cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distortion invariant character recognition by a multi-layer perceptron and back-propagation learning

A neural-network-based approach for distortion (translation, scale, and rotation)-invariant character recognition is presented. To reduce the dimension of the required network, as well as to achieve invariancy, six distortion-invariant features are extracted from each image and are used as inputs to the neural net. These six continuous-valued features are derived from the geometrical moments of the image. A multilayer perceptron (MLP) with one hidden layer along with backpropagation training algorithm is utilized. The MLP is trained with twelve 64*64 differently oriented, scaled, and translated binary images of each of the twenty-six English characters. Its performance is tested using eight binary images from each character which were not used during training. Results of experimentation with different numbers of hidden layer nodes are presented. >
A Shield to Legitimize Virtually Any Content: Tracking the Video Game Lobby's Political Economic Power

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Association overturned a California law that sought to keep violent video games away from minors. Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the video game industry's trade organization, for years fought legislation aimed at providing parents with more information about extremely violent games. This article analyzes campaign finance records, lobbying reports, trade publications, and court documents to illustrate how ESA uses its power to influence the U.S. regulatory, legislative, and judicial process. By documenting this political economic influence, this article charts interrelated developments regarding the consolidation of ownership and growth of the corporate video game lobby and assesses how ESA political contributions marginalize the public's access to information about violent games.
HISTORY, INSTITUTIONS, AND CITIES: A VIEW FROM THE AMERICAS*

ABSTRACT Every nation, formally or informally, defines and establishes the lines of political and fiscal authority among its national, regional, and local governments. Historically, centralized governments tend to restrict the power and autonomy of provincial and local governments. In this paper, we exploit the quasi-experimental distribution of political institutions in the Americas caused by variation in European colonial experience to examine the impact of institutions on urban and local development, specifically on the degree of urban primacy, the size distribution of cities, the number and density of local government units, and the fragmentation of metropolitan areas. We argue that centralization of political power at the national level, as experienced in many countries in Latin America, contributes to urban primacy and a size distribution of cities favoring large cities. Additionally, even in more politically decentralized countries such as Canada and the U.S., variance in political centralization at the provincial (state) level over local governments led to significant divergences in urban primacy, the distribution of city sizes, as well as the form, number, and density of local governments. While we cannot rule out the importance of other factors, our findings suggest that political centralization affects spatial economic development.
Allopurinol to Febuxostat: How far have we come?

For decades allopurinol has been used as a xanthine oxidase inhibitor for treatment of hyperuricemia and gout. Although effective in many patients, some experience sensitivity to the drug. In some cases, this sensitivity may lead to allopurinol hypersensitivity disorder, which if untreated can be fatal. Recently the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of febuxostat as an alternative therapy for hyperuricemia and gout. Febuxostat is a new xanthine oxidase inhibitor, but is not purine based and therefore decreases adverse reactions due to patient sensitivity. This review is a comprehensive look at the background of hyperuricemia and gout treatment with allopurinol compared to recent clinical studies with febuxostat. Each clinical study is evaluated and summarized, identifying the advances in treatment that have been made as well as the concerns that still exist with either treatment.
1,3-di-2,2'-Naphthylpropane as a fluorescent probe for silica surfaces

Abstract The bifunctional molecule 1,3-di-2,2′-naphthylpropane, N(3)N, has been investigated as a thermodynamic surface interaction probe of silica surfaces. Adsorption of N(3))N onto a silica surface from cyclohexane follows a Freundlich adsorption isotherm, demonstrating a range of weak interactions between the molecule and surface active sites. A moderate excimer emission ( λ max = 400 nm) observed at room temperature for low probe concentrations (below 5% of a monolayer) is attributed to an intramolecular process. Our results indicate that at low surface coverages more than 70% of the isolated bichromophoric molecules exist in an intramolecular excimer form. Thermodynamics data obtained from fluorescence studies reveal that excimer emission increases concurrently with a decrease in monomer emission as the temperature is raised. From an Arrhenius plot of the data an activation energy of about 2.2 kcal mol −1 is calculated for the intramolecular excimer formation on silica surface. Gas phase molecular mechanics calculations predict an activation energy of 2.3 kcal mol −1 for the interconversion of an anti-gauche conformer (non-excimer emitting) to a gauche-gauche conformer responsile for intramolecular excimer emission. Since the calculation does not take into accountsurface interactions, the anti-gauche conformation may not be the predominant non-excimer emitting species present on silica surface.
A system for manipulating polynomials given by straight-line programs

We discuss the design, implementation, and benchmarking of a system that can manipulate symbolic expressions represented by their straight-line computations. Our system is capable of performing rational arithmetic, evaluating, differentiating, taking greatest common divisors of, and factoring polynomials in straight-line format. The straight-line results can also be converted to standard sparse format. We show by example that our system can handle problems for which conventional methods lead to excessive intermediate expression swell.
The growth of lanthanum hexaboride single crystals by molten salt electrolysis

Large crystals of LaB6 have been produced by molten salt electrolysis. The crystals were electrodeposited from an oxyfluoride bath at 800°C in a helium atmosphere at an applied potential of 1.87 to 2.1 V. The electrolysis cell consisted of a gold anode and cathode, platinum crucible, and constant voltage power supply. Crystallites 4 mm on a side could be obtained in a period of 300 hours when nucleation and growth were carried out on a gold wire cathode. Electrodeposition on LaB6 seeds has produced crystals 6×5×5 mm in 200 h.
Hydration of Calcium Aluminate Cements: A Solid‐State 27 Al NMR Study

This paper presents the results of a study of the hydration of calcium monoaluminate (CA) and Lafarge Secar 71 (CA + CA2) using 27Al MAS and 1H-27 Al CPMAS NMR spectroscopy. CPMAS, high H0 magnetic field strengths (11.7 T), and high MAS spinning speeds (13–14 kHz) provide significant new information about the Al structural environments present during hydration and about the mechanisms of hydration. Important results include the following: (1) Hydrated Al(4) and Al(6) environments are present during the incubation period. This observation is consistent with previously published hydration models. (2) The overall conversion of Al(4) in unhydrated phases to Al(6) in hydrated phases and the crystalline phases detected by XRD are similar to the results of previous studies. (3) There are previously undetected hydrated reaction intermediates present during the main reaction stage. At temperatures above 25°C this phase contains Al(4), and at 4°C it contains Al(4) and possibly Al(5). The incubation period observed for this reaction may be related to the nucleation of this phase.
Ideal and Resistive Magnetohydrodynamic Modes

This paper gives a further discussion of the analytical properties of both discrete and continuous Alfven wave spectra in an incompressible as well as compressible plasma. Although the continuous MHD modes produced by a well-behaved initial perturbation decay according to a power law, some singular solutions exist and are found to behave differently. In particular, it is possible to exhibit the existence of a new continuous mode which decays exponentially, and not as an inverse power of time, and this exponential damping is not the consequence of a continuous variation of the magnetic field. Even the set of discrete magnetohydrodynamic modes is shown to be empty unless certain conditions are satisfied. Next, we consider resistive modes and give explicit solutions for them which are valid in the neighborhood of the Alfven resonance layer and discuss their implications for plasma heating schemes. Finally, we study discrete and continuous Alfven wave spectra in a compressible plasma and discuss how they behave differently from those in an incompressible plasma. In particular, we show that though compressibility of the plasma is responsible for the slow mode continuum, strong compressibility will eliminate it. The discrete modes in a compressible plasma undergo an exponential damping even in an ideal plasma if the compressibility is strong.
NAVOCEANO seahorse AUV participation in the giant shadow experiment

During January of 2003, the first of the Seahorse vehicles was loaded into a missile tube onboard a Trident Submarine and successfully launched. This launch was part of a larger experiment called giant shadow, which included a number of US navy and industry participants. As part of this experiment, the seahorse conducted two missions. The first mission consisted of two components and was conducted immediately following the launch from the submerged submarine. The first component was a minefield survey. After completing the survey, the AUV surfaced and transmitted data to a support craft via a radio link. The second component of the first mission was a simulated Q-route survey. This survey was conducted in preparation for the second mission that involved the delivery of a set of payloads to a team on-shore and the transfer of a different payload back to a support ship. These missions are described in greater detail in the paper along with some of the testing leading up to the final experiment.
Electron microscopic demonstration of cholesterol in otheromatous aortae

The purpose of this investigation was to demonstrate the localization of free cholesterol in atheromatous aorta with the electron microscope. This was accomplished by utilizing the property of digitonin to form insoluble complexes with free cholesterol. Atheromatous aorta were fixed with Flickinger's fixative containing tritiated digitonin and then dehydrated routinely in ethanol and embedded in Epon. Thin sections were prepared for routine and autoradiographic observations with the electron microscope. The sections were developed within two to three weeks and photographed. The cholesterol digitonide complexes could be readily seen in intimal cells, smooth muscle and fibroblasts as well as in extracellular spaces. These complexes appeared in the form of membranous spicules and whorls. In the autoradiographs the silver grains were closely associated with the membranous spicules and whorls.
Multi-beam transmitter geometries for free-space optical communications

Free-space optical communications systems provide the opportunity to take advantage of higher data transfer rates and lower probability of intercept compared to radio-frequency communications. However, propagation through atmospheric turbulence, such as for airborne laser communication over long paths, results in intensity variations at the receiver and a corresponding degradation in bit error rate (BER) performance. Previous literature has shown that two transmitters, when separated sufficiently, can effectively average out the intensity varying effects of the atmospheric turbulence at the receiver. This research explores the impacts of adding more transmitters and the marginal reduction in the probability of signal fades while minimizing the overall transmitter footprint, an important design factor when considering an airborne communications system. Analytical results for the cumulative distribution function are obtained for tilt-only results, while wave-optics simulations are used to simulate the effects of scintillation. These models show that the probability of signal fade is reduced as the number of transmitters is increased.
Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Toxicities

(1972). Mechanisms of Heavy Metal Toxicities. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 151-167.
Substrate inhibition of nitric oxide synthase in pulmonary artery endothelial cells in culture.

Abstract The effects of arginine on nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and NO production were studied in pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAEC). Incubation of PAEC with 0–100 μM arginine increased NO production, detected as nitrite in the culture medium, in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, incubation with concentrations of arginine in excess of 100 μM resulted in a reversible dose-dependent inhibition of NO production, even though intracellular arginine content increased in these cells. The NOS enzyme kinetics were studied in a total membrane preparation and in purified NOS protein and revealed that theKmof arginine as a substrate for NOS is 3–5 μM, theVmaxoccurred at 100 μM arginine, and substrate inhibition occurred at >100 μM arginine. Oxyhemoglobin, carboxy-PTIO, catalase, SOD, citrulline, hydroxyarginine, and d -arginine did not change NOS kinetics. These results indicate that substrate inhibition of eNOS exists in porcine PAEC in vitro.
Sympatric Sister Species of Californian Antirrhinum and Their Transiently Specialized Pollinators

We investigated pollinator response to a pair of sympatric sister taxa, Antirrhinum subcordatum and A. vexillo-calyculatum (Plantaginaceae). These two taxa, native to northern California, have overlapping geographic distributions, show specialization to different soil types and are morphologically similar except that they differ in flower color (white and purple respectively). We observed and identified floral visitors and performed array experiments. Our results show that similar suites of pollinators visit both plant taxa, which implies no fixed preference on the part of the pollinator species. However, when individual insects visit mixed arrays, they tend to restrict their visits to either the white or purple flowered taxon, likely resulting in assortative pollen transfer even in areas of fine-scale sympatry. The assortative visitation observed is noteworthy given that A. subcordatum and A. vexillo-calyculatum are best interpreted as incipient species. Thus, assortative mating caused by the specialization of individual pollinators towards a single flower color may be crucial for allowing the continued divergence of these lineages. These data contribute to our understanding of the relationship between angiosperm species and their animal pollinators and how these interactions may contribute to the diversification of flowering plants.
Knowledge in Motion: The Cultural Politics of Modern Science Translations in Arabic

ABSTRACT This essay looks at the problem of the global circulation of modern scientific knowledge by looking at science translations in modern Arabic. In the commercial centers of the late Ottoman Empire, emerging transnational networks lay behind the development of new communities of knowledge, many of which sought to break with old linguistic and literary norms to redefine the basis of their authority. Far from acting as neutral purveyors of “universal truths,” scientific translations thus served as key instruments in this ongoing process of sociopolitical and epistemological transformation and mediation. Fierce debates over translators' linguistic strategies and choices involved deliberations over the character of language and the nature of “science” itself. They were also crucially shaped by such geopolitical factors as the rise of European imperialism and anticolonial nationalism in the region. The essay concludes by arguing for the need for greater attention to the local factors involved in the tran...
An Enhanced Dynamic Slope Scaling Procedure with Tabu Scheme for Fixed Charge Network Flow Problems

A heuristic algorithm for solving large scale fixed charge network flow problems (FCNFP) based on the dynamic slope scaling procedure (DSSP) and tabu search strategies is presented. The proposed heuristic integrates the DSSP with short-term memory intensification and long-term memory diversification mechanisms in the tabu scheme to improve the performance of the pure DSSP. With the feature of dynamically evolving memory, the enhanced DSSP evaluates the solutions in the search history and iteratively adjusts the linear factors in the linear approximation of the FCNFP to produce promising search neighborhoods for good quality solutions. The comprehensive numerical experiments on various test problems ranging from sparse to dense network structures are reported. The overall comparison of the pure DSSP, the enhanced DSSP, and branch and bound (B&B by cutting-edge MIP optimizer in CPLEX) is shown in terms of solution quality and CPU time. The results show that the enhanced DSSP approach has a higher solution quality than the pure DSSP for larger scale problems.
Passively administered antibodies alleviate stunting syndrome in turkey poults.

termed the stunting syndrome agent (SSA), causes stunting syndrome. In this study passive immunity was evaluated as a method of protecting poults from stunting syndrome. Oneday-old poults were injected with either tryptose phosphate broth, an anti-SSA antibody preparation, or an anti-Newcastle disease virus antibody preparation before challenge by placing them into SSA-contaminated isolators or control (nonchallenge) isolators. Poults that received anti-SSA antibodies were significantly heavier (P < 0.05) and did not display as severe clinical disease compared to birds that did not receive the anti-SSA antibodies. However, the birds that received anti-SSA antibodies and were challenged were significantly lighter (P < 0.05) than birds that were not challenged. The results of this trial demonstrate that the injection of anti-SSA antibodies benefited poults undergoing stunting syndrome. The role of passive immunity, either through breeder hen vaccination or through supplying antibodies to poults artificially (i.e., at the hatchery), may have future applications in alleviating stunting syndrome.
The Promise of Nano and Micro Systems for Meeting the Emerging Demands of the US Army

The rapidly changing defense landscape and the exponential increase in complex challenges and threats faced by our warfighters demand revolutionary advances across the spectrum and even a rethinking of current combat doctrine. Sensors and Electron devices are critical elements in a number of application form providing situational awareness to battlefield operations. Enabling nano and micro system approaches offer the potential to fulfill Army needs in applications such as chemical and biological sensors, high-frequency and low-power electronics, micro autonomous systems, micro power generation, specialized optical sources and detectors and much more. A large part of the advances thus far originate in insights and understanding of the underlying materials. I will review some emerging needs with recent illustrative examples from the field and will follow up with potential solutions that are being developed within ARL and our Army partners. These include RF MEMS for electronically scanned antennas, carbon nanotube and other nanostructure based chemical/biological sensors, biomimetic approaches to materials development for power storage applications and nanostructured semiconductors for integrated electronics and energetics. A major advance in information gathering in the recent past is the use of persistent sensing, namely the ability to monitor relevant battle space without interruption. To quote from the Quadrennial Defense Review Report: [1] “The ability of the future force to establish an “unblinking eye” over the battle-space through persistent surveillance will be key to conducting effective joint operations”. The goals of this new approach are to increase awareness of the battle space and to integrate real-time information with intelligence to provide an operational advantage. Even if the information is not timely enough to prevent an adversarial action, it can be critical in forensics. In the longer term, the intelligence contribution can be substantial. Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) networks can deliver high-quality information to the Soldier by exploiting all available sensor sources and adaptable networks. This concept is being developed to optimize utility across multiple dynamic missions, to process data and deliver information driven by mission need within network constraints (e.g. power and bandwidth), and to support the human user by minimizing data deluge. To support this concept, research at the Army Research Laboratory’s Sensor and Electron Devices Directorate (ARL – SEDD) is being conducted in various areas to develop the fundamental underpinnings of multimodal and multi-sensor fusion, scalable decentralized/distributed processing, autonomous sensor-network management and metadata representation. This includes the understanding of
Lateral oropharyngeal wall and supraglottic airway collapse associated with failure in sleep apnea surgery.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To identify patterns of airway collapse during preoperative drug-induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) as predictors of surgical failure following multilevel airway surgery for patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS). Study Design: Retrospective clinical chart review. Methods: Medical records of patients who underwent site-specific surgical modification of the upper airway for treatment of OSHAS were reviewed. Patients were included in this study if they had a preoperative airway evaluation with DISE as well as preoperative and postoperative polysomnography. Airway obstruction on DISE was described according to airway level, severity, and axis of collapse. Severe airway obstruction was defined as >75% collapse on endoscopy. Surgical success was described as a postoperative apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of 50% decrease in preoperative AHI. Results: A total of 34 patients were included in this study. The overall surgical success rate was 56%. Surgical success (n = 19) and surgical failure (n = 15) patients were similar with regard to age, gender, body mass index, preoperative AHI, Friedman stage, adenotonsillar grades, and surgical management. DISE findings in the surgical failure group demonstrated greater incidence of severe lateral oropharyngeal wall collapse (73.3% vs. 36.8%, P = .037) and severe supraglottic collapse (93.3% vs. 63.2%, P = .046) as compared to the surgical success group. Conclusions: The presence of severe lateral pharyngeal wall and/or supraglottic collapse on preoperative DISE is associated with OSAHS surgical failure. The identification of this failure-prone collapse pattern may be useful in preoperative patient counseling as well as in directing an individualized and customized approach to the treatment of OSHAS.
Development of a baseline for structural health monitoring for a curved post-tensioned concrete box–girder bridge

Abstract The establishment of a baseline is essential for long-term structural health monitoring and performance evaluation. Usually, field testing data and finite element (FE) model are two critical tools used to develop the baseline. In this paper, the establishment of the baseline field database for a curved post-tensioned concrete bridge with expansion bearings is first introduced to include the effect of varying temperature conditions on the field testing data. This database uses data collected from a full year and is based on an undamaged status. The development of a baseline FE model for the bridge is then discussed. Model updating for the FE model are detailed in this paper which includes calibration of material properties, utilization of spring bearing elements, and replacement of Mindlin plate elements (MP4) on box–girder by recently developed cracked Mindlin plate elements (MP4C) to represent the bridge service conditions. A good agreement in modal results has been observed between the baseline FE model and the baseline field data. The proposed structural health baseline can be used for near real-time damage detection, development of monitoring techniques, and condition assessment. Finally, as an application of the baseline, this FE model is used for an earthquake simulation with a selected ground motion on the bridge. The seismic analysis demonstrates the beneficial effect of the guided expansion bearings on the bridge deck in the longitudinal direction.
The microbiological quality of hot water-washed broccoli florets and cut green beans

AIMS To determine the effect of hot water washing on the microbiological quality of cut broccoli florets and trimmed green beans. METHODS AND RESULTS Broccoli florets and trimmed beans were washed for 90 s in tap water at either 20 degrees C or 52 degrees C and stored at 7 and 10 degrees C. The numbers of naturally occurring aerobic mesophilic organisms, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacteriaceae, yeast and moulds and lactobacilli or lactic acid bacteria were enumerated at intervals for up to 2 weeks. The ability of Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli O157:H7 inoculated onto the tissue post heat treatment to survive or grow was also measured to mimic the effect of postprocess contamination. Using a hot wash treatment improved the initial appearance of the vegetables and resulted in a small, but significant, reduction in populations of all groups of endogenous flora measured. The number of yeast and moulds on the vegetables washed at 52 degrees C remained below the levels observed on the 20 degrees C washed vegetables throughout the observation period, but Pseudomonas spp., lactobacilli and Enterobacteriaceae were better able to grow on the hot-washed vegetables such that the counts at the end of storage were greater on hot-washed than ambient-washed vegetables. All three of the pathogens tested were better able to grow on hot-washed broccoli and beans than on equivalent product washed at 20 degrees C. CONCLUSIONS Hot water washing can be used to control enzymic browning or yeast and moulds growth but it can also allow more rapid and extensive growth by pathogens and spoilage organisms. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Reduced protection against growth by pathogens means that the hot wash treatment of vegetables should be used with caution and requires careful assessment of risk.
Inducing Resistance to Misleading Information.

Previous research has shown that misleading information presented after a witnessed event may become incorporated into a person's memory, and either supplement or alter the original memory. In the current research, 216 subjects participated in four experiments designed to explore whether warning people about the possibility of future misinformation would increase their resistance to that misinformation. Taken together, the results of these studies indicated that exposure to a warning just prior to the presentation of the misinformation caused subjects to read the information more slowly, and resulted in a slightly greater resistance to its suggestive effect. Warnings given at other times, particularly after the misinformation had already been processed, had no effect.
Gating Kinetics of Single Large-Conductance Ca2+-Activated K+ Channels in High Ca2+ Suggest a Two-Tiered Allosteric Gating Mechanism✪

The Ca2+-dependent gating mechanism of large-conductance calcium-activated K+ (BK) channels from cultured rat skeletal muscle was examined from low (4 microM) to high (1,024 microM) intracellular concentrations of calcium (Ca2+i) using single-channel recording. Open probability (Po) increased with increasing Ca2+i (K0. 5 11.2 +/- 0.3 microM at +30 mV, Hill coefficient of 3.5 +/- 0.3), reaching a maximum of approximately 0.97 for Ca2+i approximately 100 microM. Increasing Ca2+i further to 1,024 microM had little additional effect on either Po or the single-channel kinetics. The channels gated among at least three to four open and four to five closed states at high levels of Ca2+i (>100 microM), compared with three to four open and five to seven closed states at lower Ca2+i. The ability of kinetic schemes to account for the single-channel kinetics was examined with simultaneous maximum likelihood fitting of two-dimensional (2-D) dwell-time distributions obtained from low to high Ca2+i. Kinetic schemes drawn from the 10-state Monod-Wyman-Changeux model could not describe the dwell-time distributions from low to high Ca2+i. Kinetic schemes drawn from Eigen's general model for a ligand-activated tetrameric protein could approximate the dwell-time distributions but not the dependency (correlations) between adjacent intervals at high Ca2+i. However, models drawn from a general 50 state two-tiered scheme, in which there were 25 closed states on the upper tier and 25 open states on the lower tier, could approximate both the dwell-time distributions and the dependency from low to high Ca2+i. In the two-tiered model, the BK channel can open directly from each closed state, and a minimum of five open and five closed states are available for gating at any given Ca2+i. A model that assumed that the apparent Ca2+-binding steps can reach a maximum rate at high Ca2+i could also approximate the gating from low to high Ca2+i. The considered models can serve as working hypotheses for the gating of BK channels.
Evaluation of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A lyase arginine-41 as a catalytic residue: use of acetyldithio-coenzyme A to monitor product enolization.

Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) lyase catalyzes the divalent cation- dependent cleavage of HMG-CoA to produce acetyl-CoA and acetoacetate. Arginine-41 is an invariant residue in HMG-CoA lyases. Mutation of this residue (R41Q) correlates with human HMG-CoA lyase deficiency. To evaluate the functional importance of arginine-41, R41Q and R41M recombinant mutant human HMG-CoA lyase proteins have been constructed, expressed, and purified. These mutant proteins retain structural integrity based on Mn 2+ binding and affinity labeling stoichiometry. R41Q exhibits a 10 5 -fold decrease in Vmax; R41M activity is g10-fold lower than the activity of R41Q. Acetyldithio-CoA, an analogue of the reaction product, acetyl-CoA, has been employed to test the function of arginine-41, as well as other residues (e.g., aspartate-42 and histidine-233) implicated in catalysis. Acetyldithio-CoA supports enzyme-catalyzed exchange of the methyl protons of the acetyl group with solvent; exchange is dependent on the presence of Mg 2+ and acetoacetate. In comparison with wild-type human enzyme, D42A and H233A mutant enzymes exhibit 4-fold and 10-fold decreases, respectively, in the proton exchange rate. In contrast, R41Q and R41M mutants do not catalyze any substantial enzyme-dependent proton exchange. These results suggest a role for arginine-41 in deprotonation or enolization of acetyldithio- CoA and implicate this residue in the HMG-CoA cleavage reaction chemistry that leads to acetyl-CoA product formation. Assignment of arginine-41 as an active site residue is also supported by a homology model for HMG-CoA lyase based on the structure of 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate aldolase. This model suggests the proximity of arginine-41 to other amino acids (aspartate-42, glutamate-72, histidine-235) implicated as active site residues based on their function as ligands to the activator cation.
Dopamine, Dopamine D2 Receptor Short Isoform, Transforming Growth Factor (TGF)-β1, and TGF-β Type II Receptor Interact to Inhibit the Growth of Pituitary Lactotropes

The neurotransmitter dopamine is known to inhibit prolactin secretion and the proliferation of lactotropes in the pituitary gland. In this study, we determined whether dopamine and TGFbeta1 interact to regulate lactotropic cell proliferation. We found that dopamine and the dopamine agonist bromocriptine stimulated TGFbeta1 secretion and TGFbeta1 mRNA expression but inhibited lactotropic cell proliferation both in vivo and in vitro. The dopamine's inhibitory action on lactotropic cell proliferation was blocked by a TGFbeta1-neutralizing antibody. We also found that PR1 cells, which express low amounts of the dopamine D2 receptor, demonstrated reduced expression of TGFbeta1 type II receptor and TGFbeta1 mRNA levels and had undetectable levels of TGFbeta1 protein. These cells showed a reduced TGFbeta1 growth-inhibitory response. Constitutive expression of the D2 receptor short isoform, but not the D2 receptor long isoform, induced TGFbeta1 and TGFbeta1 type II receptor gene expression and recovered dopamine- and TGFbeta1-induced growth inhibition in PR1 cells. The constitutive expression of D2 receptor short isoform also reduced the tumor cell growth rate. These data suggest that a TGFbeta1 system may mediate, in part, the growth-inhibitory action of dopamine on lactotropes.
Small CdS particles in inverted micelles

Abstract Colloidal semiconductor particles of CdS, CuS, and PbS of extremely small dimensions have been obtained in reversed micelles, water-in-oil CTAB, and SDS mieroemulsions and lecithin vesicles. The effect of the relation between reactant and water-pool concentration and the effect of the water pool size have been studied. The spectroscopic characteristics of the particles have been examined and necessary comparisons have been made.
Collaborative Location Certification for Ad-Hoc Sensor Networks

Location information is of essential importance in ad-hoc sensor networks deployed for generating location- specific event reports. When such networks operate in hostile environments, it becomes imperative to guarantee the correctness of event location claims. In this paper we address the problem of assessing location claims of un-trusted (potentially compromised) nodes. The mechanisms introduced here prevent a compromised node from generating illicit event reports for locations other than its own. To achieve this goal, in a process we call location certification, data routed through the network is "tagged" by participating nodes with "belief" ratings, collaboratively assessing the probability that the claimed source location is indeed correct. The effectiveness of our solution relies on the joint knowledge of participating nodes to assess the truthfulness of claimed locations. By collaboratively generating and propagating a set of "belief" ratings with transmitted data and event reports, the network allows authorized parties (e.g. final data sinks) to evaluate a metric of trust for the claimed location of such reports. Belief ratings are derived from a data model of observed past routing activity. The solution is shown to feature a strong ability to detect false location claims and compromised nodes. For example, incorrect claims as small as 2 hops (from the actual location) are detected with over 90% accuracy.
Neurological injury and death in all-terrain vehicle crashes in West Virginia: a 10-year retrospective review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to profile all-terrain vehicle crash victims with neurological injuries who were treated at a Level I trauma center. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed trauma registry data for 238 patients who were admitted to the Jon Michael Moore Trauma Center at the West Virginia University School of Medicine after all-terrain vehicle crashes, between January 1991 and December 2000. Age, helmet status, alcohol and drug use, head injuries, length of stay, disposition, and hospital costs were studied. Death rates, head injuries, age, helmet use, and safety legislation in all 50 states were compared. RESULTS: Eighty percent of victims were male, with an average age of 27.3 years. Only 22% of all patients were wearing helmets. Alcohol and/or drugs were involved in almost one-half of all incidents. Fifty-five of 238 patients sustained spinal axis injuries; only 5 were wearing helmets. One-third of victims (75 of 238 victims) were in the pediatric population, and only 21% were wearing helmets. Only 15% of victims less than 16 years of age were wearing helmets. There were a total of eight deaths; only one patient was wearing a helmet. CONCLUSION: In the United States, all-terrain vehicles caused an estimated 240 deaths/yr between 1990 and 1994, which increased to 357 deaths/yr between 1995 and 2000. Brain and spine injuries occurred in 80% of fatal crashes. West Virginia has a fatality rate approximately eight times the national rate. Helmets reduce the risk of head injury by 64%, but only 21 states have helmet laws. Juvenile passengers on adult-driven vehicles are infrequently helmeted (65%). We conclude that safety legislation would save lives.
A counterexample for a sup theorem in normed spaces

An example is given of a normed linear space that is not complete but for which each continuous linear functional attains its supremum on the unit ball.
Smallpox and New York City's smallpox hospital.

Threatened use of the smallpox virus in bioterrorist attacks recently prompted national concerns in the United States. Smallpox, the “speckled monster,” was known in antiquity. In 1856, New York City opened its first hospital devoted to caring for victims of smallpox. Essentially, the hospital isolated and quarantined patients on Blackwell’s Island, located in the East River between Manhattan and Queens. After the hospital closed about 1875, the facility became a training school for female and male nurses. In the mid 1950s, the building was abandoned. Today, the ruins of the smallpox hospital are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At night, the ruins are illuminated casting an eerie, green aura on the remaining stone walls.
Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Abstract: Oral Health and Nutrition

Abstract This paper supports the "Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Oral Health and Nutrition" published in the May 2013 Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that nutrition is an integral component of oral health. The Academy supports integration of oral health with nutrition services, education, and research. Collaboration between registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs); dietetic technicians, registered (DTRs); and oral health care professionals is recommended for oral health promotion and disease prevention and intervention. There is a synergistic multidirectional association between diet, nutrition, and oral health. Given that the mouth is the portal of entry into the body, it is essential that RDNs and DTRs include the oral cavity in their assessment for nutritional risk factors and deficiencies. Nutrition assessment is vital to identifying dietary intake and nutritional factors impacting oral health. Conversely, decreased salivary flow, compromised oral integrity, tooth decay, or poor periodontal health can impact an individual's ability to consume an adequate diet. A poor diet can result in limited intake of nutrients crucial to systemic health and well-being. The provision of medical nutrition therapy that incorporates total health, including oral health, is a component of the Standards of Practice for RDNs and DTRs. Inclusion of didactic and clinical practice concepts that illustrate the role of nutrition in oral health is essential in education programs for both professional groups. The multifaceted interactions between diet, nutrition, and oral health in practice, education, and research in both dietetics and dentistry merit the need for collaborative efforts to ensure comprehensive patient care.
Serotonin and nialamide differentially regulate survival and growth of cultured serotonin and catecholamine neurons

Abstract In this morphometric analysis of immunoreactive serotonin (5-HT) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons in culture, 5-HT and the MAO inhibitor nialamide influenced the survival, cell body size and neurite outgrowth of embryonic day 14 (E14) 5-HT neurons after treatment from 1–3 days in vitro (DIV), but did not significantly affect E14 or E15 TH neurons of either the noradrenergic or dopaminergic phenotype. These treatments had minimal effects on 5-HT neurons derived from E15 embryos. The stimulatory effects of 5-HT on survival and somal growth of E14 5-HT neurons was in contrast to its inhibitory effects on neurite outgrowth, suggesting trophic and inhibitory autoregulation of different cellular compartments of developing 5-HT neurons. The decreased sensitivity of E15 5-HT neurons to these treatments, despite similar viability and growth of these neurons in control cultures, suggests the existence of a critical period for this regulation during the initial period of serotonergic neurogenesis when these neurons are forming the bilateral B4–9 raphe complex. The lack of significant effects of 5-HT on TH neurons suggests differential sensitivities of 5-HT and TH neurons to developmental regulation by this neurotransmitter.
Consumers’ various and surprising responses to direct-to-consumer advertisements in magazine print

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) is ubiquitous in media outlets, but little is known about the ways in which consumers’ values, needs, beliefs, and biases influence the perceived meaning and value of DTCA. This article aims to identify the taxonomy of readership categories that reflect the complexity of how health care consumers interact with DTCA, with particular focus on individuals’ perceptions of print DTCA in popular magazines. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit 18 male and female magazine readers and 18 male and female prescription medication users aged 18–71 years. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews with consumers about their attentiveness, motivations, perceived value, and behavioral responses to DTCA were conducted. The analyses were guided by principles of grounded theory analysis; four categories that vary in consumers’ attentiveness, motivations, perceived value, and behavioral responses to DTCA were identified. Two categories – the lay physician and the informed shopper – see value in information from DTCA and are likely to seek medical care based on the information. One category – the voyeur – reads DTCA, but is not likely to approach a clinician regarding advertised information. The fourth category – the evader – ignores DTCA and is not likely to approach a clinician with DTCA information. Responses to DTCA vary considerably among consumers, and physicians should view patients’ understanding and response to DTCA within the context of their health-related needs. Patients’ comments related to DTCA may be used as an opportunity to engage and understand patients’ perspectives about illness and medication use. Clinicians may use information about these categories to facilitate shared understanding and improve communication within the doctor–patient relationship.
Matrix attachment regions increase the efficiency and stability of RNA-mediated resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus in transgenic tobacco.

Matrix attachment regions (MARs) are DNA elements that can increase and stabilize transgene expression. We investigated the effect of the RB7 MAR on transgenic virus resistance. Constructs for resistance to tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) with and without flanking RB7 MARs were used to transform tobacco and produce homozygous lines. The population with the MAR construct had a significantly higher percentage of TSWV resistant plants in the R1 generation than the nonMAR population. Each resistant line was advanced to the R4 generation, and significantly fewer MAR lines lost resistance over generations compared to the nonMAR population. Lines with TSWV resistance in growth chamber tests were also resistant in field trials. Two lines that were resistant in the R1 generation and susceptible in the R4 were examined in more detail in order to determine if transcriptional silencing of the transgene was occurring in the later generation. Short interfering 21– 25 nt RNAs from the transgene that are characteristic of post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) were present in the resistant R1 plants, but not the susceptible R4 plants, indicating that virus resistance was associated with PTGS of the transgene. Loss of resistance was accompanied by an increase in promoter methylation in both lines. In line M41, the transgene was fully silenced at the transcriptional level in the R4 as shown by nuclear run-on assays. In line NM13, transgene transcription and RNA accumulation was still present in the R4 generation, but the level of transcription was not sufficient to trigger PTGS, suggesting that this line may have partial transcriptional silencing. These results are consistent with the concept that MARs may prevent transcriptional silencing.
Orientation of the Calcium Channel β Relative to the α12.2 Subunit Is Critical for Its Regulation of Channel Activity

Background: The Cavb subunits of high voltage-activated Ca 2+ channels control the trafficking and biophysical properties of the a1 subunit. The Cavb-a1 interaction site has been mapped by crystallographic studies. Nevertheless, how this interaction leads to channel regulation has not been determined. One hypothesis is that bs regulate channel gating by modulating movements of IS6. A key requirement for this direct-coupling model is that the linker connecting IS6 to the a-interaction domain (AID) be a rigid structure. Methodology/Principal Findings: The present study tests this hypothesis by altering the flexibility and orientation of this region in a12.2, then testing for Cavb regulation using whole cell patch clamp electrophysiology. Flexibility was induced by replacement of the middle six amino acids of the IS6-AID linker with glycine (PG6). This mutation abolished b2a and b3 subunits ability to shift the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation, and the ability of b2a to produce noninactivating currents. Orientation of Cavb with respect to a12.2 was altered by deletion of 1, 2, or 3 amino acids from the IS6AID linker (Bdel1, Bdel2, Bdel3, respectively). Again, the ability of Cavb subunits to regulate these biophysical properties were totally abolished in the Bdel1 and Bdel3 mutants. Functional regulation by Cavb subunits was rescued in the Bdel2 mutant, indicating that this part of the linker forms b-sheet. The orientation of b with respect to a was confirmed by the bimolecular fluorescence complementation assay. Conclusions/Significance: These results show that the orientation of the Cavb subunit relative to the a12.2 subunit is critical, and suggests additional points of contact between these subunits are required for Cavb to regulate channel activity.
Information visualization: data infrastructure architectures

Information visualization extends the scope of scientific visualization from physical phenomena to informational entities. This broadening is a direct reflection of the needs expressed by industry, national security, health and other national agendas to include all forms of information within the information analysis processes. It includes: masses of text, forms, and documents; business, manufacturing, and scientific databases; videos; audio; imagery; and most importantly the interactions with all these media types used to enable an enhanced process of discovery understanding, and presentation of situation assessments. In order for information visualization to become a reality, a rich, flexible data infrastructure must be established. The paper defines the scope of information visualization, the emerging opportunities and uses, the related and supporting technologies, and presents a data infrastructure architecture. This architecture supports full distributed multimedia information spaces, including technologies such as information agents, metadata transformations, and local derived metadata management which turns data and information into knowledge. >