cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is cheap gasoline killing us? Fuel subsidies and under-taxation as a driver of obesity and public health problems worldwide

Abstract Energy subsidies worldwide run into the trillions of dollars, with major negative economic and environmental consequences, but they have proven politically difficult to remove. Here, we study the relationship between fuel prices and the global obesity epidemic using data spanning 145 countries between 1998 and 2016. Low or subsidized fuel makes car travel more affordable, thereby making it more attractive compared to healthier modes of transportation such as walking or cycling. Previous studies provide suggestive evidence, but the link between fuel prices and obesity has yet to be shown over a time-period of decades, or on a global scale. In our models, we consistently find a strong, statistically significant, and negative association between gasoline price and body mass index (BMI). While BMI rose over time almost everywhere, the rate of increase was considerably lower in countries with high fuel prices. Our findings suggest public health advocates have reason to consider joining the coalition of environmentalists and economists already urging reforms to fuel subsidies and taxation.
Designing for Perceived Robot Empathy for Children in Long-Term Care.

We describe a mixed-methods approach toward the design and evaluation of social robots that can offer emotional support for children in long-term care environments. Based on the results of a needfinding interview with a local expert, our specific aim was to design a robot that would be perceived as empathetic. An online human-subject study (n = 26) provided preliminary support for a hypothesis that this design goal could be achieved by designing robots to maintain the flow of conversation and ask related followup questions to further understand interlocutors’ feelings.
Knowledge Domain Analysis

This chapter is concerned with quantitative approaches to the study of emerging trends and changes in science. A key insight is that a domain of knowledge is determined by the perspective we choose to take. This view echoes what we have seen earlier in Chapter 3 about the role of mental models in developing our understanding of the world. We first introduce the principles of progressive knowledge domain analysis. In the second part of the chapter, we describe a new approach called multiple-perspective co-citation analysis. It is designed to shift the traditional focus from the references to papers that have been influenced by such references.
Milton and ecology

Preface Introduction Part I. Having Place: 1. Pace defined: the ecological importance of place 2. Place given: Eve as the Garden's spirit of place 3. Place lost: Eve's fall as an uprooting 4. Place regained: Sabrina puts down roots Part II. The Underlying Importance of Place: 5. The New Testament's call to place: Paul and Luther's deconstruction 6. Rejecting the placeless ancient doctrines: confusing paradise regained 7. The Old Testament's call to place: Job's wisdom in Milton's poetry 8. The influence of time on place: forbidding unripe fruit 9. Place, body and spirit joined: the earth-human wound in Paradise Lost.
Hospital rate review. A theory and an empirical review.

Abstract This paper presents a theory of the effects of rate review on hospital operations and organization. Its purpose is to explain the way in which hospitals have responded to regulation. In the development of this theory, the hospital product was viewed as a bundle of services; rate review was looked upon as a ceiling on the value of the bundle. The ceiling creates an incentive to remove elements from the bundle, i.e., to reduce ‘quality’. When quality is variable, the effect on utilization becomes indeterminate. The model argues, among other things, that the hospital will change its service complement and its contractal arrangements with physicians and other hospitals. An extension of the organizational theory literature leads to implications concerning the ordering of hospital responses to regulation. The growing body of empirical literature on the effects of hospital rate review is used as an initial test of the major thrusts of the theory. A suggested agenda for further empirical work also is presented.
Varying Selection Functions To Relate Conditional Logics And Preferential Models

In this paper we study the relationship between preferential model semantics of Shoham [19] and Kraus et al. [12] with the flat version of conditional logic denned by Bell [3] and its variations. We present a new selection function without constraining or changing the relation between the possible worlds. Using our selection function we construct a conditional logic equivalent to Shoham's preferential model semantics [18].
Microlensing Searches for Extrasolar Planets

I review results from, and future prospects for, microlensing searches for extrasolar planets. Analyses of well-sampled microlensing light curves by several collaborations have demonstrated that current searches are sensitive to Jupiter-mass planets with few AU separations from M-dwarfs in the Galactic bulge. To date, however, no unambiguous planetary detections have been made. Detailed analysis has shown that this null result implies that <33% of typical stars (i.e. M-dwarfs) in the Galactic bulge have Jupiter-mass companions with separations between 1.5 and 4 AU, and <45% have three-Jupiter-mass companions between 1 and 7 AU. The recent dramatic increase in the number of alerts per year will allow ongoing microlensing searches to probe companion fractions of a few percent within a few years. I conclude by speculating on the prospects for the detection of terrestrial-mass and free-floating planets from the ground and space.
Bond-length relaxation in Si1-xGex alloys.

We have measured and quantified the effect of alloy composition on the atomic bonding in relaxed molecular-beam-epitaxy-deposited crystalline ${\mathrm{Si}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathit{x}}$ alloys. X-ray-absorption fine structure (XAFS) and x-ray diffraction were used to examine how the atomic bonding in ${\mathrm{Si}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathit{x}}$${\mathrm{Ge}}_{\mathit{x}}$ is affected by changes in alloy composition. In this study, the Ge-Ge and Ge-Si bond lengths were measured using XAFS and compared with the conflicting results of existing analytical models and previous XAFS studies. The measured Ge-Ge and Ge-Si bond lengths were found to be in good agreement with the analytical models, which predict that the Ge-Ge, Ge-Si, and Si-Si bonds maintain distinctly different lengths which change linearly with alloy composition. The topological rigidity parameter ${\mathit{a}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{*}}$ was used to quantify the linear dependence of the bond lengths on alloy composition and a value of ${\mathit{a}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{*}}$=0.63 was calculated from the measured bond lengths. An extensive XAFS error analysis was performed and the error in the topological rigidity parameter ${\mathit{a}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{*}}$=0.${63}_{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}0.13}^{+0.08}$ was determined. This value of ${\mathit{a}}^{\mathrm{*}\mathrm{*}}$, which is notably different from 0 or 1, indicates that both the bond lengths and bond angles are distorted by changes in composition.
Integration of elementary patterns into the first-year CS curriculum

This poster will present ongoing research into documenting elementary patterns and using them as a structuring mechanism for lectures, in-class laboratory assignments, and programming projects in CS1 and CS2. The poster will focus on a subset of labs and projects that best exemplify the methodology that we employ.
Corporate social responsibility and financial disclosures: An alternative explanation for increased disclosure

Researchers and practitioners have devoted considerable attention to firms' policies regarding discretionary disclosures. Prior studies argue that firms increase demand for their debt and equity issues and, thus, lower their cost of capital, by providing more informative disclosures. However, empirical research has generally not been able to document significant benefits from increased disclosure.This paper proposes an alternative explanation – firms disclose because it is the socially responsible thing to do. We argue that companies have incentives to engage in stakeholder management by undertaking socially responsible activities and that providing extensive and informative disclosures is one such practice.We examine the relationship between firms' disclosures and measures of social responsibility. We use ratings provided by the Council on Economic Priorities as proxies for the degree of social responsibility adopted by the sample firms. Disclosure rankings provided by the annual Association for Investment Management and Research Corporate Information Committee Reports (AIMR Reports) are used to measure disclosure level.Our results indicate that there is a positive relationship between disclosure level and corporate social responsibility. That is, firms that engage in socially responsive activities provide more informative and/or extensive disclosures than do companies that are less focused on advancing social goals. In addition, we find that socially responsible firms are more likely to provide this increased disclosure through better investor relations practices. These results support our contention that increased disclosure is a form of socially responsible behavior.
Three-dimensional model for meta-II rhodopsin, an activated G-protein-coupled receptor.

A novel approach that iteratively combined the results of energy calculations and experimental data was used to generate a three-dimensional (3D) model of the photoactivated state (R*) of bovine rhodopsin (Rh). The approach started with simplified energy calculations in an effort to find a set of sterically and energetically reasonable options for transmembrane (TM) helix arrangements with all-trans-retinal. Various 3D models of TM helix packing found by computations were then compared to limited site-directed spin-label experimental data regarding the transition of the TM helices of Rh in the inactive state (R) to those in the R* state to identify the most plausible model of the TM helical bundle. At the next step, all non-TM structural elements, such as the non-TM helix 8, the N- and C-terminal fragments, and the loops connecting TM helices, were reconstructed, and after the entire R* structure had been relaxed, all other currently available additional experimental data, both mutational and spectroscopi...
COMPRESSIVE FAILURE PREDICTION FROM NONLINEAR FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF A NOTCHED 0 DEGREE COMPOSITE SPECIMEN

The strength of unidirectional composites is often lower in compression than in tension, making compressive strength an especially important design criterion. The compressive strength is sensitive to the presence of notches and stress gradients. Finite element analysis was used to determine the strain gradient at a shallow circular notch in one edge of a 0 degree carbon/epoxy composite specimen, and to predict failure due to a localized buckling instability. The specimen was first analyzed with a "global" model of the full specimen, and displacements along a curve near the notch were stored and used as boundary conditions for a more detailed "submodel" in the immediate vicinity of the notch. At the onset of instability, a displaced plot of the finite element model shows oscillations in the transverse direction along the arc of the notch, just off the centerline, which is essentially at the same location where failure initiated in the test specimens. Results are compared with experimental values for failure stress and notch strain concentration for a range of loading rates and test temperatures.
“I Want a Multicultural Classroom”: Preparing Social Studies Teachers for Culturally Diverse Classrooms

This qualitative study investigates the perspectives of two cohorts of elementary preservice teachers on citizenship education in today's culturally and globally diverse classrooms. Both cohorts were enrolled in the same university; however, one group participated in an urban-based teacher education program designed around the needs of urban school children. While participants reported varying views of citizenship and offered diverse strategies for incorporating citizenship in the classroom, findings suggested that those participating in the urban-based cohort viewed citizenship more in terms of culture and valued promoting cultural learning and sharing in the classroom. Implications for teachers wanting to teach for cultural citizenship are discussed.
Institutional Pressures and Isomorphic Change: The Case of New York City∍s Department of Education

Many urban school districts have recently implemented sweeping reforms that alter the ways in which educational services are administered. The environment in which these reforms are embedded is inc...
SPALLATION DAMAGE IN COPPER WITH COLUMNAR GRAINS

The TRIDENT laser at Los Alamos has been used to drive small plate impact experiments. Flyers are typically 8 mm in diameter and 0.1 to 1.0 mm thick, while the targets are 10 mm in diameters and 0.2 to 2.0 mm thick. One of the sample materials is copper composed of large columnar grains. These samples can reveal information about damage in single crystals and bi‐crystals. This work will focus on simulating these experiments to reveal the stress loading histories. A phenomenological single crystal plasticity model in the FLAG hyrdocode will be used. At the time of first negative pressure, calculated stress and strain concentrations occur at regions of high damage seen by metallurgical examination of a recovered sample. These calculated concentrations help to reveal the driving conditions that cause damage formation.
How do the elderly negotiate stairs

Stair navigation, particularly stair descent, is an extremely challenging and dangerous locomotor task, yet studies suggest that most elderly are unlikely to move to new residences in order to avoid this challenge. The knee and ankle are the key joints where adequate strength and power are required for safe stair descent, and it is not yet clear if sarcopenia in the elderly is likely to result in residual strength below that which is required for successful stair performance. Sensory cues are also critical, and the lack of literature on the specific roles of the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors that affect stair navigation is a clear indication of the need for such research in order to define safer strategies and optimal conditions for elderly individuals to transit between living areas of differing levels.
Effects of Emitter-Open switching on the turn-off characteristics of high-voltage power transistors

Test results have shown that using Emitter-Open switching turn-off scheme, the storage time and the fall time of a high-voltage power transistor can be reduced by a factor of at least 2. In addition, the effects of reverse-bias second breakdown are essentially eliminated up to the V CBO and I DC of the device.
Unusual Cholesterol Esters in the Sebum of Young Children

Cholesterol esters (CE) having fatty acids of more than 18 carbons are a prominent feature of fetal skin surface lipid (vernix caseosa), but are a minor component of adult lipid. The difference may be related to the fact that fetal sebaceous glands generally synthesize little lipid. If so, it would be expected that prepuberal children, who also have very inactive glands, would secrete CE with a large proportion of very-long-chain fatty acids. To test this conjecture, skin surface CE from young children were isolated and analyzed. Sebum was extracted from the hair of 38 children, aged six to nine. To obtain a measure of sebaceous lipogenesis, the class composition of the lipid was determined by quantitative thin-layer chromatography and the ratio of wax esters/[cholesterol + cholesterol esters] (WE/[CH + CE]) was calculated. CE were then isolated from the lipid and hydrolyzed. The freed fatty acids were converted to fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography to determine the proportion with more than 18 carbons. FAME from five of the subjects were then separated into saturated and monounsaturated fractions and analyzed again by gas chromatography to identify chain types. Ratios of WE/[CH + CE] ranged from 0.08 to 2.8 in the subjects. The proportion of CE FAME with more than 18 carbons ranged from 15 to 72%, with the highest proportion being found in the children with the lowest WE/[CH + CE]. The saturated FAME were mostly iso- or anteiso-branched, whereas the monounsaturated FAME were mostly straight-chain extension products of 16: 1 delta 9 or 18: 1 delta 9.
Toll-like Receptor 2 is Required for LPS-induced Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling and Inhibition of Ion Transport in Renal Thick Ascending Limb

Previously we demonstrated that basolateral LPS inhibits HCO3− absorption in the renal medullary thick ascending limb (MTAL) through TLR4-dependent ERK activation. Here we report that the response of the MTAL to basolateral LPS requires TLR2 in addition to TLR4. The basolateral addition of LPS (ultrapure Escherichia coli K12) decreased HCO3− absorption in isolated, perfused MTALs from wild-type mice but had no effect in MTALs from TLR2−/− mice. In contrast, inhibition of HCO3− absorption by lumen LPS was preserved in TLR2−/− MTALs, indicating that TLR2 is involved specifically in mediating the basolateral LPS response. LPS also did not increase ERK phosphorylation in MTALs from TLR2−/− mice. TLR2 deficiency had no effect on expression of TLR4, MD-2, or MyD88. However, LPS-induced recruitment of MyD88 to the basolateral membrane was impaired in TLR2−/− MTALs. Inhibition of HCO3− absorption by LPS did not require CD14. Co-immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated an association between TLR4 and TLR2. Inhibition of HCO3− absorption by TLR2-specific ligands was preserved in MTALs from TLR4−/− mice. These results indicate that the effect of basolateral LPS to inhibit HCO3− absorption in the MTAL through MyD88-dependent ERK activation depends on a novel interaction between TLR4 and TLR2. TLR2 plays a dual role in the induction of intracellular signals that impair MTAL function, both through cooperation with TLR4 to mediate ERK signaling by LPS and through a TLR4-independent signaling pathway activated by Gram-positive bacterial ligands. Regulation of TLR2 expression and its interaction with TLR4 may provide new mechanisms for controlling and therapeutic targeting of TLR4-mediated LPS responses.
Accelerating electrons with lasers and photonic crystals

We present work done towards the successful fabrication of a four-layer woodpile photonic crystal with a bandgap of 0.876 µm centered at 4.55 µm. The goal of this fabrication was to develop a process flow that will be used to fabricate a 15-layer woodpile structure with a defect used for accelerating electrons. The structure dimensions were designed using simulations to maximize the bandgap, and scaled by the minimum features achievable in the optical lithography process. Infrared spectroscopy measurements were taken of the resulting four-layer structure, demonstrating a clear bandgap region centered at 4.55 µm, with a full-width at half maximum (FWHM) of 2.72 µm. Variations in the actual fabricated structure were measured via SEM images, and the deviations were incorporated into simulations. The center bandgap wavelength predicted in simulations agrees to within 1% of the measured value, and the FWHM agrees to within 15% of the measurement. These results provide validation for the quality of the photonic...
An enantio- and diastereo-controlled synthesis of (−) neplanocin A and its 2,3-di-epi isomer

Abstract An enantioselective Pd catalyzed desymmetrization of cis-3,5-dibenzoyloxycyclopent-2-ene combined with a diastereoselective epoxidation provided a common intermediate that can bifurcate to form either (−)-neplanocin A or its 2,3-di-epi isomer.
Body temperature and nesting behavior following influenza challenge in mice: effects of age.

We studied the interaction of age and influenza on core body temperature (Tc) of mice. Following influenza challenge, 2-mo-old female BALB/c mice demonstrated a significant fall in Tc. Female BALB/c mice 24 mo of age had lower baseline Tc than young mice and a larger fall in Tc post influenza challenge. We noted there were marked differences in nesting behavior between the young and aged mice. A nesting score was devised, and we found that at baseline, aged mice had a much lower score than young mice (15.6 ± 7.4 vs. 24.7 ± 0.3, P < 0.0001). Following influenza challenge, nesting behavior of young mice dropped considerably, while no significant change occurred in the behavior of aged mice. When mice were housed without bedding, there were significant decreases in Tc of young, but not aged mice. There was a further fall in Tc with influenza challenge in young mice. These data imply that nesting is an important mechanism for maintaining Tc in young mice, but alternative mechanisms are used by aged mice. The lower body temperatures in the aged mice are similar to studies in aging humans.
Disruption of histone modification and CARM1 recruitment by arsenic represses transcription at glucocorticoid receptor-regulated promoters.

Chronic exposure to inorganic arsenic (iAs) found in the environment is one of the most significant and widespread environmental health risks in the U.S. and throughout the world. It is associated with a broad range of health effects from cancer to diabetes as well as reproductive and developmental anomalies. This diversity of diseases can also result from disruption of metabolic and other cellular processes regulated by steroid hormone receptors via aberrant transcriptional regulation. Significantly, exposure to iAs inhibits steroid hormone-mediated gene activation. iAs exposure is associated with disease, but is also used therapeutically to treat specific cancers complicating an understanding of iAs action. Transcriptional activation by steroid hormone receptors is accompanied by changes in histone and non-histone protein post-translational modification (PTM) that result from the enzymatic activity of coactivator and corepressor proteins such as GRIP1 and CARM1. This study addresses how iAs represses steroid receptor-regulated gene transcription. PTMs on histones H3 and H4 at the glucocorticoid receptor (GR)-activated mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV) promoter were identified by chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis following exposure to steroid hormone±iAs. Histone H3K18 and H3R17 amino acid residues had significantly different patterns of PTMs after treatment with iAs. Promoter interaction of the coactivator CARM1 was disrupted, but the interaction of GRIP1, a p160 coactivator through which CARM1 interacts with a promoter, was intact. Over-expression of CARM1 was able to fully restore and GRIP1 partially restored iAs-repressed transcription indicating that these coactivators are functionally associated with iAs-mediated transcriptional repression. Both are essential for robust transcription at steroid hormone regulated genes and both are associated with disease when inappropriately expressed. We postulate that iAs effects on CARM1 and GRIP1 may underlie some of its therapeutic effects and as well be associated with its toxic effects.
Purification and characterization of human metallocarboxypeptidase Z.

Carboxypeptidase Z (CPZ) is a recently discovered member of the metallocarboxypeptidase gene family that has an N-terminal domain related to the Wnt/wingless binding domain of frizzled receptors and other proteins. To further characterize the enzymatic properties of CPZ, the enzyme was purified using Arg- and heparin-affinity columns. CPZ has a neutral pH optimum, and is inhibited by chelating agents and several divalent cations (Zn2+, Mn2+, Cd2+, Cu2+, Hg2+). Active site-directed inhibitors of several other metallocarboxypeptidases also inhibit CPZ activity with moderate potency. CPZ cleaves substrates with C-terminal Arg residues, preferring peptides with an Ala in the penultimate position. No activity is detected toward substrates with an Ile-Arg or a Pro-Arg sequence. The Km for dansyl-Phe-Ala-Arg and dansyl-Pro-Ala-Arg are both approximately 2 mM. Taken together, these data suggests a selective role for CPZ in the processing of extracellular peptides or proteins.
Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? The Muhammad cartoons and Danish political culture

During and after what became known as ‘the cartoon crisis’ in the early months of 2006, many observers noted how the crisis should be understood as an expression of a growing Islamophobic tendency in Danish society. While such an interpretation undoubtedly is correct it fails to explain how both this Islamophobic tendency and the crisis must be seen as contemporary expressions of a long-lasting estrangement in Danish society between forces respectively sympathetic and adverse to modernity. In this article it is argued that Muslims in the Danish context today have become signifiers of current modernity, in the shape of globalization. This perspective provides a clearer understanding of the dynamics of the crisis in the Danish context as it explains why publishing the cartoons made sense to many groups in Denmark who came out both for and against this act.
THTA, a thermotolerance gene of Aspergillus fumigatus

Abstract Aspergillus fumigatus grows optimally from 37 to 42 °C but can grow at temperatures up to 55 °C. To study the genetic basis of thermotolerance and its role in virulence of A. fumigatus , temperature sensitive mutants were isolated. One of the mutants that grew at 42 °C but not at 48 °C was complemented and the gene, THTA , was identified. Deletion of THTA showed the same temperature sensitivity as the original mutant. THTA encodes a putative protein of 141 kDa with unknown function and the HA-tagged ThtAp accumulated to similar levels in cultures grown at either 37 or 48 °C. Southern blot analysis and database searches revealed the presence of THTA -related sequences in several other ascomycetous fungi. No difference in virulence was observed between the ΔthtA and wild-type strains. Thus, THTA is essential for growth of A. fumigatus at high temperatures but does not contribute to the pathogenicity of the species.
Laboratorizing the wild rat (Rattus norvégiens)

Traditional difficulties in procuring wild rats can be overcome by trapping in an unstable environment (e.g., land-fill) where the natives do not fear strange objects such as traps. Techniques for trapping, transferring to, and maintaining in the laboratory are outlined, and apparatus for handling and housing, including the breeding situation, is described. Conclusion: Simple precautions render the wild rat nearly as easy to breed and use in conventional laboratory tasks as domesticated rats.
The effect of response choice relatedness on pantomime and verbal recognition ability in aphasic patients

Twenty aphasic and twenty control subjects were examined on two versions of a pantomime recognition and a verbal recognition test; one version containing response choices conceptually/semantically related to target responses, the other containing unrelated response choices. The aphasic group was inferior to controls on the pantomime and verbal recognition tests, although the magnitude and consistency of the differences between aphasics and controls were greater for the pantomime test. The presence of conceptually/semantically related response choices on the pantomime recognition test significantly reduced test scores of aphasic patients, and this reduction was related to the magnitude of the effect of response choice relatedness on their verbal recognition test performance. The findings are consistent with an interpretation of aphasia as an impairment of a central symbolic ability which can affect processing for meaning in both verbal and nonverbal modes of communication.
Hypothesis: Joints can heal

Although cartilage has a limited capacity for intrinsic repair, cells extrinsic to the cartilage can provide a mechanism for repair if the proper conditions exist. The new chondroid material produced, although not histologically or biochemically identical to mature hyaline articular cartilage, can nevertheless in many circumstances permit normal joint function and prevent further joint deterioration. The evidence suggests that joint healing results from establishing a source of cells, normalizing joint pressures, and encouraging joint motion. Much of the controversy surrounding the question of whether joints can heal results from a failure to view joint function, rather than cartilage appearance, as the most important component of the healing process, and to appreciate the significant role played by mechanical factors in promoting this response.
Scene estimation from speckled synthetic aperture radar imagery: Markov-random-field approach

A novel Markov-random-field model for speckled synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is derived according to the physical, spatial statistical properties of speckle noise in coherent imaging. A convex Gibbs energy function for speckled images is derived and utilized to perform speckle-compensating image estimation. The image estimation is formed by computing the conditional expectation of the noisy image at each pixel given its neighbors, which is further expressed in terms of the derived Gibbs energy function. The efficacy of the proposed technique, in terms of reducing speckle noise while preserving spatial resolution, is studied by using both real and simulated SAR imagery. Using a number of commonly used metrics, the performance of the proposed technique is shown to surpass that of existing speckle-noise-filtering methods such as the Gamma MAP, the modified Lee, and the enhanced Frost.
Hyperammonemia in Neonates Receiving Intravenous Nutrition

Inadequate arginine intake has been suggested as an etiology for hyperammonemia in neonates on parenteral nutrition. We randomized 26 nonasphyxiated neonates to receive amino acid solutions containing either 3.6 or 10.4% of total nitrogen as arginine when intravenous nutrition (IVN) therapy was initiated. Neonates in both amino acid solution study groups were observed to have significantly elevated blood ammonia (BA) concentrations during IVN (p less than 0.01) as compared to pre-IVN levels. Blood ammonia concentrations tended to be higher in infants receiving the 3.6% arginine amino acid solution. Septic infants were at particular risk for hyperammonemia as compared to nonseptic patients (p less than 0.025). Other clinical parameters including birth weight, gestational age, oxygen requirements, enteral nutritional intake, congenital anomalies, and heart disease did not appear to be related to BA concentration.
NMR Determination of Protein pKa Values in the Solid State

Charged residues play an important role in defining key mechanistic features in many biomolecules. Determining the pKa values of large, membrane, or fibrillar proteins can be challenging with traditional methods. In this study we show how solid-state NMR is used to monitor chemical shift changes during a pH titration for the small soluble β1 immunoglobulin binding domain of protein G. The chemical shifts of all the amino acids with charged side-chains throughout the uniformly 13C,15N-labeled protein were monitored over several samples varying in pH; pKa values were determined from these shifts for E27, D36, and E42, and the bounds for the pKa of other acidic side-chain resonances were determined. Additionally, this study shows how the calculated pKa values give insights into the crystal packing of the protein.
Detection of anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies by gel double diffusion and a ‘sandwich’ ELISA in systemic and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus and Sjögren's syndrome

Abstract A newly described Ro ‘sandwich’ ELISA was compared to the gel double diffusion technique to detect anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies in Sjogren's syndrome, systemic and subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus patients. This study demonstrates that the ELISA assay increased the frequency of detection of anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies in these well defined connective tissue disease patients by approximately 5–10% compared to the gel double diffusion anti-Ro(SSA) antibody assay. The study also confirms that some patients make anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies directed solely at unique human Ro(SSA) antigen epitopes. We also detected the existence of a significant Sjogren's syndrome patient population failing to make significant anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies. We conclude from our study that the gel double-diffusion technique employing human spleen extract as a source of the Ro(SSA) antigen is, at present, the most cost-effective test to detect anti-Ro(SSA) antibodies
Products in the initial stages of digestion of polydeoxynucleotides by pancreatic deoxyribonuclease (DNase I).

Abstract Controlled partial digestion by pancreatic DNase (DNase I) of enzymically synthesized single-strand polydeoxynucleotides which contain short isotopically labeled segments at one or both ends of the chains has been carried out. Measurements have been made of the distribution of material and of radio-activity among the shortest oligomeric fragments. These data have been interpreted by calculating the expected values when assumptions are made concerning the rate of attack at each potentially hydrolyzable bond by the enzyme. It is inferred that the rate of attack on diester bonds within ten nucleotides of an end is much smaller than on bonds of the central region if the substrate molecule is several tens of nucleotides or less in length, but that this discrimination disappears as the substrate length increases.
P09.24: Pain associated with transabdominal chorionic villus sampling—anticipated versus actual

Objective. To assess anticipated and perceived pain associated with transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA CVS).Methods. Sixteen consecutive patients completed 0 (no pain) to 10 (excruciating...
Molecular characterization of a copper transport protein in S. cerevisiae: An unexpected role for copper in iron transport

We report the identification and characterization of CTR1, a gene in the yeast S. cerevisiae that encodes a multispanning plasma membrane protein specifically required for high affinity copper transport into the cell. The predicted protein contains a methionine- and serine-rich domain that includes 11 examples of the sequence Met-X2-Met, a motif noted in proteins involved in bacterial copper metabolism. CTR1 mutants and deletion strains have profound deficiency in ferrous iron uptake, thus revealing a requirement for copper in mediating ferrous transport into the cell. Genetic evidence suggests that the target for this requirement is the FET3 gene (detailed in a companion study), predicted to encode a copper-containing protein that acts as a cytosolic ferro-oxidase. These findings provide an unexpected mechanistic link between the uptake of copper and iron.
Provider recommendations for colorectal cancer screening in elderly veterans

BACKGROUND Decisions regarding colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in the elderly depend on providers’ assessment of likelihood of benefit partly based on patient comorbidity and past screening history. We aimed to describe providers’ experiences and practice patterns regarding screening for CRC in elderly patients in the VA system.
Pathogenic mutation of UBQLN2 impairs its interaction with UBXD8 and disrupts endoplasmic reticulum‐associated protein degradation

Protein aggregation is a common feature of several neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. How protein aggregates are formed and contribute to neurodegeneration, however, is not clear. Mutation of Ubiquilin 2 (UBQLN2) has recently been linked to ALS and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Therefore, we examined the effect of ALS-linked UBQLN2 mutation on endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD). Compared to its wild-type counterpart, mutated UBQLN2 caused greater accumulation of the ERAD substrate Hong Kong variant of α-1-antitrypsin, although ERAD was disturbed by both UBQLN2 over-expression and knockdown. Also, UBQLN2 interacted with ubiquitin regulatory X domain-containing protein 8 (UBXD8) in vitro and in vivo, and this interaction was impaired by pathogenic mutation of UBQLN2. As UBXD8 is an endoplasmic membrane protein involved in the translocation of ubiquitinated ERAD substrates, UBQLN2 likely cooperates with UBXD8 to transport defective proteins from the endoplasmic reticulum to the cytosol for degradation, and this cell-protective function is disturbed by pathogenic mutation of UBQLN2.
Widespread Monoallelic Expression on Human Autosomes

Monoallelic expression with random choice between the maternal and paternal alleles defines an unusual class of genes comprising X-inactivated genes and a few autosomal gene families. Using a genome-wide approach, we assessed allele-specific transcription of about 4000 human genes in clonal cell lines and found that more than 300 were subject to random monoallelic expression. For a majority of monoallelic genes, we also observed some clonal lines displaying biallelic expression. Clonal cell lines reflect an independent choice to express the maternal, the paternal, or both alleles for each of these genes. This can lead to differences in expressed protein sequence and to differences in levels of gene expression. Unexpectedly widespread monoallelic expression suggests a mechanism that generates diversity in individual cells and their clonal descendants.
Reinitiation of gonadotropin release in underfed rats by constant light or epinephrine.

The effects on reproductive function of 1/2 normal food intake alone, or with constant light or epinephrine, were evaluated in 180 adult female Sprague-Dawley rats. Underfeeding resulted in cessation of estrous cycles within 14 to 21 days, in decreased ovarian weight and in marked atrophy of interstitial and follicular tissues. Exposure of underfed rats to constant light for 10 days resulted in cornified vaginal smears in 100% of the rats, in greater than a 50% increase in ovarian weight, in marked stimulation of follicular growth, in almost a 2-fold increase in uterine weight and in mammary duct growth. Epinephrine injections (0.5 mg/day) for 10 days produced a significant increment in ovarian weight, due almost entirely to an increase in number and size of corpora lutea, and also resulted in marked mammary lobuloalveolar growth. In the underfed rats, pituitary LH concentration was reduced to 1/3 and hypothalamic content of luteinizing hormone releasing factor (LRF) to about 1/4 of those of ad lib. fed c...
Analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid from five nuclear polyhedrosis viruses infecting plusiine larvae (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Abstract Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from isolates of five nuclear polyhedrosis viruses (NPV) from lepidopterous hosts of the noctuid subfamily Plusiinae was analyzed by ion-exchange and paper chromatography. Viruses and production hosts were: Trichoplusia ni singly embedded virion type (SEV) from T. ni, Pseudoplusia includens SEV from P. includens, T. ni multiply embedded virion type (MEV) from T. ni, Autographa californica MEV from A. californica, A. californica MEV from T. ni, and Rachiplusia ou MEV from R. ou. Neither uracil nor 5-methyl cytosine was detected in the DNAs. Adenine:thymine (A:T) and guanine:cytosine (G:C) ratios were nearly constant for all the NPVs. AT:GC ratios for the SEVs were 1.60 and 1.57 and were clearly separable from those of the MEVs which ranged from 1.32 to 1.38. No differences in DNA composition within SEV or MEV groups were apparent.
Lymphopoiesis in the chicken pineal gland.

Pineal lymphoid development was studied in two breeds of chickens from hatching until sexual maturity. No lymphocytes were found in the pineal prior to 9 days of age (da). Lymphocytes migrate through the endothelium of venules into the pineal stroma. Lymphoid tissue reached its maximal accumulation in 32-da pineal glands of both breeds. At this age, the New Hampshire (NH) breed had a larger proportion of lymphoid volume to total pineal volume (32%) than did pineal glands from White Leghorn (WL) chickens (18%).
Physical design methodology for analog circuitsin a system-on-a-chip environment

This talk reviews some of the issues that are unique to analog Integrated Circuit (IC) design. These issues become more acute as the process geometries shrink and the complexity of the IC increases. In so-called "Systems on a Chip" (SOCs), the analog circuitry is combined with large amounts of logic on the same die. The switching noise complicates the design of high-accuracy circuits.In addition, analog circuits need a certain amount of silicon area to work well. This area does not necessarily scale much as the process geometries get smaller. In order for the analog circuitry to remain cost-competitive, very careful optimization of the layout is critical. For all these reasons, new specialized design methodologies are needed. New tools are emerging, which are specifically aimed at optimizing the layout of the analog circuitry at the same time as the schematic, taking in account the environment. An overview of these tools is given.
A hybrid finite-boundary element method for inviscid flows with free surface

Abstract Different formulations of free-surface inviscid flows lead to Fredholm integral equations of the first or second kind. In the present study, these formulations are compared in terms of efficiency and accuracy when different time and space discretization schemes are employed in studying inviscid oscillations of a liquid drop. A hybrid scheme results from combining a boundary integral equation approach for the Laplacian with a Galerkin/finite-element technique for the kinematic and dynamic boundary conditions. It is found that the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method is the most efficient among various schemes tested for integration in time and that cubic splines should be preferred as basis functions over conventional Lagrangian basis functions. Furthermore, the formulation based on the integral equation of the second kind is found to be more prone to short-wave instabilities. However, if numerical filtering is applied in conjunction with it, then the time-step used can be twice as large as that required by the unfiltered integral equation of the first kind. Results compare well with analytic solutions in the form of asymptotic expansions.
Computer-Oriented analysis of human chromosomes—III. Focus

Abstract Focus remains as an important but generally subjective element in the quantitative analysis of digitized chromosome images. To study its effects and to develop objective criteria, a human metaphase was scanned sequentially at 0.5 μ increments of fine focus of the microscope. Various parameters of the chromosome were then studied as a function of focus. The measured stain content (or integrated optical density) was virtually unaffected by focus. However area, contrast and edge sharpness were dramatic functions of focus, giving peaks or troughs at optimum focus with sensitivities of as little as 0.022 μ. These responses can be used to study flatness of field of the optics, differential flattening of the chromosomes, and chromosome characteristics at optimum focus. To solve the practical problem of focusing chromosomes, we have developed an algorithm which is sensitive and yet can be computed continuously at video scan rates. With this method, optimum focus is found by maximizing the function ϕ= ∑ i n ( OD i −Ψ), for all OD i >Ψ where ODi is the grayness at a point, n is the number of points in the image with ODi>Ψ, and Ψ is a reference arbitrarily fixed at an optical density in the mid-range of image grayness. In addition to its applicability to chromosomes, this quantitative method of focusing should be effective for a variety of microscopic and macroscopic imaging problems.
Pharmacokinetic properties of thiopental in two patients treated for uncontrollable seizures.

Summary: Thiopental was administered for seizure control in 2 patients with uncontrollable seizures. Serum samples were collected from each patient and assayed for thiopental, and the resulting serum concentration-time data were analyzed pharmacokinetically. The biologic half-life in both patients was significantly longer than previously reported values. Based on the limited number of patients studied, it would appear that half-life and volume of distribution increase with the degree of obesity, while clearance remains unchanged. These pharmacokinetic characteristics would be worthy of consideration in cases where there may be prolonged use of thiopental, eg., for the control of uncontrollable seizures. RESUME Le thiopental a ete administre comme antiepileptique chez deux malades presentant des crises incon-trolables. La concentration serique en fonction du temps a ete analyst par les methodes de la pharma-cocinetique. La demi-vie du thiopental s'est averee chez des malades significativement plus longue que celle anterieurement rapportee. Bien que l'etude soit effectuee sur un nombre limits de patients, il apparait que la demi-vie et le volume de distribution aug-mentent selon le degre d'obesite, alors que la clairance reste inchangge. On devrait prendre en consideration ces donnees pharmacocinetiques dans les cas ou le thiopental doit etre utilise; de fagon chronique, par exemple, dans la surveillance de crises incontrdlables. RESUMEN A dos epilepticos con ataques incontrolados se les administro tiopental para control de sus ataques. Los niveles sericos de tiopental se determinaron en cada paciente y los resultados se analizaron farmacocingti-camente. La vida-media boilogica fuo significativa-mente mas larga en ambos pacientes que los valores previamente publicados. Segun el limitado numero de enfermos estudiados parece que la vida-media y el volumen de distribucion aumenta con el grado de obesidad mientras que el aclaramiento permanece in-tacto. Estas caracteristicas farmacocineticas deberian ser dignas de consideraci6n en los casos que se tenga que utilizar el tiopental de modo prolongado, como en el caso de un tratamiento de ataques incontro-lables. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG 2 Patienten mit unkontrollierbaren Anfallen wurde Thiopental als Antikonvulsivum verordnet. Die Thio-pental-Serumspiegel wurden bei jedem Patienten mehrfach untersucht und die zeitlichen Beziehungen des Serumspiegels pharmacokinetisch analysiert. Die biologische Halbwertzeit bei beiden Patienten war signifikant langer als in friiher berichteten Fallen. Die begrenzte Anzahl der untersuchten Patienten erlaubt anzunehmen, dafi die Halbwertzeit und das Verteilungsvolumen mit dem Mase der Adipositas zunimmt, wahrend die Clearance unverandert bleibt. Diese phannacokinetischen Eigenschaften sollte man in den Fallen benicksichtigen, in denen manlangeren Gebrauch von Thiopental macht, es z.B. zur Kontrolle anhaltender Anfalle einsetzt.
YHWH’s Call for Israel’s ‘Return’: Command, Invitation, or Threat

The call for Israel’s return to YHWH resounds in the prophetic text and utilizes various images to illustrate Israel’s and YHWH’s behaviors. These images depict the strained relationship between YHWH and Israel and the persistence of the Deity in maintaining the relationship. This study focuses on Hosea 11 and Amos 4 as examples of the call and distinct perspectives of the YHWH-Israel behavioral and relational dynamics. It looks at the place of the past, present, and future in the formulation of the call to return and offers conclusions about the implications of the analysis on the understanding of the YHWH-Israel relationship.