products are GaCl and As2. Above 850 K, GaAs evaporation also produces Ga atoms. Quantitative analysis of the product mass spectra and angular distributions shows that the product evolution rates are consistent with stoichiometric etching. Studies of the etching kinetics by modulated molecular beam scattering (MMBS) indicate that the rate of arsenic evolution limits GaAs etching to temperatures above 670 K. A simple reaction model which utilizes kinetic parameters derived from independent studies in the literature quantitatively reproduces the etching products, rate, and kinetics under both steady state and modulation conditions with only one adjustable parameter.
Vision: New light on allergy receptor

A receptor usually found on immune cells implicated in allergy turns out to be a diagnostic marker and promising treatment target for a degenerative eye disease. Curiously, its role in the eye seems to be unrelated to inflammation.
An electrophysiological study of the membrane properties of the immature and mature oocyte of the batstar, Patiria miniata.

Immature oocyte membrane properties of a starfish, Patiria miniata, were investigated by microelectrode techniques. The resting membrane potential in artificial seawater (ASW) was −78.5 ± 6.7 mV (n = 61, inside negative). This was mainly accounted for by a selective permeability to potassium ions. Potassium ion-selective microelectrodes were used to measure intracellular K+ ion activity, which was 350 mM. The sodium to potassium permeability ratio was 0.02 ± 0.01 (n = 4). The current-voltage relation was nonlinear. The I–V curve included both areas of inward and outward rectification. The dependence of inward rectification upon the K+ ion electrochemical gradient was demonstrated. The membrane was capable of a regenerative action potential due to permeability changes for Ca2+ and Na+ ions. The Ca and Na components of the action potential were identified. The Ca component was reversibly suppressed by cobalt and irreversibly blocked by D-600. The Na component was tetrodotoxin (TTX) insensitive. The excitable response of P. miniata oocytes is similar to that described by Miyazaki et al. (1975a) for those of the starfish Asterina pectinifera. Immature oocytes were stimulated to mature with 10−5 M 1-methyladenine (1-MA) during continuous monitoring of the membrane potential. The resting potential in ASW became more inside negative during maturation. This change of the passive membrane property of the oocyte may be accounted for by the increased selectivity to K+ ions. The specific membrane resistance near the resting potential increased from 4.2 ± 1.4 to 21 ± 8.7 kΩ·cm2 (n = 15) during maturation, while the specific membrane capacitance decreased slightly from 2 ± 0.5 to 1.7 ± 0.6 μF/cm2 (n = 5). Maturation had little effect upon the active membrane properties.
Conductive CNT-PVDF membrane for capacitive organic fouling reduction

Abstract Organic fouling of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes results in decreased water flux and increased energy requirements. Modification of UF membrane surfaces is one possible method to mitigate natural organic matter (NOM) fouling, yet to date; most modifications have been passive. In this study, we investigate the use of a carbon nanotube-polyvinylidene fluoride (CNT-PVDF) porous non-Faradaic cathode on top of a UF membrane to actively produce negative surface charges via capacitive charging. The study is divided into three elements: (1) modification of the UF system with the capacitive CNT-PVDF electrodes and determination of the optimal electrode-membrane configuration, (2) analysis of the fouling mitigation mechanism, and (3) evaluation of the practical potential of capacitive fouling reduction. All experiments were completed in the cross-flow configuration. The optimal electrode-membrane configuration for organic fouling reduction was when the permeate first flowed through the porous anode, then the CNT-PVDF cathode, and finally the polyethersulfone (PES) UF membrane. The extent of capacitive fouling reduction was determined to be a function of anode material, ionic strength, and cathode potential. The primary fouling reduction mechanism is the potential-induced cathodic negative surface charges that increase the Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (DLVO) energy barrier and decrease the collision efficiency of negatively-charged organic matter with the membrane surface. The capacitive system has potential to reduce energy requirements by up to 2-fold as compared to the unmodified UF system when challenged with 10 ppm NOM solutions at low ionic strength.
Radon measurements in groundwater

A device was developed for the collection, containment, and bubbling of radon from groundwater samples to facilitate concentration measurements in the field without the need for fragile glassware. Wellwater supplies were collected in high-potential areas of New York State in a comparison of the device with traditional methods (liquid scintillation and laboratory-based Lucas-cell counters). Waterborne radon levels to 4100 Bq L−1 reveal the potential contribution to indoor air from everyday water use in a home, as levels of 1500 Bq L−1 contribute about 150 Bq m−3 (the EPA-recommended limit) to indoor-air radon levels. With a Geographic Information System (GIS), spatial coordinates from each site are used to correlate concentrations with bedrock geology.
Endovascular repair of a Kommerell's diverticulum in a patient with a left-sided aortic arch and right-sided descending thoracic aorta

Thoracic aortic anomalies are rare and may be associated with pathologic vascular conditions necessitating intervention. We present a case of a patient with a left aortic arch, right descending thoracic aorta, and a Kommerell's diverticulum giving rise to an aberrant right subclavian artery. The Kommerell's diverticulum was successfully managed with a right carotid to subclavian artery bypass and thoracic endograft exclusion.
Examining computers & society 1970--2008

This paper is a review of 39 years of SIGCAS publications in Computers and Society, the newsletter of ACM SIGCAS. The publication is archived in the ACM Digital Library [12]. I set out to examine SIGCAS through its publications.
Post-Retrieval Extinction Attenuates Cocaine Memories

Recent studies have shown that post-retrieval extinction training attenuates fear and reward-related memories in both humans and rodents. This noninvasive, behavioral approach has the potential to be used in clinical settings to treat maladaptive memories that underlie several psychiatric disorders, including drug addiction. However, few studies to date have used a post-retrieval extinction approach to attenuate addiction-related memories. In the current study, we attempted to disrupt cocaine-related memories by using the post-retrieval extinction paradigm in male Sprague Dawley rats. Results revealed that starting extinction training 1 h after cocaine contextual memory was retrieved significantly attenuated cocaine-primed reinstatement of conditioned place preference (CPP) and relapse of cocaine CPP (drug-free and cocaine-primed) following 30 days of abstinence. However, animals that did not retrieve the contextual cocaine memory before extinction training, or animals that began extinction training 24 h after retrieval (outside of the reconsolidation window), demonstrated normal cocaine CPP. Conversely, animals that received additional CPP conditioning, rather than extinction training, 1 h after reactivation of cocaine memory showed enhanced cocaine CPP compared with animals that did not reactivate the cocaine memory before conditioning. These results reveal that a behavioral manipulation that takes advantage of reconsolidation and extinction of drug memories may be useful in decreasing preference for, and abuse of, cocaine.
Reactivity of monomers in copolymerization

An investigation of the copolymerization of many monomer pairs induced by benzoyl peroxide has shown that an order of monomer reactivity with radicals exists. By utilizing the data available, it was possible to make a semiquantitative arrangement of many monomers according to their relative rates of reaction with radicals. A symmetrical selectivity factor is assumed to account for deviations from the order in copolymerization reactions. This selectivity may be attributed to (1) complex formation between monomers or to (2) dipole, steric, or other factors which are independent of concentration. Copolymerization equations have been derived for each case and application of them to styrene–methyl methacrylate mixtures has indicated that selectivity due to (2) is most important in this system. The equation for case (2) has been applied to other copolymer systems.
Clinical findings in acquired aortic valve stenosis: effect of disease of other valves.

Abstract The symptoms, physical findings, electrocardiographic features, and transaortic pressure gradients in a group of 172 patients with isolated aortic valve stenosis were compared with similar data from a group of 35 patients with predominant aortic valve stenosis and coexistent abnormalities of either the mitral or tricuspid valve, or of both. The incidences of angina pectoris, exertional syncope, palpable aortic systolic thrills, left ventricular hypertrophy, left ventricular strain pattern, and marked increase in the transaortic pressure gradient were lower in the group with multiple valve involvement, whereas congestive failure and arrhythmias were more common.
Molecular cloning and characterization of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase from soybean

Soybean genomic clones were isolated based on hybridization to probes that code for the conserved biotinylation domain of biotin-containing enzymes. The corresponding cDNA was isolated and expressed in Escherichia coli through fusion to the bacterial trpE gene. The resulting chimeric protein was biotinylated in E. coli. Antibodies raised against the chimeric trpE protein reacted specifically with an 85 kDa biotin-containing polypeptide from soybean, and inhibited 3methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase activity in cell-free extracts of soybean leaves. Thus, the isolated soybean gene and corresponding cDNA code for the 85 kDa, biotin-containing subunit of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase. The mRNA coding for this polypeptide is 2.4 kb in length and seems to accumulate fairly ubiquitously in soybean organs. The nucleotide sequence of the cDNA and portions of the genomic clones was determined. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of the biotin-containing subunit of 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase with sequences of other biotin enzymes, suggest that this subunit contains the functional domains for the first half-reaction catalyzed by all biotindependent carboxylases; namely, the carboxylation of biotin. These domains are arranged serially on the polypeptide, with the biotin carbojQ^lase domain at the amino-terminus, and the biotin-carboxy carrier domain at the carboxy-terminus of the polypeptide.
Generalized inverses for finite-horizon tracking

Control and communication issues are traditionally "decoupled" in discussions of decision and control problems, as this simplifies the analysis and generally works well for classical models. This fundamental assumption deserves re-examination as control applications spread into new areas where system complexity is significant. Such areas include the coordinated control of aerial vehicles (UAVs), MEMS devices, multi-joint manipulators and other settings where many systems must share the attention of a decision-maker. We consider a new class of sampled-data systems (termed "computer-controlled systems") that offer the possibility of jointly optimizing between control and communication goals. Computer-controlled LTI systems can be viewed as linear operators between appropriate inner-product spaces. The generalized inverses of these operators are used to solve a class of finite-horizon tracking problems.
A new 3-D FDTD model of magnetized cold plasma for modeling electromagnetic wave propagation in the earth-ionosphere waveguide

A new three-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) numerical model is developed to simulate electromagnetic wave propagation in an anisotropic magnetized cold plasma medium. Plasma effects contributed by electrons, positive, and negative ions are considered in this model. The current density vectors are collocated at the positions of the electric field vectors, and the complete FDTD algorithm consists of three regular updating equations for the magnetic field intensity components, as well as 12 tightly coupled differential equations for updating the electric field components and current densities. This model has the capability to simulate wave behavior in cold plasma for an applied magnetic field with arbitrary direction and magnitude. The FDTD algorithm is validated by calculating the Faraday rotation of a linearly polarized plane wave, which demonstrates very good agreement with the analytical results.
Multisystemic Abscesses in African Green Monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) with Invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae—Identification of the Hypermucoviscosity Phenotype

Invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae is an emerging disease of humans characterized by abscesses in the liver or other sites involving bacteria with the unique hypermucoviscosity phenotype. Over several months, 7 African green monkeys in our research colony developed abscess formation in multiple locations and succumbed to disease. K. pneumoniae was identified by bacterial culture in 6 monkeys and immunohistochemistry in 1 additional monkey. All monkeys had been housed in, or had contact with monkeys housed in, 1 animal room in our facility. All affected monkeys had 1 or more abscesses, most notably in the abdomen, but also affecting the lungs, cerebellum, and skin. Abdominal abscesses and associated adhesions entrapped loops of bowel, forming palpable masses. Abdominal masses were located at the root of the mesentery, the ileocecocolic junction, or the pelvic inlet. In 1 case, culture, serotyping, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the bacterial isolate identified K. pneumoniae expressing the hypermucoviscosity phenotype and capsular serotype K2 and determined that the K. pneumonia was genetically rmpA(+)/magA(-).
Patterns of Cotton Agriculture in Post-Bellum Georgia

This paper reexamines the well-known increase in cotton production in the postbellum American South, revealing a rather less well understood pattern. The shift to cotton was confined to the Piedmont area of Georgia and South Carolina; it was not a phenomenon of the entire South. The changes in cotton production between 1860 and 1880 followed patterns quite different from those shown in an analysis of 1880 alone. And the 1880 pattern is best explained by the racial composition of the inhabitants, as noted originally by DeCanio, not the tenure variables emphasized in much of the existing literature.
Fast GPU algorithms for implementing the red-black Gauss-Seidel method for Solving Partial Differential Equations

Solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) is very important in many areas. Since PDE solvers take very long time for numerous applications of interest, we need efficient parallel implementations. An attractive parallel computing platform that is widely used at present is the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). In this paper we present an efficient technique that uses the red-black Gauss-Seidel method to solve PDEs. This technique allows the efficient use of the relatively larger register file available in each Streaming Multiprocessor (SM), as well as the shared memory. It also allows the communication between the threads of a block. We employ the red-black Gauss-Seidel method, in this paper, to solve the 2D steady state heat conduction problem on two different GPUs. An overall speedup of 484 relative to the CPU sequential implementation is achieved. A speedup of about 2.6 relative to Foster's GPU implementation on the same GPUs is also achieved.
Analysis of NHANES 1999-2002 data reveals noteworthy association of alcohol consumption with obesity

Background With the obesity pandemic sweeping the globe and alcohol use on the rise worldwide, there is growing interest in how the two might be linked epidemiologically. The aim of the study was to use data from the NHANES registry from 1999-2002 to analyze the association between obesity and alcohol use. Methods Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between alcohol use and obesity. Risk was assessed separately for men and women. Results Of the 9,193 individuals (49% males), 26.8% of males and 33.6% of females were obese. About 17% of males and 12% of females were never drinkers (less than 12 drinks in their lifetime). After adjusting for age, race, marital status, highest level of education of the individual and spouse, country of origin, annual household income and duration of physical activity in the past 30 days, the odds of obesity were higher in never drinkers compared to ever drinkers in both men and women. Consumption of alcohol for more than 45 days, binge drinking (>5 drinks/day) for more than 90 days and being “ever binge drinker” were associated with significantly higher odds of obesity (in both genders) than those who drank for shorter duration or were “never binge drinkers”. Consumption of alcohol more than the recommended limit for moderate drinking (3 drinks/day in females and 4 drinks/day in males) was associated with increased (OR 1.074, 95%CI 1.072-1.076) and decreased (OR 0.970, 95%CI 0.968-0.972) obesity in females and males respectively.
Follow-up of breast papillary lesion on core needle biopsy: experience in African-American population

Background The optimal course of clinical follow-up after a diagnosis of breast papillary lesion on a core needle biopsy (CNB) remains elusive. In particular, no reports in literature have addressed this question in African-American population. We describe our experience with breast papillary lesions in a primarily African-American population.
Mineralogy, chemistry, and diagenesis of tuffs in the Sucker Creek Formation (Miocene), eastern Oregon

The lacustrine Sucker Creek Formation (Miocene) of eastern Oregon includes unaltered vitric tuffs as well as tuffs altered to the following diagenetic fades: (1) bentonite, (2) interbedded bentonite and opal-CT, (3) K-clinoptilolite, and (4) Ca-clinoptilolite. Bentonite beds contain Fe-rich smectite (8–10 wt. % Fe2O3), quartz, plagioclase, and Ca-clinoptilolite. Opal-CT-rich layers contain inorganic silica (opal-CT), Fe-rich smectite, and minor diatoms. K-clinoptilolite beds typically contain clinoptilolite that can be extremely K-rich (≤7.6 wt. % K2O), opal-CT, smectite, plagioclase, and K-feldspar. This diagenetic facies also includes smectitic tuff and unaltered tuff. Ca-clinoptilolite beds contain Ca-clinoptilolite, quartz, K-feldspar, smectite, and illite. Based on its chemistry and mineralogy, the bentonite appears to have been derived from dacitic volcanic ash. Chemical considerations and the close spatial relationship between beds of bentonite and opal-CT suggest that the diagenetic alteration of glass to smectite provided silica to the adjacent opal-CT beds. Based on the presence of late-stage Ca-clinoptilolite, alteration appears to have proceeded in a relatively closed chemical system. Based on the composition of preserved vitric tuff, the zeolitic tuffs appear to be derived from rhyolitic ash, which diagenetically altered in an open hydrologic system and produced vertical zonations in mineralogy. In this model, bentonite horizons at the top of the K-clinoptilolite diagenetic fades formed by reaction of volcanic glass with dilute fluids that had a relatively low (Na+ + K+ + Ca2+)/H+ activity ratio and $${\rm{a}}_{\rm{{H}}_4{\rm{SiO}_4}}$$ , whereas the underlying K-clinoptilolite beds formed from reactions between glass and dilute fluids having a higher (Na+ + K+ + Ca2+)/H+ activity ratio and $${\rm{a}}_{\rm{{H}}_4{\rm{SiO}_4}}$$ . Unaltered vitric ash between these beds may represent zones of higher permeability that inhibited secondary mineral alteration. Ca-clinoptilo-lite-rich beds appear to have undergone alteration similar to K-clinoptilolite-rich beds as well as to have been subjected to later, low-temperature (perhaps 75°–150°C) hydrothermal alteration which enhanced cation exchange in the zeolite and formed quartz from opal-CT.
Efficient α, β-motif finder for identification of phenotype-related functional modules.

Background Microbial communities in their natural environments exhibit phenotypes that can directly cause particular diseases, convert biomass or wastewater to energy, or degrade various environmental contaminants. Understanding how these communities realize specific phenotypic traits (e.g., carbon fixation, hydrogen production) is critical for addressing health, bioremediation, or bioenergy problems.
Waveguides in three-dimensional layer-by-layer photonic crystals

A photonic crystal waveguide network can form in a three-dimensional layer-by-layer photonic crystal along three orthogonal directions. We investigate guided-mode band structures for different waveguide configurations by numerical calculations that combine a plane-wave expansion method with a supercell technique. The in-plane waveguide network composed of waveguides along the (100) and (010) directions of the crystal is located in a single layer of the photonic crystal. This structural design is easy to achieve experimentally. One can create these in-plane waveguides either by removing one single rod or by breaking a segment in each of an array of parallel rods. One produces the off-plane waveguide by removing some segments of rods along the (001) stacking direction of the crystal. Single-mode operation of a waveguide can be achieved by appropriate adjustment of geometrical parameters such as the location and the size of the waveguide. Intrinsic lattice symmetries in these photonic crystal waveguides have been fully employed to reduce the complexity of the numerical solution of guided-mode band structures significantly.
Solution structure of an RNA internal loop with three consecutive sheared GA pairs.

Internal loops in RNA are important for folding and function. Many folding motifs are internal loops containing GA base pairs, which are usually thermodynamically stabilizing, i.e., contribute favorable free energy to folding. Understanding the sequence dependence of folding stability and structure in terms of molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and base stacking, will provide a foundation for predicting stability and structure. Here, we report the NMR structure of the oligonucleotide duplex, (P = purine), containing an unusually stable and relatively abundant internal loop, . This loop contains three consecutive sheared GA pairs (trans Hoogsteen/Sugar edge AG) with separate stacks of three G's and three A's in a row. The thermodynamic consequences of various nucleotide substitutions are also reported. Significant destabilization of ∼2 kcal/mol at 37 °C is found for substitution of the middle GA with AA to form . This destabilization correlates with a unique base stacking and hydrogen-bonding...
Triclosan Computational Conformational Chemistry Analysis for Antimicrobial Properties in Polymers

Triclosan is a diphenyl ether antimicrobial that has been analyzed by computational conformational chemistry for an understanding of Mechanomolecular Theory. Subsequent energy profile analysis combined with easily seen three-dimensional chemistry structure models for the nonpolar molecule Triclosan show how single bond rotations can alternate rapidly at a polar and nonpolar interface. Bond rotations for the center ether oxygen atom of the two aromatic rings then expose or hide nonbonding lone-pair electrons for the oxygen atom depending on the polar nature of the immediate local molecular environment. Rapid bond movements can subsequently produce fluctuations as vibration energy. Consequently, related mechanical molecular movements calculated as energy relationships by forces acting through different bond positions can help improve on current Mechanomolecular Theory. A previous controversy reported as a discrepancy in literature contends for a possible bacterial resistance from Triclosan antimicrobial. However, findings in clinical settings have not reported a single case for Triclosan bacterial resistance in over 40 years that has been documented carefully in government reports. As a result, Triclosan is recommended whenever there is a health benefit consistent with a number of approvals for use of Triclosan in healthcare devices. Since Triclosan is the most researched antimicrobial ever, literature meta analysis with computational chemistry can best describe new molecular conditions that were previously impossible by conventional chemistry methods. Triclosan vibrational energy can now explain the molecular disruption of bacterial membranes. Further, Triclosan mechanomolecular movements help illustrate use in polymer matrix composites as an antimicrobial with two new additive properties as a toughening agent to improve matrix fracture toughness from microcracking and a hydrophobic wetting agent to help incorporate strengthening fibers. Interrelated Mechanomolecular Theory by oxygen atom bond rotations or a nitrogen-type pyramidal inversion can be shown to produce energy at a polar and nonpolar boundary condition to better make clear membrane transport of other molecules, cell recognition/signaling/defense and enzyme molecular “mixing” action. Journal of Nature and Science, 1(3):e54, 2015.
5T4-modified vaccinia ankara: progress in tumor-associated antigen-based immunotherapy.

Both the expression and biology of the tumor-associated antigen (TAA) 5T4 suggest that it is an effective target for cancer immunotherapy. This paper reviews the development of a novel immunotherapeutic vaccine comprising the highly attenuated modified vaccinia ankara virus encoding 5T4 (MVA-5T4, aka TroVax®). Preclinical studies have demonstrated that MVA-5T4 is safe and highly effective in both the prophylactic and active treatment of syngeneic murine tumor models. More importantly, > 700 doses of MVA-5T4 have been administered to > 200 patients to date. Reported results from clinical trials in metastatic colorectal, metastatic renal and hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients demonstrate that MVA-5T4 is safe and highly immunogenic, both as a monotherapy and in combination with standard-of-care therapies including irinotecan, oxaliplatin, IFN-α and IL-2. These studies demonstrate that MVA-5T4 induces potent and sustained immune responses in ∼ 95% of tested patients. In addition, post-hoc analyses of...
The Monty Hall Dilemma Donald Granberg

The Monty Hall Dilemma (MHD) uses two-stage decisions with a host, guest, and a prize behind one of three doors. After the guest makes a choice, the host reveals another door as incorrect. The dilemma is whether to stick with the initial hunch or switch to the remaining alternative. The correct but counterintuitive solution is to switch. In the first encounter, only 12% switch. Across trials, switching increases to 55%. Altering the reward structure affects switching. The symmetrical counterpart to the Mil is the Roulette Dilemma in which it is correct to stick with the initial choice. In the latter, switching begins low but does not decrease across trials. People misapprehend probabilities in the MlHD, neglecting the knowledgeable host cue. People would feel more frustrated and angry if they switched and lost. TheMHD's relation to illusion of control, beliefterseverance, and the status quo bias is discussed.
MYH9 is associated with nondiabetic end-stage renal disease in African Americans

Linda Kao and colleagues use admixture mapping to identify risk variants in MYH9 associated with nondiabetic end-stage renal disease in African Americans. The risk variants are more common in populations with West African ancestry and contribute to the excess burden of end-stage kidney diseases in these populations. A similar finding is reported in an accompanying paper by Cheryl Winkler and colleagues. As end-stage renal disease (ESRD) has a four times higher incidence in African Americans compared to European Americans, we hypothesized that susceptibility alleles for ESRD have a higher frequency in the West African than the European gene pool. We carried out a genome-wide admixture scan in 1,372 ESRD cases and 806 controls and found a highly significant association between excess African ancestry and nondiabetic ESRD (lod score = 5.70) but not diabetic ESRD (lod = 0.47) on chromosome 22q12. Each copy of the European ancestral allele conferred a relative risk of 0.50 (95% CI = 0.39–0.63) compared to African ancestry. Multiple common SNPs (allele frequencies ranging from 0.2 to 0.6) in the gene encoding nonmuscle myosin heavy chain type II isoform A (MYH9) were associated with two to four times greater risk of nondiabetic ESRD and accounted for a large proportion of the excess risk of ESRD observed in African compared to European Americans.
Thermal Sensing With Lithographically Patterned Bimetallic Thin-Film Thermocouples

A chromium-nickel thin-film thermocouple that is 50 nm thick is demonstrated on a semiconductor substrate as proof of concept for lithographically processed bimetallic on-chip temperature sensors. The Seebeck coefficient of the thin-film thermocouple is calibrated to be 10.37 μV/°C, reproducibly smaller than the bulk literature value by a factor of 3.98. The batch reproducibility of this thin-film Seebeck coefficient is demonstrated. The linear Seebeck response up to 90°C is calibrated with the help of a simple formula which accounts for the temperature variations of the reference thermocouple under large heat loads.
ESSENTIAL TORI IN LINK COMPLEMENTS

We complete the characterization of essential tori in link complements which was first given in [3], and give a new set of interesting and subtle examples of essential tori.
Disparities in colorectal cancer incidence among Latino subpopulations in California defined by country of origin

In California, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cancer in Latinos. Using data from the California Cancer Registry, we investigated demographic and clinical characteristics of 36,133 Latinos with CRC living in California during 1995–2011 taking into account subpopulations defined by country of origin. Cases were defined as Latino according to the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries Hispanic Identification Algorithm, which was also used to group cases by country of origin: Mexico (9,678, 27 %), Central or South America (2,636, 7 %), Cuban (558, 2 %), Puerto Rico (295, 1 %), and other or unknown origin (22,966, 64 %; Other/NOS). 174,710 non-Hispanic white (NHW) CRC cases were included for comparison purposes. Annual age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) and proportional incidence ratios (PIRs) were calculated. Differences were observed for age at diagnosis, sex distribution, socioeconomic status (SES), nativity (US born vs. foreign born), stage, and tumor localization across Latino subpopulations and compared to NHW. Mexican Latinos had the lowest AAIR and Cuban Latinos had the highest. PIRs adjusted for age, SES, and nativity showed an excess of CRC males and female cases from Cuba, female cases from Puerto Rico and reduced number of female cases from Mexico. Differences in cancer incidence patterns and tumor characteristics were observed among Latino subpopulations in California. These disparities may reflect differences in cancer determinants among Latinos; therefore, given that country of origin information is unavailable for a large proportion of these patients, greater efforts to collect these data are warranted.
Implementing Surface Mount Technology

Insofar as the internal and external infrastructures needed to sustain surface mount technology are not yet fully developed, SMT is in a transition phase. Clearly a good internal infrastructure (process and design rule development, validation, documentation, and training and development of manufacturing capability) is necessary to develop and sustain the technology. The internal infrastructure is especially important, and it is management’s task to understand the technical issues and put the resources in place to develop it.
Protein Kinase C and Lung Cancer

The protein kinase C (PKC) family of serine/threonine kinases has been linked to the carcinogenic process of many types of human cancers including lung cancer. Lung carcinogenesis is a multistep process involving both genetic and epigenetic alterations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, and changes in activation of signal transduction pathways, resulting in progressive deregulation of cell proliferation and survival mechanisms. Alterations in PKC isoform expression and/or activity have been observed in human lung cancer, and functional studies have suggested that individual PKC isoforms play distinct, sometimes opposite, effects in transformation, proliferation, and survival of human lung cancer cells. This chapter provides a brief review of current knowledge regarding PKC isoform-specific roles in the pathogenesis of human lung cancer and therapeutic potential of targeting specific PKC isoforms.
The Labor of Compassion: Voices of “Churched” Korean American Women

(1996). The Labor of Compassion: Voices of “Churched” Korean American Women. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 91-106.
Susceptibility of Field Populations of Pink Bollworm (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) to Azinphosmethyl and Permethrin and Synergism of Permethrin

Responses of five field-collected populations of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), from Arizona and southern California, were compared with those of a standard, susceptible-laboratory strain. Field strains showed less than 2-fold difference in response to azinphosmethyl at LD50 but had variable levels (1.3- to 18.3-fold) of response to permethrin. Strains from Yuma and Phoenix (Arizona) and Westmoreland (California) had highest levels of resistance to permethrin. Application of permethrin with an oxidase inhibitor (piperonyl butoxide [PBO]) and an esterase inhibitor ( S,S,S -tributyl phosphorotrithioate [DEF]), produced less than 2-fold synergism in the Yuma strain. Results suggest that non metabolic factor(s) may be involved in permethrin resistance of the Yuma field strain because neither PBO nor PBO plus DEF suppressed resistance completely. Permethrin resistance in pink bollworm may be partially conferred by a kdr gene.
Dynamic analysis of uncertain structures using imprecise probability

A new method for dynamic response spectrum analysis of structures with uncertainty in their mechanical properties utilising the notion of imprecise probability is developed. This finite-element-based method is capable of obtaining probabilistic bounds of the dynamic response of the structure with uncertainty defined by enveloping imprecise probability structures. The developed method obtains probabilistic bounds on (1) natural circular frequencies, (2) mode shapes, (3) modal coordinates and (4) modal participation factors leading to the imprecise probability structures of modal responses. Finally, maximum modal responses are combined to obtain the structure's maximum total response with consideration of uncertainty. Numerical examples demonstrating the developed method are presented.
Relations of Negative and Positive Work Experiences to Employee Alcohol Use:Testing the Intervening Role of Negative and Positive Work Rumination

This study tested a model linking work experiences to employee alcohol use. The model extended past research in 3 ways. First, it incorporated both negative and positive work experiences. Second, it incorporated a previously unexplored cognitive intervening process involving negative and positive work rumination. Third, it incorporated several important dimensions of alcohol use (heavy use, workday use, and after-work use). Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2,831 U.S. workers. Structural equation modeling revealed that the conceptual model provided an excellent fit to the data. Negative work experiences were positively related to negative work rumination, which was positively related to heavy alcohol use, workday alcohol use, and after work alcohol use. Positive work experiences were positively related to positive work rumination, which was negatively related to heavy alcohol use and after work alcohol use, but was unrelated to workday alcohol use. The study also provided initial support for the psychometric properties and construct validity of the newly developed Negative and Positive Work Rumination Scale (NAPWRS).
Developmental Biology of Oncometopia alpha

Oncometopia alpha Fowler, a large, rare, univoltine leafhopper species in Arizona, requires 73–87 days for development from egg to adult in the greenhouse. Mean development time in an environmental chamber was 111 days at a mean temperature of 24°C. Adults fed exclusively from the xylem of broadbean plants laid eggs in clutches in leaf tissue, and lived 8–10 months. Adults overwintered on woody dicots such as Salix sp. and Populus fremontii S. Wats, and had a reproductive diapause period for ca. 6 months from July to January.
Introduction to Open Clusters

The observable properties of star clusters hold vital information concerning the star formation process. In this introductory chapter we review the properties of open clusters within the Galaxy. Starting with the most basic properties of open clusters, such as age, mass and metallicity, we then move onto a discussion of how these properties vary depending on the number density, cluster mass and spatial distribution across the Galaxy. In addition to these observables, we also describe methods of selecting members of open clusters through the use of proper motion and radial velocity kinematic information, and demonstrate their usage in highlighting dynamical evolutionary processes, for example, mass segregation. Finally, we end this chapter with a discussion of unbound stellar populations, namely OB associations, and their relation to molecular clouds within the Galaxy.
Next-Generation Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for English Learners: Priorities for Policy and Research

This paper is the third in a series concerning English language proficiency (ELP) assessments for K–12 English learners (ELs). The series, produced from Educational Testing Service (ETS), is intended to provide theory- and evidence-based principles and recommendations for improving next-generation ELP assessment systems, policies, and practices and to stimulate discussion on better serving K–12 EL students. The first paper articulated a high-level conceptualization of next-generation ELP assessment systems (Hauck, Wolf, & Mislevy, 2016). The second paper addressed accessibility issues in the context of ELP assessments for ELs and ELs with disabilities (Guzman-Orth, Laitusis, Thurlow, & Christensen, 2016). The fourth paper dealt with one of the major uses of ELP assessments—the initial identification and classification of ELs (Lopez, Pooler, & Linquanti, 2016). The present paper focuses on summative ELP assessments that states use for accountability purposes. Based on the conversation that took place at the K–12 ELP Assessment Working Meeting on summative ELP assessments, we identify critical policy and research issues. We also highlight the challenges associated with measuring ELP in a diverse group of EL students and recommend ways to embrace and support EL students through shared goals and active communication across federal agencies, state agencies, local agencies, researchers, and practitioners.
Infective endocarditis: a pathophysiologic approach to therapy.

The treatment of infective endocarditis requires a multidisciplinary approach, including theexpertise of cardiologists, infectious disease specialists, and cardiothoracic surgeons. By drawing from the pathophysiology, this article discusses a multidimensional approach to thes treatment of these difficult patients.