cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Platelet dysfunction in patients with traumatic intracranial hemorrhage: Do desmopressin and platelet therapy help or harm?

Abstract Background Pre-injury anti-platelet use has been associated with increased risk of progression of traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (TICH) and worse outcomes. VerifyNow® assays assess platelet inhibition due to aspirin/clopidogrel. This study assesses the outcomes of patients with TICH and platelet dysfunction treated with desmopressin and/or platelets. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with mild TICH at a level 1 trauma center 1/1/2013–6/1/2016. Patients with documented platelet dysfunction who received desmopressin and/or platelets were compared to those who were untreated. Primary outcomes were progression of TICH and neurologic outcomes at discharge. Results Of 565 patients with a mild TICH, 200 patients had evidence of platelet dysfunction (a positive VerifyNow® assay). Patients had similar baseline demographics, injury characteristics, and rate of TICH progression; but patients who received desmopressin and/or platelets had worse Glasgow Outcomes Score at discharge. Conclusion Treatment of patients with mild TICH and platelet dysfunction with desmopressin and/or platelets did not affect TICH progression but correlated with worse neurologic status at discharge.
Evaporator Icing Protection Test Method

Evaporator icing is an operating state of automotive air conditioning systems in which the condensate water formed in the evaporator turns to ice. This failure mode is normally mitigated by a control system that disables the compressor when freezing temperatures are encountered. This paper reviews the causes of evaporator icing and traditional systems to protect against icing as well as tests to validate the icing protection system. A wind tunnel icing protection test is described that validates the effectiveness of the icing protection by forcing the system through the "clutch cycling transition boundary." The proposed test requires less time to perform and is more conclusive than previous tests. Test result data is given.
Encoding Spatial Information: The Evidence for Hierarchical Processing

This paper describes how individuals process spatial information, how geographical location can affect the method of processing, how an understanding of spatial information processing is necessary to model spatial choices accurately, and how spatial variations in the way information is processed can be measured. Both nonhierarchical and hierarchical methods of processing information are discussed with the latter being the more likely means of processing spatial information. Results from an empirical example using migration flows within the U.S. suggest that individuals use a hierarchical method of spatial ordering and that there is a spatial pattern to the degree to which spatial information is processed hierarchically. This pattern is shown to be related to the amount of spatial information available to an individual.
Precise characterization and design of composite absorbers for wideband microwave applications

this paper presents a novel measurement, characterization, and design procedure for practical broadband absorbers. A multi-layer absorber ideally suited to broadband communication applications has been designed, optimized and analyzed. A newly developed and precise transmission-reflection (T/R) based waveguide measurement technique has been used to determine the frequency dependent complex permeability and permittivity of a variety of dielectric and magnetic absorbers in the microwave spectra. These materials have been accurately characterized for the first time across eight frequency bands from 2 to 40 GHz. The constitutive parameters have then been analyzed to design a 2–18 GHz multi-layer composite structure that offers minimum specular reflection and maximum absorption of electromagnetic energy across the bandwidth. To verify the absorption performance in wideband applications, the multi-layer structure has been inserted in the lossy cavity of a 2-arm Archimedean spiral antenna and simulated for its radiation patterns. The optimal thicknesses of each absorbing layer have been determined for this specific broadband application. Finally, the reflection properties of the composite structure have been experimentally verified using the T/R measurement technique.
A new latent HIV reservoir.

The persistence of latently infected T cells is a major hurdle to eradication of HIV by antiviral therapy. It now seems that HIV latency can occur during normal T-cell differentiation in the thymus, and is regulated by the overall state of cellular gene transcription (pages 459–464 ).
Faculty attitudes towards teaching, technology and thermodynamics

Summary for only given. In trying to meet the ABET 2000 requirements, universities have an opportunity to reflect upon what they are doing to educate their students. To help with this process, one needs to look across institutions to try to understand what are the common challenges that professors face in their classrooms. In this presentation, the author discusses the results of an attitude survey of over 100 mechanical engineering professors who teach thermodynamics, both in the United States and abroad.
Computer simulation and modeling of the graded bandgap CuInSe/sub 2CdS solar cell

One of the ways to improve the low open circuit voltage (V/sub oc/) seen in CuInSe/sub 2/(CIS)/CdS solar cells is to use graded bandgap (position-dependent composition) absorber material (CuInGaSeS [CIS/sup */]) in these cells. Bandgap grading introduces effective force fields in addition to the existing electrostatic field; this results in increased collection efficiencies if effective force fields are suitably oriented. This paper presents a p-i-n model for the graded bandgap CIS/sup *CdS solar cell. The model provides for multiple reflections within the intrinsic region to ensure complete absorption of incident light. This optical confinement in the intrinsic region results in 25-40% increase in photons absorbed depending on the grading profile. Numerical simulations carried out to obtain the I-V curve show that suitable bandgap grading (linear and notch type) of the absorber material in the intrinsic region (p-i-n model) of CIS/sup */ solar cells can cause substantial improvement in the V/sub oc/, fill factor and efficiency. >
Privacy Sensitive Resource Access Monitoring for Android Systems

Existing works have studied how to collect and analyze human usage of mobile devices, to aid in further understanding of human behavior. Typical data collection utilizes applications or background services installed on the mobile device with user permission to collect user usage data via accelerometer, call logs, location, Wi-Fi transmission, etc. through a data tainting process. Built on the existing work, this research developed a system called Panorama (Privacy-sensitive Resource Access Monitoring for Android Systems) to collect application behavior instead of user behavior. The goal is to provide the means to analyze how background services access mobile resources, and potentially to identify suspicious applications that access sensitive user information. Panorama tracks the access of mobile resources in real time and enhances the concept of taint tracking. Each identified user privacy-sensitive resource is tagged and marked for tracking. The result is a dynamic, real-time tool that monitors the process flow of applications. This paper presents the development of Panorama and a set of analysis with respect to a variety of legitimate application behaviors.
Interaction of a high‐power UHF beam with the ionosphere

[1] In 1992 a rocket was launched into a high-power radio beam to study its interaction with the ionosphere. The frequency of the beam, 5.1 MHz, was optimized for such interactions since the frequency used was below the maximum plasma frequency and hence was reflected in a manner that optimized such an interaction. Fortuitously, the rocket passed quite close to the diagnostic Arecibo UHF (430 MHz) radar beam and remarkably, as reported here, we find that there was an interaction as well with the UHF beam. In retrospect, however, we see that the energy density of the UHF radar was more than an order of magnitude higher than the plasma energy density. And, although the quiver velocity of the electrons in the beam is only 4% of their thermal speed, the ponderomotive force is quite a bit larger than the other forces in the medium. This force creates a drift velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field at the beam edge which, we show, is unstable to the drift wave instability and is likely to create the heated ions and fluctuating electric field and plasma density we observe. These results suggest that any transmission of high-power radio waves from a solar power satellite to the ground will interact with the ionosphere in a manner that must be studied before such an expensive project is initiated.
SSBP3 Interacts With Islet-1 and Ldb1 to Impact Pancreatic β-Cell Target Genes

Islet-1 (Isl1) is a Lin11, Isl1, Mec3 (LIM)-homeodomain transcription factor important for pancreatic islet cell development, maturation, and function, which largely requires interaction with the LIM domain-binding protein 1 (Ldb1) coregulator. In other tissues, Ldb1 and Isl1 interact with additional factors to mediate target gene transcription, yet few protein partners are known in β-cells. Therefore, we hypothesize that Ldb1 and Isl1 participate in larger regulatory complexes to impact β-cell gene expression. To test this, we used cross-linked immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry to identify interacting proteins from mouse β-cells. Proteomic datasets revealed numerous interacting candidates, including a member of the single-stranded DNA-binding protein (SSBP) coregulator family, SSBP3. SSBPs potentiate LIM transcription factor complex activity and stability in other tissues. However, nothing was known of SSBP3 interaction, expression, or activity in β-cells. Our analyses confirmed that SSBP3 intera...
Optimizing systemic therapy selection in metastatic colorectal cancer.

For metastatic colorectal cancer, many effective agents can be incorporated into multiple lines of therapy across the nearly 3-year continuum of treatment. Emphasis should be on using all the recommended agents, with extended duration of anti–vascular endothelial growth factor treatment, and on identifying patients with any mutation in the RAS pathway. Chemotherapy plus bevacizumab or an epidermal growth factor receptor antibody are both viable options as first-line therapy in patients with RAS wild-type disease. (J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2015;13:682–685) “Long-term survival for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer [CRC] is not based on choice of firstline therapy, but on the incremental benefits that accrue over time using available agents,” according to Axel Grothey, MD, Professor of Oncology at Mayo Clinic. Treatment of metastatic CRC in 2015 can include induction, maintenance, reintroduction of first-line agents, treatment beyond progression, treatment breaks, and additional lines of therapy (Figure 1). “With current strategies, we have improved median overall survival to more than 30 months. It’s not one breakthrough drug but the art of oncology that keeps our patients alive,” Dr. Grothey said.
Why Am I Here? Six Word Stories About the First Month of Law School

According to an apocryphal anecdote, Ernest Hemingway was once challenged to write an entire story in six words. Hemingway purportedly considered this his best work. During the last decade, as the Hemingway tale has spread, interest in six-word stories has increased, resulting in several books and web sites. True or not, the Hemingway anecdote promotes brevity in writing, a value shared by teachers and readers of legal writing. In the fall of 2008, after reading a review of a recently published six-word story collection, Professor Tracy McGaugh posted a message on the Legal Writing Listserv suggesting that a six-word story could be useful in a legal writing class. This article discusses how the listserv post prompted the legal writing faculty at Hamline University School of Law to have a six-word story contest on the theme “the first six weeks of law school.” This article discusses the contest and the results.
Time deposits in the Brunner-Meltzer model of asset markets

Abstract Benjamin Friedman raised on a previous occasion questions about the interpretation of the multiplier formulation in our assetmarket model of the money suppl process. These questions addressed the role of time deposits in this process. This short note establishes the consistency of an equilibrium model of assetmarket interaction centered on a multiplier formulation. It states the rationale of the procedure and the nature of time deposit supply function the process.
The Symbolic Context of Chinese Medicine: A Comparative Approach to the Study of Traditional and Psychiatric Forms of Care in Chinese Culture

This article explores a distinctly different aspect of Chinese medicine, and of health care in Chinese culture, from that receiving most attention and serious study at present in this country. It examines the symbolic structure and significance of illness and care in the Chinese context by (a) applying concepts developed in anthropology and the cross-cultural study of medicine and psychiatry; (b) examining recent studies of folk and popular forms of health care in contemporary Chinese communities; and (c) raising questions about the cognitive structure, cultural background, and bio-social significance of traditional Chinese healing beliefs and practices. An attempt is made to place this analysis in a comparative framework, so that Chinese cases can be related to health care systems in other cultural settings.
Just Ask Teachers: Building expertise, trusting subjectivity, and valuing difference in writing assessment

Abstract The authors theorize a method for writing assessment that deemphasizes the traditional privileging of validity and reliability generated from multiple-reader, calibrated scoring of samples of student work. While acknowledging the holistic model's benefits to the field of writing studies, the authors assert that its claims of accuracy and objectivity minimize the numerous tangible and intangible variables that writing teacher/experts understand and value as they evaluate writing. The removal of the “object” – writing artifact – from its context in order to assess it quantitatively diminishes the opportunities for achieving meaningful and pedagogically effective results for a writing program. Rather than calibrating teachers to a rubric, the proposed method here generates a rough calibration of teacher “values” via facilitated conversations, accepting the differences of opinions and “messiness” of teachers’ subjective views of writing. Teachers then periodically assess their students’ performance on these values as well as the course objectives. In this way, the process develops teacher contextual expertise while producing focused assessment data that is both useful for outside agencies and meaningful to the program's goals of improving the teaching of writing.
Different charge forms of aromatic-l-amino-acid decar☐ylase

Abstract The isoelectric points (pI) of aromatic- l -amino-acid decar☐ylase (AADC) from two species, rat and cow, were determined by chromatofocusing. The enzyme from both rat brain and adrenal has a pI of 5.5, while the bovine adrenal enzyme has a different pI of 5.0. Thus, the variation of isoelectric point for AADC is limited to species differences but not tissue differences.
Some toxicological properties of surface-active agents

The toxicological properties of several surface-active agents have been investigated. It has been demonstrated that acute toxicity by vein and by mouth are unrelated. Neither are acute and subacute oral toxicity related quantitatively. Blood pressure effects have not been found to be important factors in intravenous toxicity.
Effects of differential hypothermia and 5-fluorouracil on C3H mouse mammary tumors: Histologic study

Abstract No regression of mammary tumors of C3H mice was observed in normothermic animals with or without 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy. After prolonged differential hypothermia, histologic changes of necrosis and of cell degeneration were prominent. However, when differential hypothermia of 1 hr and chemotherapy were combined, tumors regressed in 50% of the cases. Histologic changes were more striking and corresponded to the decrease in size of the tumors.
A Century of Research in Franco-Provenç Al and Poitevin: Eastern Vs. Western Gallo-Romance

SUMMARYWithin the Gallo-Romance domain, Franco-Provencal and its western correlate Poitevin have been variously labeled 'independent languages', 'dialects of French', or 'dialects of oc', At least one attempt has been made to link these two lateral entities against both the north and the south. A historical survey of these conflicting claims encompasses non-partisan methodologies such as dialect geography and linguistic atlases as well as theoretical developments affecting Romance studies during the last one hundred years. Late 19th century research had not yet resolved antinomies between speech and script or between dialect study and historical grammar. Recent research into time and direction of Romanization, significantly clarifying the bi-(or tri-)partitioning of Gaul, has complemented increasingly sophisticated work in all these fields. Yet frequent overemphasis on segmentation, coupled with a failure to distinguish shared linguistic fate from 'language' in its general Romance acception, cannot be allowed to obscure the fact that both FP and Poitevin belong to Gallo-Romance; the successful investigation of either must continue to mesh grammar, lexis, scripta, and geohistory.RESUMELe franco-provencal et son analogue atlantique, le poitevin, se sont vus appliquer les etiquettes 'langue independante', 'dialecte d'oil', ou 'dialecte d'oc'. On a meme voulu relier ces deux aires laterales par rapport aux grandes langues du nord et du sud. L'etude de ces contradictions permet de faire un bilan chronologique des developpements methodologiques (tels que les atlas et la lin-guistique geographiques) et des theories avancees dans les etudes romanes. Les recherches du siecle dernier ne distinguaient pas encore la langue parlee de la langue ecrite, ou la dialectologie de la grammaire historique. Tout en comple-tant les resultats realises depuis un siecle dans tous ces domaines, des travaux recents concernant les etapes chronologiques et geographiques de la romanisa-tion ont beaucoup eclairci la bi- (ou tri-)partition de la Gaule et ses repercussions linguistiques. La place du franco-provencal et du poitevin au sein du do-maine gallo-roman ne doit etre obscurcie ni par une tendance trop marquee a la segmentation, ni par la difficulte de distinguer entre 'sort commun linguisti-que' et 'langue' proprement dite. Pour reussir, l'investigation de ces deux entites doit tenir compte du lexique, de la grammaire, de la scripta, et de la geohistoire.
The Wheezing Infant

Wheezing is common in infancy and may represent either a minor or a serious, life-threatening illness. The differential diagnosis is extensive and may include organ systems other than the respiratory tract. Therefore, a careful and thorough approach to solving the problem is required. A systematic history, physical examination, and judicious choice of laboratory studies will enable the clinician to define the cause of the wheezing. Because the wheezing may represent a progressive respiratory problem, early diagnosis and treatment may prevent additional respiratory pathology and sequelae.
Tumor Archaeology Reveals that Mutations Love Company

Two studies by Nik-Zainal et al. and a study by Roberts et al. now provide new insights into the life span of human tumors and the mutational processes that shape the cancer genome. The bulk of a tumor's life span is shown to involve the development of subclones, many of which harbor mutations that are clustered in subchromosomal regions and appear to result from catastrophic mutational events.
Impact response of graphite/epoxy cylindrical panels

Graphite/epoxy curved cylindrical panels were impacted in the center by an impact machine capable of measuring load during the test. Load, deflection, and strain as functions of time were measured for six symmetric lay-up configurations for impact energies of 0.5-4.5 ft-lb. Damage was produced in all panels for certain impact energies. The extent and location of damage was determined from C-scans and optical microscopy of panel crow sections. An in-house nonlinear finite element code was used to predict the panel deflections and stresses
The Performance of Multistage Interconnection Networks for Multiprocessors

This paper studies the performance of unbuffered and buffered, packet-switching, multistage interconnection networks. We begin by reviewing the definition of banyan networks and introducing some generalizations of them. We then present an asymptotic analysis of the performance of unbuffered banyan networks, thereby solving a problem left open by Patel. We analyze the performance of the unbuffered generalized banyan networks, and compare networks with approximately equivalent hardware complexity. Finally, we analyze the performance of buffered banyan networks and again compare networks with approximately equivalent hardware complexity.
Lyotropic Liquid-Crystalline Phase Behavior of Some Alkyltrimethylphosphonium Bromides

The lyotropic liquid crystal (LLC) behavior of a homologous series of alkyltrimethylphosphonium bromide salts is described. While alkyltrimethylammonium salts are common LLC mesogens that have served in mesoporous materials, phase-transfer catalysis, and polymer−surfactant assemblies, the LLC behavior of the analogous phosphonium salts has been relatively unexplored. Dodecyl- (C12TMPB), tetradecyl- (C14TMPB), and hexadecyltrimethylphosphonium bromide (C16TMPB) were found to exhibit hexagonal, lamellar, and cubic mesophases similar to their ammonium counterparts; however, there is a key difference: Changing to a phosphorus-based headgroup appears to stabilize the cubic phase of C12TMPB and C14TMPB such that the phases extend down to room temperature. Some trends in the lattice parameters of the resulting LLC phases of the alkyltrimethylphosphonium bromides with respect to phase composition and temperature are also discussed. Finally, preliminary use of 31P NMR spectroscopy, as a method of structural chara...
The two upstream open reading frames of oncogene mdm2 have different translational regulatory properties.

Few details are known of the mechanisms through which multiple upstream open reading frames (uORFs) interact to regulate translation in higher eukaryotes. The predominant transcript of oncogene mdm2 in normal human cells (L-mdm2) contains two upstream open reading frames in its 5′ leader. Elimination of these two uORFs raises the translational efficiency of the transcript by over 10-fold in HeLa cells. The 5′-most uORF (uORF1) alone suppresses downstream translational activity by over 5-fold, whereas uORF2 contributes
The Separate Constructs of Communication Satisfaction and Job Satisfaction.

A sample (N = 310) of certified public accountants (CPAs) was surveyed using modified versions of the Job Descriptive Index (Smith, Kendall, and Hulin, 1969) and the Downs and Hazen (1977) communication satisfaction questionnaire. Many past researchers have found communication related to job satisfaction. However, past researchers apparently have never investigated the possibility that employees may view communication to be inseparable from job satisfaction. The items that comprise the Job Descriptive Index and the communication satisfaction questionnaire were factor analyzed jointly in order to ascertain whether the respondents viewed communication and job satisfaction to be separate constructs.
The treatment of female pattern hair loss and other applications of surgical hair restoration in women

In the specialty of surgical hair restoration, men comprise more than 90% of the patients treated; however, in the last few years the number of women undergoing the procedure has increased significantly. The reasons for this growth are many and include the increase in public awareness of the efficacy of hair transplantation from such sources as the media,the Internet, advertising and word of mouth. More importantly, advances in technique have significantly improved results, increasing the confidence level in women to undergo the procedure and in hair transplant specialists to offer it.
Adipocyte expression of PU.1 transcription factor causes insulin resistance through upregulation of inflammatory cytokine gene expression and ROS production.

We have reported previously that ETS family transcription factor PU.1 is expressed in mature adipocytes of white adipose tissue. PU.1 expression is increased greatly in mouse models of genetic or diet-induced obesity. Here, we show that PU.1 expression is increased only in visceral but not subcutaneous adipose tissues of obese mice, and the adipocytes are responsible for this increase in PU.1 expression. To further address PU.1's physiological function in mature adipocytes, PU.1 was knocked down in 3T3-L1 cells using retroviral-mediated expression of PU.1-targeting shRNA. Consistent with previous findings that PU.1 regulates its target genes, such as NADPH oxidase subunits and proinflammatory cytokines in myeloid cells, the mRNA levels of proinflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6) and cytosolic components of NADPH oxidase (p47phox and p40phox) were downregulated significantly in PU.1-silenced adipocytes. NADPH oxidase is a main source for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Indeed, silencing PU.1 suppressed NADPH oxidase activity and attenuated ROS in basal or hydrogen peroxide-treated adipocytes. Silencing PU.1 in adipocytes suppressed JNK1 activation and IRS-1 phosphorylation at Ser307. Consequently, PU.1 knockdown improved insulin signaling and increased glucose uptake in basal and insulin-stimulated conditions. Furthermore, knocking down PU.1 suppressed basal lipolysis but activated stimulated lipolysis. Collectively, these findings indicate that obesity induces PU.1 expression in adipocytes to upregulate the production of ROS and proinflammatory cytokines, both of which lead to JNK1 activation, insulin resistance, and dysregulation of lipolysis. Therefore, PU.1 might be a mediator for obesity-induced adipose inflammation and insulin resistance.
Patterns of Rural Hispanic and Non-Hispanic White Health Care Use: The San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study

This cross-sectional study examines utilization of health care resources, including nursing homes, among 1,433 rural Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants in the San Luis Valley Health and Aging Study. Results show substantially greater non-Hispanic White residence in nursing homes, greater Hispanic use of professional home nursing services, but little ethnic difference in outpatient care or hospitalization. Analyses based on the behavior model of utilization find health care use strongly associated with need factors. In particular, outpatient care correlated with disease and instrumental daily living activity dependence, home nursing care with basic daily living activity dependence, and nursing home use with daily living activity dependence and cognitive impairment. Predisposing characteristics (age, marital status, education) and enabling supports and barriers (insurance, availability of no-or low-cost care, transportation difficulties) also influenced utilization. The differential ethnic pattern...
The effects of continuous exposure to low concentrations of the δ-endotoxin of Bacillus thuringiensis on the development of the tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens☆

Abstract The tobacco budworm, Heliothis virescens , was reared on diets containing various low concentrations of the spore-δ-endotoxin complex of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki . As the concentration of the complex was increased, the development time increased, pupal weights of the surviving larvae decreased, and the numbers of larvae able to complete the cycle and reach adulthood was reduced. In all these cases, the changes were directly proportional to the log of the concentration of the complex in the diet. Fertility and fecundity were reduced in adult tobacco budworms emerging from larvae reared in the presence of the toxin, but these effects seemed to result indirectly from the general debilitation produced by the toxin, since their occurrence was not related to the concentration of the toxin in the diet.
A multilevel component mode synthesis approach for the calculation of the phonon density of states of nanocomposite structures

In this paper, a multilevel component mode synthesis (MCMS) approach is presented for the calculation of the phonon density of states (PDOS) of nanocomposite structures. In this approach, the nanocomposite structures are described by hierarchical levels of substructures. The phonon frequencies and modes are first computed for the bottom level substructures by using the theory of lattice dynamics. The computed component modes are then synthesized by using a quasi-static component mode synthesis (QSM) technique to obtain the phonon modes of the upper-level substructures in a bottom-up manner. By repeating this procedure, the PDOS of the entire nanostructure can be obtained. The proposed approach, while retains the atomic description of the nanocomposite structure, significantly reduces the computational cost of the calculation. Numerical calculations show that the proposed approach provides accurate results with a much less computational cost. The PDOS of several 1-D atom chains and 2-D atom sheets are computed by using the MCMS.
The legacy of anomie theory: Edited by Freda Adler and William S. Laufer. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction, 1995, 439 pages

(1998). The legacy of anomie theory. The Social Science Journal: Vol. 35, No. 3, pp. 462-465.
Complex-Induced Proximity Effects in Directed Lithiations: Analysis of Intra- and Intermolecular Kinetic Isotope Effects in Directed Aryl and Benzylic Lithiations

The mechanism of proton transfers in directed lithiations has been investigated by measuring the intra- and intermolecular kinetic isotope effects for the benzylic lithiation of N-benzyl-N,N‘-dimethyl urea (6) and the ortho lithiations of the tertiary amide N,N-diisopropylbenzamide (7) and the secondary amide N-isopropylbenzamide (8) by sec-BuLi/TMEDA in THF. For the lithiation of 6, a large primary kinetic isotope effect is observed for intramolecular competition of monodeuterated substrate, and a much smaller apparent isotope effect is seen for the intermolecular competition between diprotiated and dideuterated substrates. These results support a two-step mechanism of largely irreversible initial complexation between the substrate and the organolithium reagent, which is followed by hydrogen transfer to the organolithium reagent for the directed lithiation of urea 6. Indistinguishable limits for large intermolecular and intramolecular isotope effects are measured for the lithiations of 7 and 8. The direc...
Metabolic responses of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to human serum and myeloid cells. Adaptation to host defenses

The interaction of gonococci with host defenses including serum and phagocytic cells has been extensively studied. We have shown that a small molecular weight factor in serum stimulates gonococcal metabolism. This factor has now been isolated by column chromatography and may be released from mammalian cells including phagocytes. Exposure of gonococci to serum decreases membrane fluidity as demonstrated by EPR, seems to reduce OMP shedding, and reduces uptake by PMNS. Serum stimulated gonococci consume O2 to an extent adequate to interfere with PMN formation of reactive oxygen intermediates. We propose that all of these responses are adaptive and favor survival of this pathogen.
A phosphorylated prodrug for the inhibition of Pin1.

Abstract Fmoc-pSer-Ψ[(Z)CH C]-Pro-(2)-N-(3)-ethylaminoindole 1, showed moderate inhibition towards the mitotic regulator, Pin1 (IC50 = 28.3 μM). To improve the cell permeability, the charged phosphate was masked as the bis-pivaloyloxymethyl (POM) phosphate in Fmoc-(bisPOM)-pSer-Ψ[(Z)CH C]-Pro-(2)-N-(3)-ethylaminoindole 2. Antiproliferative activity towards A2780 ovarian cancer cells of 1 (IC50 = 46.2 μM) was improved significantly in 2 (IC50 = 26.9 μM), comparable to the IC50 of 1 towards Pin1 enzymatic activity.
Neurodegenerative disease: a different view of diagnosis

Neurodegenerative diseases have traditionally been defined as clinicopathological entities. Although this has been a productive paradigm in terms of the development of treatment strategies, molecular genetic approaches have revealed that there is overlap between different entities in pathogenic mechanisms. In this article, it is argued that neurodegenerative disease should also be thought of as the consequences of sequential biochemical processes, and that some parts of these processes appear to operate in more than one disease entity. Defining these pathways and, in particular, developing an appreciation of the commonalities between different diseases, should aid in the development of therapies that are effective in several diseases.
ETHICS AND ECONOMICS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN CONTRACTOR‐CLIENT RELATIONSHIPS

EDITOR’S NOTE: The author is uniquely qualified to comment on his subject. He has recently retired from a major oil company and has had an opportunity to view the contractor‐client relationship from both sides of the fence. It is my hope that his editorial will stimulate comment from interested readers on all sides of this issue. Exploration geophysics is high technology business. A seismic crew or data processing center with state‐of‐the‐art equipment, processes, and techniques of a few years ago would have difficulty finding work today (even though they might be adequate to the problems). Technological obsolescence of equipment involves large depreciation costs. A rapid, steady flow of new ideas support the high technology. These ideas are created by both contractor and client companies. Generating these ideas involves large costs but the costs are not always shared by the benefactors. The interchange of ideas throughout exploration geophysics is here called technology transfer and it involves economic ...
A hybrid-stress finite-element formulation for thick multilayer laminates

Abstract A hybrid-stress-based finite-element formulation for thick multilayer laminates is presented and evaluated. Particular attention is given to the through-thickness distributions assumed for both stress and displacement components; high order through-thickness distributions are assumed within each layer in the present formulation. Attention is restricted to cylindrical bending of cross-ply laminates and a two-dimensional plane-strain element is derived. Results obtained for through-thickness distributions of stress and displacement are compared with the elasticity solutions for various numbers of layers and increasing thickness to span ratios. Good correlation between computed and elasticity solutions and the need for the inclusion of high-order through-thickness distributions are shown.
Dental status and quality of life in long-term head and neck cancer survivors.

Objectives To analyze how the dental status of long-term head and neck cancer survivors affects their subjective quality of life. Study design Observational case series. Methods A convenience sample of 5-year head and neck cancer survivors underwent the following battery of tests: 1) targeted head and neck examination, 2) updated medical history, 3) dental evaluation, 4) standardized quality of life questionnaires. Results Eighty-six survivors were included in the study. The following associations were identified: 1) those who became edentulous secondary to cancer treatment and those without occlusion at time of the study demonstrated worse Pain, Activity, Recreation/Entertainment, Chewing, Swallowing, Speech, Eating in Public, Normalcy of Diet, Physical Well-Being, Social/Family Well-Being, Functional Well-Being, and Additional Concerns scores; 2) higher Decayed/Missing/Filled scores were associated with worse Pain, Disfigurement, Activity, Recreation/Entertainment, Employment, Chewing, Swallowing, Speech, Eating in Public, Understandability of Speech, Normalcy of Diet, Physical Well-Being, Additional Concerns scores, and weight loss; 3) decreased oral opening measurements were associated with worse Chewing, Swallowing, Eating in Public, Normalcy of Diet, Additional Concerns scores, and weight loss; 4) edentulous survivors who did not use dentures had worse Pain, Activity, Recreation/Entertainment, Understandability of Speech, and Eating in Public scores. Conclusions Although previous studies have shown that many of the effects of cancer treatment disappear between 1 and 3 years, this study shows that the dental status has a persistent impact on subjective quality of life.
Origin of the Conformational Heterogeneity of Cardiolipin-Bound Cytochrome c

Interactions of cytochrome c (cyt c) with cardiolipin (CL) partially unfold the protein, activating its peroxidase function, a critical event in the execution of apoptosis. However, structural features of the altered protein species in the heterogeneous ensemble are difficult to probe with ensemble averaging. Analyses of the dye-to-heme distance distributions P(r) from time-resolved FRET (TR-FRET) have uncovered two distinct types of CL-bound cyt c conformations, extended and compact. We have combined TR-FRET, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), and biolayer interferometry to develop a systematic understanding of the functional partitioning between the two conformations. The two subpopulations are in equilibrium with each other, with a submillisecond rate of conformational exchange reflecting the protein folding into a compact non-native state, as well as protein interactions with the lipid surface. Electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged lipid surface that correlate with physiolog...
Earlier detection of myocardial injury in a preliminary evaluation using a new troponin I assay with improved sensitivity

Cardiac troponins are important biochemical markers for defining the presence of myocardial injury. However, limitations in troponin testing exist, including the relatively late increase in troponin after onset of ischemia. We therefore evaluated a more sensitive troponin assay for detection of myocardial injury in "early presenters." Discarded serial specimens were obtained from 103 patients who had a negative cardiac troponin I (cTnI) result followed by a positive cTnI result. Results were obtained using our current cTnI method and a new more sensitive assay, TnI-Ultra (Siemens Medical Solutions, Diagnostics Division, Tarrytown, NY). Medical records were reviewed to determine the clinical diagnosis. Precision studies yielded a 10% coefficient of variation at the diagnostic cut points for cTnI (0.10 ng/mL [0.10 microg/L]) and TnI-Ultra (0.04 ng/mL [0.04 microg/L]). TnI-Ultra was positive before cTnI in 66 (64.1%) of 103 cases. We conclude that the more sensitive assay, TnI-Ultra, has better analytic performance and has the potential to detect myocardial injury earlier than the current cTnI assay.
Characterization of the free energy spectrum of peptostreptococcal protein L

Background: Native state hydrogen/deuterium exchange studies on cytochrome c and RNase H revealed the presence of excited states with partially formed native structure. We set out to determine whether such excited states are populated for a very small and simple protein, the IgG-binding domain of peptostreptococcal protein L. Results: Hydrogen/deuterium exchange data on protein L in 0–1.2 M guanidine fit well to a simple model in which the only contributions to exchange are denaturant-independent local fluctuations and global unfolding. A substantial discrepancy emerged between unfolding free energy estimates from hydrogen/deuterium exchange and linear extrapolation of earlier guanidine denaturation experiments. A better determined estimate of the free energy of unfolding obtained by global analysis of a series of thermal denaturation experiments in the presence of 0–3 M guanidine was in good agreement with the estimate from hydrogen/deuterium exchange. Conclusions: For protein L under native conditions, there do not appear to be partially folded states with free energies intermediate between that of the folded and unfolded states. The linear extrapolation method significantly underestimates the free energy of folding of protein L due to deviations from linearity in the dependence of the free energy on the denaturant concentration.
The effect of systemic cocaine on spinal nociceptive reflex activity in the rat

In the anesthetized rat, cocaine (25 mg/kg i.p.), enhanced the frequency potentiation of nociceptively evoked polysynaptic discharges but did not affect the polysynaptic reflex discharge to single nociceptive stimuli or the habituation of this reflex to repetitive pinch stimuli. The non-nociceptive, short-latency reflex discharge was suppressed for 10-15 min after cocaine administration. The neurogenic extravasation response to antidromic cutaneous C-fiber stimulation was unaffected by cocaine. These findings suggest that systemic cocaine, in doses analgesic for the rat, does not suppress spinal nociceptive reflexes.
Morphometric variation among river sturgeons (Scaphirhynchus spp.) of the Middle and Lower Mississippi River

Summary Pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) captured in the Middle and Lower Mississippi River (i.e. below St. Louis, MO, USA) are morphologically very similar to shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus). Available empirical data are limited to a few studies based on low sample sizes from disjointed populations. Geneticists are currently searching for markers that will differentiate the two species, but the need for unequivocal species-specific field characters remains. Continuation of commercial fishing for shovelnose sturgeon in some states necessitates an immediate means for accurate field identifications. Previous studies of lower basin river sturgeon classified individuals with simple morphometric character indices and interpreted intermediacy as interspecific hybridization. In this study, morphometric variation among Scaphirhynchus specimens from the Middle and Lower Mississippi River is examined for evidence of hybridization. Data are compared for large (>250-mm standard length) hatchery-reared and wild pallid specimens and wild shovelnose specimens. Specimens are compared using two morphometric character indices, two morphometric/meristic character indices and principal components analysis. Results indicate substantial morphological variation among pallid sturgeon below the mouth of the Missouri River. The amount of variation appears to decrease downstream in the Mississippi River. Sheared principal components analysis of morphometric data shows complete separation of shovelnose and pallid sturgeon specimens, whereas character indices indicate overlap. Both character indices and sheared principal components analysis demonstrate that pallid sturgeon in the Lower Mississippi River are morphologically more similar to shovelnose sturgeon than are pallids from the Upper Missouri River. This similarity, explained in previous studies as hybridization, may be the result of latitudinal morphometric variation and length-at-age differences between populations of the upper and lower extremes of the range.
Tropical Cyclone Formation

Abstract The physics of tropical cyclone formation is not well understood, and more is known about the mature hurricane than the formative mechanisms that produce it. It is believed part of the reason for this can be traced to insufficient upper-level atmospheric data. Recent observations suggest that tropical cyclones are initiated by asymmetric interactions associated with migratory upper-level potential vorticity disturbances and low-level disturbances. Favored theories of cyclone formation, however, focus on internal processes associated with cumulus convection and/or air-sea interaction. This work focuses on external mechanisms of cyclone formation and, using both a two- and three-dimensional moist geostrophic momentum model, investigates the role of upper level potential vorticity disturbances on the formation process. A conceptual model of tropical cyclone formation is proposed, and implications of the theory are discussed.
Raman Spectroscopy of Bulk Bismuth Molybdate Catalysts

The Raman spectra of bismuth molybdate catalysts were recorded under a variety of conditions. At 200°C under evacuation, a peak at 1575 cm−1 was observed in the spectra of alpha, beta, and gamma bismuth molybdates and Fe2Mo3O12. There was no peak in this location in the spectra of MoO3 and Bi2O3. For alpha bismuth molybdate, this peak could be generated by room-temperature evacuation or by reduction of a fully oxidized catalyst with propylene at 400°C. This latter treatment had the additional effect of causing a dramatic decrease in the intensities of bands in the fundamental region (<1000 cm−1), although no changes in the relative intensities or locations of these bands were observed. The intensity decreases were attributed to the concomitant generation of a large number of free electrons within the catalyst. Reoxidation reversed this effect. The 1575-cm−1 peak could be removed by contact with O2 at 350°C. In addition, a band at 1375 cm−1 was sometimes observed; its intensity relative to the 1575-cm−1 band was temperature-dependent. It was not plausible to assign these bands to fundamental, overtone, or combination bands associated with Mo-O or Bi-O bonds. It appears that these bands are related to the presence of an electron donor level which can inelastically scatter light during an electronic transition.
Sample size and confidence interval for the standard deviation of a normal distribution

Abstract The width of the confidence interval for the standard deviation of a normal distribution is inherently a random variable. Its expectation and cumulative distribution function are related to sample size. Sample size can be chosen to attain a certain expected width in the confidence interval for the standard deviation. Alternatively, sample size can be selected to achieve a desired probability of having the width of the confidence interval smaller than a predetermined upper bound.
The dilemma of disclosure: patient perspectives on gay and lesbian providers.

Background Discrimination toward gay and lesbian patients by health care providers has been documented. No study has determined if patient behavior would change when seeing a gay/lesbian provider.
Neural system stability

Two hypotheses concerning nonlinear elements in complex systems are contrasted: that neurons, intrinsically unstable, are stabilized through embedding in networks and populations; and, conversely, that cortical neurons are intrinsically stable, but are destabilized through embedding in cortical populations and corticostriatal feedback systems. Tests are made by piecewise linearization of nonlinear dynamics at nonequilibriumoperating points, followed by linear stability analysis.
A note on implicit consumer discounting of automobile fuel economy: Reviewing the available evidence☆

A key element in the long run response of the automotive market to higher fuel prices is consumers' willingness to pay for fuel economy improvements. Eight recent studies are examined and estimates of asset price/operating cost discount rates are derived for each. A critical comparison of results suggests that most are implausible. Plausible estimates range from 4 to 40% as a function of household income.