cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ab initio studies of structural features not easily amenable to experiment: Part 71. Conformational analysis and structural study of valine and threonine

Abstract The molecular structures of valine and threonine were studied by ab initio gradient optimization at the 4-21G level. The conformational effects associated with the χ1 [C(α)-C(β)] torsion were determined in valine. Conformationally dependent changes of several hundredths of an angstrom were found for bond distances, and up to 5 ° for bond angles, and the χ1 potential was found to be asymmetric. Ten structures were optimized for threonine, displaying different types of hydrogen bonding, including polycyclic networks established by hydrogen bonds in some forms. Quantitative differences in bond distances and angles are given for diastereoisomers of threonine which differ in chirality at the β-carbon.
The Impact of Veterans' Preference on the Federal Civil Service

The federal government has long explicitly preferred military veterans in hiring, potentially limiting both the diversity and quality of the federal service. I use both Census data for 1990, 2000, and 2006-9 and federal personnel records for 1973 through 2009 to assess the impact of veterans’ preference on the federal workforce. People who qualify for veterans’ preference are 3-to-4 times as likely to hold federal jobs as those with no military service, though those whose military service does not appear to qualify for preference also have high probabilities of federal employment. Veterans’ representation in the federal service declined from the early 1970s to the early 1990s, but is now stable as veterans make up an increasing share of new hires (currently about one-fourth). Preferential treatment of veterans has a major impact on the sex composition of the federal service (it may increase men’s share of federal jobs by five percentage points) and disadvantages Asians, gay men, and immigrants. It also increases the mean age and lowers the mean educational level of federal employees. Although veterans earn less than apparently comparable nonveterans in the federal service, however, they appear more likely to be promoted than comparable nonveterans and as likely to receive outstanding performance ratings.
Does apolipoprotein E genotype modify the clinical expression of ALS

Background: The presence of the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) 4 genotype is associated with an earlier age of onset for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and several other neurodegenerative disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of ApoE genotypes on the clinical course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Methods: Eight hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients with sporadic ALS evaluated at a tertiary care center were investigated for the effect of ApoE genotype on age of onset, rate of motor disease progression, cognitive functioning, and survival in ALS. Results: The frequencies of individual ApoE genotypes did not differ between patients with ALS and ALS-free Caucasian populations. Patients with different ApoE genotypes did not differ in the age of onset for ALS (years) (ApoE2 = 57.8 ± 13.7, ApoE3 = 57.3 ± 13.7, ApoE4 = 57.7 ± 13.2; P = 0.97), the rate of disease progression (Appel ALS score/month) (ApoE2 = 2.91 ± 2.66, ApoE3 = 2.67 ± 2.66, ApoE4 = 2.61 ± 2.47; P = 0.89), cognitive status (% cognitively impaired) (ApoE2 = 31.7, ApoE3 = 26.8, ApoE4 = 34.3, P = 0.28), or survival in years (ApoE2 = 3.79 ± 3.70, ApoE3 = 3.17 ± 2.27, ApoE4 = 3.05 ± 1.75; P = 0.85). Conclusions: Our results suggest that ApoE genotype does not modify clinical course of sporadic ALS, in stark contrast to the influence of ApoE genotype on the disease course of AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
The Role of the Brain in Urban Violent Offending: Integrating Biology with Structural Theories of 'The Streets'

Some of the most enduring structural theories of crime center on the existence of a criminal subculture. Several ecological theories have attempted to explain the etiology of subcultures, but few have endured the rigors of empirical investigation, and shortcomings of these perspectives remain. To date, subcultural theories have neglected to examine biological influences in explaining the formulation of criminal subcultures and their direct and indirect relationships with criminal behavior. This article offers a ‘new’ look at subcultural theories of crime by integrating biological factors into existing theories of social ecology and criminal behavior. Specifically, we focus on how the structural pressures of poverty, discrimination, concentrated violence, and high rates of emotional abuse lead to stress on the brain in the form of high allostatic load, over-activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, and an imbalance of cortisol levels. These stressors, subsequently, lead to violence and aggress...
Prefrontal subregions and dimensions of insight in first-episode schizophrenia--a pilot study.

Deficits in insight are multidimensional, and include symptom unawareness and misattribution. We and others have observed that these deficits may be related to a prefrontal dysfunction. However, few studies have examined the relationship between specific prefrontal sub-regions and the awareness and attributional dimensions of insight in schizophrenia. This study examined the correlation between insight dimensions of awareness and attribution of symptoms and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volume in 14 subjects with first-episode, antipsychotic-naive (FEAN) schizophrenia. In addition, 21 healthy subjects provided control data for volumetric assessments. Insight was assessed with Scale to Assess Unawareness of Mental Disorders. Morphometric assessments were adjusted for intra-cranial volume and were conducted by trained raters blind to clinical information using BRAINS-2. Average scores on current awareness of symptoms (1=aware; 5=unaware) were negatively correlated with right DLPFC volume and average scores on current attribution of symptoms (1=attribute; 5=misattribute) with right medial OFC volume. Unawareness and misattribution of symptoms in FEAN schizophrenia may have distinct neuroanatomical bases. DLPFC deficits may have resulted in illness unawareness by interfering with self-monitoring, while OFC abnormalities may have mediated symptom misattribution by conferring aberrant salience to perceived symptomatology.
PDZK1 prevents neointima formation via suppression of breakpoint cluster region kinase in vascular smooth muscle

Scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI) and its adaptor protein PDZK1 mediate responses to HDL cholesterol in endothelium. Whether the receptor-adaptor protein tandem serves functions in other vascular cell types is unknown. The current work determined the roles of SR-BI and PDZK1 in vascular smooth muscle (VSM). To evaluate possible VSM functions of SR-BI and PDZK1 in vivo, neointima formation was assessed 21 days post-ligation in the carotid arteries of wild-type, SR-BI-/- or PDZK1-/- mice. Whereas neointima development was negligible in wild-type and SR-BI-/-, there was marked neointima formation in PDZK1-/- mice. PDZK1 expression was demonstrated in primary mouse VSM cells, and compared to wild-type cells, PDZK1-/- VSM displayed exaggerated proliferation and migration in response to platelet derived growth factor (PDGF). Tandem affinity purification-mass spectrometry revealed that PDZK1 interacts with breakpoint cluster region kinase (Bcr), which contains a C-terminal PDZ binding sequence and is known to enhance responses to PDGF in VSM. PDZK1 interaction with Bcr in VSM was demonstrated by pull-down and by coimmunoprecipitation, and the augmented proliferative response to PDGF in PDZK1-/- VSM was abrogated by Bcr depletion. Furthermore, compared with wild-type Bcr overexpression, the introduction of a Bcr mutant incapable of PDZK1 binding into VSM cells yielded an exaggerated proliferative response to PDGF. Thus, PDZK1 has novel SR-BI-independent function in VSM that affords protection from neointima formation, and this involves PDZK1 suppression of VSM cell proliferation via an inhibitory interaction with Bcr.
Semisimple rings of quotients in Morita contexts

Let (R,RUS,SVR,S) be a Morita context with the trace ideals I in R and J in S, τ a Gabriel topology containing I on R-Mod, and τ′ the corresponding Gabriel topology containing J on S-Mod. Necessary and sufficient conditions on τ and RU are given in order that the ring of quotients Ŝ of S with respect to τ′ be semisimple artinian, simple artinian or a division ring respectively. Special cases include earlier works.
Private information leakages and informed trading returns of tech target firms

Abstract We measure private information leakages about target tech firms in mergers. We find that tech target firms with a higher level of asymmetric information are more exposed to mispricing, which allows for larger stock price gains from using expert networks or other means to obtain private information about impending mergers. We also find that the level of information leakages is reduced since the Sarbanes–Oxley Act and Galleon case. However, the reduction in the information leakage prior to tech merger announcements has been offset by the increased share price responses of tech firms to the merger announcements. Therefore, the potential rewards from using expert networks or other means to retrieve private information about tech target firms are still substantial for informed traders.
COMPUTING THE INFLUENCE OF DOPPLER DUE TO SOURCE/RECEIVER MOTION IN A PARABOLIC EQUATION MODEL

A numerical method for computing the influence of Doppler due to source/receiver platform motion in a parabolic equation model is introduced. Both source/receiver speeds and angles of motion in the vertical plane are included in the specification of the motion. By necessity, it is shown that the source function must be defined in the vertical wavenumber domain. Furthermore, the source amplitude spectrum must be defined prior to the calculation, in contrast to previous implementations which would allow for application of variable spectra in post-processing. Examples are given for simple environments demonstrating the expected influence of Doppler due to source motion.
Spectral unmixing for mineral identification in pancam images of soils in Gusev crater, Mars

Abstract The objective of this work is to propose an automated unmixing technique for the analysis of 11-channel Mars Exploration Rover Panoramic Camera (MER/Pancam) spectra. Our approach is to provide a screening tool for identifying unique/distinct reflectance spectra. We demonstrate the utility of this unmixing technique in a study of the mineralogy of the bright salty soils exposed by the rover wheels in images of Gusev crater regions known as Paso Robles (Sols 400,426), Arad (Sol 721), and Tyrone (Sol 790). The unmixing algorithm is based on a novel derivation of the Nonnegative Matrix Factorization technique and includes added features that preclude the adverse effects of low abundance materials that would otherwise skew the unmixing. In order to create a full 11-channel spectrum out of the left and right eye stereo pairs, we also developed a new registration procedure that includes rectification and disparity calculation of the images. We identified two classes of endmember spectra for the bright soils imaged on Sols 426 and 790. One of these endmember classes is also observed for soils imaged on Sols 400 and 721 and has a unique spectral shape that is distinct from most iron oxide, sulfate and silicate spectra and differs from typical martian surface spectra. Instead, its unique spectral character resembles the spectral shape of the ferric sulfate minerals fibroferrite (Fe3+(SO4)(OH) · 5H2O) and ferricopiapite ( ( Fe 3 + ,Al,Mg ) Fe 5 3 + ( SO 4 ) 6 ( OH ) 2 · 20 H 2 O ) and the phosphate mineral ferristrunzite ( ( Mn 2 + , Fe 2 3 + ) 2 ( PO 4 ) 2 ( OH ) 2 · 6 H 2 O ) . The other endmember class is less consistent with specific minerals and is likely a mixture of altered volcanic material and some bright salts. Further analyses of data from Sols 400 and 790 using an anomaly detection algorithm as a tool for detecting low abundance materials additionally suggests the identification of the sulfate mineral paracoquimbite (Fe2(SO4)3 · 9H2O). This spectral study of Pancam images of the bright S- and P-enriched soils of Gusev crater identifies specific ferric sulfate and ferric phosphate minerals that are consistent with the unique spectral properties observed here in the 0.4–1 μm range.
Bifurcating saphenous vein aorto‐coronary bypass graft lesions: Treatment of left main equivalent using two filterwire EX™ distal protection devices

Distal protection devices for the prevention of embolization during saphenous venous aorto-coronary bypass graft intervention are currently considered standard of care. Branching or Y-type saphenous vein grafts present a unique and challenging problem when a distal protection device is anticipated. We present a case in which two Filterwires were used simultaneously through two separate guiding catheters in a left main equivalent bifurcating saphenous vein graft (SVG) with significant ostial and proximal atherosclerotic lesions of both limbs, which supplied left anterior descending artery and circumflex artery territories.
Shifting HIFs in osteoarthritis.

There is no cure for osteoarthritis—the most common disease of the joints. By piecing together the molecular events that drive the progression of this debilitating disease, recent studies published in Nature Medicine put hypoxia-inducible factor-2α (HIF-2α) in the driver's seat, opening up new avenues for early detection and treatment (pages 678–686 and 687–693).
Herd Behavior and Investment: Reply

In our 1990 paper, we showed that managers concerned with their reputations might choose to mimic the behavior of other managers and ignore their own information. We presented a model in which “smart” managers receive correlated, informative signals, whereas “dumb” managers receive independent, uninformative signals. Managers have an incentive to follow the herd to indicate to the labor market that they have received the same signal as others, and hence are likely to be smart. This model of reputational herding has subsequently found empirical support in a number of recent papers, including Judith A. Chevalier and Glenn D. Ellison’s (1999) study of mutual fund managers and Harrison G. Hong et al.’s (2000) study of equity analysts. We argued in our 1990 paper that reputational herding “requires smart managers’ prediction errors to be at least partially correlated with each other” (page 468). In their Comment, Marco Ottaviani and Peter Sorensen (hereafter, OS) take issue with this claim. They write: “correlation is not necessary for herding, other than in degenerate cases.” It turns out that the apparent disagreement hinges on how strict a definition of herding one adopts. In particular, we had defined a herding equilibrium as one in which agent B always ignores his own information and follows agent A. (See, e.g., our Propositions 1 and 2.) In contrast, OS say that there is herding when agent B sometimes ignores his own information and follows agent A. The OS conclusion is clearly correct given their weaker definition of herding. At the same time, however, it also seems that for the stricter definition that we adopted in our original paper, correlated errors on the part of smart managers are indeed necessary for a herding outcome—even when one considers the expanded parameter space that OS do. We will try to give some intuition for why the different definitions of herding lead to different conclusions about the necessity of correlated prediction errors. Along the way, we hope to convince the reader that our stricter definition is more appropriate for isolating the economic effects at work in the reputational herding model. An example is helpful in illustrating what is going on. Consider a simple case where the parameter values are as follows: p 5 3⁄4; q 5 1⁄4; z 5 1⁄2, and u 5 1⁄2. In our 1990 paper, we also imposed the constraint that z 5 ap 1 (1 2 a)q, which further implies that a 5 1⁄2. The heart of the OS Comment is the idea that this constraint should be disposed of—i.e., we should look at other values of a. Without loss of generality, we will consider values of a above 1⁄2, and distinguish two cases.
Surgical Palliation: Getting Back to Our Roots

This article provides an overview of the approach to patients who may benefit from palliative care. While the article's details lend themselves to the treatment of complications secondary to advanced malignancies, the data herein can also be extrapolated to other chronic, terminal diseases. Guidelines for patient selection are discussed, using currently available outcomes data as a platform for the critical decision making process. Suggestions for a multidisciplinary team approach are offered, using the palliative triangle as the ideal model of communication and cooperation. Finally, methods for measuring success are detailed, along with proposals for how to better equip the surgeons of tomorrow with the knowledge and experience needed to tackle these difficult and intimate problems.
Thermal performance of a residential desuperheater/water heater system

Abstract A residential desuperheater/water heater system was tested in a laboratory under controlled environmental conditions. The desuperheater, integrated to a thermal storage system, was installed in the Dual-Air Loop Test Facility at The Center for Energy Studies, The University of Texas at Austin. The major components of the system consisted of the refrigerant compressor, domestic hot water (DHW) desuperheater, thermal storage tank with evaporator/condenser coil, DHW storage tank, DHW circulating pump, space conditioning water circulation pump, and indoor heat exchanger. Although measurements were made to quantify space heating, space cooling, and domestic water heating, this paper only emphasizes the desuperheater/water heater performance of the unit. The desuperheater system was tested over a range of outdoor conditions to determine parameters such as desuperheater rate and DHW temperatures. The desuperheater rate decreased with entering water temperature, since the heat transfer between the water and refrigerant decreased as the entering water temperature increased. In addition, the desuperheater coefficients of performance decreased with entering water temperature. The DHW tank first-hour rating, F, was 52.9 gal/h. The recovery efficiency and energy factor were 0.74 and 0.77, respectively.
ANT-MEDIATED SEED DISPERSAL ALTERS PATTERN OF RELATEDNESS IN A POPULATION OF TRILLIUM GRANDIFLORUM

Seed dispersal creates the initial spatial distribution of individuals in a population and in conjunction with the mating system influences spatial patterns of relatedness. This spatial template of related individuals sets the stage for all subsequent density-dependent and frequency-dependent interactions. In this study we document how ant-mediated seed dispersal affects the number and relatedness of seeds in both dispersed and undispersed aggregations and how these patterns influence seedling emergence in the long-lived perennial, Trillium grandiflorum. Experimental hand-pollinations in two years demonstrated that selfing is extremely rare and suggested that self-incompatibility (SI) is a likely explanation. Our multi-locus outcrossing estimate (tm = 1.05 ± 0.056) confirms this result and also suggests that seeds within a fruit are likely to have the same pollen parent. Thus a highly outcrossing mating system is the initial determinant of relatedness among seeds within a fruit. We tracked uniquely coded,...
NIH funding: a roller coaster Ride? Priorities if NIH funding increases.

Just a few months ago, the American Heart Association (AHA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and others in the biomedical research community were celebrating the historically large 15% increase in NIH funding for fiscal year (FY) 1999 that the US Congress had proposed and the President had signed into law. The FY 1999 increase was a very positive step on the road to doubling NIH funding by the year 2003, which is why the Administration’s recent announcement that it would request only a 2.4% increase for NIH in FY 2000 is such a shock and disappointment. It is likely that Congress will react this October with a more substantial increase—for FY 1999, the Administration had requested only an 8.4% increase. However, we cannot avoid being concerned and about the message that is being sent to scientists, particularly young researchers, by such a low budget request from the Administration. The confusing signals from the Administration—the historic 15% increase for NIH in FY 1999 and the proposed 2.4% increase for FY 2000—suggests to young scientists that if they want a career in research, they should get ready for a roller coaster ride. Society needs young scientists for the future, but will they be there–studying the molecular biology of the HIV of 2020, developing a drug to prevent the earliest pathologic changes of Alzheimer’s, or conducting phase 3 clinical trials of another neuroprotectant against stroke? Or, will many of them have left research for more stable career paths? If we are to stay on course for doubling NIH funding by 2003, another 15% increase for FY 2000 is essential. The FY 1999 NIH funding increase was a $2 billion down payment on the future of our nation’s—and indeed the world’s—health. It is now in Congress’ hands to follow through on the investment. The …
Radar measurements of the electromagnetic energy rates associated with the Dynamic Ionospheric Load/Generator

High resolution incoherent-scatter radar measurements from Sondrestrom, Greenland, are used to evaluate the energy characteristics of the dynamic load/generator throughout the high-latitude E region. The measurements provide a unique view of E-region electrodynamics and show for the first time the E-region processes that dictate ionospheric load/generator behavior. Also, the energy rate associated with the, often assumed, passive ionospheric load is shown for two extended periods of observations to be an overestimate of the actual energy transfer rate, typically by more than a factor of 1.5 for these data. The distribution and partitioning of the energy transfer rate into Joule heating and mechanical energy rates is also evaluated throughout the E region with both showing an altitude-dependent influence on the energy rates associated with the net load. These estimated quantities provide significant insight into understanding the contributing factors involved in the net transfer of electromagnetic energy between the ionosphere and magnetosphere.
Cold Sprayed Liners for Gun Tubes

The use of refractory materials is currently being developed for gun barrel coatings and liners. Explosive cladding, as well as a novel gun liner emplacement with elastomeric material (GLEEM) technique has been shown to be a successful method for bonding liners into 25-mm M242 Bushmaster barrels. The process relies on commercially available tube products that serve as the liner materials that are often difficult to manufacture. Cold spray is a novel process used to consolidate metal powders into both thin coatings and large bulk materials that is being investigated as a cost effective alternative to conventional processing techniques. This work examines the use of cold spray as it pertains to the consolidation of Ta donor tubes for explosively bonded gun liners. Ta tubes were consolidated and annealed to increase the ductility of the material from 0.2% to 35% strain as determined by tensile testing. Ta donor tube was successfully explosively clad to 25 mm gun barrel forging. Bond strength testing results of explosively clad cold spray tube were found to be comparable to commercially obtained liners. GLEEM was also successfully employed. However, the mechanical bond strength of this cladding was considerably lower than that of the explosively clad liner. The failure mechanism during GLEEM is slip between the liner and the forging and is due to the fact that the process relies on frictional bonding rather than metallurgical bonding.
Low-Power Digital Signal Processing Using Approximate Adders

Low power is an imperative requirement for portable multimedia devices employing various signal processing algorithms and architectures. In most multimedia applications, human beings can gather useful information from slightly erroneous outputs. Therefore, we do not need to produce exactly correct numerical outputs. Previous research in this context exploits error resiliency primarily through voltage overscaling, utilizing algorithmic and architectural techniques to mitigate the resulting errors. In this paper, we propose logic complexity reduction at the transistor level as an alternative approach to take advantage of the relaxation of numerical accuracy. We demonstrate this concept by proposing various imprecise or approximate full adder cells with reduced complexity at the transistor level, and utilize them to design approximate multi-bit adders. In addition to the inherent reduction in switched capacitance, our techniques result in significantly shorter critical paths, enabling voltage scaling. We design architectures for video and image compression algorithms using the proposed approximate arithmetic units and evaluate them to demonstrate the efficacy of our approach. We also derive simple mathematical models for error and power consumption of these approximate adders. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of these approximate adders in two digital signal processing architectures (discrete cosine transform and finite impulse response filter) with specific quality constraints. Simulation results indicate up to 69% power savings using the proposed approximate adders, when compared to existing implementations using accurate adders.
Noise and Cyclic Loading Effects on Performance and Operator Functional State

Studies that seek to assess work performance in simulated stressful work environments often report no performance decrements as they have typically used over-simplified cognitive tasks that do not challenge the operator's compensatory response, and performance measures not sensitive enough to identify strain states. The present research used cyclic loading and ambient noise manipulations to stretch the adaptive limits of the operators and to determine how performance can show evidence of (potential) breakdown. Hysteresis measures allowed the identification of strain carry-over effects. No effects of noise on performance were found. Task load effects were found only in subsidiary ‘secondary’ tasks however, with primary task performance protected across conditions. High noise conditions were considered to be more demanding and attracted higher levels of compensatory effort and fatigue, which increased even when task load levels were decreased. The results are considered with respect to Hockey's (1997) Compe...
Phenyl-tetrazolyl acetophenones: discovery of positive allosteric potentiatiors for the metabotropic glutamate 2 receptor.

Herein we disclose the discovery of a new class of positive allosteric potentiators of the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGlu2), phenyl-tetrazolyl acetophenones, e.g. 1-(2-hydroxy-3-propyl-4-{4-[4-(2H-tetrazol-5-yl)phenoxy]butoxy}phenyl) ethanone (4). These potentiators were shown to have no effect in the absence of glutamate as well as no effect at mGlu3 or the other mGlu receptors. The compounds were also evaluated in rodent models with potential relevance for schizophrenia, and 4 was shown to have activity in the inhibition of ketamine-induced norepinephrine release and ketamine-induced hyperactivity. This represents the first example of the efficacy of mGlu2 receptor potentiators in these models.
Heritability in the genome-wide association era

Heritability, the fraction of phenotypic variation explained by genetic variation, has been estimated for many phenotypes in a range of populations, organisms, and time points. The recent development of efficient genotyping and sequencing technology has led researchers to attempt to identify the genetic variants responsible for the genetic component of phenotype directly via GWAS. The gap between the phenotypic variance explained by GWAS results and those estimated from classical heritability methods has been termed the "missing heritability problem". In this work, we examine modern methods for estimating heritability, which use the genotype and sequence data directly. We discuss them in the context of classical heritability methods, the missing heritability problem, and describe their implications for understanding the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes.
Multiplex PCR-pyrosequencing assay for genotyping CYP3A5 polymorphisms.

Abstract Background : The cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A5 enzyme contributes to the metabolism of many drugs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the CYP3A5 gene ( CYP3A5 ⁎ 3C and CYP3A5 ⁎ 6 ) are associated with decreased CYP3A5 expression in the liver. We designed a multiplex genotyping assay to detect the CYP3A5 ⁎ 3C and CYP3A5 ⁎ 6 polymorphisms in a single polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a single pyrosequencing reaction. Methods : A multiplex PCR assay was designed to simultaneously amplify 2 fragments, one containing the CYP3A5 ⁎ 3C polymorphism and the other containing the CYP3A5 ⁎ 6 polymorphism. Following PCR, multiplex genotyping was performed with pyrosequencing analysis. Results : Patient samples ( n = 69) were analyzed for the CYP3A5 ⁎ 3C and CYP3A5 ⁎ 6 polymorphisms using the multiplex PCR-pyrosequencing assay. Genotypes obtained by the multiplex reaction were in 100% concordance with genotypes obtained using simplex PCR-pyrosequencing ( n = 69) and direct DNA sequencing ( n = 29). Conclusions : The advantage of this method is that the CYP3A5 ⁎ 3C and CYP3A5 ⁎ 6 polymorphism can be amplified in a single PCR reaction and genotyped in a single pyrosequencing reaction. This combined approach improves the time-efficiency and decreases the cost of CYP3A5 genotyping.
Analysis of pectate lyase-generated oligogalacturonic acids by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection

Abstract Traditionally, UV absorption detection ( A 235 ) of 4,5-unsaturated bonds has been used to evaluate the depolymerization of pectic polysaccharides by pectate lyase (PL). This approach ignores the generation of oligogalacturonic acids without a 4,5-unsaturated function that appear early in the time course of PL cleavage. We found that high-performance anion-exchange chromatography and pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) could separate and detect oligogalacturonic acids both with and without 4,5-unsaturated functions at their nonreducing ends in PL digests of polygalacturonic acid (PGA) and tobacco cell walls. The “recombinant” PL used was free of endopolygalacturonase activity. Peaks were identified in PL digest chromatograms by retention time agreement with oligoglacturonic acid standards purified by preparative high-performance liquid chromatography and a PGA autoclave hydrolysate that contained oligogalacturonic acids up to degree of polymerization (dp) 40, which lacked the 4,5-unsaturated function. When comparing like dp oligogalacturonic acids, those without the 4,5-unsaturated function eluted earlier from the HPAEC CarboPac PA1 column than did their unsaturated counterparts. These techniques provide the first means for the dp assignment of oligogalacturonic acids generated by both hydrolytic and lytic cleavage of polygalacturonic acid and plant cell walls.
The Palladium‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling Reactions of Organotin Reagents with Organic Electrophiles [New Synthetic Methods (58)]

The cross-coupling of organotin reagents with a variety of organic electrophiles, catalyzed by palladium, provides a novel method for generating a carbon-carbon bond. Because this mild, versatile reaction is tolerant of a wide variety of functional groups on either coupling partner, is stereospecific and regioselective, and gives high yields of product, it is ideal for use in the synthesis of elaborate organic molecules. When the coupling reaction is carried out in the presence of carbon monoxide, instead of a direct coupling, carbon monoxide insertion takes place, stitching the two coupling partners together and generating a ketone.
The bioterrorist threat and access to health care

The U.S. government has dramatically increased expenditures in preparation for potential bioterror attacks, but one security risk should receive much more attention than it has. The more than 40 million Americans without health insurance would pose a serious national security threat in the event of a bioterror attack with a transmissible agent. Even if all Americans cannot obtain full health insurance, significant barriers to seeking evaluation for suspected infectious illnesses should be reduced. Any threats of deportation or financial loss due to testing for and reporting infectious illnesses should be removed, and the cost for these evaluations should be borne by the government as a necessary national security expense.
Air Muscle Powered Ankle Foot Orthotic

Foot drop, a disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, is a broad term used to describe a neurological or muscular-skeletal condition that restricts an individual’s ability to dorsiflex — raise — their foot about the ankle joint. Common causes of foot drop are stroke, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), MS, and injury. Unassisted, an individual with foot drop will have difficulty walking as the affected foot easily catches on obstacles. Foot drop causes clients to drag their toes on each step, greatly increasing the risk of a trip or fall.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Use of laboratory spectrometry to predict the detection of phytoplankton luminescence by an airborne Fraunhofer line discriminator

Abstract The Fraunhofer line discriminator (FLD), an airborne electro-optical instrument designed to measure solar-stimulated luminescence, has a sensitivity approaching that of current laboratory fluorescence spectrometers. The feasibility of using an airborne FLD for detection of near-coastal and open-ocean phytoplankton was established by using a laboratory fluorescence spectrometer to measure the luminescence of phytoplankton and to determine the minimum concentration detectable with an FLD Laboratory measurements of the excitation spectra of 13 species of phytoplankton (six diatoms, five dinoflagellates and two chrysophytes) were obtained with the emission wavelength held constant at 656.3 nm and the excitation wavelength scanned from 320 to 640 nm. Integrated excitation intensities were normalized to a standard concentration of rhodamine wt dye and the resulting luminescence compared to the minimum detectable FLD level of 0.12 parts per billion (p.p.b.) rhodamine wt. Results demonstrated that all 13...
Origins of organic geochemistry

When organic geochemistry actually began as a recognized geoscience is a matter of definition and perspective. Constraints on its beginning are placed by the historical development of its parent disciplines, geology and organic chemistry. These disciplines originated independently and developed in parallel, starting in the latter half of the 18th century and flourishing thereafter into the 21st century. Organic geochemistry began sometime between 1860 and 1983; I argue that 1930 is the best year to mark its origin.
The effects of exercise training on [3H]-spiperone binding in rat striatum.

Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats 100 days of age were divided into three groups: interval trained, endurance trained, and pair-weighted controls. Both trained groups ran up to one hour per day, 6 days per week for 12 weeks. The interval trained group ran up to 20 repeat intervals at 54 meters per minute for 30 seconds, while the endurance trained group ran at 27 meters per minute for 60 minutes. The animals were sacrificed, and the effects of aerobic training were documented by measuring cytochrome oxidase activity in the mixed quadriceps muscles. The cytochrome oxidase activity of the interval and endurance trained groups increased 49%, and 31% respectively, above the control group. [3H]-spiperone was used to label dopamine receptors in the striatum. The endurance group was not significantly different from the interval group in [3H]-spiperone receptor binding, so the two exercise groups were combined to form one group of runners. The runners had significantly higher [3H]-spiperone receptor binding than the controls, F(1,26)=4.87, p < 0.05. The mean and standard error for receptor binding was 89±13 fmoles/mg protein for the runners and 60±5 fmoles/mg protein for the controls.
Technological Changes in Prehistoric Ceramics from Eastern Puerto Rico: An Exploratory Study

Studies of Caribbean pottery have focused on shifts in style and decoration while changes in ceramic technology have received little attention. This work presents the results of an exploratory project on the study of changes in pottery technology to overcome some aspects of this deficiency. Collections from the Proyecto Arqueologico del Valle de Maunabo, Puerto Rico, representing all periods of the Ceramic Age, were used and several physical properties including original firing temperature, porosity, and density were studied. The results show that some of the periods were characterized by technological changes. Preliminary interpretations of these changes are discussed.
Filling the Half Empty or Half Full Glass and Redirecting the Debate about Labor Transnationalism

Global Unions, Local Power: The New Spirit of Transnational Labor Organizing. By Jamie K. McCallum Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2013. 210 pp., paperback (ISBN-13: 978-0-8014-7862-8). There tend to be two types of labor scholars who study transnationalism: the glass half empty and the glass half full varieties. The former bemoans the optimism of the latter, while the latter defends their optimism. This polarization extends to the assessments of various forms of international labor rights mechanisms, from labor rights protections in free trade agreements, to social clauses in global governance institutions, to codes of conduct, and global framework agreements. The “half empties” argue that these mechanisms lack teeth and have translated into few organizing victories or little improvement to workers' living and working conditions. The “half fulls” generally concede these limitations but assert (full disclosure, I am in this camp) that these new transnational mechanisms can provide new opportunities for transnational relationship and movement building, organizing and mobilization, and alliance building across issue areas (see Kay 2005, 2011a,b; Evans and Kay 2008). In his groundbreaking book, Global Unions, Local Power: The New Spirit of Transnational Labor Organizing , Jamie K. McCallum attempts to bridge the ideological divide. His measured and skeptical assessment of the efficacy of global mechanisms—in this case global framework agreements—will placate the half empties. But his insightful dissection of how they can stimulate local union mobilization and revitalization will satisfy the half fulls. His most significant accomplishment, however, is to demonstrate that perpetuating this dichotomy is the wrong way to think about union politics and success in an era of globalization. He ends his book with a concluding sentence that should have been its first: “Struggles such as these remind us that victory is not as simple as winning; it is about building the power to fight in the first place” (p. 159). Nevertheless, by that final page, it is clear that McCallum has redirected the debate about …
Diverse Effects of BCL3 Phosphorylation on Its Modulation of NF-κB p52 Homodimer Binding to DNA

IkappaB proteins control the subcellular localization and DNA binding activity of NF-kappaB transcription factors. BCL3 is a nuclear IkappaB that can inhibit or enhance the binding of NF-kappaB p50 or p52 homodimers to consensus DNA-binding (kappaB) sequences or form a kappaB-binding complex with homodimers. To study BCL3 function, we have used gel shift analysis and tagged protein and tagged DNA coprecipitation analyses. Our results show that at intermediate ratios of BCL3 to p52 all observed phosphoforms of BCL3 are able to form a kappaB-binding complex with p52 homodimers. At low BCL3/p52 ratios, BCL3 increases the rate of p52 homodimer binding to kappaB sites in the presence of nonconsensus DNA and dissociates from the complex. At high BCL3/p52 ratios, BCL3 forms a higher order inhibitory complex with p52 homodimers. All of these effects depend on BCL3 phosphorylation and relative concentration. These results indicate that BCL3 phosphorylation may affect its regulation of NF-kappaB-dependent transcription in vivo.
The effect of penicillin on the release of γ-aminobutyric acid from cerebral cortex slices

Penicillin is known to block the depressant action of GABA on cortical and spinal neurons. In this study we examined the effect of penicillin on the release of endogenous amino acids from rat cerebral cortex slices. The principal finding was that penicillin blocked the potassium-stimulated release of GABA, a calcium-dependent process. It did not block the veratridine-stimulated release of GABA, a calcium-independent process. It did not affect the release of other putative transmitter amino acids. Inhibition of GABA release from nerve endings may explain in part the ability of penicillin to depress synaptic inhibitory mechanisms.
Structure and localization of the IGFBP‐1 gene and its expression during liver regeneration

Insulin-like growth factor–binding protein-1s are important modulators of the insulin-like growth factors that may have both positive and negative effects on the ability of insulin-like growth factors to stimulate cell growth. The IGFBP-1 gene is one of the most highly induced immediate-early genes after partial hepatectomy. The IGFBP-1 gene is also expressed at a high level during fetal liver development and in response to nutritional changes and diabetes. Therefore it may have important roles in liver growth and metabolism. To begin to examine the regulation of this gene, we cloned and sequenced the entire mouse IGFBP-1 gene. Its structure is highly similar to that of the human gene, and, in addition to the exonic regions, the two genes are highly conserved in specific regions in the promoter and first intron. Analysis of this conservation allows us to predict important regulatory sites that define the tissue specific and insulin-mediated regulation of the gene and identify potential sites that might be important for the transcriptional induction during liver regeneration. The mouse gene is located on mouse chromosome 11; it is found at the boundary between regions in the mouse genome homologous to human chromosomes 22 and 7. We found IGFBP-1 mRNA in both parenchymal and nonparenchymal RNA after partial hepatectomy. Using in situ hybridization of IGFBP-1 mRNA in regenerating rat liver tissue, we demonstrated IGFBP-1 transcripts in several cell types. We found that IGFBP-1 gene induction after partial hepatectomy is paralleled by protein expression. However, on immunohisto-chemical study, insulin-like growth factor–binding protein-1 protein is found only in hepatocytes after hepatectomy. Unlike IGFBP-1 mRNA, serum levels of insulinlike growth factor–binding protein-1 are increased for a relatively short time with a peak at 2 to 3 hr after hepatectomy. Increased levels of insulinlike growth factor–binding protein-1 could be important in modulating insulinlike growth factor-1 effects on metabolism and growth during liver regeneration. (Hepatology 1994;19:656–665).
Concise Total Syntheses of (±)-Strychnine and (±)-Akuammicine†

Concise total syntheses of Strychnos alkaloids strychnine (1) and akuammicine (2) have been realized in 13 and 6 operations, respectively. Key steps include (1) the vinylogous Mannich reaction; (2) a novel, sequential one-pot spirocyclization/intramolecular aza-Baylis−Hillman reaction; and (3) a Heck cyclization. The synthesis of 1 proceeds via the Wieland−Gumlich aldehyde (26).
ComPath: comparative enzyme analysis and annotation in pathway/subsystem contexts

Background Once a new genome is sequenced, one of the important questions is to determine the presence and absence of biological pathways. Analysis of biological pathways in a genome is a complicated task since a number of biological entities are involved in pathways and biological pathways in different organisms are not identical. Computational pathway identification and analysis thus involves a number of computational tools and databases and typically done in comparison with pathways in other organisms. This computational requirement is much beyond the capability of biologists, so information systems for reconstructing, annotating, and analyzing biological pathways are much needed. We introduce a new comparative pathway analysis workbench, ComPath, which integrates various resources and computational tools using an interactive spreadsheet-style web interface for reliable pathway analyses.
A multinomial model of event-based prospective memory

Prospective memory is remembering to perform an action in the future. The authors introduce the 1st formal model of event-based prospective memory, namely, a multinomial model that includes 2 separate parameters related to prospective memory processes. The 1st measures preparatory attentional processes, and the 2nd measures retrospective memory processes. The model was validated in 4 experiments. Manipulations of instructions to place importance on either the prospective memory task or the background task (Experiments 1 and 2) and manipulations of distinctiveness of prospective memory targets (Experiment 2) had expected effects on model parameters, as did a manipulation of the difficulty of prospective memory target encoding (Experiments 3 and 4). An alternative model was also evaluated.
PRODUCTION OF HYALURONATE AND COLLAGEN BY FIBROBLAST CLONES IN CULTURE.

THE synthesis of hyaluronate and of collagen are two specialized functions of connective tissue cells. Hyaluronate has been shown to be produced by populations of cultured fibroblasts by Grossfeld et al.1, Morris2, Castor et al.3, and Davidson et al.4, and collagen synthesis has been examined in cultured explants containing fibroblasts by Fitton-Jackson and Smith5, Porter and Pappas6 and Yardley et al.7. Both products have been shown to be synthesized in embryo heart explants by Gaines8. It has not been possible to decide, however, whether individual fibroblasts exist as distinct fixed cell types10 specialized to form either polysaccharide or collagen9, or if the same fibroblast type may make both products, perhaps under different environmental conditions9.
Sooting tendencies of nonvolatile aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract We have measured sooting tendencies of 72 nonvolatile aromatic hydrocarbons, only five of which have been previously reported in the literature. The tested compounds include long-chain alkylbenzenes up to tridecylbenzene, methyl-substituted benzenes, naphthalenes, biaryls, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) with up to four rings. Sooting tendency was defined as the maximum soot concentration f v,max in a methane/air coflow nonpremixed flame with 5–80 ppm of the aromatic added to the fuel. The f v,max were converted into Yield Sooting Indices (YSI’s) by the equation YSI = C ∗ f v,max + D , where C and D are constants chosen so that YSI-2-heptanone = 17 and YSI-phenanthrene = 191. The aromatics were dissolved in 2-heptanone and added to the fuel mixture with a syringe pump. Soot concentrations were measured with laser-induced incandescence (LII). The burner and fuel lines were heated; time-resolved soot measurements verified that all of the test compounds were quantitatively transmitted to the flame without losses to the walls. The uncertainties in the results range from ±3 to ±10%.