cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Initiation Age, Cumulative Prevalence, and Longitudinal Patterns of Handgun Carrying Among Rural Adolescents: A Multistate Study.

Abstract Purpose Adolescent handgun carrying is a behavioral marker for youth interpersonal conflicts and an intervention point for violence prevention. Our knowledge about the epidemiology of adolescent handgun carrying mainly pertains to urban settings. Evidence on the initiation age, cumulative prevalence, and longitudinal patterns of this behavior and on handgun-related norms and peer behavior among male and female rural adolescents is scant. Methods We used data from the control arm of the Community Youth Development Study, a community-randomized controlled trial of the Communities That Care prevention system. Annually, 1,039 males and 963 females were surveyed from Grade 6 (2005) to age 19 years (2012) in 12 rural towns across seven U.S. states. Results In Grade 6, 11.5% of males and 2.8% of females reported past-year handgun carrying. Between Grade 6 and age 19 years, 33.7% of males and 9.6% of females reported handgun carrying at least once. Among participants who ever reported handgun carrying, 34.0% of males and 29.3% of females did so for the first time in Grade 6. Among participants who ever reported handgun carrying, 54.6% of males and 71.7% of females did so only one time over the seven study assessments. Greater proportions of participants who reported handgun carrying than those who did not do so endorsed prohandgun norms and had a peer who carried among both males (Grade 10: prevalence difference = 57%; 95% CI: 46%–67%) and females (Grade 10: prevalence difference = 45%; 95% CI: 12%–78%). Conclusions Rural adolescent handgun carrying is not uncommon and warrants etiologic research for developing culturally appropriate and setting-specific prevention programs.
Elastically-supported lattices for tunable mechanical topological insulators

Abstract Emerging mechanical topological insulators based on Quantum Valley Hall Effect (QVHE) offer a myriad of unconventional and robust properties in controlling wave motion. Designing mechanical topological insulators requires a careful assignment of the system’s mechanical properties in a specific manner. Consequently, modulating the topological property of a fabricated system is typically challenging. Here, we introduce an externally adding-on mechanism that enables high tunability of QVHE without the need to alter the main fabricated structure. Specifically, we exploit a periodic elastic foundation to control the topological property of a hexagonal lattice. Non-equal stiffnesses of the elastic foundation break the inversion symmetry of the hexagonal lattice, thus introducing the QVHE to the system. A mathematical framework is established to understand the fundamental mechanism and design the topologically protected waveguides by tuning the elastic foundation. The achieved topological insulators exhibit high tolerance over defects. The paradigm in this work opens promising avenues for mechanical metamaterials with tunable topological properties.
Rigor of Neurovascular Coupling (NVC) Assessment in Newborns Using Different Amplitude EEG Algorithms

Birth asphyxia constitutes a major global public health burden for millions of infants with a critical need for real time physiological biomarkers. This proof of concept study targets the translational rigor of such biomarkers and aims to examine whether the variability in the amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) outputs impact the determination of neurovascular coupling (NVC) in newborns with encephalopathy. A convenience sample with neonatal asphyxia were monitored for twenty hours in the first day of life with EEG and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (SctO2). NVC between aEEG and NIRS-SctO2 was assessed using wavelet transform coherence (WTC) analysis, specifically by the wavelet total pixel number of significant coherences within 95% confidence interval. The raw EEG was converted to aEEG using three different methods: Method (M1) derives from the algorithm by Zhang and Ding. Method (M2) uses a Neonatal EEG Analysis Toolbox (WU-NEAT). Method (M3) extracts output directly from a commercial platform with an undisclosed algorithm. Our results demonstrate excellent agreement with Bland Altman comparisons for WTC-based NVC irrespective of the algorithms used, despite significant heterogeneities in the aEEG tracings produced by three algorithms. Our findings confirm the robustness of NVC wavelet analysis in Neonatal Encephalopathy related to HIE.
Assessment of Primary Care Clinician Concordance With Guidelines for Use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Nonspecific Low Back Pain in the Veterans Affairs Health System.

Importance Magnetic responance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine that is not concordant with treatment guidelines for low back pain represents an unnecessary cost for US health plans and may be associated with adverse effects. Use of MRI in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) primary care clinics remains unknown. Objective To assess the use of MRI scans during the first 6 weeks (early MRI scans) of episodes of nonspecific low back pain in VA primary care sites and to determine if historical concordance can identify clinicians and sites that are the least concordant with guidelines. Design, Setting, and Participants Retrospective cohort study of electronic health records from 944 VA primary care sites from the 3 years ending in 2016. Data were analyzed between January 2017 and August 2019. Participants were patients with new episodes of nonspecific low back pain and the primary care clinicians responsible for their care. Exposures MRI scans. Main Outcomes and Measures The proportion of early MRI scans at VA primary care clinics was assessed. Clinician concordance with published guidelines over 2 years was used to select clinicians expected to have low concordance in a third year. Results A total of 1 285 405 new episodes of nonspecific low back pain from 920 547 patients (mean [SD] age, 56.7 [15.8] years; 93.6% men) were attributed to 9098 clinicians (mean [SD] age, 52.1 [10.1] years; 55.7% women). An early MRI scan of the lumbar spine was performed in 31 132 of the episodes (2.42%; 95% CI, 2.40%-2.45%). Historical concordance was better than a random draw in selecting the 10% of clinicians who were subsequently the least concordant with published guidelines. For primary care clinicians, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.683 (95% CI, 0.658-0.701). For primary care sites, the area was under this curve was 0.8035 (95% CI, 0.754-0.855). The 10% of clinicians with the least historical concordance were responsible for just 19.2% of the early MRI scans performed in the follow-up year. Conclusions and Relevance VA primary care clinics had low rates of use of early MRI scans. A history of low concordance with imaging guidelines was associated with subsequent low concordance but with limited potential to select clinicians most in need of interventions to implement guidelines.
Renewable scenario generation using controllable generative adversarial networks with transparent latent space

With the growing penetration of renewable energy sources in power systems, it becomes increasingly important to characterize their inherent variability and uncertainty. Scenario generation is a key approach to provide a series of possible power scenarios in the future for the system planner and operator to make decisions. In this paper, a data-driven method is presented for renewable scenario generation using stable and controllable generative adversarial networks with transparent latent space (ctrl-GANs). The machine learning based algorithm can capture the nonlinear and dynamic renewable patterns without the need for modeling assumptions and complicated sampling techniques. The orthogonal regularization and spectral normalization are adopted to improve the training stabilization of the GAN model. To control the generation process, a relationship is built between features of the generated scenarios and latent vectors on the manifold. Moreover, several new metrics for GANs are used to evaluate the quality of the scenarios. The proposed approach is applied to generate realistic time series data of wind and photovoltaic power. The results demonstrate that our method has a better performance on numerical stabilization and is able to control the generation process with latent space.
Assembly of the virome in newborn human infants

Healthy human infants are typically born without high concentrations of viral particles in their intestines, but after a few weeks of life particle counts typically reach a billion per gram of stool. Where do these vast populations come from? Recent studies support the idea that colonization is stepwise. First pioneer bacteria seed the infant gut. Bacteria commonly harbor prophage sequences integrated in their genomes, which periodically induce to make particles, providing a first wave of viral particles. Later more viruses infecting human cells are detected. Analysis showed that lower accumulation of viruses that grow in human cells is associated with breastfeeding. Thus these studies emphasize the environmental influences on formation of the early life virome, and begin to point the way toward modulating viral colonization to optimize health.
Hitting the Trip-Wire: When Does a Company Become a

Like the alcohol industry during Prohibition, the marijuana industry is a profitable one. And, like bootlegging was then, selling marijuana in the United States now is illegal. Despite the number of states that have legalized or decriminalized the sale of marijuana for medical or recreational use under state law, marijuana sales remain illegal as a matter of federal law under the federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 (CSA). Individuals and entities that violate the CSA face substantial potential criminal and civil liability, including prison time and fines, alongside a host of additional negative consequences arising in business law, tax, bankruptcy, banking, and other sources. The negative consequences marijuana businesses face have been discussed in detail elsewhere. This Article asks a different question: not, what are the negative consequences, but rather, when do those negative consequence attach? In other words, when does a company become a “Marijuana Business”? For purposes of this discussion, a Marijuana Business is an entity that participates, contributes, or assists, directly or indirectly, in the retail and/or medical marijuana industry to an extent that exposes it, its owners, and its agents to potential criminal and civil liability and other negative business consequences. In short, these are the companies that should be worried about the fact that they are engaging in an industry that is illegal under federal law. To identify the circumstances that result in a company’s being a Marijuana Business, this Article analyzes seven hypothetical companies that directly participate in the marijuana industry or support others that do. For each, it asks whether the facts are sufficient to establish criminal liability either directly under the CSA or indirectly under criminal conspiracy or aiding and abetting liability theories. Part I briefly introduces criminal liability under the CSA, along with the two complicity theories. Part II analyzes the hypothetical companies’ actions and determines whether they are Marijuana Businesses. Part III concludes with factors that courts and companies can look toward to determine whether those companies are indeed Marijuana Businesses.
Legume-imposed selection for more-efficient symbiotic rhizobia

Agriculture could reduce the economic and environmental costs of nitrogen (N) fertilizers by relying more on atmospheric N taken up (fixed) by rhizobia bacteria in legume root nodules. Just scaling up current N fixation might not help, however, because many nodules are occupied by rhizobia with high carbon (C) costs relative to N fixed. Given this low efficiency, greater plant investment in nodules can decrease yields (1). Even if we inoculate with more-efficient rhizobia, evolution can favor mutants that divert more resources from N fixation to their own reproduction (2). Could we instead breed legumes that preferentially support the reproduction and release into soil of only the most-efficient rhizobia in their nodules? If so, how much would this benefit future crops grown in the same soil? In PNAS, Westhoek et al. (3) present modeling and convincing results that expand our understanding of host-imposed selection among rhizobia differing in efficiency. Their methods could help plant breeders “select for legumes which are better at discriminating among strains” (3). Although their results are also relevant to broader questions about the evolution of cooperation, this commentary will focus on issues related to that suggested application. Previous modeling showed that, without host-imposed selection, rhizobia strains that invest anything in N fixation would have lower fitness than competing strains in the same plants that allocate resources only to their own reproduction. Fixing strains would only have greater fitness if hosts impose fitness-reducing “sanctions” on less-beneficial strains (2). All legumes tested appear to reduce allocation to nonfixing nodules (4⇓–6), although decreased allocation may not always limit rhizobia reproduction (7). Most … [↵][1]1Email: denis036{at}umn.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
An Improved Turn Structure for Inducing β-Hairpin Formation in Peptides

Although β-hairpins are widespread in proteins, there is no tool to coax any small peptide to adopt a β-hairpin conformation, regardless of sequence. Here, we report that δ-linked γ(R)-methyl-ornithine (δ MeOrn) provides an improved β-turn template for inducing a β-hairpin conformation in peptides. We developed a synthesis of protected δ MeOrn as a building block suitable for use in Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. The synthesis begins with l-leucine and affords gram quantities of the Nα -Boc-Nδ -Fmoc-γ(R)-methyl-ornithine building block. X-ray crystallography confirms that the δ MeOrn turn unit adopts a folded structure in a macrocyclic β-hairpin peptide. CD and NMR spectroscopy allow comparison of the δ MeOrn turn template to the δ-linked ornithine (δ Orn) turn template that we previously introduced and to the popular d-Pro-Gly turn template. These studies show that the folding of the δ MeOrn turn template is substantially better than that of δ Orn and is comparable to d-Pro-Gly.
Preliminary Analysis of Excess Mortality in India During the Covid-19 Pandemic (Update August 4, 2021).

Abstract Background As both testing for SARS Cov-2 and death registrations are incomplete or not yet available in many countries, the full impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is currently unknown in many world regions. Methods We studied the Covid-19 and all-cause mortality in 18 Indian states (combined population of 1.26 billion) with available all-cause mortality data during the pandemic for the entire state or for large cities: Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. Excess mortality was calculated by comparison with available data from years 2015-2019. The known Covid-19 deaths reported by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering for a state were assumed to be accurate, unless excess mortality data suggested a higher toll during the pandemic. Data from Uttar Pradesh were not included in the final model due to anomalies. Results In several regions, fewer deaths were registered in 2020 than expected. The excess mortality in Mumbai (in Maharashtra) in 2020 was 137.0 / 100K. Areas in Tamil Nadu, Kolkata (in West Bengal), Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh saw spikes in mortality in the spring of 2021. Conclusions The pandemic-related mortality through June 30, 2021 in 17 Indian states was estimated to be 132.9 to 194.4 per 100,000 population. If these rates apply to India as a whole, then between 1.80 to 2.63 million people may have perished in India as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic by June 30, 2021. This per-capita mortality rate is similar to that in the United States and many other regions.
What Is the Status of Regenerative Therapy in Heart Failure

Heart failure remains a major public health concern with high burden of morbidity and mortality despite advances in pharmacotherapy, device therapy, and surgical and percutaneous techniques. Cardiac regeneration may have a role to play in these patients with a huge unmet need for these therapies in patients with chronic ischemic heart disease, post-infarct heart failure, dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. In this review, we focus on the pre-clinical and translational basis for different modes of cardiac regenerative medicine and then critically appraise the clinical evidence amassed from pivotal clinical trials focused on cardiac regeneration for ischemic and non-ischemic cardiomyopathies. Cardiac regenerative medicine is rapidly evolving with novel approaches involving cell-based, cell-free, tissue engineering, and hybrid therapies to achieve myocardial regeneration and repair. Further studies are warranted with a robust comparison arm with optimal contemporary medical therapy to translate regenerative therapies to a clinical reality.
Executive Functions in Social Context: Implications for Conceptualizing, Measuring, and Supporting Developmental Trajectories

Success in life is linked to executive functions, a collection of cognitive processes that support goal-directed behaviors. Executive functions is an umbrella term related to cognitive control, sel...
Commentary on ethical dilemmas in the management of infants with enterocolitis totalis.

Abstract This is a Commentary on the manuscript titled “Ethical Dilemmas in the Management of Infants with Necrotizing Enterocolitis Totalis” by Pennington E, Javid P, Mueller C, et al.
Testicular Shielding for Total Body Irradiation in Pediatric Patients: A Single Institution's Approach.

Purpose/Objective(s) Total body irradiation (TBI) has been used as a part of the conditioning regimen for patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for certain non-malignant conditions such as sickle cell disease. While effective, TBI can cause lasting side effects for pediatric patients including oligospermia or even permanent azoospermia. Although many investigators have studied testicular shielding during TBI for non-malignant conditions, there is no set standard. The purpose of this study is to describe a different technique to conduct testicular shielding in male pediatric patients undergoing TBI for non-malignant conditions. Materials/Methods We describe three patients who underwent TBI as part of their conditioning regimens for allogeneic HSCT. The testicular shielding technique is reported, together with the optically stimulated luminescence dosimeter (OSLD) results for the gonads. For the patients being treated in the upright, sitting position with AP/PA fields, the testicular shielding was placed using the shadow from the field light. For the patient treated in the decubitus position with AP/PA fields, a surface rendering was generated using the treatment planning system which guided the physical placement of the gonadal block. OSLDs were placed in the middle of the scrotal surface, behind the gonadal blocks, for both the AP and PA orientations to verify the delivered dose to the testicles. Results The OSLD readings for patient 1 indicated a dose of 43 cGy to the gonads for the first TBI course, a 78.5% decrease from the prescribed dose of 200 cGy. For the second TBI course, this patient received a total dose of 63 cGy to the gonads, an 84.3% decrease from the prescribed dose of 400 cGy. The OSLD readings for patient 2 indicated a dose of 31 cGy to the gonads for the first TBI course, an 84.5% decrease from the prescribed dose of 200 cGy. For the second TBI course, patient 2 received a total dose of 75 cGy to the gonads, an 81.3% decrease from the prescribed dose of 400 cGy. The OSLD readings for patient 3 indicated a total dose to the gonads of 29 cGy, an 85.5% decrease from the prescribed dose of 200 cGy. Conclusion We report here an effective technique to shield the testicles of male pediatric patients undergoing TBI. We verified that our technique reduces the testicular dose by approximately 80- 85% of the TBI prescription dose in three male pediatric patients, keeping the dose well below the documented doses that can cause permanent infertility and hypogonadism.
Therapeutic drugs in cancer and resistance.

THERAPEUTIC DRUGS IN CANCER AND RESISTANCE By Aditi P. Martin, B.S. A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009 Major Director: Paul Dent Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology We investigated the mechanism of toxicity and resistance development of small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor lapatinib in HCT 116 colon cancer cells. Lapatinib mediated cell death in HCT 116 cells was caspase independent and involved cytosolic release of apoptosis inducing factor. Treatment of HCT 116 cells with 10μM Lapatinib lead to the outgrowth of lapatinib resistant HCT 116 cells. Our studies show that alterations in the expression and activation of Bcl-2 family proteins allow lapatinib resistant HCT 116 cells to resist cytotoxic effects of lapatinib as well as of other commonly used chemotherapeutic agents. In hepatoma and pancreatic cancer cells, the effects of combining multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs) namely, vorinostat and sodium
Cardiovascular alterations in toxemia.

Abstract Alterations in cardiac indices, uteroplacental blood turnover rate, plasma volume, and vascular sensitivity to infused angiotensin II amide were determined in a group of normal, chronic hypertensive, and toxemic pregnant patients at or near term. The values for the measured parameters in the toxemic and in chronic hypertensive women differed in the same direction from those for the normal patients. The magnitude of the differences between the chronic hypertensive and toxemic patients was not substantial enough to allow distinctions to be made between these two groups of patients. These findings suggest that the pathophysiologic alterations of cardiovascular function are similar if not the same in these two hypertensive complications of human pregnancy.
Monopolizing violence before and after 1984

The events of 1984 have had world-wide repercussions for Sikhs, not only across the globe but across time. Twenty-six years of impunity for the government officials implicated in organizing the systematic massacre of thousands of Sikhs in India demonstrates the obdurate nature of state power to silence a people's history/suffering. Rather than simply reiterate the trauma of 1984, this paper situates the events within a broader canvas of (modern/colonial) state terrorism and its alienating force. To do this it is necessary to chart not only the historical legacy of colonial violence (i.e. the conversion to modernity and the rule of law), but also the political strategies employed by power in the theatrical manufacture of 1984. This paper argues that the theatrical nature of power, which monopolizes violence through the imposition of law, is markedly different from the dramatic response drawn from the people's protest, and this crucial difference is elaborated through a number of troubling dichotomies. The ...
Cytochrome P-450cam III. REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF FERRIPROTOPORPHYRIN IX

Apocytochrome P-450cam in a reconstitutable form was prepared from the purified native holoenzyme by acid-acetone treatment at -20°. The prosthetic group is ferriprotoporphyrin IX, identified by the pyridine hemochromogen spectrum and by co-chromatography of authentic and isolated samples. The apocytochrome is not protected by the substrate and is less stable at -20°. The catalytically active holocytochrome P-450cam has been prepared from the apoenzyme in greater than 66% yield via P-420 on addition of equimolar heme in 4% methanol-phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, followed by a cysteine-glycerol treatment.
Biosynthesis of α-Isopropylmalic and Citric Acids in Acetobacter suboxydans

Cell-free extracts of Acetobacter suboxydans were prepared which were capable of condensing α-ketoisovalerate with 14C-labeled acetyl-coenzyme A to yield 14C-labeled α-isopropylmalate. The product of the reaction was isolated by paper and column chromatography and was characterized by recrystallization with synthetic α-isopropylmalic acid to constant specific radioactivity. The formation of α-isopropylmalate by extracts of A. suboxydans plus the ability of the organism to grow in a simple glucose-glycerol medium containing glutamic acid as the only amino acid indicate that the pathway for leucine biosynthesis shown to exist in yeast and Salmonella typhimurium also occurs in A. suboxydans. As a comparison, the condensation of oxalacetate and (14C) acetyl-coenzyme A to yield (14C) citric acid was shown, by similar means, to occur in A. suboxydans. This is of interest since the existence of this classical condensing enzyme has hitherto not been demonstrated in this organism. This reaction was further demonstrated in cell-free extracts of A. suboxydans by means of a spectrophotometric assay at 232 mμ which measured the cleavage of the carbon-sulfur bond of acetyl-coenzyme A in the presence of oxalacetate. Comparison of the specific activities of crude cell-free extracts indicated a much more extensive occurrence of this reaction in yeast than in A. suboxydans.
Technology challenges in a data warehouse

This presentation will discuss several database technology challenges that are faced when building a data warehouse. It will touch on the challenges posed by high capacity drives and the mechanisms in Teradata DBMS to address that. It will consider the features and capabilities required of a database in a mixed application environment of a warehouse and some solutions to address that.
The construction of person-centered medicine and the launching of an International College

The International College of Person-centered Medicine (ICPCM), formerly named International Network of Person-centered Medicine (INPCM), emerged from the processes of the Geneva Conferences on Person-centered Medicine which, as a paradigmatic initiative, had its roots in both the wisdom of ancient civilizations and the vision of certain contemporary developments in clinical care and public health. The ICPCM has represented since its inception the joint efforts of global medical and health institutions and of an international community of scholars, both institutions and scholars committed to re-prioritizing medicine and healthcare around the whole person in context.
Framework for a comprehensive description and measurement of emotional states.

The rationale for a general three-dimensional approach to measuring emotions (the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance, PAD, Emotional-State Model) is described. Evidence bearing on two early versions of the PAD scales is reviewed, and three studies report additional development and refinement of a final set of PAD scales. Factor analysis of 58 PAD items in Study 1, 41 PAD items in Study 2, and 34 PAD items in Study 3 consistently yielded three nearly orthogonal Pleasure, Arousal, and Dominance factors. The final 16-item State Pleasure, 9-item State Arousal, and 9-item State Dominance scales had alpha reliability coefficients of .97, .89, and .80, respectively. Across Studies 2 and 3, intercorrelations among the latter three scales did not exceed .09 in absolute value, showing that the scales provided a parsimonious base for the general assessment of emotional states. Discriminant and construct validity evidence for the scales were reviewed. Potential applications of the scales were noted.
Gravitational radiation driven supermassive black hole binary inspirals as periodically variable electromagnetic sources

Supermassive black hole binaries (SMBHBs) produced in galaxy mergers are thought to complete their coalescence, below separations of r_GW=10^{-3} (M_BH/10^8 M_sun)^{3/4} pc, as their orbit decays due to the emission of gravitational waves (GWs). It may be possible to identify such GW-driven inspirals statistically in an electromagnetic (EM) survey for variable sources. A GW-driven binary spends a characteristic time T_GW at each orbital separation r_orb < r_GW that scales with the corresponding orbital time t_orb as T_GW = (const) t_orb^{8/3}. If the coalescing binary produces variations in the EM emission on this timescale, then it could be identified as a variable source with a characteristic period t_var = t_orb. The incidence rate of sources with similar inferred BH masses, showing near-periodic variability on the time-scale t_var, would then be proportional to t_var^{8/3}. Luminosity variations corresponding to a fraction f_Edd<0.01 of the Eddington luminosity would have been missed in current surveys. However, if the binary inspirals are associated with quasars, we show that a dedicated survey could detect the population of SMBHBs with a range of periods around tens of weeks. The discovery of a population of periodic sources whose abundance obeys N_var = (const) t_var^{8/3} would confirm (i) that the orbital decay is indeed driven by GWs, and (ii) that circumbinary gas is present at small orbital radii and is being perturbed by the BHs. Deviations from the t_var^{8/3} power-law could constrain the structure of the circumbinary gas disk and viscosity-driven orbital decay. We discuss constraints from existing data, and quantify the sensitivity and sky coverage that could yield a detection in future surveys.
Long‐term suspended sediment transport in the Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed and Salt River Basin, Missouri, USA

[1] Since 1992, efforts have been conducted in Goodwater Creek Experimental Watershed to assess suspended sediment transport from this 73 km2 watershed located in the Salt River Basin, Missouri, USA. This effort was complemented by assessment of field-scale sediment loss and of suspended sediment transport at 12 watersheds in the Salt River Basin. The database includes 10 to 20 years of data from 3 fields ranging from 7 to 35 ha, and 5 to 20 years of data from 15 stream sites ranging from 10 to 6200 km2. Sampling techniques, analytical methods, site locations, and equipment infrastructure are described in this paper.
Sedation in Acute and Chronic Agitation

Agitation is a nonspecific constellation of symptoms seen in a variety of psychiatric disorders, ranging from psychotic exacerbations in patients with schizophrenia to behavioral disturbances associated with organic factors. Its treatment must be individualized and based on the etiology of the psychomotor disturbance. Certain categories of drugs are broadly effective. Sedation and control of disruptive and dangerous behavior are the initial goals in stabilizing acutely agitated patients. Sedation is necessary during the lag period before antipsychotic and mood-stabilizing drugs take effect. Barbiturates and chlorpromazine, initially given to control agitated behavior, are largely supplanted by higher-potency antipsychotics, benzodiazepines, and, recently, a combination of these two agents. Agitation is generally controlled within hours to days, whereas remission of affective or psychotic symptoms often requires weeks to months. Once remission is obtained, sedation is no longer desired and may be a barrier to optimal patient function and compliance. Thus, for long-term treatment, strategies are used to minimize sedation, such as reducing dosages, changing administration to bedtime, or adding antidepressants or stimulants where appropriate.
Comparison of the haplotypes of the major histocompatibility complex in the rat. III. Two difficult haplotypes: H-1h (Ag-B12) in the HW strain and Ag-B13 (H-1m) in the MNR/N strain.

SUMMARY Two haplotypes which posed difficult problems in serological identification, those of the HW and MNR/N strains, were studied. The HW strain was originally described as a unique haplotype (H-1h), but breeding difficulties precluded its detailed serological analysis. The red blood cells of the HW strain agglutinate weakly and cross-react with antisera to the Ag-B8 group. Anti-HW antisera cross-react strongly with LEW, ACI and WKA, but absorption with these strains did not produce an adequate typing serum. By judicious selection of recipients, however, an appropriate typing reagent could be made; a particularly useful one was (BUF × MR)F1 anti-HW absorbed with WKA red blood cells. The HW haplotype segregated appropriately in a (DA × HW)F2 population. The HW strain is a low responder to poly (Glu52Lys33Tyr15). The H-1h haplotype of this strain was designated Ag-B12. The MNR/N strain had not previously been studied serologically, although its MLR type had been defined as H-1c (MLR-5). Antisera to MNR/N crossreacted strongly with the H-1a, b, d, f haplotypes, but MNR/N red blood cells agglutinated only weakly with many antisera. An operationally monospecific reagent antiserum to the MNR/N haplotype could not be made. The uniquencess of the MNR/N haplotype was shown by F1 tests with LEW.1A, LEW.1D and LEW.1F, by various serological analyses, including production of antisera against MNR/N and in the MR strain; by segregation studies with (LEW × LEW.1D)N5 and (DA × DA.MNR)N4 segregating back-cross populations, and by grafting skin from (DA × DA.MNR)N4 homozygous and heterozygous animals to DA recipients. The MNR/N strain is a high-responder to poly (Glu52Lys33Tyr15). The MNR/N haplotype of this strain was designated Ag-B13 (H-1m). The data led to the working hypothesis that the MNR/N strain may be a recombination between the A region of H-1d and the B region of H-1c. In addition, the H-1d private specificity at the A region was probably lost by a deletion mutation which left the main complex of public specificities intact.
Multi-Process Tools for Fabrication, Assembly and Inspection

Multi-process tools play an important role in improving productivity and reduce unit cost of products. In this paper, a comprehensive literature survey on multi-process tools is conducted. The objectives of this survey are to (i) understand key business drivers for multi-processing, (ii) learn the existing multi-process tools available in various applications including automotive, pharmaceutical, and electronics, and (iii) identify trends in development of multi-process tooling. The contributions have been made in the following aspects: (i) the scope and definition of multi-process tools are introduced; existing multi-process tools are classified in terms of the nature of multi-processes, the targeted objects, and the applications. (ii) Pros and cons of multi-process tools are discussed and used as criteria to determine some principals in selecting right applications. (iii) Some under-developing areas related to multi-process tools have been identified and the principals of adapting multi-process tools have been determined.
The Impact of Ethnicity and Response Bias on the Self‐Report of Negative Affect

Psychosocial self-report measures are increasingly used in primary health care settings. This experiment examined the impact of response bias on self-report of psychosocial information in 74 Blacks and 52 Whites. Participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D), Cook-Medley Hostility/Stress (CM), Buss-Durkee Hostility (BD), and Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability (MCSDS) scales. Blacks reported greater negative affect than Whites on 2 of 15 scores, and their MCSDS scores were 30% higher. After using MCSDS scores as a covariate, Blacks showed significantly greater negative affect on 10 of 15 scores. Socioeconomic status did not explain the results. Response bias may affect self-report of negative affect more in Blacks than Whites. Self-report instruments may underestimate mood symptoms experienced by Blacks
Modulation of cellular adhesion in bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells by a decapeptide

The importance of cell adhesion molecules in maintaining the cellular integrity of the endothelial layer is well recognized, yet their exact participation in regulating the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is poorly understood. Both Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent cell adhesion molecules are found in endothelial cells. In this study, we used immunofluorescence, ELISA, Western blot and cell adhesion assay to identify a Ca(2+)-dependent cell adhesion molecule, E-cadherin, in bovine brain microvessel endothelial cells (BBMECs). Monoclonal anti-E-cadherin antibody specifically interacted with cultured BBMECs and decorated the cellular junctions with a series of punctate fluorescence spots as seen by indirect immunofluorescence using a confocal microscope. The intensity of these fluorescence spots increased after brief treatment with hIFN-gamma or CPT-cAMP. In the cellular extract of BBMECs, a 120 kDa protein was immunoprecipitated with anti-E-cadherin antibody. BBMECs did not react with anti-N-cadherin antibody, but recognized the FITC-labeled LRAHAVDVNG-NH2, a decapeptide generated from the EC-1 domain of N-cadherin, which decorated the lateral margins of the cells with fluorescence spots. A concentration-dependent binding of this decapeptide was also observed in the flow cytometry assay. BBMECs dissociated with trypsin plus Ca2+ were able to reaggregate only in the presence of Ca2+. However, such cell-cell aggregations of BBMECs were prevented by the presence of either anti-E-cadherin antibody or the decapeptide in the assay medium. These results confirm that BBMECs possess a distinct Ca(2+)-dependent cell adhesion mechanism that can be modulated by the decapeptide. This modulation of cell-cell adhesion in BBMECs by the decapeptide is thought-provoking for creating channels for paracellular drug delivery across the BBB.
Substrate competition in glucose and palmitate oxidation in the intact rat

Abstract Using C 14 -labeling, the interdependence of glucose and fatty acid oxidation was studied in the normal, fasted rat. When fed separately, glucose and palmitate were oxidized at approximately equal rates. When fed together, glucose was oxidized preferentially without increase in total CO 2 excretion, thereby inhibiting palmitate oxidation; however, the fat did not depress glucose oxidation. This effect of glucose was accounted for in part by an inhibition of fat absorption through the intestine. However, glucose also inhibited the oxidation of endogenous palmitate, as determined by depression of C 14 O 2 excretion when the labeled fatty acid was fed 24 or 48 hr. previously. The suppression of fatty acid oxidation by glucose was only temporary, covering the period of maximum glucose absorption, and was not exhibited by endogenous glucose stored as glycogen in the postabsorptive rat.
Escherichia coli cell division protein FtsZ is a guanine nucleotide binding protein.

Abstract FtsZ is an essential cell division protein in Escherichia coli that forms a ring structure at the division site under cell cycle control. The dynamic nature of the FtsZ ring suggests possible similarities to eukaryotic filament forming proteins such as tubulin. In this study we have determined that FtsZ is a GTP/GDP binding protein with GTPase activity. A short segment of FtsZ is homologous to a segment in tubulin believed to be involved in the interaction between tubulin and guanine nucleotides. A lethal ftsZ mutation, ftsZ3 (Rsa), that leads to an amino acid alteration in this homologous segment decreased GTP binding and hydrolysis, suggesting that interaction with GTP is essential for ftsZ function.
Chitin catabolism in the marine bacterium Vibrio furnissii. Identification, molecular cloning, and characterization of A N, N'-diacetylchitobiose phosphorylase.

Abstract The major product of bacterial chitinases isN,N′-diacetylchitobiose or (GlcNAc)2. We have previously demonstrated that (GlcNAc)2 is taken up unchanged by a specific permease inVibrio furnissii (unlike Escherichia coli). It is generally held that marine Vibrios further metabolize cytoplasmic (GlcNAc)2 by hydrolyzing it to two GlcNAcs (i.e. a “chitobiase ”). Here we report instead thatV. furnissii expresses a novel phosphorylase. The gene,chbP, was cloned into E. coli; the enzyme, ChbP, was purified to apparent homogeneity, and characterized kinetically. The DNA sequence indicates that chbP encodes an 89-kDa protein. The enzymatic reaction was characterized as follows. TheKm values for the four substrates were in the range 0.3–1 mm.p-Nitrophenyl-(GlcNAc)2 was cleaved at 8.5% the rate of (GlcNAc)2, and p-nitrophenyl (PNP)-GlcNAc was 36% as active as GlcNAc in the reverse direction. All other compounds tested displayed ≤1% of the activity of the indicated substrates including: for phosphorolysis, higher chitin oliogsaccharides, (GlcNAc)n,n = 3–5, cellobiose, PNP-GlcNAc, and PNP-(GlcNAc)3; for synthesis, (GlcNAc)n (n = 2–5), glucose, etc. (GlcNAc)2 is a major regulator of the chitin catabolic cascade. Conceivably GlcNAc-α-1-P plays a similar but different role in regulation.
Biochemical and genetic factors in the heat inactivation of murine beta-glucuronidase.

The enzymes coded for by two alleles at the glucuronidase structural locus (Gus) were compared in their response to pH, buffering anion, buffer molarity, ionic strength, and temperature. The heat-labile Gush gene product responded in a qualitatively similar but quantitatively reduced manner compared to the relatively heat-stable Gusb gene product. In all buffers tested, the enzyme was most heat stable at pH 5.0. Ranking of the various buffer anions tested, according to increasing heat stabilization, was water ≪ acetate ≤ phosphate < citrate. Varying the molarity of the buffers from 0.01 to 0.6 m at pH 5.0 revealed further differences among the buffers. Increasing ionic strength exerted a destabilizing force on the protein. The half-life of the enzyme decreased by as much as a hundredfold between 71 and 75 C. The Gush/Gush genotype also results in decreased activity levels in all tissues, reportedly because of decreased synthesis. The heat inactivation curves of Gusb/Gush heterozygotes were incompatible with any theoretical curve based on the assumption that the Gusb and Gush chromosomes in the heterozygote behave in a manner similar to that seen in the homozygotes.
Observation of nearly quantum-limited timing jitter in an all-fiber ring laser

The Haus–Mecozzi theory of timing jitter and amplitude fluctuations of a self-starting additive-pulse mode-locked fiber ring laser operating in the negative group-velocity regime is reviewed. Experimental results confirm the theoretical predictions. The measured timing jitter has two physical origins. One is amplified spontaneous emission (quantum noise). The other is the amplitude fluctuation that is due to the pump source. The jitter is due mainly to the amplified spontaneous emission and is thus quantum limited.
The Polls: Policy-Specific Presidential Approval, Part 2

Extant research suggests the primacy of economics over foreign policy in determining public evaluations of the president despite the higher degree of presidential responsibility for foreign, as opposed to economic, policy. Lack of good data on foreign policy attitudes has limited the incorporation of that aspect of public opinion in the study of presidential approval. In this article, I utilize both foreign and economic policy monthly approval times series that span the two terms of the Clinton administration to study the comparative impact of foreign and economic policy thinking on public approval. Results find, first, that the specific approval series granger cause general presidential approval. Second, economic and foreign policy approval seems to have similar impacts on general presidential approval. Implications for understanding public opinion toward the president and directions for future research are discussed.
Modularity and symmetry in computational embryogeny

Modularity and symmetry are two properties observed in almost every engineering and biological structure. The origin of these properties in nature is still unknown. Yet, as engineers we tend to generate designs which share these properties. In this paper we will report on the origin of these properties in three dimensional evolved structures (phenotypes). The phenotypes were evolved in an evolutionarydevelopmental model of biological structures. The phenotypes were grown under a high volatility stochastic environment. The phenotypes have evolved to function within the environment using the very basic requirements. Even though neither modularity nor symmetry have been directly imposed as part of the requirements, the phenotypes were able to generate these properties after only a few hundred generations. These results may suggest that modularity and symmetry are both very fundamental properties that develop during the early stages of evolution. This result may give insight to the origin of both modularity and symmetry in biological organisms.
Wegener's granulomatosis: symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Purpose: To provide nurse practitioners with a basic understanding of the clinical presentation, diagnosis, diagnostic testing, pharmacological treatment, and prevalence of Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG). Data sources: Published research and clinical articles, and a case report. Conclusions: WG is a systemic disease characterized by vasculitis, necrosis, and granulomas. The diagnosis of WG is difficult, particularly early in the disease process. In order to confirm the diagnosis, the patient should undergo specific tests such as antineutrophil cytoplasm antibodies, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, and biopsy of the tissue involved. Implications for practice: The diagnosis of WG is often delayed because of the vague symptoms on presentation. Initial symptoms, such as chronic fatigue, upper respiratory infection, sinusitis, and otitis media are common and may not be alarming. Recognizing symptoms, ordering diagnostic tests, and providing appropriate pharmacological therapy is key to diagnosing and treating WG.
Thyrotoxicosis-induced congestive heart failure in an urban hospital.

ABSTRACT Thyrotoxicosis has been associated with several cardiac complications, including atrial fibrillation (AF), functional cardiomyopathy, and congestive heart failure (CHE). Thyrotoxicosis-induced CHF has been considered an unusual complication of thyrotoxicosis, occurring generally in older patients. To determine the nature and frequency of this complication of thyrotoxicosis in an adult, hospitalized population, the authors consecutively evaluated all admissions to a 535-bed urban hospital during a 14-month period. Admitted during the study period were 177 individuals with a principal diagnosis of AF and 21 individuals with a principal diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis. Eleven of these individuals had concomitant AF and thyrotoxicosis, which was 6% of the AF group. Of these 11 patients, 5 had clinically apparent CHF without evidence of other organic heart disease (Group A) and 6 had only AF without clinical CHF (Group B). The 5 patients with CHF had a significantly lower mean age (36) than the 6 with thyrotoxicosis and AF only (P
Using data envelopment analysis to measure the efficiency of not‐for‐profit organizations: A critical evaluation—comment

Abstract : This note responds to Nunamaker (1985) who supposedly deals with deficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) as an approach for measuring efficiencies of not-for-profit entities identified as Decision Making Units (DMUs) and locating sources and amounts of inefficiencies in each of the input used and in each of the outputs produced by each DMU. Corrections and comments are offered with reference supplied for interested readers who wish to examine more detailed treatments of the topics covered. Keywords; Data envelopment analysis; CCR ratio model; Pareto-Koopmans efficiency. (Author)