cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of the left ventricular assist device on right ventricular function

Right ventricular failure is a leading cause of death in patients who require the left ventricular assist device. Previous reports suggested right ventricular functional deterioration during left ventricular assist but lacked a method by which right ventricular function could be quantified adequately. This study examined the effects of left ventricular volume unloading on right ventricular systolic function by means of the stroke work/end-diastolic volume relationship, a load-insensitive index of myocardial performance. In 12 anesthetized open-chested dogs, right ventricular and left ventricular pressures were measured with micromanometers while ultrasonic dimension transducers measured left and right ventricular orthogonal diameters. Left ventricular unloading was accomplished with left atrial-to-femoral artery bypass with a centrifugal pump. Data were recorded during transient vena caval occlusion in the control state and with maximal left ventricular unloading by full support by the left ventricular assist device. Modified ellipsoidal geometry was used to calculate simultaneous biventricular volumes, and linear regression analysis of right ventricular stroke work versus end-diastolic volume was used to quantify right ventricular systolic function. Average slope and x intercept of this relationship under control conditions were 2.2 +/- 0.3 X 10(4) erg/ml and 10.7 +/- 5.0 ml, respectively. During full support by the left ventricular assist device (mean flow rate, 2.4 +/- 0.3 L/min), left ventricular end-diastolic volume decreased by 31% (p less than 0.01), left ventricular septal-free wall diameter decreased by 7% (p less than 0.001), and rate of rise of right ventricular peak positive pressure declined by 13% (p less than 0.05). The corresponding slope and x intercept of the right ventricular stroke work/end-diastolic volume relationship during full unloading of left ventricular assist device were 2.3 +/- 0.3 X 0.3 X 10(4) erg/ml and 14.3 +/- 4.8 ml, respectively; these values were not significantly different from control values (p greater than 0.5). Additionally, analysis of right ventricular end-diastolic pressure-volume relationships suggested improved right ventricular chamber compliance, although the effects were small and did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.10). These data imply that marked alterations in biventricular geometry accompanying left ventricular volume unloading by the left ventricular assist device in a normal heart do not significantly alter right ventricular performance characteristics.
Keratin-associated protein 5-5 controls cytoskeletal function and cancer cell vascular invasion

Cancer cell vascular invasion is a crucial step in the malignant progression toward metastasis. Here we used a genome-wide RNA interference screen with E0771 mammary cancer cells to uncover drivers of endothelial monolayer invasion. We identified keratin-associated protein 5-5 (Krtap5-5) as a candidate. Krtap5-5 belongs to a large protein family that is implicated in crosslinking keratin intermediate filaments during hair formation, yet these Krtaps have no reported role in cancer. Depletion of Krtap5-5 from cancer cells led to cell blebbing and a loss of keratins 14 and 18, in addition to the upregulation of vimentin intermediate filaments. This intermediate filament subtype switching induced dysregulation of the actin cytoskeleton and reduced the expression of hemidesmosomal α6/β4-integrins. We further demonstrate that knockdown of keratin 18 phenocopies the loss of Krtap5-5, suggesting that Krtap5-5 crosstalks with keratin 18 in E0771 cells. Disruption of the keratin cytoskeleton by perturbing Krtap5-5 function broadly altered the expression of cytoskeleton regulators and the localization of cell surface markers. Krtap5-5 depletion did not impact cell viability but reduced cell motility and extracellular matrix invasion, as well as extravasation of cancer cells into tissues in zebrafish and mice. We conclude that Krtap5-5 is a previously unknown regulator of cytoskeletal function in cancer cells that modulates motility and vascular invasion. Thus, in addition to its physiologic function, a Krtap can serve as a switch toward malignant progression.
Paper: Control of reactive power and voltage in emergencies

A method is introduced which assures quite feasible computation of control actions to be taken to remedy voltage problems resulting in a section of a system because of a disturbance. The process is devised so as to conform to the natural structural features of the problem. A monitoring process is proposed. If a viability crisis is detected, first a cluster of interacting control tools are selected to match the cluster of violations. Then an effective viabilizing algorithm is carried out to restore viable voltage values in a manner least disruptive to the system. Note that the pinpointing of the cluster of violated and nonviolated network elements and the controls which are effective can in itself be very valuable information for the operator. The viabilizing algorithm only covers the affected clusters and it does not require on line system wide sensitivity computation. Consequently it is of small dimension and converges fast. Use of this approach should substantially improve both, cut and try approach by the operator on line and straightforward, computationally demanding computer implementations such as optimal load flow or linear programming approaches.
Comparison of Speed and Energy Expenditure for Two Swimming Turns

Abstract Speed and energy expenditure of the closed and open freestyle swimming turns were determined on six male swimmers. The subjects were tested while in a post-absorptive state. Resting metabolic rates were determined utilizing an open-circuit, Douglas bag method. The test included swimming a distance of 70 ft. and performing either the closed or open turn without taking a breath. Upon completion of the test, the subject breathed into a Douglas bag for 15 min. Each turn was timed with a stopwatch; a turn started 3 ft. 10 in. before touching and ended as the feet left the side of the pool. Statistical treatment of the date revealed no significant difference in energy expenditure. However, the closed turn proved to be significantly faster than the open.
High performance IGZO TFTs on steel: Device stability and circuit integration

Oxide-semiconductor based thin-film transistors (TFTs) have advanced tremendously off-late and provides an attractive alternative to silicon-based TFTs. They are usually wide-gap materials, transparent in the visible spectrum and thus render possible ubiquitous transparent electronics. Furthermore, large carrier mobilities in the amorphous phase is achievable due to high degree of localization [1] and suggests that if the carrier concentration can be controlled, the properties of amorphous oxides are quite suitable for TFT applications. In this present study, we present room temperature fabrication and characterization of amorphous IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide) based TFTs. Although numerous reports exist about IGZO TFTs, there is few that report high performance device characteristic without the need of post fabrication processes.
Mean hydroclimatic and hydrological conditions during two climatic modes in the Devils Lake Basin, North Dakota (USA)

Proxy variables from palaeolimnological studies of lakes in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America have been used to infer large oscillations during the late Holocene between longer periods of high-salinity–dry conditions and shorter periods of low-salinity–wet conditions producing a normative pattern marked by the absence of hydrological stability. Studies of the historical rise in lake level at Devils Lake have identified 1980 as a transition point between two such hydroclimatic modes. This study uses multiple datasets to characterize the mean hydroclimatological and hydrological conditions of these two climatic modes. Mode 1 is a cool and dry phase, and mode 2 is a warmer and wetter phase. Precipitation onto the lake increased by 24% from mode 1 to mode 2. This small, but sustained, increase produced significant changes in the mean hydroclimatic and hydrological states for the basin, including a 383% increase in surface run-off to the lake, and a 282% increase in the basin run-off ratio. Devils Lake Basin is located along a hydrotone (region of strong hydroclimatic gradients) where small changes in hydrological drivers are amplified into large changes in regional moisture. The effects of the fluctuating climatic modes and strong hydroclimatic gradients are probably further amplified by the unique fill–spill hydrology of the northern glaciated plains, which can result in nonlinear precipitation–run-off relationships. This natural pattern of extreme hydrological variations for Devils Lake produces enormous challenges for lake management.
Composite Conductive Polymers Characterized by the Eqcm Technique: Incorporation of Redox Compounds into Polypyrrole Films

Abstract Novel composite polypyrrole films have been prepared by incorporating a variety of redox dopants including Methylene Blue (MB), Flavine Adenine Dinucleotide (FAD), Anthraquinone-2-sulfonate (AQS), and Benzoquinone (BQ) during the electropolymerization process of pyrrole on an EQCM gold electrode. The incorporation of fixed electroactive bulky molecules or ions which cannot be released from the polymer during the doping and undoping process because of their large size, allowed us to modify the ion dynamics in polypyrrole films. Films with anion dynamics, mixed ion dynamics and cation dynamics have been obtained. The polypyrrole composite films can be reversibly “switched” between a cation-exchanger and an anion-exchanger state upon the electrochemical oxidation/reduction, pH change or the change in the amount of dopant incorporated. This approach allowed us to modify the electrochemical and physical properties of polypyrrole and opened up the possibilities of tailoring the polymer to achieve materials with desired properties. The different states of the film have been characterized by the Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance (EQCM) technique. The application of the EQCM allowed us to obtain unambiguous information about the type of the ion dynamics and to test the stability and performance of composite polymer films. The potential applications of these films are also discussed.
Characterization of IrOx sputtering for IrO2 and IrO2/Pt bottom-electrode piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical systems applications

Abstract This study examines the effects of sputter deposition growth conditions on IrO2 thin films developed as electrode layers for Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3 piezoelectric Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems applications. For IrO2 thin-film bottom electrodes sputter deposited on {100}-textured, rutile structure, TiO2 template layers, the effects of substrate temperature, Ar and O2 flow rates, and post-deposition anneal were studied. Additionally, the impact of various IrO2/Pt bilayer structures on electrode properties were investigated. IrO2 bottom electrodes grown on 100-oriented TiO2 at 500 °C with an Ar flow rate of 100 sccm, O2 flow rate of 60 sccm, and a nominal 100 nm thickness exhibited a film sheet resistance of 9.2 ± 0.2 Ω/sq., surface roughness of 2.3 ± 0.1 nm measured over a 2 μm × 2 μm area, and a rutile structure, preferred-{100} crystalline fiber texture normal to the substrate plane. Furnace-anneal treatments on this electrode at 650 °C for 30 min in 3 SLM O2 improved its sheet resistance to 7.5 ± 0.2 Ω/sq., and surface roughness was 4.0 ± 0.1 nm. Bilayers of IrO2/Pt grown on TiO2, with IrO2 and Pt thicknesses in the 0–100 nm range, were sputter deposited at 500 °C. The electrodes had composite sheet resistances in the range of 1.34 ± 0.03 Ω/sq. to 9.92 ± 0.25 Ω/sq., and surface roughnesses ranging from 1.5 ± 0.1 nm to 2.0 ± 0.1 nm for 2 μm × 2 μm measurement areas. Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy verified preferred IrO2 and Pt crystalline fiber textures of {100} and {111}, respectively.
Health Disparities in Latino Communities

Health Disparities, Health Equity, and Social Justice The concept of health disparities most often refers to differences in health status and quality of health care across racial, ethnic, gender, and socioeconomic groups. By now, we know that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States, as a whole, have generally poorer health than Whites. Studies of health disparities and efforts to reduce them have traditionally focused on differences in health care access and healthrelated behavior based on race, ethnicity, and culture. For example, interventions may target individuals and groups and attempt to alter health care access and individually controlled lifestyle choices. These efforts include improving the access to and quality of health care and making sure that target populations are integrated into the health care system. Efforts could involve ensuring that the services of doctors and other health professionals are relatively affordable and making sure that health care providers and other practitioners are knowledgeable of and empathetic with cultural backgrounds of their clients and provide culturally appropriate service (e.g., language, educational materials). Thus the chief strategy to reduce health disparities is targeting individuals and groups and the health care system that treats them. In this way, health equity could be seen as the process of reaching individuals in order to reduce disparities in health.
Electronic information in cardiology: review of external databases and services

This paper reviews the current situation in the online database industry and describes various aspects of this market (online databases, providers, host computers, gateways, document suppliers). The paper also discusses the development of some user-friendly services (Dialog Medical Connection, BRS/ Colleague) available in particular to the biomedical community. The second section of this paper describes in detail a range of databases available both online and on CD Rom for use in the cardiology sector. A comparison is made between the two media.
Balancing the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction, Surface Energetics, and Stability of Metallic MoS2 Nanosheets via Covalent Functionalization

We modify the fundamental electronic properties of metallic (1T phase) nanosheets of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) through covalent chemical functionalization, and thereby directly influence the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), surface energetics, and stability. Chemically exfoliated, metallic MoS2 nanosheets are functionalized with organic phenyl rings containing electron donating or withdrawing groups. We find that MoS2 functionalized with the most electron donating functional group (p-(CH3CH2)2NPh-MoS2) is the most efficient catalyst for HER in this series, with initial activity that is slightly worse compared to the pristine metallic phase of MoS2. The p-(CH3CH2)2NPh-MoS2 is more stable than unfunctionalized metallic MoS2 and outperforms unfunctionalized metallic MoS2 for continuous H2 evolution within 10 min under the same conditions. With regards to the entire studied series, the overpotential and Tafel slope for catalytic HER are both directly correlated with the electron donating s...
Reflections on residency: pre-rounding.

“To most physicians, my illness is a routine incident in their rounds, while for me it’s the crisis of my life. I would feel better if I had a doctor who, at least, perceived this incongruity.” ― Anatole Broyard, “Doctor Talk to Me” [1] The alarm blares. In less than a moment, my brain — long since trained by habit into rapid rebooting — is alert and active. Unconsciously, I ready myself, donning my white coat. Stethoscope, pens, copies of patient notes, and other loose papers all begin to clutter my pockets. As I arrive at the hospital, I scurry to see all my patients before the appointed hour. I try to repress the numbing feeling of guilt that comes with awakening them when they so clearly need to sleep. My first patient is a middle-aged man who has been in the hospital since yesterday for heart failure. Knock, knock. I quickly enter his room, almost forgetting to bathe my hands in the sanitizing solution conspicuously posted just outside every patient room. “How was your night?” He moans groggily, still mostly asleep. “Any new issues?” No response. “Mind if I examine you?” After my flurry of questions, I perform a hasty exam. My stethoscope rests on his chest for a few brief beats. I jab my hand into his abdomen, remembering how many more patients I have to see this morning. “Ahh!” he cries. “Sorry, but I just need to examine you.” I finish the remainder of the exam. “Any questions?” I offer, as I begin inching toward the door. Ashamedly, this last query is borne more from habit than genuine compassion.
Equilibrium kinetic studies of enzyme mechanism and control.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses equilibrium kinetic studies of enzyme mechanism and control. It focuses on some aspects of the isotopic exchange kinetics at equilibrium and its evolution from the study of enzymic catalysis by the manipulation of reactants to the study of the control of catalysis by ligands that are not, themselves, catalytically transformed, inhibitors and activators, particularly of allosteric enzymes. The chapter presents particular areas of usefulness of these measurements with some examples. An important theroretical use of isotopic exchange at equilibrium was suggested to be the elucidation of compulsory pathways or binding orders. The usefulness of isotopic exchange kinetics for elucidation of compulsory binding orders was first established for the bovine heart and rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenases. These enzymes were believed to have a compulsory pathway on the basis of binding and kinetic data. Subsequently, a compulsory pathway was demonstrated for porcine and bovine heart malate dehydrogenases and bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase at pH 8.8. The study of enzyme catalysis at equilibrium by isotopic exchange of reactants is useful for elucidation of aspects of enzyme mechanism which may not be readily obtainable by other means. These include elucidation of a compulsory binding order, indications of fast and slow dissociation steps and whether chemical transformation is rate limiting; determination of the possibility of abortive complex formation, and, importantly, the observation of non-rate-limiting steps in catalysis. Another important aspect of equilibrium kinetics is its extension to the study of the mechanism of modifiers of enzymic catalysis, particularly with respect to effectors of allosteric enzymes.
Carta al caballero de la triste figura

This poem is inspired in the letter written by El caballero de la triste figura in Don Quixote's chapter XXV.
Distributed Kronecker Graph Generation with Ground Truth of Many Graph Properties

Computing various global and local topological graph features is an important facet of data analysis. To do so robustly and scalably requires efficient graph algorithms that either calculate topological features exactly or approximate topological features accurately. For this reason researchers developing distributed graph analytic algorithms desire generated graph benchmarks that share the challenging characteristics of real-world graphs (small-world, scale-free, heavy-tailed degree distribution) with efficiently calculated ground truth to the desired ouput. Given two small scale-free graphs with adjacency matrices A and B, their Kronecker product graph [1] has adjacency matrix C = A × B. Such Nonstochastic Kronecker graphs are highly compressible, and many expensive global graph calculations can be computed in sublinear time, with local graph statistics computed exactly in linear time, both from a sublinear amount of storage. Therefore, this class of graphs are likely of high interest to those pursuing data analysis tasks that incorporate diverse graph-based features. Here, we extend previous results regarding local triangle statistics and demonstrate that ground truth Kronecker formulas apply to: (i) some distance-based vertex centrality metrics (vertex eccentricity and closeness centrality), (ii) internal and external edge density of communities. Moreover, we demonstrate several scaling laws apply that allow researchers to have control over various ground truth quantities.
Objectives and Significance of the Volume

This chapter introduces the volume by arguing that the lack of civil and political rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community in the United States and globally are interconnected with the entrenched stigma, bias, and health disparities experienced by this community. This chapter asserts that while the Stonewall Inn riots laid the foundation for a legacy of empowerment and improvements in the civil and political rights of the LGBT community in the United States, increased protections in the United States and globally are needed to fully integrate LGBT individuals into society. The chapter previews the remainder of the volume which discusses ways in which sustained bias and stigma are consistently and strongly associated with a host of LGBT health disparities including access to culturally competent health care, HIV/AIDS, substance use and abuse, psychological distress, suicide, homelessness, and violence. Finally, this chapter foreshadows later discussions throughout the volume which focus on the heterogeneity among this diverse community in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, identities, and risk and protective factors.
Automated Query Generation for Design Pattern Mining in Source Code.

Identifying which design patterns already exist in source code can help maintenance engineers gain a better understanding of the source code and determine if new requirements can be satisfied. There are current techniques for mining design patterns, but some of these techniques require tedious work of manually labeling training datasets, or manually specifying rules or queries for each pattern. To address this challenge, we introduce Model2Mine, a technique for automatically generating SPARQL queries by parsing UML diagrams, ensuring that all constraints are appropriately addressed. We discuss the underlying architecture of Model2Mine and its functionalities. Our initial results indicate that Model2Mine can automatically generate queries for the three types of design patterns (i.e., creational, behavioral, structural), with a slight performance overhead compared to manually generated queries, and accuracy that is comparable, or perform better than, existing techniques.
Two Cheers for “Entrepreneurial Climate Urbanism” in the Conservative City

City climate efforts that are undertaken with an eye toward economic growth have been critiqued as a green repackaging of urban development as usual. As such, questions of social justice and broader transformations in the political economic drivers that underlay the climate crisis are often ignored. Yet in some political contexts, such as conservative American cities where the polarization of climate change removes it from the local political agenda, achieving even the limited environmental benefits of entrepreneurial climate urbanism represents hard-fought victories. Using a local fights over a coal-fired power plant in Colorado Springs, USA, as starting point, this chapter argues that in cities where there is no support for radical action on climate change and environmental justice, the growth imperative that is the foundation of entrepreneurial climate urbanism can be used as a gateway to greater transformation.
Collision Imminent Steering at High Speeds on Curved Roads Using One-Level Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Collision imminent steering is an automotive active safety feature designed to perform an evasive lane change maneuver when a forward collision cannot be avoided by braking alone. Previous work developed a nonlinear one-level model predictive controller to perform such a maneuver in a straight highway environment and at high speeds. In this article, a new formulation is presented that extends this capability to curved roads. The formulation includes a drivable tube concept, within which the maneuver is allowed to push the vehicle to its limits of handling, but only if the controller deems it necessary. Numerical simulation results showcase aggressive lane change maneuvers on curved roads at high speeds, allowing for both inside and outside lane changes, as well as single and double lane change maneuvers in a shorter distance than braking.
Re-entrant flexible scheduling:Models,algorithms and applications

In the past two decades,driven by the intrinsic requirements of the enterprises to improve production efficiency and increase production flexibility,flexible scheduling problem,characterized by the complex topology of multi-stage and parallel machines,has attracted more and more attention from both academia and industry in fields of semiconductor manufacturing,steel industry,automobile making,weapon production,chemical engineering,microbiology detection,financial service et al.Furthermore,by taking into account the re-entrant process constraint in accordance with which the job has to be processed more than once in certain stage,the flexible scheduling problem can be cast as re-entrant flexible scheduling problem(REFSP),which is characterized by re-entrant job flow through a number of different work centers that contain one or more identical parallel machines.In this paper,a comprehensive multi-facet survey of recent research in REFSP is presented by introducing its fundamental mathematical models,classifying various REFSP models in complex environments based on α|β|γ,summarizing its optimization methods and fields of application.Finally,we conclude this survey with further research directions.This study aims to promote theoretical research and engineering application of re-entrant flexible scheduling problem in China.
Managing Energy Vulnerability: Brazil's Adjustment to Oil Dependency

Strategies developed to cope with energy vulnerabilities provide a critical measure to evaluate a state's capacity to adapt to changes in the international environment. This article examines the conditions shaping these strategies. The author argues that the requirements of domestic ruling coalitions underpin the selection of certain instruments and not others. Brazil's domestic response, given the political requirements of rapid economic growth in the 1970s, involved import substitution and the expansion of state entrepreneurship and exports. The international expression of these adjustments was heavy internal indebtedness as well as a conciliatory pursuit of bilateral arrangements with oil producers on one hand, and with capital and technology suppliers on the other. The article concludes with a brief comparison of Brazil's responses to that of other newly industralizing countries and an assessment of changing domestic conditions that might influence future adjustments.
Bayesian Optimization of PCB-Integrated Field Grading for a High-Density 10 kV SiC Power Module Interface

An automated numerical optimization workflow using Bayesian optimization and a novel weighted point-of-interest (POI) cost function is proposed for PCB-integrated electric field grading structures. Traditional manual design techniques for high-density insulation systems involve simulating the electric field and manually assessing the performance, iterating until an acceptable design is achieved. The proposed technique improves on this by allowing for a fully automated workflow, based on a scalable, computationally efficient cost function that is readily implemented in commercial software and finite element method (FEM) packages. The workflow is demonstrated on PCB-integrated field grading structures, which are employed to alleviate field crowding and improve field uniformity around the terminals of a high-density 10 kV SiC MOSFET power module. The proposed workflow accelerates design time by a factor of three when compared to a competing descent-based technique, and by a factor of 100 when compared to manual design techniques, with 7 times lower convergence error. In addition, the optimized system performed 38\% better than the previous manually designed version during partial discharge testing, demonstrating an partial discharge inception voltage of 11.6 kV rms. The proposed workflow is scalable to larger systems, making it applicable to a broad range of high-density, high-voltage insulation design problems.
Mechanisms of temperature-regulated growth and thermotolerance in crop species.

Abstract Temperature is a major environmental factor affecting the development and productivity of crop species. The ability to cope with periods of high temperatures, also known as thermotolerance, is becoming an increasingly indispensable trait for the future of agriculture owing to the current trajectory of average global temperatures. From temperature sensing to downstream transcriptional changes, here, we review recent findings involving the thermal regulation of plant growth and the effects of heat on hormonal pathways, reactive oxygen species, and epigenetic regulation. We also highlight recent approaches and strategies that could be integrated to confront the challenges in sustaining crop productivity in future decades.
Detection of Fetal Heart Beats Using the TM-Mode

We examined every obstetric patient of more than eight weeks gestation from February 27 to May 14, 1975. A total of 200 patients and 213 examinations. We were able to detect the heartbeat in 193 patients. Of the seven patients in whom we failed to detect the heartbeats, five delivered dead fetuses. One was a missed abortion. The seventh case was an obese patient, referred for fetal demise. The fetal heart tones were not heard with the Doppler. We were able to detect the presence of twins and record the heartbeats of one fetus. We failed to record the heart beats of the second fetus. A repeat examination was suggested to be done the following day, but the patient delivered two live fetuses that same night. We had two more cases of twins and one case of triplets in whom we were able to independently identify the heartbeats of the fetuses. The earliest fetal heartbeat detected was at 11 weeks.
Preparation and characterization of β-sitosterol/β-cyclodextrin crystalline inclusion complexes

Inclusion complexes of β-sitosterol and β-cyclodextrin were prepared by mixing an equimolar ratio of the components in distilled water followed by freeze-drying. The solid state complexes were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Physical mixtures of the two components showed two distinct melting endothermic peaks at 139 and 169 °C. The two melting peaks were attributable to the individual component (i.e., β-sitosterol and β-cyclodextrin). The inclusion complex, however, shows a single sharp melting endothermic peak at 186 °C indicating the formation of a crystalline complex. Scanning electron micrographs show the formation of well-defined needle-like crystals for the inclusion complexes. The crystalline inclusion complexes were readily soluble in water. The inclusion complexes were characterized in the solution state by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The continuous variation method, using NMR data, suggests the formation of a 1:1 β-sitosterol to β-cyclodextrin inclusion complex. Cross peaks observed in the rotating-frame overhauser effect spectroscopy NMR spectra suggests that both ends of the β-sitosterol i.e., the aliphatic tail and the cyclic head were encapsulated within the β-cyclodextrin cavity. Computational modeling on the inclusion complexes carried out using density functional theory support the conclusions obtained from NMR spectroscopy. The results of the study show that the β-sitosterol and β-cyclodextrin form water soluble inclusion complex.
Molecular cloning of a second human 15S-lipoxygenase and its murine homologue, an 8S-lipoxygenase. Their relationship to other mammalian lipoxygenases.

The three well recognized lipoxygenases in humans are best known for their occurrence in different types of blood cells (1). And these three enzymes appear to have distinct biological roles. The leukocyte 5S-lipoxygenase clearly functions in the initiation of a metabolic pathway; the leukotriene products have distinct cell receptors and mediate proin-flammatory activities. The platelet 12S lipoxygenase synthesizes 12S-HpETE, and following reduction by cellular peroxidase, the hydroperoxide is converted efficiently and almost exclusively to the hydroxy derivative, 12S-HETE. The 12S-HETE may be a signaling molecule involved in cell-cell communication. Overall, however, there is no strong consensus on the biological role of this highly specific 12S-lipoxygenase product.
Embryonic Origin and Patterning of Cranial Muscle in the Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)

Cranial muscles play critical roles in numerous and diverse functions, including feeding, respiration, facial expression and (in some groups) vocalization. Despite the conservation of their basic structure in vertebrate evolution, cranial muscles have also played a significant role in evolutionary transitions among species. Here, we employ embryonic transplantations, using GFP-transgenic axolotls as donors, to determine the mesodermal contribution to cranial bone, cartilage and muscle. Expression patterns of cranial mesoderm markers are also analyzed within developing muscles. We define the axial level where unsegmented mesoderm can contribute to head muscles in the axolotl. Analysis of the posterior limit of unsegmented myogenic mesoderm indicates close overlap with the head-trunk boundary in the somites. This may help explain some of the differences in fate maps for muscles of birds and amphibians in the posterior head. Finally, gene expression analysis reveals markers for muscle groups important to the...
Differential Pricing of Components of Bank Loan Fair Values

This paper examines the capital market pricing implications of nondiscretionary, discretionary, and noise components of loan fair values for a sample of commercial banks. We use a model to partition loan fair values into discretionary and nondiscretionary components using proxies for discretion and nondiscretion. The residual from the model captures the noise component. We hypothesize that the nondiscretionary component is priced on a dollar-for-dollar basis and the residual (noise) component is not priced. The pricing coefficient on the discretionary component is predicted to be positive (negative) depending on whether the motivation for discretion is signaling (opportunism). We find evidence consistent with the hypotheses, implying that the relevance and reliability of loan fair values differs across the three components.
Arginine 41 of subunit c of Escherichia coli H(+)-ATP synthase is essential in binding and coupling of F1 to F0.

Two substitutions were made for Arg41 in the polar loop of subunit c of the Escherichia coli F1F0 H(+)-transporting ATP synthase. The R41K and R41H mutants were initially studied by use of a plasmid carrying the complete c R41K or c R41H unc (F1F0) operon in a chromosomal strain deleted for the unc operon. The extent of F0 incorporation into membranes of these cells was quite variable, and the system was concluded to be unsuitable for biochemical characterization. Ultimately, the mutant genes were recombined into the chromosome using a novel method for the unc system. The biochemical phenotype of the chromosomally expressed mutants proved to be reproducible. The c R41H mutation causes a specific defect in assembly of F0, i.e. subunit a was not incorporated into the membrane despite near normal incorporation of subunits b and c. On the other hand, c R41K mutant F0 assembled normally in one of two background strains studied. (In the second genetic background, subunit a was inefficiently incorporated into the c R41K membrane.) In membranes prepared from a c R41K strain assembling a complete F0, R41K F0 was found to bind F1 with near normal affinity and to transport H+ at near normal rates. Although R41K F0 binds F1, F1-ATPase activity and H+ transport remained uncoupled. The uncoupling was indicated by a lack of ATP-driven H+ translocation and by the high proton permeability of membranes with F1 bound to F0. The uncoupled phenotype of the R41K mutant closely resembles that previously reported for the c Q42E mutant.
Activities and Strategies for the Inclusion of a K-12 Educational Component in Digitization Grant Projects of Academic Libraries.

This article seeks to explore and discuss activities and strategies for including a K-12 educational component in digitization grant projects in academic libraries. The article is based on cases studying the K-12 educational component of the three following grants awarded to East Carolina University Joyner Library by North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online (NC ECHO) grant program: Digitizing Eastern North Carolina History, Fiction and Artifacts: The Eastern North Carolina Digital Library (http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/historyfiction/), Seeds of Change: The Daily Reflector Image Collection (http://digital.lib.ecu.edu/reflector/), and Ensuring Democracy Through Digital Access: North Carolina Government Publications Collection (beta testing). Planning, budgeting, implementation, promotion and lessons learned are discussed offering first-hand experiences in effective methods to integrate activities and strategies into digitization projects providing access to useful resources for all users with a focus on K-12 educators and students. The author‘s interest in this topic is based on cumulative experiences of involvement in the listed digitization grant projects as a private investigator and as an educational consultant of the above grants. Lessons learned are highlighted providing readers with specific, valuable details for consideration to improve future digitization projects.
Submonolayer Isotopic Mixtures of Helium Adsorbed on Grafoil.

Monolayers or submonolayers of helium adsorbed on different substrates have been studied for several years. Heat capacity signatures for He on rouge,1 Vycor,2 and bare and rare-gas-plated copper3–5 resemble those of two-dimensional (2D) Debye systems. Only recently measurements done on a commercially available variety of graphite, Grafoil,§ have given results that can be compared to 2D quantum and classical gases.6 Several prominent features have been reported in the range between 1/4 and 2/3 monolayer, mainly: (a) classical k/atom specific heats at 4°K; (b) peaks around 1.2°K appearing only for bosons (4He) at the lower coverages, assumed due to condensation induced by weak substrate lateral fields6,7; (c) peaks around 3°K occurring for coverages at which a well-defined fraction of the Grafoil lattice hexagons x G is occupied by He atoms (x G = 1/4 and x G = 1/3); (d) spin-ordering effects appearing for 3He at very low temperatures.8 Comparisons have been made with the properties of liquid and solid 3He and 4He, and it appears that 2D films on Grafoil have properties corresponding to those of the three-dimensional (3D) systems (see, e.g., a recent report on the melting line).9
Localizing flexibility within the target site of DNA-bending proteins

Publisher Summary Accommodation of DNA in a complex that involves significant DNA curvature or looping must reflect its propensity for bending—that is, its anisotropic flexibility. For the nucleosome core particle, bendability is a major determinant of specific positioning. For proteins that introduce sharp kinks in DNA upon binding, bending appears to supplement sequence-specific recognition of binding sites. The variable flexibility that is built into the DNA sequence is obviously not the sole determinant of protein binding. Specificity in binding site selection must derive from interactions with the protein that are peripheral to the bending locus. This chapter discusses a strategy that evaluates the contribution of DNA flexibility to complex formation, by measuring the binding of DNA-bending proteins to DNA, in which flexibility has been imposed by tandem mismatches. This is discussed in the context of the prokaryotic type II DNA binding proteins. The experiments discussed in the chapter explains that a substitution for the hmU-preference of TF1 can be made by suitably placing flexible loops in T-DNA. It is presumed that the implication is that hmU-selectivity is a least partly because of differences in the energetics of DNA deformation between T- and hmU-DNA. The chapter surmises that these differences are sequence-specific.
Vector channel coherence in a complex outdoor environment at 2.4 GHz

Many mobile radio communications systems use a "frequency division duplex" (FDD) scheme to separate the reverse link (mobile-to-base) transmissions from the forward link (base-to-mobile) transmissions. FDD poses a difficult problem in the design of forward link smart antenna systems. The performance of such systems is limited by the quality of channel estimates. An often-considered compromise is to estimate the forward link vector channel as the eigenvector associated with the largest eigenvalue of the reverse link spatial covariance matrix R, averaged over many fades. The assumption is that R obtained in this manner represents primarily the path geometry of the channel, which is nominally frequency-independent, while averaging out frequency-selective fading, which is likely to be uncorrelated over the duplex separation in an FDD system. To verify that this is a reasonable assumption, it would be useful to compare direct, simultaneous measurements of the vector channel (that is, the coefficients describing the propagation between each antenna of the base station array and the single mobile antenna) at both the reverse and forward link frequencies in field conditions. This paper presents such measurements, obtained in a complex outdoor environment at 2.4 GHz. It is found that the agreement between the eigenvectors associated with the largest eigenvalue of R at the two frequencies is quite good.
Eternal sunshine of the spotless machine: protecting privacy with ephemeral channels

Modern systems keep long memories. As we show in this paper, an adversary who gains access to a Linux system, even one that implements secure deallocation, can recover the contents of applications' windows, audio buffers, and data remaining in device drivers--long after the applications have terminated.We design and implement Lacuna, a system that allows users to run programs in "private sessions." After the session is over, all memories of its execution are erased. The key abstraction in Lacuna is an ephemeral channel, which allows the protected program to talk to peripheral devices while making it possible to delete the memories of this communication from the host. Lacuna can run unmodified applications that use graphics, sound, USB input devices, and the network, with only 20 percentage points of additional CPU utilization.
Structure of Bile Acids Associated with Secretion in the Rat Cecum

An isolated in vivo rat cecal loop technique was utilized to determine what structure of bile acids is required to stimulate net colonic secretion of water and sodium. A dose response curve for water and sodium movement was determined for deoxycholic acid (1-6 mM) and chenodeoxycholic acid (3-6 mM). Both of these bile acids were associated with significant secretion of water and sodium at 4 mM concentration. Therefore, this concentration was used for all test bile acids studied. Test solutions included the tri- and di-substituted bile acids: cholic acid, hyocholic acid, 3α,7,β,12α-trihydroxycholanic acid, 3α,12α-dihydroxy-7-ketocholanic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid, 3α-hydroxy-7-ketocholonic acid, 7α,12α-dihydroxycholanic acid, and hyodeoxycholic acid. Only three bile acids, deoxycholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, and 7α,12α-dihydroxycholonic acid were associated with net secretion of water and sodium. Cecal histology after incubation with bile acids revealed mucosal alterations in those sacs in which secretion occurred, but not where absorption was noted. These data indicate that bile acid-associated water and sodium secretion in the rat cecum requires a specific bile acid structure with a definite spatial relationship of the hydroxyl groups. Secretion occurred only with two α-hydroxyl groups in either the 3, 7, or 12 positions.
Metabolic effects of exercise training among fitness- nonresponsive patients with type 2 diabetes: The HART-D study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of exercise training (ET) on metabolic parameters among participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who do not improve their cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with training. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We studied participants with T2DM participating in the Health Benefits of Aerobic and Resistance Training in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes (HART-D) trial that were randomized to a control group or one of three supervised ET groups for 9 months. Fitness response to ET was defined as a change in measured peak absolute oxygen uptake (ΔVO 2peak , in liters per minute) from baseline to follow-up. ET participants were classified based on ΔVO 2peak into fitness responders (ΔVO 2peak ≥5%) and nonresponders (ΔVO 2peak RESULTS A total of 202 participants (mean age 57.1 ± 7.9 years, 63% women) were included. Among the exercise groups ( n = 161), there was substantial heterogeneity in ΔVO 2peak ; 57% had some improvement in CRF (ΔVO 2peak >0), with only 36.6% having a ≥5% increase in VO 2peak . Both fitness responders and nonresponders (respectively) had significant improvements in hemoglobin A 1c and measures of adiposity (ΔA1C: −0.26% [95% CI −0.5 to −0.01] and −0.26% [−0.45 to −0.08]; Δwaist circumference: −2.6 cm [−3.7 to −1.5] and −1.8 cm [−2.6 to −1.0]; Δbody fat: −1.07% [−1.5 to −0.62] and −0.75% [−1.09 to −0.41]). No significant differences were observed in the degree of change of these metabolic parameters between fitness responders and nonresponders. Control group participants had no significant changes in any of these metabolic parameters. CONCLUSIONS ET is associated with significant improvements in metabolic parameters irrespective of improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness.
A method for PCR-based identification of bat species from fecal samples

As bat populations are threatened by a range of factors, there is an increasing need to correctly identify and quantify the cumulative impacts of such factors to individual species. We have developed a fast and reliable method using the polymerase chain reaction to identify bat species from feces found near wind turbines at a north Texas wind farm. The primer sets we developed for the six species found at this site represent an efficient and cost-effective means of obtaining species information from fecal samples. Our approach could readily be applied to other species groups and applications (e.g., degraded carcasses recovered from hibernacula).
Inhomogeneous exclusion processes with extended objects: the effect of defect locations.

We study the effects of local inhomogeneities, i.e., slow sites of hopping rate $ql1$, in a totally asymmetric simple exclusion process for particles of size $\ensuremath{\ell}\ensuremath{\geqslant}1$ (in units of the lattice spacing). We compare the simulation results of $\ensuremath{\ell}=1$ and $\ensuremath{\ell}g1$ and notice that the existence of local defects has qualitatively similar effects on the steady state. We focus on the stationary current as well as the density profiles. If there is only a single slow site in the system, we observe a significant dependence of the current on the location of the slow site for both $\ensuremath{\ell}=1$ and $\ensuremath{\ell}g1$ cases. When two slow sites are introduced, more intriguing phenomena emerge, e.g., dramatic decreases in the current when the two are close together. In addition, we study the asymptotic behavior when $q\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$. We also explore the associated density profiles and compare our findings to an earlier study using a simple mean-field theory. We then outline the biological significance of these effects.