cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia - a Case Series and Systematic Review

Abstract Rationale Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), a rare complication of HHT is associated with poor outcome. There are no trials to date that have investigated whether pulmonary vasodilator therapy improves hemodynamics or survival in this disease. Objective To determine whether pulmonary vasodilator therapy improves survival, exercise capacity, or hemodynamics in HHT patients with pre-capillary PH . Methods We performed a before-and-after observational study on a multicenter cohort of subjects with HHT-PAH who received intravenous prostanoid therapy. We then conducted a systematic review, searching Medline and EMBASE through December 2019. Studies that enrolled HHT-PAH subjects and reported treatment outcomes were selected. PROSPERO #158179. Results Twenty-one articles were selected. Studies were before-and-after observational studies, case reports, and case series. Among all subjects with HHT-PAH, both mPAP (65 ± 19 pre-treatment vs 51 ± 16 mmHg post-treatment p = 0.04) and PVR (12 ± 6 pre-treatment vs 8 ± 4 WU post-treatment p = 0.01) improved with treatment. The mPAP improved with either oral (57 ± 17 pre-treatment versus 44 ± 13 mmHg post-treatment, p = 0.03) or intravenous (80 ± 15 pre-treatment versus 64 ± 16 mmHg post-treatment, p = 0.017) therapy. PVR also improved with either oral (10 ± 4 pre-treatment versus 6 ± 3 WU post-treatment, p = 0.004) or intravenous (17 ± 5 pre-treatment versus 10 ± 4 WU post-treatment, p = 0.04) therapy. Survival among HHT-PAH patients who received oral or intravenous therapy was not different (p = 0.2). Unadjusted survival among HHT-PAH patients was longer than that of IPAH patients (p = 0.008). There was no difference in side effects among HHT-PAH patient who received oral or intravenous therapy (p = 0.1). Conclusion Pulmonary vasodilator therapy is effective in improving hemodynamics of subjects with HHT-PAH and was not associated with increased risk of side effects.
Reflection on the development of a patient case in twine

Abstract Purpose With technology becoming an essential component in classrooms, it is becoming more crucial for pharmacy faculty to explore innovative active learning strategies that engage students inside and outside the classroom. This manuscript discusses how two fourth-year students and their preceptor developed interactive patient cases using an open-source software application called Twine ( www.twinery.org ). Description Two different cases were developed in Twine. The first patient case story was created by the fourth-year students and will be implemented in the future. The second patient case, consisting of two Twine stories, was created by the faculty preceptor and was implemented during new student orientation. Analysis/interpretation Resources for development as well as advantages and disadvantages of developing and implementing Twine stories into the curriculum are discussed. Implementation of the faculty's Twine stories into the pharmacy curriculum is also discussed. Conclusions Twine is a user-friendly application and has the potential to be utilized in healthcare programs as an effective and engaging teaching strategy that both professor and students enjoy. Implications While development of a Twine story could be time-consuming, the benefit of increasing student engagement outweighs the cost. Active learning is an essential component in the classroom, and finding new and innovative ways to enhance student learning is imperative.
Differences in Perioperative Outcomes after Carotid Revascularization between White and Non-white Patients.

Objectives Racial disparities in carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) continue to persist. We aimed to provide a large-scale analysis of racial disparities in perioperative outcomes of carotid revascularization in a nationally representative cohort of patients, with sub-analyses stratifying by procedure type and symptomatic status. Methods We studied all patients undergoing carotid revascularization between 2011 and 2018 in the American College of Surgeons (ACS) National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) Database. Univariate methods were used to compare patients' demographic and medical characteristics. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to compare adjusted perioperative outcomes between white patients (WP) and non-white patients (NWP). Sub-analysis was performed stratifying by method of revascularization and symptomatic status. Results A total of 31,356 carotid revascularizations were performed in 26,550 (84.7%) white patients and 4,806 (15.3%) non-white patients. On adjusted analysis, NWP had increased odds of stroke [OR:1.2, 95%CI:1.1-1.5, p=0.0496], unplanned return to the OR [OR:1.4, 95%CI:1.1-1.6, p Conclusion NWP had higher rates of 30-day stroke, driven primarily by higher rates of perioperative stroke/death in NWP undergoing CAS. NWP undergoing CEA did not have higher rates of stroke/death after adjusted analysis, although they had higher rates of unplanned return to OR and restenosis. Upon stratification for symptomatic status, the stroke/death rate between NWP and WP was shown to be non-significant.
Organic Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry: Theory, Technique, and Application

SIMS has become a diverse and valuable analytical tool for the study of many substances such as metals, semiconductors, inorganic compounds, and organic compounds including polymers and biomolecules [1]. This paper presents a fundamental overview of recent developments in organic SIMS analysis -theory, technique, and application.
Arenaviruses: protein structure and function.

The Arenaviruses are structurally quite simple, consisting of only four primary gene products encoded on two RNA strands. Despite this very simple genetic plan, these viruses are capable of interacting with the host in a bewildering variety of permutations that result in a range of infections from a lifelong persistent carrier state, as is evident in the neonatally or congenitally infected carrier mouse, to the lethal acute diseases typical of Lassa, Machupo, Junin, and other arenavirus hemorrhagic fevers. These differing disease courses are, in part, determined by the clash of two factors: the cellular and tissue site(s) of virus replication in vivo, defined as tropism, and the genetically determined host response to the infecting virus. When the virus replicates in critical tissues like the meninges and choroid plexi of the mouse brain, as is the case in acute LCMV infection, and the host is capable of mounting a strong T-cell response, the end result is a fatal choriomeningitis (Fig. 1). However, replication of the virus in these same tissues results in little tissue injury or disease in a mouse that has been immunosuppressed, or in a neonate prior to maturation of the T-cell response. This immunopathological paradox is at the core of understanding the pathogenesis of LCM disease and has provided a singularly important biological model for probing cellular immunology for more than six decades (Buchmeier and Zajac 1999). In this brief chapter, the nature of the arenavirus proteins and their functions will be discussed with particular emphasis on their role in infection and disease.
Organized cyber defense competitions

The Cyber Defense Exercise (CDX), an annual competition between students at the five U.S. Service Academies has developed into an extraordinary educational experience for the participants. During the exercise students will design and implement a realistic network against a set of realistic requirements. The students will then defend the networks they constructed over a 4 day period against attacks. Work has been conducted recently to examine how to best generalize the exercise methodology, as conducted at the Military Academies, to other universities. This paper describes the effort involve in executing a Cyber Defense Exercise, introducing the various functional groups, student team construction, and considerations when using the exercise methodology in other locations. We also describe the experienced and additional potential benefits of the exercise.
Supersonic Combustion and Flame Stabilization of Coflow Ethylene and Air with Splitter Plate

A numerical investigation of supersonic combustion for ethylene and air coflow with a splitter plate is presented, mimicking the flame stabilization and combustion establishment in a dual-combustion ramjet engine. Emphasis is placed on the detailed flow and flame characteristics immediately downstream of the splitter plate and in the shock-wave/shear-layer interaction regions. Three different splitter-plate thicknesses, 2, 4, and 8 mm, are considered, to identify the significance of the geometric parameters. The analysis is based on the Favre-averaged conservation equations for compressible chemically reacting flows. Turbulence closure is achieved using Menter’s shear-stress transport model with a detached-eddy-simulation extension. Chemical reactions are modeled using a nine-species, ten-step laminar chemistry model with sufficient numerical resolution. Various mechanisms dictating the flame anchoring and spreading properties are examined. The hot stream from the ethylene preoxidization in the gas genera...
Regulating China's Internet: Convergence toward a coherent regulatory regime

Abstract This paper examines the evolution of the regulatory regime for China’s Internet and focuses on China’s efforts to develop a new and converging regime in response to the Internet era. Driven by the technology convergence that jeopardizes the functioning of China’s separate and setor-oriented traditional regulators, institutional convergence has been called upon to reform its regulatory regome. This was evidenced first by the establishment of the State Council’s Steering Committee for National Information Infrastructure and second, the Ministry of Information Industry. China’s regulation of the Internet has evolved into a highly coordinated and balanced structure parallel to the institutional convergence.
Natural DNA mixtures generated in fraternal twins in utero.

Analysis of multiple genetic loci using short tandem repeats (STR) is widely used in human identity testing because the extensive polymorphism at these loci allows for a high degree of discrimination among individuals. We recently received a forensic case that included several pieces of evidence and reference blood samples. Upon initial testing, one of the suspects had a DNA profile that included three alleles at four of the nine loci tested (vWA, FGA, TH01, and D5S818). At each locus, two of the alleles appeared to be “major” alleles with a third “minor” allele present. The profile appeared to be a mixture of two people. Contamination of this first reference sample was suspected and a second, unopened blood specimen was requested from this individual. The DNA profile from this second reference specimen was identical to that of the original specimen at each locus. One of the evidence samples also displayed an identical mixed DNA profile matching that of the reference specimens mentioned above. The relative peak heights of the two “major” and one “minor” allele remained constant in all three samples. Additional background information revealed that the suspect had not received a bone marrow transplant or blood transfusion. However, it was disclosed that this individual is a fraternal (dizygotic) twin. We hypothesize that an exchange of blood cells between the fetuses occurred in utero and that the additional alleles present in these reference samples are derived from cells contributed by his twin sibling. No additional specimens from the suspect or his twin could be obtained for confirmation, and our hypothesis remains untested. Forensic scientists should be aware of this possibility when faced with a DNA profile in which extra alleles at multiple loci are detected.
Three Fundamental Elements of Visual Rhetoric in Hypertext

The design of information on the printed page or on the computer screen must express the overall structure of that information in order to be understood by the reader. Various conventions of typography communicate the meta-structure of a block of text such as size of type, weight of font, use of indents, initial capitals (derived from illuminated capitals in the manuscript tradition), use of bold and italic variations, and use of color. Analogous conventions exist in information graphics for communicating quantitative information, visual narrative such as instructions, and location graphics such as maps.
The global research laboratory. Global-local conflicts of interest in research and education

The world is evolving from a set of economically and culturally distinct nations to a global human society. This evolution generates many new conflicts between local and global interests. Several issues related to the advancement of technology are affected by such conflicts. For example, international cooperative programs in various areas of science and engineering are frequently being advocated. They begin with much hope and desire of collaboration; but many cooperative programs fail simply because there are conflicts with local interests which are genuinely difficult to resolve and cannot simply be wished away for the sake of international harmony. Concrete solutions to local-global conflicts of interests in technological cooperation require careful analysis and investigation of a combination of three factors: economic, technological and social. The article concerns the role that the University of the future has to play in the resolution of such conflicts. Specific examples and proposals will be discussed, including an inherent conflict in the University itself. For example, there is already a conflict between, on one hand, an increase in quality and breadth caused by opening the admissions door further to international students; and, on the other hand, the increase in regional support by opening the door further to home grown students. Which approach will benefit the overall competitiveness of an industry is a new problem to be considered. >
New Agent-Based Egress Model Allowing for Social Relationships

AbstractMany of the models developed to date for human evacuation lack realism because of their inability to adequately simulate social relationships. To begin to address this shortcoming, an agent-based model is proposed based upon a new technique termed scalar field method (SFM). The new method draws on an analogy to a charged particle in an electromagnetic field. In the new model, virtual potential energies (VPEs), that can be made to represent both human will and social relationships, simulate the interactions that occur between an agent and its surrounding entities. Each agent has stochastic characteristics, is independent, and makes autonomous decisions regarding behavior by minimizing the VPE. The proposed model supersedes the pattern-based format of many current ones and provides the potential for greater emergence and variability. Preliminary tests show the ability of the new model to mimic reasonable evacuation behavior, and its potential for exploring the significance of social relationships du...
Approach to Recognition of Regulatory Mutants of Cyanobacteria

Antimetabolite analogs of essential amino acids are useful as selective agents for isolation of regulatory mutants of cyanobacteria, although we observed striking microbiological differences from other widely used eubacterial systems. Regulatory mutants shown to overproduce and excrete tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, methionine, or arginine were isolated from four cyanobacteria: Anabaena sp. 29151, Synechococcus sp. 602, Synechococcus sp. AN Tx20, and Synechocystis sp. 29108. Surprisingly, regulatory-mutant colonies did not support a halo of cross-fed wild-type growth on selective medium. Since regulatory mutants were shown to excrete substantial levels of amino acids, it was deduced that poor cross-feeding must reflect a generally low nutritional responsiveness of the cyanobacterial background. This conclusion was confirmed by results which showed that regulatory-mutant cells of cyanobacteria dispersed among wild-type populations of Bacillus subtilis did produce halo colonies on solid analog-containing medium. Cross-feeding between one cyanobacterial pair (a phenylalanine excretor and a phenylalanine auxotroph) was successfully demonstrated in the absence of the analog under conditions in which relatively large masses of each cell population type were spread near one another on agar plates. These results suggest that amino acid excreted by regulatory mutants of cyanobacteria on analog-containing selective medium is transported into nearby wild-type cells too inefficiently to overcome the antimetabolite effects of the analog, thereby failing to generate halos of physiologically resistant background cells. Consistent with this interpretation was the finding that the pheA1 auxotroph from Synechococcus sp. 602 exhibited a linearly proportional dependence of growth rate upon exogenous concentration of l-phenylalanine (below 20 μM). Wild-type B. subtilis serves as a convenient and sensitive test lawn for screening obvious regulatory mutants from among collections of analog-resistant cyanobacterial mutants. Appropriate B. subtilis auxotrophs can be used as convenient indicator strains for the identification of regulatory mutants in cyanobacteria through the observation of syntrophic growth responses. Images
1 – INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

This introductory chapter has attempted to dramatize the role of materials within broader historical and societal contexts, as well as within engineering and manufacturing activities. Several concentric levels of connections conveniently serve to define the impact of materials. Most broadly, materialsenergy-environment concerns address the wider community, whereas materials-design-processing constraints are more narrowly limited to engineering and manufacturing issues. Processing-structure-properties-performance interactions are the most focused of all and refer to specific materials. At the core of the subject is the structure—properties scientific base. Enveloping the core are the engineering concerns of processing and performance. For millennia, processing and performance of engineering solids were what mattered, and because the former was an art, the latter was very variable in practice. Now structure-property relationships are recognized as the key to understanding the fundamental nature of materials, improving their properties, and creating new materials.
Structure of central and southern Mexico from velocity and attenuation tomography

The 3D V_p, V_p/_Vs, P- and S-wave attenuation structure of the Cocos subduction zone in Mexico is imaged using earthquakes recorded by two temporary seismic arrays and local stations. Direct P wave arrivals on vertical components and direct S wave arrivals on transverse components from local earthquakes are used for velocity imaging. Relative delay times for P and PKP phases from teleseismic events are also used to obtain a deeper velocity structure beneath the southern seismic array. Using a spectral-decay method, we calculate a path attenuation operator t^* for each P and S waveform from local events, and then invert for 3D spatial variations in attenuation (Q_p^(−1) and Q_s^(−1)). Inversion results reveal a low-attenuation and high-velocity Cocos slab. The slab dip angle increases from almost flat in central Mexico near Mexico City to about 30° in southern Mexico near the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. High attenuation and low velocity in the crust beneath the Trans-Mexico Volcanic Belt correlate with low resistivity, and are probably related to dehydration of the slab and melting processes. The most pronounced high-attenuation, low-V_p and high-V_p/V_s anomaly is found in the crust beneath the Veracruz Basin. A high-velocity structure dipping into the mantle from the side of Gulf of Mexico coincides with a discontinuity from a receiver functions study, and provides an evidence for the collision between the Yucatan Block and Mexico in the Miocene.
Peptide Antagonist of the Androgen Receptor

Androgen receptor (AR) is a steroid hormone receptor that is activated by endogenous androgens, mainly testosterone and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5alpha-DHT). AR is also an important drug target, and AR antagonists (antiandrogens) have been widely used for prostate cancer therapy. Antiandrogens currently available on the market are all small molecules that antagonize AR function via binding to the ligand binding domain (LBD). AR peptide antagonist has been proposed as a 'mechanism-based' approach to directly block AR function by interrupting AR-protein interactions from the surface of the receptor. Without targeting the rigid ligand binding pocket within LBD, peptide antagonists allow more flexibility in structure design, and are likely to provide more efficient and complete blockade of AR function as compared to small molecule antagonists. AR interacts with a variety of proteins, and the interaction may be mediated by different functional domains of the receptor. Although varieties of AR-protein interfaces might serve as the target for peptide antagonist, majority of ongoing research is still focusing on peptides that target the LBD, which is mainly due to the abundance of structural information revealed by crystal structures. This review gives an overview of the current research attempts to develop AR peptide antagonists, particularly peptide antagonists that target the LBD and N-terminal domain (NTD). The challenges and opportunities for future discovery and development of peptide antagonists are discussed as well.
One-pot conversion of cellobiose to mannose using a hybrid phosphotungstic acid─cerium oxide catalyst

A hybrid catalyst composed of phosphotungstic acid coated cerium oxide nanoparticles was demonstrated to catalyze the one-pot conversion of cellobiose, the disaccharide unit of cellulose, to a monosaccharide mixture of glucose and mannose. A high % conversion of cellobiose (up to 99%) was achieved resulting in a yield of mannose up to 15.8%. The yield of mannose from a glucose starting material was 22.8%, exceeding those of previous cerium-based glucose epimerization catalysts. The components of the hybrid material were revealed to function synergistically via a two-step process. Cellobiose was hypothesized to be first hydrolyzed to glucose, which was subsequently epimerized to mannose by the cerium ions leached from the catalyst. The 13C NMR spectroscopic study suggested that the epimerization likely occurred by way of a 1,2-carbon shift reaction mechanism.
Antibiotics for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Antibiotic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) commenced in the 1930s with the use of sulfasalazine. Later, tetracyclines were successfully used for the treatment of RA. In double-blind and randomized studies, levofloxacin and macrolide antibiotics (including clarithromycin and roxithromycin) were also shown to be effective in the treatment of RA. There have been several reports in the literature indicating that periodontal pathogens are a possible cause of RA. Oral bacteria are one possible cause of RA. In this review, we aimed to investigate the effects of different antibiotics in RA treatment.
2,5-Hexanedione exposure alters the rat sertoli cell cytoskeleton: II. Intermediate filaments and actin☆

The effects of 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD) exposure on the expression of intermediate filament and actin proteins in adult rat testis was examined during progressive stages of testicular injury. The distribution of vimentin within testis cross sections was examined using immunohistochemistry while rhodamine-labeled phalloidin was used to localize filamentous actin. Keratin was not detected in immunoblots of intermediate filament proteins tested with an antikeratin antibody to investigate the possible reexpression of the prepubertal intermediate filament protein keratin in 2,5-HD-exposed adult testes. However, 2,5-HD exposure did result in a progressively abnormal distribution of actin and vimentin within the seminiferous epithelium with the appearance of a high-molecular-weight protein which was vimentin immunoreactive and not present in control testes.
Photophysical Features of the M2(CO)10, M = Mn and Re, Solution Photochemistry

In the UV photolysis of M2(CO)10, M = Mn or Re, flash photochemical methods were used for the determination of the primary product, i.e., nonacarbonyl (M2(CO)9) and pentacarbonyl (M(CO)5) quantum yields. The quantum yield based action spectra are very metal dependent and indicative of different mechanisms for the Re and Mn photochemistry. In the figure, the action spectra for the Re decacarbonyl photoproducts, φP for Re(CO)5 and φN for Re2(CO)9, are superimposed with the absorption spectrum. The results in the photochemistry of Re2(CO)10 suggest that the upper electronic states, i.e., populated by irradiating below 340 nm, produce some Re(CO)5.
Tacrolimus Does Not Abrogate the Increased Risk of Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease after Unrelated-Donor Marrow Transplantation with Allelic Mismatching at HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1

One hundred patients of median age 34 years (range, 14-53) received bone marrow transplants from unrelated donors serologically matched for human leukocyte antigen HLA-A, HLA-B, and HLA-DR using tacrolimus and minimethotrexate for prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Sixty-eight patient-donor pairs had allelic matches at HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1, 20 pairs had a single mismatch at HLA-DRB1 or HLA-DQB1, and 12 were mismatched at both HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1. Minimum follow-up time was 6 months. Grades 2 to 4 GVHD occurred in 43% of patients with matched donors, 69% with single allele-mismatched donors, and 71% with double allele-mismatched donors; grades 3 to 4 GVHD occurred in 22%, 43%, and 64%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the relative risk of grades 2 to 4 GVHD was 2.2 (95% CI, 1.1-4.5; P = .03) with a single allele mismatch and 2.7 (95% CI, 1.2-6.0; P = .02) with a double allele mismatch. The relative risks of grades 3 to 4 GVHD were 3.0 (95% CI, 1.2-7.6; P = .02) and 5.0 (95% CI, 1.9-12.6; P = .001), respectively. Day 100 treatment-related mortality was also adversely affected by allelic mismatching, occurring in 21% of those with matched donors, 50% with single allele-mismatched donors, and 42% with double allele-mismatched donors (P = .02), but overall survival at day 180 did not differ significantly among the 3 groups. Tacrolimus does not abrogate the adverse impact of allele mismatching at HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 on the risk of moderate-to-severe acute GVHD.
Comb-shaped single ion conductors based on polyacrylate ethers and lithium alkyl sulfonate

Abstract Comb-shaped single ion conductors have been synthesized by (1) sulfonation of small molecule chloroethyleneglycols, which, after ion exchange to the Li+ salt were then converted to the acrylate by reaction with acryloyl chloride and copolymerized with polyethylene glycol monomethyl ether acrylate (Mn = 454, n = 8) (PAE8-co-E3SO3Li); (2) sulfonation of chloride end groups grafted on to prepolymers of polyacrylate ethers (PAE8-g-EnSO3Li, n = 2, 3). The highest conductivity at 25 °C of 2.0 × 10−7 S cm−1 was obtained for the PAE8-co-E3SO3Li with a salt concentration of EO/Li = 40. The conductivity of PAE8-g-E3SO3Li is lower than that of PAE8-co-E3SO3Li at similar salt concentrations, which is related to the incomplete sulfonation of the grafted polymer that leads to a lower concentration of Li+. The addition of 50 wt.% of plasticizer, PC/EMC (1/1, v/v), to PAE8-g-E2SO3Li increases the ambient conductivity by three orders of magnitude, which is due to the increased ion mobility in a micro-liquid environment and an increase concentration of free ions as a result of the higher dielectric constant of the solvent. A symmetrical Li/Li cell with an electrolyte membrane consisting of 75 wt.% PC/EMC (1/1, v/v) was cycled at a current density of 100 μA cm−2 at 85 °C. The cycling profile showed no concentration polarization after a break-in period during the first few cycles, which was apparently due to reaction of the solvent at the lithium metal surface that reacted with lithium metal to form a stable SEI layer.
The use of a high-order MEMS deformable mirror in the Gemini Planet Imager

We briefly review the development history of the Gemini Planet Imager's 4K Boston Micromachines MEMS deformable mirror. We discuss essential calibration steps and algorithms to control the MEMS with nanometer precision, including voltage-phase calibration and influence function characterization. We discuss the integration of the MEMS into GPI's Adaptive Optics system at Lawrence Livermore and present experimental results of 1.5 kHz closed-loop control. We detail mitigation strategies in the coronagraph to reduce the impact of abnormal actuators on final image contrast.
Proton-Mediated Electron Configuration Change in High-Spin Iron(II) Porphyrinates

Heme proteins carry out a phenomenal range of biological processes with a common prosthetic group and a relatively small variety of axial ligands. In this paper, we report the effects on the molecular and electronic structure when the imidazole ligand is deprotonated in five-coordinate iron(II) [Fe(Por)(2-MeHIm)] derivatives. 1 Although imidazole- and imidazolate-ligated iron (II) porphyrinates both exhibit an S = 2 (quintet) state, the coordination group geometries are distinctly different with axial and equatorial bond distance differences and large changes in the displacement of iron from the porphyrin plane. The Mossbauer spectra obtained in strong magnetic fields clearly indicate a difference between the two classes in the d orbital that is doubly occupied. This change in the d-electron configuration is clearly consistent with all observed differing features and may provide control of reactivity for different classes of heme proteins. We have recently reported the synthesis, molecular and electronic structure characterization of several five-coordinate imidazole-ligated iron(II) porphyrinates. 2-4 The structural features showed a strong consistency. The displacement of the iron atom from the four nitrogen atom plane is effectively constant at 0.36 A, although there is a range of core doming due to core conformation change.5 The axial and equatorial Fe-N bond distances of six derivatives vary over a very narrow range. Moreover, the Mossbauer spectra of nine different derivatives in small and strong applied magnetic field were found to have quadrupole splittings that are strongly temperature dependent and with a negative value of the quadrupole splitting. Values of the quadrupole splitting at 4.2 K ranged from -1.93 to -2.44 44 mm/s. We have now prepared and characterized two new fivecoordinate iron(II) complexes in which the axial ligand is 2-methylimidazolate, i.e., the deprotonated ligand. Deprotonation leads to a series of remarkable differences in properties of the new derivatives compared to the neutral imidazole complexes. The structure of the anion in [K(222)][Fe(OEP)(2-MeIm-)] is shown in Figure 1. An illustration of the full molecule is given in Figure S1. The structure of [K(222)] [Fe(TPP)(2-MeIm-)] has also been determined (Figure S2). The metrical features of the imidazole-vs. the imidazolate-ligated complexes are compared in Figure 2. 6 Some structural differences shown in Figure 2 are expected and readily accounted for. First, the differences in the bond angles and distances in the five-membered rings are as expected for increased bond delocalization for the imidazolate ring. Thus, bond distances and angles
Digital archaeological landscapes & replicated artifacts: Questions of analytical & phenomenological authenticity & ethical policies in cyberarchaeology

As cyberarchaeology pushes the boundaries of digital replication of space, objects, and arguably, time itself, it simultaneously adjusts mankind's perception of these things, their connection to the individual and to culture, and our ability to analyze these increasingly solid intangible data sets. When considered as part of the evolving global modernist perspective, and as something valuable as a comparative analytical tool-these are useful developments. However, with every innovation, comes a price. And in creating virtually solid simulacra of cultural heritage, we must consider the implications of the removed authenticities cyberarchaeologists are creating. How might the ability to have a virtual copy affect international conservation policies for archaeological sites and collected artifacts? What does a virtual and potentially 3D printable version of an artifact mean to the economics of looting? How might digital augmentation in museums be balanced so as not to replace the real artifacts themselves? In developing the interdisciplinary and collaborative big-system cyberarchaeological methodologies and systems like those at the Center of Interdisciplinary Science for Art, Architecture, and Archaeology at the University of California, San Diego, the ethical implications of reactions to digitization and digital analysis are being concurrently evaluated so that some flexible contingencies can be built in as a safety measure to protect the authentic from the misuse of its heterotopic virtual counterparts.
The identification and characterization of a break within the large subunit ribosomal RNA of Trichinella spiralis: comparison of gap sequences within the genus

A break was identified in the large subunit ribosomal RNA of Trichinella spiralis that results in its dissociation into 2 smaller fragments of approximately equal length. The approximate location of the break within the encoding gene was mapped from subcloned rDNA fragments by S1 protection experiments. The boundaries of the break were determined by cDNA primer extension and S1 nuclease protection assays. The excised fragment (gap sequence) was localized to expansion segment 5 within domain IV from which 86 bases are removed during the excision process. The gap region is flanked by the consensus sequence CGAAAG; however, comparison of expansion segment 5 sequences from T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. nelsoni and T. pseudospiralis, all of which undergo 'gap processing', demonstrates significant size and sequence heterogeneity and provides little evidence for additional consensus sequences which could be implicated in gap processing.
Diglossia and Contact-induced Language Change

The present paper assesses the implications of the existence of two varieties of the same language for contact-induced language change in cases of bilingualism. By analysing the contact between French and Tunisian Arabic, on the one hand, and Spanish and Northern Moroccan Arabic, on the other, the purpose is to illustrate how the coexistence of diglossia and bilingualism within the same speech community facilitates interference from the foreign language into the low variety of the local system. This transfer can be more visible at the lexical level, in coherence with general tendencies of language contact, but also may be reflected at the structural level, in spite of the considerable typological distance between the languages involved. The results will also show that high competence in the source language permits certain borrowed items not to show the required integration in the low variety of the receiving language, and, thus, may expedite the change processes.
Interactive optimization of nonprismatic girders

Abstract An efficient and robust optimization algorithm is presented for minimum weight design of continuous multi-span nonprismatic steel plate girders using the General Geometric Programming technique. The nonlinear programming problem is formulated on the basis of the last editon of the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) Specification. The design variables are the flange width and thickness, the web depths and thickness, and the dimensions and spacings of the transverse stiffeners for stiffened plate girders. Each span is divided into one uniform and one or two nonuniform finite elements. The stiffness matrix of the nonuniform element is obtained through the Rayleigh-Ritz approach. The element stiffness matrices for each span are subsequently transformed into a superelement stiffness matrix through the condensation of internal degrees of freedom where a change of cross-section occurs. In the optimization algorithm, the nonlinear primal problem is transformed to an equivalent standard linear programming problem via double condensation. The algorithm is general and can be applied to stiffened or unstiffened, homogeneous or hybrid plate girders. The girder may be fully restrained against lateral torsional buckling or may have lateral supports only at selected locations along the length of the girder. The algorithm is implemented in FORTRAN 77 in an interactive computing environment with graphic capabilities.
Stretchable LEDs: Light-emitting electronic skin

Flexible electronics and optoelectronics have potential applications in energy generation, biomedicine, robotics and displays. Two recent demonstrations of highly stretchable polymer LEDs suggest that commercial devices may soon become viable.
Modeling the Photoinduced Reconfiguration and Directed Motion of Polymer Gels

A remarkable feature of certain biological species is their ability to dramatically alter their shape in response to environmental cues. Here, a computational model for photoresponsive polymer gels that contain spirobenzopyran (SP) chromophores is developed, and it is shown that these materials can undergo 3D biomimetic shape changes under non-uniform illumination. The SP moieties are hydrophilic in the dark, but become hydrophobic under illumination with blue light. Hence, with the incorporation of these chromophores into gels in aqueous solutions, light can be harnessed to control the gel's swelling or shrinking and, thereby, dynamically alter the gel's shape. The model is first validated by determining the effects of uniform illumination on the temperature-induced volume phase transitions in these gels, and show good agreement between these results and available experimental data. These gels can also be patterned remotely and reversibly by illuminating the samples through photomasks and, thus, molded into a variety of shapes with feature sizes on the submillimeter length scale. Furthermore, by repeatedly rastering the light source over the sample, the system can be driven to exhibit another biomimetic behavior: sustained, directed motion. The introduction of a temperature gradient provides a means of further controlling this autonomous movement. The results point to a robust method for controllably reconfiguring the morphology of soft materials and driving the self-organization of multiple reconfigurable pieces into complex architectures.
Operating Experience with Modulation of the Pacific HVDC Intertie

Implementation and operating experience with a control system which modulates power on the Pacific HVDC Intertie to damp oscillations on the parallel Pacific AC Intertie is described. This system significantly improves the damping of the Western interconnected power system, which has had a long history of periods of negatively damped oscillations. The successful operation of dc modulation was a key factor in permitting an increase in the rating of the Pacific AC Intertie from 2100 MW to 2500 MW. This uprating results in large economic and energy conservation benefits.
Metabolism of uracil and 5-fluorouracil by drug-sensitive and by drug-resistant bacteria.

Abstract Escherichia coli resistant to growth inhibition by 5-fluorouracil has lost the capacity to form 5′-ribonucleotide derivatives of uracil and 5-fluorouracil. Enzyme preparations from the resistant E. coli cells failed to catalyze the reactions of uracil and 5-fluorouracil with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate, whereas similar enzyme preparations from the parent drug-sensitive E. coli did catalyze these reactions. These findings suggest that one mechanism of resistance to 5-fluorouracil, at least in the case of the highly resistant bacterial cells studied, is of the same type previously shown to exist for 8-azaguanine and 6-mercaptopurine—namely, failure to form fraudulent ribonucleotide derivatives from the corresponding base.
Reducing Registration Error in Cross-beam Vector Doppler Imaging with Position Sensor

Various vector Doppler methods have been proposed in the last several decades to overcome the Doppler angle dependency in both conventional spectral Doppler and color Doppler by measuring both the speed and direction of blood flow. However, they have not been adopted for routine use because most of them require specialized hardware, which is not available in commercial ultrasound systems. An alternative approach (cross-beam method) that uses color Doppler images obtained from different steered beam angles is more feasible, but there is error in registering multiple color Doppler images because they are not acquired simultaneously. To alleviate this problem, we have evaluated a cross-beam vector Doppler system that registers spatially with a position sensor two color Doppler images from two different angles and temporally with ECG synchronization. The registration error was reduced to an average of 0.92 mm from 2.49 mm in 9 human subjects. Vector Doppler carotid artery images of a healthy subject and a patient with atherosclerotic plaques are also presented.
The genera Spongiococcum and Neospongiococcum. II. Species of Neospongiococcum with labile walls1,2

Several species of the genus Neospongiococcum are described. The cell walls of these species, unlike other species of the genus, apparently are not composed of cellulose. Methods to determine cell ...
Program analysis for secure big data processing

The ubiquitous nature of computers is driving a massive increase in the amount of data generated by humans and machines. Two natural consequences of this are the increased efforts to (a) derive meaningful information from accumulated data and (b) ensure that data is not used for unintended purposes. In the direction of analyzing massive amounts of data (a.), tools like MapReduce, Spark, Dryad and higher level scripting languages like Pig Latin and DryadLINQ have significantly improved corresponding tasks for software developers. The second, but equally important aspect of ensuring confidentiality (b.), has seen little support emerge for programmers: while advances in cryptographic techniques allow us to process directly on encrypted data, programmer-friendly and efficient ways of programming such data analysis jobs are still missing. This paper presents novel data flow analyses and program transformations for Pig Latin, that automatically enable the execution of corresponding scripts on encrypted data. We avoid fully homomorphic encryption because of its prohibitively high cost; instead, in some cases, we rely on a minimal set of operations performed by the client. We present the algorithms used for this translation, and empirically demonstrate the practical performance of our approach as well as improvements for programmers in terms of the effort required to preserve data confidentiality.
Sensory, Acoustical, and Force-Deformation Measurements of Potato Chip Crispness

The auditory (sound only) and oral (normal biting and chewing) crispness of five different potato chip products, each adjusted to two moisture contents, were measured. Instrumental acoustical and force-deformation measurements were made on these same samples and compared with the sensory crispness measurements. Oral crispness judgments appeared to be made on the basis of both auditory and oral tactile sensations, since auditory crispness was not highly correlated to oral crispness. A combination of acoustical and force-deformation measurements provided an excellent measure of oral chip crispness.
The location of thermal shelf fronts and the variability of the heights of tidal benthic boundary layers

It is often hypothesized that the locus of a thermal shelf fronts is where the water depth ( D ) is equal to the thickness of the tidal frictional bottom boundary layer h . To determine the proper scales for tidal benthic boundary layers, we present simple, but rather general arguments which demonstrate that benthic boundary layers (BBL) in neutrally stratified environment must be defined by Ekman scale L e = u * /Ω, where u * is friction velocity, based on the bottom stress τ b = ρu 2 * , ρ -water density, and Ω-Coriolis parameter. This result differs from those suggested by the numerical simulation of the formation of BBL in initially continuously stratified fluid, subject to a suddenly imposed barotropic pressure gradient as well as by direct observations of the intensity of turbulence close to the sea bottom, which indicated that the thickness of the well-mixed turbulent region close to the bottom of the sea is very often significantly less than L e . Recently, Stigebrandt has argued that it can be explained by introducing the numerical constant λ in the expression h = λL e ( λ ≅0.2). We are trying here, as before to explain this by the influence of the imposed background stable stratification (with buoyancy frequency N ), which limits the effective growth of BBL according to classical Ekman dynamics and creates a quasi-equilibrium thickness of BBL better characterized as h = bu * / N where b is a numerical constant ( b ≈ 4–9 in agreement with Kitaigorodskii and Joffre). We also demonstrate that the latter result is not in disagreement with observations of the locus of shelf thermal fronts in the Irish Sea and the Gulf of Maine. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1992.t01-4-00006.x
NF-E2-Related Factor 2 Inhibits Lipid Accumulation and Oxidative Stress in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet

NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that is activated by oxidative stress and electrophiles that regulates the expression of numerous detoxifying and antioxidant genes. Previous studies have shown that Nrf2 protects the liver from xenobiotic toxicity; however, whether Nrf2 plays a role in lipid homeostasis in liver is not known. Accordingly, wild-type and Nrf2-null mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for up to 4 weeks. Hepatic gene expression and lipid profiles were analyzed for changes in fatty acid, triglyceride, and cholesterol status. It is interesting to note that HFD reduced the mRNA expression of Nrf2 and its target genes in wild-type mice. The mRNA expression of lipogenic and cholesterologenic transcriptional factors and their target genes, such as sterol regulatory element-binding proteins 1c and 2, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1, fatty acid elongase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase and reductase, and low-density lipoprotein receptor mRNA expression were higher in Nrf2-null mice compared with wild-type mice after feeding a HFD, suggesting that Nrf2 may suppress these pathways. Hepatic triglycerides and cholesterol levels were not different between genotypes, whereas concentrations of hepatic free fatty acid and malondialdehyde equivalents were higher in Nrf2-null mice compared with wild-type mice 4 weeks after HFD feeding. Overall, these results suggest that Nrf2 inhibits lipid accumulation and oxidative stress in mouse liver after feeding a HFD, probably by interfering with lipogenic and cholesterologenic pathways.
The effect of arylazido aminopropionyl ATP on atropine resistant contractions of the cat urinary bladder

This work was designed to study neurogenic, atropine resistant contractions of the cat urinary bladder. Urinary bladder contractions were induced by pelvic nerve stimulation (PNS) and the administration of acetylcholine (Ach) and purine compounds. The results show that atropine (2 mg/kg) depresses the maintained portion (phase 2) of PNS-induced contractions and Ach-induced contractions while having no effect on the initial portion (phase 1) of the PNS-induced contractions or those contractions induced by the purines. Arylazido aminopropionyl ATP (ANAPP3), an ATP antagonist, depressed phase 1 of the PNS contraction and the purine induced contractions. These results suggest that ATP is responsible for at least part of the atropine-resistant contractions of the cat urinary bladder.