cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart Failure Epidemic: It's Complicated….

Article, see p 12 > “In examining disease, we gain wisdom about anatomy and physiology and biology. In examining the person with disease, we gain wisdom about life.” > > —Oliver W. Sacks, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat Twenty years ago, the onset of a new epidemic of heart failure (HF) was heralded.1 Although an in-depth review of 2 decades of work on the HF epidemic cannot be conducted herein, several points are important to contextualize this editorial. HF is a syndrome2 classified according to the left ventricular ejection fraction (EF) into reduced or preserved EF. As a chronic condition with frequent exacerbations, HF is the most frequent cause of hospitalizations in the United States.3 To investigate this epidemic, one must accurately ascertain the incidence of HF and whether each episode is truly an incident (the first one to occur) or a recurrence. Doing so requires comprehensive longitudinal data, which are seldom available, and few studies can provide that information. Available data indicated that, until the turn of the century, the incidence of HF was mostly stable while survival was improving, leading to conclude that the HF epidemic was partly an epidemic of hospitalizations as survivors became candidates for recurrent hospitalizations.4,5 Over the past decade, evidence indicates that the incidence of HF is declining, particularly for HF with reduced EF, with no change in mortality.6 The proportion of HF with preserved EF has been increasing. This phenotype is incompletely understood, likely heterogeneous, and lacks specific treatment, which stalls progress against the epidemic. These observations underscore the importance of surveillance to understand how HF manifests itself according to person, time, and place, and precise surveillance is a prerequisite to plan and monitor interventions and design policies. Because most of the currently available surveillance …
A Roadmap for Product Architecture Costing

In recent years many markets have exhibited increasing demand heterogeneity; they are fragmenting into more and smaller market niches. This development threatens the large-scale assumption of many mass production processes. As a result, firms face the dilemma of how to provide a wide variety of goods for prices that can compete with mass produced products. To respond to these challenges, many firms have begun searching for ways to combine the efficiency of mass production with the variety of customer-oriented product offerings. A major focus of these efforts has been the fundamental structure of the product: the product architecture. Examples for this development are Sony’s personal music players (Walkman) that use common drives across different models (Sanderson and Uzumeri, 1995), different power tools that use similar motors (Meyer and Lehnerd, 1997), PDAs (personal digital assistant) that can be turned into an MP3 player, a camera, or a telephone with different attachments (Biersdorfer, 2001), and automobiles with common components across models (Carney, 2004).
An Assessment of the Factors Affecting Hydraulic Fracture Containment in Layered Rock: Observations from a Mineback Experiment

In situ experiments, which were accessible for direct observation by mine-back, have been conducted to determine the effect that geologic discontinuities, elastic properties, and in situ stress differences have on hydraulic fracture propagation and the resultant overall fracture geometry. Vertical fractures were observed to terminate only in regions of high minimum horizontal in situ stress. Fracture growth into a higher (by a factor of 5 to 15) elastic modulus region was preferred to propagation into a region of higher (by a factor of 2) stress. Geologic discontinuities did not arrest the lateral or vertical propagation of hydraulic fractures. However, hydraulic fracture growth was affected by discontinuities, because fracture-fluid leakoff occurred along intersecting discontinuitiDS which the hydraulic fractures crossed, and thereby reduced the total extent of the hydraulic fractures. The results of the mineback experiment clearly indicate that differences in the minimum horizontal in situ stress between the reservoir rock and adjacent layers is the most critical factor affecting hydraulic fracture containment.
Probing deoxysugar conformational preference: A comprehensive computational study investigating the effects of deoxygenation.

Abstract Deoxysugars are intrinsic components in a number of antibiotics, antimicrobials, and therapeutic agents that often dictate receptor binding, improve efficacy, and provide a diverse toolbox in modifying glycoconjugate function due to an extensive number of unique isomers and inherent conformational flexibility. Hence, this work provides a comprehensive examination of the conformational effects associated with deoxygenation of the pyranose ring. Both the location and degree of deoxygenation were evaluated by interrogating the energetic landscape for a number of mono- and dideoxyhexopyranose derivatives using DFT methods (M05-2X/cc-pVTZ(-f)). Both anomeric forms and in some cases, the alternate chair form, have been investigated in the gas phase. As was documented in a preceding study, variation of the C-6 oxidation state has been shown to affect the anomeric preference of select glucose stereoisomers. Similar results were also observed for several deoxysugar isomers in this work, wherein the alternate anomer was favored upon reduction to the 6-deoxyhexose derivative or oxidation to the hexonic acid. Additionally, comparison of relative Gibbs free energies revealed C-3 deoxygenation imparts greater instability compared to C-2 or C-4 deoxygenation, as indicated by an increase in free energy for 3-deoxysugars. A polarizable continuum solvation model was also applied to empirically validate theoretical results for several deoxysugars, wherein good agreement with both carbon (σ = 1.6 ppm) and proton (σ = 0.20 ppm) NMR shifts was observed for the majority of isomers. Solvated and gas phase anomeric ratios were also calculated and compared favorably to reported literature values, although some discrepancies are noted.
Tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and homologous recombination deficiency are independently associated with improved survival in ovarian carcinoma.

Abstract Objective The presence of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and defects in homologous recombination (HR) are each important prognostic factors in ovarian carcinoma (OC). We characterized the association between HR deficiency (HRD) and the presence of TILs in a cohort of OC patients and the relative contribution to overall survival. Methods Patients with carcinoma of the ovary, fallopian tube, or peritoneum were prospectively enrolled. Malignant neoplasm and serum samples were collected. Immunohistochemistry for CD3+ T cells and CD68+ tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) was performed on specimens collected at primary surgery. Damaging germline and somatic mutations in genes in the HR-mediated repair (HRR) pathway were identified using BROCA sequencing. HRD was defined as a damaging mutation in one of 12 genes in the HRR pathway or promoter hypermethylation in BRCA1 or RAD51C. Results Ninety-eight of 250 patients included in the analysis had HRD OC (39.2%). HRD OC were enriched for CD3+ TILs and CD68+ TAMs. High CD3+ TIL was present in 65.3% of HRD OC compared to 43.4% of non-HRD OC (P = 0.001). High CD68+ TAM was present in 66.3% of HRD OC compared to 50.7% of non-HRD OC (P = 0.015). Patients with HRD OC and high CD3+ TILs had the longest median overall survival compared to non-HRD OC with low CD3+ TILs (70.9 vs. 35.8 months, adjusted HR 0.38, 95% CI (0.25–0.59)). Conclusions Patients that have both CD3+ TILs and HRD OC are afforded the greatest improvement in overall survival. This finding may have therapeutic implications for OC patients treated with emerging immunotherapies.
Safety considerations with current and emerging antiviral therapies for cytomegalovirus infection in transplantation.

Introduction: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a major contributor of morbidity and mortality, and its management is essential for the successful outcome of solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell t...
Product Classification Under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act: When a Food Becomes a Drug

This article addresses the complexity involved in determining when a product is classified as a drug under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Prior to discussing the specific case law, this article provides an overview of the inherent purpose of the Act. Judicial decisions, which evidence a liberal interpretation of the Act in terms of consumer protection, are highlighted. The impact of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 is discussed with respect to dual food-drug classification. This crucial legislation aims to alleviate the misleading and confusing information about food products.
Cognitive Deficits and Altered Functional Brain Network Organization in Pediatric Brain Tumor Patients

Pediatric brain tumor survivors experience significant cognitive sequelae from their diagnosis and treatment. The exact mechanisms of cognitive injury are poorly understood, and validated predictors of long-term cognitive outcome are lacking. Large-scale, distributed brain systems provide a window into brain organization and function that may yield insight into these mechanisms and outcomes. Here, we evaluated functional network architecture, cognitive performance, and brain-behavior relationships in pediatric brain tumor patients. Patients ages 4-18 years old with diagnosis of a brain tumor underwent awake resting state fMRI during regularly scheduled clinical visits and were tested with the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery. We observed that functional network organization was significantly altered in patients compared to age- and sex-matched healthy controls, with the integrity of the dorsal attention network particularly affected. Moreover, patients demonstrated significant impairments in multiple domains of cognitive performance, including attention. Finally, a significant amount of variance of age-adjusted total composite scores from the Toolbox was explained by changes in segregation between the dorsal attention and default mode networks. Our results suggest that changes in functional network organization may provide insight into long-term changes in cognitive function in pediatric brain tumor patients.
Purification of pancreatic zymogen granules using percoll gradients

Pancreatic zymogen granules (ZG) have a density between 1.13-1.15 g/ml and are suitable for purification by density gradients. Because of its ease of use, Percoll has been widely used to separate organelles and has been used by multiple laboratories to isolate highly purified zymogen granules (1-4, 6-10, 12-16). Percoll is non-toxic colloidal silica, supplied as a 23% (w/w) colloidal solution in water with a density of 1.130 g/ml and has a very low osmolality ( 60S can be successfully banded on gradients of Percoll. The density gradient can be quantitated using multiple colored beads of different densities. Percoll technology has been discussed in great detail previously (11). This chapter describes a successfully implemented procedure for purifying pancreatic zymogen granule in large quantity based on Percoll gradient centrifugation and the subsequent separation of ZG membrane and content. A modification is also presented for purifying smaller amounts of granules from isolated pancreatic acini.
The effect of early burn injury on sensitivity to future painful stimuli in dairy heifers

Animals that experience painful procedures as neonates are more sensitive to pain later in life. We evaluated whether disbudding with a heated iron at 3 (n = 12), 35 (n = 9), or 56 (n = 20) d of age affected heifers' pain responses to vaccine injections at 11 mo of age. Heifers responded to the injection procedure with struggling and changes in eye temperature and heart rate variability compared to a sham procedure the day before, and still had a heightened response 6 d later, regardless of disbudding age. However, some heart rate variability indices suggested increased sympathetic dominance in heifers disbudded at 35 d, compared to the other 2 age groups, independent of the injection procedure. We also found that heifers disbudded at 3 or 35 d had a higher mean heart rate after the injection procedure compared to those disbudded at 56 d. We conclude that: (1) heifers find injections aversive; and (2) there is some evidence that disbudding age influences autonomic nervous system activity later in life.
Intention to Quit Vaping Among United States Adolescents

This study estimates interest in quitting and past e-cigarette quit attempts among US adolescents who vape.
OCTA in neurodegenerative optic neuropathies: emerging biomarkers at the eye-brain interface.

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an emerging technique for non-invasively imaging the ocular vasculature, enabling quantitative measurements of retinal vascular anatomy. As extens...
Biomarkers of Inflammation

Heart failure is characterized by an ongoing inflammatory response. The inflammation hypothesis, as it currently stands, suggests that heart failure progresses because certain inflammatory mediators such as inflammatory cytokines are activated following the initial myocardial injury and continue to exert deleterious effects on the heart and circulation contributing further to progression of heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction. Inflammatory biomarkers in heart failure comprise a portfolio of markers that include biologically active molecules, such as proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that are involved in the pathogenesis and progression of heart failure, and others that reflect severity of inflammation such as C-reactive protein or erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Most of these biomarkers correlate with severity of disease, prognosis, and clinical outcomes in heart failure.
Factors Related to the Outcomes of Cracked Teeth after Endodontic Treatment

Abstract Introduction Cracked teeth are a common clinical finding; however, their presence renders diagnosis and prognosis unreliable. The purpose of this research was to assess the correlations of multiple factors on the prognosis of cracked teeth that had undergone endodontic treatment. Methods A total of 3680 patients who received endodontic treatment by an advanced postdoctoral education program in endodontics with follow-up records of at least 1 year were assessed. From this sample, 62 patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. The factors being evaluated included demographics, clinical symptoms and signs, radiographic findings, and restoration type. Statistical analysis was then completed using the chi-square and Fisher exact tests. Results The mean follow-up period was 23.3 months, with an overall tooth success rate of 75.8%. The success rates differed significantly when the patient had an existing preoperative periapical lesion, lacked a proper permanent restoration on the treated tooth, or had a post placed after root canal treatment. Data analysis showed that restoring the tooth after endodontic treatment was the single most important factor for prognosis. In fact, the endodontically treated teeth with definitive full-coverage restorations had a 2-year success rate of 93.6%. Conclusion Full-coverage restorations should be considered an important part of the treatment plan for cracked teeth treated endodontically.
Does alcohol consumption protect against late dental implant failures

Purpose Social factors have been implicated in the development of various peri-implant pathologies, including implant failure. This study aims to investigate whether varying levels of alcohol consumption affects late dental implant failures. Methods A retrospective cohort study was performed to evaluate implants placed between 2006 and 2012 at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The primary predictor variable was alcohol consumption, measured as nonconsumption or mild, moderate, and heavy consumption. The primary outcome variable was late dental implant failure. Other study variables included age, sex, and the type of implant restoration used. Appropriate univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistics were applied, with P Results Our retrospective cohort consisted of 103 unique patients and 295 implants with a 5-year minimum follow-up period. Most patients were male (93%) with an average age of 60 at the time of implant placement. Late dental implant failure was associated with 30 implants (10%). Compared to nonconsumption, mild alcohol consumption was associated with a 75% decrease in late implant failure (P = .0494), moderate consumption was associated with a 60% decrease in late implant failure (P = .3826), and heavy consumption was associated with a 200% increase in late implant failure (P Conclusion The results from this retrospective cohort analysis suggest mild alcohol consumption is associated with a decrease in late dental implant failures, and heavy consumption is associated with an increase in late dental implant failures.
Abandoned Medical Malpractice Claims: Their Surprising Frequency, Apparent Causes, and Potential Remedies

Most medical malpractice claims are not won or lost in court, or settled. Instead, they disappear, abandoned by the plaintiffs who bring them. A study of 3,605 malpractice claims closed between 2006 and 2010 showed that in 46.4 percent of malpractice cases and 58.6 percent of claims against individual defendants, plaintiffs eventually dropped the case or claim without a decision or recovery. This did not occur, however, until defendants had incurred defense costs of more than $25,000 per claim and $44,000 per case and significant stress and other non-monetary costs were incurred by patients and doctors. The study included interviews of plaintiff lawyers, which show numerous reasons for plaintiffs’ decisions to abandon a claim. The most common is that malpractice cases are complex and their validity is therefore difficult to ascertain before discovery processes occur. The article argues that patients and doctors have a joint interest in finding a better process, and notes that there are models for how this could be done. One hospital system which changed its approach to resolving potential malpractice claims found that the frequency and cost of cases declined by large percentages. The article suggests that plaintiff malpractice specialists, who accounted for a large proportion of the abandoned claims in the study, work with insurers and hospitals to develop ways to exchange information and discuss settlement efficiently. Such reforms would substantially reduce the frequency and duration of dropped claims and substantially reduce the cost of medical malpractice litigation, and could do so without impairing compensation to patients or their lawyers.
"Not My Subject"?: A Survey of Teachers Regarding the Implementation of New K-8 Computing Education Standards

Around the United States, educators are teaching new computer science (CS) education standards, including in Tennessee, which announced its first K-8 CS standards in 2018. In Tennessee, the standards are now the official guidelines for CS education at the K-8 level, what barriers prevent CS teaching and learning to become a reality, especially for elementary and middle grades teachers, are unknown. We developed and administered a needs survey for K-8 teachers regarding CS education as a part of a broader community-engaged project. From 251 K-8 teachers' responses, we found that CS is important to them, but there are barriers to meeting the standards. Qualitative items about needs and barriers related to CS education teachers revealed a demand for professional development and training opportunities for teachers to learn about both the technical aspects of computing education and embedding computing ideas across the K-8 curriculum. We will discuss the implications of these findings and will describe how these results will enable our efforts to provide professional learning opportunities for educators.
Introduction to Control

In this chapter, we describe control systems informally, emphasizing the key elements of tracking, disturbance rejection, stability, and robustness. Next, we show why integral control driven by tracking error provides the correct feedback architecture to try to achieve these goals. This leads naturally to the Proportional–Integral–Derivative (PID) controller structure, where the proportional, integral, and derivative gains \(k_p\), \(k_i\), and \(k_d\) now become the design parameters which need to be tuned to achieve robust stability and time domain response specifications. A brief description is given of some classical and existing tuning approaches. We conclude the chapter with an examination of why optimal control, and in particular quadratic optimization, is absent from PID design theory and show that the reason lies in the inherent fragility of the high-order controllers invariably produced by optimization. The contents of this chapter should serve as background, perspective, and motivation for the rest of the book.
A computational model for complex systems analysis: Causality estimation

Abstract Analysis of complex systems has migrated from theoretical analysis of model physical systems into the domain of real-world applications with far-reaching implications. This shift has been facilitated by the availability of measurement data, the capability to store and manage large-scale datasets, and significant increase in computational power. These developments have been matched by a concerted effort in the development of new methods of complex systems analysis. Each class of analytical methods are applicable only for certain system types and specific problems, such as estimating causality between coupled complex systems, are still unresolved even for simples cases involving only two connected systems. This study summarizes results for estimating causality using a novel mathematical computational model, System Structure, across several different types of coupled systems. System structure models a system as a dynamic network of connected components and provides a distribution-free and systematic quantification of inter-component dynamics as a basis for making several system-wide inferences including the inference of strength and direction of causal relations. System structure is a non-parametric scalable method that requires few non-restrictive a-priori assumptions, making it generally applicable across a diverse set of problems. The comparative study reported on here demonstrates the ability of system structure to correctly infer different types of causality across diverse system types.
JOHN B. SIMON, STRANGERS IN A STRANGER LAND

This is a book review of "STRANGERS IN A STRANGER LAND: How One Country's Jews Fought an Unwinnable War Alongside Nazi Troops…and Survived"; by John B. Simon; Rowman and Littlefield; 2019 (originally published in Finnish as Mahdoton sota, "The Impossible War," by Siltala Publishing, 2017). The review was written for the Jewish Book Council by a Professor Emeritus of English and contains both historical and pedagogical reflections on the educational messages emmerging from the book. This is important not only for memory studies and for identity politics but also when looking deep into the complex issues of socialization and education after the WWII. The book contains a story of the contradictory role of Finland's Jewish community in the wars against the Soviet Union and Germany.
Strain gradient plasticity modeling of nanoindentation of additively manufactured stainless steel

Abstract Nanoindentation can be used to probe the mechanical behavior of additively manufactured materials, but requires a fundamental understanding of inhomogeneous deformation and size effects at the various length scales involved. Here we perform gradient plasticity finite element (GPFE) simulations of nanoindentation of additively manufactured stainless steel layers on stainless steel baseplates. The GPFE simulation results, when compared with their experimental nanoindentation counterparts, capture the size dependence of indentation hardness arising from strong plastic strain gradients developed at small indentation depths. Furthermore, they address the strengthening effects due to the interplay of several characteristic length scales involved, including the indentation depth, the grain size, and the size of printing-induced dislocation cells. This work demonstrates that GPFE simulations can be effectively applied for quantitative evaluation and mechanistic understanding of the nanoindentation behavior of additively manufactured materials.
Interplay between inflammatory and estrogen signaling in breast cancer

Inflammation is known to have a paradoxical effect in cancers, in some cases promoting pathogenesis while in others inhibiting pathogenesis, depending on the cellular context. In an effort to answer a number of fundamental questions about two of the major signaling cascades that affect breast tumorigenesis and impact clinical outcome, we examined the genome-wide consequences of treating ERα-positive breast cancer cells with both estrogen and TNFα. Below, we highlight our observations, their biological significance, and how they provide a framework for understanding the molecular basis for integration of proinflammatory and estrogen signaling in breast cancer.
The Informativeness of FIN 48 ‘Look-Forward’ Disclosures

FASB Interpretation No. 48 (FIN 48) requires firms to disclose a forecast of significant changes in unrecognized tax benefits (UTBs) that are reasonably possible to occur within 12 months of the reporting date. According to paragraph 21(d), the “look-forward” disclosure, a firm must disclose either an estimate of the range of the change or state that an estimate cannot be made. Prior to the adoption of FIN 48, the willingness of firms to provide a meaningful estimate was debated because of the potential use of the information by tax authorities. We compare firms’ predictions of expected UTB changes to their subsequently reported changes and find that firms with relatively low cash effective tax rates or involved in a tax dispute are more likely to provide a disclosure that states that a change is possible, but no forecast of the change is provided. This evidence is consistent with firms being reluctant to disclose expected reserve releases related to audit settlements or impending statute lapses. On the other hand, for those firms that do provide a forecast, our forecast accuracy analysis reveals significant understatement and overstatement errors, which suggests task difficulty rather than strategic understatement of the anticipated changes in tax reserves.
An Epitope of the Semliki Forest Virus Fusion Protein Exposed during Virus-Membrane Fusion

Semliki Forest virus (SFV) is an enveloped alphavirus that infects cells via a membrane fusion reaction triggered by acidic pH in the endocytic pathway. Fusion is mediated by the spike protein E1 subunit, an integral membrane protein that contains the viral fusion peptide and forms a stable homotrimer during fusion. We have characterized four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the acid conformation of E1. These MAbs did not inhibit fusion, suggesting that they bind to an E1 region different from the fusion peptide. Competition analyses demonstrated that all four MAbs bound to spatially related sites on acid-treated virions or isolated spike proteins. To map the binding site, we selected for virus mutants resistant to one of the MAbs, E1a-1. One virus isolate, SFV 4-2, showed reduced binding of three acid-specific MAbs including E1a-1, while its binding of one acid-specific MAb as well as non-acid-specific MAbs to E1 and E2 was unchanged. The SFV 4-2 mutant was fully infectious, formed the E1 homotrimer, and had the wild-type pH dependence of infection. Sequence analysis demonstrated that the relevant mutation in SFV 4-2 was a change of E1 glycine 157 to arginine (G157R). Decreased binding of MAb E1a-1 was observed under a wide range of assay conditions, strongly suggesting that the E1 G157R mutation directly affects the MAb binding site. These data thus localize an E1 region that is normally hidden in the neutral pH structure and becomes exposed as part of the reorganization of the spike protein to its fusion-active conformation.
Fuel cells: the epidemic of the future

The purpose of this paper is to introduce to the reader the well-publicized, but vaguely-understood concept of the fuel cell. At the present time, fuel cells are in research and are constantly being improved for better performance and application purposes. Not only will this paper introduce the concept of a fuel cell, but it will also look at the working of a basic fuel cell, different types of fuel cells, and different applications of fuel cells for today and tomorrow.
β2-Adrenergic Agonist Regulation of Immune Aggregate- and Platelet-activating Factor-stimulated Hepatic Metabolism

Abstract Vasoconstriction and subsequent glycogenolysis stimulated by immune complex infusion into perfused rat livers was inhibited by prior infusion of isoproterenol. Similarly, isoproterenol inhibited the biosynthesis of bioactive lipid autacoids such as platelet-activating factor, prostaglandin E2, and thromboxane B2 which was stimulated by immune aggregates. The adrenergic receptor specificity of these effects was determined through the use of specific adrenergic subtype-specific agonists and antagonists to be mediated by beta 2-adrenergic receptors. Indirect evidence for the differential expression of hepatic sinusoidal and parenchymal beta-adrenergic receptors in the male rat during ontogeny suggested that inhibition of immune aggregate-stimulated autacoid biosynthesis, vasoconstriction, and glycogenolysis by isoproterenol occurs at a sinusoidal locus, most likely Kupffer cells. In contrast with the ability of beta 2-adrenergic agonists to inhibit immune aggregate- and platelet-activating factor-stimulated hepatic metabolism, dibutyryl cyclic AMP did not mimic these sinusoidal beta 2-adrenergic effects, despite stimulating hepatic parenchymal cell glycogenolysis as effectively as isoproterenol. These observations suggest a role for cyclic AMP-independent mechanisms in the regulation of heterologous stimulus-response coupling by hepatic sinusoidal beta 2-adrenergic receptors.
Pseudo-maximum likelihood data estimation of digital sequences in the presence of intersymbol interference

A pseudo-maximum likelihood data estimation (PML) algorithm for discrete channels with finite memory in additive white Gaussian noise is developed. Unlike the traditional methods which utilize the Viterbi algorithm (VA) for data sequence estimation, the PML algorithm offers an alternative solution to the problem which is much easier to implement. There is a tradeoff in the PML algorithm between computational complexity and performance. The performance of PML is compared with the optimum receiver (VA with known channel). >
Soft matter perspective on protein crystal assembly

Crystallography may be the gold standard of protein structure determination, but obtaining the necessary high-quality crystals is also in some ways akin to prospecting for the precious metal. The tools and models developed in soft matter physics to understand colloidal assembly offer some insights into the problem of crystallizing proteins. This topical review describes the various analogies that have been made between proteins and colloids in that context. We highlight the explanatory power of patchy particle models, but also the challenges of providing guidance for crystallizing specific proteins. We conclude with a presentation of possible future research directions. This review is intended for soft matter scientists interested in protein crystallization as a self-assembly problem, and as an introduction to the pertinent physics literature for protein scientists more generally.
Global three-dimensional FDTD modeling of impulsive ELF propagation about the Earth

This paper has reported the initial application and validation of the FDTD method to model impulsive ELF propagation within the entire Earth-ionosphere cavity. This technique permits direct, 3-D, time-domain calculation of impulsive, round-the-world ELF propagation accounting for arbitrary horizontal as well as vertical geometrical and electrical inhomogeneities and anisotropies of the excitation, ionosphere, lithosphere, and oceans. We expect that this model will be useful in studies of ELF propagation phenomena which form the physics basis of important remote-sensing investigations of lightning and sprites, global temperature change, and subsurface structures.
New Challenges in the Diagnosis and Management of Cystic Fibrosis

New challenges have arisen in the diagnosis and clinical management of children with cystic fibrosis (CF), especially during the past few years, when novel-but-confusing terminology has been introduced. We will briefly explain the origin of and hopefully clarify the new terms, including CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)-related metabolic syndrome (CRMS), CFTR-related disease (CFTR-RD), CF Screen Positive, Inconclusive Diagnosis (CFSPID), and delayed CF. Traditionally, CF has relied on the clinical recognition of characteristic signs and symptoms, but newborn screening (NBS) has truly been a “game changer,” leading to routine diagnosis of asymptomatic children. CF is an autosomal-recessive disease caused by mutations in the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene that encodes a cyclic adenosine monophosphate–regulated chloride and bicarbonate channel expressed at the apical membrane of epithelial cells. It is the most common life-threatening monogenic condition in the white population with an estimated birth prevalence of 1 in 1500–4000 newborns in European countries and European-derived populations, such as Americans, and eventually causes characteristic signs/symptoms.1
Mobile phone search for library catalogs

While some libraries have begun to offer customized mobile applications for their online public access catalogs (OPACs), little research has investigated the relative costs and benefits associated with developing such applications. To investigate this tradeoff, we have developed a prototype Mobile search application for the University of Texas library catalog (MUT). Our experience indicates that mobile applications for catalog access can be built at relatively low cost and effort, with MUT providing a proof-of-concept for developing similar mobile applications at other institutions. Overall, our findings suggest customized mobile applications have potential to significantly better serve patrons in return for a relatively small investment in development and maintenance.
Altering nuclear pore complex function impacts longevity and mitochondrial function in S. cerevisiae.

The eukaryotic nuclear permeability barrier and selective nucleocytoplasmic transport are maintained by nuclear pore complexes (NPCs), large structures composed of ∼30 proteins (nucleoporins [Nups]). NPC structure and function are disrupted in aged nondividing metazoan cells, although it is unclear whether these changes are a cause or consequence of aging. Using the replicative life span (RLS) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model, we find that specific Nups and transport events regulate longevity independent of changes in NPC permeability. Mutants lacking the GLFG domain of Nup116 displayed decreased RLSs, whereas longevity was increased in nup100-null mutants. We show that Nup116 mediates nuclear import of the karyopherin Kap121, and each protein is required for mitochondrial function. Both Kap121-dependent transport and Nup116 levels decrease in replicatively aged yeast. Overexpression of GSP1, the small GTPase that powers karyopherin-mediated transport, rescued mitochondrial and RLS defects in nup116 mutants and increased longevity in wild-type cells. Together, these studies reveal that specific NPC nuclear transport events directly influence aging.
Holomorphic D7-branes and flavored N=1 gauge theories

Abstract We consider D7-branes in the gauge theory/string theory correspondence, using a probe approximation. The D7-branes have four directions embedded holomorphically in a non-compact Calabi–Yau 3-fold (which for specificity we take to be the conifold) and their remaining four directions are parallel to a stack of D3-branes transverse to the Calabi–Yau space. The dual gauge theory, which has N = 1 supersymmetry, contains quarks which transform in the fundamental representation of the gauge group, and we identify the interactions of these quarks in terms of a superpotential. By activating three-form fluxes in the gravity background, we obtain a dual gauge theory with a cascade of Seiberg dualities. We find a supersymmetric supergravity solution for the leading backreaction effects of the D7-branes, valid for large radius. The cascading theory with flavors exhibits the interesting phenomenon that the rate of the cascade slows and can stop as the theory flows to the infrared.
The Effects of Carbon Black Dust on Cumulus-Scale Convection

Abstract The effect of seeding with carbon black dust in the tropical atmosphere is simulated in a two-dimensional time-dependent cloud model which covers a region 6.4 km × 3.2 km in the x and z directions with 200 m grid intervals. Initial conditions are taken from the mean “hurricane season” soundings for the West Indies area (Jordan, 1958). An equation for the continuity of carbon black dust is added to the model. Scavenging of the carbon black dust by precipitation and cloud water content and diffusion of carbon dust to the ocean surface are included in the model. Radiative heating of the atmosphere by the carbon black is simulated. The heating rate is set proportional to the concentration of carbon black dust at a grid point. Air motion is simulated by horizontal density differences caused by horizontal gradients of the heating rate. The circulations lead to cooling and moistening in updrafts and warming and drying in downdrafts in a conditionally stable atmosphere. In the meantime, the carbon black ...
Longitudinal Course of Behavioral and Physical Findings in Temporomandibular Disorders

The widely accepted use of a bio-psycho-social model to conceptualize the etiology, maintenance and management of disease conditions, including musculoskeletal pain conditions, has demonstrable clinical implications. For chronic musculoskeletal conditions such as temporomandibular disorders [TMD], factors influencing the oft-found disparities between symptom report, clinical observation and responses to treatment are more likely to involve behavioral, cognitive and emotional processes than pathophysiologic processes. Analyses of longitudinal data from population based studies and clinical trials involving biobehavioral interventions for TMD with follow-up periods from one to five years, provide empirical support that concurrent consideration of physiologic and psychologic findings is indicated in clinical management decisions of both primary and tertiary health care providers. A model currently being developed is presented to explain the relationship between saliency of perceived physical versus psycholog...
Bending of an annular slab supported on columns

Abstract The bending by uniform load of an annular slab is discussed, the slab being supported at one or both of the circular edges on equally spaced columns. The problem is solved under the assumptions that the columns do not restrain the, rotation of the slab, and that the column reactions are uniformly distributed over parts of the boundaries. In spite of its algebraic complexity, the problem can still be made tractable in general terms.
A base-point-free definition of the Lefschetz invariant

In classical Lefschetz-Nielsen theory, one defines the Lefschetz invariant of an endomorphism of a manifold . The definition depends on the fundamental group of , and hence on choosing a base point and a base path from to . At times, it is inconvenient or impossible to make these choices. In this paper, we use the fundamental groupoid to define a base-point-free version of the Lefschetz invariant.
Glucocerebrosidase (Gaucher disease).

Gaucher disease is the most common glycolipid storage disorder, characterized by storage of the glycolipid, glucocerebroside in the liver, spleen, and marrow. The most prevalent form of Gaucher disease is designated type I (MIM 230800). Patients with type I disease may have hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, bone lesions, and less commonly, lung disease, but are free of neurological involvement. Types II (MIM 230900) and III (MIM 2310000), the acute infantile and juvenile forms, respectively, of Gaucher disease, are characterized by the fact that the central nervous system is affected. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Subdural Hematoma Associated with Metastatic Neoplasms

Two cases of subdural hematoma, one acute and the other chronic, associated with cancer metastatic to the dura are reported. Various mechanisms of the association of hematomas with cancer are reviewed.
Kinetic studies of carbonyl substitution in quinolinolatotetracarbonylmanganese(I) and its tricarbonyl derivatives

Abstract The rates of reactions of quinolinolatotetracarbonylmanganese(I), Mn(CO)4(oxine), with the monodentate ligands C 5 H 5 N, 4-CH 3 C 5 H 4 N, p-CH 3 C 6 H 4 NH 2 , p-FC 6 H 4 NH 2 , P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 , and As(C 6 H 3 ) 3 (L) in chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, benzene, and acetone were followed by visible spectroscopy and by gas evolution (volumetrically) at 0–24°C. All reactions are first-order in the concentration of Mn(CO) 4 (oxine) and independent of the nature and concentration of L. A mechanism is proposed which involves dissociation of one of the mutually trans CO ligands. Apart from acetone, solvent exerts little influence on the rate. The rate constant, k, in chloroform at 23.9°C is 8.7 × 10 −3 sec −1 , whereas E a = 18.6–19.6 kcal/mol and ΔS≠ = −4.9 to 0.3 e.u. The rates of reactions of Mn(CO) 3 L′(oxine) with L′ in chloroform to give Mn(CO)H 2 L′ 2 (oxine) were monitored by infrared spectroscopy in the ν CO region; they decrease as a function of L′ in the order P(O-n-C 4 H 9 ) 3 >P(OC 6 H 5 ) 3 >P(n-C 4 H 9 3 . The reaction of the L′ = P(n-C 4 H 9 ) 3 compound is first-order in the concentration of the complex and essentially independent of the concentration of the phosphine; at 23.3° C, it is about 40 times slower than the reaction of Mn(CO) 4 (oxine) with L. The foregoing reactions are compared and contrasted with those of other manganese(l) and of chromium(O) carbonyl complexes containing “hard” donor atoms.
ON THE FORMATION OF DOUBLE STARS

From a calculation of Roche densities in visual binaries, it is concluded that the stars in these systems would be tidally unstable at the time of formation if they were formed with their observed separations (semi-major axes). To avoid this difficulty, it is proposed that the visual binaries are formed by the disintegration of small clusters. Binaries formed this way are shown to have some interesting upper limits to their mass ratios. Comments are also made on the differences between the processe of star and planet formation.
High-brightness tapered laser sources in the 1.3- to 2.0-μm wavelength range

ABSTRACT Recent progress in tapered high-brightness lasers emitting in the near infrared region from 1.3 to 2.0 tm is reviewed.Improved power and beam quality are obtained for tapered lasers operating near 1.55 jtm using Gaussian distributed lateralcarrier injection profiles. Results for high-brightness 9-element arrays of tapered lasers emitting near 2.0 im are included.Also included is a discussion of the use of mass-transported microlenses for collimating the output of the astigmatic tapereddevices and coupling them into optical fibers.Keywords: Infrared countermeasures, laser beam focusing, laser reliability, lenses, semiconductor lasers, laser arrays 1. INTRODUCTION This paper describes some of the highlights of recent work at Lincoln Laboratory on high-brightness tapered lasers and laserarrays that operate near 2- , 1 .3-, and 1 .55-jim wavelengths. The 2-tim lasers are important as potential sources for infraredcountermeasures applications. The 1 .3-.tm lasers have applications as low-noise amplifiers for analog optical fiber links andthe 1 .55-.tm lasers have many potential uses such as illuminators and laser radars. In all the work described here GaP or GaAsmass-transported microlenses have been used to remove the astigmatism that is inherent in tapered laser sources, as well as insome cases, to collimate the output beams of the lasers.
Avian use of rice-baited corn stubble in east-central South Dakota

Abstract Blackbirds (Icteridae) cause substantial damage to ripening sunflower ( Helianthus annus ) in the northern Great Plains. One management option to reduce damage is to bait spring-migrating blackbirds with the compound DRC-1339 (3-chloro- p -toluidine hydrochloride). In March and April 1994 and 95, we evaluated nontarget risks associated with use of DRC-1339-treated rice baits broadcast in fields of corn stubble in east-central South Dakota. In 1994, we counted 159 nontarget birds during 105 15-min observations in rice-baited and unbaited plots. In 1995, 178 nontarget birds were recorded during 816 1-min periods. We detected no difference in granivorous bird abundance between rice-baited and unbaited plots in either year ( P 's ⩾0.05). Of the 15 identified nontarget species, meadowlarks ( Sturnella spp.) and ring-necked pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus ) probably are most at risk because of their high susceptibility to DRC-1339. Prebaiting blackbirds into small plots placed away from field edges and diluting bait with untreated rice might mitigate nontarget losses.
Modeling the crystallization of spherical nucleic acid nanoparticle conjugates with molecular dynamics simulations.

We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the crystallization of spherical nucleic-acid (SNA) gold nanoparticle conjugates, guided by sequence-specific DNA hybridization events. Binary mixtures of SNA gold nanoparticle conjugates (inorganic core diameter in the 8–15 nm range) are shown to assemble into BCC, CsCl, AlB2, and Cr3Si crystalline structures, depending upon particle stoichiometry, number of immobilized strands of DNA per particle, DNA sequence length, and hydrodynamic size ratio of the conjugates involved in crystallization. These data have been used to construct phase diagrams that are in excellent agreement with experimental data from wet-laboratory studies.
Safety of percutaneous tracheostomy in trauma patients

Percutaneous tracheostomy is a common procedure in many trauma ICUs. A concern about the safety of performing percutaneous tracheostomy in patients with no cervical spine clearance or cervical spine injury has limited its adoption for some surgeons. Most experts recommend the use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy during the insertion of percutaneous tracheostomy.
Modification of gating of an airway epithelial chloride channel by 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB).

5-Nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) has been shown to produce a reduction in channel open probabilty i n a number of epithelial chloride channels. We have investigated its action on a calcium-dependent airway epithelial chloride channel, which shows voltage-dependent gating following incorporation into planar phospholipid bilayers. Since the channel demonstrates a distinct subconductance state at approximately one-third of the fully open level, both 50 and 20% threshold analysis (TA) have been used to describe channel kinetics. Lifetime analysis using 50% TA in the absence of NPPB showed that two open and three closed lifetimes provided the optimal fit. Similar analysis using 20% TA required only two closed lifetimes and allowed for tentative assignment of tau values to either substate or fully closed events. NPPB (10–100 μm) produced a concentration-related shift of the normal voltage dependence of gating, with more negative holding potentials being required to produce a given channel open probability than in the absence of NPPB. Ten μM NPPB produced a similar shift in lifetime values. However, addition of 50 μm NPPB produced a unique, single open lifetime. No evidence was found for NPPB acting as a direct voltage-dependent blocker of chloride conductance.