cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Health Costs of Older Opioid Users with Pain and Comorbid Hypercholesterolemia or Hypertension in the United States

This retrospective cross-sectional database study used 2018 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to quantify and assess differences in healthcare expenditures between opioid users and non-users among a non-institutionalized sample of older (≥50 years) United States adults with pain in the past four weeks and a diagnosis of comorbid hypercholesterolemia (pain-hypercholesterolemia group) or hypertension (pain-hypertension group). Hierarchical multivariable linear regression models were constructed by using logarithmically transformed positive cost data and adjusting for relevant factors to assess cost differences between groups. Percent difference between opioid users and non-users was calculated by using semi-logarithmic equations. Healthcare costs included inpatient, outpatient, office-based, emergency room, prescription medication, other, and total costs. In adjusted analyses, compared to non-users, opioid users in the pain-hypercholesterolemia and pain-hypertension groups respectively had 66% and 60% greater inpatient expenditure, 46% and 55% greater outpatient expenditure, 67% and 72% greater office-based expenditure, 50% and 60% greater prescription medication expenditure, 24% and 22% greater other healthcare expenditure, and 85% and 93% greater total healthcare expenditure. In conclusion, adjusted total healthcare expenditures were 85-93% greater among opioid users versus non-users in older United States adults with pain and comorbid hypercholesterolemia or hypertension. Future research is needed to identify opioid use predictors among these populations and reduce expenditures.
Mental health and substance use by sexual minority status in high school students who experienced sexual violence.

ABSTRACT Purpose To examine the association between sexual minority status and the prevalence of emotional distress and substance use among a nationally-representative sample of youth who reported sexual violence victimization. Methods Data were from the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a biennial school-based survey. We restricted the sample to youth who reported any past-year sexual violence victimization. We estimated prevalence ratios using modified Poisson regression with robust error variance to examine associations of sexual minority status with depressive symptomology, suicidality, and substance use. Results Among the 1364 (9.7%) students who experienced sexual violence, 78% were girls. Relative to heterosexual youth, sexual minority youth had higher prevalence estimates for the emotional distress outcomes and marijuana use. Sexual minority status was associated with depressive symptomology (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.22–1.44), suicidal ideation (aPR: 1.91, 1.66–2.20), medically treated suicide attempt (aPR: 2.74, 1.53–4.93), and past 30-day marijuana use (aPR: 1.29, 1.06–1.57). Conclusions Among youth who experience sexual violence, sexual minorities may experience more emotional distress and substance use outcomes than heterosexuals. Rape crisis programs and other tertiary interventions should attend to the unique needs of sexual minorities who have been sexually victimized.
Good Thinking: Seven Powerful Ideas That Influence the Way We Think

1. Introduction 2. Rational choice: choosing what is most likely to give you what you want 3. Game theory: when you're not the only one choosing 4. Moral decision-making: how we tell right from wrong 5. The game of logic 6. What causes what? 7. Hypothesis testing: truth and evidence 8. Problem solving: another way of getting what you want 9. Analogy: this is like that.
Developmental Pattern of Expression and Genomic Organization of the Calponin-h1 Gene A CONTRACTILE SMOOTH MUSCLE CELL MARKER

Calponin-h1 is a 34-kDa myofibrillar thin filament, actin-binding protein that is expressed exclusively in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in adult animals. To examine the molecular mechanisms that regulate SMC-specific gene expression, we have examined the temporal, spatial, and cell cycle-regulated patterns of expression of calponin-h1 gene expression and isolated and structurally characterized the murine calponin-h1 gene. Calponin-h1 mRNA is expressed exclusively in SMC-containing tissues in adult animals. During murine embryonic development, calponin-h1 gene expression is (i) detectable in E9.5 embryos in the dorsal aorta, cardiac outflow tract, and tubular heart, (ii) sequentially up-regulated in SMC-containing tissues, and (iii) down-regulated to non-detectable levels in the heart during late fetal development. In addition, the gene is expressed in resting rat aortic SMCs, but its expression is rapidly down-regulated when growth-arrested cells re-enter phase G1 of the cell cycle and proliferate. Calponin-h1 is encoded by a 10.7-kilobase single copy gene composed of seven exons, which is part of a multigene family. Transient transfection analyses demonstrated that 1.5 kilobases of calponin-h1 5′-flanking sequence is sufficient to program high level transcription of a luciferase reporter gene in cultured primary rat aortic SMCs and the smooth muscle cell line, A7r5. Taken together, these data suggest that the calponin-h1 gene will serve as an excellent model system with which to examine the molecular mechanisms that regulate SMC lineage specification, differentiation, and phenotypic modulation.
Effect of Catalyst Preparation on Catalytic Activity: V. Chemical Structures on Nickel/Alumina Catalysts

In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS or ESCA) was used to identify the nickel species on Ni/Al2O3 catalyst surfaces as a function of nickel weight loading. The ESCA results show that the only nickel species on the reduced catalyst surface is NiAl2O4 for low weight loading catalysts (< 1 wt.%) whereas both nickel and NiAl2O4 are present on high weight loading catalysts. The carbon monoxide temperature-programmed reduction (CO-TPR) results, after reduction of the catalysts in hydrogen, confirm that each type of nickel species acts as a different reaction center for methane production. The high-temperature methane peak observed only from CO-TPR spectra of low weight loading catalysts is due to NiAl2O4; a low-temperature peak, which appears as the weight loading is increased, is due to nickel. Steady-state reaction kinetics for methane production yields activation energies that increase with increasing weight loading of the catalyst. The apparent activation energies for catalysts with a single methane peak in their CO-TPR spectra were normally distributed. The apparent activation energies for catalysts with two methane peaks in their CO-TPR spectra were also normally distributed when the method of the catalysts' preparation was considered in testing the statistical nature of the distribution. This study suggests that the spread in the distribution of the apparent activation energies can be related to the structure of the reaction centers on the catalyst surface. The catalysts with a single methane peak in their CO-TPR spectra have uniformly dispersed NiAl2O4 species and result in the lowest spread (±0.2 kcal/mol, 0.84 kJ/mol). Catalysts prepared by incipient wetness with two methane peaks in their CO-TPR spectra have more uniform and larger “particle-like” nickel present on the surface than catalysts prepared by wet impregnation; the result is a spread of ±1.0 kcal/mol (4.2 kJ/mol) in the normal distribution in apparent activation energies. Catalysts prepared by wet impregnation have smaller nickel particle sizes and greater heterogeneity in reactive centers; the spread in the distribution of activation energies of catalysts prepared by this method is ±2.6 kcal/mol (10.9 kJ/mol).
Feeding-Entrained Circadian Rhythms in Fishes

There has been sufficient work done in fishes to warrant a review of feeding-entrained rhythmicity, if only for comparative reasons. Relative to the extensive work with laboratory mammals, however, information on this topic in fishes is meager. An attempt at a broad overview at this point is fated from the outset to be data poor and speculation rich; hopefully this paper will, nevertheless, serve a heuristic role. Specifically, the paper addresses five questions regarding feeding entrainment of circadian rhythms in fishes: Does feeding entrain rhythms in fishes? How? Why? So what? and What next?
Identifying olfaction's ‘other channels’

The molecular identity of a calcium-activated chloride channel involved in olfactory transduction has been elusive. New evidence shows that an initial candidate, bestrophin-2, cannot be the olfactory channel. Additional studies now identify anoctamin 2 (TMEM16B) as a strong candidate.
Stigma among patients with lung cancer: A patient-reported measurement model

Objective Although stigma may have negative psychosocial and behavioral outcomes for patients with lung cancer, its measurement has been limited. A conceptual model of lung cancer stigma and a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure is needed to mitigate these sequelae. This study identified key stigma-related themes to provide a blueprint for item development through thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with lung cancer patients.
Effects of famotidine on gastric pH and residual volume in pediatric surgery

Aspiration pneumonitis is a severe complication of anesthesia. The objectives of this study were to determine if preoperative famotidine, a new histamine2-receptor antagonist, given by mouth either the evening before or the morning of elective surgery, reduced gastric residual volume and increased gastric pH in pediatric patients. Either famotidine or placebo (or both) were orally administered to 58 children (aged 2-17 years). The patients were randomly assigned to four groups: Famotidine-Famotidine, Placebo-Placebo, Placebo-Famotidine, and Famotidine-Placebo; subjects in the Famotidine-Famotidine group received two doses of famotidine (0.5 mg.kg-1 per dose), those in the Placebo-Placebo group, two doses of placebo, those in the Placebo-Famotidine and Famotidine-Placebo group, one dose of each by mouth. The Famotidine-Famotidine group received one dose of famotidine at 22:00 the evening before surgery and a second dose 60-90 min before the scheduled time of surgery. The Placebo-Placebo group received two doses of placebo at the same times as the Famotidine-Famotidine group. The Placebo-Famotidine group received a dose of placebo the night before surgery and a dose of famotidine the morning of surgery; the Famotidine-Placebo group received famotidine the night before surgery and placebo the morning of surgery. The administration of famotidine on the morning of surgery significantly increased gastric pH (4.8 vs. 1.3) in comparison with placebo, as did two doses of famotidine (6.6). Famotidine failed to reduce gastric residual volume significantly in any group. The administration of famotidine significantly reduced the number of pediatric patients considered at higher risk for aspiration pneumonitis, despite not decreasing gastric residual volume.
Prediction of transport properties of dense gases and liquids

An accurate and simple theory of transport properties is developed on the basis of the van der Waals concept of a dense fluid. It is shown that the calculated values for the transport coefficients for the rare gases at temperatures and densities greater than the respective critical ones agree to within about 10% with the experimental results in both absolute value and temperature dependence, without invoking an activation barrier. In this a priori theory, the cross-section, that is the hard sphere diameter, is determined as a function of temperature from the available equilibrium data, within the framework of the van der Waals theory. Evidence in favor of the van der Waals model and against the activation model has also been found in a study of the free path distribution by molecular dynamics computer calculations. This evidence consists of a monotonic free path distribution without a peak near an intermolecular distance at all densities and temperatures for square-well molecules. Furthermore, the free path distribution as well as the radial distribution function are nearly temperature independent at a given density. Finally, there were found to be more hard core encounters than soft collisions even at liquid densities and low temperatures. Auf Grund des van der Waalsschen Modells des dichten fluiden Zustands wird eine genaue and einfache Theorie der Transporteigenschaften entwickelt. Es wird gezeigt, das die berechneten Werte fur die Transportkoeffizienten der Edelgase bei Temperaturen und Dichten oberhalb der kritischen Werte, sowohl im Absolutwert als auch in der Temperaturabhangigkeit innerhalb 10% mit den experimentellen Ergebnissen ubereinstimmen, ohne das dazu eine Aktivierungsschwelle angenommen werden mus. In dieser A-priori-Theorie wird der Wirkungsquerschnitt, d. h. der Durchmesser der starren Kugel, und seine Temperaturabhangigkeit im Rahmen der van der Waalsschen Theorie aus den vorhandenen Gleichgewichtswerten bestimmt. Ein weiterer Beweis fur die Gultigkeit des van der Waalsschen und gegen die des Aktivierungsmodells wurde in einer Untersuchung der Verteilung der freien Weglangen durch molekulardynamische Berechnungen mit einer Rechenmaschine gefunden. Dieser Beweis besteht darin, das sich fur alle Dichten und Temperaturen eine monotone Weglangenverteilung ohne eine Spitze in der Nahe eines Molekulabstandes ergibt, wenn man Rechteckpotentiale fur die Molekule annimmt. Zudem sind sowohl die Weglangenverteilung als auch die radiale Verteilungsfunktion bei konstanter Dichte fast temperaturunabhangig. Schlieslich wurde gefunden, das selbst bei Flussigkeitsdichten und tiefen Temperaturen mehr harte als weiche Stose vorkommen.
Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction-based Screening Assay for Bacterial Biothreat Agents

Objectives: To design and evaluate a rapid polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay for detecting Eubacteria and performing early screening for selected Class A biothreat bacterial pathogens. Methods: The authors designed a two-step PCR-based algorithm consisting of an initial broad-based universal detection step, followed by specific pathogen identification targeted for identification of the Class A bacterial biothreat agents. A region in the bacterial 16S rRNA gene containing a highly variable sequence flanked by clusters of conserved sequences was chosen as the target for the PCR assay design. A previously described highly conserved region located within the 16S rRNA amplicon was selected as the universal probe (UniProbe, Integrated DNA Technology, Coralville, IA). Pathogen-specific TaqMan probes were designed for Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, and Francisella tularensis. Performance of the assay was assessed using genomic DNA extracted from the aforementioned biothreat-related organisms (inactivated or surrogate) and other common bacteria. Results: The UniProbe detected the presence of all tested Eubacteria (31/31) with high analytical sensitivity. The biothreat-specific probes accurately identified organisms down to the closely related species and genus level, but were unable to discriminate between very close surrogates, such as Yersinia philomiragia and Bacillus cereus. Conclusions: A simple, two-step PCR-based assay proved capable of both universal bacterial detection and identification of select Class A bacterial biothreat and biothreat-related pathogens. Although this assay requires confirmatory testing for definitive species identification, the method has great potential for use in ED-based settings for rapid diagnosis in cases of suspected Category A bacterial biothreat agents.
New, stronger nucleophiles for nucleic acid-templated chemistry: Synthesis and application in fluorescence detection of cellular RNA.

Nucleic acid-templated chemistry is a promising strategy for imaging genetic sequences in living cells. Here we describe the synthesis of two new nucleophiles for use in templated nucleophilic displacements with DNA probes. The nucleophilic groups are phosphorodithioate and phosphorotrithioate; we report on synthetic methods for introducing these groups at the 3′-terminus of oligonucleotides. Both new nucleophiles are found to be more highly reactive than earlier phosphoromonothioates. This increased nucleophilicity is shown to result in more rapid templated reactions with electrophilic DNA probes. The new probes were demonstrated in detection of specific genetic sequences in solution, with clear signal over background being generated in as little as 20 min. The probes were also tested for imaging ribosomal RNA sequences in live E. coli; useful signal was generated in 20 min to one hour, approximately one quarter to one-half the time of earlier monothioate probes, and the signal-to-noise ratio was increased as well.
Enhanced backscatter of a reflected beam in atmospheric turbulence.

We measure the mean and the variance of the irradiance of a diverging laser beam after reflection from a retroreflector and from a plane mirror in a turbulent atmosphere. Increases in both the mean irradiance and the normalized variance are observed in the direct backscatter direction because of correlation of turbulence on the outgoing path and the return path. The backscattered irradiance is enhanced by a factor of ∼ 2 and the variance by somewhat less.
An algorithm for optimized Boolean evaluation in information management systems

In cases where simple data validation techniques are inadequate and optimization policies relatively complex (e.g., in health and medical systems), a Boolean optimization algorithm can be used to report errors accurately and unambiguously. The algorithm is presented in the context of a data-validating software module that uses an LR(1)-parser. The algorithm's precision makes it of potential use for the retrieval of records that nearly satisfy a query.
Collaborative systems: solving the vocabulary problem

Vocabulary differences have created difficulties for on-line information retrieval systems and are even more of a problem in computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), where collaborators with different backgrounds engage in the exchange of ideas and information. We have investigated two questions related to the vocabulary problem in CSCW. First, what are the nature and characteristics of the vocabulary problem in collaboration, and are they different from those observed in information retrieval or in human-computer interactions research? Second, how can computer technologies and information systems be designed to help alleviate the vocabulary problem and foster seamless collaboration? We examine the vocabulary problem in CSCW and suggest a robust algorithmic solution to the problem. >
Rapid Monitoring of Intraoperative Cerebral Blood Flow Using 133Xe

This study examined the feasibility of rapid rCBF monitoring using 133Xe as a tracer during operative procedures. We compared the initial slope index derived from two bicompartmental and one monocompartmental physiological models. The single-compartment model requires only 3 min of monitoring, whereas the bicompartmental models, thought to be more reliable, require 11 min of clearance. Data were collected from 26 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Approximately 20 mCi of 133Xe in saline was injected i.v. for up to five measurements per patient, for a total of 117 measurements. The robustness of the regression for the three parameters (r = 0.781-0.99, p less than 0.0001) suggests that the three parameters are closely related. This is supported by similarity of the slopes of the regression lines (between 0.944 and 1.25) and the mean +/- SD of the three rCBF models (24.9-27.5 +/- 12.0-14.3 ml 100 g-1 min-1). Similar results were obtained for individual detectors, despite the expected higher variability. For intraoperative use in surgical procedures in which physiological conditions may change rapidly and i.v. injections of tracer must be used, a rCBF index that quickly and accurately reflects flow conditions is useful. Our data suggest that the single-compartmental Wyper index may be used to provide information about cerebral perfusion that is as accurate and robust as bicompartmental models, but requires only one-quarter of the data collection time.
Statistical properties of linear correlators for image pattern classification with application to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery

In this paper we consider linear correlation filters for image pattern recognition, with particular application to Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). We investigate the statistical properties of several popular Synthetic Discriminate Function (SDF) based linear correlation filters, including SDF, MVSDF, and MACE filters. We compare these statistical properties both qualitatively and analytically for SAR applications. We also develop modifications to these SDF-type filters which have particular utility for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image classification. We compare the performance of the modified filters to the standard filters using X-patch generated SAR images with both white and colored noise. We also investigate effects of performance degradation caused by mis-estimated noise statistics, and the effects of image normalization on the target detection rates.
Stop and conjugate shift for systems of curved Fresnel surfaces

A discussion of the effect on the primary monochromatic aberrations of moving the stop or the object for a system of axially symmetric curved Fresnel surfaces is presented. Mathematical expressions, which are generalizations of similar results for non-Fresnel systems, for the changes in the aberrations are derived.
Nociceptin/orphanin FQ decreases serotonin efflux in the rat brain but in contrast to a κ-opioid has no antagonistic effect on μ-opioid-induced increases in serotonin efflux

Abstract Similar to κ-opioids, nociceptin/orphanin FQ (OFQ) exerts anti-μ-opioid actions. This may involve interactions within the circuitry controlling 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). To test this hypothesis, we compared the effects of OFQ and κ-opioids on 5-HT efflux in the CNS of freely behaving rats. First, OFQ (30–300 μM) infused into the DRN for 120 min dose-dependently decreased 5-HT efflux in the DRN. The opioid receptor-like 1 (ORL-1) antagonist [Nphe 1 ]nociceptin(1–13)NH 2 blocked this effect. Using dual-probe microdialysis we observed that OFQ (300 μM) infused into the DRN for 120 min produced parallel decreases in 5-HT efflux in the DRN and NAcc, suggesting that ORL-1 receptors in the DRN inhibit serotonergic neurons projecting to the NAcc. Also, 5-HT efflux in the NAcc was dose-dependently decreased during OFQ (30–300 μM) infusion into the NAcc. This suggests that OFQ can reduce 5-HT efflux in the NAcc both by inhibiting serotonergic neurons in the DRN and by stimulating ORL-1 receptors in the NAcc. Similar to OFQ, the κ-opioids U-50,488 (300 μM) and dynorphin A(1–13) (300 μM) infused into the DRN for 120 min decreased 5-HT efflux in the DRN. This effect was blocked only by the κ-opioid receptor antagonist nor -BNI. Lastly, we compared the ability of OFQ and U-50,488 to block μ-opioid-induced increases in 5-HT. The κ-opioid U-50,488 (1000 μM) attenuated the increase in 5-HT induced by the μ-opioid agonist endomorphin-1 (300 μM) in the DRN. In contrast, OFQ (300–1000 μM) did not alter μ-opioid-induced increases in 5-HT efflux. In summary, κ-opioids and OFQ both decreased 5-HT efflux in the CNS. However, in contrast to κ-opioids, which reversed μ-opioid-induced increases in 5-HT efflux, the anti-μ-opioid effects of OFQ apparently do not involve changes in 5-HT transmission under our experimental conditions.
Brainstem neurons expressing c-Fos immunoreactivity following irritant chemical stimulation of the rat's tongue

Many chemicals including nicotine, capsaicin and piperine (pungent chemicals in red and black peppers, respectively) evoke oral pain and irritation via largely unknown neural mechanisms. As a first step in defining the central pathway for oral chemical irritation, we have used an immunohistochemical method to map locations of brainstem neurons expressing the nuclear protein, c-Fos (a putative nociceptive marker), following application of various irritants to the tongue. In barbiturate-anesthetized rats, one of the following was applied to the dorsal surface of the tongue: nicotine (0.5%), capsaicin (0.1%), histamine (2 or 20%), piperine (0.2%), acetylcholine (10%) or vehicle control (0.9% saline, dH2O, 70% ethanol). After 2 h the rat was perfused with fixative and the brainstem removed, sectioned, and processed immunohistochemically. Following application of each irritant, fos-immunoreactive nuclei were consistently observed in the superficial dorsal horn of dorsomedial trigeminal nucleus caudalis (-3 to +0.5 mm relative to obex), interstitial (paratrigeminal) nucleus, and area postrema. Approximately equal numbers were observed bilaterally even with unilateral application to the tongue. Fos-immunoreactive nuclei were observed in dorsomedial trigeminal caudalis bilaterally when a restricted area on the tip of the tongue was stimulated with capsaicin, but were located predominantly ipsilaterally following stimulation of the lateral tongue. Few or no Fos-immunoreactive nuclei were seen in these areas in control rats. Numbers of Fos-immunoreactive nuclei were significantly increased following nicotine and capsaicin in ventrolateral trigeminal nucleus caudalis and nucleus of the solitary tract. Fos-immunoreactivity was also seen consistently in the ventrolateral medulla dorsal to the lateral reticular nucleus, and vestibular and cochlear nuclei, and less consistently in nucleus raphe pallidus and inferior olive, in both irritant and in control groups, indicating that it was not stimulus-evoked. These results have identified a population of neurons in the dorsomedial trigeminal nucleus caudalis likely to be involved in signaling chemical irritation of the tongue. Increases in Fos-immunoreactivity observed in the nucleus of the solitary tract, area postrema, and ventrolateral trigeminal caudalis also suggest roles for these areas in autonomic responses consequent to oral irritation.
Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated plant transformation systems

Abstract The use of Agrobacterium tumefaciens in plant transformation is central to the recent rapid progress in plant molecular biology. The number of transformed species continues to grow rapidly. Many plants, particularly monocotyledons and legumes, are still not easily transformed by Agrobacterium , but significant progress in understanding the mechanism of transformation may lead to more widespread application of Agrobacterium in this area.
The De Facto Privatization of American Public Higher Education

(2006). The De Facto Privatization of American Public Higher Education. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning: Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 6-13.
NONLOCAL ENERGY DEPOSITION IN THE IONOSPHERE AND THE PHOTOELECTRON ESCAPE FLUX.

Abstract The theory of nonlocal energy deposition in the ionosphere developed by Geisler and Bowhill is generalized to include the absence of thermal equilibrium among the neutral, ion and electron gases. Analytic expressions for certain ratios of the electron-to-neutral scale heights are presented. These include both the nonlocal energy deposition factors and the escape flux density of photoelectrons.
An iterative substructuring algorithm for equilibrium equations

The topic of iterative substructuring methods, and more generally domain decomposition methods, has been extensively studied over the past few years, and the topic is well advanced with respect to first and second order elliptic problems. However, relatively little work has been done on more general constrained least squares problems (or equivalent formulations) involving equilibrium equations such as those arising, for example, in realistic structural analysis applications. The potential is good for effective use of iterative algorithms on these problems, but such methods are still far from being competitive with direct methods in industrial codes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate an order reducing, preconditioned conjugate gradient method proposed by Barlow, Nichols and Plemmons for solving problems of this type. The relationships between this method and nullspace methods, such as the force method for structures and the dual variable method for fluids, are examined. Convergence properties are discussed in relation to recent optimality results for Varga's theory ofp-cyclic SOR. We suggest a mixed approach for solving equilibrium equations, consisting of both direct reduction in the substructures and the conjugate gradient iterative algorithm to complete the computations.
NMR Studies of the Paramagnetic Complex Fe(II)−Bleomycin†

The coordination chemistry of the iron(II) complex of the antitumor drug bleomycin has been extensively investigated with a number of spectroscopic and chemical techniques. However, the actual structure of this complex is not established. In this report, we present NMR studies of the paramagnetic Fe(II)BLM and use one- and two-dimensional methods to assign the paramagnetically shifted features to particular protons. The data analysis points toward the primary and secondary amines of the beta-aminoalanine fragment, the pyrimidine and imidazole rings, and the amide nitrogen of the beta-hydroxyhistidine fragment as ligands to the metal center. Correlation of the T1 values with the metal-proton distances derived from the NMR-generated solution structure of HOO-Co(III)BLM [Wu, W., Vanderwall, D. E., Lui, S. M., Tang, X.-J., Turner, C. J., Kozarich, J. W., & Stubbe, J. (1996) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 118, 1268-1280] indicates that the two metallobleomycins share similar structures. The chemical shifts as well as the T1 values of the sugar protons indicate that these fragments are close but not bound to the metal in Fe(II)BLM.
Redescription of Hypsidoris farsonensis (Teleostei: Siluriformes), with a reassessment of its phylogenetic relationships

ABSTRACT †Hypsidoris farsonensis Lundberg and Case (1970) from the Eocene Green River Formation of Wyoming, is redescribed in detail based on much new material. The new material consists of (1) better preparations of the original type and referred specimens, and (2) many previously unreported specimens with exceptionally detailed preservation. Based on new information presented here †H. farsonensis is interpreted (A) not to belong in Ictaluridae as originally proposed, and (B) to be the sister group to all known catfish families other than Diplomystidae. Diplomystidae appears to be the sister group to †Hypsidoris plus all other known catfishes. Because of its apparent phylogenetic position (sister group to a group containing thirty nominal families), †Hypsidoris is given superfamilial (†Hypsidoroidea, new superfamily) and familial (†Hypsidoridae, new family) rank, and may be more relevant to our understanding of the early evolution of siluriform subgroups than previously thought. Catfishes (Siluriformes) ...
High-throughput, energy-efficient network-on-chip-based hardware accelerators

Abstract Several emerging application domains in scientific computing demand high computation throughputs to achieve terascale or higher performance. Dedicated centers hosting scientific computing tools on a few high-end servers could rely on hardware accelerator co-processors that contain multiple lightweight custom cores interconnected through an on-chip network. With increasing workloads, these many-core platforms need to deliver high overall computation throughput while also being energy-efficient. Conventional multicore architectures can achieve a limited computational throughput due to the inherent multi-hop nature of the on-chip network infrastructure. By inserting long-range links that act as shortcuts in a regular network-on-chip (NoC) architecture, both the achievable bandwidth and energy efficiency of a multicore platform can be significantly enhanced. In this paper, we first propose a NoC-driven use-case model for throughput-oriented scientific applications, and subsequently use the model to study the effect of using long-range links in conjunction with different resource allocation strategies on reducing the overall on-chip communication and enhancing computational throughput. NoCs with both wired and on-chip wireless links are explored in the study. We also evaluate our NoC-based platforms with respect to energy-efficiency and power consumption. We analyze how throughput and power consumption are correlated with the statistical properties of the application traffic. In addition, we compare and analyze chip-level thermal profiles for these alternatives. Our experiments using kernels from a popular phylogenetic inference application suite show that we can deliver computation throughput over 1011 operations per second, consuming ∼0.5 nJ per operation, while ensuring that on-chip temperature variation is within 26 °C.
Acceleration of oligomerization, not fibrillization, is a shared property of both α-synuclein mutations linked to early-onset Parkinson's disease: Implications for pathogenesis and therapy

The Parkinson's disease (PD) substantia nigra is characterized by the presence of Lewy bodies containing fibrillar alpha-synuclein. Early-onset PD has been linked to two point mutations in the gene that encodes alpha-synuclein, suggesting that disease may arise from accelerated fibrillization. However, the identity of the pathogenic species and its relationship to the alpha-synuclein fibril has not been elucidated. In this in vitro study, the rates of disappearance of monomeric alpha-synuclein and appearance of fibrillar alpha-synuclein were compared for the wild-type (WT) and two mutant proteins, as well as equimolar mixtures that may model the heterozygous PD patients. Whereas one of the mutant proteins (A53T) and an equimolar mixture of A53T and WT fibrillized more rapidly than WT alpha-synuclein, the other (A30P) and the corresponding equimolar mixture with WT fibrillized more slowly. However, under conditions that ultimately produced fibrils, the A30P monomer was consumed at a comparable rate or slightly more rapidly than the WT monomer, whereas A53T was consumed even more rapidly. The difference between these trends suggested the existence of nonfibrillar alpha-synuclein oligomers, some of which were separated from fibrillar and monomeric alpha-synuclein by sedimentation followed by gel-filtration chromatography. Spheres (range of heights: 2-6 nm), chains of spheres (protofibrils), and rings resembling circularized protofibrils (height: ca. 4 nm) were distinguished from fibrils (height: ca. 8 nm) by atomic force microscopy. Importantly, drug candidates that inhibit alpha-synuclein fibrillization but do not block its oligomerization could mimic the A30P mutation and thus may accelerate disease progression.
Evaluation of Acellular Mitral Valve Scaffolds: Anterior Leaflet, Posterior Leaflet, and Chordae Tendineae

Myxomatous mitral valve (MV) disease is common in North America with an incidence of 1–2%. The abnormal valvular tissues in the myxomatous MV often causes mitral valve regurgitation, which requires surgical repair or replacement to prevent the reversal of blood flow from the left ventricle to the left atrium. A recent study shows that, although with an impressive initial durability, there is an increasing recognition of the reoccurrence of significant MR. For MR intervention with better long term durability, an increasing interest in MV tissue engineering has emerged recently. Another need for tissue engineered MV is from the treatment of congenital heart valve diseases. The current repair or replacement using small non-viable heart valve prosthesis (mechanical or bioprosthetic valves) cannot avoid the risky multiple valve replacement operations along with children’s growth. Therefore, the development of a living tissue engineered MV would greatly benefit both pediatric and adult MV disease population.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Dietary Preference for Sweet Foods in Patients with Dementia

Using a telephone survey, patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (n = 31) and vascular dementia (n = 14) were compared with elderly normal controls (n = 43) in preferences for different foods. Patients with Alzheimer's disease had a greater preference than normal controls for relatively high-fat, sweet foods and for high-sugar, low-fat foods, but did not significantly differ in preference for other foods, including those high in complex carbohydrates and protein. Vascular dementia patients showed a similar pattern, not significantly different from that for Alzheimer's patients. Results did not consistently support a hypothesis that increased sweet preference is a nonspecific form of disinhibited behavior related to declining mental status, nor was a hypothesis relating sweet preference to serotonin activity within the brain consistently supported. Results provide preliminary evidence that craving for sweet food may be a significant part of the clinical syndrome of dementia, but further research is needed to delineate the psychological and biological mechanisms accounting for it.
Hydration of Valine-Cation Complexes in the Gas Phase: On the Number of Water Molecules Necessary to Form a Zwitterion

The stepwise hydration of valine−alkali metal ion complexes, Val·M+(H2O)n, n = 2−6, M = Li, Na, and K, is investigated using both theory and experiment. Experimentally, the rate of water loss from ...
Reasoning and Choice: Explorations in Political Psychology

List of tables and figures Preface 1. Introduction: major themes 2. The role of heuristics in political reasoning: a theory sketch 3. Values under pressure: AIDS and civil liberties 4. The principle-policy puzzle: the paradox of American racial attitudes 5. Reasoning chains 6. The likability heuristic 7. Democratic values and mass publics 8. Ideological reasoning 9. Information and electoral choice 10. Stability and change in party identification: presidential to off-years 11. The American dilemma: the role of law as a persuasive symbol 12. Ideology and issue persuasibility: dynamics of racial policy attitudes 13. The new racism and the American ethos 14. Retrospect and prospect Notes Bibliography Index
Rate coefficients for populating excited levels of He-like ions by inner-shell ionization of Li-like ions.

Simple expressions that include intermediate coupling mixing effects are given for the cross sections and rate coefficients for populating the singly excited levels of He-like ions through the process of inner-shell ionization of Li-like ions by electron impact. Illustrative numerical values for the rate coefficients for inner-shell ionization of several Li-like ions are given and compared with the rate coefficients for populating the same upper levels by the alternative mechanism of electron impact excitation from the ground level of the He-like ions. For the temperatures at which the abundance of the He-like stage of ionization is a maximum, the inner-shell ionization rate coefficients increase relative to the excitation rate coefficients as the nuclear charge number Z increases. It appears that for all but very low Z, inner-shell ionization is an important mechanism for populating at least some of the excited levels of He-like ions. It is especially important for populating the (1s/sub 1/22s/sub 1/2)/sub 1/ or 1s2s /sup 3/S/sub 1/ level
Rapid Deubiquitination of Nucleosomal Histones in Human Tumor Cells Caused by Proteasome Inhibitors and Stress Response Inducers: Effects on Replication, Transcription, Translation, and the Cellular Stress Response†

The proteasome inhibitors, lactacystin and N-acetyl-leucyl-leucyl-norlucinal, caused a rapid and near-complete loss of approximately 22-23-kDa ubiquitinated nucleoproteins, which we have identified as monoubiquitinated nucleosomal histones H2A and H2B by immunological and two-dimensional electrophoretic techniques. In human SKBr3 breast tumor cells, depletion of monoubiquitinated histones by the proteasome inhibitors coincided with the accumulation of high molecular weight ubiquitinated proteins in both nucleoprotein and cytosolic fractions and decreased unconjugated ubiquitin in the cytosol, without changes in the nonubiquitinated core histones. Unconjugated ubiquitin was not detected in isolated tumor cell nuclei. A similar loss in monoubiquitinated histones occurred in cells harboring a defective, temperature-sensitive mutation of the ubiquitin-activating E1 enzyme, after these cells were elevated from 33 degrees C to the non-permissive temperature of 39 degrees C. DNA replication and RNA transcription were decreased by the proteasome inhibitors most strongly after 90% of the ubiquitin had been removed from ubiquitinated histones H2A and H2B, suggesting a relationship between the nucleosomal histone ubiquitin status and the processing of genetic information. Interestingly, although both proteasome inhibitors caused a generalized decrease in methionine incorporation into proteins, they strongly induced the synthesis of the hsp72 and hsp90 stress proteins. Finally, treating cells with heat-shock at 43 degrees C, with stress response-provoking chemicals or with several other proteasome inhibitors caused ubiquitinated proteins to accumulate, depleted free ubiquitin, and concomitantly decreased nucleosomal monoubiquitinated histones. These results suggest that deubiquitination of nucleosomal histones H2A and H2B may play a previously unrecognized role in the cellular stress response, as well as in the processing of chromatin, and emphasize the important role of the proteasome in cellular homeostasis.
Recent Advances in the Genetics of Alzheimer's Disease and Vascular Dementia with an Emphasis on Gene‐Environment Interactions

OBJECTIVE: To review recent findings in the genetics of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VaD) with particular emphasis on gene-environment interactions. DESIGN: A survey and critique of recent literature on the genetic etiology of AD and VaD. CONCLUSIONS: Recent research has identified several genes associated with AD, including loci on chromosome 1, 14, 19, and 21. Two of these loci, encoding the β-amyloid precursor protein and apolipoprotein E, have gene products that are well characterized and of evident significance in the pathogenesis of AD. The four genes together probably account for little more than 50% of all cases of AD, but other undiscovered loci are likely. Interaction of genetic effects with environmental influences may affect both onset and expression of AD. By contrast, only a small minority of VaD cases can be attributed to a pure genetic etiology. The majority of VaD is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Many of the environmental antecedents also have genetic determinants (e.g., smoking). Knowledge of the gene-environment interactions for both AD and VaD will facilitate identification of early preclinical symptoms of disease, a stage of the disease process during which treatment may be most beneficial.
Effect of pH and Heat Treatment on the Binding of Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Iron to Wheat Bran and Fractions of Dietary Fiber

The effect of pH and heat treatment on the binding of added food grade sources of calcium, magnesium, zinc, and iron to a standard wheat bran, cellulose, and lignin was investigated. 1% solutions of pectin and guar gum were examined for their ability to bind these metals in aqueous solution. Lignin and pectin was found to have high metal binding capacities. Metal binding to fiber was found to be pH dependent. Toasting had no effect on metal binding by cellulose, but had a significant effect on the binding of metals by lignin and wheat bran. Boiling had a significant effect on the binding of metals by cellulose, lignin, and wheat bran.
Rational assembly of primitive cubic networks using hexameric stacks of sodium aryloxides as nodes.

The two sodium aryloxide complexes [{(4-R−C6H4ONa)6·(dioxane)3}∞], where R = Et (1) or F (2), have been prepared and found to form three-dimensional cubic networks in the solid state. Each structure is similarly composed of dioxane-connected Na6O6 aggregates that act as octahedral nodes in directing the assembly process. Although the localized metrical parameters within the hexameric cages are similar to each other, as well as to those of the molecular analogue [(4-F−C6H4ONa)6·(THF)8] (3), the gross architectures show significant variations. In particular, the smaller complex 2 ensures effective filling of space through transannular Na−F interaggregate interactions, resulting in substantial compression of the cubic framework.
Notch2 is required in somatic cells for breakdown of ovarian germ-cell nests and formation of primordial follicles

In the mouse ovary, oocytes initially develop in clusters termed germ-cell nests. Shortly after birth, these germ-cell nests break apart, and the oocytes individually become surrounded by somatic granulosa cells to form primordial follicles. Notch signaling plays essential roles during oogenesis in Drosophila, and recent studies have suggested that Notch signaling also plays an essential role during oogenesis and ovary development in mammals. However, no in vivo loss-of-function studies have been performed to establish whether Notch family receptors have an essential physiological role during normal ovarian development in mutant mice. Female mice with conditional deletion of the Notch2 gene in somatic granulosa cells of the ovary exhibited reduced fertility, accompanied by the formation of multi-oocyte follicles, which became hemorrhagic by 7 weeks of age. Formation of multi-oocyte follicles resulted from defects in breakdown of the primordial germ-cell nests. The ovaries of the Notch2 conditional mutant mice had increased numbers of oocytes, but decreased numbers of primordial follicles. Oocyte numbers in the Notch2 conditional mutants were increased not by excess or extended cellular proliferation, but as a result of decreased oocyte apoptosis. Our work demonstrates that Notch2-mediated signaling in the somatic-cell lineage of the mouse ovary regulates oocyte apoptosis non-cell autonomously, and is essential for regulating breakdown of germ-cell nests and formation of primordial follicles. This model provides a new resource for studying the developmental and physiological roles of Notch signaling during mammalian reproductive biology.
Bayesian Analysis of Time Evolution of Earthquakes

Abstract We adopt a Bayesian approach to analyze the occurrence times of seismic events and their magnitudes. We choose an epidemic model for the process of occurrence times conditional on the observed magnitude values. The locations of, and dependencies between, the model parameters are determined on the basis of historical and physical information. The overall prior variability is deliberately made diffuse. We generate samples from the joint posterior distribution of the model parameters by using a variant of the Metropolis—Hastings algorithm. We use the results in a variety of ways, including the construction of pointwise posterior confidence bands for the conditional intensity of the point process as a function of time.
Comparison of Continuous and Discrete Adaptive Identification Algorithms

Discretization of a popular continuous-time control algorithm is effected and an equivalent discrete-time identification law developed and compared to a published discrete identification algorithm developed from Lyapunov Theory. Results are compared as regards asymptotic stability as insured using Lyapunov theory. Some analysis and design guidelines are proposed as regards implementation and practical utility.