cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A formula of S. Ramanujan

Abstract In this paper, we discuss various equivalent formulations for the sum of an infinite series considered by S. Ramanujan. In the process, we also evaluate, in closed form, various classes of related infinite series.
EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON SULFITE-MEDIATED DARK REVERSION OF UROCANASE IN Pseudomonas putida

. Cultures of Pseudomonas putida produce inactive but photoactivatable urocanase. The ratio of active to inactive urocanase is much lower in cells grown above 30°C than below 30°C. Inactivation results from the addition of sulfite to the tightly but noncovalently bound nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide. Ultraviolet light restores activity by dissociation of the adduct. The Arrhenius plot of the inactivation of purified urocanase by sulfite appeared linear from 22 to 38°C. Urocanase does not have an increased vulnerability to sulfite above 30°C because of a change in the rate-limiting step or a conformational change of the protein. Cell extracts and growth medium were analyzed for sulfite and sulfite was confirmed by susceptibility to sulfite oxidase. As the growth temperature was raised from 24 to 32°C, intracellular sulfite rose from 270 μM to 400 μM and the ratio of active to inactive urocanase dropped from 11.8 to 1.9. Above 32°C the intracellular sulfite concentration decreased, the sulfite concentration of the growth medium rose sharply, and the ratio of active to inactive urocanase activity fell further. P.-putida became leaky, at least to sulfite, above 32°C. We conclude that sulfite formation or degradation is altered to produce more sulfite in cultures grown at elevated temperatures resulting in reversion of urocanase to a photoactivatable form.
Berglund-Hübsch Mirror Symmetry via Vertex Algebras

We give a vertex algebra proof of the Berglund-Hubsch duality of nondegenerate invertible potentials. We suggest a way to unify it with the Batyrev-Borisov duality of reflexive Gorenstein cones.
Epistemic concepts: A naturalistic approach

It is argued that an adequate naturalistic epistemology requires a naturalistic account of our epistemic concepts. Such an account should be based on a naturalistic theory of concepts in general. Wilfrid Sellars developed such a theory. Sellars’ theory of concepts is sketched and then used to provide an account of our system of epistemic concepts and an interpretation and defense of the correspondence view of truth. The outcome is that Sellars’ theory of concepts is used in a domain in which he never applied it and this yields a rather different interpretation of correspondence from that found in Sellars’ own writings.
Potential Use and Challenges of Functional Connectivity Mapping in Intractable Epilepsy

This review focuses on the use of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to assess functional connectivity in the human brain and its application in intractable epilepsy. This approach has the potential to predict outcomes for a given surgical procedure based on the pre-surgical functional organization of the brain. Functional connectivity can also identify cortical regions that are organized differently in epilepsy patients either as a direct function of the disease or through indirect compensatory responses. Functional connectivity mapping may help identify epileptogenic tissue, whether this is a single focal location or a network of seizure-generating tissues. This review covers the basics of connectivity analysis and discusses particular issues associated with analyzing such data. These issues include how to define nodes, as well as differences between connectivity analyses of individual nodes, groups of nodes, and whole-brain assessment at the voxel level. The need for arbitrary thresholds in some connectivity analyses is discussed and a solution to this problem is reviewed. Overall, functional connectivity analysis is becoming an important tool for assessing functional brain organization in epilepsy.
The life span of red blood cells in the amphibian larvae, Rana catesbeiana.

Abstract Nearly one hundred amphibian tadpoles were made anemic by phenylhydrazine injection. During the recovery period radioactive thymidine was incorporated into the DNA of the nucleated amphibian red blood cells. Over the next 135 days blood was drawn and smears of circulating red blood cells were prepared. The blood smears from each tadpole were autoradiographed and percentage of labeled nuclei (PLN) determined. The average life span of tadpole red blood cells was calculated from the change in PLN, and is about 100 days. It is concluded that during the transition from tadpole to frog, the tadpole red blood cell life span must be drastically shortened to account for the hemoglobin transition observed during amphibian metamorphosis.
Anticonvulsant and antiarrhythmic actions of the beta blocking agent timolol.

Cats were anesthetized with alpha-chloralose and pentylenetetrazol, 10 and/or 20 mg were administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to elicit epileptiform activity, including both interictal and ictal discharges. Timolol, 10, 100, 500 micrograms/kg i.c.v. and 1, 5, 10 and/or 20 mg/kg i.v., was administered at 5 min intervals to determine whether it suppressed the epileptiform activity. Mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate increased after the administration of pentylenetetrazol; these increases were associated with the development of epileptiform activity and cardiac arrhythmias. All doses of timolol caused a decrease in the blood pressure and heart rate elevated by pentylenetetrazol and suppressed the epileptiform activity. Similar findings were obtained in cats that received the same doses of timolol administered at different time intervals. The data indicate that the central administration of timolol reverses the epileptiform activity of pentylenetetrazol in the brain and suppresses the associated increases in blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac arrhythmias.
Effects of AP particle size on combustion response to cross flow

An analytical model is developed for the linearized velocity-coupled combustion response function. The model treats elements of response to perturbations in pressure, in composition due to the heterogeneity of composite propellants, and in crossflow velocity. The effects of AP particle size are accounted for in terms of effects on controlling ballistics properties and in terms of fluctuations in propellant composition. There are two facets of the crossflow problem: the effect of crossflow velocity on the various response elements, and the response to velocity perturbations. Both are dealt with in this paper. Important trends derived from series of parametric computations are described.
Opportunities to Discover Genes Regulating Depression and Antidepressant Response from Rodent Behavioral Genetics

Over the past several years, research has indicated that an individual's genetic makeup strongly influences not only their likelihood of developing depression, but also whether or not they will respond well to a particular antidepressant treatment. Identifying those genes regulating susceptibility to depression will increase our understanding of disease pathophysiology and direct the development of treatments that correct underlying neurobiological pathology related to stress-related psychiatric illnesses. Pharmacologically, the identification of genes regulating treatment response can lead to the design of novel pharmacological treatments and allow for more individualized, rational and successful drug treatments. Unfortunately, complex environmental and genetic mechanisms at play in depression and drug response make the discovery of susceptibility genes in humans quite difficult. Animal models may provide a more desirable system in which to discover susceptibility genes because environmental factors and tests can be regulated and more informative genetic methods can be used. Furthermore, a unique genetic opportunity exists with animal models of depression and antidepressant response because several rodent strains have been identified, or selectively bred, that display exaggerated depressive phenotypes on stress-related behavioral tests or divergent responses to antidepressant drugs. This paper reviews several of these rodent strains and illustrates the genetic strategies available to discover the long-sought susceptibility genes regulating these phenotypes.
Changes in corneal thickness in patients with treated and untreated ocular hypertension.

Purpose The elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in eyes with ocular hypertension is often accompanied by increased corneal thickness. We tested the hypotheses that chronically elevated IOP causes a slow increase in corneal thickness and that lowering the IOP reverses this slow increase. Methods Fifty patients with ocular hypertension were randomized to medication and observation groups in the Mayo Clinic site of the Ocular Hypertension Treatment Study. Central corneal thickness was measured using an optical pachymeter at baseline and annually for 6 years. The rates of change of corneal thickness was compared between the groups. Epithelial thickness was measured by confocal microscopy 8 years after the baseline examination. Results Corneal thickness increased 1.5 +/- 3.3 microm/yr in the observation group (n = 23) and decreased -1.3 +/- 2.8 microm/yr in the medication group (n = 27, P = 0.002). Both rates were significantly different from zero (P = 0.04 and P = 0.02, respectively). Epithelial thickness was 46.4 +/- 4.9 microm in the observation group and 41.3 +/- 4.4 microm in the medication group (P = 0.008). Conclusion Results of this single-center series imply that corneal thickness increases slowly in eyes with ocular hypertension and decreases slowly if the IOP is lowered by topical medications. These phenomena could be explained by a causal relationship between elevated IOP and a slow increase in corneal thickness. A decrease in epithelial thickness accounts for a portion of the thinning that occurs with treatment. If confirmed in a larger series, these findings indicate that the effects of previous treatment on thickness should be considered if corneal thickness is to be used as a discriminant factor in the management of patients with ocular hypertension.
(Mis)Understanding Human Beings: Theory, Value, and Progress in Education Research.

There is renewed interest in what can be called an experimentist approach to education research. The claim is that if researchers would focus on experiments and evidence-based policies and practices, irreversible progress in education can be achieved. This experimentist approach cannot provide the understanding of knowledge and human beings needed for meaningful progress in education. Lacking is adequate appreciation for the role of theory, particularly ethical and other philosophical theory. We especially need a theory of our human condition and a keen awareness for how some conceptions of scientific work can influence, and distort, our conceptions of human beings and worthwhile lives. As paradoxical as it might seem at first, to move ahead in education and our service to persons’ welfare, we need to look backward to revisit old truths.
Approval Summary: Imatinib Mesylate for One or Three Years in the Adjuvant Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

On January 31, 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval of imatinib mesylate tablets (Gleevec®; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ) for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients following complete gross resection of Kit+ (CD117+) gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). The recommended dose of imatinib is 400 mg/day administered daily for 3 years. Three hundred ninety-seven patients were enrolled in a randomized adjuvant, multicenter, open label, phase III trial comparing 12 months with 36 months of imatinib treatment. Eligible patients had one of the following: tumor diameter >5 cm and mitotic count >5 per 50 high power fields (HPFs); tumor diameter >10 cm and any mitotic count; tumor of any size with mitotic count >10/50 HPFs; or tumor ruptured into the peritoneal cavity. The primary endpoint was the recurrence-free survival (RFS) interval. The median follow-up for patients without an RFS event was 42 months. There were 84 (42%) RFS events in the 12-month treatment arm and 50 (25%) RFS events in the 36-month treatment arm. Thirty-six months of imatinib treatment led to a significantly longer RFS interval than with 12 months of treatment. The median follow-up for overall survival (OS) evaluation in patients still living was 48 months. Thirty-six months of imatinib treatment led to a significantly longer OS time than with 12 months of imatinib treatment. The most common adverse reactions, as noted in previous imatinib studies, were diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, edema, decreased hemoglobin, rash, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
Fundamentals of cDNA microarray data analysis

Microarray technology is a powerful approach for genomics research. The multi-step, data-intensive nature of this technology has created an unprecedented informatics and analytical challenge. It is important to understand the crucial steps that can affect the outcome of the analysis. In this review, we provide an overview of the contemporary trend on various main analysis steps in the microarray data analysis process, which includes experimental design, data standardization, image acquisition and analysis, normalization, statistical significance inference, exploratory data analysis, class prediction and pathway analysis, as well as various considerations relevant to their implementation.
Characteristic Impedance Model for Plasmonic Metal Slot Waveguides

We investigate the transmission properties of a subwavelength plasmonic slot waveguide. We show that the transmission can be accurately calculated using the characteristic impedance of the propagating mode. Using such a model, we show that it is possible to design devices without extensive 3-D finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) computer simulations. We illustrate the approach with calculations of an asymmetric Fabry-Perot germanium photodetector based on the slot waveguide geometry, showing predicted detector efficiencies as high as 69% despite metallic losses.
Dichlorobis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium– Zinc–Dibromomethane

(Cp2ZrCl2) [1291-32-3] C10H10Cl2Zr (MW 292.32) InChI = 1S/2C5H5.2ClH.Zr/c2*1-2-4-5-3-1;;;/h2*1-5H;2*1H;/q;;;;+2/p-2 InChIKey = QRUYYSPCOGSZGQ-UHFFFAOYSA-L (Zn) [7440-66-6] Zn (MW 65.37) InChI = 1S/Zn InChIKey = HCHKCACWOHOZIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N (CH2Br2) [74-95-3] CH2Br2 (MW 173.85) InChI = 1S/CH2Br2/c2-1-3/h1H2 InChIKey = FJBFPHVGVWTDIP-UHFFFAOYSA-N (methylenating reagent for aldehydes, ketones, and enones1) Physical Data: Cp2ZrCl2: mp 245 °C. Zn: mp 419.5 °C; d 7.14 g cm−3. CH2Br2: mp −52 °C; bp 96–98 °C; d 2.477 g cm−3. Solubility: Cp2ZrCl2: sol THF, CH2Cl2, and CHCl3. Zn: insoluble in organic solvents. CH2Br2: miscible in common organic solvents. Form Supplied in: Cp2ZrCl2: white crystalline powder; widely available. Zn: metallic gray granules or powder. CH2Br2: clear, colorless liquid. Preparative Method: prepared in situ. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: Cp2ZrCl2: store under N2. Zn: flammable solid. CH2Br2: harmful if inhaled or swallowed; may cause irritation.
An Objective-Based Framework for Motion Planning under Sensing and Control Uncertainties

The authors consider the problem of determining robot motion plans under sensing and control uncertainties. Traditional approaches are often based on methodology known as preimage planning, which involves worst-case analysis. The authors have developed a gen eral framework for determining feedback strategies by blending ideas from stochastic optimal control and dynamic game theory with traditional preimage planning concepts. This generalizes classical preimages to performance preimages and preimage planning for de signing motion strategies with information feedback. For a given problem, one can define a performance criterion that evaluates any executed trajectory of the robot. The authors present methods for selecting a motion strategy that optimizes this criterion under either nondeterministic uncertainty (resulting in worst-case analysis) or probabilistic uncertainty (resulting in expected-case analysis). The authors present dynamic programming-based algorithms that nu merically compute performance prei...
Adaptive Retina with Center-Surround Receptive Field

Both vertebrate and invertebrate retinas are highly efficient in extracting contrast independent of the background intensity over five or more decades. This efficiency has been rendered possible by the adaptation of the DC operating point to the background intensity while maintaining high gain transient responses. The center-surround properties of the retina allows the system to extract information at the edges in the image. This silicon retina models the adaptation properties of the receptors and the antagonistic center-surround properties of the laminar cells of the invertebrate retina and the outer-plexiform layer of the vertebrate retina. We also illustrate the spatio-temporal responses of the silicon retina on moving bars. The chip has 59×64 pixels on a 6.9×6.8mm2 die and it is fabricated in 2 µm n-well technology.
Time-resolved flow-velocity and concentration measurements using a traveling thermal lens

The traveling thermal lens technique is a new all-optical method for probing concentration and velocity patterns in flowing media. A thermal lens created by absorption of a short laser pulse moves with the flow and can be probed by a cw laser beam further downstream as a deflection signal. This technique permits optical measurements of the flow-velocity component perpendicular to the probe laser at high spatial resolution. Its application requires no seeding with particulates, as is needed in most other optical techniques.
POLYXSTAL: A FORTRAN program to calculate average elastic properties of minerals from single-crystal elasticity data

Abstract POLYXSTAL is a FORTRAN program that calculates Voigt, Reuss, and Hashin-Shtrikman bounds on the average bulk and shear moduli of polycrystals of randomly oriented crystals of minerals with any symmetry, except triclinic, from the measured single-crystal elastic stiffnesses, for use in modeling elastic behavior and wave velocities in rocks, or other multiphase aggregates. The Voigt and Reuss bounds can be calculated easily by hand, but they can be separated widely for minerals (±5% or more of the arithmetic mean of the bounds). The Hashin-Shtrikman bounds reduce this theoretical uncertainty by factors of from 3 to 15, but are considerably more difficult to compute. POLYXSTAL carries out their calculation by searching for a comparison material that leads to the optimum bounds. Polycrystalline compressional and shear velocities also are computed.
The Epstein-Barr Virus Rta Protein Activates Lytic Cycle Genes and Can Disrupt Latency in B Lymphocytes

The transition of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) from latency into the lytic cycle is associated with the expression of two immediate-early viral genes, BZLF1 and BRLF1. Overexpression of ZEBRA, the product of BZLF1, is sufficient to disrupt latency in B lymphocytes and epithelial cells by stimulating expression of lytic cycle genes, including BRLF1. The BRLF1 product Rta functions as a transcriptional activator in both B lymphocytes and epithelial cells. However, Rta has recently been reported to disrupt latency in an epithelial specific manner (S. Zalani, E. Holley-Guthrie, and S. Kenney, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93:9194–9199, 1996). Here we demonstrate that expression of Rta is also sufficient for disruption of latency in a permissive B-cell line. In HH514-16 cells, transfection of Rta leads to synthesis of ZEBRA, viral DNA replication, and late gene expression. However, Rta by itself is less potent than ZEBRA in the ability to activate most early and late lytic cycle genes. In light of previous work implicating ZEBRA in the activation of Rta, we suggest a cooperative model for EBV entry into the lytic cycle. Expression of either BZLF1 or BRLF1 triggers expression of the other immediate-early factor, and together these activators act individually or in synergy on downstream targets to activate the viral lytic cycle.
Occupational and environmental exposures and risk of systemic lupus erythematosus: silica, sunlight, solvents

Objectives. We examined occupational and non-occupational exposures in relation to risk of SLE in a case–control study conducted through the Canadian Network for Improved Outcomes in SLE (CaNIOS). Methods. SLE cases (n = 258) were recruited from 11 rheumatology centres across Canada. Controls (without SLE, n = 263) were randomly selected from phone number listings and matched to cases by age, sex and area of residence. Data were collected using a structured telephone interview. Results. An association was seen with outdoor work in the 12 months preceding diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) 2.0; 95% CI 1.1, 3.8]; effect modification by sun reaction was suggested, with the strongest effect among people who reported reacting to midday sun with a blistering sunburn or a rash (OR 7.9; 95% CI 0.97, 64.7). Relatively strong but imprecise associations were seen with work as an artist working with paints, dyes or developing film (OR 3.9; 95% CI 1.3, 12.3) and work that included applying nail polish or nail applications (OR 10.2; 95% CI 1.3, 81.5). Patients were more likely than controls to report participation in pottery or ceramics work as a leisure activity, with an increased risk among individuals with a total frequency of at least 26 days (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.1, 3.9). Analyses of potential respirable silica exposures suggested an exposure–response gradient (OR 1.0, 1.4. and 2.1 for zero, one and two or more sources of exposure, respectively; trend test P < 0.01). Conclusions. This study supports the role of specific occupational and non-occupational exposures in the development of SLE.
A Catalog of Regional Moment Tensors in Utah from 1998 to 2011

Online Material: The electronic supplement includes details for all 48 moment tensor solutions in this study, including waveform fits and a table of event parameters. The University of Utah Seismograph Stations (UUSS) operates regional seismic networks in and around Utah and Yellowstone National Park and provides routine earthquake locations and earthquake catalogs for these two areas (Pechmann et al. , 2007). In this study, we expand the reporting to include moment tensors for seismic events occurring in the Utah region (Fig. 1). This region is a complex seismic environment with diverse source types: tectonic earthquakes, mining‐induced seismicity (MIS) including mine collapses, and man‐made sources such as explosions. Most tectonic earthquakes in the region occur within the Intermountain Seismic Belt (ISB; Smith and Arabasz, 1991). In northern Utah, the ISB roughly delineates the boundary between the Basin and Range and the Middle Rocky Mountains, whereas in central and southern Utah, the ISB separates the actively extending Basin and Range from the more stable Colorado Plateau. The MIS is mostly associated with long‐wall coal mining in central Utah (Fig. 1; Arabasz et al. , 2007). The man‐made blasts occur throughout the state and are related to both surface mining operations and military munitions detonations (Arrowsmith et al. , 2008). Figure 1. UUSS Utah monitoring area (dark gray box) and the surrounding region. Solid black line separates the UUmod velocity model regions between Basin and Range to the northwest and Colorado Plateau to the southeast. Dashed line separates physiographic provinces: Basin and Range (BR), Colorado Plateau (CP), and Middle Rocky Mountains (MR). The transition zone is roughly the overlap between the physiographic and velocity model boundaries between the Basin and Range and Colorado Plateau in Central Utah. Crescent‐shaped and rectangular polygons in central‐eastern Utah are coal mining areas. ECSZ is the Eastern California …
Simulation of Viscoplastic Deformation of Low Carbon Steel Structures at Elevated Temperatures

The deformation response of a low carbon structural steel subjected to high temperature simulating fire conditions is generated using a viscoplastic material constitutive model which acknowledges the evolution of the material hardening parameters during the loading history. The material model is implemented in an ABAQUS subroutine (UMAT) which requires the determination of the material constants as a function of temperature. Both the temperature dependency and strain-rate sensitivity of the material parameters have been examined by the analysis of a single steel beam and a steel-framed structure subjected to temperatures ranging from 300 to 700 °C. Sequentially coupled thermal-stress analysis is applied to a structure under simulated fire condition. Results of this analysis show that above a transitional temperature, the deformation of the steel is strain-rate dependent. The combined effect of heat flux and loading rate on the complex deformation of a two-story steel structure is examined and the significance of employing a viscoplastic material model is discussed.
Efficient modeling of integrated narrow-band low noise amplifiers for design space exploration

In this paper, we present an analytical model for fully integrated CMOS narrow-band low noise amplifiers (LNA) that enables rapid design space exploration during the synthesis process. The analytical model captures the impact of parasitics on passive components and devices to accurately predict both impedance matching and noise figure. Our results indicate that the model provides on average 39.8% better accuracy in noise figure than several current analytical modeling techniques with five orders of magnitude improvement in simulation time when compared with a circuit-level simulator. Given its speed and accuracy, our LNA model is well-suited for design space exploration.
TORC-Specific Phosphorylation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR): Phospho-Ser2481 Is a Marker for Intact mTOR Signaling Complex 2

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) serine/threonine kinase is the catalytic component of two evolutionarily conserved signaling complexes. mTOR signaling complex 1 (mTORC1) is a key regulator of growth factor and nutrient signaling. S6 kinase is the best-characterized downstream effector of mTORC1. mTOR signaling complex 2 (mTORC2) has a role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton and activating Akt through S473 phosphorylation. Herein, we show that mTOR is phosphorylated differentially when associated with mTORC1 and mTORC2 and that intact complexes are required for these mTORC-specific mTOR phosphorylations. Specifically, we find that mTORC1 contains mTOR phosphorylated predominantly on S2448, whereas mTORC2 contains mTOR phosphorylated predominantly on S2481. Using S2481 phosphorylation as a marker for mTORC2 sensitivity to rapamycin, we find that mTORC2 formation is in fact rapamycin sensitive in several cancer cell lines in which it had been previously reported that mTORC2 assembly and function were rapamycin insensitive. Thus, phospho-S2481 on mTOR serves as a biomarker for intact mTORC2 and its sensitivity to rapamycin.
Androgen threshold to activate copulation differs in male rats prenatally exposed to alcohol, stress, or both factors

Few male rats prenatally exposed to a combination of alcohol and stress copulate spontaneously. This study determined adult sensitivity to testosterone (T) in males prenatally exposed to alcohol, to stress, or to both factors. Sexually naive males were tested with receptive females following castration and implantation of 20-, 30-, or 45-mm Silastic T-filled capsules. Serum T levels provided by these implants were measured. The behavior shown by males exposed only to prenatal alcohol did not differ from untreated control animals at any T dosage. Prenatal stress alone diminished the copulatory potential below control levels only when the intermediate T dosage was provided. Few males exposed to both alcohol and stress copulated under the lowest or the intermediate dose of adult T replacement, but most ejaculated normally when the largest capsule was implanted. The threshold to the sexual behavior-activating-properties of adult T exposure was moderately raised by prenatal stress but was severely affected when prenatal stress was combined with alcohol. We conclude that a diminished sensitivity to androgen in adulthood underlies some copulatory deficits resulting from treatments that alter fetal T levels. Such deficits may be concealed when behavior is evaluated in gonadally intact animals.
Tracking S4 movement by gating pore currents in the bacterial sodium channel NaChBac

Voltage-gated sodium channels mediate the initiation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells. Transmembrane segment S4 of voltage-gated sodium channels resides in a gating pore where it senses the membrane potential and controls channel gating. Substitution of individual S4 arginine gating charges (R1–R3) with smaller amino acids allows ionic currents to flow through the mutant gating pore, and these gating pore currents are pathogenic in some skeletal muscle periodic paralysis syndromes. The voltage dependence of gating pore currents provides information about the transmembrane position of the gating charges as S4 moves in response to membrane potential. Here we studied gating pore current in mutants of the homotetrameric bacterial sodium channel NaChBac in which individual arginine gating charges were replaced by cysteine. Gating pore current was observed for each mutant channel, but with different voltage-dependent properties. Mutating the first (R1C) or second (R2C) arginine to cysteine resulted in gating pore current at hyperpolarized membrane potentials, where the channels are in resting states, but not at depolarized potentials, where the channels are activated. Conversely, the R3C gating pore is closed at hyperpolarized membrane potentials and opens with channel activation. Negative conditioning pulses revealed time-dependent deactivation of the R3C gating pore at the most hyperpolarized potentials. Our results show sequential voltage dependence of activation of gating pore current from R1 to R3 and support stepwise outward movement of the substituted cysteines through the narrow portion of the gating pore that is sealed by the arginine side chains in the wild-type channel. This pattern of voltage dependence of gating pore current is consistent with a sliding movement of the S4 helix through the gating pore. Through comparison with high-resolution models of the voltage sensor of bacterial sodium channels, these results shed light on the structural basis for pathogenic gating pore currents in periodic paralysis syndromes.
Tests of alpha-, beta-, and electron capture decays for randomness

Abstract Long temporal sequences of decays from three distinct quantum processes (beta decay, electron capture decay, and alpha decay) were tested for randomness of permutational arrangement in time. The results comprehensively support the proposition that the spontaneous decay of an unstable quantum system is a random occurrence unaffected by past history.
Factors influencing the uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi in breast tissue on molecular breast imaging.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of changes to a patient’s prandial status, metabolic status (rest vs. exercise), and peripheral blood flow (via caffeine or warming) on the uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi in breast tissue. Methods: A total of 154 subjects participated in 1 of 4 study groups that evaluated the effects of 4 types of intervention on the uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi in breast tissue (effect of fasting, light exercise, caffeine, and peripheral warming). Molecular breast imaging was performed before and after each intervention. Count density was assessed in counts/cm2/MBq from the mediolateral oblique view in all studies. Results: Uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi in breast tissue increased by approximately 25% from 6.6 counts/cm2/MBq in the fed state to 8.3 counts/cm2/MBq with fasting. Peripheral warming also resulted in an approximately 20% increase in count density from 9.1 to 10.9 counts/cm2/MBq. Conversely, exercise caused a 35% drop in count density relative to the resting state. Uptake did not seem to be influenced by caffeine and did not correlate with a patient’s height, weight, or breast thickness. There was only a weak correlation between breast activity and body surface area. Conclusion: The combined effects of fasting and warming resulted in an approximately 50% increased uptake of 99mTc-sestamibi in breast tissue relative to that observed in a reference group to whom no preparatory instructions had been given. Optimal patient preparation before administration of 99mTc-sestamibi should permit a corresponding reduction in either acquisition time or required dose of 99mTc-sestamibi.
Analysis of perioperative complications in patients after total shoulder arthroplasty and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: Data directly comparing the perioperative complication rates between total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) are limited. Methods: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database, which comprises data from a statistically representative sample of hospitals across the United States, was analyzed for the years 2010 and 2011. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes differentiated the patients who received TSA (81.80) and RTSA (81.88). Demographic data, comorbidities, perioperative complications, and hospitalization data were compared. Results: This retrospective analysis included 19,497 patients, with 14,031 patients in the TSA group and 5466 patients in the RTSA group. Patients who underwent RTSA were older (P <.001), were more likely to be female (P <.001), and had increased rates of fracture (P <.001). The RTSA group had significantly higher perioperative rates of mortality (P ¼ .004), pneumonia (P < .001), deep venous thrombosis (P < .001), myocardial infarction (P ¼ .005), urinary tract infection (P < .001), and blood transfusions (P <.001). In addition, the RTSA patients had longer hospital stays (P <.001) and higher hospital charges (P <.001). The rates of comorbidities were also higher in the patients who underwent RTSA. After adjustment for these differences in comorbidities and surgical indications with our multivariate analysis, RTSA was still independently associated with increased hospital charges (difference of $11,530; P <.001), longer hospitalization (difference of 0.24 day; P < .001), more blood transfusions (relative risk, 1.43; P < .001) and higher rates of pneumonia (relative risk, 1.61; P ¼.04) and deep venous thrombosis (relative risk, 2.24; P ¼ .01). Conclusion: We found that RTSA patients, compared with TSA patients, had significantly longer length of stay, higher hospital charges that are not completely attributable to increased implant costs alone, and increased rates of perioperative complications. Level of evidence: Level III, Retrospective Cohort Design, Treatment Study. 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees.
Import Competition and the Probability of Job Displacement in US Manufacturing, 1983-1999

The trade-displacement relationship is examined using observations from the 1984-2000 Displaced Worker Surveys and corresponding industry data. Increases in import penetration and decreases in import prices correlate with higher displacement rates. Considerable variation in the effects of import competition on displacement probabilities is found across worker types. For example, the estimated displacement probability for a minority female who is not a union member but who has completed some college coursework ranges from 6.44 to 7.13 percent. This is significantly higher than the range estimated (1.02 to 1.24 percent) for college-educated, white, male union members. Setting import competition values equal to zero, we see estimated displacement probabilities for such workers decrease by 0.05 to 0.07 percentage points. Non-union, minority female workers with some college education realize reductions of 0.40 to 2.56 percentage points in their probabilities. Thus, workers most at risk of displacement are also most affected by import competition.
Visual cliff behavior of rats as a function of pattern size

On a visual cliff with 3/4-in. check pattern on both sides, rats preferred the shallow side, while a significant preference for the deep side was obtained when 3-in. check pattern was used on both sides. Animals exposed to pattern-sizes which were optically equal but at different depths showed no significant side preference. The similarity of angular size of elements at the animal’s eye for 3/4-in. pattern on the shallow side and 3-in. pattern on the deep side suggests the dependency of visual cliff behavior on pattern-size preference.
Kinetic Modeling of Xylose Oligomer Degradation during Pretreatment in Dilute Acid or in Water

Hemicellulose in lignocellulosic biomass can be depolymerized into fermentable sugars using dilute acid pretreatment. However, this pretreatment results in the production of degradation compounds that inhibit subsequent hydrolysis and fermentations steps. Understanding the effect of pretreatment processing parameters on hemicellulose depolymerization could possibly result in minimization of degradation compounds. We report on depolymerization studies of in-house-purified birchwood xylan oligomers, namely, xylobiose, xylotriose, and xylotetraose, and on commercially available xylose, furfural, and formic acid. On the basis of the current study, the optimum hydrolysis conditions were at temperatures between 120 and 130 °C and acid concentrations between 0.6 and 1.0 v/v%, where carbohydrate monomers were maximized, and degradation products were minimized. These results indicate that it is possible to improve hemicellulose-to-xylose conversion efficiency while minimizing degradation product generation, reduci...
Design and Implementation of the IPC Testing System in the Substation Based on the ONVIF Protocol

Performances vary widely among monitoring devices of different manufacturers in the security field. In addition, each manufacturer develops products by using different industry standards, resulting in the interconnection and interworkingproblem between different devices. This problem greatly influences theimplementation effects of the video monitoring system. In view of the above problems, this paper used the method of automatic protocol testing and developed a set of testing platforms based on the ONVIF protocol. The testing platforms adopted the form of Web Services, and by using the SOAP protocol and on the basis of the HTTP protocol, packeted the message in the XML format. Tests in the protocol and functions were made on the front camera in order to meet the need for interconnection and interworking. Through the actual test of the IPC devices, the validity and reliability of the system were verifiedand It was also proved that the system had great practical values.
Splanchnic bed utilization of glutamine and glutamic acid in humans

To study the fate of enterally delivered nonessential amino acids, glutamine and glutamate, 14 healthy adults were infused in the postabsorptive state with [2-15N]glutamine and [15N]glutamate for 7 h by intravenous (iv) and nasogastric (ng) tube routes. The amount of enterally delivered tracer that was sequestered by the splanchnic bed on the first pass was 54 +/- 4 and 88 +/- 2% for the [2-15N]glutamine and [15N]glutamate tracers, respectively. Only 46 and 12% of the ng glutamine and glutamate tracers entered systemic blood, respectively. The relative amount of 15N transferred from glutamate to glutamine, the transaminating amino acids leucine, isoleucine, valine, and alanine, and to proline was significantly higher when the [15N]glutamate was infused by the ng vs. iv route. The same was also true for [2-15N]glutamine, which presumably transferred 15N after it was converted to glutamate. Thus we conclude that the splanchnic bed sequesters over one-half of the glutamine and almost all of the glutamate delivered to it in the postabsorptive state. There is production of transaminating amino acids in the splanchnic bed, and the splanchnic bed produces simultaneously both glutamine from glutamate and glutamate from glutamine.
Anatomical distribution of colorectal cancer in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

OBJECTIVES The incidence of sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) among individuals younger than 50 years of age and the incidence of proximal cancers has varied based on demographic factors in previous studies, and multisociety screening guidelines advise various modalities for average-risk individuals beginning at age 50. We studied the incidence and anatomic distribution of CRC in a population of military veterans to determine whether screening at a younger age is warranted. METHODS In a retrospective review of the electronic medical records of patients diagnosed as having CRC at the Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center between 2000 and 2010, a descriptive analysis of age at diagnosis, race, indication for colonoscopy, and anatomical distribution of the tumor was performed. RESULTS A total of 280 patients with CRC were identified, 272 of whom were histologically confirmed as having adenocarcinoma. The majority (98.6%) were men, with 25.6% of them African American. The mean age at diagnosis was 68.9 years (range 41-89 years), with 35% diagnosed in the eighth decade of life. Only 8 patients (2.9%) were younger than age 50. Most tumors (55%) were located distal to the splenic flexure, with synchronous lesions identified in seven patients. Screening colonoscopy identified only 18 (3.6%) cases. CONCLUSIONS Sporadic colorectal adenocarcinoma in patients younger than age 50 was identified in only 2.9% of all cases, whereas 42.5% of all cases were located proximal to the splenic flexure. This reinforces the American College of Gastroenterology guideline recommendation to initiate CRC screening in average-risk individuals at age 50. This study supports optical colonoscopy as the preferred screening modality.
On the Use of Symmetrized Transport Equation in Goal-Oriented Adaptivity

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we revisit the self-adjoint formulation of the transport equation based on the general symmetrization procedure of Marchuk and Agoshkov. In particular, we show how this formulation can be used to obtain solutions of both the forward and the adjoint transport equations with arbitrary source terms from only one solution and one post-processing step. This feature fits well into the well established dual-weighted residual framework for goal-oriented adaptivity, which we use to develop an adaptive finite-element method for solving neutron transport problems. We also describe the relationship to the well known self-adjoint angular flux (SAAF) formulation, allowing us to view the resulting method as an efficient way of performing goal-oriented adaptivity for SAAF. The paper concludes with preliminary numerical experiments that show the viability of the presented method and encourage further research.
Abstract 188: Differences in Quality of Life Across Modified Rankin Scale Categories in IMS-3

Background: Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2 is frequently used as a definition of good outcome in ischemic stroke trials. Patients with mRS 3 are frequently grouped with mRS 4-6 as having poo...
Novel Relations: The importance of aunts

The sentimental ideal of motherhood is the product of the historical separation of public and private spheres that gave gender polarity its present form as an institutionalized opposition between male rationality and maternal nurturance. Jessica Benjamin, The Bonds of Love: Psychoanalysis, Feminism, and the Problem of Domination , p. 206. As late as the seventeenth century there were different words in German for aunt and uncle depending on whether one was referring to the mother's or the father's siblings … Not only does it show an awareness of a two-sided kinship, but when one pair of terms was dropped, it was the one for paternal kin ( Vetter and Base ). Oheim and Muhme were transferred to all aunts and uncles. The mother's kin must have been extremely important for those terms to have prevailed. Beatrice Gottlieb, The Family in the Western World from the Black Death to the Industrial Age , pp. 186–7. But the maternal office was supplied by my aunt, Mrs. Catherine Porten … the true mother of my mind as well as of my health. Edward Gibbon, The Memoirs of the Life of Edward Gibbon , pp. 30, 37. I have always maintained the importance of Aunts as much as possible. Jane Austen to Caroline Austen, October 30, 1815. Despite the emphasis on marriage and motherhood in late eighteenth-century society, mothers in novels of the period are notoriously absent – dead or otherwise missing.
RESPONDING TO RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

There is a sense in which the entire book deals with the problem of responding to religious diversity (the title of this part), while Chapters 5 (“What Are the Bases of Resistance to Religiously Grounded Morality?”) and 13 (“Religiously Grounded Morality and the Reach of Public Law”) address specific aspects of the issue. Nonetheless, it seems important to engage more frontally with its historical, theological, and philosophical manifestations. Chapter 16 addresses the fundamental issues of its subtitle: the interplay among religion, truth, and pluralism. The questions are as simple to state as they are difficult to unpack: – Isn't religious belief at least in substantial part about a claim to know and assert the truth about something very important? – Isn't religious commitment therefore incompatible with acceptance of the legitimacy of pluralism? Chapter 17 attempts to engage with a problem that in some ways would be simply an aspect of the broader question but for (in the words of its title) “The Legacy of History.” Its importance, to both Jews and Christians, is only enhanced by the fact that the generation now coming to maturity is, to an amazing degree, largely unaware of that history. I do not attempt even to summarize it, but try to examine some of the complexities that both traditions have faced during the last half-century as they have sought, separately and together, to transcend that legacy. The difficulties are theological as well as historical, and in my judgment need to be better understood.
Rural School Food Service Director Perceptions on Voluntary School Meal Reforms

This mixed-method study examined rural U.S. food service directors' perceptions of and experiences with voluntary school meal programs, which have the potential to improve school nutrition but have not been widely adopted in rural areas of the United States. Little is known about how rural food service directors perceive these programs. Interview and survey instruments examined how rural food service directors characterize barriers and facilitators to participation in voluntary school meal programs like farm-to-school and school garden programs. Rural school food service directors participated in a semistructured telephone interview (n=67) and an online survey (n=57). We defined rural school districts by the most rural locale codes (as categorized by the National Center for Education Statistics) in a midsized Midwestern state. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. We analyzed qualitative responses using thematic coding. The qualitative analysis revealed that directors had little experience with these programs and perceived these programs to be very challenging to implement. Issues common to rural school districts were a very small staff, lack of concrete knowledge about how these programs work, and lack of access to local producers and chefs. These findings underscore the need to consider the unique situation of rural schools when promoting voluntary school meals reform programs. We make recommendations about adopting and adapting these voluntary programs to better fit the reality of rural areas. See the press release for this article.