cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Metabolic effects of α-lipoic acid supplementation in pre-diabetics: a randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study

Supplementation of health promoting nutraceuticals may be an effective adjunct strategy with other lifestyle and drug approaches to impede disease progression in prediabetic subjects. α-Lipoic acid, a naturally occurring short-chain fatty acid, has been extensively evaluated for its antioxidant and glycemic control properties but has rarely been investigated as a lipid-lowering strategy. We conducted a pilot study to examine the effects of α-lipoic acid supplementation on glycemic control and lipid profile in pre-diabetic, overweight/obese adults. The study was designed as a free-living, randomized, two-phase, placebo-controlled cross-over study with 12 pre-diabetic, dyslipidemic subjects. Eligible subjects completed two thirty-day phases (in random order) consisting of a placebo (600 mg cellulose per day) and α-lipoic acid treatment (600 mg day-1). Although no change (p 0.05) in serum lipids (including total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, LDL-C/HDL-C, and TC/HDL-C) were observed. Study results suggest that α-lipoic acid supplementation may be a useful strategy to improve insulin sensitivity in pre-diabetic subjects but is not effective in modulating serum lipids.
Stable Cryptocurrencies - First Order Principles

The emergence and proliferation of stable cryptocurrencies necessitate the establishment of first order design principles for stable cryptocurrencies. After highlighting the benefits of stable cryptocurrencies for monetary policy making, overall market stability, and their impact on the emergence of decentralized commerce, the authors introduce First Order Principles for stable cryptocurrency design and their essential functions. The core design features and their interoperative feedback effects revolve around: (1) burning coins through bonds vs. reserves, (2) transaction vs. holding taxes, (3) repegging, and (4) governance.
Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence in Mozambique

Polygyny has shown a positive association with intimate partner violence, yet the nature and mechanisms of this association are not well understood. This study uses data from rural Mozambique to di...
WiFiCue: Public Wireless Access Security Assessment Tool

Public wireless access points are commonly provided by governments, businesses, schools and other organizations and provide access to the Internet for numerous use cases and can present varying degrees of risk to users. While there are steps that can be taken to mitigate public Wi-Fi risks, ranging from avoidance to the application of end-to-end encryption, application specific encryption, and other technologies and tools, these options are not always viable. This paper examines risks associated with Wi-Fi from on a network-by-network perspective. Recommender Systems are presented as part of a proposed mechanism for informing users of the risks of connecting to a specific access point. Implementing prototype architecture for this purpose is examined.
Hydrocarbons Extracted from Advanced Pyrolysis Bio-Oils: Characterization and Refining

Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) and tail-gas reactive pyrolysis (TGRP) of biomass produce partially deoxygenated bio-oils (10–20 wt % O) which allow for subsequent separation into phenolic and hydrocarbon fractions. The hydrocarbon fraction, while low in oxygen (<2 wt %), still requires further upgrading to become a finished fuel blendstock. In particular, the hydrogen deficiency, molecular weight distribution, and benzene content require further treatment. Specific biomass feedstocks like guayule carry over significant amounts of sulfur (∼500 ppm) even after catalytic hydrodeoxygenation. Our strategy was to fractionate the hydrocarbon fraction using distillation and then upgrade each fraction according to its needed product changes, including desulfurization. For each hydrocarbon fraction, sulfur levels ranged from 80–700 ppm, increasing with respect to decreasing volatility. Light fractions contained primarily one-ring aromatics, with heavy fractions increasing to two-ring aromatics. The lightest fractio...
Helminthiasis among North Koreans: a chronic public health challenge.

In this article, Eunsuk Chang attempts to describe the burden of helminthiasis in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) using a systematic review of both English and Korean ...
Collective Adjudication and Administrative Justice

This is a book chapter for the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Administrative Justice. It considers how administrative agencies in different countries use aggregate procedures to hear common claims brought by large groups of people. In many countries, administrative agencies promise each individual a “day in court” to appear before a neutral decision-maker and receive a reasoned decision based on the factual record they develop. A handful of administrative hearing programs in the United States and other countries, however, have quietly bucked this trend—using class actions, statistical sampling, agency restitution, public inquiries, “test case” proceedings, and other forms of mass adjudication to resolve disputes involving large groups of people. This chapter will examine how administrative agencies can more effectively resolve common disputes with aggregate procedures. Aggregate procedures offer administrative agencies several benefits, including: (1) efficiently creating ways to pool information about recurring problems and enjoin systemic harms; (2) achieving greater equality in outcomes than individual adjudication; and (3) securing legal and expert assistance at critical stages in the process. By charting how administrative systems in different countries aggregate cases, we hope to show that collective hearing procedures can form an integral part of public regulation, enforcement, and the adjudicatory process itself.
Incidence of Anaphylaxis to Sugammadex in a Single-Center Cohort of 19,821 Patients.

Background Sugammadex is a modified cyclodextrin that is being increasingly used in anesthetic practice worldwide for the reversal of the aminosteroid neuromuscular blockers rocuronium and vecuronium. Its safety profile, however, is incompletely understood. One such aspect is the incidence of anaphylactic reactions that occur after its administration. While several case reports exist in the literature, there is a paucity of information on the actual incidence of anaphylactic reactions. Methods A single-center retrospective chart review identified patients who experienced anaphylaxis to sugammadex in the institutional electronic medical record system. These charts were then reviewed to determine whether the etiology of anaphylaxis was sugammadex administration. Results Two patients experienced anaphylaxis to sugammadex, which occurred in a single institution cohort of 19,821 patients who received 23,446 total doses. This rate is markedly lower than the 1/300 that the manufacturer's package insert states and also lower than the 1/2500 that the only other large cohort study performed has reported. Conclusions The incidence of anaphylaxis to sugammadex in this cohort of patients was 2 of 19,821 patients, who received a total of 23,446 doses.
Identification of Susceptibility Loci for Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection

Importance Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an idiopathic disorder that predominantly affects young to middle-aged women, has emerged as an important cause of acute coronary syndrome, myocardial infarction, and sudden cardiac death. Objective To identify common single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) associated with SCAD susceptibility. Design, Setting, and Participants This single-center genome-wide association study examined approximately 5 million genotyped and imputed SNVs and subsequent SNV-targeted replication analysis results in individuals enrolled in the Mayo Clinic SCAD registry from August 30, 2011, to August 2, 2018. Data analysis was performed from June 21, 2017, to December 30, 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures Genetic loci and positional candidate genes associated with SCAD. Results This study included 484 white women with SCAD (mean [SD] age, 46.6 [9.2] years) and 1477 white female controls in the discovery cohort (mean [SD] age, 64.0 [14.5] years) and 183 white women with SCAD (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [9.9] years) and 340 white female controls in the replication cohort (mean [SD] age, 51.0 [15.3] years). Associations with SCAD risk reached genome-wide significance at 3 loci (1q21.3 [OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.51-2.09;P = 2.63 × 10−12], 6p24.1 [OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.51-2.09;P = 7.09 × 10−12], and 12q13.3 [OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.42-1.97;P = 3.62 × 10−10]), and 7 loci had evidence suggestive of an association (1q24.2 [OR, 2.10; 95% CI, 1.58-2.79;P = 2.88 × 10−7], 3q22.3 [OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.26-1.71;P = 6.65 × 10−7], 4q34.3 [OR, 1.84; 95% CI, 1.44-2.35;P = 9.80 × 10−7], 8q24.3 [OR, 2.57; 95% CI, 1.76-3.75;P = 9.65 × 10−7], 15q21.1 [OR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.40-2.18;P = 7.23 × 10−7], 16q24.1 [OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.49-2.44;P = 2.56 × 10−7], and 21q22.11 [OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.59-2.82;P = 3.12 × 10−7]) after adjusting for the top 5 principal components. Associations were validated for 5 of the 10 risk alleles in the replication cohort. In a meta-analysis of the discovery and replication cohorts, associations for the 5 SNVs were significant, with relatively large effect sizes (1q21.3 [OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.54-2.03;P = 3.26 × 10−16], 6p24.1 [OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.49-1.97;P = 4.59 × 10−14], 12q13.3 [OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.47-1.94;P = 1.42 × 10−13], 15q21.1 [OR, 1.79; 95% CI, 1.48-2.17;P = 2.12 × 10−9], and 21q22.11 [OR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.70-2.81;P = 1.09 × 10−9]). Each index SNV was within or near a gene highly expressed in arterial tissue and previously linked to SCAD (PHACTR1) and/or other vascular disorders (LRP1, LINC00310, andFBN1). Conclusions and Relevance This study revealed 5 replicated risk loci and positional candidate genes for SCAD, most of which are associated with extracoronary arteriopathies. Moreover, the alternate alleles of 3 SNVs have been previously associated with atherosclerotic coronary artery disease, further implicating allelic susceptibility to coronary artery atherosclerosis vs dissection.
Hypoxemia without Respiratory Distress: Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia in a Child

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an underrecognized genetic disorder of vascular development in pediatric patients. Its presentation can range from mild cutaneous findings to life-threatening hemorrhage from arteriovenous malformations. Clinical diagnosis can be challenging in the pediatric population as disease manifestations evolve over time and may be difficult to identify in younger patients. This case highlights how nonspecific symptoms and signs in the preanesthesia period can be misleading, potentially placing a patient with unrecognized HHT at risk for significant morbidity and mortality.
Geodesics and Visual boundary of Horospherical Products

Horospherical products of two hyperbolic spaces unify the construction of metric spaces such as the Diestel-Leader graphs, the SOL geometry or the treebolic spaces. Given two proper, geodesically complete, Gromov hyperbolic, Busemann spaces $H_p$ and $H_q$, we study the geometry of their horospherical product $\mathcal{H}:=H_p\bowtie H_q$ through a description of its geodesics. Specifically we introduce a large family of distances on $H_p\bowtie H_q$. We show that all these distances produce the same large scale geometry. This description allows us to depict the shape of geodesic segments and geodesic lines. The understanding of the geodesics' behaviour leads us to the characterization of the visual boundary of the horospherical products. Our results are based on metric estimates on paths avoiding horospheres in a Gromov hyperbolic space.
Median regression from twice censored data

Abstract An adjusted least absolute deviation estimating function, founded on the inverse (probability of) censoring weighted approach, is proposed. Covariate-free left and right censoring is assumed. When left censoring is absent, the proposed estimating function reduces to its right-censored counterpart. Consistency and asymptotic normality of the estimator of the regression parameter are derived. Finite sample performance is investigated via simulations. Application of the proposed method is illustrated using some synthetic data sets.
Design to Data for mutants of β-glucosidase B from Paenibacillus polymyxa: I45K, A357S, I20A, I20V, and I20E

The relatively small size and scope of most current datasets of biophysical mutation effects in enzymes limit the ability to develop data-driven algorithms enabling accurate generative modeling tools for designing novel enzyme function. Here, the Michaelis-Menten constants (kcat, KM, and kcat/KM) and thermal stability (TM) of five new mutations of {beta}-glucosidase B from Paenibacillus polymyxa (BglB) are characterized. Foldit software was used to create molecular models of the mutants, for which synthetic genes were constructed and the corresponding proteins produced and purified from E. coli. It was found that mutations that disrupted pre-existing hydrogen bonds near the active site had reduced expression in contrast to mutations at the same site that did not affect native hydrogen bonding. This is consistent with previous results showing the relationship between hydrogen bonding and enzyme functionality. These mutants contribute to a growing data set of >100 mutants that have been characterized for expression, kinetic, and thermal properties
Alexithymia and pain experience among patients using methadone-maintenance therapy.

Abstract Background Alexithymia, difficulty identifying and describing one’s emotions coupled with a tendency to externalize, is a potentially important yet understudied treatment target for patients with opioid use disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the role of alexithymia in pain experience among individuals with opioid use disorder. Methods One-hundred-and-sixty-four patients receiving methadone maintenance treatment completed a battery of self-report measures related to alexithymia, drug use, and pain experiences. Comparisons were performed on the full sample between those with or without clinically significant levels of alexithymia. For a subsample reporting pain (n = 138), intercorrelations were performed to test whether drug use history, pain catastrophizing, pain acceptance, and alexithymia were related to pain severity and pain interference. Regression analyses were performed to test for serial mediation of pain catastrophizing and pain acceptance on the relationship between alexithymia and pain interference in this subsample. Results Individuals with alexithymia showed increased pain catastrophizing and interference, and intercorrelations indicated that increased alexithymia was associated with increased pain interference, more pain catastrophizing, and reduced pain acceptance. A serial regression model among a subset of patients with pain indicated that pain catastrophizing and pain acceptance mediated the effect of alexithymia on pain interference. Conclusions These findings suggest that alexithymia, as well as both pain catastrophizing and pain acceptance, contribute to interference associated with pain and are potentially important intervention targets among methadone-treated patients with pain.
“Localization” in Fragile Spaces: A Comparative Networks Evaluation of Community-Based Programmes in Pakistan and Afghanistan

Conventional externally-driven development interventions have shifted towards ‘localized,’ ‘bottom-up,’ participatory approaches, such as Community-Driven Development (CDD). However, structural dyn...
Online Public Responses to the “Send Her Back” Chant at the 2019 Greenville Rally

The Squad is a group of four progressive women of colour elected to the U.S. Congress in 2018 who have been vocal critics especially of immigration and environmental policies. During a Republican r...
Erratum to “Bidirectional Associative Memories: Unsupervised Hebbian Learning to Bidirectional Backpropagation”

The energy velocity equation (41) in [1] has two missing prime symbols “’” that indicate the derivative of the primed activation function with respect to its argument. The correct equation for the time derivative of the ABAM energy function $E$ should read as follows:
Canonical Equation K58. Universality and Arcsine Laws for Random Matrices A + UmB(U*)m

Beginning from this chapter we consider the simple case of analytic functions of random matrices \( {A_n} + \;{U_n}{B_n}U_n^* \). The problem of describing limit normalized spectral functions of matrices \( {A_n} + \;{U_n}{B_n}U_n^* \), where A n and B n are Hermitian nonrandom matrices and U n is a unitary or orthogonal random matrix distributed by probability Haar measure, has a long history. Such problem was announced by L. A. Pastur in 1973 in [Pas1]. Later on the problem was attacked by several authors [Lar], [NS1,2], [VDN]. At last Pastur and Vasilchuk [PaV] found the solution of this problem and the system of equations for the Stieltjes transform of n.s.f. of matrices \( {A_n} + \;{U_n}{B_n}U_n^* \). In this chapter we investigate a similar problem for several classes of random unitary matrices using the REFORM (REsolvents FORmulas and Martingale) method.
Pseudothrombocytopenia: manifestation of a new type of platelet agglutinin.

Spuriously low electronic platelet counts were obtained on blood collected in EDTA from six patients. Platelet numbers on blood smears and electronic counts performed on blood collected in other anticoagulants were normal. Plasma or sera from these patients agglutinated homologous, as well as autologous platelets, in the presence of EDTA or DTPA, but agglutination did not occur in blood or platelet-rich plasma anticoagulated with heparin, oxalate, or citrate. Agglutination in the presence of EDTA was not inhibited by heparin, α-tocopherol, or N-ethylmaleimide, but was inhibitied by excess EDTA or divalent cation. The agglutinin was temperature independent in five of the six patients and had the physical and immunologic characteristics of a gamma globulin. The clinical significance and mechanism of EDTA-dependent agglutination of platelets is unknown.
Technology Frustration and Consumer Valuation Shift for Mobile Apps: An Exploratory Study

Consumer evaluation of products in a market is a predictor of the success or failure of a product. For digital products, the usage of a product is determined by the technology robustness associated with the design of the product. Bad designs, implementation and integration issues lead to frustration on the part of consumers using the product. In this study, we explore how technology frustration negatively influences the valuation of a product in digital markets. Furthermore, we hypothesize that market externalities, such as consumer passion for, and sustenance of, the product in question temper this negative effect. Finally, we contend that the negative effect of technology frustration is high for new and high priced products because of the higher expectations and hence more stringent evaluations for new and high priced products by consumers. We conducted empirical analysis and found support for our hypotheses. Managerial and research contributions are discussed.
Multiple Oncogene Activation in a Radiation Carcinogenesis Model

Radiation is the most thoroughly studied environmental carcinogenic agent and cancer induction is the most significant late effect of radiation. Ionizing radiation creates a number of lesions in DNA including base modification, single and double strand breaks, and sugar damage. A significant proportion of the radiation-induced mutations in somatic cells are associated with chromosomal deletions and gene rearrangements. These alterations are the result of breakage of the chromosomes followed by loss of genetic material (deletions) or rejoining of broken chromosomes (rearrangements) (l). Radiation has also been found to be a point mutagen in certain model assay systems. The relationship of these geno-toxic effects of radiation to molecular mechanisms of radiation carcinogenesis is not yet understood. We have decided to address this issue using current molecular concepts involving oncogene activation applied to the biologically well-defined experimental model of rat skin carcinogenesis by ionizing radiation. Several types of tumors develop in rat skin following localized exposure to single or fractionated doses of ionizing radiation (2) which include squamous cell carcinomas, basal cell carcinomas, sarcomas, clear cell carcinomas, and sebaceous cell tumors. The histologic type of the tumor presumably reflects the cell type of origin.
Effects of incorporation of trans-4,5-dehydrolysine on collagen biosynthesis and extrusion in embryonic chick tibiae.

Abstract Crystalline, chromatographically homogeneous dl-4,5-trans-dehydrolysine (dehydrolysine) was synthesized. The dehydrolysine specifically competitively inhibited the activation of [14C]lysine with transfer RNA and lysyl synthetase prepared from whole chick embryo. The dehydrolysine had little effect when tested with other amino acids. The Km for lysine was 21 µm and the Ki for dehydrolysine was 639 µm. When embryonic chick tibia were incubated with dehydrolysine for 5 to 22 hours they incorporated the dehydrolysine into protein at a linear rate. From the amino acid analysis of the tibiae incubated with 4.6 mm dehydrolysine it appeared that there was nearly complete replacement of lysine by dehydrolysine in the newly synthesized protein. This was confirmed by experiments in which tibiae were incubated with 14C-amino acids in the presence and absence of dehydrolysine. As the concentration of dehydrolysine in the incubation medium was increased there was a progressive decrease in the incorporation of [14C]lysine so that at 4.6 mm dehydrolysine there was 79% inhibition. A much smaller decrease in the incorporation of [14C]proline, [14C]glycine, [14C]alanine, or a mixture of 14C-amino acids was observed in the presence of dehydrolysine. Incubation of the cartilage with [14C]lysine or [14C]proline indicated that the lysine and proline still incorporated into collagen in the presence of dehydrolysine were hydroxylated to a normal extent. Thus collagen molecules containing a normal amount of trans-hydroxyproline but a greatly reduced amount of hydroxylysine and glycosylated hydroxylysine were synthesized. Autoradiographs indicated that the collagen containing dehydrolysine was not extruded into the extracellular matrix at a normal rate. It seems unlikely that this effect is due simply to the presence of dehydrolysine in the collagen since this analogue probably would not alter the collagen conformation. It appears therefore that a normal level of hydroxylysine is a necessary but not sufficient condition for normal extrusion.
The delivery of a quadriplegic patient confined to a respirator.

Abstract The literature is reviewed, and a case of the management and delivery from below of a quadriplegic patient, confined to a respirator, is reported. The patient, who had been partially rehabilitated and taught to breathe by using her diaphragmatic musculature, was seen after the fifth month of gestation. She had begun to have progressive respiratory difficulty, necessitating increasing periods of confinement in a respirator. The complications were those of a paralyzed respirator patient and not those of pregnancy. Conservative management of renal stones with concomitant pyelonephritis was carried out. Nonsurgical management of a temporary intestinal obstruction caused by a high fecal impaction was necessary. Labor progressed normally, but delivery was complicated by the absence of the secondary forces of labor, necessitating operative intervention in the second stage. Recovery during the postpartum period, both obstetrically and as to respiratory status, was rapid and remarkable.
Lessons from Iraq on bioweapons.

There are strong political pressures to relax the scrutiny of suspected biological weapons activity in Iraq. But the experience of United Nations inspectors in the country points to significant dangers in such a policy.
GENETIC DRIFT IN CLINES WHICH ARE MAINTAINED BY MIGRATION AND NATURAL SELECTION

Genetic drift will cause a migration-selection cline to wobble about its expected position. A rough linear approximation is developed, valid when local populations are large. This is used to calculate effects of genetic drift on clines in a stepping-stone model with abrupt and with gradual changes of selection coefficients at a single haploid locus. Among the quantities calculated are measures of slope, standardized variation of gene frequencies around their expected values, and correlation among neighboring populations with respect to deviations from the expected gene frequencies. These quantities appear to be primarily functions of Ns and Nm for a given pattern of selection. Computer simulation gives rough confirmation of these results. Standardized variances of gene frequencies and correlation of neighbors differ along the cline in the case of smooth changes in selection. In no case is pathological behavior of gene frequency deviations found near the boundaries of selective regions. Local behavior of gene frequencies of nearby colonies is approximately predicted by a simple adaptation of the stepping-stone theory of Kimura and Weiss. Approximate measures of the lateral variation of the midpoint of a cline and the probability of non-monotonicity are also calculated and discussed.
Railroads and Regulation, 1877–1916: Conspiracy or Public Interest?

Professor Gabriel Kolko in his recent work, Railroads and Regulation, 1877–1916, presents an interpretation or the origin, motivation, and consequences of the movement for federal regulation of railroads which differs in important respects from that which has hitherto been generally accepted. Thus it has generally been held that railway regulation was a response to the demands of farmers and other shippers for protection against monopolistic and discriminatory tactics on the part of the railroads and that regulation was bitterly resisted by the latter. Kolko, on the other hand, holds that regulation was actually welcomed by the railroads as a means of securing the rate and profit stability which they were unable to maintain by their own action, and that “the railroads, not the farmers and shippers, were the most important single advocates of federal regulation from 1877 to 1916” (p. 3). He concedes that “the movement for federal regulation of the railroad system was not, in any strict sense, deliberately initiated by the railroads’ (p. 20) and that legislation could not have been passed without shipper support, but points out that shippers were either inarticulate or divided with respect to the kind of regulation, if any, desired, and that the railroads were always able to secure the support of enough shipper groups to insure passage of the legislation which they favored. Furthermore, the railroads welcomed federal as opposed to state regulation, since they regarded the latter as punitive and restrictive and less amenable to their influence than federal regulation.
Grist for the MLL: how do MLL oncogenic fusion proteins generate leukemia stem cells?

MLL fusion oncogenes are pathogenically associated with 5–10% of human acute leukemias. Through multiple interactions with chromatin regulatory factors, they convert a normal hematopoietic hierarchy into a leukemia cell hierarchy sustained at its apex by a population of inappropriately self-renewing myeloid cells termed leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Initiation of the aberrant leukemia cell hierarchy is associated with an abnormal epigenetic state at Hoxa and Meis1 loci, with concomitant high level Hoxa and Meis1 expression. This introduces at the level of the myeloblast, or thereabouts, a finite probability of self-renewal division where none previously existed. In contrast, differentiation-mediated exit of LSCs from the self-renewing compartment of the leukemia clone depends on the prevailing levels of the transcription factor Myb, which functions as part of an LSC maintenance program influenced, but not directly controlled, by Hoxa and Meis1. Critical biologic and molecular differences between self-renewing progenitor-like LSCs and hematopoietic stem cells could potentially be targeted by novel therapeutic strategies.
Utilizing cis-elements to refine gene regulatory networks

Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) describe epistatic relationship of genes and how the expression of some genes influence the expression of other genes. This information is critical for understanding molecular mechanisms regulating various biological processes and molecular basis of several diseases. Current research work mostly attempts to infer such regulatory relationships (and GRN architecture topology) from gene expression data. This paper improves on this methodology by utilizing additional information available that describes which cis-elements are present in which genes, and at what locations. Using the underlying principle that target genes of a transcription factor should share the same binding site in their promoter regions, we propose a scoring method that facilitates the refinement of a candidate GRN. Improvements are demonstrated with three data sets, on which GRNs are first obtained from existing dataset (AtRegNet) or using an existing approach (ARACNe), and then modified using cis-element information.
A thermally potentiated state for actomyosin ATPase of rabbit skeletal muscle

Abstract Heat-treatment of natural actomyosin at low ionic strength in the absence of substrate results in substantial augmentation of Mg-ATPase, and minor increase of Ca-ATPase and decrease of EDTA-ATPase. Changes in Steady-state activity persist despite decrease of temperature. The effect appears to involve a thermally induced transition to a stable potentiated state for natural actomyosin. The phenomenon requires interaction between actin and myosin during heat-treatment; however, the presence of troponin and tropomyosin is needed for potentiation to be fully manifest. Thermal potentiation significantly modifies the Arrhenius behavior of actomyosin ATPase, and the augmented catalytic rate reflects a large increase of activation entropy.
Perturbation of Periodic Boundary Conditions

We consider perturbations of the problem $( * ) - x'' + bx = \lambda ax$, $x(0) - x(1) = 0 = x'(0) - x'(1)$ both by changes of the boundary conditions and by addition of nonlinear terms. We assume that at $\lambda = \lambda _0 $ there are two linearly independent solutions of the unperturbed problem (*) and that $a( \cdot )$ is bounded away from zero. When only the boundary conditions are perturbed either the Hill’s discriminant or the method of Lyapunov–Schmidt reduces the problem to $0 = \det ((\lambda - \lambda _0 )A - \varepsilon H) + $ higher order terms, where A and H are real $2 \times 2$ constant matrices. We analyse the existence of curves $(\lambda (\varepsilon ),\varepsilon )$ of eigenvalues for this problem of linear perturbation and give as an example a heat problem with $H = \left( {\begin{array}{*{20}c} 0 & 1 \\ 0 & 0 \\ \end{array} } \right)$.The method of Lyapunov–Schmidt is used to analyse the full nonlinear problem. In a sequel to this paper we will analyse the bifurcation problem from ...
Abrasion-resistant coatings for plastic and soft metallic substrates by sol-gel reactions of a triethoxysilylated diethylenetriamine and tetramethoxysilane

Abstract Inorganic–organic hybrid materials have been prepared by sol–gel reactions of a metal or semi-metal alkoxide along with a silane-modified organic compound or polymer. Mixtures of a triethoxysilylated diethylenetriamine (f-DETA) and tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) were hydrolyzed in an acidic medium, and the resulting hydrolysates were spin- or dip-coated onto polymeric substrates or metallic substrates and then thermally cured into transparent abrasion-resistant coatings. The influences of the pH, concentrations of water and TMOS, pre-hydrolysis time and curing temperature on the abrasion resistance and hardness of the resulting coatings were studied. These hybrid coatings were applied on substrates of bisphenol-A polycarbonate (bis-A PC), APEC HT9353®, copper, brass and stainless steel, and the coated substrates exhibited much lower wear rates than the corresponding uncoated ones in standard abrasion tests.
Can young children use maps to navigate

There are opposing points of view as to what map tasks children can perform as well as understand. Some studies have indicated a low level of map skills ability in children up to 10 years old, whereas others indicate that children already possess a variety of map-use skills before the age of school entrance. This study examines the ability of preliterate children ages 4, 5, and 6 to use a map for navigation. An obstacle course was utilised which the child attempted to navigate on a predetermined path outlined on a map. It was demonstrated that all the children who participated in this study were capable of extracting the necessary information from a map to enable them to navigate a simple obstacle course. Les opinions divergent quant aux operations cartographiques que les enfants peuvent executer et comprendre. Quelques etudes ont demontre un faible niveau d'habiletes cartographiques chez des enfants ayant jusqu' a dix ans alors que d'autres indiquent que les enfants possedent, des avant l'âge de frequent...
A Dynamic Bulk SOFC Model Used in a Hybrid Turbine Controls Test Facility

The paper will describe the dynamic model of a pressurized Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC). The model is required to run on a digital controller in real-time so that its predicted thermal output may be used to control the fuel valve of an experimental hybrid system that is being used to investigate control methods for fuel cell / gas turbine hybrid systems. The model presented is a bulk model in order to best guarantee real-time operation. The equations and parameters used in the model are presented. The effects of pressure are partially considered and a V-I and P-I curve are plotted in order to show the general fuel cell model behavior. Also presented are dynamic comparisons to a 1-D model. The integration of the model with the experimental system is shown as well.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
An econometric application of the theory of the farm-household

An econometric model of household production, consumption and labor supply behavior for a semicommercial farm with a competitive labor market is presented, using a Cobb-Douglas specification for the production function and a modified linear expenditure system. The model, estimated from primary, cross-sectional Malaysian data, is used to analyze the impact of migration, output price intervention and technological change on the agricultural sector. In doing so, the wage rate is treated as an endogenous variable to be determined by the interaction of aggregate labor demand and supply curves obtained from the estimated microfunctions. The policy significance of an integrated treatment of production and consumption decisions to the theory of the household is demonstrated. Mathematical models are included. 21 references.
Susceptibility of a thin-film spin glass

We report on measurements on the susceptibility of films of dilute Ag: Mn alloys as a function of applied magnetic field in the temperature range 1.2-60 K. The spin glass temperature ${T}_{G}$ was found to have a concentration dependence ${T}_{G}\ensuremath{\propto}{C}^{0.69}$ for the concentration range $C=0.61\ensuremath{-}7.00$ at.% Mn, in good agreement with measurements made in bulk samples. It was also found that ${T}_{G}$ shifts to lower temperatures with increasing magnetic field, in qualitative agreement with theory.
Perturbative Finiteness in Spin-Foam Quantum Gravity

The Lorentzian ``normalized balanced state sum model'' of quantum general relativity is finite on any nondegenerate triangulation. It provides a candidate for a background independent, perturbatively finite, quantum theory of general relativity in four dimensions and with Lorentzian signature.
The Analysis of Salen Complexes by Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry and Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Fast atom bombardment (FAB) mass spectrometry provides useful structural information about salen complexes and salen-based oxo transfer catalysts that are not appreciably soluble in organic solvents. It was discovered that initial dissolution of these complexes in trifluoroacetic acid was crucial for producing good FAB mass spectra. Trifluoroacetic acid helps dissolve the salen-based catalysts, concentrates the analyte molecules at the matrix surface, and most importantly, suppresses the reduction process, which is a well-known phenomenon when protic matrices are used. The best FAB matrices for these catalysts were found to be thioglycerol and “magic bullet.” However, dechlorination occurred under the acid conditions for complexes containing iron chloride and manganese chloride. Demetalation also occurred for nickel-containing oxo transfer salen-based complexes. When the salen-based complexes are soluble in LC solvents, they can be analyzed easily by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) mass spectrometry without the employment of relatively nonvolatile matrices. In addition, APCI/MS provides much more sensitive detection for manganese-salen complexes when compared with FAB results. No dechlorination or demetalation were observed when a negative ion mode APCI was employed. To our knowledge, this is the first time that an intact molecule of this type of complex has been observed by mass spectrometry.
Studies of the high-performance muon capture front-end lattice for the IDS Neutrino Factory

Abstract It is believed that a neutrino factory would deliver unparalleled performance in studying neutrino mixing and would provide tremendous sensitivity to new physics in the neutrino sector. A neutrino factory employs muons which are produced, collected, accelerated and then stored so that their eventual decay produces an intense neutrino beam. A key challenge is that the initial muon beam occupies a region in phase space that vastly exceeds the acceptance of the downstream accelerators. Here we study a novel method to manipulate the longitudinal and transverse phase space with the purpose of collecting and cooling a muon beam. In this method, a set of properly tuned rf cavities captures the muon beams into strings of bunches and aligns them to nearly equal central energies, and a following set of rf cavities with absorbers cools them by a factor of three in transverse emittance. The sensitivity in performance of the channel against key parameters such as the number of cavities, accelerating gradient and magnetic field is analyzed. Finally, the lattice tolerance to positioning errors of various lattice components is systematically examined.
Factors influencing the performance of dielectric elastomer energy harvesters

We present a simplified dielectric elastomer energy harvesting model to explore the effects of various materials and operating parameters on both the amount of energy generated and the efficiency of dielectric elastomer generators and show that high energy output and efficiency can be obtained in various materials systems. The amount of energy generated increases with increasing values of bias voltage and applied stretch while the efficiency is shown to depend strongly on bias voltage but only weakly on stretch. We show that increasing the dielectric constant can have significant impacts on the amount of energy generated in certain systems and that stiffening the elastomer has the main effect of shifting the regions of high efficiency to lower strains and larger voltages. Using these results as a basis we explore one particular material system experimentally and compare with the results from our model. The impacts of electrode resistance and elastomer viscoelasticity are also explored.
Bilateral diffuse choroidal hemangiomas with unilateral facial nevus flammeus in Sturge-Weber syndrome.

Abstract PURPOSE: To report bilateral choroidal hemangiomas associated with unilateral facial nevus flammeus in Sturge–Weber syndrome. METHODS: Case report. RESULTS: A 6-year-old male with a left facial nevus flammeus and a history of a left cerebral angioma had been followed 2 years for increasing esotropia. Examination demonstrated bilateral diffuse choroidal hemangiomas with overlying exudative retinal detachments. After bilateral external beam radiotherapy, the retinal detachments resolved and vision improved. CONCLUSION: Patients with Sturge–Weber syndrome and unilateral facial nevus flammeus may harbor bilateral choroidal hemangiomas. Clinical manifestations of the Sturge–Weber syndrome are characteristically unilateral and ipsilateral to the facial nevus flammeus. Bilateral choroidal hemangiomas associated with bilateral facial nevus flammeus are rare.1,2 We report bilateral diffuse choroidal hemangiomas associated with unilateral facial nevus flammeus in Sturge–Weber syndrome.
Computer-assisted method for multi-exponential curve fitting for determining cerebral blood flow.

Abstract A computer program has been developed for use in determining cerebral blood flow using an inert radioactive gas. The basic algorithm involves the determination of multiple exponential coefficients from the complex concentration-time function. The exponential coefficients are determined by ‘peeling’ away slower exponentials complex function one at a time. The procedure involves the use of a small laboratory computer in the interactive graphics mode. The method is currently in use analyzing data in a cerebral vascular research laboratory.
Studies on Antifungal Agents. Part 22. 3-aryl-5-[(aryloxy)alkyl]-3-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]-2-methylisoxazolidines and related derivatives

The synthesis and antifungal activity of a novel series of 3-aryl-5-[(aryloxy)alkyl]-3-[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)-methyl]-2-methylisoxazolidines and related compounds, are discussed. The synthesis of the title compounds was accomplished via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of α-substituted ketonitrones with l-alkenyl phenyl ethers (Scheme 2 and 3). The compounds were evaluated for in vitro antifungal activity in solid agar cultures against a broad variety of yeast and systemic mycoses and dermatophytes. While antifungal activity was evident throughout the series, in general, derivatives having halogen atom(s) in either or both aryl rings demonstrated the highest potency, especially against Trichophyton rubrum and Candida albicans. The dichloro analog 20 (PR 967-248) was found to possess the most useful activity. Its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged between 0.2 and 2.0 μg/ml, as compared to 0.2–20.0 μg/ml for the standard drug ketoconazole (4).
Pressure–volume–temperature dependencies of polystyrenes

Abstract The pressure–volume–temperature (PVT) dependencies of four molten polystyrenes (PS) were determined at T=450–530 K, and P=0.1–190 MPa. In addition, five sets of published PVT data for PS were examined. The Simha–Somcynsky (S–S) lattice-hole equation of state (eos) was used to analyze the data. Fitting the data to eos yielded the characteristic reducing parameters, viz. P*, V*, T*, where from the Lennard–Jones measures of energetic (e*), and volumetric (v*) interactions were calculated. It was found that: (1) the values of the interaction parameters for PS resins varied, viz. 27.7≤e*≤35.2, and 35.5≤v*≤50.2; (2) e* was dependent on v*, and (3) e* and v* linearly increased with the logarithm of molecular weight. In addition, these volume-averaged interaction parameters depend on the chain configuration, as well as the presence of additives.
Measurement of fugacity of CO2 in surface water using continuous and discrete sampling methods

Instrumentation and methodology is described which is used for measurement of the fugacity (or partial pressure) of carbon dioxide (fCO2 or pCO2) in surface seawater. Two separate instruments were developed for the measurements. One is an underway system which measures the mixing ratio of CO2, XCO2, in a headspace in equilibrium with surface seawater continuously pumped into a 24 1 equilibration chamber. The other is a discrete system in which 460 ml aliquots of water are equilibrated with a 120 ml headspace. Both systems use a non-dispersive infrared analyzer as detector. In the underway instrument the average XCO2 in the headspace of an equilibration chamber is measured at near in-situ temperature over 20 min each hour. At a cruising speed of 13 knots this translates into a space averaged fCO2 value over 8 km. The underway system is ideally suited for mapping of the surface water fugacity over large geographic regions. Samples from the discrete instrument are analyzed at 20°C. The primary function of the system is for measurement of subsurface fCO2 values. The discrete system is also well suited for determining the relationship between the fugacity of CO2 and other (carbon) parameters sub-sampled from the same aliquot. To calculate the fCO2 in water for in-situ conditions from the mixing ratio in the headspace of the flask of the discrete system, small carbon mass balance and, sometimes significant, temperature corrections have to be applied. Comparison of 100 surface values obtained in the South Atlantic using the underway and discrete systems shows that the average difference of pCO2 values for the two systems ranges from −4.3 μatm to −8.6 μatm, depending on the temperature correction, with a standard deviation of 4 μatm. The differences show scatter of up the 15 μatm which we attribute to a mismatch between the point samples for the discrete system and the integrated samples for the underway system.
Oxidation of phenolic and non-phenolic substrates by the lignin peroxidase of Streptomyces viridosporus T7A

Numerous single-ring, aromatic, phenolic and non-phenolic compounds were tested as substrates of Streptomyces viridosporus T7A extracellular lignin peroxidase. Oxidations were monitored by spectroscopy, with and without 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) as a color-forming reagent. The oxidation of phenols containing one or no carbon groups in the para position resulted in coupling with 4-AAP to form a red color. Thin layer chromatography and mass spectroscopy showed that the oxidation of vanillic acid (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid) and syringic acid (4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzoic acid) resulted in a direct coupling between 4-AAP and the phenol ring to form a quinone structure. In the reaction with vanillyl acetone (4-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-3-buten-2-one) and 4-AAP, 4-AAP coupled to A-carbon of vanillyl acetone. As shown by UV-visible spectroscopy, S. viridosporus T7A peroxidase oxidized phenolic compounds, but was unable to oxidize non-phenolic ones.
Violent Strombolian or not? Using ground-penetrating radar to distinguish deposits of low- and high-energy scoria cone eruptions

Scoria cones often grow by the accumulation of individual particles transported ballistically in Strombolian-type eruptions. Alternative models of cone formation suggest that cones are built primarily of fallout from the eruption column in more explosive eruptions, often termed violent Strombolian. Currently, the distinction between normal Strombolian and violent Strombolian is based on direct observations of eruptions or by inference of eruption characteristics from mapping of tephra fall deposits. Unfortunately, medial to distal tephra fall deposits erode rapidly, leaving behind only the near-vent facies of scoria cones which are thicker and less easily eroded. Therefore, a tool that is capable of delineating differences between low-energy Strombolian deposits and higher energy violent Strombolian deposits from investigation of the preserved scoria edifice is necessary. Ground-penetrating radar imaging of Cerro Negro, an active basaltic scoria cone in Nicaragua, has revealed details of cone deposits at depths of up to 12 m. The record of the 1992 eruption, which was observed to be violent Strombolian, shows quantifiable differences from normal Strombolian near-vent facies, including reflections in the downwind profile that are continuous for hundreds of meters and through the slope break. The ability to differentiate between tephra fallout and ballistically emplaced deposits at Cerro Negro suggests ground-penetrating radar imaging may be useful in distinguishing eruptive style in older scoria cones, where the medial to distal tephra deposits are eroded or buried.