cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Internet resources for genomic, bioinformatics, and medical genetics information.

Internet Resources for Genomic, Bioinformatics, and Medical Genetics Information (Tamara J. Phillips, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Portland, Oregon). Many diseases are influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors. Identifying the genes contributing to the probability of developing such diseases poses an extraordinary challenge because each gene may have a small influence. Further, in the presence of other influential genes and environmental factors, the impact of a single gene may be amplified. Many approaches are being taken to address the challenge presented by complex trait genetics, and data are being amassed at an alarming rate. Access to these data is crucial for coordination of efforts and avoidance of unnecessary duplication of research. This appendix describes some of the resources available on the World Wide Web that provide genetic and genomic data, tools for analyzing genome data, information on funding opportunities, and information about ethical, legal and social issues associated with the genetic analysis of disease traits.
Biology of simian virus 40 (SV40) transplantation antigen (TrAg) III. Involvement of SV40 gene A in the expression of TrAg in permissive cells.

Abstract Temperature-sensitive ( ts ) mutants of simian virus (SV40) which map in the early region of the SV40 genome were used to determine the role of the viral genome in the expression of SV40-specific transplantation rejection antigen (TrAg). The results indicated that ts A mutants (1612, 1637, 7, and 28) did not induce the expression of SV40-TrAg at the surface of infected permissive African green monkey kidney cells (TC-7) at 41° but did induce the expression of TrAg at the permissive temperature (33°) in TC-7 cells. Wild-type SV40 and late SV40 temperature-sensitive mutants ( ts BC1602, ts BC1606, ts B8, and ts C219) induced SV40-TrAg in TC-7 cells at nonpermissive and permissive temperatures with equal efficiency. One of the mutants belonging to complementation group D ( ts D1601) was defective in inducing SV40-TrAg at 41°. Kinetic studies indicated that SV40-TrAg appears by 18 hr after infection at 41° and 38 hr post-infection at 33°, paralleling closely the synthesis of T antigen. The synthesis of immunoreactive T antigen in TC-7 cells infected with ts A mutants at nonpermissive temperature did not correlate with the inability of ts A mutants to express TrAg at nonpermissive temperature. We conclude that the expression of TrAg in SV40-infected cells depends upon normal functioning of the A gene.
Extending existing campus trust relationships to the grid through the integration of pubcookie and myproxy

In many ways, the ultimate success of the Grid will be highly dependent on the support for and integration with existing legacy infrastructure such as authentication infrastructure. This paper describes the design and implementation of the integration of Pubcookie, a popular Web-based authentication infrastructure used on campuses, and MyProxy, the on-line credential repository for the Grid. Specifically, we enable a valid Pubcookie credential to be dynamically exchanged for a Grid credential, without requiring the user to re-authenticate. Through this integration, this project makes an important contribution to an overall goal of single sign-on and more specifically the ability to “authenticate locally and act globally”.
Open mHealth Architecture: An Engine for Health Care Innovation

Chronic diseases like diabetes, asthma, and obesity account for 46% of global disease burden ( 1 ). The traditional model of episodic care in clinic and hospital-based settings is suboptimal for improving chronic disease outcomes ( 2 ). Mobile communication devices, in conjunction with Internet and social media, present opportunities to enhance disease prevention and management by extending health interventions beyond the reach of traditional care—an approach referred to as mHealth ( 3 ). However, mHealth is emerging as a patchwork of incompatible applications (“apps”) serving narrow, albeit valuable, needs, and thus could benefit from more coordinated development ( 4 ). A public-private partnership to define and instantiate an “open” mHealth architecture (described below), in the context of economic incentives and enabling policies, could support medical discovery and evidence-based practice about managing and preventing chronic disease.
Phospho(enol)pyruvate Binding to Thermus thermophilus Phosphofructokinase

ATP-dependent type 1 prokaryotic phosphofructokinase (PFK) catalyzes the conversion of fructose-6-phosphate (F6P) and MgATP to fructose-1,6-bisphosphate and MgADP. This enzyme is allosterically inhibited by phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) and exists as a homotetramer with the four active sites formed along one dimer-dimer interface and four allosteric sites formed along the other. The overall structures of PFK's from E. coli, Bacillus stearothermophilus, and Lactobacillus delbruekii are very similar, and the sequences have high percent identity and similarity with Thermus thermophilus PFK. Thermus thermophilus PFK (TtPFK) comes from a gram negative bacterium that is an extreme thermophile. One of the interesting features of TtPFK is an unusually tight PEP binding (Kd=1.3±0.02mM at 250C pH 8) compared to PFK's from E. coli (300±10mM), Bacillus stearothermophilus (60±4mM), and Lactobacillus delbruekii (24±2mM). Since no structural data are available for TtPFK to date, a structure of a highly homologous PFK from a moderate thermophile Bacillus stearothermophilus was used to predict the residues important for PEP binding. From the sequence alignment and the PEP-bound D12A BsPFK structure, three non-conserved residues were identified in the allosteric binding site that may be responsible for tight binding: R55, N59, and S215. To quantify the contribution of these residues to PEP binding, single and double mutations were made to the corresponding residues in BsPFK, EcPFK, and LbPFK. Kinetic data showed that these mutations weakened the binding of PEP to different extents. In case of N59D/S215H, the PEP binding affinity was 10-fold lower N59D showed a 100-fold decrease in PEP binding affinity and R55G showed a 700-fold decrease in PEP binding. Furthermore, these mutants showed a slight increase in coupling, which means that although the binding of PEP becomes weaker, its ability to inhibit was somewhat improved. Supported by NIH grant GM33261 and Welch Foundation grant A1543.
Fiber composition and in vitro digestibility of corn stover fractions in response to ammonia treatment.

The composition and digestibility of corn stover leaves and stems after prolonged NH3 treatment was compared with that after isonitrogenous NH3 addition (NH3 control), represented by samples immediately frozen after initial NH3 application. Ammonia treatment decreased concentration of hemicellulose in leaves, particularly arabinose residues. Concentration of saponifiable hydroxycinnamic acids was reduced by NH3 treatment in upper stems only. Ammonia addition, compared to a H2O control, increased the extent of in vitro fiber degradation of all plant fractions but the rate of fiber degradation for leaves only. Ammonia treatment increased the extent of fiber degradation over NH3 addition in leaves but not in stems. The variable response to NH3 treatment among stover fractions of drought-stressed corn may be related to the high concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates in the stalks and immobilization of NH3-N with lignin. Keywords: Ammoniation; Zea mays; lignin; hemicellulose; hydroxycinnamic acids; NPN i...
Aberrant posterior inferior cerebellar artery injury with C1 lateral mass screw placement: a case report and review of the literature

Abstract Background context Complications associated with C1 lateral mass screw placement are relatively infrequent. The most commonly feared complications include neural or vascular injury. Although both vertebral artery and internal carotid artery injuries have been discussed in the literature, there have been no reports of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) injury from C1 lateral mass screw placement. We report a case of patient who had a cerebellar stroke after C1 lateral mass screw placement, secondary to injury of an aberrant PICA. Purpose To describe the normal anatomy of the PICA, the anatomic variations previously reported in the literature, the sequela and symptoms of a patient with PICA injury, and the relevance to C1 lateral mass screw placement. No previous reports of PICA injury with a cerebellar stroke have been reported with C1 lateral mass screw instrumentation. Study design Case report and literature review. Methods The patient underwent an Occiput–C6 posterior instrumentation for a pathologic fracture, secondary to multiple myeloma. In the postoperative period, the patient was found to have dysarthria, imbalance, and dysdiadochokinesia. Urgent computed tomography confirmed well placed C1 lateral mass screws. Magnetic resonance imaging/Magnetic Resonance Angiography showed an infarct in the PICA distribution with an abnormal variant of the PICA coursing extracranially around C1. Neurologic monitoring did not detect the injury intraoperatively. Results The patient was treated with anticoagulation and he made a reasonable recovery from his stroke. Conclusions We report the first case of an aberrant PICA injured during a C1 lateral mass screw placement, resulting in a cerebellar stroke. Consideration should be given to abnormal PICA variation when placing C1 lateral mass screws.
Polychlorobiphenyls in North Atlantic ocean water.

Concentrations of polychlorobiphenyls (PCB9s) have been measured at the surface and at various depths in the water of the North Atlantic Ocean between 26°N and 63°N. The concentrations average about 20 parts per trillion and amount to an estimated 2 x 10 4 metric tons of PCB9s in the upper 200 meters of water. The average concentrations of PCB9s in the surface water of the Sargasso Sea are lower than those in the northern North Atlantic.
Systematic anomalies over inland water bodies in satellite‐based precipitation estimates

[1] We studied two recent high-resolution precipitation datasets derived from satellite remote-sensing, TRMM 3B42 and CMORPH, and compared them with ground-based radar and gauge measurements in the southeastern U. S. We found there are systematic differences in rainfall estimates between inland water-body pixels and land pixels. On average, there are about twice as many raining days over water bodies than over land pixels in the satellite products, causing much higher false alarm rates over water bodies. The increased false alarms occur mostly in the form of light rain (<2 mm/day), and lead to significantly different rain rate distributions between water-body and land pixels. We speculate that this inconsistency is caused by deficiencies in emissivity characterization for the passive microwave-based rainfall retrievals that serve as input to these merged products.
Minimax control of parabolic systems with Dirichlet boundary conditions and state constraints

In this paper we formulate and study a minimax control problem for a class of parabolic systems with controlled Dirichlet boundary conditions and uncertain distributed perturbations under pointwise control and state constraints. We prove an existence theorem for minimax solutions and develop effective penalized procedures to approximate state constraints. Based on a careful variational analysis, we establish convergence results and optimality conditions for approximating problems that allow us to characterize suboptimal solutions to the original minimax problem with hard constraints. Then passing to the limit in approximations, we prove necessary optimality conditions for the minimax problem considered under proper constraint qualification conditions.
Empirical Experiments in Public Reporting: Reconstructing the Results of Survey Research, 1941–42

During the first half of the 20th century, public administration developed a normative theory of public reporting. It called on government managers to contribute to an informed citizenry through regular reports to the public, especially annual reports. However, in the only known instance when this theory was subjected to comparative empirical research, a doctoral student at the University of California, Berkeley, conducted some methodologically credible experiments during the early 1940s. Her results demonstrated the ineffectiveness of annual reports. However, rather than adjusting to accommodate this empirical information, leading organizations ignored them and continued pushing for annual reports. With the test results never published in an academic journal and the student's dissertation left incomplete, they were soon lost and forgotten. Public administration's interest in public reporting declined during the second half of the 20th century, perhaps because of the lack of an empirically based approach.
Red alder leaf litter and streamwater quality in Western Oregon

: Streamside red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) stands are common in western Oregon, and they have been suspected of causing water quality problems in domestic supplies during autumn leaf fall. Studies in the Seaside municipal watershed showed potential water quality effects (particularly increased color) from alder leaves, but stream sampling during 1981–82 revealed no chronic problems. The few observed short-term increases in water color occurred near the onset of storm flows, which suggested a flushing of organic matter storage sites. An extended period of unusually low flows and high leaf fall are probably necessary to produce significant water quality problems in this stream system. Laboratory leaching of alder leaves in filtered stream water indicated a fairly constant release of colored organic matter over time, and running water leached this matter more efficiently than still water. Water color increased linearly with increasing leaf mass added to still water, and for a given leaf mass there appeared to be a limit to the amount of colored matter that could be removed in the first 48 hours of leaching. Other laboratory tests showed that ultraviolet absorbance (254 mm) may provide a reasonable estimate of dissolved organic carbon concentrations in systems dominated by alder leaf inputs.
Monitoring performance with a time-shared memory task.

30 Ss participated in an auditory vigilance task, time-shared with a memory task. The results showed no change in memory whether assessed independently or time-shared with the vigilance task. The vigilance performance demonstrated the classical vigilance decrement. Ss performing the vigilance task time-shared with the memory task performed significantly more poorly than Ss performing the vigilance independently of the memory task. Theoretical implications are suggested.
Bradford distributions of social-science bibliographies varying in definitional homogeneity

Six social-science bibliographies were ranked along a complex ordinal dimension of the “homogeneity” of (1) the defining criteria for including items in a bibliography or (2) the disciplinary source(s) of the literature. The most homogeneous bibliography exhibited the classic linearity of the graphic form of Bradford's Law, but the most heterogeneous bibliographies exhibited concavity in their graphic display. The lower the overall article/journal density in a bibliography, the greater the curvature (concavity) of its Bradford plot. Results were discussed in relation to the generalizability of Bradford's Law and to differences between scholarly practices in the social and natural sciences.
Ventricular assist device therapy normalizes inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and reduces cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the failing human heart.

Objectives We examined the effect of mechanical unloading with ventricular assist device (VAD) therapy on myocardial inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in patients with end-stage heart failure (HF). Background Despite advances in medical therapy, HF continues to be a progressive and ultimately fatal disorder. High levels of iNOS expression are present in the myocardium of failing hearts, suggesting a potential role for iNOS in HF progression. Methods Inducible NOS protein expression was analyzed by Western blotting and cardiomyocyte apoptosis by terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) in myocardial samples from failing hearts. Included in these analyses were tissues from 9 patients at the time of transplantation (HF-transplant group), 10 patients at the time of VAD insertion (pre-VAD group), and 11 patients undergoing transplant after VAD support (post-VAD group). Seven control samples were obtained at autopsy. Results Low or undetectable levels of iNOS were present in controls (0.005 ± 0.002). The HF-transplant and pre-VAD myocardial specimens exhibited a marked increase in iNOS expression (1.48 ± 0.34 and 1.29 ± 0.26, respectively; p Conclusions Therapy with VAD normalizes iNOS expression in association with diminished cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the failing heart. Further work is required to define whether a causal relationship exists between iNOS and cardiomyocyte apoptosis.
The management of technology within an enterprise engineering framework

Abstract Many attempts at implementing Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) technologies are unsuccessful. This paper presents a methodology for the strategic management of technologies such as those involved in CIM. This methodology, entitled the Enterprise Engineering methodology, is based on the premis that technology should only be implemented after the basic foundations are put in place. The methodology is an integrated sociotechnical framework that addresses organizational, cultural, process, and technological issues. To place the methodology in focus, the paper first presents an overview of the current manufacturing environment. The methodology is then discussed in depth. The development and implementation experiences with the methodology are also presented.
Stability of concatenated traveling waves: Alternate approaches

Abstract We consider a reaction–diffusion equation in one space dimension whose initial condition is approximately a sequence of widely separated traveling waves with increasing velocity, each of which is asymptotically stable. As in [14] , [24] , [25] , we show that the sequence of traveling waves is itself asymptotically stable: as t → ∞ , the solution approaches the concatenated wave pattern, with different shifts of each wave allowed. Our proof is similar to that of [14] in that it is based on spatial dynamics, Laplace transform, and exponential dichotomies, but it incorporates a number of modifications.
Data-driven correction for light attenuation in shallow waters

Application of remote sensing to aquatic habitats is generally complex, due to the presence of optically active components that absorb or scatter light. According to the Beer–Lambert law, as electromagnetic energy travels through a medium, it is attenuated at an exponential rate determined by the physical and chemical properties of the medium. Determination of attenuation coefficients is complex for optically shallow inland and coastal waters due to bottom reflection and/or multi-path scattering. To better understand light attenuation in shallow waters, mathematical relationships between water depth and vertical attenuation coefficient (K d) were derived using experimental spectral data (400–900 nm). The model was used to estimate K d values at water depths that were beyond and in between the experimentally measured points (5–60 cm). The depth- and wavelength-dependent K d values were used to correct the measured spectral reflectance for the corresponding light attenuation to restore the bottom reflectanc...
Influence of inherited taper on structural variability and conglomerate distribution, Cordilleran fold and thrust belt, western United States

North-south changes in thickness of the prethrust stratigraphy of the North American Cordillera within the United States controlled kinematic development of the late Mesozoic (Sevier) fold and thrust belt. Variation in stratigraphic thickness determined the initial slope (β o ) of the basal decollement beneath the thrust wedge. As predicted by critical-wedge theory, segments of the Sevier thrust belt with initially thick Precambrian and Paleozoic stratigraphic sections are structurally simple and are composed of few thrust sheets; segments with thin prethrust stratigraphy and comparably low values of β o are intensely imbricated. The difference in structural style resulted because wedge segments with higher values of β o required less internal deformation to build and maintain the critical taper required for thrust-wedge advance. Transverse structural zones, across which kinematic style differed, formed at the terminations of thrust-belt segments and controlled the locations of long-lived antecedent drainage systems that transported gravel to the foreland. Therefore, along-strike changes in prethrust stratigraphic thickness resulted in an observed disjunct distribution of conglomerate in synorogenic deposits of the thrust wedge and foreland basin.
On a combined sturm sequence and inverse iteration technique for eigenproblem solution of spinning structures

This paper describes an efficient numerical algorithm for the accurate computation of specific eigenvalues and related vectors of spinning structures. The Sturm sequence technique is first applied to isolate the required roots, which are then individually located by an inverse iteration technique adopting an efficient matrix formulation specially developed for this purpose. The associated digital computer procedure is numerically stable, which also fully exploits the banded form of relevant matrices. Furthermore, the algorithm proves to be much faster than other related existing procedures. A computer program, based on the current algorithm, has been developed in FORTRAN V for the JPL UNIVAC 1108 computer. Numerical results for representative structures, computed by the program, are also presented in detail. Extensive applications of the program are envisaged in the attitude control of spacecraft and in the natural frequency analysis of spinning structures, discretized by the finite element method.
Proton- and deuteron-transfer reactions to ethane and ethane-d6: Internal-energy effects in the formation and decomposition of C2H7+

Abstract A tandem-ICR mass spectrometer was used to study internal-energy effects in proton (deuteron) transfer to ethane. Product distributions for reactions of ArD+, D3+, N2H+, CO2H+, CO2D+, CD5+, N2OD+, and COD+ with ethane (or ethane-d6) and rate constants for reaction of ArD+, D3+, CO2D+, and CD5+ are reported as a function of the average number of relaxing collisions the reactant ion undergoes before reaction. The competing reaction of hydride-ion abstraction (or short-lived, unequilibrated proton transfer) decreases relative to proton transfer [followed by X2 (X=H or D) elimination from a species in which H and D atoms are equivalent] as the available energy is decreased for the more energetic reactants. For the less energetic species, large isotope effects were noted in the formation of C2X5+ product ions. The metastable decomposition of C2H6D+ and C2D6H+ ions were also examined by injecting these ions into the ICR spectrometer and monitoring the C2X5+ product ions; the expected very large isotope effects were observed. The reverse reaction of C2H5+ with D2 was also examined and found to be very slow (10−12 > k > 10−13 cm3 mol−1 s−1); the rate increases as internal or translational energy is increased. The C2H3D2+/C2H4D+ product ratio is 1.2±0.1 and independent of C2H5+ translational or internal energy. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that an activation-energy barrier impedes formation of a C2H5D2+ intermediate.
An Explanatory Model of Variables Influencing Health Promotion Behaviors in Smoking and Nonsmoking College Students

College students can establish healthy lifestyle practices that can have lifelong implications. Many students, however, continue to engage in risky behaviors such as active and passive smoking. The purpose of this study was to test an explanatory model of variables which can influence health promotion behaviors in smoking and nonsmoking college students. Pender's Health Promotion Model provided the framework for the study. Health promotion behaviors were found to be most effective when students: had an increased self-efficacy, avoided environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), perceived themselves as healthy, were female, and had a powerful external and internal health locus of control. College students may benefit from health promotion interventions designed to influence the avoidance of ETS and alter perceptions of self-efficacy, control of health, and health status. Such interventions may result in a decrease in both active and passive smoking.
Residence Time of Dissolved Phosphate in Natural Waters

Residence time varies from approximately 0.05 to 200 hours. Short residence times are indictative of depleted phosphate, active metabolic activity, or both. The turnover rate of phosphate is between 0.1 and 1.0 mg of phosphorus per cubic meter, per hour, regardless of phosphate concentration, except in biologically active systems where it is 1.0 to 20. The turnover rate of phosphate may be more important than the phosphate concentration in maintaining highly productive systems.
Benign blue nevus of the vagina.

Pigmented lesions of the vagina are very rare. A benign blue nevus of the vagina in a 73-year-old woman, diagnosed clinically as malignant melanoma, is presented. Although 15 cases of blue nevi of the uterine cervix have been reported, this is the first case of blue nevus located exclusively in the vagina. Cancer 40:3174-3176, 1977.
Beyond school walls: teachers’ use of professional learning networks to receive help on a global scale

Even though the availability of information and the ability to connect with educators around the world is increasing rapidly through the internet, many teachers continue to seek help for overcoming classroom challenges from within the confines of their schools. In this study, 14 K-12 teachers volunteered to participate in an online course about using professional learning network (PLNs) tools to solicit help from educators around the world. A pre-course survey and post-course survey were administered to determine whether the online course effectively helped teachers expand their help-seeking behaviours beyond their schools. Analysis of the data found that after completing the online course, the participants were more willing to use their PLN to ask for help from a global audience of educators and experts.
Factors Associated with Intern Fatigue

BACKGROUND Prior data suggest that fatigue adversely affects patient safety and resident well-being. ACGME duty hour limitations were intended, in part, to reduce resident fatigue, but the factors that affect intern fatigue are unknown.
Informing the dosing of interventions in randomized trials.

Abstract Dosing is potentially the most important decision that must be made when building or refining behavioral interventions. In this paper, we propose standardized terminology and reporting of dosing information, which would inform intervention development, refinement for dissemination, and systematic reviews of dose–response relationships. Dosing of interventions may be characterized by duration, frequency, and amount. To illustrate the value of operationalizing these three parameters to evaluate dose–response relationships, 31 published reports of behavioral interventions to increase adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) were reviewed. The ART literature was characterized by under-reporting of dosing parameters, heterogeneity in dosing schedules, and heterogeneity in type of control group, which complicate analysis of dose–response relationships in systematic review and determination of the optimal dose for intervention dissemination. Improved reporting of the three dosing parameters and comparison of intended to actual delivery can inform the identification of the most effective intervention doses and the efficient implementation of efficacious interventions in clinical practice.
Structural conservation of mouse and rat zona pellucida glycoproteins. Probing the native rat zona pellucida proteome by mass spectrometry

The mammalian zona pellucida is an egg extracellular matrix to which sperm bind. Mouse zonae are composed of three glycoproteins (ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3), while rat zonae contain four (ZP1, ZP2, ZP3, and ZP4/ZPB). Mouse sperm bind to zonae comprised solely of mouse ZP2 and ZP3. In this report, we show that rat sperm also bind to these zonae, indicating that ZP2 and ZP3 contain a “minimum structure(s)” to which rodent sperm can bind, and ZP1 and ZP4/ZPB are dispensable in these two rodents. These data are consistent with our mass spectrometric analysis of the native rat zona pellucida proteome (defined as the fraction of the total rat proteome to which the zonae glycoproteins contribute) demonstrating that the rat zonae glycoproteins share a high degree of conservation of structural features with respect to their mouse counterparts. The primary sequences of the rat zonae proteins have been deduced from cDNA. Each zona protein undergoes extensive co- and post-translational modification prior to its secretion and...
Social-K: Real-time K-anonymity guarantees for social network applications

Traditional approaches to K-anonymity provide privacy guarantees over publicly released data sets with specified quasi-identifiers. However, the most common public releases of personal data are now done through social networks and their APIs, which do not fit the previous research-centric data set release model, nor do they allow for clear assumptions about quasi-identifiers. This paper proposes a new definition of K-anonymity that suggests a practical way in which social networks could provide privacy guarantees to users of their API. To support as wide a range of applications as possible, the proposed privacy guarantee assumes all social-networking data may be a quasi-identifier and does not assume that data may be generalized and still be useful. Using the Facebook social networking API, we implement an application to demonstrate that providing such guarantees in real-time is feasible for real social networking data.
Crystal packing effects on protein loops

The effects of crystal packing on protein loop structures are examined by (1) a comparison of loops in proteins that have been crystallized in alternate packing arrangements, and (2) theoretical prediction of loops both with and without the inclusion of the crystal environment. Results show that in a minority of cases, loop geometries are dependent on crystal packing effects. Explicit representation of the crystal environment in a loop prediction algorithm can be used to model these effects and to reconstruct the structures, and relative energies, of a loop in alternative packing environments. By comparing prediction results with and without the inclusion of the crystal environment, the loop prediction algorithm can further be used to identify cases in which a crystal structure does not represent the most stable state of a loop in solution. We anticipate that this capability has implications for structural biology.
Home care in the last year of life: family member perceptions of unmet need associated with last place of care.

Objective To examine the association of family members' perception about the adequacy of home health services at the last place of care before death. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Mortality follow-back survey by telephone interview. Setting Home health services. Participants Bereaved family members or knowledgeable informants of deceased persons in 22 states. Measurements Proxy perception of need of home health care during the last 12 months of decedent's life, whether the amount of care received was enough, and last place of care (ie, where the person spent at least 48 hours nearest to the time of death). Results Of the 1578 interviews, 622 informants reported that decedents needed home health care in the last year of life. Among decedents needing home health care, 144 informants reported that the home health services provided did not meet their needs. After adjusting for age, gender, insurance, education, race, cause of death, functional status, and place of residence, decedents reported as not receiving enough home health care were 1.8 (95% CI 1.1–2.9) times more likely to die in a nursing home. Conclusion The perception that home health services before death did not meet the decedent's needs may contribute to greater nursing home use.
Error management training and simulation education.

SummaryBackground The integration of simulation into the training of health care professionals provides context for decision making and procedural skills in a high-fidelity environment, without risk to actual patients. It was hypothesised that a novel approach to simulation-based education – error management training – would produce higher performance ratings compared with traditional step-by-step instruction. Method Radiology technology students were randomly assigned to participate in traditional procedural-based instruction (n = 11) or vicarious error management training (n = 11). All watched an instructional video and discussed how well each incident was handled (traditional instruction group) or identified where the errors were made (vicarious error management training). Students then participated in a 30–minute case-based simulation. Simulations were videotaped for performance analysis. Blinded experts evaluated performance using a predefined evaluation tool created specifically for the scenario. Blinded experts evaluated performance using a predefined evaluation tool created specifically for the scenario Results The vicarious error management group scored higher on observer-rated performance (Mean = 9.49) than students in the traditional instruction group (Mean = 9.02; p < 0.01). Conclusions These findings suggest that incorporating the discussion of errors and how to handle errors during the learning session will better equip students when performing hands-on procedures and skills. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence for integrating error management skills into medical curricula and for the design of learning goals in simulation-based education.
Gamma secretase inhibitor blocks Notch activation and induces apoptosis in Kaposi's sarcoma tumor cells

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is a common neoplasm in HIV-1-infected individuals causing significant morbidity and mortality. Despite recent advances, the pathogenesis of this potentially life-threatening neoplasm remains unclear, and there is currently no cure for KS. Notch proteins are known to play a fundamental role in cell fate decisions including proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. It is, therefore, not surprising that Notch proteins have been implicated in tumorigenesis and appear to function as either oncogenes or tumor suppressor proteins depending on cellular context. In this report, we demonstrate elevated levels of activated Notch-1, -2, and -4 in KS tumor cells in vivo and in vitro compared to endothelial cells, the precursor of the KS cell. Notch activation was confirmed through luciferase reporter assays and localization of Hes (Hairy/Enhancer of Split)-1 and Hey (Hairy/Enhancer of Split related with YRPW)1 (primary targets of the Notch pathway) in KS cell nuclei. Studies using gamma-secretase inhibitors (GSI and LY-411,575), which block Notch activation, resulted in apoptosis in primary and immortalized KS cells. Similar studies injecting GSI into established KS cell tumors on mice demonstrated growth inhibition or tumor regression that was characterized by apoptosis in treated, but not control tumors. The results indicate that KS cells overexpress activated Notch and interruption of Notch signaling inhibits KS cell growth. Thus, targeting Notch signaling may be of therapeutic value in KS patients.
Phase stability of reduced-activation Mn-stabilized austenitic steels

Abstract The thermal aging response of three Mn-stabilized austenitic alloys: Fe15Cr15Mn, Fe10Cr30Mn and Fe30Mn, is characterized as a function of aging time and temperature using optical metallography, analytical electron microscopy, microhardness, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The alloys were aged in the 20% cold-worked state from 1000 to 30 000 h between 300 and 700°C. Isothermal sections at 300, 500 and 600°C are constructed for the FeCrMn system from the experimental data. Results indicate that Mn-stabilized austenitics are significantly more prone to form secondary phases during thermal aging than their Ni-stabilized counterparts.
Compton suppression neutron activation analysis: Past, present and future

In this work a review of the development of compton suppression is presented. It was shown that the application of Compton-suppression counting in instrumental NAA reduces the detection limits and improves the accuracy for a list of elements by substantial reduction of the background of the γ-spectroscopy. Results for certified reference materials obtained through the use of Compton suppression are normally more accurate and in agreement with the published values. Compton suppression is particularly helpful for low level concentrations in environmental samples to those elements which exhibit severe special interferences in the normal NAA counting. A list of the elements with isotopes having single or close to single γ-ray decay schemes and which could benefit from Compton-suppression counting is presented. Also, evaluation is made regarding the reliability of Compton suppression with increase in the overall dead-time of the counting. It was concluded that this method does not provide accurate quantification of the isotopes when the overall dead-time exceeds the 10% range. Investigation of the natural background was performed with Compton suppression for the purpose of neutron activation analysis application. The method presented proves to broaden the application of NAA and helps in its competition for simplicity, accuracy and reliability with the modern methods of elemental analysis. Future application of coincidence spectrometry in activation analysis should include better enclosing of the primary detector, utiliza5tion of x-ray and well type detectors, γ-γ, β-γ, and β-γ-γ coincidence techniques.
Loss of Heterozygosity in Normal Tissue Adjacent to Breast Carcinomas

Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was detected in morphologically normal lobules adjacent to breast cancers. The most frequent aberration was at chromosome 3p22-25; of ten cases with this LOH in the carcinoma, six displayed the same LOH in adjacent normal lobules. This suggests that in a subset of sporadic breast cancers, a tumor suppresser gene at 3p22-25 may be important in initiation or early progression of tumorigenesis. Among sixteen breast cancers with LOH at 17p13.1 and five breast cancers with LOH at 11p15.5, one case each displayed the same LOH in adjacent normal lobules. Thus the molecular heterogeneity that characterizes invasive breast cancers may occur at the earliest detectable stages of progression.
Subtilisin-catalyzed religation of proteolyzed hen egg-white lysozyme: investigation of the role of disulfides

Abstract Background: The use of proteases to form, instead of break, peptide bonds has expanded the repertoire of techniques available for protein semisynthesis. Several groups have previously reported the use of proteases in aqueous-organic solvents to form single amide bonds within proteins, but low yields and lengthy reaction times make this an impractical approach to protein synthesis. We recently found that proteolyzed triose phosphate isomerase can be re-ligated rapidly and efficiently by subtilisin, in mixed aqueous-organic solvent systems. Results: We now report the use of subtilisin to resynthesize hen egg-white lysozyme from a mixture of its proteolyzed fragments in high yield and with rapid reaction times. This enzymatic religation can also be achieved after reduction of the four disulfide bonds present in lysozyme, with the same efficiency as that observed for the disulfide-containing proteolysis mixture. Conclusions: For egg-white lysozyme, the subtilisin religation reaction can be used to re-synthesize a proteolyzed protein even after reduction of disulfide bonds. The utility of this reaction in more generalized protein semisynthesis reactions is currently being explored.
Utilizing Pakistani Newspaper English to Teach Grammar.

: This paper examines the use of local English-language newspapers as pedagogical aids in the English Language Teaching classroom. Various advantages and disadvantages of using newspapers in the classroom are discussed with focus on the often-cited objection by teachers in Pakistan that local newspapers contain too many errors and should therefore not be used pedagogically. Data on adjective, verb and noun complementation are presented from Pakistani newspapers to show that many of the so-called ‘errors’ found in local newspapers are in reality part of a nativized Pakistani linguistic system. This paper then discusses language-focused classroom activities with newspapers which would serve to make students aware of differences between their own nativized varieties of English and native Englishes. Finally, this paper calls for more linguistic tolerance on the part of teachers in both the East and the West in the acceptance of local varieties of English.
The HMGB1/RAGE inflammatory pathway promotes pancreatic tumor growth by regulating mitochondrial bioenergetics

Tumor cells require increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to support anabolism and proliferation. The precise mechanisms regulating this process in tumor cells are unknown. Here, we show that the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) and one of its primary ligands, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), are required for optimal mitochondrial function within tumors. We found that RAGE is present in the mitochondria of cultured tumor cells as well as primary tumors. RAGE and HMGB1 coordinately enhanced tumor cell mitochondrial complex I activity, ATP production, tumor cell proliferation and migration. Lack of RAGE or inhibition of HMGB1 release diminished ATP production and slowed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. These findings link, for the first time, the HMGB1–RAGE pathway with changes in bioenergetics. Moreover, our observations provide a novel mechanism within the tumor microenvironment by which necrosis and inflammation promote tumor progression.
Fast computation of tristimulus values by use of gaussian quadrature

In colorimetric work, the calculation of tristimulus values is typically accomplished by one of the standard numerical-integration schemes, such as Simpson’s rule. However, great computational savings can be achieved by use of a more-sophisticated approach. By computing the orthogonal polynomials associated with the CIE color-matching functions, the method of gaussian quadratures can be applied. For certain types of color-matching problems, the gaussian technique is at least twice as fast, for the same accuracy, as conventional methods.
Significance of Paleontological Record of Deep Sea: ABSTRACT

The cores recovered by the Deep Sea Drilling Project provide a reservoir of material for paleontologic investigation offering unparalleled opportunities to learn about the global aspects of biostratigraphy, paleobiogeography, paleoecology, paleoclimatology, paleoproductivity, changes in ocean-water chemistry, and diagenetic processes. At the time of inception of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, marine plankton fossil groups were generally poorly known except for planktonic forams. In the last few years, the calcareous nannoplankton have also been used to establish zonations for Jurassic to Holocene strata and a radiolarian zonation of the Cenozoic has been worked out. It is now feasible to evaluate differences in age-equivalent fossil assemblages in the different areas of t e ocean, in different climatic zones, at different depths, and in different sediment types. Biogeographic differences, particularly between the southern ocean and the North Atlantic and North Pacific, have been detected. Distinct climatic zonation of the oceans became well established during the Late Cretaceous and has been subject to periodic intensification during the Cenozoic. The end of the Cretaceous, end of the Eocene, and the Pliocene were times of especially rapid change and evolution. The accumulations of siliceous ooze indicate regions of high productivity. Dissolution of calcareous pelagic fossils is selective, removing some species from the assemblage before others are attacked; this phenomenon offers a method of determining fluctuations of the calcium carbonate compensation epth and a means of investigating diagenetic processes in deep-sea sediments. End_of_Article - Last_Page 624------------
Observation of Rotational Excitations of H 2 Adsorbed on Ag Surfaces

High-resolution electron-energy-loss studies of ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ on Ag at \ensuremath{\sim} 10 K reveal both rotational and rotational-vibrational excitations of molecularly adsorbed and condensed ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. The rotational losses for submonolayers of adsorbed ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ indicate unhindered rotational motion as well as a H-H internuclear separation which is within \ensuremath{\sim}2% of that of condensed ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$. Adsorbed ${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ is also converted from predominantly orthohydrogen to parahydrogen.
Diagonal copulas of archimedean class

In this paper the concept of diagonal copulas is introduced and its properties are examined. It is shown that for the Archimedean class, the diagonal copula uniquely determines the corresponding copula. This fact helps to reduce the dimension and makes it easier to understand the underlying dependence structure without losing any information. Therefore diagonal copulas can be used in various stages of dependence model building, selection, fitting and diagnostics. In this paper we consider some of the possibilities on estimation, test of hypotheses and graphical data analysis.
Surgical management and adjuvant therapy for patients with uterine clear cell carcinoma: a multi-institutional review.

Abstract Objective To assess the role of surgical staging, adjuvant therapy, and cytoreduction in uterine clear cell carcinoma (UCCC). Methods A retrospective review was conducted at 2 major gynecologic cancer centers of all primary UCCC between 1982 and 2004. Results UCCC was confirmed in 99 patients. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 79%, 77%, 47%, and 21% for stages I–IV respectively. 69 patients had no gross evidence of extra-uterine disease, but 36 (52%) were upstaged at surgery. For those 22 patients with stages I and II disease who had a systematic lymphadenectomy (LND) (> 20 lymph nodes), no lymphatic (LF), peritoneal (PF), or hematological (HF) failures were noted. Radiation (RT) improved PFS (67 vs. 36%, p =0.02), and reduced pelvic sidewall recurrences (18 vs. 53%, p =0.04) and vaginal failures (VF) (7 vs. 35%, p =0.04) for 45 patients at risk for LF (positive nodes or suboptimal LND). 39 patients with stages IIIC and IV disease were separately analyzed. Patients with no visible residual disease after cytoreduction had a significant improvement in median PFS (17 vs. 7months, p p =0.02) compared to patients with any residual disease after surgery. Conclusion Comprehensive surgical staging with a systematic LND is essential to accurately define early stage UCCC. Vaginal brachytherapy may be adequate adjuvant therapy for stages I and II UCCC confirmed by systematic LND. Patients at risk for LF appear to benefit from pelvic RT. An effort at cytoreduction to no visible residual disease should be made in advanced UCCC when feasible.