cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Maternal and neonatal outcomes in patients with a prolonged second stage of labor.

Abstract Objective To determine risk factors for a prolonged second stage of labor and evaluate the maternal and neonatal outcomes of such pregnancies. Methods We reviewed all 7818 patients who delivered at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1996 to 1999. Excluding nonvertex and multiple gestations, 6791 reached the second stage. Group 1 (n = 6259) consisted of patients with a second stage of 120 minutes or less; group 2, greater than 120 minutes (n = 532 [7.8%]); group 2A, 121–240 minutes (n = 384 [5.7%]); and group 2B, greater than 240 minutes (n = 148 [2.2%]). We compared pregnancy outcomes for these groups with respect to maternal and neonatal morbidity factors using χ2, Student t, and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests (significance, P Results Vaginal delivery rates were 98.7% (group 1), 84.0% (group 2), 90.2% (group 2A), and 65.5% (group 2B). Group 2 had higher rates of perineal trauma, episiotomy usage, chorioamnionitis, postpartum hemorrhage, and operative vaginal delivery than group 1 (P Conclusion A prolonged second stage is associated with a high rate of vaginal delivery, but a high rate of maternal, though not neonatal, morbidity was observed. Certain antenatal and intrapartum conditions are associated with a prolonged second stage of labor.
Long-Distance Communication in the HDV Ribozyme: Insights from Molecular Dynamics and Experiments

The hepatitis delta virus ribozyme is a small, self-cleaving RNA with a compact tertiary structure and buried active site that is important in the life cycle of the virus. The ribozyme's function in nature is to cleave an internal phosphodiester bond and linearize concatemers during rolling circle replication. Crystal structures of the ribozyme have been solved in both pre-cleaved and post-cleaved (product) forms and reveal an intricate network of interactions that conspire to catalyze bond cleavage. In addition, extensive biochemical studies have been performed to work out a mechanism for bond cleavage in which C75 and a magnesium ion catalyze the reaction by general acid-base chemistry. One issue that has remained unclear in this ribozyme and in other ribozymes is the nature of long-distance communication between peripheral regions of the RNA and the buried active site. We performed molecular dynamics simulations on the hepatitis delta virus ribozyme in the product form and assessed communication between a distal structural portion of the ribozyme-the protonated C41 base triple-and the active site containing the critical C75. We varied the ionization state of C41 in both the wild type and a C41 double mutant variant and determined the impact on the active site. In all four cases, effects at the active site observed in the simulations agree with experimental studies on ribozyme activity. Overall, these studies indicate that small functional RNAs have the potential to communicate interactions over long distances and that wild-type RNAs may have evolved ways to prevent such interactions from interfering with catalysis.
Modeling Parking Search on a Network by Using Stochastic Shortest Paths with History Dependence

A substantial amount of urban traffic is related to drivers searching for parking. This study developed an online stochastic shortest path model to represent the parking search process in which drivers must choose whether to park at an available space or continue searching for a space closer to their destination. Existing online shortest path algorithms had been formulated for the full-reset or no-reset assumptions on revisiting links. As described in this paper, neither assumption was fully suitable for the parking search process. Accordingly, this paper proposes an asymptotic reset model that generalizes the full-reset and no-reset cases and uses the concept of reset rate to characterize the temporal dependence of parking probabilities on earlier observations. In this model, drivers try to minimize their expected travel cost, which includes the driving cost and the cost of walking from a parking spot to the actual destination conditioned on the parking availability on m most recently traversed links. Th...
Adaptive finite element analysis of microwave driven convection

Abstract This study describes an adaptive finite element methodology for heat transfer by convection applied to microwave heating of liquids. This is the first attempt to model such type of problems employing the concepts of error estimation and mesh adaptivity. The proposed methodology is generic and can be applied to steady-state, transient, linear and nonlinear problems involving heat transfer by conduction and convection. There was very good agreement between simulation and experimental results.
Impact of Ethane, Propane, and Diluent Content in Natural Gas on the Performance of a Commercial Microturbine Generator

The impact of fuel composition on performance of power generation devices is gaining interest as a desire to diversify fuel supplies increases. In the present study measurements of combustion performance were conducted on a commercial natural gas fired 60-kW gas turbine as a function of fuel composition. A statistically designed experiment was carried out and exhaust emissions were obtained for significant amounts of ethane and propane. In addition, a limited study of the effect of inerts was examined. The results show that emissions of NOx, CO, and NOx/NO are not well correlated with common descriptions of the fuel such as higher heating value or methane number. The results and trends indicate that the presence of higher hydrocarbons in the fuel leads to appreciably higher NOx emissions for both test devices operating under similar lean conditions, while having less impact on CO emissions.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Mycorrhizas: Gene to function

Substantial progress has been made toward development of molecular tools for identification and quantification of mycorrhizal fungi in roots and evaluation of the diversity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and the phylogeny and genetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. rDNA analysis confirms high diversity of ECM fungi on their hosts, and for AM fungi has revealed considerable genetic variation within and among morphologically similar AM fungal species. The fungal and plant genes, regulation of their expression, and biochemical pathways for nutrient exchange between symbiotic partners are now coming under intense study and will eventually be used to define the ecological nutritional role of the fungi. While molecular biological approaches have increased understanding of the mycorrhizal symbiosis, such knowledge about these lower-scale processes has yet to influence our understanding of larger-scale responses to any great extent.
Electrochemical sources of electric power — II

Prompted by current interest in the possibilities of atomic energy, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING is presenting a series of articles reviewing the various known and tried methods of producing electric power in the light of present-day knowledge. Previously published articles reviewed electric power sources in general, piezoelectricity, and electrostatic power sources.∗ The present article considers another source, the battery, or electrochemical source of power, and will appear in two parts. Part 1 presents an historical resume of the subject, while part 2 will describe its technical aspects.
Some effects of device versus handmixing of irreversible hydrocolloids

hile voids in critical regions of irreversible hydrocolloid impressions are annoying, air entrapment is often difficult to avoid. Vacuum-mixed irreversible hydrocolloid is considered to provide a better impression for gypsum than irreversible hydrocolloid mixed in an open container, based on the fact that irreversible hydrocolloid laboratory specimens-when mixed by both methods and subsequently compared-show a dramatic difference in air inclusion. Recently, a mechanical mixing device (Cadco Alginator, Cadco Dental Products, Los Angeles, Calif.) used without vacuum has been advocated for mixing irreversible hydrocolloid and is purported to be advantageous for impression making because of reduced air inclusion within the body of the irreversible hydrocolloid. This device simply rotates the mixing bowl so that a spatula may be pressed laterally to reduce air pockets. The present study was undertaken to compare properties between handmixed (HAND), alginator mixed (MECH), and vacuum-mechanically (VACMECH) mixed irreversible hydrocolloid.
Evolution of clinical, radiological, and electrocardiographic changes following experimental atrial septal defect.

Abstract Incomplete RBBB associated with atrial septal defect is a developmental abnormality that results from mild right ventricular hypertrophy, particularly in the outflow tract region. This electrocardiographic finding appeared five to ten months after surgical creation of the atrial defect in eight puppies. At 11 months, widening of the QRS appeared suddenly at the same time that the pulmonary valve closure became louder, sharper, and delayed so that the defect could be detected clinically. Gradual spontaneous narrowing of a surgically created atrial septal defect in the experimental animal was suspected from the appearance of respiratory variation in splitting of the second sound, even though the splitting was still greater than normal. Complete spontaneous closure of the defect in the experimental animal or surgical repair in man is immediately followed by decreased intensity and a softer quality of the pulmonary component of the second heart sound, although the radiological and electrocardiographic evidence of the previous defect persists.
Preservation of B-cell-associated surface antigens by chemical fixation

Usual methods of chemical fixation preclude examination of cells with most monoclonal antibodies due to alteration or destruction of the surface antigen itself. A method of chemical stabilization and preservation of human B-cell-associated surface antigens is described which facilitates retrospective flow cytometric analysis. This method involves pretreatment of the cells with protease enzyme inhibitors, followed by chemical crosslinking of surface proteins with 2% formalin, and finally blockade of non-specific reactive groups with excess glycine. Once prepared, the expression of pertinent cellular antigens is stable on the cell surface for as long as 4 years. Such methodology could conceivably be used for preparation of cells for longitudinal quality control of monoclonal antibodies or archival storage of patient specimens for retrospective flow cytometric analysis. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Partitioning Characteristics of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Between Water and Foods

As a persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic organic pollutant, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) has been found ubiquitously in the environment, including in tap water. For the first time, we studied PFOS sorption from water to foods (nine commonly consumed vegetables, three meats, and cereals) at two temperatures to estimate the daily intake of PFOS attributable to cooking and food preparation. The values of the food water-distribution coefficient (K F/W, l/kg) of PFOS ranged from 7 to 19 l/kg for most vegetables and from 19 to 38 l/kg for meats. Celery exhibited the highest affinity toward PFOS (K F/W = 39.8 ± 3.4 l/kg), whereas onions showed the lowest affinity toward PFOS (K F/W = 1.1 ± 0.4 l/kg). Adding table salt (sodium chloride) greatly increased PFOS sorption in most foods, except for celery and meats. The results indicate that human exposure to PFOS could result from the sorption of PFOS from water to food during food preparation, especially when using table salt. The average daily intake of PFOS through this route was estimated. Furthermore, raw and unprocessed foods (vegetables, meats, and cereals) bought from farmers’ markets and grocery stores were basically free of PFOS and other long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids.
New tools and methodology for advanced parametric and defect structure test

Continuing scaling trends in semiconductor technology, as well as the test requirements of new technologies being incorporated with mainstream silicon integrated circuits, has increased the complexity of parametric and defect structure testing. New testers are required which can drastically improve the throughput of parametric test, as well as efficiently test new array based process diagnostic structures. Addressing these needs requires merging the traditionally separate functions of digital and parametric test equipment. We describe the development of a new hybrid test system, which combines the features of parametric and digital testers, and in addition introduces a high degree parallelism in its parametric test functions. The test system was developed for high throughput inline test (“parallel test”) of defect structures, semiconductor parametric macros, and advanced array based process monitors down to pA current levels, as well as traditional all digital yield macros, such as SRAMs.
Ortega y Gasset y la psiquiatría biológica: "Si queremos que todo siga como está, es necesario que todo cambie"

Background. Practice and research in the field of biological psychiatry requires us to assume certain positions on several philosophical issues. Objective. To focus on the basic philosophical assumptions of modern biological psychiatry. Method. To inquire into Ortega y Gasset’s interpretations of the nature of man and science in order to understand the presuppositions which biological psychiatry itself can never justify scientifically. Results. Biological psychiatry allows only the insigths of what its kind of representation has admitted in advance as a possible object, i.e., brain function, gene expression, neurotransmitter. On the contrary and according to Ortega: “The man is not his body that is a thing, neither his soul that is also a thing, a subtle thing: the man is not at all a thing, but a drama: his life” Conclusions. Ortega can help us to apprehend the level of understanding peculiar of the current biological psychiatry better because his “new level is a deeper stratum of the philosophical problems”
Culture shapes electrocortical responses during emotion suppression

Previous work has shown that emotional control is highly valued in Asian culture. However, little is known about how this cultural value might influence emotional processing. Here, we hypothesized that Asians areculturally trainedto down-regulate emotional processing when required to suppress emotional expressions. Such down-regulation, however, is unlikely for European Americans because their culture values emotional expression (vs control) more. To test these predictions, we adopted the parietal late positive potential (LPP) of the event-related potential as an objective indicator of emotional processing. Both Asian and European Americans were exposed to either unpleasant or neutral pictures while instructed to either attend or suppress expression of emotions. Both groups showed an equally pronounced parietal positivity � 600 ms post-stimulus. As predicted, however, Asians subsequently showed a significant decrease of the parietal LPP in the suppression (vs attend) condition. The initial positivity completely disappeared 2000 ms post-stimulus. In contrast, for European Americans the parietal LPP suppression effect was completely absent although there was an early occurring, sustained increase in frontal positivity in the suppression (vs attend) condition. Implications for culture and emotion research are discussed.
Drug discovery and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease.

Abstract Progress in understanding the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has advanced rapidly and has achieved parity in knowledge with other chronic degenerative diseases of the elderly. This knowledge has not yet been successfully translated into new and effective disease-modifying drugs. Many new clinical candidates are currently in clinical trials, and it is likely that some will be successful in achieving regulatory approval. Nevertheless, primary prevention of AD remains the ultimate and most important goal of research efforts because the unique clinical features of this dementing disease create a number of challenges for drug development, regulatory approval, and payment. Ultimately, the development of truly effective disease-modifying drugs through accelerated drug discovery is the only real pathway to primary prevention.
Complete Version of Turan’s Lemma for Trigonometric Polynomials on the Unit Circumference

We prove that for every trigonometric polynomial p(z) in n characters, every measurable subset E of the unit circumference \(\mathbb{T}\) of measure \(\mu ({\rm E}) \geqslant \tfrac{1} {3}\), and every q ∈ [0, 2], the inequality $$\left\| p \right\|_{L^q \left( \mathbb{T} \right)} \leqslant e^{A\left( {n - 1} \right)\mu \left( {\mathbb{T}\backslash E} \right)} \left\| p \right\|_{L^q \left( E \right)}$$ is true with some absolute constant A > 0. The result is sharp up to the numerical value of A.
Tetrahydrobiopterin Therapy for Phenylketonuria

Sapropterin dihydrochloride is a pharmaceutical preparation of BH4 available in 100 mg tablets or powder, which can be administered at doses of 5–20 mg/kg/day, for those individuals with BH4-responsive PKU. In clinical trials, 20–61 % of individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) have been found to respond to tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) as demonstrated by a decrease in blood phenylalanine concentration. Children with PKU ≤4 years of age that were determined to be responsive to BH4 have demonstrated a favorable safety profile to this medication. Clinical studies on BH4 therapy have shown responders to BH4 therapy to have improved phenylalanine to tyrosine ratios and less variability in blood phenylalanine concentration.
Correction for Resolution Non-Uniformities Caused by Anode Angulation in Computed Tomography

Most X-ray tubes comprise a rotating anode that is bombarded with electrons to produce X-rays. A substantial amount of heat is generated, and to increase the area of the anode exposed to the electrons, without increasing the apparent size of the focal spot, the focal track of the anode is generally beveled with a very shallow angle (typically 5-7deg in a CT tube). Due to the line focus principle, this allows a fairly large area of the focal track to be exposed to electrons while retaining a fairly small effective projected focal spot. One side effect of anode angulation is that the focal spot appears different from different positions in the detector array; the effective focal spot size at a constant distance from the tube will be larger for a peripheral detector than for a central one. These differences in the effective size of the focal spot across the field of view lead to worse resolution in the periphery than in the center of reconstructed images. In this work we describe a method for achieving more uniform resolution in fan-beam CT images by correcting for these focal spot angulation effects. We do so by modeling the effects as a series of local blurrings in the space of transmitted CT intensities and determining the effective coefficients of the corresponding discrete convolutions. The effect of these blurrings can then be compensated for in the sinogram domain through the use of a penalized-likelihood sinogram restoration model we have recently developed.
Employment in Adults with Down Syndrome in the United States: Results from a National Survey

Background There is no current data about employment/unemployment of adults with Down syndrome in the United States. The data that exists includes adults with Down syndrome as part of the larger group of people with disabilities or people with intellectual disability. Method This study used a survey to investigate paid and volunteer employment, unemployment, types of jobs, job training, job settings, job schedules and job satisfaction in adults with Down syndrome. There were 511 survey responses received. Results Findings were that there is high unemployment for adults with Down syndrome and that current employment is in a limited number of fields, primarily in the areas of food, janitorial work, landscaping, and office work. A small percentage of respondents have full time paid employment. A combination of part time paid employment and unpaid volunteer work is typical. Conclusions Implications for educators, counselors, legislators and employers are discussed.
Arytenoid abduction for bilateral vocal fold paralysis

Patients with bilateral laryngeal paralysis suffer primarily from airway obstruction because the vocal folds do not abduct for inspiration. However, many patients have some adductor action during phonation, so that the voice is not severely impaired and may even be near. Surgical treatments that statically enlarge the glottis improve the airway at the expense of the voice. Arytenoid abduction (AAb) is a surgical procedure that simulates action of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle, the only laryngeal abductor muscle. AAb externally rotates the arytenoid to move the vocal process laterally and rostrally. This increases the glottic airway for inspiration but does not abolish existing adductor action, as the axis of arytenoid rotation for abduction is significantly different than the axis for adduction. AAb involves an external approach and is technically more difficult than endoscopic procedures, such as arytenoidectomy or cordectomy. However, endoscopic procedures usually impair the voice and carry risks of stenosis and aspiration during swallowing.
Equivalence of the Doppler effect, relativistic Doppler effect and scattering effect

Abstract On the basis of an electromagnetic plane wave scattered by an electron, the relativistic Doppler effect is demonstrated equivalent to a two step Doppler effect. Further experimental verification for the conservation law according to the Compton-Debye theory is also urged.
Structural relationship of sperm soluble hyaluronidase to the sperm membrane protein PH-20.

The sperm plasma membrane protein PH-20 has a hyaluronidase activity that enables acrosome-intact sperm to pass through the cumulus cell layer of the egg. In this study we analyzed the relationship of guinea pig PH-20 and the "classical" soluble hyaluronidase released at the time of the acrosome reaction of guinea pig sperm. PH-20 is a membrane protein, anchored in the plasma and inner acrosomal membranes by a glycosyl phosphatidyl inositol anchor. Several types of experiments indicate a structural relationship of PH-20 and the soluble hyaluronidase released during the acrosome reaction. First, an antiserum raised against purified PH-20 is positive in an immunoblot of the soluble protein fraction released during the acrosome reaction. In the released, soluble protein fraction, the anti-PH-20 antiserum recognizes a protein of approximately 64 kDa, i.e., identical in molecular mass to PH-20 (approximately 64 kDa). Second, the enzymatic activity of the released hyaluronidase is completely inhibited (100%) by the anti-PH-20 antiserum. Third, almost all (97%) of the soluble hyaluronidase is removed from the released protein fraction by a single pass through an affinity column made with an anti-PH-20 monoclonal antibody. These findings suggest that the released, soluble hyaluronidase is a soluble form of PH-20 (sPH-20). During the acrosome reaction, PH-20 undergoes endoproteolytic cleavage into two disulfide-linked fragments whereas the released sPH-20 is not cleaved, suggesting the possible activity of a membrane-bound endoprotease on PH-20. We searched for a cDNA encoding sPH-20 but none was found. This result suggests that sPH-20 may arise from the enzymatic release of PH-20 from its membrane anchor, possibly at the time of acrosome reaction.
Average Orthogonality Factor in WCDMA Downlinks for Independent Rayleigh Fading Multipath Channels

In wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) system capacity analysis and simulations, downlink interference due to loss of orthogonality between spreading codes is modeled by means of the orthogonality factor (OF). This study derives closed-form expressions for the time-averaged OF over independent Rayleigh fading multipath channels, in which the average power gains of each path can be distinct or identical. Two approximation approaches proposed in related literature are tested against the analytical results presented here
Black Death, White Writing: André Brink's The Wall of the Plague as a Narrative of National Reconciliation

Andre Brink's novel, The Wall of the Plague, published in 1984 in the midst of apartheid's state of emergency, is designed to contribute to the project of national reconciliation that would come to...
Web service management using system dynamics

Web service provides a means to integrate functional components and for business IT solutions in an enterprise or cross-enterprise environment. Enterprise resources are consumed by Web services to provide desired capabilities expected by the users. However, beyond service provisioning, an enterprise needs to manage their Web services and related resources in an optimal manner in order to maximize the resource usage. This paper presents a framework of Web service management aimed for solving the resource allocation issues based on system dynamics models. Our approach combines the business operational consideration and IT infrastructure configuration. Dependency that is derived from impact analysis of different perspectives is an essential part of the model and can be built into control system. The resultant system embodies the capability of autonomic Web service management to certain degree if not fully. The reference architecture of this framework is accounted in this paper. We also demonstrate dynamical behavior of the system through simulation.
On randomized reductions to sparse sets

It is shown that the existence of a sparse set that is hard for the class NP under certain randomized reductions implies that NP=RP and hence all languages in the polynomial-time hierarchy can be recognized feasibly. This provides strong evidence for the nonexistence of such sets. >
Artificial neural-net based dynamic security assessment for electric power systems

In the post-fault dynamic analysis of interconnected power systems, the critical fault clearing time (CCT) is one of the parameters of paramount importance. Critical clearing time is a complex function of pre-fault system conditions (operating point, topology, system parameters), fault structure (type and location) and post-fault conditions that are in part dependent on the protective relaying policy. To define analytically such a relationship would be highly desirable but diversity of variable involved makes this task extremely complicated. Our efforts focus on examination of that complex mapping and investigation of the influence of the various parameters on CCT. The evaluation of CCT involves elaborate computations that often include time-consuming solutions of nonlinear on-fault system equations. Existing conventional pattern recognition techniques are incapable of synthesizing such complex and transparent mappings. Thus, when a human operator tells the machine learning unit (that is the pattern recognizer) that system state belongs to a certain class, say "emergency", the pattern recognizer merely records that classification mindlessly and is not able to look at the pattern with insight and discover what underlies the "emergency" nature of pattern. It is, therefore, highly desirable to have a mechanism which when presented with a sequence of class labeled patterns not only learns an internal structure which allows it to generalize and to classify other and to classify other patterns correctly, but also is able to shed some light on what combination of features give rise to the particular class membership.
Beyond Higher Education: Other Sources of Data for Tracking Students.

This chapter introduces four new data tools that broaden student tracking coverage and add statistical indicators and visual images of employment patterns.
Microbial degradation kinetics of toxic organic chemicals over a wide range of concentrations in natural aquatic systems

The degradation kinetics for several toxic organic compounds (p-cresol, phenol, p- chlorophenol, acetone and methanol) exposed to natural aquatic microbial assemblages were examined over a wide range of concentrations. Compounds were added in radiolabeled form and incubated at 25°C for periods ranging from several hours to one day. The results revealed that degradation kinetics were multiphasic for each of the compounds during at least one sampling period, i.e., the kinetic parameters Kt and Vmax increased with increasing substrate concentration. The observed multiphasicity suggests the presence within the natural microbial assemblages of multiple uptake/degradative systems, each with distinguishable kinetic parameters and each dominating degradation at a different substrate concentration range. If the kinetic diversity is ignored and rates of degradation are calculated based on the assumption that kinetics follow simple hyperbolic (Michaelis-Menten) relationships, then errors as large as 40,000-fold can result. Thus, our results suggest that models for predicting the persistence of such compounds in natural waters should consider changes in kinetic constants with substrate concentration.
Interference Competition in Postmetamorphic Salamanders: Interspecific Differences in Aggression by Coexisting Species

I examined whether interference competition occurred among the terrestrial juveniles of two pond-breeding salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum and A. talpoideum. In a laboratory experiment, I observed intra- and interspecific agonistic behavior between pairs of recently metamorphosed individuals by staging encounters between resident sal- amanders (i.e., possessors of a refugium) and (1) nonspecific, (2) heterospecific, and (3) surrogate (control) intruders. Resident A. maculatum exhibited significantly more threat and submissive behavior to live intruders than to surrogates, with more agonistic behavior directed toward conspecifics than to heterospecifics. Intruders likewise exhibited signifi- cantly more threat and submissive behavior to nonspecific residents than to heterospecific residents. In contrast, neither resident nor intruding A. talpoideum altered their behavior in response to differing types of opponents. These results indicate that interference com- petition may operate in the terrestrial environment. Further, the agonistic behavior of terrestrial Ambystoma is the antithesis of that of the larvae of these two species, which suggests an ontogenetic switch in behavior at metamorphosis. These data are the first indication of such a shift in competitive abilities in amphibians. This behavioral switch may sustain coexistence between these two species by counterbalancing the competitive advantage of one species in the aquatic stage with that of the other species in the terrestrial stage.
Research Resource: Correlating Human Cytochrome P450 21A2 Crystal Structure and Phenotypes of Mutations in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia

Cytochrome P450 21A2 is a key player in steroid 21-hydroxylation and converts progesterone to 11-deoxycorticosterone and 17α-hydroxy progesterone to 11-deoxycortisol. More than 100 mutations in P450 21A2 have been established in patients thus far; these account for the vast majority of occurrences of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which is among the most common heritable metabolic diseases in humans. CAH phenotypes range from the most severe, salt-wasting (SW), to the simple virilizing (SV), and nonclassical (NC) CAH forms. We recently determined the crystal structure of human P450 21A2 in complex with progesterone. To gain more insight into the structural and stability changes underlying the phenotypes of individual mutations, we analyzed 24 SW, SV, and NC mutants in the context of the crystal structure of the human enzyme. Our analysis reveals clear differences in the localization of SW, SV, and NC mutations, with many of the first type mapping to the active site and near the heme and/or substrat...
European Union and the Deconstruction of the Rhineland Frontier: Carolingian discourse and Rhineland pacification

The Roman roads that once led south from Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium to Moguntiacum , and west to Augusta Treverorum , still meet at the intersection of Hohe Strasse and Schildergasse, in Cologne's “Old Town.” Trains rumble across the nearby Hohenzollern Bridge, above which rise the magnificent cathedral and the striking Romisch-Germanisches Museum, a testament to Roman Cologne's brilliance. German troops marched across this bridge in 1936 to occupy the left bank in defiance of the Versailles settlement. Six years later, in 1942, the Royal Air Force launched the first of more than thirty bombing raids that utterly devastated this most emblematic of Greater Rhineland cities (see plate 8.1). The bridge was rebuilt. The cathedral and the city's dozen or so Romanesque churches were painstakingly restored. But many of the Old Town's historic buildings survived only as bits and pieces of masonry embedded, as a testament to Cologne's precarious geopolitics, in the metal and glass surfaces of industrial-age offspring. Cologne's ruin culminated the disruption of western Europe's core regional economy by frontier geopolitics and the collision of mythical nations. As argued in previous chapters, that collision was the fact of an aesthetic project, conceived by poets in the eighteenth century and imposed on populations by state action in the nineteenth. That aesthetic project did not bring to light “authentic peoples,” as it claimed.
Comparing spatial and non-spatial approaches for predicting forest soil organic carbon at unsampled locations

Prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC) at unsampled locations is central to statistical modeling of regional SOC stocks. This is often accomplished by applying geostatistical techniques to plot inventory data. However, in many cases inventory data is sparsely sampled (<0.1 plots/km^2) relative to the region of interest, and it is unknown if geostatistics provides any advantage. Our objective was to test whether modeling spatial autocorrelation, in multivariate and univariate predictive models, improved estimates of SOC at prediction locations based on sparsely-sampled inventory data. We conducted our study using a dataset sampled across all forested land in the Coastal Plain physiographic province of New Jersey, USA. We considered five models for predicting SOC, two linear regression models (intercept only and multiple regression with predictor variables), ordinary kriging (a univariate spatial approach), and two multivariate spatial methods (regression kriging and co-kriging). We conducted a simulation study in which we compared the predictive performance (in terms of root mean squared error) of all five models. Our results suggest that our sparsely-sampled SOC data exhibits no spatial structure (Moran’s I =0.05, p =0.39), though several of the covariates are spatially autocorrelated. Multiple linear regression had the best performance in the simulation study, while co-kriging performed the worst. Our results suggest that when inventory data is dispersed across the region of interest, modeling spatial autocorrelation does not provide significant advantage for predicting SOC at unsampled locations. However, it is unknown whether this autocorrelation does not exist at broad scales, or if sparse sampling strategies are unable to detect it. We conclude that in these situations, multiple regression provides a straightforward alternative to predicting SOC for mapping studies, but that more work on the spatial structure of soil carbon across multiple scales is needed.
Fair Allocations in an Overlapping Generations Economy

The paper examines the nature of fair (envy free, efficient) allocations in an overlapping generations economy without production, in which each generation lives for two periods. It shows that there exists a non-trivial conflict between equity and efficiency when all generations have identical preferences. This conflict is seen to be entirely determined by the historically determined young age consumption of the generation which is old in the first period when the social decisions are being made, relative to the young age consumption in the golden-rule. It then shows by an example that there could exist non-stationary preferences for which such a conflict does not arise regardless of the history of the economy.
Relationship of Free Amino Acids of Some Solanaceous Plants to Growth and Development of Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Beginning at hatching, larvae of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), were fed young, bloom-stage, and senescent foliage of 4 solanaceous plants, namely, potato, eggplant, horse-nettle, and 4 varieties of tomato. Under laboratory rearing conditions, larvae completed their growth most rapidly on young foliage of potato, while larval stadia were prolonged for those fed some of the other plants, especially the senescent plants. Percent survival from first-instar larvae to adults was relatively high for all that had fed on the potato foliages, young eggplant, and bloom-stage Rutgers tomato, but was extremely low for those fed senescent foliage of the tomato varieties. Average adult weights were higher for those that had fed as larvae on foliages of potato and bloom-stage Rutgers tomato, lowest for those reared on young eggplant foliages. Ethanol extracts were made of the several kinds of foliages, and the free amino acid composition of the extracts was checked by 1- and 2-way paper chromatography. Extracts of young potato foliage contained the greatest variety of amino acids, and all potato foliages contained all the essential amino acids. Threonine and tryptophan were absent from other extracts. The most prominent amino acids and amides in all the plant extracts were glutamic acid, serine, aspartic acid, alanine, glutamine, and gamma aminobutyric acid.
Comment on "An Experimental Investigation of Comparative Advertising: Impact of Message Appeal, Information Load, and Utility of Product Class"

In the May 1980 issue of the Journal of Marketing Research, a study was added to the growing body of literature on comparative advertising. Goodwin and Etgar (G & E) focused attention on three independent variables: (1) message appeal (comparative versus brand X versus supportive), (2) information load (low versus medium versus high), and (3) the product class advertised (social versus functional utility). The result was a 3 x 3 x 2 experimental design. G & E used a set of 15 dependent variables to measure the effects of the independent variables on such criteria as overall affect toward the promoted brand, attractiveness of the advertisement, etc. In addition to the weaknesses G & E point out in their article, four more warrant mentioning. Each could affect the results and the conclusions drawn from the data.
Removing Arsenic from Synthetic Groundwater with Iron Electrocoagulation: An Fe and As K-Edge EXAFS Study

Electrocoagulation (EC) using iron electrodes is a promising arsenic removal strategy for Bangladesh groundwater drinking supplies. EC is based on the rapid in situ dissolution of a sacrificial Fe(0) anode to generate iron precipitates with a high arsenic sorption affinity. We used X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the local coordination environment (<4.0 A) of Fe and As in EC precipitates generated in synthetic Bangladesh groundwater (SBGW). Fe and As K-edge EXAFS spectra were found to be similar between samples regardless of the large range of current density (0.02, 1.1, 5.0, 100 mA/cm2) used to generate samples. Shell-by-shell fits of the Fe K-edge EXAFS spectra indicated that EC precipitates consist of primarily edge-sharing FeO6 octahedra. The absence of corner-sharing FeO6 octahedra implies that EC precipitates resemble nanoscale clusters (polymers) of edge-sharing octahedra that efficiently bind arsenic. Shell-by-shell fits of As K-edge EXAFS spectra show that arsenic, initially pr...
Switched linear control of vapor compression systems under highly transient conditions

Vapor compression systems, while historically prevalent in relatively steady-state thermal transport applications, are recently being investigated for application in modern advanced vehicle systems, where far greater transient operational conditions are expected to occur. Critical to the control of these systems is the regulation of evaporator superheat, which is known to exhibit highly nonlinear behavior, especially at low values. This behavior includes a reversal of signs in the input-to-output gains between operating conditions with zero superheat and those with positive superheat. As an alternative to addressing the system's nonlinear response with nonlinear control, this paper demonstrates the use of a switched linear control approach. This is implemented by switching among linear model-based controllers for distinct modes of the system. This principle of matching modes of the controller to modes of the system is demonstrated in simulation for an evaporator superheat recovery process. The control design is shown to regulate the system on a timescale suitable for the transients expected of application in advanced mobile energy systems.
Physiological consequences of hybridization: early generation backcrossing decreases performance in invasive bigheaded carps

Hybridization can influence a range of characteristics and outcomes for an organism; however, relatively little is known about evolutionary consequences on nutritional performance. Information on hybrid nutritional performance would provide an understanding of how hybrids interact with their environment and insights into mechanisms affecting survival. Our goal was to test for relationships between hybridization and nutritional performance in invasive bigheaded carps (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and their hybrids in the Marseilles reach of the Illinois River, Illinois, USA. Silver carp showed better nutritional performance relative to bighead carp. Early generation bighead and silver carp hybrid groups were intermediate to both parental lines, thereby, reducing their nutritional performance, and advanced generation bighead and silver carp groups were nutritionally more similar to their respective parental species. Differences in gill raker morphology and feeding ...
Cone Dystrophy with Dominant Inheritance Part II: Special Color Vision Tests

Of the patients examined during this phase of the study, all but one (J.P. [IV-8]) showed clear evidence of reduced color discrimination. The data for J.P. suggest that his color discrimination is just within normal limits.
VidCrit: Video-based Asynchronous Video Review

Video production is a collaborative process in which stakeholders regularly review drafts of the edited video to indicate problems and offer suggestions for improvement. Although practitioners prefer in-person feedback, most reviews are conducted asynchronously via email due to scheduling and location constraints. The use of this impoverished medium is challenging for both providers and consumers of feedback. We introduce VidCrit, a system for providing asynchronous feedback on drafts of edited video that incorporates favorable qualities of an in-person review. This system consists of two separate interfaces: (1) A feedback recording interface captures reviewers' spoken comments, mouse interactions, hand gestures and other physical reactions. (2) A feedback viewing interface transcribes and segments the recorded review into topical comments so that the video author can browse the review by either text or timelines. Our system features novel methods to automatically segment a long review session into topical text comments, and to label such comments with additional contextual information. We interviewed practitioners to inform a set of design guidelines for giving and receiving feedback, and based our system's design on these guidelines. Video reviewers using our system preferred our feedback recording interface over email for providing feedback due to the reduction in time and effort. In a fixed amount of time, reviewers provided 10.9 (σ=5.09) more local comments than when using text. All video authors rated our feedback viewing interface preferable to receiving feedback via e-mail.
The Cytolethal Distending Toxin Contributes to Microbial Virulence and Disease Pathogenesis by Acting As a Tri-Perditious Toxin.

This review summarizes the current status and recent advances in our understanding of the role that the cytolethal distending toxin (Cdt) plays as a virulence factor in promoting disease by toxin-producing pathogens. A major focus of this review is on the relationship between structure and function of the individual subunits that comprise the AB2 Cdt holotoxin. In particular, we concentrate on the molecular mechanisms that characterize this toxin and which account for the ability of Cdt to intoxicate multiple cell types by utilizing a ubiquitous binding partner on the cell membrane. Furthermore, we propose a paradigm shift for the molecular mode of action by which the active Cdt subunit, CdtB, is able to block a key signaling cascade and thereby lead to outcomes based upon programming and the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI-3K) in a variety of cells. Based upon the collective Cdt literature, we now propose that Cdt is a unique and potent virulence factor capable of acting as a tri-perditious toxin that impairs host defenses by: 1) disrupting epithelial barriers; 2) suppressing acquired immunity; 3) promoting pro-inflammatory responses. Thus Cdt plays a key role in facilitating the early stages of infection and the later stages of disease progression by contributing to persistence and impairing host elimination.
“Click Chip” Conjugation of Bifunctional Chelators to Biomolecules

There is a growing demand for diagnostic procedures including in vivo tumor imaging. Radiometal-based imaging agents are advantageous for tumor imaging because radiometals (i) have a wide range of half-lives and (ii) are easily incorporated into imaging probes via a mild, rapid chelation event with a bifunctional chelator (BFC). Microfluidic platforms hold promise for synthesis of radiotracers because they can easily handle minute volumes, reduce consumption of expensive reagents, and minimize personnel exposure to radioactive compounds. Here we demonstrate the use of a “click chip” with an immobilized Cu(I) catalyst to facilitate the “click chemistry” conjugation of BFCs to biomolecules (BMs); a key step in the synthesis of radiometal-based imaging probes. The “click chip” was used to synthesize three different BM-BFC conjugates with minimal amounts of copper present in reaction solutions (∼20 ppm), which reduces or obviates the need for a copper removal step. These initial results are promising for futu...
Introduction: On Poison and Reason

In this chapter I discuss Sigmund Freud’s and Walter Benjamin’s relationships to drugs, Freud with cocaine and Benjamin with hashish, as two examples of how drugs stimulated their reflections on modernity. I argue that Freud and Benjamin were not addicted to chemicals but rather to drug-related ideas with Messianic overtones. The chapter elaborates on the ways in which Freud’s and Benjamin’s main concepts, such as “unconscious,” “phantasmagoria,” “hysteria” or “revolution,” grew out of their intoxicated reflections. Although they preferred different drugs, Freud and Benjamin, both Central European Jews, died in exile by overdose of morphine. Between the two world wars, suicide by morphine was a common means for many Jews. I argue that Freud and Benjamin fell prey to the German “Jewish-chemical complex” and an industry dedicated to the technological demolition of the Jews. Insofar as this complex realized the nation’s death wish against its Jews, the complex belonged to the German collective industrial unconscious.