cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
König's Infinity Lemma and Beth's Tree Theorem

Konig, D. [1926. ‘Sur les correspondances multivoques des ensembles’, Fundamenta Mathematica, 8, 114–34] includes a result subsequently called Konig's Infinity Lemma. Konig, D. [1927. ‘Uber eine Schlussweise aus dem Endlichen ins Unendliche’, Acta Litterarum ac Scientiarum, Szeged, 3, 121–30] includes a graph theoretic formulation: an infinite, locally finite and connected (undirected) graph includes an infinite path. Contemporary applications of the infinity lemma in logic frequently refer to a consequence of the infinity lemma: an infinite, locally finite (undirected) tree with a root has a infinite branch. This tree lemma can be traced to [Beth, E. W. 1955. ‘Semantic entailment and formal derivability’, Mededelingen der Kon. Ned. Akad. v. Wet., new series 18, 13, 309–42]. It is argued that Beth independently discovered the tree lemma in the early 1950s and that it was later recognized among logicians that Beth's result was a consequence of the infinity lemma. The equivalence of these lemmas is an easy ...
Optimal and Game-Theoretic Deployment of Security Investments in Interdependent Assets

We introduce a game-theoretic framework to compute optimal and strategic security investments by multiple defenders. Each defender is responsible for the security of multiple assets, with the interdependencies between the assets captured by an interdependency graph. We formulate the problem of computing the optimal defense allocation by a single defender as a convex optimization problem, and establish the existence of a pure Nash equilibrium of the game between multiple defenders. We apply our proposed framework in two case studies on interdependent SCADA networks and distributed energy resources, respectively. In particular, we investigate the efficiency loss due to decentralized defense allocations.
Buffalo Bill Cody and Wyoming Water Politics

Buffalo Bill Cody entered into irrigation development in Wyoming in 1895 expecting to run his own show. By 1910, fickle corporate power, unruly state politics, and a new federal development bureaucracy had marginalized Cody in his own enterprise, creating in the process a twentieth-century model for western water development.
Are Bank Fiduciaries Special

A growing body of post-crisis legal and economic literature suggests that future financial crises might be averted by tinkering with the internal governance structures of banks and other financial institutions. In particular, contributors to this literature propose tightening the fiduciary duties under which officers and directors of the relevant financial institutions labor. I argue in this symposium article that such proposals are doomed to failure under all circumstances save one - namely, that under which the relevant financial institutions are in whole or in part treated as publicly owned. The argument proceeds in two parts. I first show that the financial dysfunctions that culminate in financial crises are not primarily the products of defects in individual rationality or morality, ubiquitous as such defects of course always are. Rather, I argue, fragility in the financial markets stems from what I elsewhere dub recursive collective action problems, pursuant to which multiple acts of individual rationality aggregate into instances of collective calamity. This form of vulnerability is endemic to banking and financial markets. I next show that the best understanding of fiduciary obligation is that pursuant to which she who is subject to the obligation minimizes the 'space,' or separateness, that subsists between her and the beneficiary of her obligation. Ideal fiduciaries, in other words, stand-in for those to whom they are fiduciaries, while legal allowances for departure from this exacting ideal amount to pragmatic compromises we make with the brute fact of fiduciaries' being separate persons with interests of their own.It follows from these two lines of argument that merely tightening fiduciary duties back up in the case of financial fiduciaries will be no help at all if our object is to address financial fragility. It will simply ensure that fiduciaries behave more as their beneficiaries would behave - beneficiaries whose individually rational behavior is precisely the problem where markets beset by recursive collective action problems are concerned. Because the only way to solve a collective action problem is through collective agency, the only way to fashion a 'fiduciary fix' to financial dysfunction is to reconceive financial fiduciaries as collective agents, not individual agents. And that is to reconceive financial institutions as public institutions.
Twelve‐Month‐Old Infants’ Sensitivity to Others’ Emotions Following Positive and Negative Events

This study investigated infants’ sensitivity to others’ congruent and incongruent emotional reactions to positive and negative events. Thirty-six 12-month-old infants viewed three distinct interpersonal events (give a toy, break a toy, fight over a toy) followed by an emotional expression (happiness, sadness, anger) that was either congruent or incongruent with the preceding event outcome. The duration of infants' looking toward each emotional reaction was examined. Infants demonstrated sensitivity to incongruent emotional reactions for the give and fight events, representing the earliest evidence to date of emotional sensitivity to negative events.
Impact of Coordinated-Bilateral Physical Activities on Attention and Concentration in School-Aged Children.

Purpose. This study examined the effects of 4-week, daily 6-minute coordinated-bilateral physical activity (CBPA) breaks in classroom on attention and concentration in school-aged children. Methods. Participants (n=116) in fifth grade from two elementary schools were assigned to three groups: two intervention groups (n= 60) and one control group (n = 56). All three groups were pre- and post-tested with the d2 Test of Attention (d2 test). One intervention group (n = 31) took part in six minutes of daily classroom-based coordinated-bilateral physical activity (CBPA) break for four weeks. Another intervention group (n = 29), the Fitbit Only (Fitbit-O), wore Fitbits per day during a school, five days per week for four weeks without CBPA breaks. A 2 × 3 ANOVA was conducted, followed by the post hoc comparisons. Results. The CBPA showed significant increases in processing speed ( = 6.876, p = .010), focused attention ( = 10.688, p = .002), concentration performance ( = 26.46, p = .000), and attention span ( = 14.090, p = .000) over the control, but not in accuracy (Error %). The CBPA showed significant improvement in concentration performance ( = 24.162, p = .000) and attention span ( = 6.891, p = .011), compared to the Fitbit-O. No significant changes in all five attention parameters were found between the Fitbit-O and the control. Conclusion. It was concluded that daily brief coordinated-bilateral activities can improve attention and concentration in fifth-grade students over the course of four weeks.
Fast Adaptive Composite Grid (FAC) Methods: Theory for the Variational Case

The subject of this paper is the fast adaptive composite grid (FAC) method for solving variationally posed differential boundary value problems. Related to local defect corrections (LDC) and multilevel adaptive techniques (MLAT), an important difference is that FAC forces the user to specify the discrete problem on the finest composite grid — it is not rather an implicit result of the adaptive process. The advantages are that FAC can more readily meet practical objectives, does not suffer from some of the practical limitations of (“natural”) versions of LDC and MLAT, and lends itself to a simple theory. The latter is the subject of this paper.
Design and Programming of Systolic Array Cells for Signal Processing

Many signal processing and matrix algorithms require large amounts of computation, yet the computations are inherently regular and could easily be done in parallel. In 1978, H. T. Kung and C. E. Leiserson [1] introduced systolic arrays, a parallel architectural approach that could use VLSI technology to exploit these algorithms. The word systolic was chosen because a systolic array is controlled by a global clock, so the data pulses through the array synchronously.
Single-crystal X-ray diffraction of grunerite up to 25.6 GPa: a new high-pressure clinoamphibole polymorph

High-pressure single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted on natural grunerite crystals with composition (Fe5.237Mg1.646Ca0.061Mn0.051Na0.015Ti0.002Cr0.001K0.001)(Si7.932Al0.083)O22(OH)2, using a synchrotron X-ray source. Grunerite has C2/m symmetry at ambient conditions. The samples were compressed at 298 K in a diamond-anvil cell to a maximum pressure of 25.6(5) GPa. We observe a previously described phase transition from C2/m (α) to P21/m (β) to take place at 7.4(1) GPa, as well as a further transition from P21/m (β) to C2/m (γ) at 19.2(3) GPa. The second-order Birch–Murnaghan equation of state fit to our compressional data, yielded the values V0 = 914.7(7) A3 and K0 = 78(1) GPa for α-grunerite, V0 = 926(5) A3 and K0 = 66(4) GPa for β-grunerite and V0 = 925(27) A3 and K0 = 66(13) GPa for γ-grunerite. The β–γ phase transition produces a greater degree of kinking in the double silicate chains of tetrahedra accompanied by a discontinuous change in the a and c unit cell parameters and the monoclinic β angle. At 22.8(4) GPa the O5–O6–O5 kinking angle of the new high-pressure C2/m phase is 137.5(4)°, which is the lowest reported for any monoclinic amphibole. This study is the first structural report to show the existence of three polymorphs within an amphibole group mineral. The high-pressure γ-phase illustrates the parallel structural relations and phase transformation behavior of both monoclinic single and double chain silicates.
Emerging immunotherapies for autoimmune kidney disease.

Autoimmunity is a leading cause of chronic kidney disease and loss of native and transplanted kidneys. Conventional immunosuppressive therapies can be effective but are non-specific, noncurative, a...
In-plane normal vibrations of 1,2,5-oxa-, thia- and selena-diazoles, 1,3,4-oxa- and thia-diazoles and 1,2,3,4-thiatriazoles

In-plane vibration modes of 1,2,5- and 1,3,4-oxa- and thia-diazoles, and 1,2,5-selenadiazole have been assigned on the basis of detailed normal coordinate analysis employing data on several deuterated species. In-plane vibration frequencies of two 1,2,3,4-thiatriazole derivatives have been calculated and compared with observed values.
Examining the Political and Military Power in Latin America: a Response to Christian Gudehus

While Gudehus’ views have opened up a necessary theoretical debate about categories used to analyze perpetration, we should be cautious when considering such arguments, particularly when examining the concept of political violence. Hence, in this essay I argue that Gudehus’ claim that “political” is too narrow of a concept when accounting for episodes of collective violence might not be the case when examining the Latin American experience with extreme forms of violence, such as genocide.
Removal of Painful Os Paracuneiforme: A Case Report.

Os paracuneiforme (OPC) is an extremely rare accessory bone located either medial to the medial cuneiform or to the naviculocuneiform joint. Although OPC often appears on the list of accessory ossi...
Endogenous Opiates and Exercise-Related Hypoalgesia

Endogenous opiates, endorphins and enkephalins, influence processes within the body including pain, cardiac function, blood pressure, cellular growth, immunity, and blood glucose regulation. Opiates discharged inside the CNS stay within this compartment, whereas those in the circulation primarily arise from the anterior pituitary gland, but some are released from immune cells and peripheral nerves. Generally, acute aerobic and resistance exercises of sufficient intensity and volume have been reported to induce a hypoalgesia response. This hypoalgesia response appears to be related to various pathways involved with endorphins and other neurotransmitters that alter perceptions of pain. Alteration of pain thresholds may transiently occur with exercise. Changes within the CNS using new technologies suggest beta-endorphins (βE) influence brain signaling. Furthermore, elevation in βE modifies immune responses that alter blood pressure, pain, and assist with blood glucose regulation during exercise. Limited research on enkephalins and exercise has been conducted, and results are equivocal. A limited number of studies have reported enkephalin increases within certain regions of the brain. However, discrepancies with the enkephalin response to endurance training have occurred. Clearly more research is needed dealing with endogenous opioids and exercise, especially in the CNS compartment, to help elucidate how exercise influences hypoalgesia and immune function.
Effect of Temperature on Thermal Properties of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete

AbstractData on temperature-dependent thermal properties of concrete are critical for fire-resistance evaluation of concrete structures. This paper presents the effect of temperature on thermal pro...
The cooling signature of basal crevasses in a hard-bedded region of the Greenland Ice Sheet

Abstract. Temperature sensors installed in a grid of nine full-depth boreholes drilled in the southwestern ablation zone of the Greenland Ice Sheet recorded cooling in discrete sections of ice over time within the lowest third of the ice column in most boreholes. Rates of temperature change outpace cooling expected from vertical conduction alone. Additionally, observed temperature profiles deviate significantly from the site-average thermal profile that is shaped by all thermomechanical processes upstream. These deviations imply recent, localized changes to the basal thermal state in the boreholes. Although numerous heat sources exist to add energy and warm ice as it moves from the central divide towards the margin such as strain heat from internal deformation, latent heat from refreezing meltwater, and the conduction of geothermal heat across the ice–bedrock interface, identifying heat sinks proves more difficult. After eliminating possible mechanisms that could cause cooling, we find that the observed cooling is a manifestation of previous warming in near-basal ice. Thermal decay after latent heat is released from freezing water in basal crevasses is the most likely mechanism resulting in the transient evolution of temperature and the vertical thermal structure observed at our site. We argue basal crevasses are a viable englacial heat source in the basal ice of Greenland's ablation zone and may have a controlling influence on the temperature structure of the near-basal ice.
Lower CSF homovanillic acid relates to higher burden of neuroinflammation and depression in people with HIV disease.

Abstract Background HIV-related neuroinflammation has been proposed as a catalyst for dopaminergic dysregulation in mesocortical pathways, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of depression. Abnormalities in dopaminergic neurotransmission and depression are common in people with HIV (PWH), however the link between dopamine (DA) and depression in PWH is poorly characterized. This study investigated CSF dopaminergic biomarkers, specifically DA and its metabolite, homovanillic acid (HVA), and examined their relationship with depressive symptoms and CSF neuroinflammatory markers in PWH and HIV-seronegative (HIV-) individuals. Methods Participants were 102 HIV- individuals and 123 PWH (mean age = 42) who underwent neuropsychiatric evaluations and lumbar puncture. Current depression severity was classified using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). CSF was assayed for DA and HVA using high performance liquid chromatography and neuroinflammatory markers using immunoassays. Linear regressions modelled BDI-II scores as a function of HIV, dopaminergic biomarker z-scores, and their interaction, controlling for psychosocial factors. Correlational analyses examined dopaminergic and neuroinflammatory relationships. Results PWH had significantly higher BDI-II scores than HIV- participants. DA and HVA were not associated with HIV status but both significantly moderated the effect of HIV on BDI-II scores, such that PWH exhibited higher depressive symptoms than HIV- participants only at lower concentrations of HVA (z ≤ 0.06) and DA (z ≤ 0.11). In PWH only, lower HVA significantly correlated with higher BDI-II scores and higher neuroinflammation, including higher MCP-1 and IP-10. Conclusions Results suggest that the pathophysiology of depression in PWH differs from that in HIV- individuals. Specifically, lower central dopaminergic activity was selectively associated with greater depressive symptoms and neuroinflammation in PWH. With the rise in consideration of DA agonists for the treatment of depression, these results suggest that PWH may show a greater response to these agents than their HIV- peers.
Comparison of pulmonary artery dimensions in swine obtained from catheter angiography, multi-slice computed tomography, 3D-rotational angiography and phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography

Accurate pulmonary artery (PA) imaging is necessary for management of patients with complex congenital heart disease (CHD). The ability of newer imaging modalities such as 3D rotational angiography (3DRA) or phase-contrast magnetic resonance angiography (PC-MRA) to measure PA diameters has not been compared to established angiography techniques. Measurements of PA diameters (including PA stenosis and PA stents) from 3DRA and non-contrast-enhanced PC-MRA were compared to 2D catheter angiography (CA) and multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) in a swine CHD model (n = 18). For all PA segments 3DRA had excellent agreement with CA and MSCT (ICC = 0.94[0.91–0.95] and 0.92[0.89–0.94]). 3DRA PA stenosis measures were similar to CA and MSCT and 3DRA was on average within 5% of 10.8 ± 1.3 mm PA stent diameters from CA and MSCT. For compliant PA segments, 3DRA was on average 3–12% less than CA (p < 0.05) and MSCT (p < 0.01) for 6–14 mm vessels. PC-MRA could not reliably visualize stents and distal PA vessels and only identified 34% of all assigned measurement sites. For measured PA segments, PC-MRA had good agreement to CA and MSCT (ICC = 0.87[0.77–0.92] and 0.83[0.72–0.90]) but PC-MRA overestimated stenosis diameters and underestimated compliant PA diameters. Excellent CA-MSCT PA diameter agreement (ICC = 0.95[0.93–0.96]) confirmed previous data in CHD patients. There was little bias in PA measurements between 3DRA, CA and MSCT in stenotic and stented PAs but 3DRA underestimates measurements of compliant PA regions. Accurate PC-MRA imaging was limited to unstented proximal PA anatomy.
Marking Time: Colorful New Insights into Master Clock Circuits.

A neural clock controls what we do each day, and understanding its circuitry is important for health. In this issue of Neuron, Shan et al. visualize molecular rhythms in subtypes of master clock neurons to test principles of cell identity and network wiring.
Prevalence of Pre-existing Conditions Among Community Health Center Patients With COVID-19: Implications for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Background: Short- and long-term effects of COVID-19 will likely be designated pre-existing conditions. We describe the prevalence of pre-existing conditions among community health center patients overall and those with COVID-19 by race/ethnicity. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study used electronic health record data from OCHIN, a network of 396 community health centers across 14 states. Results: Among all patients with COVID-19, 33% did not have a pre-existing condition before the pandemic. Up to half of COVID-19-positive non-Hispanic Asians (51%), Hispanic (36%), and non-Hispanic black (28%) patients did not have a pre-existing condition before the pandemic. Conclusions: The future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is uncertain, and the long-term health effects of COVID-19 are largely unknown; therefore, ensuring people with pre-existing conditions can acquire health insurance is essential to achieving health equity.
A Smoother Notion of Spread Hypergraphs

Alweiss, Lovett, Wu, and Zhang introduced $q$-spread hypergraphs in their breakthrough work regarding the sunflower conjecture, and since then $q$-spread hypergraphs have been used to give short proofs of several outstanding problems in probabilistic combinatorics. A variant of $q$-spread hypergraphs was implicitly used by Kahn, Narayanan, and Park to determine the threshold for when a square of a Hamiltonian cycle appears in the random graph $G_{n,p}$. In this paper we give a common generalization of the original notion of $q$-spread hypergraphs and the variant used by Kahn et al.
Circumventing immune rejection and foreign body response to therapeutics of type 1 diabetes

Abstract Foreign body response (FBR) and targeted rejection by the host immune system are major causes for elimination of grafts for Type 1 diabetes (T1D) treatment. Relevant biological pathways, approaches for immune suppression, management of long-term biomedical device solutions as well as strategies for directly imparting tolerogenicity of transplanted grafts or encapsulation systems will be discussed. Significant advances have been made to alleviate such responses, especially in the realm of biomaterial-based immunomodulatory technologies, including nanoparticle vaccines for preventing immune rejection of exposed grafts as well as improved bulk encapsulation systems meant for simultaneous immunoisolation of grafts and prevention of FBR aimed at the insulating device. We will provide critical analysis of emerging nano and macroscale technologies, and discuss the outlook for improvement of biocompatibility and efficacy of transplanted graft-device systems. Ultimately, further work is required to improve long-term graft survival and function as well as arrive at a truly biomaterial and barrier-free system of localized immune tolerance.
Collagenous Gastritis: Characteristics and Response to Topical Budesonide

Abstract Background and aims Collagenous gastritis (CG) is a rare disorder characterized by subepithelial collagen deposition in the stomach. Standard medications have been only moderately successful in treating CG. We report results of a large, retrospective, open-label noncontrolled study of topical budesonide for CG, with an aim of establishing an alternative therapy for the disease. Methods We identified patients treated for CG at Mayo Clinic (2000 through 2017) with topically targeted budesonide (TTB) in 2 formulations: open-capsule budesonide and/or compounded immediate-release budesonide capsule. Demographic, clinical, biochemical, and histologic variables were assessed for all patients before and after treatment. Results We identified 64 patients with CG (50 adults, 14 children). Most were female (68%); mean (SD) age was 41 (22.8) years; body mass index was 23.1 (5.9). In most pediatric patients, CG presented with abdominal pain and anemia; in adults, CG presented more often with weight loss (P 50 years (83%) vs those 19 to 50 (27%) or less than 19 years (50%); P Conclusion Adults and children with CG have a wide variety of symptoms, and, notably, topically targeted budesonide therapy produced clinical and histologic improvement after other therapy had failed.
Associations Between Class I MHC Antigens and Viral Glycoproteins Detected by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes, CTL, recognize viral antigens of infected cells in the context of the cells’ class I MHC antigens (Zinkernagel and Doherty, 1979). The basis of this MHC restriction is not defined. The weight of the evidence favors recognition of some complex of all or part of viral antigen with the class I antigen. The route of formation of this complex and its stability are still unclear. In some instances, influenza virus infection (Townsend et al., 1984; Yewdell et al., 1985) and SV40 transformation (Gooding and O’Connell, 1983) it is evident that the CTL are primarily directed against internal viral proteins, the nucleocapsid protein of the influenza virus or the T antigen of SV40. This, together with the demonstration that peptides derived from these proteins (Townsend, et al., 1986) can sensitise target cells, strongly implies that these antigens are partly digested, and associated with class I MHC antigens before appearing at the cell surface. Such a mechanism of association parallels that mechanism for the formation of nominal antigen/class II MHC antigen complexes for presentation to helper T cells (Buus et al., 1987; Unanue and Allen, 1987) and unifies our view of antigen presentation to T cells. However, the generality of this scheme is still not clear. Some virus antigens, even the influenza virus nucleocapsid, can be presented to cells under conditions in which processing is blocked (Wraith and Vessey, 1986), suggesting that they associate with class I antigens without internalization and processing.
Na,K-ATPase Activity in Rat Nephron Segments: Effect of Low Potassium Diet and Thyroid Deficiency

Publisher Summary Na,K-adenosine tri phosphate (ATP)ase is involved in Na+ reabsorption in almost all segments of the mammalian nephron, but the enzyme activity and Na+ transport is increased by miner­alocorticoid hormones in a few specific segments. Thyroid hormone has been shown to increase the activity of renal Na,K-ATPase, but its site of action in the nephron is not known. This chapter presents the results of the recent studies on (1) Na,K-ATPase activity in nephron segments of normal rat and its comparison with the animals fed a low K+ diet, (2) Na,K-ATPase activity in four morphologically distinct thin limb segments of the rat nephron, and (3) the effect of thyroid deficiency on Na,K-ATPase activity in different segments of the rat nephron. It is conclude in the study described in the chapter that the greater activity of Na,K-ATPase in rat than rabbit nephrons is related to the greater rate of glomerular filtration and Na+ reabsorption per rat nephron. The presence of significant Na,K-ATPase activity in Type II thin limb segments suggests that there may be active transport of K+ or Na+ or both in this segment. Finally, dietary potassium modulates K+ transport through Na,K-ATPase in the cortical collecting duct.
The liver is a common non-exocrine target in primary Sjögren's syndrome: A retrospective review

The autoimmune destruction of exocrine glands that defines primary Sjogren's syndrome (1°SS) often extends to non-exocrine organs including the liver. We aimed to determine the prevalence of liver disease in patients with 1°SS and to evaluate the association of this complication with other non-exocrine features and serologic markers of autoimmunity and systemic inflammation. We reviewed 115 charts of patients with 1°SS and further analyzed the 73 cases that fulfilled the European Epidemiology Center Criteria, seeking evidence for clinical and subclinical liver disease. Liver function tests had been determined in 59 of the 73 patients. Of those, 29 patients (49.1%) had abnormal liver function tests including 20.3% with clinically overt hepatic disease. Liver disease was the most common non-exocrine feature in this cohort. Risk factors for abnormal liver function tests were distributed similarly between the patients with and without liver disease. In 60% of patients with abnormal liver function tests no explanation for this complication was found except for 1°SS. Liver involvement was significantly more common in 1°SS patients who also had evidence of lung, kidney and hematological abnormalities. Patients with abnormal liver function tests were also more likely to have an elevated sedimentation rate and a positive anti-ENA during the course of their disease. Liver involvement is a common complication in 1°SS. Its presence correlates with systemic disease. We consider that this complication should be routinely sought in patients with 1°SS, especially when a positive anti-ENA or evidence of systemic inflammation is found.
Flooding‐Stress in Plants

Flooding is a stress that crop plants frequently encounter and results in huge economic losses. Studies on the effects of flooding at the molecular level may lead to improvements that will result in flood-tolerant crop plants. Key concepts Flooding leads to a deprivation of oxygen in plants. Many plants respond to oxygen deprivation with adaptations that allow short-term survival. Some plants show excellent tolerance to anoxia. Keywords: oxygen deprivation; anoxia; hypoxia; flooding; plant stress; gene regulation
Characteristics of Z-DNA helices formed by imperfect (purine-pyrimidine) sequences in plasmids.

The capacities of three synthetic sequences to adopt left-handed helices were evaluated in recombinant plasmids. The sequences consisted of very short runs of (CG)n (n = 2-4) interspersed with runs of alternating A.T base pairs and/or with regions of non-alternating base pairs. The plasmids were studied by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to determine the natures of the conformational transitions and their free energies of formation. These results coupled with analyses with chemical (diethyl pyrocarbonate, osmium tetroxide, and bromoacetaldehyde) and enzymatic (S1 nuclease, T7 gene 3 product, and MHhaI) probes indicated that the entire sequence was adopting a left-handed helix in each case. In one of these sequences, Z-DNA formation necessitated the retention of the anti conformation of one of the guanines in a region of non-alternation. In a sequence which contains out-of-phase regions of alternation, our results indicate the formation of a separate left-handed helix in the central (CG)2 region, thus forming two Z-Z junctions. In summary, we conclude that only very short regions of alternating CG are necessary to effect the B to Z transition and that this conformational change can be transmitted through non-alternating regions. A set of empirical rules governing the characteristics of the B to Z transition and the types of left-handed helices in supercoiled plasmids was derived from studies on a systematic series of 17 plasmids.
A nonlinear technique for enhancement of color images: an architectural perspective for real-time applications

In this paper, an efficient hardware design for a nonlinear technique for enhancement of color images is presented. The enhancement technique works very effectively for images captured under extremely dark environment as well as non-uniform lighting environment where 'bright" regions are kept unaffected and 'dark' objects in 'bright' background. For efficient implementation of the nonlinear technique on a targeted FPGA board, estimation techniques for logarithm and inverse logarithm are introduced. The estimation method helps to reduce the computational time and FPGA resources significantly compared to conventional implementations of computational intensive operations such as logarithm. The enhancement technique is further analyzed and rearranged into hardware algorithmic steps to better suit the high performance implementation. A number of parallel functional modules are designed to operate simultaneously to optimally utilize the operation-level parallelism available in the technique. Sequential operations are partitioned into well-balance workload stages of a pipelined system based on the inter-data-dependency of the algorithmic steps to better utilize the resources in a FPGA such as on-chip RAM and logic-blocks. The image enhancement system is designed to target the high-performance for real time color image enhancement with minimum 25 frames per second.
Update on Antidotal Therapy

Antidotal therapy is useful for only a meager number of poisonous agents in which reversal of the effects of the toxin, or treatment of the toxin-induced pathophysiologic derangements, is possible. This review of selected antidotes is meant to acquaint the reader with some of the new and/or controversial uses for a few of our older agents, to introduce two new agents recently marketed, and to refresh information on antidotes not often used.
Corticosteroid treatment for inflammatory bowel disease in pediatric patients increases intraocular pressure.

Abstract Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in 54 pediatric patients (aged 7–21 years) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) who were treated with oral prednisone for 1–104 months. The difference in mean IOP between the treated patients (mean ± SD, 15.62 ± 4.11 mm Hg) and 55 age-matched controls (13.83 ± 2.42 mm Hg) was statistically significant ( P = 0.007). The IBD patients were classified as group I, IOP ≤19 mm Hg in both eyes, and group II, IOP ≥ 20 mm Hg in either eye. Twelve of the 54 patients (22.2%) and none of the controls had IOP ≥ 20 mm Hg ( P
Lower NLRP3 inflammasome activity in NAG-1 transgenic mice is linked to a resistance to obesity and increased insulin sensitivity.

Objective The NLRP3 inflammasome plays an important regulatory role in obesity-induced insulin resistance. NSAID activated gene-1 (NAG-1) is a divergent member of the TGF-β superfamily. NAG-1 Tg mice are resistant to dietary- and genetic-induced obesity and have improved insulin sensitivity. The objective was to examine whether NLRP3 inflammasome activity is associated with this observed phenotype in NAG-1 Tg mice. Methods Key components of the NLRP3 inflammasome were examined in NAG-1 Tg mice on both regular and high fat diet (HFD) conditions. Results The expression of caspase-1 and ASC, key components of the NLRP3 inflammasome, is significantly reduced at mRNA and protein levels in white adipose tissue (WAT) of NAG-1 Tg mice. HFD increases the expression of caspase-1 and ASC in WT mice, but their expression is reduced in NAG-1 Tg mice. Furthermore, there is reduced IL-18, IL-1β, and TNF-α expression in the WAT of NAG-1 Tg mice. NAG-1 Tg mice have significantly lower serum leptin and insulin levels and reduced expression of macrophage infiltration markers (F4/80, CD11b, and CD11c) in WAT. Conclusions The study suggests the lower NLRP3 inflammasome activity may play a role in the resistance of NAG-1 Tg mice to diet-induced obesity and improved insulin sensitivity.
Emerging, diverging and converging paradigms on sustainable development

SUMMARY Sustainable development has been used in various contexts by theoreticians and practitioners from a number of disciplines. This review explores some of these contexts from basic and applied ecological sciences, social sciences and philosophical works. It is concluded that there is a need to develop a theoretical paradigm that helps to explain the reasons underlying human resource use—a fundamental question that has been ignored in many other studies. A theoretical, evolutionary approach and several premises derived from this approach are offered. The theoretical framework suggests that societal scale, social structure, interrelatedness of individuals, and reciprocal relations between individuals may all be important in determining the types of management programmes that promote sustainable resource use by humans. Examples of solutions to various sustainability issues at different scales, based on different kinds of incentive structures, are also presented.
Characterization of a Vibrio cholerae virulence factor homologous to the family of TonB‐dependent proteins

Summary IrgA is an iron-regulated virulence factor for infection in an animal model with classical Vibrio cholerae strain 0395. We detected gene sequences hybridizing to irgA at high stringency in clinical isolates in addition to 0395, including another classical strain of V. cholerae, three V. cholerae strains of the EI Tor biotype, three non-O1 isolates of V. cholerae, and individual isolates of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Vibrio fluvialis, and Vibrio alginolyticus. No hybridization to IrgA was seen with chromosomal DNA from Vibrio vulnificus or Aeromonas hydrophila. To verify that irgA is the structural gene for the major iron-regulated outer membrane protein of V. cholerae, we determined the amino-terminal sequence of this protein recovered after gel electrophoresis and demonstrated that it corresponds to the amino acid sequence of IrgA deduced from the nucleotide sequence. Gel electrophoresis showed that two EI Tor strains of V. cholerae had a major iron-regulated outer membrane protein identical in size and appearance to IrgA in strain 0395, consistent with the findings of DNA hybridization. We have previously suggested that IrgA might be the outer membrane receptor for the V. cholerae siderophore, vibriobactin. Biological data presented here, however, show that a mutation in IrgA had no effect on the transport of vibriobactin and produced no defect in the utilization of iron from ferrichrome, ferric citrate, haemin or haemoglobin. The complete deduced amino acid sequence of IrgA demonstrated homology to the entire class of Escherichia coli TonB-dependent proteins, particularly Cir. Unlike the situation with Cir, however, we were unable to demonstrate a role for IrgA as a receptor for catechol-substituted cephalosporins. The role of IrgA in the pathogenesis of V. cholerae infection, its function as an outer membrane receptor, and its potential interaction with a TonB-like protein in V. cholerae remain to be determined.
Adding Human Papillomavirus Testing to Cytology for Primary Cervical Cancer Screening: Shooting First and Asking Questions Later

Should women undergo simultaneous human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and cytology for primary cervical cancer screening? In this issue, Datta and colleagues report that 9% of women age 30 years and...
Modular architecture of the bacteriophage T7 primase couples RNA primer synthesis to DNA synthesis

Abstract DNA primases are template-dependent RNA polymerases that synthesize oligoribonucleotide primers that can be extended by DNA polymerase. The bacterial primases consist of zinc binding and RNA polymerase domains that polymerize ribonucleotides at templating sequences of single-stranded DNA. We report a crystal structure of bacteriophage T7 primase that reveals its two domains and the presence of two Mg 2+ ions bound to the active site. NMR and biochemical data show that the two domains remain separated until the primase binds to DNA and nucleotide. The zinc binding domain alone can stimulate primer extension by T7 DNA polymerase. These findings suggest that the zinc binding domain couples primer synthesis with primer utilization by securing the DNA template in the primase active site and then delivering the primed DNA template to DNA polymerase. The modular architecture of the primase and a similar mechanism of priming DNA synthesis are likely to apply broadly to prokaryotic primases.
An X-ray diffraction analysis of portland cement

Abstract This method describes a quantitative determination of the major phases in cement or clinker. In addition, well defined ferrite and aluminate diffraction patterns are obtained which lend themselves to crystallographic evaluation. After initial grinding, the cement sample is split. One portion is used for the determination of silicates and the other is treated with maleic acid to remove the silicate phases for closer examination of aluminates and ferrites.
The antifibrinolytic effects of carbon monoxide-releasing molecule-2 are fibrin and α2-antiplasmin dependent

Carbon monoxide derived from a carbon monoxide-releasing molecule [tricarbonyldichlororuthenium (II) dimer; CORM-2] has been recently demonstrated to diminish tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA)-mediated fibrinolysis of plasma thrombi via enhancement of alpha2-antiplasmin-plasmin interactions. The goal of this study was to confirm this mechanism by comparing tPA-mediated fibrinolysis with fibrin-independent, alpha2-antiplasmin-resistant streptokinase-mediated fibrinolysis in CORM-2 exposed plasma. Normal plasma was exposed to 0 or 100 micromol/l CORM-2, with coagulation activated with tissue factor and fibrinolysis initiated with 100 U/ml tPA or 50 U/ml streptokinase. Thrombus growth/disintegration kinetics were monitored with thrombelastography until clot lysis time occurred. Unlike tPA-lysed clots, streptokinase-exposed thrombi demonstrated no significant CORM-2-mediated prolongation of clot growth time or clot lysis time. In contrast, streptokinase-mediated lysis did not significantly change the CORM-2-mediated percentage increase in the maximum rate of clot growth or maximum rate of clot lysis compared with tPA-exposed thrombi. CORM-2 likely attenuates fibrinolysis by a fibrin-dependent/alpha2-antiplasmin-dependent mechanism. Additional molecular investigation (e.g., mass spectroscopy) is planned to further elucidate how CORM-2 modifies fibrinogen/fibrin.
Alicyclic photoresists for CO2-based microlithography at 157 nm

Norbornene-based monomers were synthesized to include fluorinated moieties and/or chemical amplification switching groups. Polymers to be used as potential resist materials were synthesized from these monomers by addition polymerization using allylpalladium chloride dimmer. Monomers and polymers have been identified and partially characterized for important lithographic properties.
Predicting bankruptcy in the Texas nursing facility industry

Abstract Approximately 50% of nursing facilities in Texas petitioned for bankruptcy during the 1998–2004 period. Using a logit regression model tested for robustness, we find nursing facilities that are profit-seekers, chain members, pay higher than average wage rates, accept more intensive-care residents and obtain a larger than average portion of their funding from public sources are highly vulnerable to negative changes in regulatory policy decisions on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Larger facilities having higher than average occupancy rates and quality of care are less susceptible to adverse decisions. The model correctly classifies a facility as either bankrupt or solvent in about 75% of cases. We also examine the duration of bankruptcy using accelerated failure-time models. It appears that the duration of bankruptcy depends on location, out-of-state ownership, length of ownership, volume of resident days supplied, total cost and proportion of revenues from Medicaid.
Still Cruising and Believing? An Analysis of Online Credibility Across Three Presidential Campaigns

This study relies on online surveys of politically interested web users during the 1996, 2000, and 2004 presidential elections to examine the degree to which people judge online information as credible and to compare how credibility has shifted in the past decade. Whereas credibility scores jumped in 2000, they declined in 2004. Online issue sources were judged the most credible and online broadcast TV news sources the least credible. Whereas respondents perceived few differences between online and traditionally delivered sources in the 2000 campaign, greater differences emerged in the 2004 campaign.
Effect of Active Control on Under-Expanded Jets

In an effort to reduce the aircraft jet noise, control of jets has become one of the highly explored areas. In this work, we examine an underexpanded jet subjected to control with Localized Arc Filament Plasma Actuators (LAFPA) to complement prior results on perfectly expanded flow. High fidelity, Large Eddy Simulations (LES) are employed with a simple model for the actuators, eight of which are placed along the periphery of a Mach 1.2 converging nozzle exit. The axisymmetric mode (m=0) is excited at two different Strouhal numbers of 0.3 (corresponding to the most amplified jet-column mode) and 0.9, based on the exit diameter of the nozzle. Baseline (no control) simulations at two different Reynolds numbers (100,000 and 1.2 million) are also performed. Results indicate a good correlation between the numerical and the experimental results. Undulations are observed in the mean flow, which correspond to the increase and decrease of the flow velocity as the jet traverses the complex shock cell structures generated as a result of the under-expansion of the jet. Baseline simulations at the two chosen Reynolds numbers reveal no significant difference between the two cases indicating that the effect of Reynolds number is negligible. Phase-averaged results, for St=0.3, indicate the presence of large vortical structures generated as a result of amplification of the natural structures due to actuation. Two different kinds of structures are generated corresponding to the switching on and switching off of the plasma actuators. These structures are absent when the flow is actuated at St=0.9. Quantitative near field acoustic analysis is conducted using two-point correlation technique. The qualitative effect of forcing on far-field noise propagation is also investigated.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Experimental canine atherosclerosis in autogenous abdominal aortic grafts implanted into the jugular vein

Abstract The fate of fresh autogenous abdominal aortic grafts implanted into the jugular vein was investigated in 14 dogs subjected to an atherogenic regimen. Of the 14 aortic grafts 8 were patent and 6 occluded. Of the 8 patent grafts 4 had gross atheromatous lesions. Microscopic sections using routine stains and Sudan IV demonstrated the presence of atherosclerosis in 6 out of the 8 patent grafts and in 4 out of the 6 occluded ones. Thus 10 out of 14 grafts (70%) developed atherosclerosis. The jugular vein displayed no lesions. These data indicate that the original susceptibility of the abdominal aorta to atherosclerosis is maintained even in a low-pressure system, thereby suggesting that atheromatous lesions may develop in a susceptible arterial tissue in the absence of mechanical or hemodynamic factors. This further supports our previous findings on the role of arterial tissue susceptibility in atherogenesis.
Energy-dependent corrections to spin observables in nucleon-nucleus inelastic scattering

The ${0}^{+}$(p\ensuremath{\rightarrow},p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}'${)0}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ reaction has been used as an example to elucidate the importance of the energy dependence of the nucleon-nucleon (NN) interaction on nucleon-nucleus (NA) spin observables. Because of its simplicity the ${0}^{+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${0}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ transition is specially suited for the study of energy-dependent corrections. For this transition inclusion of corrections induced by energy dependence results in large modifications in the behavior of certain spin observables. Thus we conclude for the ${0}^{+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${0}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ transition that calculations neglecting energy-dependent corrections are not only inconsistent but can lead to qualitatively incorrect conclusions. We argue that corrections arising from the energy dependence studied will be small for stretched states. Finally, we propose a simple procedure that will allow one to study the importance of corrections arising from the energy dependence of a proposed NN interaction in a systematic way.
Automatic system for monitoring corrosion of steel in concrete

Corrosion of embedded steel in concrete is the main deterioration mechanism in reinforced concrete structures. Electrochemical techniques are powerful tools for evaluating the steel behavior in cementitious materials in laboratory and in the field. However, the number and frequency of measurements, and their accuracy are always a challenge for researchers and engineers. In this project, a measurement unit and a flexible program has been developed with LabVIEW 6.1 to allow automated measurements using a variety of electrochemical techniques.
Bioremediation of organic and metal contaminants with dissimilatory metal reduction

Dissimilatory metal reduction has the potential to be a helpful mechanism for both intrinsic and engineered bioremediation of contaminated environments. Dissimilatory Fe(III) reduction is an important intrinsic process for removing organic contaminants from aquifers contaminated with petroleum or landfill leachate. Stimulation of microbial Fe(III) reduction can enhance the degradation of organic contaminants in ground water. Dissimilatory reduction of uranium, selenium, chromium, technetium, and possibly other metals, can convert soluble metal species to insoluble forms that can readily be removed from contaminated waters or waste streams. Reduction of mercury can volatilize mercury from waters and soils. Despite its potential, there has as yet been limited applied research into the use of dissimilatory metal reduction as a bioremediation tool.