cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ligand-based modification of the structures and optical properties of new silver(I)-rhenate(VII) oxide/organic hybrid solids.

A new series of silver(I)-rhenate(VII) hybrids was systematically prepared under hydrothermal conditions from eight different N-donor organic ligands (isonicotinate = inca, pyrazine-2-carboxylate = pzc, 1,2,4-triazole = tro, pyridazine = pda, 4,4′-bipyridine = bpy, 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)-ethane = dpa, 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine = bpp, and tetra-2-pyridinylpyrazine = tpp), and their resulting structures and optical properties were investigated. The reactions targeted a 1:1 molar ratio of Ag/Re, and new hybrid solids were prepared with the compositions Ag(bpp)ReO4 (1), Ag(tpp)ReO4·H2O (2), Ag(Hinca)2ReO4·H2O (3), Ag(tro)ReO4 (4), Ag(pda)ReO4·1/2H2O (5), Ag(Hpzc)ReO4 (6), Ag2(Hpzc)(pzc)(H2O)ReO4 (7), Ag(bpy)ReO4 (8), and Ag(dpa)2ReO4 (9). Hybrid solids 1, 2, and 3 each exhibit low-dimensional structures, consisting of [Ag2(bpp)4]2+ and [Ag2(Hinca)4]2+ dimers in 1 and 3, respectively, and [Ag(tpp)]nn+ chains in 2. Hybrid solids 4 and 5 contain a [Ag(tro)]+ chain and a [Ag3(pda)3]3+ cyclic trimer, respectively, th...
From Marx to Markets: Reform of the University Economics Curriculum in Russia

This article describes some of the major changes that have occurred in the university economics curriculum in Russia since 1989, with a focus on Moscow State University. The problems and possibilities relating to curriculum reform beyond the introductory course are considered, with the general observation that considerable time will be required for complete reform.
Gene flow and structure of United States Negro populations.

(1970). Gene flow and structure of United States Negro populations. Social Biology: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 316-323.
A Study on Packaging of Miniature Fiber Optic Sensors for In-Vivo Blood Pressure Measurements in a Swine Model

Fiber optic sensors are potential techniques for diagnosis of coronary artery disease by measuring the blood pressure difference across a coronary artery stenosis. However, there is no available packaging method to accelerate the commercialization of the device from academic research. Obstacles that hinder the direct use of fiber optic sensors for this biomedical application were analyzed in this paper. Packaging requirements were summarized. A complete packaging solution to a miniature fiber optic sensor was designed accordingly, including fiber pretreatment, coating, tubing, and coil assembly, so that the packaged fiber optic sensor can work effectively and robustly in the coronary artery of a swine model. The successful blood pressure measurements in the aortic arch and the right coronary artery of the swine demonstrated that the reported packaging method provides effective protection and flexible steerability to fiber optic sensors for in-vivo blood pressure measurements.
Ranolazine in the management of chronic stable angina.

Purpose. A review of the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical trials, safety, and efficacy of ranolazine is presented. Summary. Ranolazine has recently been approved as adjunctive treatment for chronic stable angina (CSA). Data suggest that ranolazine exerts its antiischemic effect through antagonism of the late sodium current and other cardiac ion channels. Peak plasma levels of ranolazine have been observed two to five hours following repeated dosing and are unaffected by food. In placebo-controlled and active-controlled clinical trials conducted with ranolazine, ranolazine has been effective in the treatment of patients with CSA. One trial demonstrated that monotherapy with extended-release ranolazine was effective against angina and ischemia in patients with CSA. Ranolazine improved exercise duration and time to onset of angina. In a trial in which ranolazine was given in combination with atenolol, diltiazem, or amlodipine, ranolazine produced clinically significant improvement in exercise duration and reduced the incidence of anginal attacks compared with placebo. Another trial demonstrated that extended-release ranolazine 1000 mg given twice daily reduced mean weekly angina episodes in patients with chronic angina. Ranolazine is generally well tolerated. In clinical trials, adverse effects were seen more in the ranolazine groups than in the placebo groups. Conclusion. Despite a lack of mortality data, ranolazine has demonstrated its efficacy and safety, either as monotherapy or in combination with other antianginal agents, in the management of CSA. Patients who fail optimal therapy with standard-of-care antianginal agents are the best candidates for treatment with ranolazine.
Creative revision: From rough draft to published paper

The process of revising a technical or scientific paper can be performed more efficiently by the people involved (author, co-author, supervisor, editor) when the revision is controlled by breaking it into a series of steps. The revision process recommended is based on the levels-of-edit concept that resulted from a study of the technical editorial function at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology. Types of revision discussed are substantive, policy, language, mechanical style, format, integrity, and copy clarification.
Identification and correction of rejection and substitution errors in optical character recognition systems

We examine the use of character image analysis coupled with contextual information in complex data gathering forms to identify and correct optical character recognition (OCR) system rejection and substitution errors. Segmented characters from a complex data gathering form are initially classified using an OCR engine based on a combination of Karhunen-Loeve transforms and a back-propagation neural network. Systems of equations are derived from the data gathering form to determine the values of characters rejected by the OCR engine and to verify the consistency of the data captured. If the OCR results for a single form are determined to be inconsistent with respect to the form's data relationships, a set of decision algorithms which incorporates a second neural network and uses additional character features is used to tag characters according to their likelihood of substitution error. Potential substitution errors are incrementally added to the set of OCR reject errors and are processed through dynamically selected systems of equations and search techniques which correct both error classes. We provide experimental results and determine the extent to which errors can be detected and corrected for various OCR error rates.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Influences of the neural cell adhesion molecule on axon growth and guidance

The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been shown to be a ligand in the formation of cell-cell bonds. This molecule is present on essentially the entire surface of differentiated nerve cells, including the cell body, neurite shaft, and growth cone. In mediating membrane-membrane adhesion, NCAM appears to ligate with itself, and one of its most obvious functions is in the self-association of nerve fibers to form fascicles. In most cases fasciculation occurs by the successive elongation of axons along other axons and, therefore, is likely to represent a growth cone-neurite shaft interaction as well as a shaft-to-shaft adhesion. Competition between neurite shafts and the surrounding substrate for growth cone adhesion probably represents a major factor in the branching of nerve bundles. In addition to neurons, NCAM appears on some glial and muscle cells. Recent experiments suggest that this molecule is involved in growth cone guidance along adhesive pathways on glial precursors in the vertebrate central nervous system, and in the initial interaction of axons with muscle prior to synaptogenesis.
Cross-layer throughput optimization for delay and QoS constrained applications

In this article we recast the problem of throughput optimization in cross-layer architecture for delay sensitive applications. Unified mathematical framework was developed for maximizing user throughput in generalised wireless environment. The optimization variables adapted include symbol rate (at the application layer), packet length (at the MAC layer), constellation size (at the physical layer) and number of retransmissions of M-PSK digital modulation schemes. We derive optimization equations for each of the above degrees of freedom in closed-form which maximizes the throughput subject to a prescribed packet loss probability constraint. Interior-point optimization algorithm was used to solve the resultant constrained non-linear optimization problem. Numerical results reveal that no successful packet decoding is possible at very low average signal-to-noise (SNR) regime as the packet loss constraint is not met when channel condition is very bad irrespective of adaption. At moderately low SNR, it is sufficient to adapt packet length while keeping symbol rate fixed at the maximum value while joint optimization of both the number of retransmissions and the constellation size parameters while keeping the packet length at an appropriate value is required in the high average SNR regime, to achieve maximum throughput over a myriad of wireless fading environments. Results also showed that the tighter the packet loss constraint, the lower the throughput becomes.
Caspase-8 mediates caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release during singlet oxygen-induced apoptosis of HL-60 cells.

We reported previously that singlet oxygen, generated by irradiation of rose bengal with visible light, induced apoptosis in human promyelocytic leukemia HL-60 cells. However, the mechanism of apoptosis caused by this reactive oxygen species is unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that singlet oxygen induced caspase-3 activation and Z-DEVD-FMK, a caspase-3 inhibitor, blocked apoptosis induction, while caspase-1 activity was not detectable and the caspase-1 inhibitor Z-YVAD-FMK had a very limited effect on apoptosis. This suggests that the activation of caspase-3 by singlet oxygen is essential for the commitment of cells to undergo apoptosis. Further studies showed that singlet oxygen induced an increase in caspase-8 activity and a reduction in mitochondrial cytochrome c. Time course analysis indicated that the cleavage of caspase-8 precedes that of caspase-3. In addition, blockade of caspase-8 by Z-IETD-FMK inhibited cleavage of pro-caspase-3 and prevented loss of mitochondrial cytochrome c. These results suggest that caspase-8 mediates caspase-3 activation and cytochrome c release during singlet oxygen-induced apoptosis in HL-60 cells.
Desorption of residual sulfuryl fluoride from structural and household commodities by headspace analysis using gas chromatography.

Sulfuryl fluoride, SO2F2, is a widely used fumigant for structural pest control (Monroe 1969, Ebeling 1975). Structural fumigation requires that the entire building be sealed or enclosed in tarpaulins to confine the gas for a predetermined concentration and time depending on the target organism, weather, and physical nature of the building. Because structural materials, furnishings, and household effects are also exposed to the fumigant, these act as sorptive matrices. Desorption of sulfuryl fluoride (SF) from some commodities may continue after the building has been reoccupied. The limited air exchange in modern, environmentally controlled buildings and the greater use of synthetic polymers in structures dictate a need to assess the levels of SF desorption from fumigated materials associated with human dwellings. In this study we analyze SF desorption levels over a 40-day period from 13 structural and household commodities at two exposure concentrations by gas chromatography of headspace.
Inter-reader variability in alternate forced choice studies

In this study, we investigated differences in detection performance for twelve observers who each generated a CT contrast detail curve. An anthropomorphic newborn phantom's abdomen was imaged using a GE Light Speed CT scanner (4-slice). Alternate Forced Choice (AFC) experiments were performed with lesions sizes ranging from 2.5 to 12.5 mm to determine the intensity needed to achieve 92% correct (I 92% ). Following training, twelve readers consisting of (2 technologists, 4 college students, 4 medical students, and 2 radiology residents) generated a single contrast detail curve. Eight readers produced approximately linear contrast detail curves while the remaining four readers required a second order polynomial fit because of reduced performance when detecting the largest (i.e., 12.5 mm) lesion. For the three smallest lesions, the coefficient of variation between the twelve readers was ~12%, which increases with increasing lesion size to ~23% for 12.5 mm lesion size. The ratio of the maximum I 92% to minimum I 92% values was ~1.6 for the smallest lesions, which increased to a factor of ~2.1 for the 12.5 mm lesion. Our results show that minimizing inter-reader variability in our AFC experiments could be achieved by eliminating the largest lesion that cause detection problems in one third of observers. The combined experimental data showed that the slope of the contrast detail curve was -0.42, lower than the value of -1.0 predicted by the Rose model, suggesting that the noise texture in CT associated with both quantum mottle and anatomic structure is an important factor affecting detection of these lesions.
Controversial transplant issues

Background: Little information is available on the indications for, and the efficacy and timing of, liver transplantation in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). This issue is particularly relevant because prolonged survival has been reported in patients who do not undergo transplantation. Methods: Long-term results of therapeutic interventions including liver transplantation were assessed in a representative series of 51 patients. Patient survival was compared with that expected from prognostic models. Results: Actuarial symptom-free survival rate inpatients treated by nontransplantation biliary surgery (n = 23) was 35% at 10 years. Actuarial survival rate from onset of PSC (56% at 10 years) was identical to that expected from the prognostic model. Actuarial patient (n = 28) survival rate 5 years after transplantation was greater that expected from prognostic models (89% versus 31%; P < .05). Cumulative actuarial incidence of cancer 5 and 10 years after the onset of PSC was 13% and 31%, respectively. Conclusions: Liver transplantation improves the prognosis of patients with PSC. Failure to identify patients who will benefit from nontransplantation therapeutic interventions or in whom a cancer will develop, and the risk associated with previous abdominal surgery, suggest that liver transplantation should be indicated early after onset of symptoms. (Reproduced with permission from Mosby-Year Book, Inc.)
Are two photoreceptors involved in the flowering of a long‐day plant?

The effect of daylength extension with narrow spectral bands on the flowering of a long-day plant, Brassica campestris L. cv. Ceres, was investigated to obtain clues to the identity of the photoreceptor involved. Extension of a 9 h photoperiod with 5 h of light pulses at various wavelengths resulted in maximal flowering occurring after irradiation at 710 nm, less at 730 nm, and none at 550, 660 and 750 nm. Flowering at 710 and 730 nm was negated by simultaneous exposures at 550 nm, but not at 660 nm. A short preirradiation at 660 nm enabled a following irradiation at 750 nm to induce flowering. This latter induction was prevented by 550 nm irradiation. Short flashes of light at 710 nm induced flowering that was negated by a following flash at 550 nm but not at 660 nm. The negation by 550 nm radiation was prevented by subsequent flashes at 710 nm, indicating photoreversibility. A flash at 660 nm enabled subsequent light flashes at 750 nm to initiate flowering that was reversed by a following 550 nm flash. From the results showing the necessity of red and far-red lights, it is proposed that flowering in this long-day plant is due to two photoreceptors - one is phytochrome and the other an unknown pigment with far-red, green photoreversible properties. By using fluence response data, it is deduced that the unidentified photoreceptor has weak absorption bands in the far-red, but has a strong absorption band in the green. Flowering is induced when effects of red light absorbed by phytochrome interact with effects of far-red light absorbed by the unidentified photoreceptor.
Dissociation of autonomic controls of heart rate in weaning-aged borderline hypertensive rats by perinatal NaCl

Abstract The ontogeny of functional sympathetic neural, adrenal medullary, and extra-adrenal components of adrenergic control of heart rate was investigated in borderline hypertensive rats exposed to either high or low sodium chloride (NaCl) from conception through weaning. Borderline hypertensive rats were produced by mating spontaneously hypertensive females with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto males. Females were maintained on diets containing either low (0.12% NaCl) or high (3% NaCl) dietary NaCl throughout pregnancy and lactation. At 28 days of age, baseline heart rates recorded from awake and unrestrained pups did not differ between low and high NaCl-exposed pups. Overall sympathetic tone, inferred from heart rate change after β 1 -adrenergic blockade with atenolol, did not differ between high and low NaCl-exposed pups. Early NaCl exposure did not alter the neural component of sympathetic control of heart rate as inferred from heart rate decrease after bretylium tosylate. Parasympathetic nervous system control, as reflected by tachycardic response to muscarinic receptor blockade with atropine methyl nitrate was also unchanged by early NaCl exposure. The adrenal catecholamine component of sympathetic control of heart rate was inferred from bradycardia following administration of the ganglion blocking agent, chlorisondamine, to pups pretreated with bretylium and atropine methyl nitrate. Pups exposed to low NaCl showed increased adrenal control of heart rate compared to high NaCl-exposed pups. The influence of residual catecholamines on heart rate was inferred from bradycardia following administration of the β 1 -adrenergic receptor blocking agent, atenolol, in pups pretreated with bretylium, atropine methyl nitrate, and chlorisondamine. Residual catecholamine influence was greater in rats exposed to high NaCl. Thus, while overall sympathetic control of heart rate did not differ, pups exposed to low dietary NaCl showed greater adrenal contribution to sympathetic control and pups exposed to high dietary NaCl showed greater extra-adrenal catecholamine contribution.
Atrazine Used as a Tracer of Induced Recharge

The city of Lincoln draws water from a well field along the banks of the Platte River in east-central Nebraska. We have been able to follow the infusion of atrazine into this well field under induced recharge. Samples of water from the river, several monitoring wells and a production well were analyzed by GC/MS and solid phase extraction and found to change in concentration over the range 0.1 and 5.0 ppb of atrazine through the spring, summer, and fall 1989. Increases in the concentration of atrazine relating to precipitation events in the Platte River Basin were observable in the well water samples and ultimately in Lincoln municipal tap water. Atrazine from the river was seen to move via induced recharge and into well field ground water and away from the river at an observable rate. The concentration of atrazine in the river is dependent upon time of year and precipitation in the river basin.
Increasing the efficiency of resin posterior teeth

Abstract The placement of large silver amalgam restorations in resin posterior teeth seems to be a simple method to produce a more natural feeling and to improve efficiency of the teeth. Wear of the resin teeth is also reduced. Patients may like the esthetic features, but this factor is secondary. This technique is most logically applied when resin teeth must be used because of limited interarch distance or when the denture opposes extensive metallic restorations.
Slow-release fertilizer encapsulated by graphene oxide films

Abstract A slow-release fertilizer was developed by encapsulating KNO3 pellets with graphene oxide (GO) films. The material was then subjected to heat treatment, where adjacent GO sheets were soldered and reduced to reduced graphene oxide (re-GO) sheets by potassium. After the re-GO shell formed on KNO3 pellets, the slow-release characteristics of the fertilizer dramatically improved. The process of releasing fertilizer was prolonged to 8 h in water. We believe that this new coating technology could hold great promise for the development of environmentally-benign controlled-release fertilizer for crop production.
A-generators for ideals in the Dickson algebra

Abstract The Dickson Algebra on q-variables is the algebra of invariants of the action of the mod-2 general linear group on a polynomial algebra in q-variables. We study the structure of certain ideals in this algebra as a module over the Steenrod Algebra A , and develop methods to determine which elements are hit by Steenrod operations. This allows us to display a very small set of A -generators for these ideals and show that the set is minimal in some cases.
Expression of preproenkephalin mRNA by cultured astrocytes and neurons

Abstract Expression of preproenkephalin mRNA by developing glia and neurons was examined in cultures of embryonic and neonatal rat brain. Cultured glia from specific regions of embryonic day 17 and neonatal day 1 rat brain were identified as astrocytes on the basis of both morphology and expression of immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein. The level of preproenkephalin mRNA in cultured neonatal hypothalamic astrocytes was comparable to levels present in cultured embryonic striatal and hypothalamic neurons. Levels of the mRNA were significantly higher in astrocytes derived from neonatal hypothalamus compared to astrocytes derived from other areas of the brain. Thus, there is heterogeneity among astrocytes with respect to preproenkephalin expression. Levels of preproenkephalin mRNA in cultured neonatal striatal astrocytes were only one-third as high as levels in embryonic striatal astrocytes; this observation suggests that glial expression of the gene may be down-regulated during development. Although cultured hypothalamic neurons contained substantial levels of prodynorphin mRNA, levels of this mRNA were not detectable in cultured astrocytes from any brain region or in cultured striatal neurons. Thus, glia do not express all opioid peptide genes during development. These observations suggest that expression of the preproenkephalin gene by astrocytes may play a role in development of the brain.
A novel human papillomavirus type 6 neutralizing domain comprising two discrete regions of the major capsid protein L1.

We have mapped the binding sites on human papillomavirus (HPV) type 6 for three HPV 6-specific neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The critical binding residues were first identified by making HPV 11-like amino acid substitutions in the HPV 6 major capsid protein L1 and assaying the resulting virus-like particles (VLPs) for reactivity with the mAbs. To confirm the relevance of these residues for mAb binding, we demonstrated that HPV 6 type-specificity could be transferred to HPV 11 VLPs by making the appropriate HPV 6-like amino acid substitutions in the HPV 11 L1. Two binding regions were found. For one mAb, all critical residues are centered at residue 53, while for the other two mAbs, type-specific binding also requires a second site located more than 100 residues distal to the first. Both binding sites coincide with regions of L1 where the sequences of the closely related HPV 6 and 11 diverge. These regions are where the L1 sequences are the least well conserved among all HPV types and they have been implicated in type-specific binding for other HPV types. This suggests that clusters of diverged residues, surrounded by conserved L1 sequences, are presented on the surface of assembled particles and are responsible for eliciting critical humoral immune responses to the virus.
The Debye-Waller factor of graphite

Abstract The Debye-Waller factor of graphite is calculated, using the model proposed by Komatsu.
Children's consonant inventories after extended cochlear implant use.

Qualitative descriptions of the consonant inventories of 12 children who have used cochlear implants for at least 5 years are provided, together with description of sound correspondences between children's systems and the ambient language (English). Productions of English words were elicited in a picture-naming task, and a consonant inventory for each child was determined. Results showed that the consonant inventories of children who use cochlear implants are not simply subsets of the inventory of the ambient language, but rather unique sets of segments that may include consonants not in the ambient inventory. Comparison of the inventories of oral communication users and total communication users revealed qualitative differences between the 2 groups, based on the presence or absence of both English and non-English sound segments. Inventories of oral communication users tended to contain more English segments (e.g., alveolar fricatives, velar stops, velar nasals) than did the inventories of total communication users. Conversely, specific non-English segments, such as uvular stops, tended to occur in the inventories of total communication users more than in inventories of oral communication users. Therefore, a complete understanding of the phonological systems of children who use cochlear implants depends on full accounts of their segment inventories. Such understanding may affect decisions regarding habilitation procedures, insofar as successful acquisition of a linguistic system involves not only the inclusion of all ambient sound segments, but also the exclusion of all nonambient ones.
The Differential Growth Effect of FDI across US Regions

In this paper we examine and assess the differential impact of FDI on growth in eight US regions, as defined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The results show that the manufacturing FDI–growth relationship tends to vary across regions. In particular, while the New England, Mideast, Great Lakes, Rocky Mountains and Far West regions experienced a positive growth effect of manufacturing FDI over the sample period 1977–2001, other regions showed little evidence of such a relationship. Using disaggregated data across manufacturing sectors, we also find that there are great regional variations concerning the FDI–growth nexus, and only the Great Lakes and Far West regions experienced a beneficial impact of FDI on growth in all five manufacturing sectors examined.
Chemical Estimation of Progesterone in the Blood of Cattle, Sheep, and Goats

Summary A method is described for the determination of progesterone in blood based on extraction and partition between organic solvents, paper partition chroma-tography, and ultraviolet absorption spectrophotometry. The hormone was found in a pregnant goat in blood leaving an ovary that contained a corpus luteum and also in that from one containing a Graafian follicle only. It could not be detected in the venous drainage of the uterine horns, gravid and nongravid, in two pregnant goats, nor in the peripheral blood of several of the large domesticated animals. After a single subcutaneous injection of 1 g. progesterone the rate of disappearance from blood was examined. The data suggest a peak concentration about 2 hours after administration. Subcutaneous injection of the hormone for several days resulted in a detectable concentration in the peripheral blood of a pregnant animal. In a young dairy bull plasma progesterone levels above 1 γ/ml were maintained for 24 hours for three consecutive days by daily injections of 1 g. In dairy heifers subcutaneous injections of 100 mg. daily showed maximum levels within 1½ hours and disappearance within 4 hours. When microcrystals were suspended in water, the maximal level attained for plasma progesterone was lower, but measurable amounts were present after 8 hours.
Humoral factors in massive pulmonary embolism: An experimental study

Abstract Alterations in central venous pressure (CVP) were measured in response to embolization with standardized autologous venous thrombi. Platelets were counted before and after embolization and their accretion on the embolus was determined microscopically at autopsy. The rise in CVP could be blocked by heparin but only at sufficient doses to prevent the platelet accretion, or by aging the thrombus prior to embolization. conversely, the postembolic rise in CVP and mortality rates were augmented by an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase whose effect in turn was nullified by a serotonin antagonist. It is concluded that the release of biogenic amines from platelets, triggered by thrombin on the embolus, plays a significant role in the animal's response to thromboemboli. Both in vivo and in vitro evidence is presented demonstrating that the dose requirements of heparin necessary to inhibit these events is greater than that generally used in treating pulmonary embolism. Certain clinical observations relating to these experimental findings are reviewed and the therapeutic implications discussed.
Time-dependent inactivation of P450 3A4 by raloxifene: identification of Cys239 as the site of apoprotein alkylation.

Time-dependent inactivation of cytochrome P450s is typically a result of substrate bioactivation to form reactive species that subsequently alkylate the heme group, apoprotein, or both. The chemical identity of many reactive intermediates is generally proposed based on the products of trapping reactions with nucleophilic agents as only a few P450-drug adducts have been directly characterized. We describe the use of mass spectrometry to show that a single equivalent of raloxifene is bound to the intact P450 apoprotein. Furthermore, mass analysis of peptides following digestion with proteinase K revealed that the covalently bound drug is localized to residue Cys239. A mass shift of 471 Da to the intact protein and peptide, relative to control samples, indicated that time-dependent inactivation of P450 3A4 occurred through the raloxifene diquinone methide intermediately prior to nucleophilic attack of the sulfur of Cys239. Association between raloxifene adduction to P450 3A4 apoprotein and the observed time-...
Elastic and Irreversible Energies of a Two-Stage Martensitic Transformation in NiTi Utilizing Calorimetric Measurements

Elastic energy and irreversible energy are quantified based on calorimetric measurements. We analyze energetics for each stage of the stress-free, thermally induced two-stage phase transformation A ⇔ R ⇔ B19′ in an aged Ni-rich NiTi shape memory alloy. Heating/cooling rates are imposed from 1 K/min up to 100 K/min. We compare energetic analysis after multiple thermal cycles to virgin (i.e., first-cycle) material. Fundamental thermodynamic formulations are applied from two perspectives: the free energy change dG, and the rate of change of free energy expressed as dG/df m. Two measures of irreversible contributions are defined: the difference between the forward and reverse transformation heats, and the product of the entropy and the thermal hysteresis. Higher values are determined for the former. For scan rates of 10 K/min and greater, the energetic values become relatively stable. Substantial variations are evident at 1, 5, and 10 K/min. The scan rate impacts the elastic strain energy and irreversible energy of the B19′ markedly compared with the R-phase transition. The findings are rationalized considering morphologic changes at the lower scan rates and the impacts on elastic and irreversible energies.
Crack border stress and displacement equations revisited

It is more or less accepted in fracture mechanics that the elastic stress and displacements very near to the tip of a plane line crack can be approximated with sufficient accuracy, for all geometries and outer boundary loading conditions, by a one-parameter representation, i.e., strictly in terms of the stress intensity factors KI and/or KII. It is shown here that this presumption which appears to be reasonable on face value, quantitatively speaking, is nevertheless unacceptable as a general proposition. The reason lies with the quite arbitrary practice of omitting the second term of the series representation for the stresses, a contribution which is independent of distance from the crack tip. It is not difficult to show by way of specific examples how such omission can lead to error of serious qualitative nature in the prediction of stress and displacement related quantities of interest.
Hospital Strategy Uptake and Reductions in Unplanned Readmission Rates for Patients with Heart Failure: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND Despite recent reductions in national unplanned readmission rates, we have relatively little understanding of which hospital strategies are most associated with changes in risk-standardized readmission rates (RSRR).
Myocardial perforation in the cardiac catheterization laboratory: incidence, presentation, diagnosis, and management

The introduction of balloon valvuloplasty and new devices for coronary intervention has increased the incidence and changed the site and clinical presentation of cardiac perforation. We reviewed all cases of cardiac perforation that occurred during 11,845 consecutive catheterization procedures during a 6-yr period (1986-91). Fourteen cardiac perforations (overall incidence 0.12%) occurred as a result of the following procedures: mitral valvuloplasty 7 of 150 (4.7%), aortic valvuloplasty 4 of 260 (1.5%), pericardiocentesis 1 of 90 (1.1%), temporary pacer 1 of 1,660 (0.06%), and diagnostic left heart catheterization 1 of 6,965 (0.01%). Perforation was recognized in the catheterization laboratory in 11 patients, within 1 hr of leaving the laboratory in two patients, and 15 hr later in one patient. Hemodynamic evidence of tamponade developed in 13 patients and was confirmed by fluoroscopy (immobile heart borders) or echocardiography. Pericardiocentesis is definitive therapy in nearly half of the cases; the remaining patients require pericardiocentesis plus surgical repair of the perforation.
Intrinsic kinetics of first-order reactions in photocatalytic membranes and layers

Heterogeneous photocatalysts, in the form of particles immobilized in permeable membranes or in layers covering supports, are under development for production of ultrapure water for use in semiconductor fabrication and other applications. Concentration and light intensity gradients present within a photocatalyst layer will cause local reaction rates to vary within the layer, complicating determination of intrinsic kinetics. Analytical solutions are obtained here for arbitrary networks of two or more species that undergo first-order reactions in photocatalyst layers. First-order or pseudo-first-order behavior should be obtained at the very low contaminant concentrations encountered in water ultrapurification. Experimental data can be analyzed using the solutions to obtain estimates of intrinsic rate coefficients for two flow configurations: (1) water and reactants flow through a photocatalyst layer, (2) water flows past one face of a photocatalyst layer into which reactants diffuse, with the other face sealed. A set of experimental data in the literature is analyzed and an estimate of the intrinsic reaction rate coefficient is obtained. The analytical solutions show that, when reactants flow through a photocatalyst layer, the same outlet composition is obtained for the same total incident light intensity, regardless of how the incident intensity is distributed between the two faces of the layer. When reactants diffuse into a photocatalyst layer, greater conversion can be obtained for light incident on the face over which water flows than for light incident on the sealed face. Greater conversion is obtained for reactant flow through a photocatalyst layer than for reactant diffusion into the layer.
A prospective study of bone mass and body composition in female adolescent gymnasts.

Abstract Objective: To examine changes in bone and body composition of adolescent female artistic gymnasts (GYM; n = 7), level 5+, compared with nongymnast controls (CON; n = 10) over 3 years. Study design: Areal bone mineral density (aBMD; g/cm2), bone mineral content (BMC; g) and bone area (cm2), of the total body (TB), total proximal femur (TPF), trochanter (Tr), femoral neck, lumbar spine (LS), and distal radius were measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat-free soft tissue mass (FFST; g), fat mass (g), and percent body fat (%FAT) were also assessed. Results: No initial differences in height or weight between GYM and CON were observed, and both groups demonstrated parallel increases in these parameters over time (P
Facilitating the Comprehension of Syntax in Aphasia

This study represents tile third in a series designed to assess aphasic listeners' ability to comprehend syntax. It addressed the issue of whether the presence of additional surface structure marke...
Intensive Care in Patients With HIV Infection in the Era of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy

Study objectives The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically improved morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV infection. The types of critical illness and their outcomes in HIV-infected patients in recent years is unknown. Design We reviewed the medical records of all patients admitted to the Medical ICU of Beth Israel Medical Center, NY, from January to June 2001 and compared their characteristics with patients admitted to the same unit from November 1991 to October 1992. Results Of 441 admissions in the first half of 2001, 63 admissions (14%) were in 53 HIV-seropositive patients. There were 65 admissions to the Medical ICU during the 1-year period spanning 1991 to 1992. Compared with the earlier period, the 2001 patients were more likely to be black (52% vs 26%, respectively; p Conclusions In the era of HAART, more patients with HIV infection were admitted to the ICU over a 12-month period than were 10 years previously. Patients were more likely to be injection drug users and were more likely to be admitted to the ICU because of non-HIV-associated conditions.
Soviet cinema in the wake of the terror: the Artistic Council at Mosfilm, 1939–41

AbstractStalinist cinema stood at an uncomfortable crossroads on the eve of World War II in the wake of the terror: a sharp drop in the ‘artistic quality’ of films; a decline in the variety of film genres and themes; unfulfilled film production targets; a lack of good film scripts; an increasing number of ‘dull’ films; a difficulty in attracting actors; a lack of equipment and infrastructure; a failure in reaching the masses; and difficulties with providing film students with adequate work. Yet, we know little about the reactions of the country's film workers to these setbacks and challenges. For years, scholars assumed that all debate and experimentation amongst Soviet film workers had ceased by the end of the 1930s with the onset of socialist realism, terror, centralization and Party and peer censorship. Yet, my research shows that, on the contrary, film workers engaged in active discussions, debates, infighting and experimentation right up to the outbreak of World War II. Based largely on the typed min...
Seismic data compression by an adaptive local cosine/sine transform and its effects on migration

The local cosine/sine basis is a localized version of the cosine/sine basis with a window function which can have arbitrary smoothness. It has orthogonality and good time and frequency localization properties. The adaptive local cosine/sine basis is a best-basis obtained from an overabundant library of cosine/sine packets based on a cost-functional. We propose a 2D semi-adaptive (time-adaptive or space-adaptive) local cosine transform (referred to as a 2D semi-ALCT) and apply it to the SEG–EAEG salt model synthetic data set for compression. From the numerical results, we see that most of the important features of the data set can be well preserved even in the high compression ratio (CR=40:1) case. Using reconstructed data from the highly compressed ALCT coefficients (CR=40:1) for migration, we can still obtain a high-quality image including subsalt structures. Furthermore, we find that the window partition, generated by the 2D semi-ALCT, is well adapted to the characteristics of the seismic data set, and the compression capability of the 2D semi-ALCT is greater than that of the 2D uniform local cosine transform (2D ULCT). We find also that a (32, 32) or (32, 64) minimum (time, space) window size can generate the best compression results for the SEG–EAEG salt data set.
Chicken liver dihydrofolate reductase: Activation and alteration of enzymatic properties as a result of reaction with methylmercury

Abstract Dihydrofolate reductase from chicken liver has a single sulfhydryl group which reacts stoichiometrically and specifically with a wide variety of organic mercury compounds to yield an enzyme derivative which exhibits up to 10-fold the activity of the unmodified form when measured at pH 6.5, the optimum for the modified enzyme. The sulfhydryl group is apparently not at the active site since a 25-fold excess of either major cosubstrate, dihydrofolate or TPNH, affects neither the rate nor extent of the modification reaction. The reaction is essentially instantaneous and yields an enzyme with altered kinetic properties for all the substrate pairs examined (TPNH/dihydrofolate, TPNH/ folate, and DPNH/dihydrofolate) when tested near their pH optima. V values increased 3- to 10-fold when TPNH was cofactor; K m values increased 10- to 15-fold for the TPNH/dihydrofolate pair. The mercurial-activated enzyme, unlike the native form, exhibits a markedly increased sensitivity to heat, proteolysis, and the ionic environment, losing approximately 50% of its activity under conditions where there is no loss of activity in the native form. However, substrates can afford protection, the order of effectiveness being identical with the relative affinities of the substrates for the native enzyme (Subramanian, S., and Kaufman, B. T. (1978) Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 75 , 3201). Thus, dihydrofolate, with the largest binding constant is the most efficient, protecting completely against trypsin digestion when present at a 1:1 ratio with enzyme. Heating the mercury enzyme in the absence of substrates gives rise to a stable but altered conformation characterized by a time course which shows marked hysteresis. The striking similarity of the properties of the mercurial-activated dihydrofolate reductase to the reductase activated by 4 m urea, a reagent known to affect the tertiary structure of proteins, suggests that covalent binding of organic mercurials to the sulfhydryl group results in a similar conformational change characterized by a marked facilitation of the dihydrofolate reductase reaction.
The heterogeneous reaction of HOCl + HCl → Cl2 + H2O on ice and nitric acid trihydrate: Reaction probabilities and stratospheric implications

The heterogeneous reaction HOCl + HCl → Cl2(g) + H2O(s) has been observed to proceed readily on cold water-ice and nitric acid trihydrate (NAT) surfaces. For reactant partial pressures in the 10−7–10−5 torr range, the reaction probability (γ) on water-ice is found to be 0.16 ± 0.10 at 202 K, and 0.24 +0.5/−0.15 at 195 K, as measured by the decay of HOCl vapor when the HCl partial pressure is above that of HOCl. On NAT, γ is found to have a strong dependence on the H2O vapor pressure of the NAT crystals: at 202 K, reaction probabilities of 0.17 are measured for H2O vapor pressures approaching those of ice (H2O-rich NAT), whereas γ drops to 0.002 if the H2O pressure is lower by a factor of five (HNO3-rich NAT). The yield of Cl2(g) relative to HOCl(g) loss is measured to be 0.87 ± 0.20. These results suggest that the heterogeneous process ClONO2 + HCl → Cl2(g) + HNO3(s), which occurs on polar stratospheric cloud surfaces, may be comprised of two steps: ClONO2 + H2O(s) → HOCl + HNO3(s), followed by HOCl + HCl → Cl2(g) + H2O(s). Also, the HOCl + HCl reaction may be directly of importance in the polar stratosphere providing an additional path for chlorine activation.
Establishing an Ion Pair Interaction in the Homomeric ρ1 γ-Aminobutyric Acid Type A Receptor That Contributes to the Gating Pathway

{gamma}-Aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors are members of the Cys-loop superfamily of ligand-gated ion channels. Upon agonist binding, the receptor undergoes a structural transition from the closed to the open state, but the mechanism of gating is not well understood. Here we utilized a combination of conventional mutagenesis and the high precision methodology of unnatural amino acid incorporation to study the gating interface of the human homopentameric {rho}1 GABAA receptor. We have identified an ion pair interaction between two conserved charged residues, Glu92 in loop 2 of the extracellular domain and Arg258 in the pre-M1 region. We hypothesize that the salt bridge exists in the closed state by kinetic measurements and free energy analysis. Several other charged residues at the gating interface are not critical to receptor function, supporting previous conclusions that it is the global charge pattern of the gating interface that controls receptor function in the Cys-loop superfamily.
Healthy DC - Go Local: It Takes a Village.

Since the acceptance of the Healthy DC – Go Local proposal in November 2007, members of the District of Columbia Area Health Sciences Libraries group supported the project by offering their time to select health care services, perform data entry, review records, and promote the database to their organizations. Although the amount of work required to sustain the database became more than the Go Local team was able to handle, the collaboration, dedication, and persistence of project managers, volunteers, and part-time staff members was what made the project a truly collaborative one and an ultimately successful resource for Washington, D.C. health care consumers.
Sphingolipids mediate formation of mRNA processing bodies during the heat-stress response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Recent work, especially in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has demonstrated that mRNA movement from active translation to cytoplasmic granules, termed mRNA processing bodies (“p-bodies”), occurs in concert with the regulation of translation during cell stress. However, the factors regulating p-body formation are poorly defined. Recent data demonstrated a function for sphingolipids in regulating translation during heat stress, which led to the current hypothesis that p-bodies may form during heat stress in a sphingolipid-dependent manner. In this study, we demonstrate that heat stress induced formation of p-bodies as determined by localization of a GFP-tagged Dcp2p and RFP-tagged Edc3p to discrete cytoplasmic foci. Sphingoid base synthesis was required for this effect, in that inhibition of sphingoid base synthesis attenuated formation of these foci during heat stress. Moreover, treatment of yeast with exogenous sphingoid bases phyto- and dihydrosphingosine promoted formation of p-bodies in the absence of heat stress, and the lcb4/5 double deletion yeast mutant defective in sphingoid base kinase activity demonstrated both highly elevated sphingoid bases and large, clearly defined p-bodies under non-stress conditions. Functionally, inhibition of sphingolipid synthesis during heat did not prevent translation arrest but extended translation arrest, supporting a role for sphingoid bases in the resumption of translation following heat stress. Together, these data demonstrate a critical and novel role for sphingolipids in mediating p-body formation during heat. While roles of p-bodies in translation are the subject of much current investigation, these data indicate a novel function for sphingoid bases in p-body formation during heat stress and may help to elucidate mechanisms by which sphingolipids regulate translation.