cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) Concentrations and ATP/Adenosine Diphosphate Ratios in Human Sperm of Normospermic, Oligospermic, and Asthenospermic Specimens and in their Swim‐up Fractions: Lack of Correlation Between ATP Parameters and Sperm Creatine Kinase Concentrations

Andrologists used semen samples obtained at the Sperm Physiology Laboratory at Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven Connecticut to determine whether differences in sperm creatine kinase (CK) concentrations are mirrored by proportional differences in sperm adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentrations and ATP/adenosine diphosphate (ATP/ADP) ratios in men with low sperm counts (oligospermic) and men with normal sperm counts (normospermic). CK plays an important role in sperm energy transport.) ATP concentrations and ATP/ADP ratios were comparable in oligospermic and normospermic men (ATP: 90 pmol/1 million sperm vs. 123.1 pmol/1 million sperm; ATP/ADP: 2.1 vs. 2.8). This was also the case in normospermic men and those with less than 40% sperm motility (ATP: 96.8 vs. 122.2; ATP/ADP: 2.8 vs. 2.1). The andrologists used swim-up sperm fractions to improve sperm motility velocity and morphology properties. The ATP concentrations of the same ejaculates were significantly different between the swim-up sperm fractions and the initial semen samples (152.9 vs. 90.3; p < .05). The lower ATP concentrations in the swim-up sperm fractions corresponded to the lower cytoplasmic content in sperm in these fractions. The ATP/ADP ratios were essentially the same (3.3 vs. 3.9) however. The 6 normospermic samples had a sperm concentration of 33.2 million sperm/ml and that of the 7 oligospermic samples was 13.8 million sperm/ml. Their CK activity values were significantly different (0.12 vs. 0.45 IU/100 million sperm; p < . 05) but the ATP concentrations and ATP/ADP ratios were similar. Therefore the andrologists concluded that ATP concentrations and ATP/ADP ratios are not linked to sperm density that sperm with greater potential to fertilize an egg does not have greater ATP concentrations or ATP/ADP ratios and that ATP concentrations are not associated with fertility.
How to spot a real value proposition

It has become fairly common to hear the term “value proposition”. It is often featured as a component of a sales and marketing strategy in various ways, such as: advertisements, white papers, case studies or within sales collateral. In fact, the term has become quite familiar, yet when a series of value propositions are evaluated it becomes clear that not all value props are created equally. In fact, many of them appear to be mere statements of features and functions rather than fully developed value statements. Although there are no authoritative bodies that regulate or require the use of value propositions, there has been a sequence of development over the past thirty years that have led to guidelines for the development of a value proposition. This paper will review how to spot a well developed value proposition as well as to determine when a value proposition falls short of the best practice.
Prognosis in Children With Febrile Seizures

Febrile seizures occurred in 3.5% of white and 4.2% of black children who were followed up in a large prospectively defined cohort. The frequency of adverse outcomes was examined in this population and risk factors were identified. Among 1,706 children with febrile seizures, no deaths or persistent motor deficits occurred as sequelae of seizures. Todd9s paresis occurred in 0.4%. Risk factors identified for epilepsy after febrile seizures were family history of afebrile seizures, preexisting neurological abnormality, and complicated initial seizure. Of the 60% of children with febrile seizures who had none of these factors, 1% developed epilepsy by age 7 years. A single risk factor was present in 34%, of whom 2% developed epilepsy. Of the 6% with two or more of these factors, 10% developed epilepsy. After an initial brief febrile seizure, 1.4% experienced a subsequent attack which lasted 30 minutes or longer; none of these children had an afebrile seizure by the age of 7 years. Febrile seizures were associated with an increased risk of intellectual deficit only among children with preexisting neurological or developmental abnormality, and in those who developed subsequent afebrile seizures. A third of the children with febrile seizures had a recurrence, and 9% had three or more recurrences. The major predictor of recurrence was early age at onset.
Alcohol Withdrawal Requiring Massive Prolonged Benzodiazepine Infusion

ABSTRACT The objective of this case report is to describe a patient with prolonged alcohol withdrawal requiring massive standing doses of benzodiazepines. The setting is the medical intensive care unit of the Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. The patient is a 58-year-old alcohol-dependent male presenting with mental status changes and agitation following an uncomplicated cystoprostatectomy, who ultimately required massive doses of benzodiazepines to treat his symptoms effectively. We conclude that symptom-triggered therapy proved ineffective in this case due to inability to achieve adequate frequency of assessments. Ultimately, a lengthy, high-dose, fixed interval benzodiazepine regimen was required. The 5-week period of intensive care illustrated that scheduled doses of benzodiazepines may be required and massive and prolonged doses are sometimes necessary. Adherence to a slow-weaning protocol understood by an interdisciplinary team was critical to this patient's recovery. Additionally, toxi...
Integrating Fatigue Crack Growth into Reliability Analysis and Computational Materials Design

Recently a new methodology was developed for automated fatigue crack growth (FCG) life analysis of components based on finite element stress models, weight function stress intensity factor solutions, and algorithms to define idealized fracture geometry models. This paper describes how the new methodology is being used to integrate FCG analysis into highly automated design assessments of component life and reliability. In one application, the FCG model automation is supporting automated calculation of fracture risk due to inherent material anomalies that can occur anywhere in the volume of the component. Automated schemes were developed to divide the component into a computationally optimum number of sub-volumes with similar life and risk values to determine total component reliability accurately and efficiently. In another application, the FCG model automation is supporting integration of FCG life calculations with manufacturing process simulation to perform integrated computational materials engineering. Calculation of full-field, location-specific residual stresses or microstructure is being linked directly with automated life analysis to determine the impact of manufacturing parameters on component reliability.
The surface chemistry of dissolving labradorite feldspar

Abstract Elastic recoil detection (ERD) analysis was used in conjunction with Rutherford backscattering (RBS) analysis to determine depth profiles of hydrogen, silicon, aluminum and calcium in labradorite crystals reacted under various pH conditions. The inventory of hydrogen in the mineral is strongly affected by solution pH. Hydrogen extensively infiltrates the mineral during reaction for 264 hours with solutions in the pH range 1–3. Infiltration is accompanied by extensive removal of sodium, calcium and aluminum from the mineral. This incongruent reaction proceeds to several hundreds of angstroms of depth and produces a silicon-rich surface which is amorphous to electron diffraction. The amount of hydrogen in the reacted layer is much less than is predicted from knowledge of the quantity of cations leached from the feldspar. These low inventories of hydrogen suggest that hydrogen-bearing groups in the reacted layer repolymermize subsequent to ion exchange and depolymerization reactions. This repolymerization eliminates hydrogen from the layer. At higher pH conditions (pH > 5), hydrogen inventories in the crystals decrease with time relative to an unreacted reference crystal. Hydrogen does not infiltrate beyond the first few unit cells of feldspar. Thus, dissolution in slightly acid, near-neutral, and basic solutions proceeds at the immediate surface of the feldspar. Within the limit of the RBS technique, there is no evidence for incongruent dissolution at these conditions.
On the semilocal convergence of inexact Newton methods in Banach spaces

We provide two types of semilocal convergence theorems for approximating a solution of an equation in a Banach space setting using an inexact Newton method [I.K. Argyros, Relation between forcing sequences and inexact Newton iterates in Banach spaces, Computing 63 (2) (1999) 134-144; I.K. Argyros, A new convergence theorem for the inexact Newton method based on assumptions involving the second Frechet-derivative, Comput. Appl. Math. 37 (7) (1999) 109-115; I.K. Argyros, Forcing sequences and inexact Newton iterates in Banach space, Appl. Math. Lett. 13 (1) (2000) 77-80; I.K. Argyros, Local convergence of inexact Newton-like iterative methods and applications, Comput. Math. Appl. 39 (2000) 69-75; I.K. Argyros, Computational Theory of Iterative Methods, in: C.K. Chui, L. Wuytack (Eds.), in: Studies in Computational Mathematics, vol. 15, Elsevier Publ. Co., New York, USA, 2007; X. Guo, On semilocal convergence of inexact Newton methods, J. Comput. Math. 25 (2) (2007) 231-242]. By using more precise majorizing sequences than before [X. Guo, On semilocal convergence of inexact Newton methods, J. Comput. Math. 25 (2) (2007) 231-242; Z.D. Huang, On the convergence of inexact Newton method, J. Zheijiang University, Nat. Sci. Ed. 30 (4) (2003) 393-396; L.V. Kantorovich, G.P. Akilov, Functional Analysis, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1982; X.H. Wang, Convergence on the iteration of Halley family in weak condition, Chinese Sci. Bull. 42 (7) (1997) 552-555; T.J. Ypma, Local convergence of inexact Newton methods, SIAM J. Numer. Anal. 21 (3) (1984) 583-590], we provide (under the same computational cost) under the same or weaker hypotheses: finer error bounds on the distances involved; an at least as precise information on the location of the solution. Moreover if the splitting method is used, we show that a smaller number of inner/outer iterations can be obtained.
Hydrogen Mass Transport in Fuel Cell Gas Diffusion Electrodes

An oxygen transport model derived for limiting current density operation was employed to explore its use for hydrogen transport. Limiting current data obtained from a variety of fuel cell designs (alkaline, proton exchange membrane, sulphuric acid) demonstrated the model's validity and allowed determination of the hydrogen mass transport coefficient, a key cell performance parameter. Under specific operating conditions, the proposed model is consistent with the continuous stirred tank reactor and the logarithmic mean concentration difference models. The proposed model is preferable because it is more general and derived from a specific physical mechanism. Experimental precautions needed to ensure well-defined limiting currents without the presence of artefacts were reemphasized and expanded. Model use for predictive purposes is also briefly discussed.
Metal and DNA binding properties of a two-domain fragment of neural zinc finger factor 1, a CCHC-type zinc binding protein.

Neural zinc finger factor 1 (NZF-1) is a member of a family of neural-specific transcription factors that contain multiple copies of a relatively uncharacterized zinc binding motif. We have studied...
Simulation of directional waves in a numerical basin by a desingularized integral equation approach

Abstract A numerical solution is developed to investigate the generation and propagation of small-amplitude water waves in a semi-infinite rectangular wave basin. The three-dimensional wave field is produced by the prescribed “snake-like” motion of an array of segmented wave generators located along the wall at one end of the tank. The solution technique is based on the boundary element approach and uses an appropriate three-dimensional Green function which explicitly satisfies the tank-wall boundary conditions. The Green function and its derivatives which appear in the integral equation formulation can be shown to be slowly convergent when the source and field points are in close proximity. Therefore, when computing the velocity potentials on the wave generators, the source points are chosen outside the fluid domain, thereby ensuring the rapid convergence of these functions and rendering the integral equations non-singular. Numerical results are shown which illustrate the influence of the various wavemaker and basin parameters on the generated wave field. Finally, the complete wave field produced by the diffraction of oblique waves by a vertical circular cylinder in a basin is presented.
What we learned early in the US Air Force about establishing and maintaining operational research groups

In the two decades 1942–1962 the US Air Force established and maintained over 30 operational research groups attached to a variety of commands, and saw the closure of some of them. While there are in this context no systematic literature sources recording the lessons learned about establishing and maintaining OR groups, there are useful recollections in the minds of participants and scattered indications in unpublished reports that can be mined for the lessons that were learned. This paper sets forth some of these lessons as the author recalls them based on his active involvement during most of those two early decades and knowledge of much of the relevant unpublished literature of that time. It deals with the issues to be considered in establishing a group, beginning its work, carrying it on, reporting the findings, following them up, and managing the groups. The discussion yields some general principles relating to service effectiveness, growth, management, and survival that are worth considering today.
Hand-assisted laparoscopic removal of retroperitoneal liposarcoma

Liposarcoma is known to be the most common soft-tissue sarcoma, and the treatment of retroperitoneal disease is surgical excision. We present a case of complete surgical removal with concomitant nephrectomy using a hand-assisted laparoscopic approach and provide a review of the published studies.
Concerning the mechanism of catalytic action of fused iron catalysts in syntheses from CO and H2

1. An increase of reactivity of iron and of its surface compounds occurs as the result of the activation or breaktng-in of fused iron catalysts, which had been reduced with hydrogen at 1000°, under the conditions of synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO and H2, this increased reactivity being shown in their reactions with CO, H2 and other reaction mixture components. 2. A hypothesis was advanced about the conjugated mechanism of the catalytic action of iron catalysts, according to which the synthesis from CO and H2 is induced by reactions of carbon monoxide and hydrogen with the iron and its compounds on the surface of a working catalyst.
Self-Instruction Training: A Potential Tool for School Psychologists.

Self-instruction training is a cognitive-behavioral approach to self-control in which children are taught to use covert speech to modify their own behavior. The potential effectiveness of self-instruction training as an intervention technique for school psychologists to enhance student academic and/or social behavior in the classroom is the focus of this review. Research results addressing the practical issues of how, when, and with whom to use this strategy, its generalizability, and its long-term and comparative effectiveness are presented. Implications for further research in the schools are discussed.
SU-GG-T-109: Comprehensive RapidArc™ Treatment Planning and Quality Assurance for Head and Neck Cancers

Purpose: To assess the dosimetric quality of a two‐arc RapidArc™ plans for the treatment of head and neck cancers and present corresponding quality assurance (QA) results. Method and Materials: Fifty three patients (male=32,female=21, = 61.9 years (range: 25–87 years) treated for nasopharynx, oropharynx, base of tongue and laryngealcancers were included in this study. Treatment doses ranged from 12Gy to 70.4Gy with many cases requiring irradiation of the cervical nodes as well as the primary site. RapidArc™ plans were generated using Varian Eclipse™ 8.6 and consisted primarily of two 358‐degree arcs delivered counterclockwise and clockwise, respectively with a ±5‐degree couch rotation for one of the arcs. Based on the treatment site and target location, there were instances where a 358‐degree arc and a partial arc with 90‐degree couch rotation were used. QA plans were generated and delivered to a solid‐water phantom with a Mapcheck™ detector array centrally mounted between the solid‐water slabs. Results: The RapidArc™ treatment plans were evaluated based on RTOG conformality index (CI), RTOG homogeneity index (HI), monitor units (MUs) and beam‐on time. The primary targets (PTVs) had mean±SD CI and HI values of 0.93±0.04 and 1.10±0.03, respectively. The average number of MUs was 565 (range: 350 – 2144) and beam‐on times ranged from 3 to 5 min. The average %PASS for the plan QA was 99.3% (range: 97.9% – 100%) using the 3% /3mm plan evaluation criteria in Mapcheck™. Conclusion: This dosimetric analysis indicates that a two‐arc RapidArc™ plan provides highly conformai dose distributions to head and neck treatments. QA results have shown that dose calculation and measurement are in good agreement for these plans. Short beam‐on times and few MUs have reduced the overall treatment time (setup + beam‐on times) by ∼40% per patient making RapidArc™ a more efficient delivery technique than multifield IMRT.
Origin of strongly reversed rims on plagioclase in cumulates

Abstract Narrow reversed rims on plagioclase are ubiquitous in troctolites and olivine gabbros of the Kiglapait intrusion and may be a common feature of all such cumulates. The rims occur at plag/plag, plag/ol, and less strongly at plag/aug grain boundaries. They are optically obvious at ΔAn and can reach ΔAn = 32 mol.% or more. In parallel, K/Na drops sharply. Although ubiquitous from sample to sample, the reversed rims are only locally present at grain boundaries even for the same pair of crystals in contact; they are prominent in linear networks suggesting the last trace of intercumulus liquid. A subsolidus origin is ruled out by the absence of reactants at plag/plag and plag/ol boundaries and by the local rather than pervasive development of rims. The rims are required to grow from intercumulus liquid, in which the partition of An component between crystals and liquid increases with the trapped augite component of the liquid. Calculations from published experimental data show that ΔAn > 30 can easily be achieved by such a process. It is also probable that the trapped liquid is part of an An-rich boundary layer generated by solute rejection during adcumulus growth. The ability of the rims to sustain steep K/Na gradients despite a long subsolidus cooling history proves that the K Na exchange rate is vanishingly small over a geologic time scale in An-rich feldspar, suggesting that at low K content the potassium is site-bound to the tetrahedral Al/Si distribution. Reversed rims therefore provide important information on diffusion limits as well as on the late-stage solidification history of plagioclase-rich cumulates. Moreover, they demonstrate that plagioclase geothermometry cannot be divorced from effects of liquid composition and structure as monitored, for example, by augite content.
Cell cycle inhibition without disruption of neurogenesis is a strategy for treatment of aberrant cell cycle diseases: an update.

Since publishing our earlier report describing a strategy for the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) diseases by inhibiting the cell cycle and without disrupting neurogenesis (Liu et al. 2010), we now update and extend this strategy to applications in the treatment of cancers as well. Here, we put forth the concept of “aberrant cell cycle diseases” to include both cancer and CNS diseases, the two unrelated disease types on the surface, by focusing on a common mechanism in each aberrant cell cycle reentry. In this paper, we also summarize the pharmacological approaches that interfere with classical cell cycle molecules and mitogenic pathways to block the cell cycle of tumor cells (in treatment of cancer) as well as to block the cell cycle of neurons (in treatment of CNS diseases). Since cell cycle inhibition can also block proliferation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and thus impair brain neurogenesis leading to cognitive deficits, we propose that future strategies aimed at cell cycle inhibition in treatment of aberrant cell cycle diseases (i.e., cancers or CNS diseases) should be designed with consideration of the important side effects on normal neurogenesis and cognition.
The Late Transit of Venus

I AM told that, in referring to the observations on the late transit of Venus which were made from a station on our college grounds by the astronomers of the German Imperial Commission, you speak of them as using the photographic process. This is not correct; besides contact observations they restricted themselves to the use of the heliometer. The first and the second contacts were not seen by reason of clouds; but four half sets and six full sets of heliometric measurements were made—128 in all. The third and the fourth contacts were observed by the German astronomers and by myself.
On the Use of a Mixed Integer Non‐linear Programming Model for Refrigerant Design

In this paper, a novel mixed integer non-linear programming model for single component refrigerant design is presented. At the heart of the approach is a new formulation for structural feasibility that allows multiple bonds, connectivity and isomers. The strategy defines a set of structural groups (consisting of atoms), subsets of which are combined to form refrigerant molecules. Molecules formed this way must obey structural and stability constraints. The design objective is to build a refrigerant molecule that has desired physical properties and performance characteristics. These attributes are formulated as mathematical programming constraints and performance objectives which involve both continuous and integer variables. With the current renewed interest in the environment, the suggested approach is applied to refrigerant design with an environmental constraint. The results indicate the viability and the flexibility of the approach.
SU‐FF‐T‐404: Techniques and Procedures Developed to Improve the Quality of Total Body Irradiation

Purpose: Half‐standing position has been used in our clinic for Total Body Irradiation (TBI) treatment for better patient comfort and dose uniformity. Several compensation techniques and diodes calibration procedures were developed to improve the quality of total body irradiation (TBI) treatment.Methods and Materials: A frame was designed to stand on the linac couch and to hold the Cerrobend lung blocks. The blocks were mounted on a polystyrene board, which was screwed on the frame. The position of the blocks could be adjusted with the vertical movement and certain rotation of the board. It could then be fine tuned by moving the couch vertically and laterally. The source to patient's mid‐plane distance is 400 cm, and the block to patient's mid‐plane distance is 200 cm. An house‐made rice bag was used to compensate the thickness of the patient's neck, and the linac jaws were partially closed during the treatment to compensate the dose to patient's lower legs. The dose distribution was monitored by in‐vivo diodes, which were calibrated at Dmax with treatment distance. Result: Since the blocks were halfway in‐between the source and the patient's midplane, they were not heavy and their penumbra was small. It was easy for therapists to positioning the blocks. The thickness of the neck was well compensated by the rice bag, the deviation of the dose measured at the neck to the prescription was reduced from 8–9% to 2–3%. The Dmax dose measured at the prescription site was in good agreement with the calculated Dmax dose. The differences were usually within 5%. No corrections of the diode's readings were necessary for the variation of patients' separations. Conclution: The TBI technique provides a simple and efficient method to deliver high quality treatments.
Regulation of V(D)J recombination activator protein RAG-2 by phosphorylation

Antigen receptor genes are assembled by site-specific DNA rearrangement. The recombination activator genes RAG-1 and RAG-2 are essential for this process, termed V(D)J rearrangement. The activity and stability of the RAG-2 protein have now been shown to be regulated by phosphorylation. In fibroblasts RAG-2 was phosphorylated predominantly at two serine residues, one of which affected RAG-2 activity in vivo. The threonine at residue 490 was phosphorylated by p34cdc2 kinase in vitro; phosphorylation at this site in vivo was associated with rapid degradation of RAG-2. Instability was transferred to chimeric proteins by a 90-residue portion of RAG-2. Mutation of the p34cdc2 phosphorylation site of the tumor suppressor protein p53 conferred a similar phenotype, suggesting that this association between phosphorylation and degradation is a general mechanism.
CE combined with rolling circle amplification for sensitive DNA detection

Here we describe an assay which combines CE with rolling circle amplification (RCA) for sensitive DNA detection and quantification. RCA is an isothermal DNA replication technique that generates a long ssDNA with tandem repeats. It requires simpler temperature control in reaction and offers higher sequence specificity and greater quantitation capability compared to other amplification technologies. In this study, RCA amplified the DNA target via a circular template, and the product was digested into monomers for CE analysis. Less than 2 fmol of the DNA target could easily be detected using this RCA-CE assay and the assay has a dynamic range of two orders of magnitudes. Moreover, simultaneous detection of both the target DNA and the internal standard was achieved by designing two padlock probes with different sizes, which could significantly improve the quantification accuracy. The RCA-CE assay is easy to perform, readily adaptable for detection of multiple targets because of the high resolution power of CE, and is compatible with other applications employing RCA as a signal amplification tool. Additionally, this assay can be used with a capillary array system to perform sensitive, high-throughput genetic screening.
Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride as a solvent for proteins and some other biologically important substances.

Abstract Anhydrous hydrogen fluoride has been shown to be a powerful solvent for a wide variety of proteins as well as a number of other biologically important substances such as chlorophyll and vitamin B 12 . Both insulin and ACTH have been recovered from hydrogen fluoride solution with retention of their biological properties. This suggests that this new solvent may have real significance in the study of the chemical and physical properties of proteins.
Conjunction errors: Evidence for multiple judgment procedures, including “signed summation”☆

Abstract A conjunction error is a judgment that a conjunctive event is more likely than one of the marginal events comprising the conjunction. Previous research has demonstrated conjunction errors in situations in which marginal events arose from a common generating process. In Studies 1–3, conjunction errors were reliably induced in cases where marginal events resulted from unrelated processes. This suggests that conjunction errors can be produced by “formalistic” judgment procedures, by which probability judgments for conjunctions are derived from probability judgments for marginal events according to some combination rule. Protocols from Studies 2 and 3 also indicated that subjects use multiple judgment procedures, several of which are capable of yielding conjunction errors. One new procedure suggested by the protocols is formalized in a “signed sum model.” In this model, an event's likelihood is represented by a positive number, a negative number, or zero, depending on whether the event is considered likely, unlikely, or neither, respectively. The likelihood value for a conjunction is the sum of those for the constituent marginal events. In Study 4, this model successfully predicted when some subjects made zero, one, or two conjunction errors.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

We conducted a systematic review to determine the safety and efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids for autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). Articles were identified by a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Database using the terms autism or autistic and omega-3 fatty acids. The search identified 143 potential articles and six satisfied all inclusion criteria. One small randomized controlled trial (n = 13) noted non-significant improvements in hyperactivity and stereotypy. The remaining five studies were small (n = 30, 22, 19, 9, and 1) with four reporting improvements in a wide range of outcomes including language and learning skills, parental observations of general health and behavior, a clinician-administered symptom scale, and clinical observations of anxiety. Due to the limitations of evidence from uncontrolled studies and the presence of only one small randomized controlled trial, there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to determine if omega-3 fatty acids are safe or effective for ASD.
Escherichia coli formylmethionine tRNA: Methylation of specific guanine and adenine residues catalyzed by HeLa cell tRNA methylases and the effect of these methylations on its biological properties

Abstract Purified HeLa cell tRNA methylases have been used for site-specific methylations of Escherichia coli formylmethionine transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNAfMet). Guanine-N2-methylase catalyzed the methylation of a specific guanine residue (G27) and adenine-1-methylase that of a specific adenine residue (A59). The combined action of both of these enzymes leads to a total incorporation of two methyl groups and results in the methylation of both G27 and A59. The effect of introducing additional methyl groups on the function of tRNA has been studied by a comparison in vitro of the biological properties of tRNAfMet and enzymically methylated tRNAfMet. It was found that none of the following properties of E. coli tRNAfMet are altered to any significant extent by methylation: (a) rate, extent, and specificity of aminoacylation, (b) ability of methionyl-tRNA to be enzymically formylated, and (c) ability of formylmethionyl-tRNA to initiate protein synthesis in cell-free extracts of E. coli in the presence of f2 RNA as messenger. Also, the temperature versus absorbance profile of the doubly methylated tRNAfmet was virtually identical to that of the E. coli tRNAfMet, and enzymically methylated tRNAfmet resembled tRNAfMet in that both were resistant to deacylation by E. coli, N-acylaminoacyl-tRNA hydrolase.
Peptidases of yeast and filamentous forms ofCandida albicans

Abstract A study of the peptidases of the yeast and filamentous forms of Candida albicans H-317 was carried out. At least three distinct peptidase activities in cell extracts of the yeast and filamentous phases were separated by gel filtration column chromatography or native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and measured by an enzyme-coupled colorimetric assay. The first peak of hydrolyzing activity to elute from a Sephadex G-200 column was designated as peak I, an aminopeptidase(s) with broad substrate specificity, and was characterized as follows: It had a molecular weight of 550,000, pH optima 7.5 to 8.0, and K m of 1 × 10 −4 M with trimethionine as substrate, and it was inhibited by EDTA. The activity of peak I showed stereospecificity since it hydrolyzed d -methionyl- l -methionyl- l -methionine and l -methionyl- l -methionyl- d -methionine but not l -methionyl- d -methionyl- l -methionine. The second peak to elute from the gel filtration column was designated peak II. Its molecular weight was estimated to be 120,000, it had a pH optimum of 7.0, and it was inhibited by EDTA. The K m with trimethionine as substrate for the yeast and filamentous phase peak II was 3.2 × 10 −4 and 7.5 × 10 −5 M , respectively. In addition to peak I and peak II peptidase(s), a dipeptidase activity with a molecular weight of 150,000 was detected in both the yeast and filamentous phases. Thus, a multiplicity of peptidases was present in cell extracts of C. albicans and no major differences were noted in the partially purified peptidases from either the yeast or filamentous phase.
Clinical Manifestation of Atherosclerotic Peripheral Arterial Disease and the Role of Cilostazol in Treatment of Intermittent Claudication

Intermittent claudication (IC) is the symptomatic expression of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), which itself is a manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis. Like other forms of atherosclerosis, PAD is associated with elevated rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular morbidity and mortality. Until recently, therapeutic options for the treatment of the symptoms of IC have been limited, and the efficacy of available treatment has been questioned. Cilostazol, a selective phosphodiesterase III inhibitor with vasodilator, antiplatelet, and antiproliferative properties, has recently been approved for the treatment of IC symptoms in the United States. Cilostazol significantly improves maximal and pain-free walking distances. Clinical studies have also demonstrated that cilostazol favorably alters plasma lipids (elevates HDL-cholesterol, lowers triglycerides). These properties may contribute to the benefit of this drug in IC and in other diseases secondary to atherosclerosis.
Natural history of a northern population of twin-spotted rattlesnakes, Crotalus pricei

The twin-spotted rattlesnake (Crotalus pricei) is a small-bodied pitviper that has received little attention in the literature to date. The species reaches the northern limit of its range in southeastern Arizona, where it inhabits higher elevations than any of the state's 10 other rattlesnake species. During 1997- 2000, we captured, measured, and marked 127 C. pricei in Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains between 2530 and 2900 m elevation. We also used radiotelemetry to track the movements of 16 C. pricei in the study area during 1997-1998. Mean (6 SE) snout-vent length of C. pricei was 387.8 6 8.3 mm (range 5 168-572), and mean mass was 53.5 6 3.3 g (range 5 3.6-188.5). Based on fecal analyses, lizards constituted the bulk of prey (74%), but the diet of C. pricei also included mammals, birds, and a conspecific. Mating was concentrated in August and early September and parturition took place during late July and August. Mean number of embryos was 3.94 6 0.34 (range 5 1-6) and female reproduction appeared biennial or less frequent. Based on shed and growth rates, female C. pricei develop embryos at 4-5 years of age. Gravid females maintained warmer body temperatures relative to substrate temperature than nongravid females or males, presumably by spending more time basking than other snakes. Radiotelemetry revealed that movement patterns varied from year to year, as males moved over six times farther per week during the 1998 monsoon season (July to September) than during the 1997 monsoon season. Additionally, use of talus slopes by males decreased during 1998. During dry years, such as 1998, males may be forced off talus into cooler microclimates where resources are less concentrated than on talus.
Palladium complexes of a new phosphine-amido-siloxide pincer ligand with variable degrees of protonation

Abstract This manuscript describes the preparation of a new PN(H)SiO(H) pincer-type ligand that is based on the diarylamine backbone and links together phosphine, amine, and silanol donor sites. Treatment of PN(H)SiO(H) with Pd(acac)2, (COD)PdCl2, or Pd(OAc)2 resulted in the formation of (κ2-PNSiO(H))Pd(acac) (3), (κ2-PN(H)SiO(H))PdCl2 (4), and (κ3-PNSiO(H))PdOAc (5), in which the supporting ligand displays different degrees of coordination and protonation. In complex 5, the PNSiO(H) ligand functions as a tridentate phosphine-amido-silanol pincer ligand, with additional strong hydrogen bonding between the silanol OH and one of the oxygens of the Pd-bound acetate. Complex 5 cleanly exchanged acetate for a triflate upon treatment with Me3SiOTf, yielding (κ3-PNSiO(H))PdOTf (6). Analogous treatment with Me3SiCl did not lead cleanly to the expected (κ3-PNSiO(H))PdCl (7), but instead ultimately to (κ2-PN(H)SiO(SiMe3))PdCl2 (8). The dianionic PNSiO ligand was accessed by reactions of 5 with base in the presence of pyridine or PMe3 to give (κ3-PNSiO)Pd(py) (9) and (κ3-PNSiO)Pd(PMe3) (10), respectively. Solid-state structures of 5 and 9 were established by single-crystal X-ray diffractometry and revealed square-planar geometry about Pd with tridentate coordination of the pincer ligand.
Cortical projections to the superior colliculus in prosimian galagos (Otolemur garnetti)

The superior colliculus (SC) is a key structure within the extrageniculate pathway of visual information to cortex and is highly involved in visuomotor functions. Previous studies in anthropoid primates have shown that superficial layers of the SC receive direct inputs from various visual cortical areas such as V1, V2, and middle temporal (MT), while deeper layers receive direct inputs from visuomotor cortical areas within the posterior parietal cortex and the frontal eye fields. Very little is known, however, about the corticotectal projections in prosimian primates. In the current study we investigated the sources of cortical inputs to the SC in prosimian galagos (Otolemur garnetti) using retrograde anatomical tracers placed into the SC. The superficial layers of the SC in galagos received the majority of their inputs from early visual areas and visual areas within the MT complex. Yet, surprisingly, MT itself had relatively few corticotectal projections. Deeper layers of the SC received direct projections from visuomotor areas including the posterior parietal cortex and premotor cortex. However, relatively few corticotectal projections originated within the frontal eye fields. While prosimian galagos resemble other primates in having early visual areas project to the superficial layers of the SC, with higher visuomotor regions projecting to deeper layers, the results suggest that MT and frontal eye field projections to the SC were sparse in early primates, remained sparse in present-day prosimian primates, and became more pronounced in anthropoid primates.
Magnetically enhanced hard–soft SmCo5–FeNi composites obtained via high energy ball milling and heat treatment

Abstract The effect of high energy ball milling on the structure and magnetic properties of SmCo 5 – x %FeNi ( x : 5,15), magnetically hard–soft phase composites, has been investigated as a function of composition ratio, ball milling time, and annealing temperature using x-ray diffraction and room temperature magnetometry. The milling resulted in decomposition of SmCo 5 and FeNi phases. Heat treatment of ball-milled composites resulted in a secondary soft magnetic phase FeCo. High remanence and coercivity values are obtained at a low annealing temperature of ∼650 °C and short annealing time (20 min). Magnetic measurements of annealed composite sample, SmCo 5 –5%FeNi, show enhancement in magnetization (178%), remanence (127%), and coercivity (67%) as compared to that of pure SmCo 5 . The enhancement in coercivity and remanence is attributed to the effective exchange coupling between hard SmCo 5 and soft FeCo/FeNi phases. Overall better magnetic properties were presented by composites with low FeNi content. The facile synthesis process represents a general process toward SmCo 5 based exchange–spring nanocomposites for high performance bulk permanent magnet.
Strategic placement of telemetry to reduce routing costs

Telemetry units can be used to track inventory levels at customers, helping suppliers get a better idea of when their customers require deliveries. In this article, we examine where to place a limited number of these units. To the best of our knowledge, this question has not been addressed in the literature. For each potential set of customers to have telemetry, our model considers several different realizations of when these customers would need deliveries and evaluates the cost of routing these customers in combination with those customers who do not have telemetry. We iteratively improve the set of customers with telemetry until we find the set with the lowest expected routing cost. In our computational experiments, we examine the performance of our model and the impact of different problem characteristics on the results.Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 633, 260-275 2014
Packing resonant hexagons in fullerenes

A fullerene graph G is a plane cubic graph such that every face is bounded by either a hexagon or a pentagon. A set H of disjoint hexagons of G is a resonant set (or sextet pattern) if G-V(H) has a perfect matching. A resonant set is a forcing set if G-V(H) has a unique perfect matching. The size of a maximum resonant set is called the Clar number of G. In this paper, we show the Clar number of fullerene graphs with a non-trivial cyclic 5-edge-cut is (n-20)/10. Combining a previous result obtained in Kardos et al. (2009), it is proved in this paper that a fullerene has the Clar number at least (n-380)/61. For leapfrog fullerenes, we show that the Clar number is at least n/6-n/5. Further, it is shown that the minimum forcing resonant set has at least two hexagons and the bound is tight.
Barrier Dune System along the Outer Banks of North Carolina: A Reappraisal

Barrier dune development has been encouraged by man along the Outer Banks of North Carolina to stabilize the barrier islands. This modification of a delicately balanced natural system is leading to severe adjustments in both geological and ecological processes.
Augmentation of evoked electro-cortical activity during spindle bursts

Abstract Several types of evoked electro-cortical activities have been observed to undergo pronounced augmentation during spindle bursts and depression during the inter-burst period. The alternation is attribute to a periodic waxing and waning of background excitability, of which the burst may be a manifestation rather than a cause.
A mathematical model for the temporal pattern of a population structure, with particular reference to the flour beetle: II. Competition between species

The effect of competition between species is considered in terms of a mathematical model. It is found that, except for special relations among the parameters, only one species should remain, as is found experimentally. It is also found that unless new factors arise in the competition, one can calculate an index to predict which of the two species is most likely to become extinct. The index involves quantities measured from isolated populations. A preliminary extimate yields satisfactory values when compared with the experimental results of competition.
Use of negative pressure wound therapy to help facilitate limb preservation

Because of changes in demography, non-communicable diseases cause more deaths worldwide than infectious disease for the first time in history. One of the most prevalent of these maladies is diabetes mellitus, which resulted in 4·6 million deaths in 2011. There will be approximately 552 million people with diabetes worldwide by 2030. For these patients, one of the most common severe complications will be a foot wound. Patients with diabetes have at least a 25% lifetime risk of developing a foot ulcer. Many of these infections go on to amputation. Those patients have a 50% mortality rate in the 5 years following the initial amputation. Indeed, these problems are costly as well. In 2010, spending on diabetes was estimated to account for 11·6% of the total health care expenditure in the world. This review merges scientific evidence with expert experience to show the role of negative pressure wound therapy using reticulated open cell foam (V.A.C.® Therapy, KCI USA, Inc., San Antonio, TX) in limb preservation.
A method for computing non-localized harmonic propagation and resonance in the electric energy systems

This paper concerns propagation of harmonics within the electric energy systems. Sufficient conditions for localized propagation are stated. The propagation for harmonic is illustrated on a simple linear RLC network by showing that when these conditions are satisfied the effect of harmonics is confined to the vicinity of the harmonic source. However, when these conditions are not met, it is possible to have a hard-to-predict electrically distant harmonic resonance which may lead to the unacceptably high distortion. The same network is used to illustrate this problem. The possibility of non-localized harmonic propagation and resonance requires systematic tools for: (1) identifying causes of harmonics within an electrically vast system; (2) prediction of most likely resonance locations; (3) effective placement of filters for eliminating harmonics at the most sensitive system locations; and, (4) pricing for providing adequate power quality. This paper presents preliminary findings related to (1) through (4). More importantly, the paper points out the need to study the power quality problem as a network systems problem, instead of as a problem limited to a single location within the grid.
Basic Strategies for Mainstream Integration

Practical strategies, based on teacher experiences and a review of the related literature, for integrating LD students into the regular classroom
Evaluation of Data Distribution Patterns in Distributed-Memory Machines

Determining an appropriate data distribution among different memories is critical to the performance of data-parallel programs on distributedmemory machines. By analyzing the computational load of data arrays and the communication cornplexity of various data movement operations in a program, this paper suggests a first-order cost model for determining a small set of appropriate data distribution patterns among many possible choices. A new data distribution specification, name! y CYBLOCK, is proposed to enhance the expressiveness of data distribution specifications being proposed in High Performance Fortran. Cost analysis of two case studies: a linear system solver and a Purdue-set benchmark loop, are used to illustrate the proposed evaluation method. The model correctly predicts the relative performance of the case studies when implemented with various regular data distributions on an nCUBE- 2 multicomputer.