cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Low-Cost Priapism Detumescence Simulator for Emergency Medicine Residents.

Introduction Ischemic priapism is an emergent condition requiring immediate intervention. However, the incidence is estimated to be very low. Given the low incidence of this pathology, some emergency medicine residents do not have the opportunity to perform needle aspiration, the critical procedure to achieve detumescence. We sought to fill this void by creating low-cost, high-fidelity trainers for emergency medicine resident procedural competency. Methods Using items obtained online and through our hospital's simulation department, we created a low-cost priapism trainer from previously described literature. Residents completed a lecture, lab, and short post-course survey regarding helpfulness, realism, prior procedure experience, and future applicability of our training device. Descriptive data were calculated using the median with interquartile range. Results The trainer cost roughly $25 to create per unit. All participants rated the trainer a 5 for helpfulness. When asked if the lab appeared realistic, there were overly positive responses with a median of 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 4-5), with every respondent selecting either realistic (4 on the Likert scale) or very realistic (5 on the Likert scale). All participants (100%) agreed that they would recommend the use of this trainer for future medical students and residents. Conclusion Priapism, specifically ischemic priapism, is truly an emergent condition requiring immediate intervention. The incidence of this condition is low, and some emergency medicine residents may not have the opportunity to perform the procedure during training. Given the need for simulated experiences, we developed a low-cost, high-fidelity trainer that was found to be helpful and realistic to emergency medicine residents. While other models exist, our model minimizes cost while maximizing realism.
Ultra-Thin Reflective Light Modulators Enabled by Electro-Optical Tunable Gap Plasmons

We demonstrate compact reflective light modulators based on coupling to gap plasmons electro-optically modulated at radiofrequencies. Modulation is enabled by ultra-fast electro-optic organic polymers that pave the way for high-speed spatial control of light fields.
Global Village or Cyber-Balkans? Modeling and Measuring the Integration of Electronic Communities

Information technology can link geographically separated people and help them locate interesting or useful resources. These attributes have the potential to bridge gaps and unite communities. Paradoxically, they also have the potential to fragment interaction and divide groups. Advances in technology can make it easier for people to spend more time on special interests and to screen out unwanted contact. Geographic boundaries can thus be supplanted by boundaries on other dimensions. This paper formally defines a precise set of measures of information integration and develops a model of individual knowledge profiles and community affiliation. These factors suggest specific conditions under which improved access, search, and screening can either integrate or fragment interaction on various dimensions. As IT capabilities continue to improve, preferences--not geography or technology--become the key determinants of community boundaries.
Experimental Design for Robust Process Control Using Schroeder-Phased Input Signals

The use of Schroeder-phased, multisinusoid input signals for system identification in the process industries is described in this paper. We show that the Schroeder-phased input displays a number of significant properties which make it an attractive alternative to the PRBS input for identification in the presence of noise.
Toward a New Paradigm of Criminal Justice: How the Innocence Movement Merges Crime Control and Due Process

In the criminal justice system we have become accustomed to thinking in terms of a conflict between society's interest in convicting the guilty and the rights of criminal defendants. This conflict is perhaps best captured by Herbert Packer's competing Crime Control and Due Process Models of criminal justice. In recent years, postconviction DNA testing and other forms of new evidence have exposed a surprisingly large number of wrongful convictions of factually innocent people. The resulting Innocence Movement has pushed for reforms to reduce the rate of factual error. Those efforts have caused some to ask if we can indeed convict fewer innocents without acquitting too many guilty people. That question is premised on a paradigm of competing goals, such as those posited by Packer's two models. This article responds to that question in two ways. First, it suggests that the question, at least to a large degree, is the wrong question to ask under our constitutional system. Our constitutional system chooses protecting the innocent as a highest-order value, which preferences innocence protection over convicting wrongdoers. Second, confronting the question on its own terms, it suggests that the answer is yes, we can reduce the number of wrongful convictions without sacrificing too many convictions of the guilty. Indeed, the Innocence Movement shows that those goals are not inherently contradictory; rather, they are quite complementary. In this sense, the Innocence Movement alters our understanding of the criminal justice system by giving us a new paradigm - a Reliability Model based on best practices - which supplants and transcends the competing Crime Control and Due Process Models.
The global spread of Islamism: An agent-based computer model

We use an agent-based model to model a dynamic network that considers the rate at which Islamism will spread globally. We define Islamism as the organized political trend that seeks to solve modern political problems by referencing Muslim teachings. The trend is also associated with Radical Islam or Islamic Fundamentalism and is often revolutionary and violent in nature. The model assumes that Islamism spreads from state to state based on existing relations that replicate those defining global trade and communications. Islamism must diffuse through these existing networks. Since Islamism is inimical to western liberal values such as women’s rights and social tolerance, the diffusion of Islamism is hindered by a strong commitment to western liberal values. We include all countries in the analysis, scored on the degree to which they are committed to Islamism and western liberal values.
On Chogoshvili’s conjecture

There exists a two-dimensional compact subset of R4 having unstable intersection with every affine 2-plane.
Chapter 16 - The Human Infant as Imitative Generalist: A 20-Year Progress Report on Infant Imitation with Implications for Comparative Psychology

Experiments show that infants smile, increase their gaze at the imitator, and react distinctively to being matched. This chapter suggests that reciprocal imitation games between parent and offspring provide ontogenetic roots for the growth of theory of mind in human children. Infants provide a unique opportunity for investigating human imitation before language, before advanced symbolic development, and in the case of newborn imitation, even before enculturation. Learning more about human pre-linguistic imitation should assist those interested in the biology, evolution, and comparative psychology of imitation. Reviews of animal imitation have sometimes not considered the new research on imitation in human infancy. The chapter reviews two decades of progress made at both the empirical and theoretical level in understanding imitation in human infants. It also reviews the initial work on facial imitation and highlights several aspects of human imitation that became central to the theoretical position. In particular, the work on facial imitation led to the proposal that human infants were imitating based on cross-modal matching. To understand why facial imitation supports this inference, manual and vocal imitation is considered. In imitating manual movements, the infant can see the adult's hand and also the infant's own hands. It is possible for the infants to use visual guidance of their own motor movements to bring them into line with the movements they see. The same occurs in vocal imitation.
Stress-Intensity-Factor Influence Coefficients for Semielliptical Inner-Surface Flaws in Clad Pressure Vessels

A problem of particular interest in pressure vessel technology is the calculation of accurate stress-intensity factors for semielliptical surface cracks in cylinders. Computing costs for direct solution techniques can be prohibitive when applied to three-dimensional (3-D) geometries with time-varying boundary conditions such as those associated with pressurized thermal shock. An alternative superposition technique requires the calculation of a set of influence coefficients for a given 3-D crack model that can be superimposed to obtain mode-I stress-intensity factors. This paper presents stress-intensity-factor influence coefficients (SIFICs) for axially and circumferentially oriented finite-length semielliptical inner-surface flaws with aspect ratios [total crack length (2c) to crack depth (a)] of 2, 6, and 10 for clad cylinders having an internal radius (R{sub i}) to wall thickness (t) ratio of 10. SEFICs are computed for flaw depths in the range of 0.01 {le} a/t {le} 0.5 and two cladding thicknesses. The incorporation of this SEFIC data base in fracture mechanics codes will facilitate the generation of fracture mechanics solutions for a wide range of flaw geometries as may be required in structural integrity assessments of pressurized-water and boiling-water reactors.
Effect of mineralocorticoid receptor blockade on hippocampal-dependent memory in adults with obesity.

Objective The hippocampus is crucial for paired-associate learning. Obesity is associated with increased mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) activity in peripheral and possibly central tissues, decreased hippocampal size in humans, and impaired hippocampal learning in rodents. The MR is expressed in hippocampal neurons, and MR blockade improves hippocampal learning in obese animals. The goal of the study was to determine whether MR blockade would modulate paired-associate learning in men and women with obesity. Methods Men and women ages 20-61 years with BMI between 30-45 kg/m2 were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 11; 7 women) or 50 mg spironolactone daily (n = 12; 7 women) for six weeks. At baseline and post-treatment, subjects underwent a clinical and hormonal evaluation. They also underwent a computerized task that assesses paired-associate learning and has been shown by functional magnetic resonance imaging to activate the hippocampus. Results In an ANCOVA model that adjusted for baseline paired-associate learning, age, and race, spironolactone treatment was associated with a significant (P = 0.043) improvement in hippocampal memory as compared to placebo treatment. Conclusions Our findings demonstrate, for the first time, that blocking MR with chronic, low-dose spironolactone treatment improves paired-associate learning in individuals with obesity, suggesting that MR activation contributes to hippocampal memory modulation in humans.
“An alternative discourse”: Local interpreters of antiquities in the Ottoman Empire

The premise of Ottoman indifference to “antiquities” was already widely assumed by early modern travelers and archaeologists and continues to inform contemporary discussion of cultural patrimony in post-Ottoman nations. However, it is contradicted by numerous accounts of local interpretations of ancient monuments and local resistance to the efforts of outsiders to remove antiquities. Local interpretations of monuments constituted an alternative discourse that cohered around a set of recurring concerns, while also developing over time. The potential of these local interpretations to expand the discourse of academic archaeology has been obscured by their classification as elements of a timeless folklore, which is understood to speak to the customs and manners of the interpreters, not to the objects of interpretation.
Using Evolved Analogies to Overcome Creative Design Fixation

Human cognition is critically important in all creative conceptual design. People are susceptible to design fixation, blocks or impasses caused by a variety of unconscious cognitive processes. Insight that resolves fixation can be triggered by accidentally encountered cues, but designers cannot know in advance which environmental triggers are most appropriate. Two domains, patents and life forms, encompass countless well-tested mechanisms for solving environmental problems. A patent database and a compendium of life forms could provide rich sources of analogies that might trigger insight, thereby overcoming design fixation.
Electronic and optical properties of three phases of titanium dioxide: Rutile, anatase, and brookite

Using the self-consistent orthogonalized linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals method in the local-density approximation, the electronic structure and the optical properties of three phases of titanium dioxide have been studied. For rutile, the calculated band structure, equilibrium lattice constant, and bulk modulus are in good agreement with other recent calculations and with experimental data. The results on the ground-state properties of anatase and brookite are reported. Compared with the rutile phase, anatase has similar ground-state properties except for a larger band gap, whereas brookite has relatively smaller bulk modulus. The optical properties of these three phases are also calculated using the band-structure results and compared with the available measurements. For the rutile phase, the anisotropic properties of the dielectric function are in good agreement with the reflectance spectroscopy. For the anatase phase, there are very limited experimental optical data for comparison. For the brookite phase, no experimental data are available. Our calculations show subtle differences in the optical properties of these three phases.
Surface area determination of supported oxides: WO3/Al2O3

The concept that the variation in the point of zero charge (pzc) of physical mixtures of pure oxides can serve as a 'calibration curve' to evaluate the surface areas of the individual phases of composite oxides is now applied to the WO{sub 3}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} system. The results of the previously reported model, which assumes the surface area of each component in a composite oxide is a surface area weighted sum of the pzc's of the pure components, are compared to another model that accounts for variations in the measured BET area due to the increased loading of the second phase. The parameters of the models are the number of dispersed clusters and their size, and results from both models show the same qualitative trends. They become quantitatively the same as the second-phase loading decreases.
Downward Flame Spread In an Opposed Forced Flow

Abstract Rates of flame spread for the downward propagation of flames over vertical cylinders of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) of 2.54, 0.64, and 0.16 cm in diameter were measured in an opposed forced convective air flow with free stream velocities ranging from 2 to 70 cm/sec. It was found that for all fuel thicknesses, the flame spread rate is independent of the opposed flow if the velocity of the flow is smaller than that induced by natural convection by the flame, For larger flow velocities, the spread rate decreases as the velocity of the opposed flow increases. It was also found that profiles of surface temperature ahead of the flame present similar characteristics with the profiles remaining unchanged for low opposed flow velocities and becoming steeper with the temperature gradients near the flame front increasing as the opposed flow velocity increases. A simplified theoretical model is developed to account for the effect of an external opposed flow on the flame spread process. It is shown in the m...
The complexity of ascendant sequences in locally nilpotent groups

We analyze the complexity of ascendant sequences in locally nilpotent groups, showing that if G is a computable locally nilpotent group and x0, x1, …, xN ∈ G, N ∈ ℕ, then one can always find a uniformly computably enumerable (i.e. uniformly ) ascendant sequence of order type ω + 1 of subgroups in G beginning with 〈x0, x1, …, xN〉G, the subgroup generated by x0, x1, …, xN in G. This complexity is surprisingly low in light of the fact that the usual definition of ascendant sequence involves arbitrarily large ordinals that index sequences of subgroups defined via a transfinite recursion in which each step is incomputable. We produce this surprisingly low complexity sequence via the effective algebraic commutator collection process of P. Hall, and a related purely algebraic Normal Form Theorem of M. Hall for nilpotent groups.
Gamma radiation from uranium X2

The amount of ionization due to hard gamma rays from UX2 (Pa234) in equilibrium with a known amount of uranium was found by subtracting the calculated radiation due to RaC from the measured total hard gamma radiation. Corrections for self-absorption, geometry, and differential absorption in the lead filter are applied. Ionization is measured in terms of radium standards. The result obtained is that of the hard gamma radiation from the products of uranium, 5.2 pct (±0.4 pct) is due to UX2 , the rest being from RaC. This figure is about twice as high as the previously accepted one. Nevertheless, it shows that the contribution of the gamma radiation of UX2 to the total radiation from all radioactive products contained in ordinary rocks is insignificant and does not play any important role in the total ionization of the lower atmosphere by terrestrial radiations.
Technology challenges of active x-ray optics for astronomy

Adjustable x-ray optics offer the promise of much higher imaging resolution with lightweight optics, providing the key technology for the development of the next generation of astronomical x-ray telescopes such as Generation-X. These adjustable grazing incidence optics might be adjusted only once, on-orbit. To produce theses optics will require the development of several component technologies along with their integration into a new mirror concept. In this paper we define a number of the key technologies necessary for adjustable x-ray optics for astronomy, give a brief description of the issues involved, and some status of these activities being developed as part of our adjustable optics development program at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Effects of Triglycerides, Obesity, and Starvation on Ghrelin Transport Across the Blood-Brain Barrier

Human ghrelin is transported across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) of normal mice. Here, we studied the effects of triglycerides, obesity, and starvation in retired breeder mice maintained on a high fat diet, mice age-matched to the retired breeders but maintained on normal chow, and 8-week-old mice maintained on breeder chow. The rate of ghrelin transport across the BBB was studied by both the intravenous administration method of multiple-time regression analysis and by the brain perfusion method. We found that (1) obese, aged mice lost the ability to transport intravenously administered ghrelin across the BBB, resulting in an inverse relation between body weight and ghrelin BBB permeability; (2) serum triglycerides promoted transport of intravenously administered ghrelin across the BBB, whereas epinephrine had no effect; (3) fasting tended to promote ghrelin transport across the BBB as most readily shown in brain perfusion studies; (4) evidence suggested that a serum factor promoted ghrelin transport in 8-week-old mice. Overall, these results show that serum factors and physiological states influence the rate at which ghrelin is transported across the blood-brain barrier.
Effects of cardiotoxin d from naja naja siamensis snake venom upon murine splenic lymphocytes

Abstract C. L. Hinman , E. Lepisto , R. Stevens , I. N. Montgomery , H. C. Rauch and R. A. Hudson . Effects of cardiotoxin D from Naja naja siamensis snake venom upon murine splenic lymphocytes. Toxicon25, 1011 – 1014, 1987. — Cardiotoxin D from Naja naja siamensis is cytotoxic to T-lymphocytes above 150 femtomoles/106 cells. Equivalent lysis of macrophages or B-lymphocytes requires at least 1000 times more toxin. Reduction and carboxamidomethylation of cardiotoxin D does not effect T cell lysis. At higher toxin concentrations, 50% T-cell lysis occurs within 10 min. Splenocytes cultured with mitogens are up to five times more susceptible to toxin than unstimulated cells. Cardiotoxin D may directly disrupt the plasma membrane, since lysis is unaltered at 4°C.
Deglycosylation with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid differentially affects inhibitor activities of turkey ovomucoid

Turkey ovomucoid is an inhibitor of both trypsin and chymotrypsin. Treatment of this glycoprotein with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in anisole resulted in time-dependent removal of carbohydrate and altered its biological activity. After 6 h of treatment the apparent molecular mass obtained by SDS-PAGE decreased from 38 to 30 kDa. Carbohydrate analyses indicated loss of 94% of original saccharide residues. The inhibitory activity of each domain was analyzed independently by comparing enzymic activity of trypsin and chymotrypsin in the absence of inhibitor to that preincubated in the presence of varying amounts of native or deglycosylated ovomucoid, respectively. The results demonstrated that removal of saccharides with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid differentially affects the inhibitor activities of turkey ovomucoid. Decreased inhibitory activity of the trypsin domain was observed with casein and benzoyl arginine ethyl ester as substrates. In contrast, enhanced inhibitory activity of the chymotrypsin domain was observed with benzoyl tyrosine ethyl ester and methyl-O-succinyl-Arg-Pro-Tyr-p-nitroanilide, good substrates for chymotrypsin, but not with casein.
Biomechanical evaluation of new fixation devices for mandibular angle fractures

Abstract This biomechanical study investigated the effectiveness of fixation devices of simulated angle fractures in sheep mandibles. The fractures were stabilized by a Leibinger ® 8-hole three-dimensional (3-D) plate, a Synthes ® eight-hole mesh plate, and a Synthes ® six-hole reconstruction plate with 2.0-mm and 2.4-mm mono- and bicortical screws. Each mandible was tested in bending (class III cantilever model). The bone mineral density of the mandibles was measured by computed tomography scan. The Leibinger 3-D plate showed plate deformation in bending of
189An epidemiologic perspective

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is quite prevalent in the post stroke population affecting over 50% of those with acute ischemic stroke. OSA has recently emerged as an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke. The reasons for this relationship are unclear, but may be related to OSA’s effect on coagulation, cerebral hemodynamics, and oxidative stress. Furthermore, OSA has been associated with traditional vascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) may reduce the risk of stroke in those with OSA, but no definitive study has been performed. Some studies have shown that CPAP reduces blood pressure, and may also reduce insulin resistance and the risk of recurrent atrial fibrillation among those with OSA who underwent cardioversion. Additionally, one small observational series suggested that tolerance to CPAP after an initial ischemic stroke is associated with a lower risk of a recurrent vascular event. In addition to being a risk factor for stroke, OSA and OSA severity are associated with poorer outcomes after stroke, including functional outcome and mortality. These findings have led investigators to test CPAP for stroke patients with OSA. Preliminary studies suggest that acceptance of CPAP may be a particular challenge for stroke patients. Non-acceptance may be even more common in those with aphasia and lower functional status. Unfortunately, no large randomized, placebo-controlled studies have yet been performed assessing the effect of CPAP on stroke outcome; although, there have been a few small randomized studies performed without a placebo control. Some have shown no benefit to CPAP, while others suggest a benefit in depression or sense of wellbeing post stroke. More research is needed in this important area to determine the effects of CPAP treatment on stroke risk and recovery, optimal timing of therapy initiation, and optimal titration schemes in the post stroke period.
HPLC determination of guaifenesin with selected medications on underivatized silica with an aqueous-organic mobile phase

A high performance liquid chromatography procedure has been developed for the simultaneous determination of guaifenesin pseudoephedrine-dextromethorphan and guaifenesin-pseudoephedrine in commercially available capsule dosage forms and guaifenesin-codeine in a commercial cough syrup dosage form. The separation and quantitation are achieved on a 25-cm underivatized silica column using a mobile phase of 60:40%) v/v 6.25 mM phosphate buffer, pH 3.0 - acetonitrile at a flow rate of 1 ml min(-1) with detection of all analytes at 216 nm. The separation is achieved within 10 min for each drug mixture. The method showed linearity for the guaifenesin-pseudoephedrine-dextromethorphan mixture in the 50-200, 7.5-30 and 2.5-10, microg ml(-1) ranges, respectively. The intra- and inter-day RSDs ranged from 0.23 to 4.20%, 0.18 to 2.85%, and 0.13 to 5.04% for guaifenesin, pseudoephedrine, and dextromethorphan, respectively. The guaifenesin pseudoephedrine mixture yielded linear ranges of 25-100 and 3.75-15 microg ml(-1) and intra- and inter-day RSDs ranged from 0.65 to 4.18% and 0.23 to 3.00% for guaifenesin and pseudoephedrine, respectively. The method showed linearity for the guaifenesin-codeine mixture in the 25-100 and 2.5-10 microg ml(-1) ranges and RSDs ranged from 0.37 to 4.25% and 0.14 to 2.08% for guaifenesin and codeine, respectively.
A comparison of the multipliers of IMPLAN, REMI, and RIMS II: Benchmarking ready-made models for comparison

The IMPLAN, REMI and RIMS II regional input-output models are used extensively in regional policy analysis. Yet, no study exists that compares all three models. Therefore, this study compares the multipliers of these three models for Clark County, Nevada. It is found that the multipliers of the default versions of the models delivered by the vendors significantly differ across models. Benchmarked versions of the models are obtained by controlling for differences in closure rules and techniques used to regionalize national input-output coefficients. The multipliers of the benchmarked versions generally do not significantly differ. Thus, conclusions can be reached about what differences exist between the multipliers of the three models and why. Moreover, the method used to benchmark the models for comparison provides users of these models with the potential to improve their model.
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms in Septoria tritici occur at a high frequency

A set of probes that detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in nuclear DNA has been developed for genetic studies of the phytopathogenic fungus Septoria tritici. Two plasmid libraries containing 0.5–1.3 or 1.3–2.4 kb fragments of S. tritici nuclear DNA were constructed. Seventeen random clones from each library were used as probes to screen for RFLP variation among a geographically-diverse group of six S. tritici isolates. Among the 196 probe-enzyme combinations tested, 145 detected RFLPs among the six isolates. The restriction enzymes EcoRV and PstI detected RFLPs most efficiently. Three probes detected deletions. A ribosomal DNA probe from yeast did not detect a significant amount of variation. These probes will be useful for studying genetic variation, population genetics, and genome organization of S. tritici.
Effects of pressure on the electrical conductivity of ferrocene

Mesure des diagrammes courant/conductivite-pression. Mise en evidence indirecte d'une transformation de phase continue a temperature ambiante
Relationships of Lifetime Profit to Sire Evaluations from First, All, and Later Records

Abstract Sire evaluations from first, all, and later lactations for PD milk, fat, and dollars on 338 sires were used to predict deviated relative net income of individual daughters on a per day and lifetime basis. Eleven different relative net incomes, deviated from contemporaries, were calculated on 176,902 cows. Variation in individual daughter relative net income accounted for by sire evaluation was statistically significant but small (R 2 = .001 to .005). Progeny group average estimates of deviated relative net income could be predicted with reasonable accuracy (R 2 = .097 to .360). Models using PD dollars from first and later lactation evaluations had larger coefficients of determination for both per day and lifetime deviated relative net income measures than did models using milk and fat evaluations. Ability to predict progeny group averages for lifetime relative net income was superior (R 2 = .199 to .360) to the ability to predict progeny group averages for relative net income per day. Later lactation sire evaluations were more useful than evaluations based on first lactations in the prediction of total lifetime profit. Profit per day of productive life was predicted more accurately from first lactation evaluations than evaluations based on later lactations.
Identification of the rate-determining step of tRNA-guanine transglycosylase from Escherichia coli.

The modified RNA base queuine [7-(4,5-cis-dihydroxy-1-cyclopenten-3-ylaminomethyl)-7-deazaguanine] is present in tRNA because of a unique base-exchange process catalyzed by tRNA-guanine transglycosylase (TGT). Previous studies have suggested the intermediacy of a covalent TGT−RNA complex. To exist on the reaction pathway, this covalent complex must be both chemically and kinetically competent. Chemical competence has been demonstrated by the crystal structure studies of Xie et al. [(2003) Nat. Struct. Biol. 10, 781−788]; however, evidence of kinetic competence had not yet been established. The studies reported here unequivocally demonstrate that the TGT−RNA covalent complex is kinetically capable of occurring on the TGT reaction pathway. These studies further suggest that dissociation of product RNA from the enzyme is overall rate-limiting in the steady state. Interestingly, studies comparing RNA with a 2′-deoxyriboside at the site of modification suggest a role for the 2′-hydroxyl group in stabilizing th...
Achieving a magnetically clean spacecraft for the RBSP mission

This paper describes the simple techniques used to achieve magnetically clean spacecraft for NASA's Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) mission. The series of steps taken from initial design to complete check of static magnetic field of the spacecraft is described in this paper.
Cognitive performance as a predictor of hepatic encephalopathy in pretransplant patients with cirrhosis receiving psychoactive medications: a prospective study.

Psychiatric disorders and medications may affect the cognitive performance of patients with cirrhosis and complicate the diagnosis and prediction of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). The aim of this study was to study the association of psychoactive medications with cognitive performance and their effects on the ability of tests to predict HE development in patients with cirrhosis referred for transplant evaluation. Cirrhosis details, psychiatric disorders, psychoactive medications, and any history of prior HE were recorded for patients with cirrhosis at 2 transplant centers. Patients were followed until the development of HE. Five cognitive tests—number connection test A (NCT-A), number connection test B, the digit symbol test (DST), the block design test, and the inhibitory control test (ICT)–were administered. A high lure score and a low ICT target score indicated poor performance. The cognitive performances of patients with psychiatric disorders/medications and patients without them were compared. A proportional hazards model was created with the time to HE as the outcome, and it was based on demographics, psychoactive medications, cirrhosis details, and individual cognitive scores. Patients with prior HE and patients without prior HE were then studied separately. One hundred fifty-five patients with a mean age of 57.5 ± 6.2 years and a mean Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score of 15.1 ± 6.2 were included [prior HE, 48%; diabetes, 34%; selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), 32%; opioids, 19%; and antipsychotics, 10%]. Prior HE and antipsychotics (but not opioids or diabetes) were associated with worse cognition. SSRI users had better NCT-A and DST performance. One hundred forty-eight patients were followed for a median of 182.5 days; 58 developed HE at a median of 99 days after inclusion. In the entire group, the model showed that prior HE (hazard ratio = 4.13), the MELD score (hazard ratio = 1.07), and a high lure score (hazard ratio = 1.04) decreased the time to HE, whereas the use of SSRIs (hazard ratio = 0.42), a high target score (hazard ratio = 0.95), and a high sodium level (hazard ratio = 0.89) increased the time to HE. For patients without prior HE, the MELD score (hazard ratio = 1.25) and lures (hazard ratio = 1.09) predicted the time to HE. Lures (hazard ratio = 1.03), targets (hazard ratio = 0.96), and sodium (hazard ratio = 0.87) were associated with the time to HE in patients with prior HE. In conclusion, cognitive tests (particularly the ICT) remain valid predictors of HE in the face of psychiatric diseases and medications. SSRI use is associated with better cognitive performance and a reduced likelihood of developing HE. Liver Transpl 18:1179–1187, 2012. © 2012 AASLD.
Differentiation of Benign Angiomatous and Microcystic Meningiomas with Extensive Peritumoral Edema from High Grade Meningiomas with Aid of Diffusion Weighted MRI

Objective. To determine whether angiomatous and microcystic meningiomas which mimic high grade meningiomas based on extent of peritumoral edema can be reliably differentiated as low grade tumors using normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. Methods. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seventy patients with meningiomas was reviewed. Morphologically, the tumors were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 contained 12 pure microcystic, 3 pure angiomatoid and 7 mixed angiomatoid and microcystic tumors. Group 2 included World Health Organization (WHO) grade II and WHO grade III tumors, of which 28 were atypical and 9 were anaplastic meningiomas. Group 3 included WHO grade I tumors of morphology different than angiomatoid and microcystic. Peritumoral edema, normalized ADC, and cerebral blood volume (CBV) were obtained for all meningiomas. Results. Edema index of tumors in group 1 and group 2 was significantly higher than in group 3. Normalized ADC value in group 1 was higher than in group 2, but not statistically significant between groups 1 and 3. CBV values showed no significant group differences. Conclusion. A combination of peritumoral edema index and normalized ADC value is a novel approach to preoperative differentiation between true aggressive meningiomas and mimickers such as angiomatous and microcystic meningiomas.
My Berkeley years: Control at Cal, 1955-1961

The author was an undergraduate and graduate student at the University of California at Berkeley (Cal for short) during the initial period of the modern control theory revolution. In this paper he recounts some of the events that took place at Cal during that time and reminisce about his teachers and colleagues in the early days of optimal control theory. He attempts to interlace his personal experiences with the educational, research, and social atmosphere at Cal, so as to present a "readable tale".
Zinc catalyzed conversion of methanol–methyl iodide to hydrocarbons with increased formation of triptane

Abstract At 200 °C under autogeneous pressure, mixtures of methanol and methyl halides are converted with zinc to a mixture of hydrocarbons. The reaction of methanol and methyl iodide mixtures over zinc or zinc oxide gives 2,2,3-trimethylbutane (triptane), a desirable high-octane compound in significant selectivity. As alternative to previously known ZnI2 or ZnBr2/methanol conversion, the present protocol does not require the use of metal halide catalysts. The initial step of the mechanism of conversion methanol/methyl iodide mixtures to hydrocarbons does not involve strongly acidic species. On the basis of the obtained experimental data with both zinc and zinc oxide, which are amphoteric in nature, the intermediacy of a zinc methoxy species is considered to be the key step for the formation of hydrocarbons. The proposed formation of hydrocarbons is considered as a parallel reaction to ethylene oligomerization to aromatic hydrocarbons.
A 1.4 A crystal structure for the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase of Trypanosoma cruzi

The hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) from Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agent of Chagas' disease, was cocrystallized with the inosine analogue Formycin B (FmB) and the structure determined to 1.4 A resolution. This is the highest resolution structure yet reported for a phosphoribosyltransferase (PRT), and the asymmetric unit of the crystal contains a dimer of closely associated, nearly identical subunits. A conserved nonproline cis peptide in one active-site loop exposes the main-chain nitrogen to the enzyme active site, while the adjacent lysine side chain interacts with the other subunit of the dimer, thereby providing a possible mechanism for communication between the subunits and their active sites. The three-dimensional coordinates for the invariant Ser103-Tyr104 dipeptide are reported here for the first time. These are the only highly conserved residues in a second active-site loop, termed the long flexible loop, which is predicted to close over the active site of HPRTs to protect a labile transition state [Eads et al. (1994) Cell 78, 325-334]. This structure represents a major step forward in efforts to design/discover potent selective inhibitors of the HPRT of T. cruzi.
Selective source power converter for improved photovoltaic power utilization

This work proposes a new power conversion system suitable for supplying power to both ac and dc loads simultaneously from both ac sources, such as the power grid, and dc sources, such as a photovoltaic (PV) panel. First, an introduction of the motivation for proposing the new system and the objectives of the new system is given. Next, the new system and its building blocks are introduced. Then, the technical details about a built prototype conversion system are presented. Finally, a number of experimental results are provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed system.
Histidine Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry for Probing the Microenvironment of Histidine Residues in Dihydrofolate Reductase

BACKGROUND Histidine Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (His-HDX-MS) determines the HDX rates at the imidazole C(2)-hydrogen of histidine residues. This method provides not only the HDX rates but also the pK(a) values of histidine imidazole rings. His-HDX-MS was used to probe the microenvironment of histidine residues of E. coli dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), an enzyme proposed to undergo multiple conformational changes during catalysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Using His-HDX-MS, the pK(a) values and the half-lives (t(1/2)) of HDX reactions of five histidine residues of apo-DHFR, DHFR in complex with methotrexate (DHFR-MTX), DHFR in complex with MTX and NADPH (DHFR-MTX-NADPH), and DHFR in complex with folate and NADP+ (DHFR-folate-NADP+) were determined. The results showed that the two parameters (pK(a) and t(1/2)) are sensitive to the changes of the microenvironment around the histidine residues. Although four of the five histidine residues are located far from the active site, ligand binding affected their pK(a), t(1/2) or both. This is consistent with previous observations of ligand binding-induced distal conformational changes on DHFR. Most of the observed pK(a) and t(1/2) changes could be rationalized using the X-ray structures of apo-DHFR, DHFR-MTX-NADPH, and DHFR-folate-NADP+. The availability of the neutron diffraction structure of DHFR-MTX enabled us to compare the protonation states of histidine imidazole rings. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results demonstrate the usefulness of His-HDX-MS in probing the microenvironments of histidine residues within proteins.
Effect of ozone on leukocyte function in exposed human subjects

Evidence from animal studies indicates that ozone (O3), the major component of environmental photochemical smog, depresses various intracellular hydrolytic enzymes and increases susceptibility to microbial infections. It would appear possible that O3-induced alterations in normal leukocyte functions might underlie some of these reported alterations in human response to infectious agents. A study was designed to assess the effect of O3 on peripheral blood leukocytes from 21 healthy young human males exposed to 784 μg/m3 of ozone for 4 hr. The capability of polymorphonuclear neutrophils to phagocytize and kill microorganisms of respirable size was evaluated and phagocytic and bactericidal rates were determined. A significant decrease in intracellular killing was seen at 72 hr postexposure (p < 0.001). A decrease in phagocytic ability was also noted at 72 hr (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that O3 in low concentrations has a transient effect on leukocyte functions in humans. Such an effect may be mediated by alterations in cell membrane, opsonization functions, and/or interference with intracellular enzyme synthesis.
Real-time classification of evoked emotions using facial feature tracking and physiological responses

We present automated, real-time models built with machine learning algorithms which use videotapes of subjects' faces in conjunction with physiological measurements to predict rated emotion (trained coders' second-by-second assessments of sadness or amusement). Input consisted of videotapes of 41 subjects watching emotionally evocative films along with measures of their cardiovascular activity, somatic activity, and electrodermal responding. We built algorithms based on extracted points from the subjects' faces as well as their physiological responses. Strengths of the current approach are (1) we are assessing real behavior of subjects watching emotional videos instead of actors making facial poses, (2) the training data allow us to predict both emotion type (amusement versus sadness) as well as the intensity level of each emotion, (3) we provide a direct comparison between person-specific, gender-specific, and general models. Results demonstrated good fits for the models overall, with better performance for emotion categories than for emotion intensity, for amusement ratings than sadness ratings, for a full model using both physiological measures and facial tracking than for either cue alone, and for person-specific models than for gender-specific or general models.
The role of the pediatrician in mental hygiene

Summary I hope that from this may be obtained a clearer realization of the complexity of the factors which may be productive of a personality disorder and which therefore often make a cooperative effort necessary in the study and treatment of children with such personality deviations. In every case of a personality disorder it is necessary to consider the child carefully from the standpoint of his physical and intellectual constitution and his emotional life in relation to his total environment, past and present. The early recognition and treatment of behavior disorders and emotional conflicts in children can do much towards averting more deeply rooted and serious emotional disturbances in later life. Because of this, it should be apparent to all that the pediatrician has a very important contribution which he can make to the problem of mental health.
THE ROLE OF ANTISENSE OLIGONUCLEOTIDES IN THE WAVE OF GENOMIC INFORMATION

Technologies which efficiently dissect gene function and validate therapeutic targets are of great value in the post-sequencing era of the human genome project. The antisense oligonucleotide approach can directly use genomic sequence information, in a relatively time and cost effective manner, to define a gene's function and/or validate it as a potential therapeutic target. Antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors of gene expression may be applied to cellular assays (in vitro) or animal models of disease (in vivo). Information generated by this approach may then direct or supplement traditional drug discovery programs, or support development of the antisense oligonucleotide inhibitor, used to validate the target, as a drug.
Quantitative evaluation of solution equilibrium binding interactions by affinity partitioning: application to specific and nonspecific protein-heparin interactions.

A variation of the quantitative affinity chromatography (QAC) method of Winzor, Chaiken, and co-workers for the analysis of protein-ligand interactions has been developed and used to characterize sequence-specific and nonspecific protein-heparin interactions relevant to blood coagulation. The method allows quantitation of the binding of two components, A and B, from the competitive effect of one component, B, on the partitioning of the other component, A, between an immobilized acceptor phase and solution phase at equilibrium. Under the conditions employed, the difference in total A concentrations yielding an equivalent degree of saturation of the immobilized acceptor in the absence and presence of B defines the concentration of A bound to B in solution, thereby enabling conventional Scatchard or nonlinear least-squares analysis of the A-B equilibrium interaction. Like the QAC method, quantitation of the competitor interaction does not depend on the nature of the affinity matrix interaction, which need only be described empirically. The additional advantage of the difference method is that only the total rather than the free competitor ligand concentration need be known. The method requires that the partitioning component A be univalent, but allows for multivalency in the competitor, B, and can in principle be used to study binding interactions involving nonidentical, interacting, or nonspecific overlapping sites. Both the binding constant and the stoichiometry for the specific antithrombin-heparin interaction as well as the apparent binding constant for the nonspecific thrombin-heparin interaction at low thrombin binding densities obtained using this technique were in excellent agreement with values determined using spectroscopic probes.
Generalised formulas for beam squint prediction in conic-section reflector antennas

The beam squint phenomenon is of importance when antenna pointing performance is considered. This phenomenon is characterised in paraboloidal, Cassegrain and Gregorian antennas. Squint-predicting formulas are presented, squint-free conditions are outlined and an extension of these formulas to general multi-reflector antennas is suggested.