cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impulsive Personality Traits Mediate the Relationship Between Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Symptoms and Alcohol Dependence Severity.

Background While the role of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a risk factor for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been established, the underlying pathways connecting the two are still not fully understood. Overlapping constructs such as impulsivity may explain the increased risk for developing AUD in individuals with ADHD. Methods In this study, we assessed whether adult ADHD symptoms increase the odds of having a diagnosis of AUD. Furthermore, we tested whether facets of impulsivity explained the relationship between ADHD symptoms and alcohol dependence (AD) severity. Results In a logistic regression of 749 participants (464 = AD, 285 = controls), overall adult ADHD symptoms, and more specifically, symptoms of hyperactivity/restlessness and problems with self-concept, increased the odds of having a diagnosis of AD. Within the AD sample, we found that impulsivity mediated the relationship between adult ADHD symptoms and AD severity. In particular, negative and positive urgency meditated the relationship of overall adult ADHD symptoms, and symptoms of hyperactivity/restlessness and problems with self-concept with AD severity. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of looking at cohorts of ADHD symptoms and facets of impulsivity to assess the risk of developing AUD. They also suggest potential avenues for intervention strategies in individuals with preexisting adult ADHD symptoms who are seeking treatment for AUD.
Gating of visual processing by physiological need

Physiological need states and associated motivational drives can bias visual processing of cues that help meet these needs. Human neuroimaging studies consistently show a hunger-dependent, selective enhancement of responses to images of food in association cortex and amygdala. More recently, cellular-resolution imaging combined with circuit mapping experiments in behaving mice have revealed underlying neuronal population dynamics and enabled tracing of pathways by which hunger circuits influence the assignment of value to visual objects in visual association cortex, insular cortex, and amygdala. These experiments begin to provide a mechanistic understanding of motivation-specific neural processing of need-relevant cues in healthy humans and in disease states such as obesity and other eating disorders.
Weather-Related Delay Provisions in Public Transportation Construction Contracts

AbstractWeather is one of the most volatile and unpredictable factors that can adversely affect construction works. Transportation projects are generally more susceptible to weather conditions beca...
IT Band Syndrome

Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome is caused by the IT band moving across the lateral femoral epicondyle, repetitively, leading to irritation of the tissues and pain. The diagnosis is clinical with the patient indicating pain (sometimes popping as well) located over the lateral epicondyle, made worse with activities such as running. Treatment consists of physical therapy and stretching, yielding over a 90% cure rate at 6 months follow-up. Corticosteroid injections of the area should be considered as an adjunct treatment as well. In refractory cases, surgical intervention is warranted. Several techniques have been proposed, including IT band windowing, partial release, lengthening, and/or bursectomy.
The Case for Engineering Next-Generation IT-Enabled Electricity Services at Value

In this chapter we put forward the premise that the operations and planning of future electric energy systems will become much more complex than in the past and that data-driven knowledge about system changes will become essential. To support this claim, we briefly review today’s industry practices. We start by posing the single operations and planning industry objective mathematically. We then formally derive for the first time ever how commonly made engineering assumptions lead to the simpler planning and operation tasks. The limitations of computer methods currently used in EHV/HV energy management system (EMS) centers and in the MV/LV distribution management system (DMS) centers and of the automation logic currently embedded in power plants are discussed in light of the assumptions made and the implications of using these assumptions on system performance. We use these findings to identify what needs to change and why, in order to enable efficient and reliable future electric energy systems. In particular, we discuss the challenge to the next-generation Information Technology (IT)-enabled operations and control tools in light of ever-evolving system complexity and the need for enabling choice at value.
Study of Paramagnetic Centers in Natural and Solvent Refined Coal by Multifrequency ESR, Endor and ESE Modulation Spectroscopy

Electron spin resonance (ESR) measurements at 35 GHz have revealed two spectral components in natural bituminous coal. Comparison with results at 9 GHz together with lineshape analyses at both frequencies identifies one ESR component due to exchange narrowing. Detection of strong proton matrix ENDOR lines indicates interaction of radicals with nearby protons. ENDOR spectra are well simulated by assuming that the closest protons are situated at 0.26±0.02 nm. Differences in ENDOR signals of natural and solvent-refined coal are explained in terms of different electron and nuclear spin-lattice relaxation times. Electron spin echo measurements of natural and solvent refined coal show proton modulation with the modulation being much deeper in the solvent refined coal. For the solvent refined coal, 16 protons at 0.5 nm are indicated. These results clearly indicate more hydrogen within 0.6 nm of the paramagnetic centers in solvent refined vs. natural coal.
The effect of maternity practices on exclusive breastfeeding rates in U.S. hospitals.

The Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) includes a set of 10 evidenced-based maternity practices that when used together have been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey to assess and monitor these and other evidenced-based maternity practices. The purpose of this study was to explore individual maternity practices measured in the 2013 mPINC survey, along with hospital demographic information, and their relationships with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rates, using a sample of United States (U.S.) hospitals. We obtained mPINC survey data from 69 BFHI hospitals and 654 non-BFHI hospitals in the U.S., and EBF rates from The Joint Commission, a leading hospital accreditation agency. On the basis of linear regression analysis, we found that most maternity practices studied were significantly associated with EBF rates (max adjusted R2 = 14.9%). We found a parsimonious model with an adjusted R2 of 47.3%. This study supports the need for a systematic approach in providing breastfeeding support as no one maternity care practice was able to explain the variability in EBF rates as well as a collection of maternity care practices.
The Dark Triad and Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: the Moderating Role of High Involvement Management Climate

The present study extends research related to the dark triad (DT) personality traits, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, by demonstrating a managerial action that mitigates negative behaviors traditionally associated with the DT. Drawing from self-determination theory, we suggest that a high involvement management climate acts as an important boundary condition influencing the relationship between subordinate DT personality traits and subordinate organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB). In a sample of 97 work groups, comprised of 298 employees, we find general support for our predictions that a high involvement management climate affects the rate at which Machiavellians and narcissists engage in OCB. Results from the present study are important for theory and practice alike because research has yet to identify actions managers can take to help combat detrimental effects of the DT in the workplace.
Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy enhances the frequency and effector function of murine tumor-infiltrating T cells but does not alter TCRβ diversity

Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy is now a first-line treatment option for patients with melanoma. Despite achieving objective responses in about half of patients, the exact immune mechanisms elicited and those required for therapeutic success have not been clearly identified. Insight into these mechanisms is key for improving outcomes in a broader range of cancer patients. We used a murine melanoma model to track responses by different subsets of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) during checkpoint blockade immunotherapy. Tumors from treated mice had increased frequencies of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, which also showed evidence of functional reinvigoration and elevated effector cytokine production after immunotherapy. We predicted that increased T cell numbers and function within tumors reflected either infiltration by new T cells or clonal expansion by a few high-affinity tumor-reactive T cells. To address this, we compared TIL diversity before and after immunotherapy by sequencing the complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) of all T cell receptor beta (TCRβ) genes. While checkpoint blockade effectively slowed tumor progression and increased T cell frequencies, the diversity of intratumoral T cells remained stable. This was true when analyzing total T cells and when focusing on smaller subsets of effector CD4+ and CD8+ TIL as well as regulatory T cells. Our study suggests that checkpoint blockade immunotherapy does not broaden the T cell repertoire within murine melanoma tumors, but rather expands existing T cell populations and enhances effector capabilities.
Independent ischemic stroke risk factors in older Americans: a systematic review.

The Framingham Stroke Risk Profile (FSRP) is a validated model for predicting 10-year ischemic stroke risk in middle-aged adults, yet has not been demonstrated to consistently translate in older populations. This is a systematic review of independent risk factors measured among > 65 year olds, with subsequent first ischemic stroke, using PRISMA guidelines. We appraised peer-reviewed publications that included participants > 65 years old at risk assessment. Combined with other criteria, results were abstracted from 28 papers reporting six types of stroke risk factors: Serologic/Diagnostic, Conventional, Psychosocial, Genetic, Cognitive, and Antibiotic use. These studies demonstrated levels of serum androgens, C-reactive protein, and advanced glycation endproducts; thrombin generation; left ventricular mass; depressive symptoms; phosphodiesterase 4D single nucleotide polymorphisms; coagulation factor XII gene; peak thrombus generation; and lower cognitive functioning were independent risk factors for ischemic stroke in older adults. Plasma adipokines, free fatty acids and antibiotic use did not predict ischemic stroke. Purpose in life and APOEe2 allele were protective for ischemic stroke. This systematic review provides evidence of risk and protective factors for ischemic stroke in older cohorts that are not included in the FSRP. Further studies are needed to understand whether these factors are important enough to comprise a risk score.
Charge transport properties of Ca2FeGaO6-δ and CaSrFeGaO6-δ: The effect of defect-order

Abstract The ability to achieve different charge-transport properties in oxygen-deficient perovskites, an important class of materials in the fuel cell technology, has been demonstrated through manipulation of the defect-order. This correlation has been investigated through the synthesis of a new non-centrosymmetric oxygen-deficient perovskite, CaSrFeGaO6-δ, as well as its centrosymmetric analogue, Ca2FeGaO6-δ. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and iodometric titration studies indicate the same degree of oxygen-deficiency in both compounds. Neutron diffraction shows the transformation of the defect-arrangement, leading to variation in the orientation of tetrahedral chains in the material structure. The variation in the defect-order results in remarkable changes in charge-transport properties, where CaSrFeGaO6-δ shows significantly greater conductivity than Ca2FeGaO6-δ at room temperature. Variable-temperature electrical conductivity in a wide temperature-range, 25 °C–800 °C, points to semiconducting behavior for both materials, where the superior conductivity of CaSrFeGaO6-δ persists in the entire temperature-range.
Latest advances in management of small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine tumors of the lung

Neuroendocrine tumors of the lung are a diverse group of diseases with distinct pathological, molecular, and clinical characteristics. The most recent World Health Organization (WHO) classification identifies two types of high-grade neuroendocrine carcinomas of the lung: small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC), and the less common large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung (LCNEC). Systemic treatments for these aggressive tumors have largely remained unchanged for years. With the advancement in genomic sequencing and identification of novel targetable pathways over the last decade, a myriad of therapeutic options have emerged, addressing unmet needs for this patient population. In this review, we summarize the latest advances in the management of SCLC and LCNEC, and discuss promising endeavors in development.
Unexpected Anatomies: Extraordinary Bodies in Contemporary Art

How might we render our imagination of the body more expansive in an age where it seems we already can look at it in every conceivable manner, through means medical and media-driven? How might we imagine disabled bodies anew when, paradoxically, the most vulnerable bodies among us remain invisible? They only exist in the popular imagination, it would seem, as diagnostic exemplars, sentimentalized images of inspiration porn scrolling across our Facebook feeds (“The Only Disability in Life Is a Bad Attitude!”), or transhumanist fantasies of bodily enhancement and genetic manipulation. Disability in the visual arts remains a powerful, vital means to imagine human variation beyond memes or mimesis. The works I will discuss in this brief essay, examples of the intersection between disability and art, invite a more intense look at how disabled bodies compel creation, and how we view them. These imagined anatomies are indeed unexpected as the matter makers and the made matter of art.
Applicability of Photogrammetry for Inspection and Monitoring of Dry-Stone Masonry Retaining Walls:

Dry-stone masonry retaining walls are vulnerable to bulging and leaning because of the lack of cohesion between stones. Currently, the structural integrity of these walls is mainly assessed by qual...
495 ACCESS TO HIV CARE AT AN URBAN CLINIC IN BOSTON: AN INITIAL NEEDS ASSESSMENT.

The Prevention and Access to Care and Treatment project (PACT) is a community-based program located in inner-city Boston. PACT targets disenfranchised and high-risk inner-city HIV patients using a health promotion and harm reduction model to reach patients failing treatment in traditional modes of care. PACT is collaborating with the Brigham and Women9s Hospital in Boston to build an improved model of HIV care on provider and systems levels. We aimed to determine the strengths and potential weaknesses of the existing care system to offer targeted solutions. Our methods include a needs assessment based on focus groups, patient interviews, and site analysis. We found that providers recognized many of the personal challenges that patients face, such as barriers to keeping appointments, issues related to disclosure, and substance abuse problems. Providers also acknowledge their own limitations when it comes to assessing patient literacy. Patients stated that they generally like the care they received at the clinic, citing physicians and staff as helpful and friendly. Amid this health care goodwill, they also face a variety of barriers in getting their care. Examples of obstacles that patients noted but providers did not emphasize include obtaining medications, maintaining privacy, disclosure, and issues of employment. The clinic site itself is functional but can be streamlined to better deliver information to patients. Recommendations include increasing patient access to health care information and decreasing HIV stigma by reorganizing the clinic9s physical space and improving educational materials, making use of patients9 trust of their providers to deliver focused and pertinent messages, and designing a comprehensive framework for patients to discuss their HIV status with loved ones based on past patient experiences. Based on the findings of this initial needs assessment, further exploration should be done to more precisely identify barriers and potential solutions.
Theory of Plasma-Cascade Instability

In this paper we present theory of novel micro-bunching instability. We named it Plasma-Cascade Instability
Wire sorts: a language abstraction for safe hardware composition

Effective digital hardware design fundamentally requires decomposing a design into a set of interconnected modules, each a distinct unit of computation and state. However, naively connecting hardware modules leads to real-world pathological cases which are surprisingly far from obvious when looking at the interfaces alone and which are very difficult to debug after synthesis. We show for the first time that it is possible to soundly abstract even complex combinational dependencies of arbitrary hardware modules through the assignment of IO ports to one of four new sorts which we call: to-sync, to-port, from-sync, and from-port. This new taxonomy, and the reasoning it enables, facilitates modularity by escalating problematic aspects of module input/output interaction to the language-level interface specification. We formalize and prove the soundness of our new wire sorts, implement them in a practical hardware description language, and demonstrate they can be applied and even inferred automatically at scale. Through an examination of the BaseJump STL, the OpenPiton manycore research platform, and a complete RISC-V implementation, we find that even on our biggest design containing 1.5 million primitive gates, analysis takes less than 31 seconds; that across 172 unique modules analyzed, the inferred sorts are widely distributed across our taxonomy; and that by using wire sorts, our tool is 2.6–33.9x faster at finding loops than standard synthesis-time cycle detection.
Convergence and Superconvergence of the Local Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Semilinear Second-Order Elliptic Problems on Cartesian Grids

This paper is concerned with convergence and superconvergence properties of the local discontinuous Galerkin (LDG) method for two-dimensional semilinear second-order elliptic problems of the form $$-\Delta u=f(x,y,u)$$ on Cartesian grids. By introducing special Gauss-Radau projections and using duality arguments, we obtain, under some suitable choice of numerical fluxes, the optimal convergence order in $$L^2$$ -norm of $${O}(h^{p+1})$$ for the LDG solution and its gradient, when tensor product polynomials of degree at most p and grid size h are used. Moreover, we prove that the LDG solutions are superconvergent with an order $$p+ 2$$ toward particular Gauss-Radau projections of the exact solutions. Finally, we show that the error between the gradient of the LDG solution and the gradient of a special Gauss-Radau projection of the exact solution achieves $$(p+1)$$ -th order superconvergence. Some numerical experiments are performed to illustrate the theoretical results.
A Collaborative Approach to Sharing Learner Event Data

This paper describes a collaboration organized around exchanging data between two technological systems to support teachers’ instructional decision-making. The goals of the collaboration among researchers, technology developers, and practitioners were not only to support teachers’ instructional decision-making but also to document the challenges and opportunities associated with bringing together data from instruction- and assessment-focused technologies. The approach described in this paper illustrates the potential importance of anchoring data products that combine data between two systems in the needs of teachers as well as aligning the content that students learn and are assessed on between systems. The increasing presence of data standards has made sharing complex data increasingly more feasible. The example collaboration described in this paper demonstrates the role that non-technical activities can play in supporting the exchange and use of learner event data.
Financial Aid Jargon: Do Institutions Communicate Using the Federal Student Aid Glossary?

This study examines institutional FAFSA instructions and compares those instructions to the Federal Student Aid glossary to explore financial aid jargon use. Results suggest dozens of FSA glossary terms are never used in FAFSA instructions, and many institutions do not use "FAFSA" in their FAFSA instructions, a problematic finding for postsecondary students.
Relationship between sleep problems and psychological outcomes in adolescent and young adult cancer survivors and controls

Purpose How cancer history and distress relate to sleep outcomes of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is unclear. The current study compares AYA cancer survivors to controls on indicators of sleep and fatigue; examines the concurrent association between psychological status, sleep, and fatigue; and investigates the lagged relationship between sleep and fatigue problems with psychological functioning.
Pollen Composition in a Crashed Plane's Engine

Pollen removed from engine tubing of a crashed plane near Ruidoso, New Mexico, which had been stored outdoors in partially broken boxes from May to October following a December crash, consisted almost entirely of insect-pollinated types at the near exclusion of wind-pollinated pollen. Plants producing both groups of pollen were found immediately adjacent to the stored engine parts, with many wind-pollinated species shedding abundant atmospheric pollen during the flowering season. There is no known mechanism whereby insect-pollinated types could selectively have been filtered from the air at the exclusion of the predominant wind-pollinated ones. Thus, the pollen part of the mass found in the tubing could not have accumulated either suddenly or over time while the plane was in operation, and therefore the mass must have been a post-crash accumulation. Furthermore, pollen taken from the same mass initiated pollen tube expansion in a sucrose solution and both pollen cytoplasm and walls appeared normal in TEM sections in contrast to pollen charred for only 5 min at 250°C (the crashed engine burned for many hours reaching at least 1000°C). Pollen examined from the engine tubing could only have been deposited after the crash occurred.
Abstract 3275: Should Routine Immunizations Be Deferred in Infants with Single Ventricle?

Infants with single ventricle congenital heart defects are at risk for sudden unexpected death. There have been anecdotal reports of acute decompensation following routine immunizations in this population. In an effort to decrease the risk of sudden death some centers have advocated that routine immunizations be deferred in these children. However, it is not known if a true association between immunizations and adverse events exists. In the present study we examined the relationship of newborn immunizations to adverse events, which were defined as death or hospital readmission . Diptheria/tetanus/acelluar pertussis (DTaP) vaccine and/or hepatitis B vaccine, but not Palivizumab prophylaxis, was considered in analysis. The patient population consisted of infants with functional single ventricle less than 6 months of age who resided locally and who had not yet undergone bidirectional Glenn surgery. Immunization data were obtained from a mandatory statewide database. A fixed-effect model was employed to analyze for a temporal assocation between immunizations and adverse events. Our institution employs a routine home surveillance strategy for infants with single ventricle that includes regular nursing visits. Results: Over a 38 month period there were 101 subjects with single ventricle discharged to home. The most common diagnoses were: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) n=42, pulmonary atresia/intact ventricular septum n=13, and heterotaxy & atrioventricular canal n=10. The majority of HLHS patients (93%) had Norwood palliation with a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit. In the entire cohort there were 2 sudden death events and 109 readmissions. The most common indications for readmission were: enteritis/dehydration (22%), hypoxemia (16%) & fever/viral syndrome (16%). Immunization within 48 hours was not significantly associated with adverse events, OR=0.87, 95% CI 0.11–5.76, p=0.87. Infants with HLHS had similar rates of adverse events as non-HLHS patients, OR=0.94, 95% CI 0.37–2.42, p=0.88. Conclusions: No association could be identified between routine immunizations and adverse infants in infants with single ventricle. As such, the proposal to alter the immunization regimen in this population does not appear justified.
Chapter 3 Sperm Motility

Publisher Summary This chapter comprises of experimental preparations, and observation and measurement of sperm motility. The Experimental preparations include sperm collection, live spermatozoa and demembranated spermatozoa. Most of the available data on sperm motility have been obtained from spermatozoa swimming near surfaces. Microscopic observation of spermatozoa swimming in the interior of a microscope slide chamber, away from surfaces, is difficult. Although photographic methods can provide very detailed information about flagellar bending, they sample relatively small numbers of spermatozoa in a population. It is desirable to have that method that measured average motility parameters of a larger sperm population and of a population of spermatozoa that is not confined to the vicinity of a surface. Such a method would be particularly useful for comparing motility with parameters such as metabolic rate. As 90% or more of sperm energy metabolism is normally coupled to motility, measurements of the oxidative metabolism of live spermatozoa or the rate of ATP dephosphorylation by demembranated spermatozoa are important adjuncts of sperm motility studies. In both cases, measurements should be made on suspensions with relatively low sperm density if it is also desired to measure motility parameters in samples taken from the suspensions during the measurements, without modifying the sperm environment by additional dilution.
NI ELVIS has entered the lab [educational laboratory virtual instrumentation suite]

Data acquisition systems (DAQ) are powerful tools that are essential components for solving a wide range of engineering problems. LabVIEW, a DAQ developed by National Instruments (NI), employs a graphical interface for signal acquisition, measurement analysis, and data presentation. The NI educational laboratory virtual instrumentation suite (NI ELVIS) provides a LabVIEW-based DAQ for science and engineering labs. This paper describes four electrical engineering experiments that use NI ELVIS's virtual instruments to perform experiments in a sophomore instrumentation lab. NI ELVIS provides a low cost solution that provides a suite of virtual laboratory instruments, a PCI multifunctional DAQ, a workstation, and a prototype board. The combination of this suite of devices and a computer provide the instruments necessary for developing and implementing engineering laboratory experiments.
Innovation and Growth at Actelion Ltd.

In late 2010, Jean-Paul Clozel, CEO of the Swiss biotech pharmaceuticals firm Actelion, looks back on a successful decade. The small venture that he had started with a few of his scientist colleagues in the late 1990s to discover novel medicine in a research-driven organisation had grown into one of Europe's largest biotech firms by revenues. Their success was mainly founded on their orphan indication drug Tracleer, which Actelion sold and marketed worldwide. However, Tracleer's looming patent expiry in a few years and recent late-stage pipeline setbacks had put the company under pressure from investors. While Clozel was confident in their ability to deliver future drugs that could secure further growing revenue streams, he wondered how to maintain their entrepreneurial culture that he saw as a prerequisite for this -- particularly their lean hierarchy and researchers' freedom to follow innovation where it led them -- in a company of more than 2,400 people which continued to grow.Learning Objective: To analyze the leadership, business model, and operational challenges of a rapidly growing enterprise.
Transcriptomic Analysis of Nematode Infestation

The establishment and maintenance of nematode feeding sites and subsequent nematode development are associated with significant changes in expression level of both plant and nematode genes. Analysis of the changes in transcript abundance during feeding site establishment and function provides insight into the complexity of plant–nematode interactions and may lead to the discovery of novel strategies for managing nematodes. Early techniques of gene discovery had identified a small cadre of genes induced in the plant host or invading nematode. More recently, the adoption of high-throughput gene expression tools such as microarrays has allowed the identification of hundreds of both plant and nematode genes that are regulated over the course of nematode infestation. Initially, microarray studies were used to examine gene expression in whole infested roots or nematode feeding site-enriched tissues. More recently, the combination of laser-assisted microdissection of nematode feeding sites and subsequent transcriptomic analyses using microarrays has provided an unprecedented view of gene expression within the feeding site itself. This chapter is intended to present a broad overview of the knowledge gained to date about techniques that have been used to identify differentially regulated genes of both plant and nematode during the plant–nematode interaction and recent methodological improvements crucial for future studies.
Reactions at the 3′ Terminus of Transfer Ribonucleic Acid: IV. EXTENTS OF NORMAL AND ANOMALOUS NUCLEOTIDE INCORPORATION CATALYZED BY TRANSFER RIBONUCLEIC ACID NUCLEOTIDYLTRANSFERASE

Abstract The extents of AMP, CMP, and UMP incorporation catalyzed by tRNA nucleotidyltransferase were examined under a variety of experimental conditions. At low levels of enzyme nucleotide incorporation into tRNApCpC, tRNApC, and tRNApX in the presence of both ATP and CTP led to the formation of the normal product, tRNApCpCpA. However, when ATP or UTP were present without CTP, tRNApCpA, tRNApCpU, or tRNApU were also synthesized. At high concentrations of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase, a wide variety of unusual tRNA molecules were made. These included molecules with AMP, CMP, or UMP in each, and sometimes all, of the terminal positions, as well as tRNA chains containing as many as 8 CMP residues. These altered tRNA molecules should prove valuable for elucidating the biological function of the -pCpCpA terminus of tRNA. Evidence is also presented that apparently homogeneous preparations of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase contain a poly(C) polymerase activity which utilized as substrates intact tRNA, rRNA, and tRNAs without complete termini. With rRNA as substrate, molecules containing as many as 40 CMP residues could be made. AMP and UMP were generally not added to rRNA, but in the presence of CTP, AMP residues could be incorporated. The properties of this poly(C) polymerase activity were similar to those of the CMP-incorporating activity of tRNA nucleotidyltransferase and differed from those of mammalian poly(C) polymerase suggesting that contamination of the enzyme preparation was probably not involved. A rapid procedure for the location of nucleotide residues added to RNA chains is also described.
Multiple Control Groups

An observational study has multiple control groups if it has several distinct groups of subjects who did not receive the treatment. In a randomized experiment, every control is denied the treatment for the same reason, namely, the toss of a coin. In an observational study, there may be several distinct ways that the treatment is denied to a subject. If these several control groups have outcomes that differ substantially and significantly, then this cannot reflect an effect of the treatment, since no control subject received the treatment. It must reflect, instead, some form of bias.
Time evolution of excited-state nonlinear optical processes in conjugated linear chains

The enhancement of the third order nonlinear optical susceptibility in diphenylhexatriene (DPH) when the system is optically pumped into /spl Pi/electron excited states, has been studied theoretically and experimentally. In this report, the time evolution of the excited state enhanced is experimentally studied using picosecond degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) techniques, in which DPH molecules are optically pumped to their excited state, and then nonresonantly probed.
Effect of Access to Anticoagulation Management Services on Warfarin Use in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Study Objective. To determine the effect of access to ambulatory anticoagulation management services (AMS) on the rate of warfarin use in patients with atrial fibrillation. Design. Retrospective medical record review. Setting. Two ambulatory care clinics in the same managed care system: one with and one without access to pharmacist-managed AMS. Patients. One hundred seventy-eight patients with atrial fibrillation diagnosed between June 2000 and June 2001. Measurements and Main Results. Warfarin use was assessed overall and by contraindications and risk factors for stroke. Independent predictors of therapy were identified. The overall rate of warfarin use in atrial fibrillation was higher in the clinic with access to AMS than in the clinic without access (77.9% vs 61.7%, p=0.03). In patients with no known contraindications, warfarin use increased by 20.2% with access to AMS versus no access (80.2% vs 60.0%, p=0.023). Patients aged 65 years or older with one or more risk factors for stroke and no contraindications were more likely to receive warfarin in the clinic with access to AMS than in the clinic without access (85.1% vs 53.8%, p=0.001). Access to AMS was an independent predictor of warfarin use (odds ratio 2.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05–4.56). Female sex was an independent negative predictor of warfarin use (odds ratio 0.48, 95% CI 0.24–0.96). Conclusion. In the managed care setting, use of warfarin for stroke prophylaxis in patients with atrial fibrillation was higher in the ambulatory care clinic with access to pharmacist-managed AMS than in the clinic without access.
Bond lengths in free molecules of buckminsterfullerene, c60, from gas-phase electron diffraction.

Electron diffraction patterns of the fullerene C 60 in the gaseous state have been obtained by volatilizing it from a newly designed oven-nozzle at 730°C. The many peaks of the experimental radial distribution curve calculated from the scattered intensity are completely consistent with icosahedral symmetry for the free molecule. On the basis of this symmetry assumption, least-squares refinement of a model incorporating all possible interatomic distances led to the values r g (C 1 -C 2 ) = 1.458(6) angstroms (A) for the thermal average bond length within the five-member ring (that is, for the bond fusing five- and six-member rings) and r g (C 1 -C 6 ) = 1.401(10) A for that connecting five-member rings (the bond fusing six-member rings). The weighted average of the two bond lengths and the difference between them are the values 1.439(2) A and 0.057(6) A, respectively. The diameter of the icosahedral sphere is 7.113(10) A. The uncertainties in parentheses are estimated 2σ values.
Plasma free fatty acid concentrations (FFA) in chronic schizophrenia before and after insulin stimulation

NUMEROUS investigations have suggested various abnormalities of carbohydrate metabolism in schizophrenic patients. A number of authorsclp”) have described a delayed or decreased response of blood glucose to injected insulin in schizophrenic patients. Others have noted decreased oral glucose tolerance,( l, O) or intravenous glucose tolerancecl, i, in certain patients. Two studiesc4, 5, have described abnormal Exton-Rose glucose tolerance tests in schizophrenic patients resembling diabetic curves after the second glucose load. In 1942, an anti-insulin effect of the plasma of certain schizophrenic patients was described(s) in which rabbits injected with insulin plus the plasma of schizophrenic patients had a smaller drop in blood glucose than did animals given equal amounts of insulin and normal plasma. Extracts of urine of schizophrenic subjects injected into rabbits intraperitoneallyc”) appeared to cause sustained elevation of blood glucose over a 4-hr period in the majority of animals while such sustained elevation was not observed when the same animals received extracts of normal urine. WALKER and MAYER-GROSS(‘@ in 1951 confirmed this hyperglycemic factor and associated the potency of the extract with the amount of amino acids in it. MORGAN and PILGRIM in 1952(ll) again confirmed the presence of a hyperglycemic factor in schizophrenic urine. MEDUNA and MCCULLKK(~~) defined a subgrouping of schizophrenia called “oneirophrenia” by certain psychiatric and physiologic criteria. Confusion and clouding of the sensorium clinically separated the patient with “oneirophrenia” from other schizophrenic patients. Moreover, three abnormalities were noted typically within this group: delayed or decreased glucose response to injected insulin, the urinary hyperglycemic factor, and decreased tolerance to oral and intravenous glucose. MAYER-GROSS(~) in 1952 confirmed the presence of these abnormalities in many schizophrenic patients, but could not demonstrate that they were more frequent in any clinical subtype or that they occurred together with more than random frequency. Other changes have been noted in the carbohydrate metabolism of schizophrenic patients. HENNEMAN et NI.(~:~) described abnormal changes in citric acid, a-ketoglutaric acid, inorganic
Telescoping partial fractions decompositions, the little q-Jacobi functions of complex order, and the nonterminating q-Saalschütz sum

We use telescoping partial fractions decompositions to give new proofs of the orthogonality property and the normalization relation for the little q-Jacobi polynomials, and the q-Saalschutz sum. In [20], we followed the development [19] of Schur functions for partitions with complex parts, and we showed that there exist natural little q-Jacobi functions of complex order which satisfy extensions of the orthogonality property and normalization relation of the little q-Jacobi polynomials, and that these two results follow from and together imply the nonterminating form of the q-Saalschutz sum. Writing the q-Pochhammer symbol of complex order as a ratio of infinite products in the usual way, we obtain new telescoping partial fractions decomposition proofs of our results [20] for the little q-Jacobi functions of complex order. We give several new proofs of the q-Saalschutz sum and its nonterminating form.
Evaluating the Role of Attribute Importance as a Multiplicative Weighting Variable in the Study of Hospitality Consumer Decision-Making

The concept of attribute importance has been used for years in marketing research. One of the primary uses of the concept is as a weighting variable through multiplication with other variables. Thi...
ANTIGEN DIRECTED THERAPIES TO PREVENT INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETES

Top of pageAbstract A number of beta cell antigens have been identified as important targets for the pancreatic islet directed autoimmunity underlying insulin dependent diabetes (IDD), through their reactivities to autoantibodies or peripheral blood T cells in patients prior to and/or at diagnosis. Three of the more important appear to be the 65KDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65) a 38KDa beta cell specific protein of undetermined origin and insulin. In non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice, prophylactic daily, subcutaneously insulin therapy both prevents diabetes and attentuates the degree of insulitis seen. The mechanism may involve ‘beta cell nest’ and possibly tolerance induced by insulin immunization. These data have led to the initiation of a randomized human trial in non-diabetic relatives with a positive islet cell antibody (ICA) of >720 JDF who also have impaired first phase insulin release (FPIR) to IV glucose. Diabetes in NOD mice can also be delayed by the introduction of oral feedings of porcine insulin or human GADK presumably through a mechanism of tolerance induction, and human trials are planned among relatives with strongly positive ICA but normal FPIR. Immunization of NOD mice with insulin in incomplete Freunds adjuvant also specifically delays diabetes, an effect not seen by immunization with BSA, the BSA (ABBOS) peptide, nor human insulin A chain. These findings indicate progress towards the prevention of IDD and provide the rationale for the institution of clinical trials.
Fossilized regurgitate from Smoky Hill Member of Niobrara Chalk (Upper Cretaceous) of Kansas, USA

Chalky strata of the Cretaceous of Kansas have yielded many fossilized specimens of digestive waste derived primarily from fish. The fine-grained matrix of these specimens is composed predominantly of fluorapatite that originated mainly as finely macerated vertebrate remains. This paper discusses both coiled and non-coiled fish coprolites of presumably piscine origin but focuses on an unusual coprolite-like mass that contains bony material, cirriped plates, and coccoliths. Lack of digestive etching of cirriped plates, nearly articulated arrangement of plates from the cirriped peduncle, abundance of coccoliths, and irregular shape suggest origin as a regurgitate, probably from the ray-like chondrichthyanPtychodus.
Combined Heat and Power: Equipment Options and Application Alternatives

ABSTRACT Combined heat and power (CHP) is the generation of electrical power, mechanical energy, and thermal energy. By fully using the energy available, fuel use efficiency can exceed 80 percent while air pollutant emissions are significantly decreased. Applications include all forms of industrial processes, commercial and institutional complexes, and single commercial and residential buildings. Generation equipment includes internal combustion engines, combustion turbines, steam turbines, Stirling engines, and fuel cells. Thermal energy is captured through the use of a heat recovery steam generation or, in the case of a steam turbine, is extracted at various temperatures and pressures. The thermal energy can be used directly in industrial processes or used for space heating, e.g., district heating. The thermal energy can also be used for cooling. Extracted or generated steam can be used in a steam-driven chiller, absorption, adsorption, or a desiccant system. Storage has also become an important compone...
A proteolytic pathway that recognizes ubiquitin as a degradation signal.

Previous work has shown that a fusion protein bearing a "nonremovable" N-terminal ubiquitin (Ub) moiety is short-lived in vivo, the fusion's Ub functioning as a degradation signal. The proteolytic system involved, termed the UFD pathway (Ub fusion degradation), was dissected in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae by analyzing mutations that perturb the pathway. Two of the five genes thus identified, UFD1 and UFD5, function at post-ubiquitination steps in the UFD pathway. UFD3 plays a role in controlling the concentration of Ub in a cell: ufd3 mutants have greatly reduced levels of free Ub, and the degradation of Ub fusions in these mutants can be restored by overexpressing Ub. UFD2 and UFD4 appear to influence the formation and topology of a multi-Ub chain linked to the fusion's Ub moiety. UFD1, UFD2, and UFD4 encode previously undescribed proteins of 40, 110, and 170 kDa, respectively. The sequence of the last ∼280 residues of Ufd4p is similar to that of E6AP, a human protein that binds to both the E6 protein of oncogenic papilloma viruses and the tumor suppressor protein p53, whose Ub-dependent degradation involves E6AP. UFD5 is identical to the previously identified SON1, isolated as an extragenic suppressor of sec63 alleles that impair the transport of proteins into the nucleus. UFD5 is essential for activity of both the UFD and N-end rule pathways (the latter system degrades proteins that bear certain N-terminal residues). We also show that a Lys → Arg conversion at either position 29 or position 48 in the fusion's Ub moiety greatly reduces ubiquitination and degradation of Ub fusions to β-galactosidase. By contrast, the ubiquitination and degradation of Ub fusions to dihydrofolate reductase are inhibited by the UbR29 but not by the UbR48 moiety. ufd4 mutants are unable to ubiquitinate the fusion's Ub moiety at Lys29, whereas ufd2 mutants are impaired in the ubiquitination at Lys48. These and related findings suggest that Ub-Ub isopeptide bonds in substrate-linked multi-Ub chains involve not only the previously identified Lys48 but also Lys29 of Ub, and that structurally different multi-Ub chains have distinct functions in Ub-dependent protein degradation.
Ultrastructure of mature spermatozoa of a minute featherwing beetle from Sri Lanka (Coleoptera, Ptiliidae: Bambara).

The fine structure of the mature spermatozoa of the feather-wing beetle (Coleoptera: Bambara new species no. 2) is described. Mature spermatozoa are extremely large in proportion to the size of the beetle. Under a light microscope a distinct head, midbody, and tail region can be seen with external coils in both the head and tail regions. Although the beetles were collected and preserved for skeletal anatomical study and not for histological preservation, the substructure comprising the spermatozoa was sufficiently well-preserved for their uniqueness to be appreciated. Observations with an electron microscope show that the axoneme is not contained in the tail region but is threaded through the head coils and then tightly wrapped around the midbody, terminating at the end of the midbody region. Sections through the midbody reveal three distinct layers: an inner electron dense core, a middle very elaborate crystalline Jattice-like matrix, and an outer axonemal wrapping. The structures observed in the head and tail regions appear to be modifications of those present in the midbody region. The possible functional significance of these unusual structures is discussed.
A method for polarizing protons by proton-chlorine rotating frame cross-relaxation in high magnetic fields

Abstract A new technique is demonstrated for polarizing protons in high dc magnetic fields. The method has been used successfully on polycrystalline samples at an arbitrary dc magnetic field strength without recourse to rotation of the sample or cycling to low or zero field.
Visualizing robust geographically weighted parameter estimates

This article extends earlier work on visualizing parameter estimates for spatial analysis. Robust parameters are those that are resistant to outliers, and so are order-based rather than moment-based in their derivation. The principles of geographical weighting of descriptive statistics are reviewed and applied to the development and computation of geographically weighted quantile graphs. The principles are also applied to the development and mapping of robust geographically weighted regression models. The robust statistics and parameters developed in this article are especially useful for visual exploratory data analysis because they provide local information in two contexts: with respect to spatial proximity and with respect to proximity in the quantiles of the variable of interest. The suitability of the results for visualization in maps and quantile plots is demonstrated.