cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects on Health Outcomes of a Mediterranean Diet With No Restriction on Fat Intake: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background Mediterranean diets may be healthier than typical Western diets. Purpose To summarize the literature comparing a Mediterranean diet with unrestricted fat intake with other diets regarding their effects on health outcomes in adults. Data sources Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library from 1990 through April 2016. Study selection Controlled trials of 100 or more persons followed for at least 1 year for mortality, cardiovascular, hypertension, diabetes, and adherence outcomes, as well as cohort studies for cancer outcomes. Data extraction Data extracted by 1 investigator was verified by another. Two reviewers assessed risk of bias and strength of evidence. Data synthesis Two primary prevention trials found no difference in all-cause mortality between diet groups. One large primary prevention trial found that a Mediterranean diet resulted in a lower incidence of major cardiovascular events (hazard ratio [HR], 0.71 [95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90]), breast cancer (HR, 0.43 [CI, 0.21 to 0.88]), and diabetes (HR, 0.70 [CI, 0.54 to 0.92]). Pooled analyses of primary prevention cohort studies showed that compared with the lowest quantile, the highest quantile of adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduction in total cancer mortality (risk ratio [RR], 0.86 [CI, 0.82 to 0.91]; 13 studies) and in the incidence of total (RR, 0.96 [CI, 0.95 to 0.97]; 3 studies) and colorectal (RR, 0.91 [CI, 0.84 to 0.98; 9 studies]) cancer. Of 3 secondary prevention studies reporting cardiovascular outcomes, 1 found a lower risk for recurrent myocardial infarction and cardiovascular death with the Mediterranean diet. There was inconsistent, minimal, or no evidence pertaining to any other outcome, including adherence, hypertension, cognitive function, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and quality of life. Limitations Few trials; medium risk-of-bias ratings for many studies; low or insufficient strength of evidence for outcomes; heterogeneous diet definitions and components. Conclusion Limited evidence suggests that a Mediterranean diet with no restriction on fat intake may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events, breast cancer, and type 2 diabetes mellitus but may not affect all-cause mortality. Primary funding source Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Research and Development, Quality Enhancement Research Initiative. (PROSPERO: CRD42015020262).
Thymidine kinase-deficient mutants of Aedes albopictus mosquito cells.

Aedes albopictus mosquito cells resistant to the thymidine analog 5-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) were obtained using a single-step selection procedure. The resistant cells were characterized with respect to growth in the presence of BrdU, incorporation of [3H]uridine and [3H]thymidine, and thymidine kinase activity in crude extracts. The LC50 for TK-6 cells was 95µg BrdU/ml, and for TK-8 cells was 45µg/ml. Both clones incorporated [3H]uridine at levels corresponding to those in wild-type cells. TK-6 and TK-8 cells did not incorporate [3H]thymidine into acid-precipitable material, nor did they contain measurable thymidine kinase activity. Thymidine kinase activity in crude extracts from wild-type cells had a Km of 2µM and a Vmax of 10 pmol · min−1 · mg−1 protein.
Dielectric Properties Data

An attempt is made in this chapter to accumulate, for reference purposes, data on the permittivities, or dielectric properties, of agricultural materials, and to identify other sources of such data that have already been tabulated. Included are references to such data appearing in other chapters of this book. Data on dielectric properties over wide frequency ranges, and for ranges of other variables influencing the dielectric properties, are presented graphically or in tabular form for wheat (hard red winter and soft red winter), corn, rice (rough, brown, and white), grain sorghum, soybeans, oats, barley, and winter rye. Microwave dielectric properties of individual kernels or seeds are presented for wheat, corn, soybeans, and rice. Microwave dielectric properties data at several frequencies from 5 to 15 GHz are tabulated for wheat, corn, barley, oats, soybeans, and canola. Tabular data are also included for 11 fruits and vegetables, pecan nuts, and for insects.
AuraSense: Enabling Expressive Around-Smartwatch Interactions with Electric Field Sensing

Existing smartwatches rely on touchscreens for display and input, which inevitably leads to finger occlusion and confines interactivity to a small area. In this work, we introduce AuraSense, which enables rich, around-device, smartwatch interactions using electric field sensing as an adapted device. To explore how this sensing approach could enhance smartwatch interactions, we considered different antenna configurations and how they could enable useful interaction modalities. We identified four configurations that can support six well-known modalities of particular interest and utility, including gestures above or in close proximity to watches, and touchscreen-like finger tracking on the skin. We quantify the feasibility of these input modalities, suggesting that AuraSense can be low latency and robust across users and environments.
Business Alliances: Joint Ventures, Partnerships, Strategic Alliances, and Licensing

This chapter describes the various forms of cooperative relationships common in business today, including joint ventures, partnerships, strategic alliances, equity partnerships, licensing agreements, and franchise alliances. The primary theme of this chapter is that well-constructed business alliances often represent viable alternatives to mergers and acquisitions, and they always should be considered one of the many options for achieving strategic business objectives. This chapter details the wide variety of motives for business alliances and the factors common to most successful alliances. Also addressed are the advantages and disadvantages of alternative legal structures, important deal-structuring issues, and empirical studies that purport to measure the contribution of business alliances to creating shareholder wealth.
Remote Control Grubbs Catalysts That Modulate Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerizations

A broad range of stimuli, including light, heat, mechanical force, or changes in chemical potential, may be used to toggle Ru-based catalysts between multiple distinct states of activity. Catalysts with such features offer a means to temporally- and, in some cases, spatially-control a variety of polymerizations, and thus should facilitate access to synthetic macromolecular materials with tunable structures and properties. Due to the intrinsic versatility and robustness of the Grubbs-type catalyst platforms, numerous remotely controlled ring-opening metathesis polymerizations have been introduced. Herein, selected examples of stimuli-responsive catalysts that have been recently used for such purposes are surveyed and discussed. Perspectives on potential opportunities for development and growth as well as an outlook for the field are also provided. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017, 55, 2949–2960
Compact Lithium Niobate Electrooptic Modulators

Lithium niobate (LN), spurred by its success for fiber-optic communications, has remained the material of choice for high-performance electrooptic (EO) modulators. The past decade has seen a surge in efforts aimed at miniaturizing LN EO modulators with higher order modulation formats, data centers, and optical interconnect applications in mind. The state-of-the-art of these compact modulators, with a focus on fabrication, design, and high-speed performance is reviewed. Guidelines for design optimization and key performance metrics of these important integrated photonic devices are presented. Furthermore, an outlook on the road toward commercial viability, along with potential novel applications is provided.
Deviations in energy sensing predict long-term weight change in overweight Native Americans

Abstract Background/Objectives Energy expenditure (EE), as reflective of body energy demand, has been proposed to be the key driver of food intake, possibly influencing weight change in humans. Variation in this energy-sensing link (overeating relative to weight-maintaining energy requirements) may lead to weight gain over time. Subjects/Methods Sixty-one overweight otherwise healthy Native Americans (age: 34.0 ± 7.9 years, body fat: 39.7 ± 9.5%, 36 males) were admitted to our clinical research unit for measurements of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and 24-h EE and respiratory quotient (RQ) in a whole-room indirect calorimeter during energy balance and weight stability. Following this, ad libitum food intake was assessed for three days using computerized vending machines. Body weight change under unrestricted free-living conditions was assessed at an outpatient follow-up visit (median follow-up time = 1.7 years). Results Total ad libitum food intake (3-day average) was positively associated with 24-h EE (r = 0.44, p Conclusion The individual propensity to overeating, particularly fat, in excess of the weight-maintaining energy requirements can be assessed and predicts long-term weight gain, suggesting that variation in energy sensing may influence appetite by favoring overeating thus promoting obesity development.
Mouse models of SLC4-linked disorders of HCO3−-transporter dysfunction

The SLC4 family Cl−/HCO3- cotransporters (NBCe1, NBCe2, NBCn1, and NBCn2) contribute to a variety of vital physiological processes including pH regulation and epithelial fluid secretion. Accordingl...
Head and Neck Cancer in World Trade Center Responders: A Case Series.

Objective:The aim of this study was to report on cases of head and neck cancer (HNC) among World Trade Center (WTC) responders participating in the WTC Health Program and seen at Rutgers WTC Center of Clinical Excellence.Methods:Medical records were abstracted by two clinical reviewers and discrepan
An efficient and extended range tracking method using a hybrid FSK-FMCW system

Radar systems are considered suitable sensors for detection of moving objects and motion-based tracking. Among various radar types, frequency-shift keying (FSK) radar are attractive for being able to track the absolute range of a moving target with little bandwidth requirement and free from surrounding background clutter interference. However, its maximum unambiguous range is limited due to the periodicity of the phase difference over 2n and it is inversely proportional to the frequency shift between two transmitted frequencies, while its measurement resolution is proportional to this frequency shift. Frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar has no range limitation on target tracking but occupies a large bandwidth. Therefore, in this paper, a hybrid FSK-FMCW system is proposed by using a short-time operating FMCW system with small bandwidth as reference to increase the FSK system maximum discernable range without losing measurement resolution. Range tracking experiment of a human subject was conducted and results are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed hybrid method.
Inmigración y multiculturalismo educativo: el caso de los estudiantes dominicanos en las escuelas puertorriqueñas

1. INMIGRACION DOMINICANA A PUERTO RICO Historicamente, el movimiento bidireccional de personas entre la Republica Dominicana y Puerto Rico siempre ha existido (Perez-Memen, 1989). Sin embargo, luego de la segunda mitad del siglo XX se ha visto un incremento significativo en Puerto Rico de personas provenientes de la Republica Dominicana. Especificamente, las grandes olas inmigratorias comienzan en las decadas de los 60 y 70. La motivacion del immigrante en aquella coyuntura historica era principalmente de corte politico.
Plastic Surgical Considerations in Pediatric Dermatologic Abnormalities

Periorbital conditions that may involve the expertise of dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and oculoplastic surgeons include hemangiomas, vascular malformations, congenital nevi, cysts, and scars. Hemangiomas are particularly important because they are the most common benign tumors during the first year of life, and enlarging periorbital hemangiomas can cause permanent visual problems. Antiangiogenic therapy has switched from steroids to beta blockers as first-line therapy, but surgical treatment may still be indicated for bulky and persistent hemangiomas. Vascular malformations may also cause significant ophthalmologic problems and obvious deformity which can worsen with time. Lasers, sclerotherapy, surgical debulking, and newer antiangiogenic agents such as sirolimus may play an important role in controlling these vascular anomalies.
Perinatal infections--problems in developing countries.

The transmission of infections from the biologic mother to her offspring is popularly known as perinatal infection (PI). It is not synonymous to infections during the perinatal or neonatal period. Physicians should avoid focusing attention only on the TORCH agents in the evaluation of suspected PI. Perinatal period begins from 28 weeks of gestation. Would one consider in utero infections in the first or second trimester of pregnancy as PIs Developing countries have difficulty in collecting reliable and accurate data of Pls. These data are useful to define the magnitude of the problems, to monitor the trends, to recognise the mode of spread, and to find a solution of Pls. Most Pls are asymptomatic and diagnosis is extremely difficult. Developing countries need rapid, easy-to-operate, simple, and cheap diagnostic tools urgently. Access to health care in the remote city is limited. Newer drugs are too expensive and very few patients can benefit from these. Each developing country should prioritise its PI problems and tackle those that have serious public health problems and socio-economic impact. Most developing countries should focus on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and HBV (hepatitis B virus) infections. Other countries where ophthalmia, malaria or tuberculosis are prevalent or endemic, should focus on these. Developing countries are more willing to allocate the budget for prevention of diseases than for treatment. There may be problem of promulgating the information on prevention of diseases because of illiteracy, multi-lingual community. Vaccines where available, should be affordable. Other effective prevention guidelines should be workable in poorer nations. The government should play an important role in enforcing immunisation program by intensive promotion program or bv legislation.
Hypovolemic shock and resuscitation

The long term goal of this research is to improve patient outcomes after hypovolemic shock by increasing our understanding of how patient and treatment variables affect outcome. In severely diarrheic calves (one cause of hypovolemic shock) the addition of the synthetic colloid 6% dextran 70 to the intravenous fluid resuscitation of affected calves was investigated. In this clinical, prospective study (10 control calves and 12 calves that received 10 ml/kg 6% dextran 70) , no decrease in hospitalization or mortality (0 for both groups) was noted, suggesting 6% dextran 70 use in this setting would not be cost effective. In a rat hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation model, the association between gastrointestinal intraluminal CO2 partial pressure (PiCOj) and outcome was investigated. An infrared air-flow based PiCOj monitoring system consisting of CO2 permeable (silicone) and impermeable (Teflon) tiibing, and an end-tidal CO2 monitor was used. Male Wistar-Furth rats (23 without and 74 with an 18 hour pre-hemorrhage fast) were anesthetized, hemorrhaged (MAP=35-40mmHg) for 90 minutes, and volume resuscitated (MAPaSOmmHg) for 3 hours. Survivors were euthanized at 48 hours. In non-fasted rats, the start of resuscitation colon PiCOj was 90 ± 7 mmHg in non-survivors and 66 ± 3 mmHg in survivors (p < 0.01, two-way ANOVA for repeated values) . The start of resuscitation base excess was -16.8 + 2.0 mEq/1 in non-survivors and -10.4 ± 1.1 mEq/1 in survivors
Manufacturing and Performance Evaluation of Polyurethane Composites Using One-Part and Two-Part Resin Systems:

Polyurethane (PU)-based composites show superior performance compared to polyester and vinylester composites. The demand for PU composites is increasing in high technology as well as conventional a...
Spontaneous acne fulminans treated with corticotherapy, antibiotics and oral isotretinoine

This pathology is a rare and serious form of acne vulgaris Its treatment is a challenge because it does not respond satisfactorily to traditional acne therapies Its diagnosis must be early so that the appropriate therapy is instituted quickly avoiding sequelae The case reported is a young male patient with acneic lesions associated with systemic manifestations and laboratory abnormalities Treatment with prednisone and oral antibiotic therapy is instituted After weaning from corticosteroid therapy oral isotretinoin was introduced in a stepwise dose The patient progresses with improvement of active lesions and cicatricial lesions on the back The Acne Fulminans is destructive begins with acute pain with abrupt development of acneic lesions hemorrhagic nodules and ulcerations with necrotic background associated with systemic manifestations The diagnosis is clinical Therapy should be aggressive involving oral corticosteroids with isotretinoin Dapsone is also used as an anti inflammatory agent
Exiting Prematurely? How CEOs Perceive Multimarket Competition and Exit Decisions

Studies of multimarket competition have developed fairly fine-grained depictions of some firm behaviors when these firms are embedded in a web of multimarket contacts. For other behaviors, the pict...
The multi-dimensional generalized Langevin equation for conformational motion of proteins

Using the generalized Langevin equation (GLE) is a promising approach to build coarse-grained (CG) models of molecular systems since the GLE model often leads to more accurate thermodynamic and kinetic predictions than Brownian dynamics or Langevin models by including a more sophisticated friction with memory. The GLE approach has been used for CG coordinates such as the center of mass of a group of atoms with pairwise decomposition and for a single CG coordinate. We present a GLE approach when CG coordinates are multiple generalized coordinates, defined, in general, as nonlinear functions of microscopic atomic coordinates. The CG model for multiple generalized coordinates is described by the multidimensional GLE from the Mori-Zwanzig formalism, which includes an exact memory matrix. We first present a method to compute the memory matrix in a multidimensional GLE using trajectories of a full system. Then, in order to reduce the computational cost of computing the multidimensional friction with memory, we introduce a method that maps the GLE to an extended Markovian system. In addition, we study the effect of using a nonconstant mass matrix in the CG model. In particular, we include mass-dependent terms in the mean force. We used the proposed CG model to describe the conformational motion of a solvated alanine dipeptide system, with two dihedral angles as the CG coordinates. We showed that the CG model can accurately reproduce two important kinetic quantities: the velocity autocorrelation function and the distribution of first passage times.
Conclusions Involving the Relationship Between Congress and the Courts

This final chapter offers some conclusions with regard to the relationship between Congress and the Courts. A historical comparison is first presented, which displays similarities and differences between court curbing, court structuring, judicial review, and justiciability over time. An analysis of bicameral behavior is offered next, which presents a comparison between the House and Senate results. Further areas to examine are then presented, followed by a brief account of the future relationship between Congress and the Courts.
Superconducting levitation of a mg-scale cavity mirror

We demonstrate an optomechanical platform based on a levitated small high reflective (HR)-coated mirror above a superconductor disk. We use this levitated mirror at ambient condition to detect the magnetic field with a sensitivity of 370 pT / Hz. Moreover, the levitated mirror is used as the end mirror of a Fabry–Perot cavity to create an optical resonance that could be used to study coherent radiation pressure forces. The platform provides a sensitive tool to measure the various forces exerted on the mirror and it offers the possibility of the coherent optical trapping of macroscopic objects.
Investment Strategy Amid COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic and the corresponding public health response has slowed down the worlds’ economy. Given the unforeseen losses across financial markets, developing a profitable investment strategy is an uphill task. Broadly, our paper attempts to implement a multi-part strategy. The strategy involves identifying a profitable sector, replicating the high performing index within the relevant sector, and evaluating key factors to determine stock positions in the portfolio. Following this, we back-test our various positions and evaluate the results for profitability. In order to support the results, we utilize alternative data sets by analyzing public sentiment towards our selected stocks. Lastly, as future market movement remains uncertain, we develop a few hedging mechanisms to protect against downside risk.
Mathematical Framework of Tetramorphic MWCNT Configuration for VLSI Interconnect

Having a 1D material like Multiwall Carbon Nanotube (MWCNT) as a potential candidate for high speed Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) interconnect creates a good scope to reduce the delay by estimating the parasitic elements i.e. Resistance ( $R$ ), Inductance ( $L$ ) and Capacitance ( $C$ ) properly. We have contrived an innovative configuration namely Tetramorphic (TM) for the bundle of MWCNTs with four different diameters. We have focused on 45 nm, 22 nm, 11 nm and 7 nm technology nodes to justify the novelty of our proposed configuration over the existing MWCNT bundle configurations. Having the parasitic $RLC$ elements for a specific technology node, the diameter optimization took place in this work. Subsequently, we obtain the propagation delay results for local, semi-global and global level interconnect. Finally, we compare the results with the other existing configuration to show the supremacy of our introduced configuration for MWCNT bundle to explore high speed VLSI interconnect and represent crosstalk delay and power dissipation. Moreover, this configuration is highly dense which will offer the size shrinkage feature in a substantial manner.
Multi Channel ANC System with Virtual Sensing Approach for ICU Patient's Bed

In an intensive care unit (ICU), there are different types noises. For example, patients suffer from the noise which is made by doctors' or nurses' activities and devices of ICU can cause some problem too, like stress and losing ability of hearing. In this paper, we propose to use active noise control (ANC) systems to reduce the high noise level for intensive care unit (ICU) residents. This paper proposed a multiple channel feedforward virtual sensing ANC system. Instead of achieve maximum noise cancellation at the error microphone locations, this technique can move quiet zone to the virtual sensor locations which are hard to place actual physical sensors. Sinusoidal noise, white noise and recorded ICU noise have been used as primary noise sources to validate the system's noise cancellation performance. Computer simulation results prove that the proposed system can reduce ambient noise level around patient's ears.
Systematic Review: Assessment of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Over the Past Decade.

Objective To conduct a systematic review of the measures designed to assess sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) since the first SCT scale using careful test-construction procedures was published in 2009. Method MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, PsychINFO, and Web of Science databases were searched from September 2009 through December 2019. Articles reporting on reliability (internal consistency, test-retest, and interrater reliability), structural validity (an aspect of construct validity focused on items’ convergent and discriminant validity), concurrent and longitudinal external validity, invariance, or intervention/experimental findings were included. Results Full criteria for data extraction and inclusion were met by 76 studies. Nine measures for assessing SCT were identified (7 assessing parent report, teacher report, and/or self-report in children and 2 assessing self-report and/or collateral informant report in adults). Each measure demonstrated acceptable to excellent reliability. All or at least the majority of SCT items on each measure also had structural validity (high loadings on an SCT factor and low loadings on an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] inattention factor). Studies have supported the invariance of SCT across sex and time, and there is initial evidence of invariance across informants, youths with ADHD and youths without ADHD, and ADHD presentations. The Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI), Child Concentration Inventory, Second Edition (CCI-2), and Barkley Adult ADHD Rating Scale-IV (BAARS-IV) have particularly strong support for assessing parent/teacher-reported, youth self-reported, and adult self-reported SCT, respectively. Conclusion The SCT measures included in this review share numerous positive properties, have promising psychometric support, and have proven useful for examining the external correlates of SCT across the life span. Although substantial progress has been made over the last decade, work remains to be done to further improve the assessment of SCT and key directions for future research are provided.
Decision Tree-based Adaptive Approximate Accelerators for Enhanced Quality

Hardware accelerators are used for parallel computation with the tendency to accept inexact results. Such accelerators are used extensively in big-data processing applications, and thus can be designed approximately for reduced power consumption, area and processing time. However, since for some inputs the output errors may reach unacceptable levels, the main challenge is to ensure the quality of the approximated results. Towards this goal, in this paper, we propose a fine-grained input-dependent decision tree-based adaptive approximate design to meet the output quality constraints set by the user. For illustration purposes, we use a library of 16-bit approximate array multipliers with 20 different settings. The proposed methodology has been evaluated for audio and image processing applications. The simulation result, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, utilizing a lightweight decision tree-based design selector where the proposed adaptive design achieves the userspecified target output quality with a relatively low overhead.
Regulating for gender equality in business: the law on gender quotas and the network of interlocking directorates in Norway, 2008–2016

This article analyses effects of the law of gender quotas for company boards in Norway on the network of interlocking directorates in the period 2008–2016. It is argued that these networks are impo...
Prevalence of Targetable Mutations in Black Patients With Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PURPOSE:Inferior outcomes of Black patients with lung cancer compared with other racial groups are often linked to socioeconomic factors. It is crucial to determine whether a varying prevalence of ...
Rethinking remittance: The socioeconomic dynamics of giving for migrants and nonmigrants

The World Bank notes that officially recorded remittances reached $689 billion in 2018, including $529 billion to low‐ and middle‐income countries. While these figures are mind‐boggling and potentially render the act of migration as a clear decision, they do not communicate the social challenges that result for movers and nonmovers around migration and remitting. Our article is organized to better understand the complexities that surround remittances and the act of remitting. Based on research in Mexico and Tajikistan, we argue that while remittances are critical to household successes and can create a pathway to growth and economic success, they can also destabilize and undermine local practices as movers and nonmovers rethink life; engage in new kinds of labor; and reconsider their roles, responsibilities, and more. In the second part of our article, we argue that the dynamic effects of remittances are minimized and ignored, while their role in driving economic development is celebrated. Understanding remittance practices demands that we rethink academic boundaries and use ethnographic work to reconsider the centrality that development and economic growth often hold in our evaluations.
The Effects of Alcohol and Cannabis Co-use on Neurocognitive Function, Brain Structure, and Brain Function

Given increases in the rates of alcohol and cannabis co-use among adolescents and young adults, this review aims to summarize literature on the effects of alcohol and cannabis co-use on neurocognitive functioning, brain structure, and brain function. The limited existing studies examining concurrent, recent, and lifetime alcohol and cannabis co-use suggest effects on the brain are likely multifaceted. The majority of studies report that co-use is associated with negative outcomes such as impaired cognitive function and significant alterations in key structural and functional regions of the brain, while others report null effects of co-use compared to non-substance using control and single-substance use groups. Current studies lack a general consensus on methodology, definitions of concurrent and simultaneous use, and neuroimaging approaches, which makes it challenging to draw strong conclusions about the effects of co-use. More studies are needed to explore the effects of co-use in the context of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use.
Bacterial Toxins that Covalently Modify Eukaryotic Proteins by ADP-Ribosylation

The study of ADP-ribosylating toxins has advanced our understanding of bacterial pathogenesis and provided insight into the molecular basis of eukaryotic physiology, especially G-protein-coupled signal transduction. The pathology associated with an ADP-ribosylating toxin is due to alterations in the activity of specific eukaryotic proteins. To date, essentially all of the eukaryotic proteins that are ADP-ribosylated by bacterial toxins are nucleotide-binding proteins, most often GTP-binding proteins. Two types of activation have been observed, covalent modification and association with eukaryotic proteins or cofactors. The study of bacterial toxins involves a sequential evolution of knowledge and strategies. First, the toxin is isolated and its catalytic and intoxication mechanisms determined; next, strategies are developed to determine whether the toxin is a useful vaccine candidate by empirically attempting to chemically or genetically inactivate the toxin while retaining its immunogenicity. The final stage in toxin research is to determine whether it can be used as a pharmacological reagent. Continued studies on the eukaryotic mono-ADP ribosylating enzymes should provide new insight into how the posttranslational modification regulates cell physiology, as studies on bacterial ADP-ribosylating toxins have contributed to our understanding of bacterial pathogenesis. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques have been used for the measurement of the kinetics of in vivo ADP-ribosylation of eukaryotic proteins by other bacterial toxins. Although ADP-ribosylation of eukaryotic proteins represents the first covalent modification attributed to a bacterial toxin, subsequent studies have identified additional covalent and noncovalent modifications catalyzed by bacterial toxins.
Discontinuities and shock waves in the interplanetary medium and their interaction with the magnetosphere.

The discontinuous structure of the solar wind is described with emphasis on properties related to geomagnetic impulses. Some of the discontinuities are clearly hydromagnetic shocks and tangential discontinuities, and can produce a significant change in the momentum flux at the magnetosphere boundary. Such a change generates an impulse which propagates through the magnetosphere to the Earth where it is observed world-wide as an impulse in magnetograms. The propagation process is not reviewed here, but the relation between the initial cause (discontinuity) and the final effect (geomagnetic impulse) is reviewed in detail. The various types of impulses are examined, and are related qualitatively to the various types of discontinuities. The magnitude of an impulse is related to the change in the momentum flux. The propagation time and the rise time depend on the propagation process rather than on the initial state. Double shocks have not been observed, but a reverse shock has been identified. Giant pairs can be caused by a shock followed by a tangential discontinuity, and regular pairs may be due to complementary tangential discontinuities.
Real time color Doppler optical coherence tomography using a novel autocorrelation technique

Summary form only given. Color Doppler optical coherence tomography (CDOCT) is a functional extension of optical coherence tomography (OCT) which can image flow in turbid media with micronscale spatial resolution. In CDOCT, flow velocity information is encoded in the Doppler shift of the probe light by moving scatterers in the sample. The scanning optical delay line in the reference arm of a CDOCT interferometer imposes a Doppler shift on the reference light, therefore, the Doppler information indicating flow in the sample can be detected as a frequency offset from the center frequency of the detector response signal. In previous implementations of CDOCT, this information has been extracted offline by digital signal processing of the acquired image data. This type of processing is computationally intensive and may not be suitable for real-time blood flow imaging.
FAMILY MANAGEMENT AND YOUTH VIOLENCE: ARE PARENTS OR COMMUNITY MORE SALIENT?

The family and community are both key components of child socialization and they influence developmental pathways. In this study, four family management strategies (supervision, discipline, restrictiveness, and familiarity with child's peers) and potential neighborhood effects on parenting behaviors are examined. Three proximal mechanisms (exposure to violence, peer deviance, and locus of control) are also examined as mediators. Data on three cohorts of youths ages 9 to 19 from the PHDCN are analyzed using HLM. Harsh disciplining practices increase violence by 33%, while reductions in unsupervised time in the community decrease violent behavior by 40%. The proximal mechanisms mediate the impact of family management strategies on youth involvement in violence. Results also show that family management factors are more influential over youth violence than neighborhood context. Research incorporating particular family management strategies can provide a more comprehensive investigation to research on the importance of family socialization.
VECTORS IN THE PLANE

This chapter presents a new subject in the study of calculus—the study of vectors and vector functions. It discusses the history of the study of vector. Today, nearly all branches of classical and modern physics are represented using the language of vectors. Vectors are also used with increasing frequency in the social and biological sciences. The chapter discusses the properties of vectors in the plane. It should be kept in mind that, like most important discoveries, vectors have been a source of great controversy—a controversy that was not resolved until well into the twentieth century. In many applications of mathematics to the physical and biological sciences and engineering, scientists are concerned with entities that have both magnitude (length) and direction. Examples include the notions of force, velocity, acceleration, and momentum. It is frequently useful to express these quantities geometrically. The chapter discusses vectors and vector operations. It discusses how a vector could be multiplied by a scalar. There are several ways to define the product of two vectors. The chapter discusses one of them that is a second product operation called the dot product. The dot product is useful in a wide variety of applications. The chapter presents a simple application of the dot product. It discusses some elementary applications of vectors. Instead of attempting to give a set of rules for solving problems involving vectors, it gives a variety of examples.
Monte Carlo Simulation in Reliability

Simulation is presented here as a mathematical and computational technique use to analyze probabilistic models. Monte Carlo simulation, where the passage of time does not play a significant role, is presented here, with an emphasis on reliability applications. Monte Carlo simulation methods are often used when analytic methods become intractable, and they typically give a modeler added insight into the structure of a problem. As reliability and lifetime models become less mathematically tractable, Monte Carlo methods will have increasing importance. The topics addressed in here are basic variate generation techniques, the generation of order statistics, the generation of lifetimes for the accelerated life and proportional hazards lifetime models, and variate generation of a renewal or nonhomogeneous Poisson processes. The generation of order statistics is useful for simulating the lifetime of a series, parallel, or k-out-of-n system. The generation of lifetime in the accelerated life and the Cox proportional hazards lifetime models is used to account for the impact of covariates on failure. The generation of a renewal or nonhomogeneous Poisson processes is used to model the failure times of a repairable system. Keywords: accelerated life model; Cox proportional hazards model; nonhomogeneous Poisson processes; order statistics; variate generation
Steep wave fronts on extrudates of polymer melts and solutions: lubrication layers and boundary lubrication

Abstract Steep wave fronts tend to develop in many regimes of lubricated, slipping flows in which waves appear. Problems of slip, spurt, fracture and extrudate distortion can be framed in terms of lubrication theory with paradigms arising from the lubrication of heavy oil with water for some problems and concepts from the theory of boundary lubrication for others. In water-lubricated pipelines, high pressures are produced at the front side of a wave on the oil when water is forced through the wavecrest and the wall, low pressures develop at the back of the wave where the gap opens. The steep waves which develop on cores of heavy oil lubricated by water are irregular and look like melt fracture. Direct numerical simulation of regular periodic waves give rise to sharkskin solutions in which the wave length decreases with the wave amplitude as the gap size decreases, preserving the steep wave front. Wave steepening seems always to occur in extrusion when the polymers slip, in the abrasion of rubber samples and in Schallamach's waves of detachment.
Trajectory and charge dependence of L x-ray fluorescence following Ar + + Ar collisions

The coincidence technique has been employed to determine the yield of L x-rays emitted following Ar/sup +/+Ar collisions of known incident energy T/sub 0/, scattering angle theta = 14/sup 0/, and scattered ion charge m. The range of T/sub 0/ studied, 50 to 575 keV, corresponds to a distance of closest internuclear separation r/sub 0/ from 0.18 to 0.03 A. As in the case of our earlier Auger-electron coincidence experiments on Ar/sup +/+Ar over this range, the present work uncovers evidence for two different L-vacancy-creating processes. The first process has a threshold at r/sub 0/ = 0.25 A and is the result of the transfer of two electrons out of the 4fsigma molecular orbital (MO). The second process, which appears when r/sub 0/ is made less than 0.13 A, is due to rotational transitions of up to six electrons from the 3d..pi.. and 3dsigma MO's into the 3ddelta MO. We find that there is a large increase in x-ray fluorescence associated with the 3d..pi.., 3dsigma..-->..3ddelta transition, an increase which is considerably in excess of that expected from available estimates. A qualitative explanation of this phenomenon is offered that takes into account combinations of long-lived autoionizing states involving outer-shell electrons, preferentialmore » pumping of L electrons up to the 3d radiative level, and finally, outer-shell-electron depopulation by prior Auger transitions. This interpretation is also consistent with the differing ion-charge x-ray-yield correlations that we find are characteristic of the 4fsigma and 3d..pi..,3dsigma processes.« less
Synthesis of soluble aluminium carboxylates directly from aluminium hydroxide

Water soluble aluminium carboxylates, of use as water based ceramic precursors and as starting materials for the synthesis of other metalloorganic materials, can be prepared in one or two steps from gibbsite [α-Al(OH)3·3H2O] and boehmite [Al(O)(OH)]n. Both starting materials can be used to synthesize aluminium formate [Al(O2CH)3] and aluminium hydroxyformate [Al(OH)(O2CH)2]. These two compounds can be used to synthesize aluminium lactate [Al{O2C(OH)CHCH3}3] and aluminium methoxyacetate [Al(OH)(O2CCH2OCH3)2·H2O]. All of the compounds synthesized were characterized using XRD, TGA, DRIFTS, NMR and wet chemical techniques.
Progress in the pharmacotherapy of gout.

Purpose of reviewTo summarize new knowledge on approved and emerging drugs used to treat hyperuricemia or the clinical manifestations of gout.Recent findingsResults of several clinical trials provide new data on the efficacy and safety of the approved urate-lowering drugs, allopurinol and febuxostat
Processing techniques for improving enzyme-retting of flax

Information is needed to optimize enzymatic-retting of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) based on a pectinase-rich mixture and chelators. Seed flax straw from North Dakota in 1998, ‘Natasja’ fiber flax straw from South Carolina in 1993, ‘Ariane’ fiber flax straw field-aged and dried from South Carolina in 1999, ‘Ariane’ fiber flax straw shed-dried from South Carolina in 1999, and Canadian seed flax straw in 1997 comprised diverse samples that were subjected to various tests to improve absorption of enzyme formulation by stems or to evaluate clean fiber yield. Mechanical disruption by crimping stems through fluted rollers at about 80 Newtons gave optimum fiber yield in conjunction with enzymatic-retting and was, therefore, used in further tests to evaluate enzyme absorption. Enzyme absorption was increased significantly for uncrimped flax stems with increased pressure of about 310 kPa or with a vacuum around 88 kPa. Increased pressure was effective more than the vacuum treatment. Samples with minimal post harvest handling were affected more by pressure alterations than samples that had considerable disruptions, such as seed flax straw or field-aged straw. Crimped stems showed little increase in enzyme absorption with alterations in applied pressure. Mechanical treatment of stems by crimping gave the largest increase in enzyme absorption and increased significantly the fiber yields. Based on a variety of sample types, the results suggest that normal atmospheric conditions are satisfactory for penetration of enzyme formulation into crimped stems, and that extraordinary measures are not required to expedite the enzyme-retting process. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
270 EFFECT OF ENDOTOXIN ON RAT HEPATIC DRUG METABOLISM DURING DEVELOPMENT

The frequency of gram negative infections and endotoxemia in the perinatal period prompted an investigation of the effects of endotoxin (E. coli. 026B6) on hepatic drug metabolism. Chronic dosing of endotoxin (0.2 mg/kg/d × 7 days) to lactating mothers significantly stimulated hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 (118%) and aminopyrine demethylase activity (114%). No alteration in neonatal enzyme activities was observed. Body and liver weight ratios or microsomal protein level of mothers and neonates were not altered by chronic administration of endotoxin to mothers during the experimental period. The acute i.p. administration of of endotoxin to mothers (1.4 mg/kg on the 7th day after parturition)significantly decreased the activity of aminopyrine demethylase (48%) and content of cytochrome P-450 (25%). When neonates themselves were injected (i.p.) with endotoxin (1.0 mg/kg) at 7, 16 and 27 days of age, a significant reduction in levels of mixed function oxidase enzymes was observed. Cytochrome P-450 contents were reduced by 57, 32 and 24% and aminopyrine demethylation decreased by 78, 48 and 34% in 7, 16 and 27 day old animals resptively. These observations indicate that the ability of mothers and neonates to metabolize drugs is significantly decreased upon acute exposure to endotoxin and this demands careful evaluation of drug disposition in gram negative sepsis during perinatal period. Supported by NIH Grant HD 10063.
RATING AND RANKING PROCEDURES FOR SHORT‐CUT SIGNAL DETECTION MULTIPLE DIFFERENCE TESTS

A comparison is made between rating and ranking as methods for multiple difference testing for the sensory analysis of food flavors. A signal detection index of difference (R) is obtained and tends to be higher when obtained by ranking than by rating. The effect is predicted from probability assumptions made in the calculation of the index.
Chlorimuron ethyl metabolism in corn

Abstract [14C]Chlorimuron ethyl was readily absorbed by the roots of young intact corn seedlings and through the cut ends of excised leaves, but it was not readily absorbed by intact leaves. Under the conditions employed, [14C]chlorimuron ethyl was metabolized at a moderate rate in both intact roots and excised leaves (ca. 2.4 nmol/g fresh wt tissue/hr). Based upon high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis, [14C]chlorimuron ethyl appeared to be metabolized by similar routes in both the roots and leaves. [14C]Chlorimuron ethyl and 10 radioactive metabolites were detected in the roots of corn 7 hr following herbicide treatment. [14C]Chlorimuron ethyl and seven metabolites, listed in approximate order of their abundance, were isolated and characterized: chlorimuron ethyl (N-[4-chloro-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl]-N′-[2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenesul-fonyl]urea; (I) N-(4-chloro-5-hydroxy-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′-(2-ethoxycarbonylbenzene-sulfonyl)urea; (II) 2-ethoxycarbonylbenzene sulfonamide, (IV) N-(4-[S-glutathionyl]-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′(2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenesulfonyl)urea, (VI) N-(4-[S-glutathionyl]-5-hydroxy-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′-(2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenesulfonyl)urea, (III) N-(4-chloro-5-[O-β- d -glucosyl]-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′-(2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenesulfonyl)urea, (VII) N-(4-chloro-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′-(2-ethoxy-?-[O-β- d -glucosyl]benzenesulfonyl)urea, and (V) N-(4-[S-cysteinyl]-6-methoxypyrimidine-2-yl)-N′-(2-ethoxycarbonylbenzenesulfonyl)urea. Chlorimuron ethyl and these metabolites were purified by HPLC and were characterized by fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry (FAB MS). In addition to FAB MS, the following methods were used in the characterization of some metabolites: synthesis, hydrolysis with β-glucosidase, analysis of hydrolysis products, electron impact mass spectrometry, and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (400 MH).