cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analog VLSI stochastic perturbative learning architectures

We present analog VLSI neuromorphic architectures for a general class of learning tasks, which include supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and temporal difference learning. The presented architectures are parallel, cellular, sparse in global interconnects, distributed in representation, and robust to noise and mismatches in the implementation. They use a parallel stochastic perturbation technique to estimate the effect of weight changes on network outputs, rather than calculating derivatives based on a model of the network. This ’’model-free‘‘ technique avoids errors due to mismatches in the physical implementation of the network, and more generally allows to train networks of which the exact characteristics and structure are not known. With additional mechanisms of reinforcement learning, networks of fairly general structure are trained effectively from an arbitrarily supplied reward signal. No prior assumptions are required on the structure of the network nor on the specifics of the desired network response.
Efficient circuit-size independent public key encryption with KDM security

Key Dependent Message (KDM) secure encryption is a new area which has attracted much research in recent years. Roughly speaking, a KDM secure scheme w.r.t. a function set F provides security even if one encrypts a key dependent message f(sk) for any f ∈ F. We present a construction of an efficient public key encryption scheme which is KDM secure with respect to a large function set F. Our function set is a function computable by a polynomial-size Modular Arithmetic Circuit (MAC); we represent the set as Straight Line Programs computing multi-variable polynomials (an extended scheme includes all rational functions whose denominator and numerator are functions as above). Unlike previous schemes, our scheme is what we call flexible: the size of the ciphertext depends on the degree bound for the polynomials, and beyond this all parameters of the scheme are completely independent of the size of the function or the number of secret keys (users). We note that although KDM security has practical applications, all previous works in the standard model are either inefficient feasibility results when dealing with general circuits function sets, or are for a small set of functions such as linear functions. Efficiency of our scheme is dramatically improved compared to the previous feasibility results.
2,7-Dimethyloxepin

2,7-Dimethyloxepin intermediate: 1,2-dimethyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene intermediate: 1,2-Dimethyl-1,2-epoxycyclohex-4-ene intermediate: 4,5-Dibromo-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-epoxycyclohexane product: 2,7-dimethyloxepin Keywords: addition, to CC; annulation, heterocyclic-[3]; elimination, dehydrohalogenation; epoxide formation; halogenation, bromination; reduction, CC HCCH; ring expansion reactions; ammonia
Predictive value of exercise myocardial perfusion imaging in the Medicare population: the impact of the ability to exercise

Background: Although the prognostic value of quantitative single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) with exercise and pharmacologic stress is well established, the prognostic and management value in the Medicare age population is less clear. Methods: The prospectively populated Cleveland Clinic nuclear cardiology database was used to identify consecutive patients, age >65 years [who underwent exercise, 1,664 (28%), mean age 72.4±5.1, 74% male] MPI between January 2004 and January 2008. Clinical baseline variables, post test 90 days revascularization and MPI variables were analyzed. Overall and stratified nonparametric survival estimates were obtained by Kaplan-Meier method. Median follow-up time was 2.4 years. Parametric hazard modeling with bootstrap bagging methods was used to determine prognostic variables predicting mortality. Results: There was no difference in mortality in patients with an abnormal MPI vs. those with normal MPI. There were 103 (6%) deaths and 121 (8.2%) revascularizations. Only lower exercise capacity (<7 METs) and higher end systolic volume (ESV) predicted mortality. Although a larger amount of ischemia influenced down stream revascularization ischemia, revascularization of patients with an abnormal exercise MPI did not offer a survival benefit (log rank P value=0.01). Conclusions: In the a Medicare age population, exercise MPI perfusion variables influenced rates of revascularization but failed to provide incremental significant risk-stratification beyond exercise capacity. Maximum METs achieved appears to be a better predictor of survival.
Zircon-quartzite and zircon-clay refractories

The authors have investigated the properties of zircon-quartzite and zircon-clay refractories. They have established that the use of both quartzite and zircon in the masses permits the preparation of refractories which expand during heating and have a fairly high refractoriness and softening point under a load of 0.2 MPa; in this connection regeneration of quartz and dissociation of zircon are not intensified. The best quality indices are displayed by specimens containing more than 60% of zircon. Refractories obained from zircon and clay have a high rate of sintering and a higher compressive Strength. There refractoriness and softening point under a load of 0.2 Mpa of specimens with less than 60% Zircon are low,owing to the accelerated decomposition of zircon in the presence of clay and to the resulting high content of the vitreous phase. The thermomechanical indices of the refractories increase with the zircon content.
The interpretation of nonconfigurationality

Abstract Among the many concepts developed by generative grammarians, nonconfigurationality stands out as especially provocative. Attributed to Kenneth Hale, and made famous through its invocation in Chomsky's Lectures on Government and Binding [The Pisa Lectures (1981) Foris, Dordrecht], nonconfigurationality names a fundamental distinction in language structure, one that closely follows the rise of modernity itself. Recent generative work reveals a great deal about the position of modern subjectivity with regard to the interpretation of nonmodern languages. Analysis of this work helps to show some of the links between structural patterns in language, conceptual ideologies, and cultural interpretation.
Intralattice Strain Analysis in Superconducting Crystals and Superconducting Electrons

The bonding distances between atoms in five different structure types of superconductors, Nb3Sn, (La, Sr)2CuO4, YBa2Cu3O7–δ, Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox and Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3O8+x were calculated. There are many shrunken bonds in all the five compounds. Tc increases with the decrease in atomic distance of cations, rather than that of Cu–O. Structures which have large rhombicity tends to have higher density without the application of ultra-high pressure owing to the existence of a large number of oxygen; that is, the more the number of oxygen anions surrounding the cations increases, the more the radii of cations shrink. In shrunken atoms, electron orbits are forced to condense toward to the nucleus, it is considered that superconducting electrons are apparently created and perfect diamagnetism is derived from inner filled bands. Die Bindungsabstande zwischen den Atomen in funf unterschiedlichen Strukturtypen von Supraleitern, Nb3Sn, (La, Sr)2CuO4, YBa2Cu3O7–δ, Bi2Sr2CaCu2Ox und Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3O8+x werden berechnet. In allen funf Verbindungen werden viele durch die Struktur bedingte Verkurzungen der normalen Abstande gefunden. Tc nimmt mit der Abnahme der Atomabstande der Kationen zu, und nicht mit der der Cu–O-Abstande. Strukturen, die stark rhombisch sind, neigen zu einer hoheren Dichte auch ohne-Anwendung von ultrahohen Drucken aufgrund der Existenz der grosen Zahl von Sauerstoffatomen, d. h. je mehr die Anzahl der Sauerstoff-Anionen, die die Kationen umgeben, anwachst, um so mehr schrumpfen die Radien der Kationen. In geschrumpften Atomen werden die Elektronenbahnen gezwungen, in Richtung des Kerns zu kondensieren, es wird angenommen, das dabei supraleitende Elektronen erzeugt werden, begleitet vom reinen Diamagnetismus der inneren gefullten Bahnen.
OUTCOMES OF CARDIAC RESYNCHRONIZATION THERAPY IN ADULT PATIENTS WITH SURGICALLY REPAIRED TETRALOGY OF FALLOT AND LEFT VENTRICULAR SYSTOLIC DYSFUNCTION

Although left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction is known to occur in adults with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), the benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in this cohort is not well described. We retrospectively identified all patients with repaired TOF and impaired LV ejection
Caution advised with use of fospropofol.

2010;137;234 Chest Thomas Fuhrman Caution Advised With Use of Fospropofol http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/137/1/234.1.full.html services can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and ISSN:0012-3692 ) http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( written permission of the copyright holder. this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed without the prior Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights reserved. No part of Copyright2010by the American College of Chest Physicians, 3300 Physicians. It has been published monthly since 1935. is the official journal of the American College of Chest Chest
Determination of Nb–Hf–Si phase equilibria

Abstract Phase equilibria of Nb–Hf–Si at 1500 °C have been investigated for the metal-rich end of the ternary phase diagram using scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, and electron backscatter diffraction analysis. An isothermal section at 1500 °C was constructed for this ternary system based on experimental data from 11 alloys heat treated at 1500 °C for 100 h. Phase equilibria between the following silicides, Nb(Hf) 5 Si 3 , Hf(Nb) 5 Si 3 , Nb(Hf) 3 Si, Hf(Nb) 2 Si, Hf(Nb) 3 Si 2 , Hf(Nb) 5 Si 4 , Hf(Nb)Si, Nb(Hf)Si 2 , and two metal-rich solid solutions, β(Nb,Hf,Si) and α(Hf,Nb,Si) are described.
The Effects of Dosage and Administration of Two Mercurials on Mercury Retention in Two Strains of Chickens

Abstract TWO strains of chickens, designated as R and S, have been selected from common ancestry at the Western Washington Research and Extension Center and have been described by Bearse et al. (1963). Large differences in the retention of mercury in the liver and kidneys between the R and S strains of chickens 96 hours after intramuscular injection of organic or inorganic mercury compounds at the rate of 3.0 mg. mercury per kg. of body weight were reported by Miller et al. (1959a, b). Similar differences in the retention of copper in the same strains of chickens following intramuscular injections of cupric acetate at the rate of 9.1 mg. copper per kg. of body weight were reported by Lillis et al. (1963). The authors stated that no difference in retention was observed at one tenth that copper dosage. Also the differences were not observed in feeding trials with copper sulfate added …
The ideology of intelligent tutoring systems

After approximately four decades of evolution, the attempt of using Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) as extracurricular assistances is now widely accepted. As a rapid growing subarea of expert systems, their accomplishments are remarkable. During the exploration of making virtual tutors more humanlike, researchers have made a great deal of efforts on the investigation of further in-depth rationales and technologies such as tutoring paradigms, student modeling, instruction modeling, adaptive curriculum planning, and user interfaces. In this paper, I compiled some literatures on those essential issues and concluded the future of ITS at the end.
Simultaneous numerical optimization for data association and parameter estimation

In some tracking environments, there is no clear linkage of measurements to objects, requiring data association algorithms to associate measurements to target tracks. Further complicating the problem is that targets can operate in different modes and hence have time-varying dynamics. It has recently been shown that treating the potential measurement data for an object as a single continuous signal, that contains impulses when the measurement data jumps to a new object, allows the data association problem to be cast as a trajectory optimization problem. This optimization problem can also be expanded to formulate estimates for dynamic parameters of the objects being measured. The contribution of the current paper is the development of a numerical optimization algorithm that allows the recently developed impulse-based data association and parameter estimation methods to be easily applied without a significant amount of scenario-specific analytical calculations.
Central osteosclerosis with ectodermal dysplasia: clinical, laboratory, radiologic, and histopathologic characterization with review of the literature.

IBIDS is a syndrome characterized by ichthyosis, brittle hair, impaired intelligence, decreased fertility, and short stature, but unassociated with skeletal lesions. This condition is considered a form of trichothiodys-trophy because hair from several cases has been found to have a low sulfur content. We describe a 9-year and 10-month-old white boy whose clinical features resemble the IBIDS syndrome (ichthyosis, brittle hair, cataracts, and short stature), but who also has marked axial osteosclerosis and peripheral osteopenia. No abnormalities of mineral homeostasis were noted. Histopathologic assessment of nondecalcified bone specimens excluded osteopetrosis, but suggested slow skeletal remodeling. When subjected to polarized light microscopy, his hair exhibited the band-like pattern of birefringence described in trichothiodystrophy. Literature review disclosed 8 patients, 2 of whom had been diagnosed as trichothiodystrophy, with like clinical features including osteosclerosis. These skeletal abnormalities together with clinical features of the IBIDS/trichiodystrophy syndrome, we believe, reflect the prototype of a disorder that seems best described as central osteosclerosis with ectodermal dysplasia.
Gymnemic acids: Secondary plant substances of dual defensive action?

Abstract Gymnemic acids, the triterpene saponins from the leaves of the asclepiad vine Gymnema sylvestre, act as feeding deterrents to a caterpillar, Prodenia eridania. The effect is demonstrable with sugar-free diets, suggesting that the acids do not act, as they do in mammals, by suppressing the sweetness of sugars.
Attempts to induce mutations in Haemophilus influenzae with the base analogues 5-bromodeoxyuridine and 2-aminopurine.

Abstract Attempts were made to induce mutations in Haemophilus influenzae with the base analogues 5-bromodeoxyuridine and 2-aminopurine. These attempts were unsuccessful. Incorporation studies with BrdUrd showed, in agreement with earlier studies on Escherichia coli, that BrdUrd was discriminated against when dThd was also present but was incorporated to essentially the same extent as dThd when only BrdUrd was present. In this latter case, strands fully substituted with BrdUrd were produced, but survival data suggest that bacteria deriving their DNA by replication on such fully substituted templates were inviable. However, bacteria with about 20% of the thymine substituted with bromouracil were usually viable. No mutations could be detected in the descendants of such bacteria. The reasons for this are discussed and it is concluded that in all probability the replication system in species rarely if ever treats incorporated bromouracil as anything except a thymine analogue. The alternative possibility, that the negative results are a consequence of the absence of the reclex (SOS) error-prone repair system in this species, is considered much less likely.
Measuring the Attitudes and Beliefs of American Indian Patients With Diabetes

Diabetes is recognized as a major health problem for American Indians. This study examined the attitudes and beliefs of American Indian patients with diabetes using the revised Diabetes Attitude Scale (DAS). Revised DAS factors represent patients'attitudes toward the need for special training to provide diabetes care, patient compliance, the seriousness of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the relationship between blood glucose levels and complications, the impact of diabetes on the patient's life, patient autonomy, and team care. Data were collected from subjects at Indian Health Service hospitals on two American Indian reservations in northern Minnesota. Results of the analysis indicated significant differences in attitudes related to seriousness of the disease and autonomy in care decisions, after controlling for sex and educational level of the respondents.
The ecology of mixed severity fire regimes in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California

Forests characterized by mixed-severity fires occupy a broad moisture gradient between lower elevation forests typified by low-severity fires and higher elevation forests in which high-severity, stand replacing fires are the norm. Mixed-severity forest types are poorly documented and little understood but likely occupy significant areas in the western United States. By definition, mixed-severity types have high beta diversity at meso-scales, encompassing patches of both high and low severity and gradients in between. Studies of mixed-severity types reveal complex landscapes in which patch sizes follow a power law distribution with many small and few large patches. Forest types characterized by mixed severity can be classified according to the modal proportion of high to low severity patches, which increases from relatively dry to relatively mesic site conditions. Mixed-severity regimes are produced by interactions between top-down forcing by climate and bottom-up shaping by topography and the flammability of vegetation, although specific effects may vary widely across the region, especially the relation between aspect and fire severity. History is important in shaping fire behavior in mixed-severity landscapes, as patterns laid down by previous fires can play a significant role in shaping future fires. Like low-severity forests in the western United States, many dry mixed-severity types experienced significant increases in stand density during the 20th century, threatening forest health and biodiversity, however not all understory development in mixed-severity forests increases the threat of severe wild fires. In general, current landscapes have been homogenized, reducing beta diversity and increasing the probability of large fires and insect outbreaks. Further loss of old, fire tolerant trees is of particular concern, but understory diversity has been reduced as well. High stand densities on relatively dry sites increase water use and therefore susceptibility to drought and insect outbreaks, exacerbating a trend of increasing regional drying. The need to restore beta diversity while protecting habitat for closed-forest specialists such as the northern spotted owl call for landscape-level approaches to ecological restoration.
Healing through Images: The Magical Flight and Healing Geography of Nepali Shamans

During their healing ceremonies, Nepali shamans journey on magical flights in pursuit of lost souls or in search of medicinal knowledge concerning their patient. Traveling through a landscape both physical and metaphorical, the shaman's spirit visits several features of the countryside, ranging from the valley of Kathmandu to the "inner mountain snow fields" of Tibet. On this voyage he may communicate with supernatural beings who inhabit and represent certain geographical domains, such as "the master spirit of the forest" or "the spirit of the crossroads." This itinerary also affects the subjective experience of the patient, who ruminates over the images and events articulated by the shaman. This paper analyzes how the "healing geography" developed by the shaman during his magical flight-images of forests, rivers, mountains, and crossroads-provokes a healing transformation in his patient. After outlining the phenomenon of magical flight as it is found in Nepali shamanism,' I explore the landscape of images en-
Diverse ETS transcription factors mediate FGF signaling in the Ciona anterior neural plate

The ascidian Ciona intestinalis is a marine invertebrate belonging to the sister group of the vertebrates, the tunicates. Its compact genome and simple, experimentally tractable embryos make Ciona well-suited for the study of cell-fate specification in chordates. Tunicate larvae possess a characteristic chordate body plan, and many developmental pathways are conserved between tunicates and vertebrates. Previous studies have shown that FGF signals are essential for neural induction and patterning at sequential steps of Ciona embryogenesis. Here we show that two different ETS family transcription factors, Ets1/2 and Elk1/3/4, have partially redundant activities in the anterior neural plate of gastrulating embryos. Whereas Ets1/2 promotes pigment cell formation in lateral lineages, both Ets1/2 and Elk1/3/4 are involved in the activation of Myt1L in medial lineages and the restriction of Six3/6 expression to the anterior-most regions of the neural tube. We also provide evidence that photoreceptor cells arise from posterior regions of the presumptive sensory vesicle, and do not depend on FGF signaling. Cells previously identified as photoreceptor progenitors instead form ependymal cells and neurons of the larval brain. Our results extend recent findings on FGF-dependent patterning of anterior–posterior compartments in the Ciona central nervous system.
Salt, phosphate and the Bohr effect at the hemoglobin beta chain C terminus studied by hydrogen exchange☆

Abstract Hydrogen exchange experiments using functional labeling and fragment separation methods were performed to study interactions at the C terminus of the hemoglobin beta subunit that contribute to the phosphate effect and the Bohr effect. The results show that the H-exchange behavior of several peptide NH at the beta chain C terminus is determined by a transient, concerted unfolding reaction involving five or more residues, from the C-terminal His146β through at least Ala142β, and that H-exchange rate can be used to measure the stabilization free energy of interactions, both individually and collectively, at this locus. In deoxy hemoglobin at pH 7.4 and 0 °C, the removal of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG) or pyrophosphate (loss of a salt link to His143β) speeds the exchange of the beta chain C-terminal peptide NH protons by 2.5-fold (at high salt), indicating a destabilization of the C-terminal segment by 0.5 kcal of free energy. Loss of the His146 β 1 to Asp94 β 1 salt link speeds all these protons by 6.3-fold, indicating a bond stabilization free energy of 1.0 kcal. When both these salt links are removed together, the effect is found to be strictly additive; all the protons exchange faster by 16-fold indicating a loss of 1.5 kcal in stabilization free energy. Added salt is slightly destabilizing when DPG is present but provides some increased stability, in the 0.2 kcal range, when DPG is absent. The total allosteric stabilization energy at each beta chain C terminus in deoxy hemoglobin under these conditions is measured to be 3.8 kcal (pH 7.4, 0 °C, with DPG). In oxy hemoglobin at pH 7.4 and 0 °C, stability at the beta chain C terminus is essentially independent of salt concentration, and the NES modification, which in deoxy hemoglobin blocks the His146β to Asp94β salt link, has no destabilizing effect, either at high or low salt. These results appear to show that the His146β salt link, which participates importantly in the alkaline Bohr effect, does not reform to Asp94β or to any other salt link acceptor in a stable way in oxy hemoglobin at low or high salt conditions.
Characterization of oligodeoxynucleotides by electron detachment dissociation fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry.

Electron detachment dissociation (EDD), recently introduced by Zubarev and co-workers for the dissociation of multiply charged biomolecular anions via a radical ion intermediate, has been shown to be analogous to electron capture dissociation (ECD) in several respects, including more random peptide fragmentation and retention of labile posttranslational modifications. We have previously demonstrated unique fragmentation behavior in ECD compared to vibrational excitation for oligodeoxynucleotide cations. However, that approach is limited by the poor sensitivity for oligonucleotide ionization in positive ion mode. Here, we show implementation of EDD on a commercial Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer utilizing two different configurations: a heated filament electron source and an indirectly heated hollow dispenser cathode electron source. The dispenser cathode configuration provides higher EDD efficiency and additional fragmentation channels for hexamer oligodeoxynucleotides. As in ...
Fast error aware model for arithmetic and logic circuits

As a result of supply voltage reduction and process variations effects, the error free margin for dynamic voltage scaling has been drastically reduced. This paper presents an error aware model for arithmetic and logic circuits that accurately and rapidly estimates the propagation delays of the output bits in a digital block operating under voltage scaling to identify circuit-level failures (timing violations) within the block. Consequently, these failure models are then used to examine how circuit-level failures affect system-level reliability. A case study consisting of a CORDIC DSP unit employing the proposed model provides tradeoffs between power, performance and reliability.
Deacetylation of the retinoblastoma tumour suppressor protein by SIRT1.

The activity of Rb (retinoblastoma protein) is regulated by phosphorylation and acetylation events. Active Rb is hypophosphorylated and acetylated on multiple residues. Inactivation of Rb involves concerted hyper-phosphorylation by cyclin–CDK (cyclin-dependent kinase) complexes combined with deacetylation of appropriate lysine residues within Rb. In the present study, using in vivo co-immunoprecipitation experiments, we identified mammalian SIRT1 (sirtuin 1) as a binding partner for Rb and its family members p107 and p130. Formation of Rb–SIRT1 complexes required the pocket domain of Rb. p300 catalysed the acetylation of Rb, and SIRT1 was a potent deacetylase for Rb. The ability of SIRT1 to catalyse the deacetylation of Rb was dependent on NAD and was inhibited by the SIRT1 inhibitor nicotinamide. Deacetylated lysine residues within Rb formed a domain similar to the SIRT1-targeted domain of the p53 tumour suppressor protein. Cultures of arrested cells, via contact inhibition or DNA damage, exhibited decreased Rb phosphorylation and increased Rb acetylation. Overexpression of SIRT1 in either confluent or etoposide-treated cells resulted in a significant reduction in Rb acetylation, which was restored with nicotinamide. Gene knockdown of SIRT1 by siRNA (short interfering RNA) produced an accumulation of acetylated Rb. This increase was augmented further when siRNA against SIRT1 was used in conjunction with nicotinamide. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that SIRT1 is an in vitro and in vivo deacetylase for the Rb tumour suppressor protein.
Urinary purines and pyrimidines in patients with hyperammonemia of various origins

Excretion patterns of pyrimidines and purines in patients with various types of hyperammonemia have been investigated by 2-dimensional thin-layer chromatography and high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). For the quantitative analysis of pseudouridine, uracil and uridine a new procedure has been developed, consisting of pre-fractionation with Dowex 1 × 8, followed by dual column HPLC on a strong anion-exchanger and a reverse phase column. Thymine has also been analyzed in the pre-fractionated urine by a new HPLC method using the reverse phase column in combination with a strong cation-exchange column. Quantitative data for urinary pyrimidines and uric acid in hyperammonemia are given. In patients with a defect in one of the urea cycle enzymes, the level of pyrimidine excretion was found to depend on plasma ammonia concentrations. In other hyperammonemic patients, an increased excretion of orotic acid, uracil and uridine has only been found in one of the two patients with lysinuric protein intolerance, all other patients showing normal excretion patterns. Elevated uric acid excretions have been found frequently in our patients with hyperammonemia, but they did not always coincide with high plasma ammonia levels. A possible explanation for the difference in the excretion levels of the various pyrimidines is discussed.
Molecular analysis of the xylFGH operon, coding for xylose ABC transport, in Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus.

A xylose ABC (ATP-binding cassette) transport operon, xylFGH, was cloned from Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus, a thermophilic ethanol-producing eubacterium. The cistrons code for a periplasmic D-xylose-binding protein (XylF, partial sequence of 250 amino acids), ATP-binding protein (XylG, 505 amino acids), and integral membrane protein (XylH, 388 amino acids). These results, together with previous work, indicate that duplicate copies of both xylF and xylH are present in the T. ethanolicus chromosome, suggesting ancient gene duplication or lateral gene transfer events. XylG resembles other eubacterial monosaccharide ABC-ATPases in that its two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) are highly homologous, yet significantly different with respect to putative catalytic residues. Unlike most other integral membrane ABC transport proteins, XylH apparently contains 11 or 12 transmembrane segments (TMS) and is similar to a small group of ABC permeases that defy the “2 × 6” helix paradigm. This is the first report of a monosaccharide ABC transport operon in a thermophilic anaerobic eubacterium.
A shear transformation in the a-b plane of YBa2Cu3O7−δ from the superconducting onset

Abstract The discontinuities or jumps in the crystallographic thermal expansion coefficients across the superconducting to normal phase boundary have been reported to contain opposite signs and nearly equal magnitudes between the a and b crystal axes. A shear transformation is shown to account for almost all of the thermal expansion jumps in a coordinate system that is rotated by π 4 about the c axis. The heat capacity, the shear thermal expansion coefficient and the elastic compliance matrix jumps in this rotated coordinate are related using second order phase transformation thermodynamics for a solid. The lattice motion for the shear transformation involves a single coupled displacement. A shear stress that gives a pure shear strain displacement will change T c in this crystal. The thermal expansion jumps when restricted to contain no volume terms have been emphasized in this paper. This shear thermal expansion is found to interact with the lattice through the orthorhombic shear compliance of ( s 11 + s 22 −2 s 12 ).
Helium Neon Laser Intracavity Photothermal Beam Deflection Densitometer

A novel, compact He-Ne laser intracavity photothermal beam deflection densitometer has been developed. In this instrument, a TLC plate is placed inside the cavity of the He-Ne laser, which serves as a probe. An argon-ion pump-laser overlaps with the probe beam at the chromatogram spot. The apparatus is 34 times more sensitive than the corresponding extracavity instrument. The technique not only was able to detect bilirubin, bilirubin ditauride, and half-bilirubin on a developed HPTLC but also provided insight into the photophysical processes of those pigments. The detection limit for bilirubin, excited by the 476-nm laser line, at 20 mW intensity, modulated at 7 Hz, is 2.5 ng.
An ethidium bromide induced mutant of Neurospora crassa defective in mitochondrial DNA.

Slow growing mutants of Neurospora crassa were obtained by ethidium bromide treatment of the wild type strain. A particular mutant ER-3 showed stopper phenotype accompanied by deficient cytochrome spectra. The mutant showed an altered restriction pattern of the mtDNA which indicated a deletion of 25,000bp. The phenotype of the ethidium bromide induced mutant ER-3 seem to be related to the loss of several essential genes due to a deletion in its mtDNA.
Real options in multinational corporations: organizational challenges and risk implications

In this study, we investigate how multinationality affects firms’ risk levels. Our investigation builds on the idea from real options theory that international operations offer switching options to multinational corporations, yet we also emphasize different sources of coordination costs that can mitigate the benefits of operational flexibility. The findings from Tobit models accounting for self-selection underscore the importance of unobserved heterogeneity in the relationships between international investments and risk levels. Consistent with the coordination costs surrounding international operations, we find that the relationship between multinationality and downside risk is curvilinear: risk first declines and then increases as a firm's portfolio of international investments becomes extensive. In addition, downside risk is an increasing function of the average cultural distance between a firm's home base and the host countries in which its foreign subsidiaries operate.
Monoclonal antibodies reactive with epitopes restricted to glial fibrillary acidic proteins of several species

The highly reproducible histochemical localization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)+ qualifies it as an important marker of astrocytes in both research and clinical applications. The primary objective of this study was to produce monoclonal antibodies having the advantage of invariant specificity, affinity, and titer to GFAP-specific epitopes of wide species distribution. We report here the characterization of four monoclonal antibodies that recognize the same or spatially close epitopes specific to GFAP. The epitope(s) detected has been phylogenetically conserved; human, bovine, ovine, canine, porcine, rabbit, guinea pig, rat, murine, and chicken brain homogenates all specifically absorb monoclonal antibody activity. Of importance to the routine application of these new anti-GFAP monoclonal antibodies is the demonstration here of the stability of the antigen-antibody interaction in normal, reactive, and neoplastic astrocytes of both rat and human origin following various methods of fixation.
Communicating and advocating for science and medicine: rules of engagement.

A challenging issue in research and medicine is one of communication with others who are neither researchers nor medical professionalsda persistent concern between science or medicine and policy or politics or the media. I believe that there is no natural communication framework among these several areas, and I admonish researchers and physicians to learn new skills and work at communicating with other stakeholders, be they politicians, policy makers, the media, or patients. As stated by Alvan Feinstein [1] several decades ago, ‘‘Since few human ideas are truly original, a scientist’s creative thoughts generally represent the conquest of his own ignorance.to get his mind through to a liberating concept that is often obvious to an untutored observer, the scientist may have to overcome many intellectual restrictionsdthe boundaries of his specialized focus, the incrustations of his previous training, and fashions of his current preoccupations.’’ A recent Congressional hearing derides the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for knowingly providing ‘‘dangerous’’ medications to their patients without informing them of risks associated with taking the targeted medication. With the hearing entitled ‘‘Why does the US Department of Veterans Affairs continue to give a suicide-inducing drug to veterans with post traumatic stress disorder?’’, one might ask how our Congressional leaders could get it so wrong. In my opinion, the answer is simpledfrom a political perspective, they will never think it was wrong! In this specific case, the politics of the situation prevails, and there is no miscommunication, only a different agenda. This particular hearing was initiated in the House of Representatives, Committee on Veterans Affairs (http:// veterans.house.gov/hearings/OpeningStatement). The opening statement of the committee chairman is informative and should be read if you are interested in advocacy activities or the workings of our government. Chairman Filner began, ‘‘I
Correlation of widespread Holocene and Pleistocene tephra layers from Newberry Volcano, Oregon, USA, using glass compositions and numerical analysis

Abstract During the last ca. 500,000 years, Newberry Volcano in Oregon has produced at least 50 rhyolitic and dacitic tephras ranging from locally distributed pumice rings and cones to ignimbrites to widely dispersed plinian fallout deposits. To date, 13 tephra units with ages ranging from about 1525 14C years BP to >200,000 years BP have been traced to 20 sites across five western states of the USA. Correlations have been established by applying similarity coefficient and discriminant function analysis to major element compositions of tephra-derived glasses determined by electron microprobe analysis. Newberry Pumice correlates to four locations in Oregon and Idaho. East Lake or Central Pumice Cone tephra correlates to two locations in Oregon. Paulina Creek, Ice Quarry, 9912D, 9920C, 984F, 984G5, 9917C, and 9881C tephras correlate to ash beds at Summer Lake, Oregon. Paulina Creek tephra also correlates to several locations in northern California and is equivalent to the Olema ash bed. Tephra 9917C is very similar to tephras K and D at Pringle Falls, Oregon. Lava Pass or a related tephra correlates to an unnamed tephra in the Bonneville basin, Utah.
Comparison of Micellar Electrokinetic Capillary Chromatography and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography on the Separation and Determination of Caffeine and Its Analogues in Pharmaceutical Tablets

Abstract Micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) is investigated for the separation and determination of caffeine and its analogues as a complementary method to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Separation efficiency, resolution, analysis time, sample recovery and reproducibility are examined by comparing MEKC and HPLC in parallel analysis. The results show that MEKC is a useful economic technique in pharmaceutical analysis, yielding high efficiency, resolution and short analysis times.
Functional Outcomes of Cleft Lip Surgery. Part IV: Between- and Within-Participant Variables Affecting Lip Vermilion Sensory Thresholds:

Abstract Objective: Compare neurosensory assessments for participants with and without a cleft lip; identify between- and within-participant variables affecting sensory thresholds on the vermilion of participants with cleft lip. Design: A parallel group, nonrandomized clinical trial. Subjects: There were 56 participants with cleft lip and 37 noncleft participants. Analysis: Two-point perception and warmth and cool detection thresholds were measured on the right and left sides of the upper and lower vermilion. A cotton-tip stick, stroked across the skin, was used to identify altered sensation. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to examine the effects of between- and within-participant variables on the thresholds. Results: Threshold values on the upper and lower vermilion were similar for cleft and noncleft participants and were unaffected by the presence of a cleft on the side tested. Participants with cleft lip who reported hyposensitive altered sensations had higher two-point thresholds on the upper ...
Comparative Studies of Glyoxysomes from Various Fatty Seedlings

The separation of various organelles from cotton cotyledon (Gossypium hirsutum L.), cucumber cotyledon (Cucumis sativus L.), peanut cotyledon (Archis hypogaea L.), pine megagametophyte (Pinus ponderosa Laws), and watermelon cotyledon (Citrullus vulgaris Schrad.) by sucrose density gradient centrifugation was found to be similar to that described for castor bean endosperm (Ricinus communis L.). Equilibrium densities were 1.12 to 1.13 g cm3 for endoplasmic reticulum, 1.17 to 1.19 g/cm3 for mitochondria, and 1.25 g/cm3 for glyoxysomes. Isolated glyoxysomes from different fatty seedlings have striking similar specific activities of individual enzymes. The only exception is alkaline lipase activity which, when assayed with an artificial substrate, varies some 10-fold in glyoxysomes from different fatty seedlings. The properties of individual enzymes in glyoxysomes from different fatty seedlings are qualitatively similar as regard to sub-organelle localization and behavior in the presence of KCl and Triton X-100. In pine megagametophyte, the glyoxysomes and not the mitochondria are the intracellular site for the breakdown of stored lipid.
Dietary-induced increases of disaccharidase activities in rat jejunum.

A study was carried out to examine whether the responsiveness of small intestinal epithelial cells to dietary carbohydrate varied during the daily 24 h cycle. The effect of sucrose on disaccharidase activities was compared during a period of decreasing disaccharidase activities, i.e. between 22.00 and 10.00 hours, and increasing disaccharidase activities, i.e. between 10.00 and 22.00 hours, in the jejunum of 7-week-old-rats. Rats were fed on a low-starch, high-fat diet (Lst; starch 5 and fat 73% of gross energy), or a high-starch, low-fat diet (Hst; starch 70 and fat 7% of gross energy). Both dietary groups exhibited typical diurnal variations in jejunal sucrase ( EC 3.2.1.48), maltase ( EC 3.2.1.20) and lactase ( EC 3.2.1.23) activities, exhibiting a peak around 22.00 hours and a trough at approximately 10.00 hours. When rats were fed on diet Lst for 7 d and then force-fed on an isoenergetic sucrose diet (S; sucrose 40 and fat 37% of gross energy) for 6 or 12 h they exhibited increased sucrase, maltase and lactase activities compared with rats fed on diet Lst. The absolute increase in disaccharidase activities was similar regardless of the time diet S was given or whether rats were killed at 10.00 hours or at 22.00 hours. Analyses of sucrase and lactase activities along the villus–crypt columns showed that the distribution of cell cohorts that responded to diet S was not influenced by the time of introduction of diet S. These findings suggest that small intestinal epithelial cells possess the ability to respond to dietary carbohydrate throughout the daily 24 h cycle.
Cardiovascular effects produced by choline injected into the lateral cerebral ventricle of the unanesthetized rat

Abstract Intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of choline (50–150 μg) causes a transient increase in blood pressure and a more prolonged decrease in heart rate (HR) in conscious rats. The bradycardia results from a centrally mediated increase in vagal tone. The cardiovascular effects do not appear to involve endogenous brain acetylcholine since there is no significant difference in the responses induced by choline before and after icv injection of hemicholinium-3. Intracerebroventricular ventricular injection of atropine or mecamylamine, alone, failed to influence the choline effect. However, atropine and mecamylamine, given together, abolished the reduction of HR, but still failed to modify the pressor response. The changes in blood pressure and HR appear to be due to effects of choline on post-synaptic receptors in different brain regions.
Collection and analysis of data from communication system networks

This paper provides a brief overview of a new, limited and specific direction in the study of computer-based information systems: the study of communication networks by means of computer-monitored usage and content. This area of research is the result of the interaction of two foci in recent research: (1) the increasing use of computer-mediated communication systems in organizations, and (2) the conceptualization of communication as a process of convergence, or networks of relations.
Comparison of Silica-, C18−, and NH2−HPLC Columns for the Separation of Neutral Steroid Saponins from Dioscorea Plants

Abstract Six neutral steroid saponins including dioscin and gracillin from the tubers of Dioscorea plants and their peracetates were chromatographed by silica-, C18−, and NH2−column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The eluent containing water was used in the silica-column HPLC for the separation of these saponins. These HPLC systems complement each other and allow separation of the saponins. The number of carbohydrate units in the saponin molecule plays the most important role for the separations. The more carbohydrate units in the molecule, the more polar is the saponin or its peracetate. Separation of saponins containing the same number of carbohydrate units can be improved by using their peracetates.
TV clips: using social bookmarking for content discovery in a fragmented TV ecosystem

The explosion in content availability, coupled with the diversity in consumption devices, has fragmented the market. Users need new mechanisms for content discovery and navigation, while providers and advertisers need new ways to analyze and monetize usage. In this paper, we advocate 'social bookmarking' as a solution, given its proven utility in enabling affinity-based discovery online. But, adapting such web-centric ideas to rich media consumption raises technical and business challenges. With TV Clips, we introduce a system that tackles these concerns for broadcast television with extensibility to 3-screen usage. We describe the initial architecture and prototype, and discuss its evolution to support product-centric requirements like scalability and rights management. A secondary goal is to share our experiences in developing this prototype for a commercial environment (i.e., TV) and motivate further research in adapting 'social search' strategies to such media-rich domains.
Adaptation of Escherichia coli to redox environments by gene expression

Summary Escherichia coli is adroit in exploiting environmental energy sources to its greatest profit. A key strategy is to channel electron transport from donors to a terminal acceptor(s) so that the voltage drop is maximal. At the level of transcription, the goal is achieved by the interaction of three global regulatory systems, Fnr, NarL/NarX and ArcB/ArcA. In addition, the regulator FhlA is involved in a cascade-controlled pathway for the formate branch of the pyruvate fermentation pathway.
The Origin of Conserved Protein Domains and Amino Acid Repeats Via Adaptive Competition for Control Over Amino Acid Residues

Some proteins, such as homeodomain transcription factors, contain highly conserved regions of sequence. It has recently been suggested that multiple functional domains overlap in the homeodomain, together explaining this high conservation. However, the question remains why so many functional domains cluster together in one relatively small and constrained region of the protein. Here we have modeled an evolutionary mechanism that can produce this kind of clustering: conserved functional domains are displaced from the parts of the molecule that are undergoing adaptive evolution because novel functions generally out-compete conserved functions for control over the identity of amino acid residues. We call this model COAA, for Competition Over Amino Acids. We also studied the evolution of amino acid repeats (a.k.a. homopeptides), which are especially prevalent in transcription factors. Repeats that are encoded by non-homogenous mixtures of synonymous codons cannot be explained by replication slippage alone. Our model provides two explanations for their origin, maintenance, and over-representation in highly conserved proteins. We demonstrate that either competition between multiple functional domains for space within a sequence, or reuse of a sequence for many functions over time, can cause the evolution of amino acid repeats. Both of these processes are characteristic of multifunctional proteins such as homeodomain transcription factors. We conclude that the COAA model can explain two widely recognized features of transcription factor proteins: conserved domains and a tendency to accumulate homopeptides.