cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Beyond the length and look of repolarization: Defining the non-QTc electrocardiographic profiles of patients with congenital long QT syndrome.

Background Little is known about the spectrum and prevalence of ECG features beyond the length and morphology of repolarization in patients with congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). Objective The purpose of this study was to characterize the full ECG phenotype of LQTS patients and evaluate differences by age and LQTS genotype. Methods Retrospective review of 943 patients with LQTS (57% female; median age 25 years; interquartile range 9–34 years) was performed. Comprehensive analysis of their initial evaluation ECG was performed using definitions outlined in professional guidelines. Results Bradycardia was common (n = 320 [34%]), regardless of beta-blocker use. Left-axis deviation (n = 33 [3.5%]) and bundle branch block (n = 5 [0.5%]) were uncommon. T-wave inversion (TWI) involving leads V1 and V3 was more common in LQTS type 2 compared to LQTS type 1 or type 3 (odds ratio [OR] for V1: 2.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8–3.9; OR for V3: 1.76, 95% CI 1.2–2.6), whereas TWI in leads III and aVF was most common in LQTS type 3 (OR for III: 2.38, 95% CI 1.4–4.2; OR for aVF: 3.14, 95% CI 1.6–6.4). Notched T waves were most apparent at younger ages (48% in patients age 4–10 compared to 12% in patients age >40: P Conclusion Beyond the QT interval and bradycardia, ECG abnormalities are uncommon in LQTS patients, and patients almost never have concomitant bundle branch block. Notably, 19% of LQTS patients overall and 27% of LQTS type 2 patients exhibit anterior TWI that would satisfy a diagnostic criterion for arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, thus creating the potential for diagnostic miscues.
Globally energy-optimal speed planning for road vehicles on a given route

Abstract This paper provides a globally optimal solution to an important problem: given a real-world route, what is the most energy-efficient way to drive a vehicle from the origin to the destination within a certain period of time. Along the route, there may be multiple stop signs, traffic lights, turns and curved segments, roads with different grades and speed limits, and even leading vehicles with pre-known speed profiles. Most of such route information and features are actually constraints to the optimal vehicle speed control problem, but these constraints are described in two different domains. The most important concept in solving this problem is to convert the distance-domain route constraints to some time-domain state and input constraints that can be handled by optimization methods such as dynamic programming (DP). Multiple techniques including cost-to-go function interpolation and parallel computing are used to reduce the computation of DP and make the problem solvable within a reasonable amount of time on a personal computer.
Pruritus in Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma and Its Management.

Pruritus is a common symptom in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and critically affects the quality of life of patients. Understanding the pruritogenesis has led to development of new therapeutic agents with promising outcomes in management of this recalcitrant symptom. Clinical assessments are warranted to aid in evaluation of treatment response or disease recurrence. Severe pruritus scores may require further investigation of emotional distress for a better patient approach. Dermatologists play a key role in the treatment of CTCL-pruritus by guiding the patient in the importance of preserving the integrity of the skin barrier.
Characterizaton of Graft Infiltrating Lymphocytes Involved in Cardiac Transplant Rejection

In vitro culturing of graft infiltrating lymphocytes has been useful in studying cell-mediated mechanisms of transplant immunity [1]. These cultures are generated in the presence of Interleukin-2 (IL-2) which induces proliferation of activated T lymphocytes expressing IL-2 receptors. In heart transplant patients, lymphocyte growth from endomyocardial biopsies correlates with the rejection grade assessed by histology [2]. During the first month after transplantation, about one-third of histologically negative biopsies show lymphocyte growth and this is associated with a higher incidence and earlier onset of a subsequent rejection episode [3,4]. During the first three months after transplantation, lymphocyte growth is also associated with a higher incidence of graft coronary disease [5].
Agricultural Technology and Risk

On the face of it, it would seem that agricultural technology might be thought of and modeled in the same way we would other agricultural inputs. As with any other productive input, such as labor, we can think of a derived demand for a particular technology that changes with output price, technology price, and the technology’s marginal product. So, why devote a separate chapter to technology? Webster’s New American Dictionary (1995) defines technology as “a manner of accomplishing a task using special knowledge of a mechanical or scientific subject.” There are two parts of this definition that support the tendency to differentiate a new technology from other agricultural inputs or older technologies: “special knowledge” and “scientific.” Special knowledge implies an initial period where the knowledge has yet to be acquired. This period may be characterized by uncertainty about how the technology works and how to apply it in a particular situation. As the special knowledge is acquired, experimentation and learning take place. The special knowledge may not be applicable to any other manner of accomplishing the task, so that if a newer technology is introduced, the learning must take place again. This implies an initial opportunity cost of adopting a new technology that is higher than using an older, conventional input. The “scientific” part of the definition, especially in the case of agricultural technologies, implies that the development of the technology probably takes place off the farm. It may take some time between the technology development and dissemination of sufficient information about it to be seriously considered by the farmer. Ultimate usefulness of the technology on the farm depends on its applicability to the unique growing conditions and other characteristics of the farm and the farmer. Again, this implies some additional level of initial uncertainty. A useful distinction, then, between conventional agricultural inputs and technology might be the degree of “newness” and special knowledge requirements of the input or production technique. Therefore, we leave aside conventional input choices and land allocation to different crops (except newly developed cultivars or varieties).
Generative-Transformational Studies in English Interrogatives

The following pages constitute a survey of and commentary on generative-transformational research in segmental linguistic aspects of English interrogatives from Noam Chomsky’s Syntactic Structures (1957) through the present.1 The scope implied by this statement should render intelligible the omission of some sorts of prima facie relevant material: in general excluded from coverage are (i) treatments of the suprasegmental (prosodic) properties of English interrogatives (except where having a clear bearing on segmental properties (see §4.2)), or of paralinguistic properties of the same (except, again, where having a clear bearing on segmental properties (see §4.3, §5.2)); (ii) work based on pre-Chomskian and/or non-negative- transformational approaches (including possible generative but non-trans- formational or transformational but non-generative approaches),2 except where mention of such approaches seems especially useful to the continuity or integrity of the survey (e.g. in § 4.3.3.).
Measurement of Human Hypothermic Cerebral Oxygen Metabolism by Transmission Spectroscopy

Near infrared light (650 – 1100 nm) is capable of penetrating the human scalp and skull (Wan et al. 1981). Hemoglobin and oxyhemoglobin circulating in the cerebrovascular compartment have unique infrared absorption spectra which influence wavelength specific attenuation in this wavelength band (Tamura et al. 1985). The human brain contains 600 to 1000 mg of hemoglobin per 100 grams of tissue; thus, the brain is an excellent organ for in vivo optical spectroscopic (INVOS) measurements of hemoglobin oxygen saturation. Direct and continuous spectroscopic evaluation of cerebral oxygen saturation is possible (McCormick et al. 1991a/b).
Chapter 7 - Synthesis of Delaminated and Pillared Zeolitic Materials

This chapter discusses the synthesis aspects of layered zeolite precursors and methods of layer manipulation reported since the original work on MCM-22 precursor (MCM-22-P). The described characterization and identification methods emphasize differentiation among the products obtained by modification of layered precursors and the corresponding zeolites. Conventional layered materials have been described from the perspective relevant to zeolites. The discovery of layered zeolite precursors launched a new area for the synthesis of porous materials. New fundamental insights of zeolite framework formation have been developed with potential application in catalysis and separations. A layered MCM-22-P provided catalytically active sheets that could be expanded and formulated into large pore materials with high activity. Layered precursors of several other zeolites have been synthesized indicating the possibility that many zeolites can be synthesized by a layered pathway. The MCM- 22 zeolite family provides a roadmap for developing other zeolite families based on manipulating their layered structures.
Double Q-Learning for Radiation Source Detection

Anomalous radiation source detection in urban environments is challenging due to the complex nature of background radiation. When a suspicious area is determined, a radiation survey is usually carried out to search for anomalous radiation sources. To locate the source with high accuracy and in a short time, different survey approaches have been studied such as scanning the area with fixed survey paths and data-driven approaches that update the survey path on the fly with newly acquired measurements. In this work, we propose reinforcement learning as a data-driven approach to conduct radiation detection tasks with no human intervention. A simulated radiation environment is constructed, and a convolutional neural network-based double Q-learning algorithm is built and tested for radiation source detection tasks. Simulation results show that the double Q-learning algorithm can reliably navigate the detector and reduce the searching time by at least 44% compared with traditional uniform search methods and gradient search methods.
Transition to Turbulence in Görtler Flow

Counter-rotating streamwise vortices play an important role in transition to turbulence and in the dynamics of fully turbulent boundary layer flows [1]. However, the mechanisms by which they are generated are largely unknown and in turbulent flows they occur randomly in space and time, making their investigation difficult. The counter-rotating vortices generated in a boundary layer flow over a concave wall (Gortler vortices) share many similarities with vortical structures found in other types of boundary layers as documented by Blackwelder [1]. Since their generation mechanism is known and they form a deterministic, spatially regular pattern, they offer an attractive alternative in investigation of the dynamics of counter-rotating vortices in boundary layers.
A Novel Risk Calculator Predicts 90-Day Readmission Following Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background:A reliable prediction tool for 90-day adverse events not only would provide patients with valuable estimates of their individual risk perioperatively, but would also give health-care systems a method to enable them to anticipate and potentially mitigate postoperative complications. Predic
Cardiac conduction abnormalities associated with pacemaker implantation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement

Background Complete heart block is a known complication after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), often requiring pacemaker implantation within 24 hours of the procedure. However, clinical markers for delayed progression to complete heart block after TAVR remain unclear. Objectives We examined electrocardiographic data that may correlate with delayed progression to complete heart block and need for pacemaker. Methods This is a single-center retrospective study of 608 patients who underwent TAVR between April 2008 and June 2017. We excluded 164 (27.0%) patients due to having a pacemaker before the procedure or expiring within 24 hours of the procedure (8, 1.3%). We excluded an additional 50 (8.2%) patients who received a pacemaker within 24 hours of the procedure. Electrocardiograms (EKGs) obtained after the procedure were compared to the preprocedural EKG to detect new changes. Results Left bundle branch block, intraventricular conduction delay, left anterior fascicular block, and right bundle branch block were the most commonly seen conduction abnormalities after TAVR (25.1%, 10.9%, 7.5%, and 3.6%, respectively). Both left bundle branch block (odds ratio [OR] = 2.77 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.24-6.22]) and right bundle branch block (OR = 13.2 [95% CI: 4.18-41.70]) carried an increased risk of pacemaker implantation after TAVR. Additionally, ΔPR greater than 40 ms from baseline also carried an increased risk of pacemaker implantation (OR = 3.53 [95% CI: 1.49-8.37]). Conclusion Left bundle branch block, right bundle branch block, and ΔPR greater than 40 ms were all associated with delayed progression to complete heart block and need for pacemaker implantation after TAVR.
Laser spectroscopy of two-electron systems

The helium atom and hydrogen molecule are the simplest multielectron systems and are thus much used as prototypes in which theoretical and experimental methods can be compared in detail. Improvements in spectroscopic studies of these fundamental systems have always been difficult because of the large excitation energies required. This problem has recently become far less severe with the availability of intense tunable narrowband UV laser sources. Two experiments completed recently in our laboratory are representative of current advances: the ionization potential of H2 and high resolution spectra of autoionizing Stark line shapes in atomic helium.
Environmental gradients influence differences in leaf functional traits between native and non-native plants

Determining the characteristics of non-native plants that can successfully establish and spread is central to pressing questions in invasion ecology. Evidence suggests that some non-native species establish and spread in new environments because they possess characteristics (functional traits) that allow them to either successfully compete with native residents or fill previously unfilled niches. However, the relative importance of out-competing native species vs. filling empty niche space as potential mechanisms of invasion may depend on environmental characteristics. Here, we measured plant functional traits, proxies indicative of competitive and establishment strategies, to determine if these traits vary among native and invasive species and if their prevalence is dependent on environmental conditions. Using a natural environmental gradient in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, we evaluated how functional traits differ between native and non-native plant communities and if these differences change along an environmental gradient from hot, dry to cool, wet conditions. Functional trait differences suggested that both competition and open niche space may be important for invasion. Non-native communities tended to have traits associated with faster growth strategies such as higher specific leaf area and lower leaf thickness. However, native and non-native community traits became more dissimilar along the gradient, suggesting that non-native species may be occupying previously unfilled niche space at the hot, dry end of the gradient. We also found that most of the variation in functional trait values amongst plots was due to species turnover rather than intraspecific variation. These results highlight the role of environmental context when considering invasion mechanisms.
Adults’ responses to young children’s transgressions: a new method for understanding everyday social interactions

ABSTRACTYoung children’s misbehaviours can be challenging to interpret, evaluate, and intervene on. In turn, adults’ interventions on children’s transgressions inform children about how others view...
Diagnostic Yield of Colonoscopy in Young Adults with Lower Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Multicenter Midwest Cohort.

Background/Aims: Serious gastrointestinal (GI) pathologies are common in older adults compared to young adults (≤40 years). Data on the diagnostic yield (DY) of colonoscopy in young adults with lower GI symptoms are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the overall DY of colonoscopy; and the DY stratified by the presence or absence of bright red blood per rectum (BRBPR) in young adults ≤40 years. Methods: We reviewed diagnostic colonoscopies performed in young adults by 18 gastroenterologists at 2 different institutions from ­October 2016 to April 2019. Patients with familial colorectal cancer (CRC) syndromes were excluded. DY was calculated based on the proportion of abnormal colonoscopy defined as having inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), microscopic colitis (MC), advanced adenoma, or CRC. Results: We included 454 patients, mean (SD) age was 31 (3) years, 162 (36%) were males and mean (SD) BMI was 30 (8.5). BRBPR was the indication for colonoscopy in 194 (43%) patients, 260 (57%) patients had colonoscopy for other lower GI symptoms (abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation) but without BRBPR. Overall DY of colonoscopy in young adults with lower GI symptoms was 15%; IBD was seen in 43 (10%) patients, MC 10 (2%), and advanced neoplasia/CRC 20 (4%). Overall DY in patients with BRBPR was significantly higher than in patients without BRBPR (22 vs. 11%, p = 0.001). The DY for IBD was also higher in young adults with BRBPR versus without BRBPR (15 vs. 6%, p = 0.003). The DY of patients with both BRBPR and abdominal pain was 34%, for BRBPR and diarrhea was 40%, and for all 3 symptoms of BRBPR, diarrhea, and abdominal pain was 52%. Conclusions: Significant proportion of young adults with BRBPR have abnormal pathology (22%) justifying evaluation by colonoscopy. For other lower GI symptoms without BRBPR, the necessity of endoscopic evaluation should be determined clinically on a case-to-case basis due to the low overall DY.
Assessing Nutritional Requirements and Current Intake

To provide the best dietary recommendations to maintain optimal patient health, veterinarians must be able to assess a patient's nutritional status and offer necessary diet adjustment recommendations. Because obtaining accurate diet histories and answering owner questions about specific diet options can be time-consuming, this article summarizes efficient methods to complete this process. Short case illustrations of common nutrition calculation equations and an example diet history form are included. Members of the entire veterinary team can be involved with the assessment process to reduce the veterinarian's workload, while improving the quality of information obtained and the recommendations made for the pet.
The Magnetization of Bi:2212 Rutherford Cables for Particle Accelerator Applications

High temperature superconductors, including Bi:2212, are being considered for high magnetic field magnets to be used in particle accelerators. A knowledge of HTS magnetization properties are needed for calculating field errors in such accelerator magnets. Here we present magnetic measurements of a 17 strand Bi:2212 Rutherford cable. The Bi:2212 strand was a Bruker OST PMM170123 non-twisted wire wound into a cable with dimensions 1.46 mm x 7.8 mm and cable pitch of 50.8 mm. M-H loop measurements were made with a Hall probe at 4.2 K. Two calibration methods were compared, (i) a flux exclusion approach, and (ii) a Ni replacement technique. The latter was found to be more reliable in this case. An effective filament diameter of 358 μm was calculated for the strand at 4.2 K and a perpendicular applied field of 3.33 T, significantly larger than the diameter of the filament bundle. Magnetization values at 1 T on the shielding branch were seen to be 100 kA/m when normalized to the total strand in the cable volume. The penetration field ≅ 0.4 T.
The Academy is Well Positioned to Offer Pharmacy Technician Training Programs

Colleges of pharmacy are optimally positioned to train the entire pharmacy team, including pharmacists and pharmacy support personnel, for five reasons: (1) ability to provide comprehensive workforce development, (2) utilization of established faculty expertise, (3) harnessing of existing infrastructure, (4) affording opportunities for intraprofessional education, and (5) supporting institutional growth and reputability. As the emphasis of training shifts towards team-based approaches and expanded responsibilities for team members, ensuring the existing and future pharmacy workforce is equipped to serve their communities becomes increasingly important. Thus, colleges of pharmacy should consider offering a pharmacy technician training program to meet the needs of their community and the profession.
Responses of forest structure, functions, and biodiversity to livestock disturbances: A global meta-analysis.

Habitat degradation and land-use change driven by the livestock sector are among the major causes of global biodiversity loss. Forests are crucial in maintaining biodiversity and mitigating climate change. Apart from continuing deforestation, forests also face increasing pressure from livestock grazing in the system, which is less understood compared to grasslands. Through a meta-analysis of 156 articles with 1936 data entries, this study assesses the effect of livestock on forest biodiversity, structure, and functions, varying with livestock types, livestock density, grazing history, and climatic factors. Our results show that livestock overall had a negative impact on the forest structure and functions, reduced species abundance but increased richness. Medium and large mammals, plant communities, and soil were more negatively affected compared to other groups such as birds and invertebrates. Livestock also influenced the role of forests in mitigating climate change. They changed forest carbon stock by reducing plant biomass; however, they did not significantly impact the soil carbon stock or soil greenhouse gas emissions. Ecosystem attributes were more affected in warmer and drier regions and by single species grazing than the mixed grazing. Past livestock grazing history moderates the impacts of livestock, with the strongest negative effect occurred with a history of 1-5 years. Nonetheless, livestock activities also had a positive impact on forest management, such as reducing forest flammability. Our results also indicate the lack of studies on how higher trophic levels respond to livestock disturbances and how grazing intensity moderates the effect, which includes grazing duration and livestock density. The complex responses of forests to livestock in different conditions call for more adaptive management depending on the conservation targets and evolution history.
The Machinery Confusion

Comparing the right-sided cardiac output and left-sided cardiac output is important in situations where a shunt is suspected; it is done by comparing the flow across the LVOT and the RVOT. It is important to remember the limitations and the pitfalls of this technique, as well as to understand precisely the information obtained from these calculations. PDA is a unique example where the classic comparison of the LVOT and RVOT cardiac output results in “confusing” data. Since PDA is an abnormal communication between the right and the left heart occurring outside the heart, it is important to understand which site (LVOT / RVOT) represents which circulation.
Orbit Determination Analysis Utilizing Radiometric and Laser Ranging Measurements for GPS Orbit

Abstract While navigation systems for the determination of the orbit of the Global Position System (GPS) have proven to be very effective, the current issues involve lowering the error in the GPS satellite ephemerides below their current level. In this document, the results of an orbit determination covariance assessment are provided. The analysis is intended to be the baseline orbit determination study comparing the benefits of adding laser ranging measurements from various numbers of ground stations. Results are shown for two starting longitude assumptions of the satellite location and for nine initial covariance cases for the GPS satellite state vector. 1. Introduction The task of the laser ranging analysis effort is to determine the added benefits derived from solving for a spacecraft’s state vector when utilizing laser ranging measurements in addition to the current use of pseudo-range and accumulated delta range (ADR), also known as Integrated Doppler measurements. The methodology to perform this analysis is to perform a covariance study for the Global Positioning System (GPS) orbit. The first method will be to perform the orbit determination (OD) using pseudo-range and ADR measurements from the six Monitor Stations (MS) for the GPS satellite orbit through an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) analysis. The second method will be to add laser ranging measurements from the six MS sites along with various amounts of additional sites. Measurements from both methods will be used to form estimates for the satellite’s state vector, which will be propagated until new measurements are available. Finally, comparisons will be made between the performance of the current system and the modified system.
Childhood and Culture Reflected through the Lens of LIS Education: Embedded Practice in Danish Library and Information Science Education

According to Stearns (2009), culture shapes childhood. The way a society defines culture shapes: (a) how childhood is constructed; (b) the production of literary products and services for young people; and (c) training for library professionals. In 21st century America, children are viewed as a vulnerable population in need of protection, as evidenced by the books that are challenged in schools and libraries every year. In Denmark, however, childhood is constructed differently. While the American-style of helicopter parenting described in Finkel and Fitzsimmons (2013) exists, since the 1980s a cultural shift has occurred, as Danes move from what Juncker (2007) calls a silent, attendant culture to a vocal, participatory culture. Today, young Danes’ right to access culture is mandated through the Ministry of Culture, and libraries and cultural institutions, working in partnership with schools, are largely responsible for providing such access. According to the Royal School of Library and Information Science’s website, Bachelors and Masters degrees in Information Science and Cultural Dissemination emphasize connections between information and knowledge, but also focus on the interplay between knowledge and culture. As library education changes, children’s library centers in turn are transformed into cultural institutions that incorporate media in all forms, focusing on culture, creativity, and play. This qualitative study uses participant observation gathered in Denmark during summer 2014 at the Royal School of Library and Information Science, libraries and cultural centers, and online analysis. Findings demonstrate how the Danish LIS program addresses changing constructions of childhood and the roles of information and culture, encompassing both aesthetics and play
Relative impact of anthropogenic modifications versus climate change on the natural flow regimes of rivers in the Northern Rocky Mountains, United States

[1] We studied discharge data from stream gauges located in natural and anthropogenically modified river basins of the Northern Rocky Mountains over 59 years. We applied linear and nonlinear models to the data to determine what, if any, alterations have occurred in the annual flow regimes. By comparing the different results from the natural and anthropogenically modified river basins, we were able to distinguish the impacts that climate change and anthropogenic modifications have had on flow regimes in the Northern Rocky Mountains over the period of record. We found that regional climate change has not significantly altered the natural flow regimes. However, we did find an underlying cyclical pattern in the total amount of annual discharge in both the natural and anthropogenically modified river basins. This suggests a strong link between the quantity of runoff and some kind of hydroclimatologic cycle. Conversely, direct basin anthropogenic modifications such as damming, irrigation, and urbanization have caused a decrease in the difference between the minimum and maximum annual discharges and a decrease in the daily variations of flows across the Northern Rocky Mountains. In general, direct anthropogenic modifications of the river basins have altered the flow regimes to a much greater extent than climate change.
Status of Precision QED in Light and Heavy Atoms

This paper presents a review of QED in various systems. Precision tests in weakly bound systems are reviewed, tests of radiative corrections in highly ionized atoms and inner shells of neutral heavy atoms are described, and a more speculative application of QED to quarks bound in a cavity is presented.
Enzymatic Synthesis of Carbohydrate‐Containing Biomolecules

As important biomolecules in living organisms, carbohydrates have received increasing attention in recent years. Their important roles in biologic events are being continuously unraveled. The development of synthetic methodologies, including both chemical and enzymatic methods, contributes greatly to the advance of the field of glycoscience. The involvement of regio- and stereo-selective enzymes in the synthesis of complex carbohydrate-containing molecules has become an indispensable approach. Many enzymes involved in the biosynthesis and biodegradation of carbohydrates have been characterized and have been applied for the production of carbohydrate-containing biomolecules, including oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, glycoproteins, glycolipids, and glycosylated natural products. A range of strategies for enzymatic synthesis have also been developed, such as protein engineering of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases by site-directed mutagenesis or directed evolution, one-pot multiple-enzyme synthesis, sugar nucleotide regeneration, solid-phase enzymatic synthesis, synthesis using immobilized enzymes, and cell-based synthesis. Enzymatic synthesis will continue to play critical roles in obtaining complex carbohydrate-containing biomolecules. Future efforts should focus on identifying synthetically useful enzymes such as those with flexible or novel substrate specificity and those that can form new bonds. This identification can be achieved by functional genomics and mutagenesis studies. Development of novel enzymatic synthetic methods is also critical to access diverse naturally occurring and non-natural derivatives of carbohydrates and glycoconjugates.
Crystalline quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase

Abstract Quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase catalyzes the formation of nicotinic acid mononucleotide, carbon dioxide, and inorganic pyrophosphate from quinolinic acid and 5-phosphoribosyl 1-pyrophosphate. The enzyme has a molecular weight of 165,000 and can be irreversibly dissociated into inactive protein units with a molecular weight of 54,000. Unlike other reactions in which the enzymatic transfer of the phosphoribosyl group occurs, the kinetics of this reaction is consistent with the involvement of a ternary complex of enzyme, quinolinic acid, and 5-phosphoribosyl l-pyrophosphate. Attempts to show exchange reactions were unsuccessful.
New approaches to vaccination.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the new approaches to vaccination. Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective forms of medicine. Often, a single inoculation costing pennies to prepare and administer can prevent devastating illness. The impact of infectious diseases on human suffering, loss of life, and health care expenditures is substantial. The impact of a single effective vaccine on public health and welfare can be equally great. Recent advances in understanding of immunology and the pathophysiology of infectious diseases have created revolutionary new approaches to vaccine development. In addition, the success of vaccination as a means of controlling infectious diseases has encouraged the development of vaccines for other kinds of disease, including malignancy and autoimmune disease. Future vaccines may find their way into almost every branch of medicine. This chapter covers the current revolution in vaccine development, and focuses on changes brought about by molecular biology and immunology. Some of the techniques described are experimental; others are already finding application in veterinary and human vaccines.
Vestibular hair cells of the chick express the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit α9

The efferent cholinergic pathways to the vestibular periphery have yet to be fully characterized. While the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit (nAChR) alpha 9 is now regarded as the principle receptor for efferent cholinergic signaling to the organ of Corti, there is still uncertainty over how the more complex efferent effects of the labyrinth are produced. Recent experimental work has demonstrated that the nAChR alpha 9 is present in the vestibular end-organs of the rat and mouse, suggesting that alpha 9 may be one of the mediators of efferent cholinergic signaling in the vestibular periphery as well. In this experiment, we sought to determine whether alpha 9 was also present in the vestibular end-organs of the chick. A homologue of alpha 9 has been cloned recently from the chick cochlea. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), individual vestibular end-organ preparations, including posterior ampulla, combined horizontal and superior ampulla, saccule, utricle, and the vestibular ganglion were screened for alpha 9 messenger RNA expression. In each end-organ and the vestibular ganglion, a cDNA of the expected size was obtained by RT-PCR and was confirmed to be alpha 9 by sequence analysis. Further, alpha 9 mRNA was identified by RT-PCR from individually isolated type I and type II vestibular hair cells (single-cell RT-PCR). Lastly, insitu hybridization using digoxigenin-labeled alpha 9 riboprobes confirmed the presence of alpha 9 in type I and type II hair cells throughout the vestibular periphery. These results demonstrate the expression of alpha 9 in the vestibular end-organs of the chick, and lend further support for the role of alpha 9 as a mediator of efferent cholinergic signaling in vestibular hair cells.
Peasantries and Other Topics: South and Mesoamerica

The Peasant Marketing System of Oaxaca, Mexico. Ralph L. Beals. Pyramids of Sacrifice: Political Ethics and Social Change. Peter L. Berger. Struggle in the Andes: Peasant Political Mobilization in Peru. Howard Handelman. The Moving Frontier: Social and Economic Change in a Southern Brazilian Community. Maxine L. Margolis. Peasants, Politics, and Revolution: Pressures toward Political and Social Change in the Third World. Joel S. Migdal. Formaciones economicas y politicas del mundo andino. John V. Murra. The Shaman and the Jaguar: A Study of Narcotic Drugs among the Indians of Colombia. Gerardo Reichel-Dolmatoff. Brazilian Society. T. Lynn Smith.
Abstract 230: The Medically Managed Patient with Severe Symptomatic Aortic Stenosis in the TAVR Era: Patient Characteristics and Reasons for Medical Management

Background: In the current era of surgical and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (AVR), patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) receiving medical management after referral to a valve treatment center have not been well-described. Methods: The ACC Championing Care for the Patient with AS initiative involved 454 patients referred for assessment of AS treatment options to 9 US valve treatment centers from 11/2012 to 6/2014. We compared clinical characteristics of patients with severe symptomatic AS receiving medical management versus AVR using chi-square, Fisher’s exact, and t-tests. We identified reasons for medical management using summary statistics. Results: Among 454 patients referred to a valve center, 42 (9%) received medical management for insufficient AS severity, 76 (17%) received medical management despite having severe symptomatic AS, and 336 (74%) underwent AVR. Patients receiving medical management despite severe symptomatic AS were older with higher STS predicted mortality than patients treated with AVR (Table). Common reasons for medical management were patient preference (43%, including waiting for commercial TAVR), medical futility (17%), inoperability (11%, including infeasible aortic annulus for TAVR), and temporary bridging with valvuloplasty (15%). Conclusions: In the current era of transcatheter and surgical AVR, medical management often occurs among patients with severe symptomatic AS referred for AVR. As medical futility, inoperability, and patient preferences commonly contribute to this decision, both valve treatment centers and referring physicians should be well versed in supportive care strategies to improve health outcomes in these patients. ![][1] ![][2] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif [2]: /embed/graphic-2.gif
A Model for the Complete Radial Structure of the Tropical Cyclone Wind Field. Part I: Comparison with Observed Structure*

AbstractPart I of this work develops a simple model for the complete radial structure of the low-level tropical cyclone wind field. The model is constructed by mathematically merging existing theoretical solutions for the radial wind structure at the top of the boundary layer in the inner ascending and outer descending regions. The model is then compared with two observational datasets. First, the outer solution is compared with a global database from the QuikSCAT satellite (1999–2009) and found to reproduce the characteristic wind structure of the broad outer region of tropical cyclones at large radii, indicating that the solution successfully captures the physics of this region. Second, the inner solution is compared with the HWind database (2004–12) for the Atlantic and eastern Pacific basins and is shown to be capable of reproducing the inner-core structure while substantially underestimating wind speeds at larger radii. The complete model is then shown to largely, though not entirely, rectify this un...
Robust Exclusion Through Loyalty Discounts

We consider loyalty discounts whereby the seller promises to give buyers who commit to buy from it a lower price than the seller gives to uncommitted buyers. We show that an incumbent seller can use loyalty discounts to soften price competition between itself and a rival, which raises market prices to all buyers. Each individual buyer’s agreement to a loyalty discount externalizes most of the harm of that individual agreement onto all the other buyers. The resulting externality among buyers makes it possible for an incumbent to induce buyers to sign these contracts even if they reduce buyer and total welfare. Thus, if the entrant cost advantage is not too large, we prove that with a sufficient number of buyers, there does not exist any equilibrium in which at least some buyers do not sign loyalty discount contracts, and there exists an equilibrium in which all buyers sign and the rival is foreclosed from entry. As a result, with a sufficient number of buyers, an incumbent can use loyalty discounts to increase its profit and decrease both buyer and total welfare. Further, the necessary number of buyers can be as few as three. These effects occur even in the absence of economies of scale in production and even if the buyers are not intermediaries who compete with each other in a downstream market.
Prophase Destruction of Emi1 by the SCFβTrCP/Slimb Ubiquitin Ligase Activates the Anaphase Promoting Complex to Allow Progression beyond Prometaphase

Abstract Progression through mitosis occurs because cyclin B/Cdc2 activation induces the anaphase promoting complex (APC) to cause cyclin B destruction and mitotic exit. To ensure that cyclin B/Cdc2 does not prematurely activate the APC in early mitosis, there must be a mechanism delaying APC activation. Emi1 is a protein capable of inhibiting the APC in S and G2. We show here that Emi1 is phosphorylated by Cdc2, and on a DSGxxS consensus site, is subsequently recognized by the SCF βTrCP/Slimb ubiquitin ligase and destroyed, thus providing a delay for APC activation. Failure of βTrCP-dependent Emi1 destruction stabilizes APC substrates and results in mitotic catastrophe including centrosome overduplication, potentially explaining mitotic deficiencies in Drosophila Slimb/βTrCP mutants. We hypothesize that Emi1 destruction relieves a late prophase checkpoint for APC activation.
Self‐complementary motifs (SCM) in α‐crystallin small heat shock proteins

Small heat shock proteins (sHsp) have been implicated in many cell processes involving the dynamics of protein–protein interactions. Two unusual sequences containing self-complementary motifs (SCM) have been identified within the conserved α-crystallin domain of sHsps. When two SCMs are aligned in an anti-parallel direction (N to C and C to N), the charged or polar residues form either salt bridges or hydrogen bonds while the non-polar residues participate in hydrophobic interactions. When aligned in reverse order, the residues of these motifs in α-crystallin subunits form either hydrophobic and/or polar interactions. Homology based molecular modeling of the C-terminal domain of α-crystallin subunits using the crystal structure of MjHSP16.5 suggests that SCM1 and 2 participate in stabilizing secondary structure and subunit interactions. Also there is overwhelming evidence that these motifs are important in the chaperone-like activity of α-crystallin subunits. These sequences are conserved and appear to be characteristic of the entire sHsp superfamily. Similar motifs are also present in the Hsp70 family and the immunoglobulin superfamily.
Results of the AMS Questionnaire of 1975.

In December 1975 a questionnaire was mailed to the roughly 9000 members of the American Meteorological Society, and more than half responded. The analysis of the answers provides some useful and hitherto unavailable information on the composition of our membership, where the members work and what they do, how they feel about the future of their respective branches of the profession, and their opinions about the Society and the ways in which it might be improved. Some recommendations for future action are strongly implied by the statistics.
Shaping the City Image

What impact has Kevin Lynch's imageability concept had on planning and urban design, and most important, on the form of cities? Urban designers, planners, and architects play a crucial role in mana...
Changes in antigenicity of basement membrane during wound healing

Abstract The healing of cutaneous wounds of mice was examined by immunofluorescent, phase, and electron microscopy. The results suggested that the epithelial basement membrane appeared to undergo degradation early in the healing process and did not regain all characteristics until remodeling of the redundant epidermis was completed. It did not appear to function as a substratum for epithelial migration; instead it appeared that the basement membrane may be partially responsible for the maintenance of the microenvironment of the epidermis. Phase micrographs illustrated a large number of degenerating basal cells at the completion of reepithelialization. These cells were confined to the basal layer and suggested that wound remodeling was initiated by selective cell death.
The Menstrual Cycle of the Primates. VIII.--The Oestrin-Withdrawal Theory of Menstruation

In spite of ample evidence that œstrin is not the sole endocrine factor directly concerned in the changes which take place in the uterus, the hypothesis that normal menstruation is essentially a katabolic process following a temporary cessation of œstrin activity, still finds acceptance ( e. g ., De Jongh and Laqueur, 1931; Allen, 1932). This hypothesis, formulated originally by Allen (1927), is primarily based upon three sets of well-established observations on monkeys. These are: ( a ) uterine bleeding follows soon after bilateral, sometimes after unilateral, ovariectomy;( b ) uterine bleeding may be precipitated by injury to large or cystic ovarian follicles; and ( c ) uterine bleeding almost always begins a few days after the cessation of injection of œstrin into both normal and castrate monkeys. Corresponding observations have also been reported for man. Thus, the first is a clinical fact which had been recognized long before monkeys were used experimentally in studies of the reproductive processes. The same applies to the second; for example, as long ago as 1890 Cohnstein reported that menstruation is precipitated by manual pressure of the ovaries. The third finding has also been recently shown to be true for man; thus Kaufmann (1934) found that uterine bleeding occurs in women after the administration of 1,000,000 international units of œstrin. In spite of its apparently solid foundation, the œstrin-withdrawal theory of menstruation nevertheless falls short as an adequate statement because of its failure to account for certain essential facts. These deficiencies are discussed in the conclusion to this paper. Regarded purely as a working hypothesis, however, the theory immediately suggests that menstruation would be completely inhibited or delayed by the administration of œstrin previous to the expected onset of uterine bleeding. This deduction has not been systematically tested. The following are the only observations bearing on the question that I have been able to find, ( a ) Kurzrok (1932) has reported that too prolonged injections of œstrin may completely stop menstruation in young patients with oligomenorrhœa; ( b ) Hartman (1934) has described an experiment in which a monkey was given 995 rat units of œstrin over a period of 8 days, beginning on the 18th day of a cycle. Menstruation began during the course of injections, at approximately the time that it would have occurred if œstrin had not been given, and demarcated a cycle of 24 days. Unfortunately, conclusions cannot be drawn from either of these observations, although what both Kurzrok and Hartman did is essentially what should be done if the œstrin-withdrawl hypothesis of menstruation is to be critically tested. The experiments described in this paper, carried out in 1933 and 1934, aimed at providing such a test. Attempts were made, by injecting keto-hydroxy-œstrin (œstrone), to influence the rhythm of successive cycles of two regularly menstruating monkeys.
Indicator plants for studies with the leafroll virus of potatoes

Physalis floridana, P. angulata, andDatura stramonium have been demonstrated to have characteristics which make them more favorable than the potato as test plants for transmission studies with leafroll virus. All three species can be inoculated in the seedling stage and develop distinct symptoms within 15 to 30 days following inoculation. Transmission percentages from single insect feedings generally range around 20 to 40 per cent forP. angulata, 40 to 70 per cent forD. stramonium and 70 to 100 per cent forP. floridana.