cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new textured polyphosphazene biomaterial with improved blood coagulation and microbial infection responses

Abstract A new poly[bis(octafluoropentoxy) phosphazene] (OFP) was synthesized for the purpose of blood contacting medical devices. OFP was further either developed into crosslinkable polyphosphazene (X-OFP) or blended with polyurethane (PU) as the mixture (OFP/PU) for improvement of mechanical property of polyphosphazene polymers. All the materials were fabricated as smooth films or further textured with submicron pillars for the assay of antimicrobial and antithrombotic properties. Results showed that crosslinkable OFP (X-OFP) and blends of OFP/PU successfully improved the mechanical strength of OFP and fewer defects of pillars were found on the textured polyphosphazene surfaces. The antithrombotic experiments showed that polyphosphazene OFP materials reduced human Factor XII activation and platelet adhesion, thereby being resistant to plasma coagulation and thrombosis. The bacterial adhesion and biofilm experiments demonstrated that OFP materials inhibited staphylococcal bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. The surface texturing further reduced the platelet adhesion and bacterial adhesion, and inhibited biofilm formation up to 23 days. The data suggested that textured OFP materials may provide a practical approach to improve the biocompatibility of current biomaterials in the application of blood contacting medical devices with significant reduction in risk of pathogenic infection and thrombosis. Statement of Significance The thromboembolic events and microbial infection have been the significant barriers for the long term use of biomaterials in blood-contacting medical devices. The development of new materials with multiple functions including anti-thrombosis and antibacterial surfaces is a high research priority. This study synthesized new biostable and biocompatible polyphosphazene polymers, poly[bis(octafluoropentoxy)phosphazene] (OFP) and crosslinkable OFP, and successfully improved the mechanical strength of polyphosphazenes. Polymers were fabricated into textured films with submicron pillars on the surfaces. The antimicrobial and antithrombotic assays demonstrated that new materials combined with surface physical modification have significant reduction in risk of pathogenic infection and thrombosis, and improve the biocompatibility of current biomaterials in the application of blood-contacting medical devices. It would be interest to biomaterials and bioengineering related communities.
Mapping of compositional properties of coal using isometric log-ratio transformation and sequential Gaussian simulation – A comparative study for spatial ultimate analyses data

Chemical properties of coal largely determine coal handling, processing, beneficiation methods, and design of coal-fired power plants. Furthermore, these properties impact coal strength, coal blending during mining, as well as coal's gas content, which is important for mining safety. In order for these processes and quantitative predictions to be successful, safer, and economically feasible, it is important to determine and map chemical properties of coals accurately in order to infer these properties prior to mining. Ultimate analysis quantifies principal chemical elements in coal. These elements are C, H, N, S, O, and, depending on the basis, ash, and/or moisture. The basis for the data is determined by the condition of the sample at the time of analysis, with an “as-received” basis being the closest to sampling conditions and thus to the in-situ conditions of the coal. The parts determined or calculated as the result of ultimate analyses are compositions, reported in weight percent, and pose the challenges of statistical analyses of compositional data. The treatment of parts using proper compositional methods may be even more important in mapping them, as most mapping methods carry uncertainty due to partial sampling as well. In this work, we map the ultimate analyses parts of the Springfield coal from an Indiana section of the Illinois basin, USA, using sequential Gaussian simulation of isometric log-ratio transformed compositions. We compare the results with those of direct simulations of compositional parts. We also compare the implications of these approaches in calculating other properties using correlations to identify the differences and consequences. Although the study here is for coal, the methods described in the paper are applicable to any situation involving compositional data and its mapping.
Evidence for Interspecific Brood Parasite Detection and Removal in Burying Beetles

We tested whether brood parasitism could be successful between two co-occurring species of burying beetles, Nicrophorus guttula and Nicrophorus marginatus, and whether these species exhibit an adaptive response to brood parasitism by detecting and removing parasites. We cross-fostered larvae between broods of the two species and created mixed-species broods to simulate the addition of brood parasites. Brood parasites survived in both species’ broods. Nicrophorus marginatus culled 86% of brood parasites compared to 56% of their own larvae, and N. guttula culled 50% of brood parasites compared to 22% of their own larvae. Additionally, N. guttula brood parasites were significantly smaller than N. guttula that were raised by N. guttula parents, but N. marginatus brood parasites were significantly larger than N. marginatus that were raised by N. marginatus parents. This paper provides the first evidence that burying beetles can discriminate between their own larvae and other species’ larvae. We suggest that brood parasitism may be the selective force responsible for this ability.
Restoring habitat for coastal California Gnatcatchers (Polioptila californica californica)

ABSTRACT One goal of Habitat Conservation Plans is to protect viable populations of animal species. Management actions included in such plans often focus on vegetation restoration to benefit the target animal species. Yet, such restoration activities are often uninformed by fine-scale animal survey data. Using the California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica), we demonstrate how survey data can guide restoration toward the goal of improving gnatcatcher viability by identifying habitat conditions most favorable for gnatcatcher occupancy. We found that gnatcatcher presence and colonization probabilities tripled as the coverage of coastal sagebrush (Artemisia californica) increased from 10% to 40%. Coastal sagebrush was more likely to be present at low elevations, and was most closely associated with soil texture of 5%–20% clay, 40%–70% sand, and 20%–40% silt. Higher gnatcatcher extinction probabilities were associated with closed, dense habitat; optimal conditions were between 30% and 40% open...
A unique continuation property of a beam equation with variable coefficients

A unique continuation property of a beam equation with variable coefficients has been proved. The main tool is the Carleman estimate obtained by Isakov.
An Intersection Formula. Variations and Generalizations

The first point of this chapter is to develop a commutative diagram similar to that of the Riemann-Roch theorems, and called the Intersection Formula for the K-functor. In particular, this will show how the product in the ring K(X) relates to the geometric intersection of subschemes of X. From this intersection formula for K we deduce a corresponding formula for Gr K, which is analogous to the “excess intersection formula” of [FM], cf. [F 2], Theorem 6.3. Special cases of the intersection formula are contained in [SGA 6] and [Man], but the general version given here for K-theory seems to be new. Our proof eliminates the use of Tor, and gives another striking illustration of the deformation formalism of Chapter II.
ANCA: Alignment-based Network Construction Algorithm

Dynamic biological networks model changes in the network topology over time. However, often the topologies of these networks are not available at specific time points. Existing algorithms for studying dynamic networks often ignore this problem and focus only on the time points at which experimental data is available. In this paper, we develop a novel alignment based network construction algorithm, ANCA, that constructs the dynamic networks at the missing time points by exploiting the information from a reference dynamic network. Our experiments on synthetic and real networks demonstrate that ANCA predicts the missing target networks accurately, and scales to large biological networks in practical time. Our analysis of an E. coli protein-protein interaction network shows that ANCA successfully identifies key temporal changes in the biological networks. Our analysis also suggests that by focusing on the topological differences in the network, our method can be used to find important genes and temporal functional changes in the biological networks.
Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) antisense oligonucleotide protected against hyperlipidemia-associated atherosclerosis.

Abstract Background and aims Heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF) is a representative EGF family member that interacts with EGFR under diverse stress environment. Previously, we reported that the HB-EGF-targeting using antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) effectively suppressed an aortic aneurysm in the vessel wall and circulatory lipid levels. In this study, we further examined the effects of the HB-EGF ASO administration on the development of hyperlipidemia-associated atherosclerosis using an atherogenic mouse model. Methods and results The male and female LDLR deficient mice under Western diet containing 21% fat and 0.2% cholesterol content were cotreated with control and HB-EGF ASOs for 12 weeks. We observed that the HB-EGF ASO administration effectively downregulated circulatory VLDL- and LDL-associated lipid levels in circulation; concordantly, the HB-EGF targeting effectively suppressed the development of atherosclerosis in the aorta. An EGFR blocker BIBX1382 administration suppressed the hepatic TG secretion rate, suggesting a positive role of the HB-EGF signaling for the hepatic VLDL production. We newly observed that there was a significant improvement of the insulin sensitivity by the HB-EGF ASO administration in a mouse model under the Western diet as demonstrated by the improvement of the glucose and insulin tolerances. Conclusion The HB-EGF ASO administration effectively downregulated circulatory lipid levels by suppressing hepatic VLDL production rate, which leads to effective protection against atherosclerosis in the vascular wall.
Barriers to Employment: Returners to Welfare and Those Who Have Left the Welfare and Employment Rolls

This article reports on employment barriers experienced by random samples of 200 people who have left welfare and returned between June 1999 and May 2002, and 300 who left welfare between January 1999 and December 2001 and were not on state Department of Labor employment rolls. Demographic characteristics of returners and their reported barriers to employment (transportation 32 percent, not enough pay 29 percent, no jobs in the community 26 percent, negative attitudes of co-workers 32 percent, stressful working environments 29 percent) were consistent with Wilson's (1991) article and Vartanian's (1999a, 1999b) work on the effects of the neighborhood environment and lack of access. Leavers, on the other hand, reported higher degrees of physical disability (53 percent), illness or injury (44 percent), and mental illness (26 percent) as barriers to employment.
Towards complex microarchitectural composites using multi-field processing

In this study, we investigate the hierarchical microarchitecture formation of magnetic barium hexaferrite (BF) platelets in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using electric and magnetic field assembly technique. First, external fields are applied to the colloidal solution to form the microstructure before curing the composites. After microstructure formation, the composites are thermally cured to freeze the microstructure. We investigate two different cases in this study-(1) magnetic field processed composites and (2) multi-field processed composites, which were processed under both magnetic and electric fields. We observe that macro-chains formed due to simultaneous application of electric and magnetic fields had a much higher length compared to the macro-chains formed due to just magnetic field. For both cases individual BHFs are found to be oriented in the direction of the external field. The analysis of SEM microstructures using ImageJ and MATLAB showed that at least two different levels of hierarchies are present in the microstructure for both cases, which are referred to as BHF stacks and micro-chains. From the experimental quantitative microstructure analysis, BHFs are found to be slightly better oriented (magnetic easy-axis direction in relation to the external field) at all scales for the electric and magnetic field processed composites compared to just the magnetic field processed composites. Magneto-electrohydrodynamics modeling of the polymer-particulate mixture predicts a similar behavior. Computational simulations are performed wherein particulates, subjected to both DEP forces resulting from an applied electric field, and magnetic dipole interactions in response to applied magnetic field, are allowed to form quasi-equilibrium structures before locking in a final structure to represent curing. Results from simulation confirms the finding on longer macro-chain formation similar to the experiment for the case of magnetic and electric fields compared to just magnetic field. Analysis of the microstructures from simulation also confirms that multiple levels of hierarchies are present in the composites’ microstructure for both cases. In future, quantifying the corresponding metrics at each level of hierarchy will help to better understand the microstructure and can be served as input to the model and also used to validate the model.
Defining real-world criteria for immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

e14172Background: Management of Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) associated irAEs requires accurate diagnosis and severity measurement. However, outside of clinical trials, there is no clear def...
Formation of Platelet Strings and Microthrombi in the Presence of ADAMTS13 Inhibitor Does Not Require P-Selectin or β3 Integrin.

VWF is synthesized in megakaryocytes and endothelial cells and stored in a-granules and Weibel-Palade bodies respectively. VWF released from the storage granules upon cellular activation or stimulation with secretagogues are extremely large and known as Ultra-Large von Willebrand factor (UL-VWF). Such filaments were first shown by Dong and colleagues (Dong et. al., 2002) and platelets were seen to align as string of beads on these UL-VWF multimers. These platelet strings are then rapidly cleaved to smaller size by the metalloprotease ADAMTS-13 (A Disintegrin-like And Metalloprotease with Thrombospondin type I repeats-13). Recently, we have similarly shown that in Adamts13−/− mice platelet strings form and remain on stimulated endothelium in veins, where they wave in the blood stream for many minutes (Motto et. al., 2005). We have also shown that antibody to ADAMTS13 induces platelet strings in activated venules and transient thrombi formation in activated microvenules of wild type similar to Adamts13−/− mice (Chauhan et. al., 2006). The obvious question is what anchors the UL-VWF mulimers to the endothelial surface? In a flow chamber model, using polyclonal antibodies to P-selectin or soluble P-selectin, it was proposed that P-selectin anchors the UL-VWF multimers to the endothelial surface. The present study was designed to address the role of P-selectin and that of the platelet and endothelial integrin β3 in platelet string formation in vivo using intravital microscopy and genetically engineered mice. We demonstrate that in histamine activated venules, causing Weibel-Palade bodies secretion, P-selectin is not required for formation or retention of VWF platelet strings on endothelium in vivo. The mean time the platelet strings (~30–100 μm long) anchored onto the endothelium was 45 s. This duration was significantly longer than in P-selectin−/− mice infused with control Ig (P
The Impact of Sea Surface Temperature Biases on North American Precipitation in a High-Resolution Climate Model

AbstractPositive precipitation biases over western North America have remained a pervasive problem in the current generation of coupled global climate models. These biases are substantially reduced...
Integrated Outbound Vehicle Routing and Scheduling Problem at a Multi-Door Cross-Dock Terminal

This paper presents a newly formulated model for the integrated vehicle routing and scheduling problem on the outbound side of a multi-door cross-dock terminal (or system or center) operating in post-distribution mode involving multiple product types, and develops a new decomposition-based hybrid optimization method for its solution. The hybrid optimization method solves the problem iteratively. In each iteration, a solution of the outbound vehicle scheduling sub-problem is first obtained and the vehicle routing sub-problem with time windows is then subsequently solved. The hybrid optimization method makes use of an iterated local search (ILS) algorithm for solving the vehicle routing sub-problem with time windows and a greedy search for solving the sub-problem of outbound vehicle scheduling involving the assignment and sequencing of vehicles at each dock-door, and determining the vehicle departure times from the cross-dock. The proposed solution was shown capable of finding the optimal solution identified by the enumeration method for two small datasets and further tested with 20 newly generated moderate-to-large data sets. Based on the results obtained, managerial insights are highlighted.
Reliability, Validity and Measurement Invariance of the WHO’s Quality of Life Scale among Women of Reproductive Age Living with HIV in Ethiopia - a Quasi-Experimental Study

Despite its widespread global adoption and use, studies have not examined measurement invariance of the 31-question World Health Organization Quality of Life–HIV BREF scale among HIV/AIDS patients. The current study seeks to (a) evaluate the scale’s internal consistency reliability, and concurrent validity, and (b) test if the same latent construct of quality of life was consistently measured at two time-points, for a sample of HIV-positive women from two sites in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study used data from two cross-sectional interviews with 926 HIV-positive women of reproductive age who participated in a quasi-experimental study. All participants were receiving antiretroviral therapy and related treatment support services from 51 service providers in two non-contiguous sub-cities. We used One-Way ANOVA, chi square test and Kruskal Wallis test to compare demographic characteristics and quality of life scores of study participants. Further, we used Cronbach’s coefficient alpha (α) to assess internal consistency reliability and Pearson product-moment correlation (r) to assess concurrent validity. Finally, multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis with maximum likelihood estimation was used to assess measurement invariance of the quality of life scale. Findings suggest that the WHOQOL-HIV BREF exhibited acceptable psychometric properties. There was evidence for strong internal consistency reliability demonstrated by Cronbach’s α >0.80 and coefficient ω >0.80. The scale’s six domains also exhibited good concurrent validity, with coefficient r = 0.63–0.82. In measurement invariance analysis, configural invariance was found for the scale’s six domains, suggesting measurement noninvariance for factor loadings, item intercepts and factor variances when comparing QOL among participants in the two sites at baseline and follow-up. Our findings suggest that the WHOQOL-HIV BREF has internal consistency reliability and concurrent validity in this study sample. The differences in the levels of observed responses for QOL across intervention and non-intervention groups at baseline and follow-up suggest participants had dissimilar understanding, interpretation, and responses to the scale’s items, which may have resulted from significant measurement, cultural, and developmental differences between study groups. The WHOQOL-HIV BREF exhibited internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity and configural invariance. However, strong invariance was not achieved, making it difficult to compare levels of QOL between groups in this study sample.
Comparative Cost Analysis of Robotic-Assisted and Jig-Based Manual Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Excellent durability with traditional jig-based manual total knee arthroplasty (mTKA) has been noted, but substantial rates of dissatisfaction remain. Robotic-assisted TKA (raTKA) was introduced to improve clinical outcomes, but associated costs have not been well studied. The purpose of our study is to compare 90-day episode-of-care (EOC) costs for mTKA and raTKA. A retrospective review of an institutional database from 4/2015 to 9/2017 identified consecutive mTKAs and raTKAs using a single implant system performed by one surgeon. The raTKA platform became available at our institution in October 2016. Prior to this date, all TKAs were performed with mTKA technique. After this date, all TKAs were performed using robotic-assistance without exception. Sequential cases were included for both mTKA and raTKA with no patients excluded. Clinical and financial data were obtained from medical and billing records. Ninety-day EOC costs were compared. Statistical analysis was performed by departmental statistician. One hundred and thirty nine mTKAs and 147 raTKAs were identified. No significant differences in patient characteristics were noted. Total intraoperative costs were higher ($10,295.17 vs. 9,998.78, respectively, p
Aligning Urology Residency Training With Real-World Workforce Needs

Objective Research suggests recently graduated urology residents do not feel ready for independent practice. We conducted a study to determine if Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) minimum case requirements, resident case logs, and graduating resident perceived readiness for practice are aligned with the procedural demand and needs of the current urology workforce. Design Correlative study comparing the association between (1) workforce demand and ACGME case requirements, and (2) workforce demand and perceived resident competency. Three distinct datasets were used; (1) the 2017 Medicare Part B National Summary Data File; (2) the 2017 National Data Report published by the ACGME; and (3) a graduating resident survey from Okhunov et al. Setting N/A. Participants N/A. Results In 2017, there were a total of 6,784,696 urologic cases performed through Medicare. We found nonsignificant positive associations between resident case logs (rho = 0.16, p = 0.5784), ACGME minimum procedure requirements (rho = 0.42, p = 0.1255), and Medicare procedural demand. Our 15 index procedures accounted for 21.1% (n = 1,431,775) of all Medicare cases, with a median number of 7706 procedures. Endopyelotomy was the least common procedure (n = 98), while cystoscopy was the most common (n = 980,623). Medicare case volume was positively correlated with graduating residents’ procedural confidence (r = 0.86, p Conclusions Optimizing urology residency training is time-sensitive and important. Using national Medicare data coupled with recently graduated urology resident survey results, we provide a guiding framework for improving the alignment of training with workforce demand. Informed by these results, we recommend altering training requirements to reflect these needs.
African American Emerging Adult Perspectives on Unintended Pregnancy and Meeting Their Needs With Mobile Technology: Mixed Methods Qualitative Study

Background: In the United States, a disproportionate number of unintended pregnancies occur among African Americans, particularly those in their later teenage years and early 20s. Mobile technology is becoming more ubiquitous as a method for health promotion; however, relatively little research has been done with this population to determine their perspectives about unintended pregnancy, the potential of successfully using mobile technology to prevent unintended pregnancy, and the content of such programs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain the perspectives of African American emerging adults about unintended pregnancy and the use of mobile technology to reduce unintended pregnancy rates. Methods: Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 83 African Americans, aged 18-21 years. Data were analyzed using an open coding process. Emergent codes were then added as needed, and themes and subthemes were identified. Results: Participants cited the social environment and lack of education as primary reasons for disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. They noted that unintended pregnancy is an important issue and that they desire more sexual health information. They enthusiastically supported mobile technology as a means to communicate unintended pregnancy prevention programming and offered many suggestions for program content, look, and feel. Conclusions: Young and emerging adult African Americans want and need sexual health resources, and a mobile-based platform could be widely accepted and address needs to lower disproportionate rates of unintended pregnancy. An essential next step is to use these findings to inform the development of a mobile-based unintended pregnancy prevention and sexual health program prototype to determine feasibility.
Incorporating curriculum mapping as a method to increase approval plan precision

This study incorporates curriculum mapping as a method to assess the effectiveness of approval plans supporting undergraduate psychology courses offered at a large research university. Usage data i...
Analyzing the Perceptual Attributes of Electro-tactile Stimuli as Function of Various Signal Properties

This study is designed to determine the proper electrical signals that induce various perceptual qualities. These perceptions are chosen from a wide range of feelings, comfort and even surface qualities such as smoothness or flatness. The goal is to derive the relationship between the electrical signal properties (i.e. voltage, frequency and duty cycle) and the perceived qualities which are understood by human observers and reveal any pattens in their reports. A total of 144 measurements are collected from 8 participants. The results are analyzed using numerous statistical methods. In the end, the governing factors are identified and a signal with specific properties is is determined for each of the perception qualities. A great number of plots are included in this study to facilitate the process of choosing the appropriate signal for each factor.
Chromatin Structure and Transcription

Transcription of eukaryotic genes appears to proceed in a quite different manner and to obey very different rules than the corresponding process in prokaryotes. In a typical prokaryotic organism, the genome is small, and much of it is transcribed. Polycistronic messages are common, but intervening sequences are not. A single RNA polymerase is used for all genes. In eukaryotes, much of this has been changed. In a typical differentiated cell of a higher organism, the genome is immense, and only a small fraction (~5 to 10%; Davidson, 1976) is transcribed. Polycistronic messages are rare, but intervening sequences are common, and many of the transcripts must be spliced to produce messages. Three different RNA polymerases are employed, each specific for certain kinds of genes.
Measuring atmospheric carbon dioxide from space with the Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2)

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) is this first NASA satellite designed to measure atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) with the accuracy, resolution, and coverage needed to detect CO2 sources and sinks on regional scales over the globe. OCO-2 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on 2 July 2014, and joined the 705 km Afternoon Constellation a month later. Its primary instrument, a 3-channel imaging grating spectrometer, was then cooled to its operating temperatures and began collecting about one million soundings over the sunlit hemisphere each day. As expected, about 13% of these measurements are sufficiently cloud free to yield full-column estimates of the columnaveraged atmospheric CO2 dry air mole fraction, XCO2. After almost a full year in orbit, the XCO2 product is beginning to reveal some of the most robust features of the atmospheric carbon cycle, including the northern hemisphere spring drawdown, and enhanced values co-located with intense fossil fuel and biomass burning emissions. As the carbon cycle science community continues to analyze these OCO-2 data, information on regional-scale sources (emitters) and sinks (absorbers) as well as far more subtle features are expected to emerge from this high resolution, global data set.
Cryptography in Quadratic Function Fields

We describe several cryptographic schemes in quadratic function fields of odd characteristic. In both the real and the imaginary representation of such a field, we present a Diffie-Hellman-like key exchange protocol as well as a public-key cryptosystem and a signature scheme of ElGamal type. Several of these schemes are improvements of systems previously found in the literature, while others are new. All systems are based on an appropriate discrete logarithm problem. In the imaginary setting, this is the discrete logarithm problem in the ideal class group of the field, or equivalently, in the Jacobian of the curve defining the function field. In the real case, the problem in question is the task of computing distances in the set of reduced principal ideals, which is a monoid under a suitable operation. Currently, the best general algorithms for solving both discrete logarithm problems are exponential (subexponential only in fields of high genus), resulting in a possibly higher level of security than that of conventional discrete logarithm based schemes.
Logical Systems and Formality

The question is posed: in which respects and to what extent are logical systems which employ diagrammatic representations "formal"? I propose to characterize "formal" rules to be those which are reducible to simple constructive operations on the representations themselves. Formal systems, then, are those which employ such formal rules. It is argued that "formality" thus characterized underlies a particular strategy for meeting a certain epistemological challenge. Some diagrammatic and heterogeneous logical systems are tested for formality, and it is suggested that any robust heterogeneous system is unlikely to be formal. The analysis of this paper, then, provides a principled account of how some diagrammatic systems differ significantly from linguistic ones.
The adenine nucleotide-binding site on yeast 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. Affinity labeling of Lys-131 by pyridoxal 5'-diphospho-5'-adenosine.

Abstract The adenine nucleotide analog [3H]pyridoxal 5'-diphospho-5'-adenosine (PLP-AMP) is a potent and highly specific inactivator of yeast 3-phosphoglycerate kinase. Supportive evidence includes the finding that 1) during a 10-min incubation, half-maximal inactivation is given by 10 microM PLP-AMP, 2) covalent incorporation of 1.2 mol of PLP-AMP/mol of enzyme is sufficient to give complete inactivation, and 3) MgATP gives near complete protection against modification and inactivation by PLP-AMP. Following reaction with PLP-AMP and reduction with NaBH4 to form a stable adduct, the enzyme was digested with endoproteinase Lys-C and peptides were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The single major labeled peptide was purified and sequenced, and the modified residue was identified as Lys-131. The crystal structure of enzyme in the open conformation shows Lys-131 to reside within a loop of flexible random coil positioned at the outer edge of the central binding cleft, approximately 2 nm from the surface of the cleft that comprises part of the MgATP-binding site (Watson, H. C., Walker, N. P. C., Shaw, P. J., Bryant, T. N., Wendell, P. L., Fothergill, L. A., Perkins, R. E., Conroy, S. C., Dobson, M. J., Tuite, M. F., Kingsman, A. J., and Kingsman, S. M. (1982) EMBO J. 1, 1635-1640). We conclude that the structural element containing Lys-131 undergoes substantial movement during the ligand-induced conformational change known to occur during formation of the ternary complex, resulting in the positioning of a basic residue near a negatively charged substrate. Since similar affinity-labeling results have been presented for hexokinase (Tamura, J. K., LaDine, J. R., and Cross, R. L. (1988) J. Biol. Chem. 263, 7907-7912), we further suggest that movement of positive charge into the central cleft may be a common step in the tight binding of nucleotides by bilobal kinases.
Current practices by forensic anthropologists in adult skeletal age estimation.

Abstract: When determining an age estimate from adult skeletal remains, forensic anthropologists face a series of methodological choices. These decisions, such as which skeletal region to evaluate, which methods to apply, what statistical information to use, and how to combine information from multiple methods, ultimately impacts the final reported age estimate. In this study, a questionnaire was administered to 145 forensic anthropologists, documenting current trends in adult age at death estimation procedures used throughout the field. Results indicate that the Suchey-Brooks pubic symphysis method (1990) remains the most highly favored aging technique, with cranial sutures and dental wear being the least preferred, regardless of experience. The majority of respondents stated that they vary their skeletal age estimate process case-by-case and ultimately present to officials both a narrow and broad possible age range. Overall, respondents displayed a very high degree of variation in how they generate their age estimates, and indicated that experience and expertise play a large role in skeletal age estimates.
Degradation of lignin by cyathus species.

The ability of 12 Cyathus species to degrade 14C-labeled lignin in kenaf was studied. The sum of 14C released into solution plus 14C released into the gas phase over a 32-day fermentation period was used to determine average daily rates of lignin biodegradation. Cyathus pallidus. C. africanus, and C. berkeleyanus delignified kenaf most rapidly. C. canna showed the greatest preference for lignin degradation over other plant components, and its rate of lignin degradation was only slightly lower than the three most active species. The apparent ability of fungi to metabolize low-molecular-weight lignin breakdown products correlated well with their overall delignification rates. C. stercoreus metabolized degradation products of lignin from wheat straw better than those from kenaf lignin, based on the amount of low-molecular-weight products left in solution.
New Neutron-Deficient Isotopes of Rhenium

Cerium-132, a positron emitter with a half-life of 4.2 plus or minus 0.2 hours, was identified through its generic relationship to the known daughter nuclide, La/sup 132/. An activity of 30-minutes half-life and 4.2-Mev maximum positron enengy, which may be due to Ce/sup 131/, was also observed. (auth)
Purification, crystallization and preliminary characterization of an Eph‐B2/ephrin‐B2 complex

Eph receptors and their ephrin ligands are involved in various aspects of cell–cell communication during development, including those of the axon pathfinding processes in the nervous system and cell–cell interactions of the vascular endothelial cells. The recognition and binding properties of the ligand-binding domain of EphB2 receptor and the extracellular domain of ephrin-B2 have been studied and two different cocrystals of their complex have been generated. One crystal form has space group C2, diffracts to 3.5 A and has unit-cell parameters a = 128, b = 88, c = 79 A, β = 112°. The other crystal form grows in space group P1, has unit-cell parameters a = 78, b = 78, c = 78 A, α = 69, β = 75, γ = 69° and diffracts to 2.7 A. Structure-determination experiments using the latter form are in progress. The structure of the complex will elucidate the chemical nature of the interactions between Eph receptors and ephrins, which would create the possibility of using them as targets for structure-based anticancer-drug development.
Athermalized channeled spectropolarimetry using a biaxial potassium titanyl phosphate crystal

Channeled spectropolarimeters measure the polarization state of light as a function of wavelength. Typically, a channeled spectropolarimeter uses high-order retarders made of uniaxial crystal to amplitude modulate the measured spectrum with the Stokes polarization information. A primary limitation of these instruments is the thermal variability of the retarders, which necessitates frequent system recalibration. Past work has addressed this issue by implementing an athermalized retarder produced from two uniaxial crystals. However, reducing the complexity of an athermalized retarder is advantageous for minimizing size and weight requirements. In this Letter, a technique for producing a thermally stable channeled spectropolarimeter using biaxial retarders is presented. This technique preserves a constant phase over an appreciable temperature range. Proof-of-concept results from a KTP-based athermal partial channeled spectropolarimeter are presented from 500 to 750 nm for temperature changes up to 26°C. Spectropolarimetric reconstructions produced from this system vary by <=2.6% RMS when the retarder experiences a 13°C increase in temperature above 21°C ambient, <=5.2% for a 20°C increase, and <=6.7% for a 26°C increase.
Enhanced optical nonlinearity in amorphous silicon and its application to waveguide devices

Tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy using microresonator whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) is demonstrated. WGMs are excited around the circumference of a cylindrical cavity 125 µm in diameter using an adiabatically tapered fiber. The microresonator is very conveniently tuned by stretching, enabling the locking of an individual WGM to the laser. As the laser is scanned in frequency over an atmospheric trace-gas absorption line, changes in the fiber throughput are recorded. The experimental results of cavity-enhanced detection using such a microresonator are centimeter effective absorption pathlengths in a volume of only a few hundred microns cubed. The measured effective absorption pathlengths are in good agreement with theory.
Anticipatory grief: an existential model for spiritual care

This project sought through spiritual care, demonstrated in an intentional small group process, to promote theological reflection about meaningful living. The desired effect was to know the fact of one's death to be an impetus for life. Methodology entailed determination of issues the participants wanted addressed as well as delineation of the mechanics of the phenomenon of anticipatory grief. The project showed a positive correlation between a constructive sense of anticipatory grief and a sense of meaning for life. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Probabilistic Search as a Strategy Selection Procedure

An alternative solution to the problem of the selection of the best strategy in a random environment is presented by using a probabilistic search procedure. The asymptotic optimality of the technique is proved, and a brief comparison with stochastic automata with variable structures is made. A specific organization of the optimal search procedure is developed based on continued learning of some statistics of the random environment, and it is shown to be fast-converging, powerful in high noise random environments, and insensitive to search parameter selection.
Abdominal phase-contrast MR angiography: Breath-hold versus non-breath-hold techniques

Breath-hold magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is now replacing many non-breath-hold pulse sequences in the upper abdomen because of faster imaging times and improved image quality. The authors compared non-breath-hold cine phase-contrast (PC) and breath-hold 2D phase-contrast (2DPC) magnetic resonance (MR) angiograms of the main portal vein (MPV) and superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in 12 volunteers. All angiograms were graded in overall image quality, vessel conspicuity, and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). In the MPV MR angiograms, the breath-hold 2DPC sequence produced better images than the non-breath-hold cine PC sequence as graded by overall image quality (P = .016) and SNR (P = .004). Conversely, in the SMA MR angiograms, the non-breath-hold cine PC sequence produced better images than the breath-hold sequence in terms of overall image quality (P = .008) and SNR (P = .008). By reducing the most significant cause of image artifacts, (ie, using a breath-hold 2DPC sequence to decrease respiratory misregistration of the MPV, and using a cardiac-gated cine PC sequence to minimize pulsatile artifacts of the SMA), one can clearly optimize the quality of MR angiography.
Strange Attractors in Periodically-Kicked Limit Cycles and Hopf Bifurcations

We prove the emergence of chaotic behavior in the form of horseshoes and strange attractors with SRB measures when certain simple dynamical systems are kicked at periodic time intervals. The settings considered include limit cycles and stationary points undergoing Hopf bifurcations.
The micro-occlusion method for estimating fluid exchange across the wall of single capillaries.

Abstract The Landis micro-occlusion procedure for estimating the filtration coefficient ( K f ) of single capillaries is described together with modifications designed to improve its accuracy and its application to abnormal situations. Emphasis is placed on the inhomogeneity of the capillary network in mesentery and the difficulty in establishing average K f values for tissues. On the basis of the Starling relationship for transcapillary movement of water, the curves representing filtration or absorption in occluded capillaries should depict an exponential relationship. Many capillaries exhibit a straight-line relationship suggesting the loss of whole plasma during filtration. The use of osmotic transients to study changes in K f for periods up to several hours is described. There is a need to compare the permeability properties of vessels with different K f values with the ultrastructural makeup of these vessels.
Development and characterization of novel starch and alkyl ketene dimer microcellular foam particles

There is interest in replacing inorganic fillers in paper, coatings and plastics with renewable organic fillers to improve the economics, performance and environmental aspects of such products. Starch microcellular foam (SMCF) particles are promising materials in this regard. This research was undertaken to produce SMCF particles and characterize their morphology, optical properties and interaction with water. SMCF particles were produced using corn starch; which was solubilized in water. The foam structure was created by precipitating the starch using ethanol in a solvent exchange technique. The starch was also reacted with alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) wax at different levels in order to understand if the AKD could impart water resistance to the particles. Two methods were used to incorporate AKD: (1) the AKD was coated onto foam particles after foam formation, and (2) the AKD was blended with the starch before foam particle formation. Hexane extraction was used to purify a portion of each of the samples to determine if unreacted AKD existed with the starch matrix. Particles with porous structure and high brightness were developed for all combinations of starch and AKD. The brightness of the particles was significantly higher than that of the uncooked starch, presumably due to the development of a porous structure. For the AKD coated particles a minimum amount of AKD charged was needed to develop a high contact angle, low solubility, and low water retention value, higher levels of AKD in AKD coated particles did not further alter these properties. This indicates that the changes in properties with AKD level with coated particles is a surface phenomena. Starch AKD blends did not show any increased resistance to water relative to the particles with no AKD blended. This is due to the ethanol used in the precipitation process extracting the AKD, which was confirmed by elemental analysis. The particles, even with the 10% AKD coated or blended, lost their porous structure upon rewetting. Further work needs to be performed to more effectively hydrophobize the starch foams with AKD.
Disney’s Sub/Version of Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”

(1991). Disney’s Sub/Version of Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid”. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 145-152.
The Words of Ina Beasley: Glimpses from a Life in British Sudan

This essay presents a woman whose ideas not only signifies a challenge to conventional approaches to the relationship between colonialism and feminism, but also enables us to appreciate the intricacies and diversities of colonial experiences and the multiple roles played by individuals who wielded some level of authority in a colonised society. Since this essay is a tribute to Ina Beasley, it reproduces substantial excerpts from her papers on the subjects that engaged her most deeply during her Sudan service. Her writings shed new light on the social history of human rights during the Condominium, which matters both to scholars and to concerned citizens. In recognition of Ina Beasley, who devoted her life to improving the lives of women and children in a society rife with hardship and discriminatory practices, the essay addresses her work on education and its relevance to eradicating female circumcision that was universally practiced at the time. The essay begins with a brief discussion of Sudanese politics at the time of her arrival and then examines her work as educator who managed to craft several influential programs to empower women and girls. The rest of the paper focuses on her reproductive health advocacy as exemplified in a formidable body of work that articulated her activities and approaches to social rights.
Below bandgap excitation of SnO 2 nanowires: The relaxation of trap states

Carrier relaxation of SnO 2 nanowires is investigated by excitation at 3.2 eV, ∼0.4 eV below the bandgap. The excited state transmission spectrum from 1.9–2.7 eV is intensity-dependent and recovers uniformly with a biexponential relaxation route.
Esophagitis Associated with Candida Infection in a Neonate

A 14-day old infant with stomatitis due to Candida albicans presented with frequent emesis and was found to have esophagitis by barium esophagram. She responded promptly to oral Mycostatin suspension: her emesis subsided and the stomatitis resolved. Repeat esophagram on the seventh day of therapy showed complete res olution of the esophageal mucosal abnormalities. Although Candida stomatitis is common in infants, the incidence and appropriate therapy of Candida esophagitis as a complication in otherwise normal infants are unknown. This patient responded well to frequent therapy with an oral, nonabsorbable antifungal agent.
Differential inhibition of adenosine deaminase deficient peripheral blood lymphocytes and lymphoid line cells by deoxyadenosine and adenosine.

Abstract The response to mitogens of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from adenosine deaminase deficient (ADA − ) patients with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), but not from normals, was more sensitive to inhibition by deoxyadenosine than by adenosine. In contrast, proliferation of long-term lymphoid line (B) cells from these patients was essentially equally inhibited by adenosine and deoxyadenosine. Deoxycytidine could “rescue” ADA − PBLs from deoxyadenosine toxicity.
3‐Designs of PSL(2, 2n) With block sizes 4 and 5

We determine the distribution of 3-designs among the orbits of 4- and 5-element subsets under the action of PSL(2,2n) on the projective line. Thus we give complete information on all Kramer–Mesner matrices for the action of PSL(2,2n) on 3-sets versus 4- and 5-sets. As a consequence, all 3-designs with block sizes 4 and 5 and automorphism group PSL(2,2n) can immediately be obtained. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.