cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Engineering a protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI) mutant as a novel antagonist of ZPI anticoagulant function for hemophilia treatment.

Background Protein Z-dependent protease inhibitor (ZPI), is an important anticoagulant protein in plasma that functions in complex with its cofactor, protein Z (PZ) to rapidly inhibit activated factor X (FXa) on a procoagulant membrane surface. Recent studies suggest that the ZPI-PZ anticoagulant complex is a promising target for restoring hemostasis in hemophilia (Girard, et al, J Thromb Haemost, 2019, 17, 149-156). Objective Engineering a ZPI mutant as a novel antagonist of ZPI anticoagulant function. Methods We engineered two alanine mutations in human ZPI, one in the reactive loop P1 Y387 residue to inactivate the FXa/FXIa inhibitory function, and the second in the K239 binding interface residue to enhance the affinity of the inactive ZPI for PZ. The mutant was expressed, purified, and characterized by in vitro and plasma assays. Results The mutant, Y387A/K239A (ZPI-2A), bound PZ >20-fold tighter than WT ZPI or a PZ antibody (PZAb). FXa inhibition assays showed that ZPI-2A effectively neutralized ZPI/PZ anti-FXa activity with a ~three-fold molar excess over wild type ZPI (WT ZPI) whether FXa was bound to FVa in prothrombinase or unbound. Thrombin generation assays in a purified system or in normal/hemophilia plasmas showed that ZPI/PZ activity was reversed by ZPI-2A in a dose-dependent manner, with a three-fold molar excess sufficient to fully reverse ZPI/PZ inhibition of thrombin generation. Conclusions ZPI-2A is a potent antagonist of ZPI/PZ anticoagulant function, capable of fully blocking the anti-FXa activity of plasma levels of ZPI/PZ at significantly lower doses than a PZAb and thus a promising prophylactic agent for treating hemophilia.
A Generalized PSS Architecture for Balancing Transient and Small-Signal Response

For decades, power system stabilizers paired with high initial response automatic voltage regulators have served as an effective means of meeting sometimes conflicting system stability requirements. Driven primarily by increases in power electronically-coupled generation and load, the dynamics of large-scale power systems are rapidly changing. Electric grids are losing inertia and traditional sources of voltage support and oscillation damping. The system load is becoming stiffer with respect to changes in voltage. In parallel, advancements in wide-area measurement technology have made it possible to implement control strategies that act on information transmitted over long distances in nearly real time. In this paper, we present a power system stabilizer architecture that can be viewed as a generalization of the standard $\Delta \omega$ -type stabilizer. The control strategy utilizes a real-time estimate of the center-of-inertia speed derived from wide-area measurements. This approach creates a flexible set of trade-offs between transient and small-signal response, making synchronous generators better able to adapt to changes in system dynamics. The phenomena of interest are examined using a two-area test case and a reduced-order model of the North American Western Interconnection. To validate the key findings under realistic conditions, we employ a state-of-the-art co-simulation platform to combine high-fidelity power system and communication network models. The benefits of the proposed control strategy are retained even under pessimistic assumptions of communication network performance.
Harsh adjustments: speech hygiene for disabled competitors in individual events

Disabled competitors face unique challenges in competitive forensics individual events (IE). However, formal and informal institutional forces often erase their stories or worsen their situations. ...
Frustration-driven unconventional phase transitions at finite temperature in a one-dimensional ladder Ising model

The Ising model, with short-range interactions between constituents, is a basic mathematical model in statistical mechanics. It has been widely used to describe collective phenomena such as order-disorder phase transitions in various physical, biological, economical, and social systems. However, it was proven that spontaneous phase transitions do not exist in the one-dimensional Ising models. Besides low dimensionality, frustration is the other well-known suppressor of phase transitions. Here I show that surprisingly, a strongly frustrated one-dimensional two-leg ladder Ising model can exhibit a marginal finite-temperature phase transition. It features a large latent heat, a sharp peak in specific heat, and unconventional order parameters, which classify the transition as involving an entropy-favored intermediate-temperature ordered state and further unveil a crossover to an exotic "normal state" in which frustration effectively decouples the two strongly interacted legs in a counterintuitive non-mean-field way. These exact results expose a mathematical structure that has not appeared before in phase-transition problems, and shed new light on our understanding of phase transitions and the dynamical actions of frustration. Applications of this model and its mechanisms to various systems with extensions to consider higher dimensions, quantum characters, or external fields, etc. are anticipated and briefly discussed---with insights into the puzzling phenomena of strange strong frustration and intermediate-temperature orders such as the Bozin-Billinge orbital-degeneracy-lifting recently discovered in real materials.
Abstract P166: Sex And Age Differences In Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Tolerability

Background: Recent guidelines endorse the use of ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) for out-of-office BP measurement and HTN management. Past literature has described patient perceptions o...
Implementation of a pediatric wellness curriculum and its impact on resident burnout and their perception of work-life balance

Background: The demands of resident training include long work hours, increased stress levels, decreased family interactions and lack of sleep. This results in up to 75% of burnout across multiple disciplines within the United States. Burnout is also known to negatively impact the physician’s professionalism, quality of patient care and contributes to increase in medical errors. Research suggests the establishment of a wellness curriculum improves resident well-being and increases quality of care. Guidelines for a successful wellness curriculum are not firmly established. Purpose: To determine the prevalence of burnout …
The Underpricing of Venture and Nonventure Capital IPOs: An Empirical Investigation

In this paper, we examine the premarket underpricing phenomenon within a group of venture-backed and a group of non-venture-backed initial public offerings (IPOs), using a stochastic frontier approach. Consistent with previous research, we find that venture-backed IPOs are managed by more reputable underwriters and generally are associated with less underwriter compensation. However, unlike other papers in the literature, we find that the initial-day returns of venture-backed IPOs on average, are, higher than the non-venture-backed group. We observe a significantly higher degree of premarket pricing inefficiency in the initial offer price of venture-backed IPOs. Further, our results show that a significant portion of the initial day returns is due to deliberate underpricing in the premarket.
A Framework for Financial Market Development

The paper proposes a framework for examining the process of financial market development. The framework, consistent with the functional view of financial system design, is anchored in studying the incentives facing the key players in financial markets-borrowers, lenders, liquidity providers, and regulators-whose actions determine whether and how markets develop. While different financial instruments embody different concessions by borrowers and lenders, the framework emphasizes the two main compromises: the tradeoffs between maturity and collateral, and between seniority and control. The framework is used to analyze the sequencing of financial market development.
The Returns of the Roman de la terre: Défricheurs and Other Migrants in the Canadien Colonial Imaginary

Popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Quebec farm novels, or romans de la terre, have been studied by critics across the humanities and social sciences as discursive spaces ...
Lorien: Efficient Deep Learning Workloads Delivery

Modern deep learning systems embrace the compilation idea to self generate code of a deep learning model to catch up the rapidly changed deep learning operators and newly emerged hardware platforms. The performance of the self-generated code is guaranteed via auto-tuning frameworks which normally take a long time to find proper execution schedules for the given operators, which hurts both user experiences and time-to-the-market in terms of model developments and deployments. To efficiently deliver a high-performance schedule upon requests, in this paper, we present Lorien, an open source infrastructure, to tune the operators and orchestrate the tuned schedules in a systematic way. Lorien is designed to be extensible to state-of-the-art auto-tuning frameworks, and scalable to coordinate a number of compute resources for its tuning tasks with fault tolerance. We leveraged Lorien to extract thousands of operator-level tuning tasks from 29 widely-used models in Gluon CV model zoo [22], and tune them on x86 CPU, ARM CPU, and NVIDIA GPU to construct a database for queries. In addition, to deliver reasonably high performance schedules for unseen workloads in seconds or minutes, Lorien integrates an AutoML solution to train a performance cost model with collected large-scale datasets. Our evaluation shows that the AutoML-based solution is accurate enough to enable zero-shot tuning, which does not fine-tune the cost model during tuning nor perform on-device measurements, and is able to find decent schedules with at least 10x less time than existing auto-tuning frameworks.
Vertebrate gravity sensors as dynamic systems.

This paper considers verterbrate gravity receptors as dynamic sensors. That is, it is hypothesized that gravity is a constant force to which an acceleration-sensing system would readily adapt. Premises are considered in light of the presence of kinocilia on hair cells of vertebrate gravity sensors; differences in loading of the sensors among species; and of possible reduction in loading by inclusion of much organic material in otoconia. Moreover, organic-inorganic interfaces may confer a piezoelectric property upon otoconia, which increase the sensitivity of the sensory system to small accelerations. Comparisons with man-made accelerometers are briefly taken up.
The natural occurrence of galena-clausthalite solid solution series

A study of the sulfides associated with the vanadiumuranium deposits of the Colorado Plateau revealed that a . complete natural solid solution series exists between galena (PbS) and clausthalite (PbSe). Twenty analyzed samples range in composition from 0.04 to 93.7 molecular per cent PbSe in PbS with a concomitant variation of the unit cell from 5.930 A to 6.127 A. A plot of these values using the a/sub 0/ =5.936 A for PbS and a/sub 0/ =6.140 A for PbSe indicates an almost straight line variation of the cell edge between galena and clausthalite. Mineragraphic and x-ray study shows these minerals to be true solid-solution phases; exsolution of one end member in the other was not found. Semiquantitative spectrographic analyses indicate that the minor elements in these sulfides are similar to those found in galena with some variations resulting from the environment of deposition. (auth)
Convergence of a Q-learning variant for continuous states and actions

This paper presents a reinforcement learning algorithm for solving in finite horizon Markov Decision Processes under the expected total discounted reward criterion when both the state and action spaces are continuous. This algorithm is based onWatkins' Q-learning, but uses Nadaraya-Watson kernel smoothing to generalize knowledge to unvisited states. As expected, continuity conditions must be imposed on the mean rewards and transition probabilities. Using results from kernel regression theory, this algorithm is proven capable of producing a Q-value function estimate that is uniformly within an arbitrary tolerance of the true Q-value function with probability one. The algorithm is then applied to an example problem to empirically show convergence as well.
Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases

General term for deterioration of intellectual/cognitive abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with normal social functioning; dementia can occur at any age, but term is often used to imply neurodegenerative disease affecting older individuals
Relativized options: choosing the right transformation

Relativized options combine model minimization methods and a hierarchical reinforcement learning framework to derive compact reduced representations of a related family of tasks. Relativized options are defined without an absolute frame of reference, and an option's policy is transformed suitably based on the circumstances under which the option is invoked. In earlier work we addressed the issue of learning the option policy online. In this article we develop an algorithm for choosing, from among a set of candidate transformations, the right transformation for each member of the family of tasks.
Soil fertility, heterogeneity, and microbes: towards an integrated understanding of grassland structure and dynamics.

Objective: To highlight the need and the potential for an integrated understanding of three key soil-based drivers of plant community structure and dynamics – soil fertility, soil heterogeneity, and microbes. Location: European and North American grasslands. Methods: Review and discussion of conceptual models and empirical literature, including examples of observational and manipulative studies from both natural and restored grassland communities. Results and Conclusions: In general, the results of empirical studies on soil fertility, soil heterogeneity, and soil microbes in grassland communities do not support expectations of common conceptual models. Ecological theory assumes a unimodal relationship between soil fertility and plant community diversity, yet empirical relationships from grassland communities are variable, the mechanisms underlying these variable patterns are not yet well understood, and there is mixed success at manipulating soil fertility to facilitate restorations. While theory predicts that increased soil heterogeneity will lead to increased plant community diversity, results of experimental manipulations of soil heterogeneity often show the opposite. Of two major conceptual models proposed for how microbes structure plant communities, there is little support for the hypothesis of microbially mediated niche partitioning. Plant-microbe feedbacks do have significant empirical support to date and there is increasing application of positive feedback dynamics in restoration, yet field tests of feedback dynamics remain limited. We suggest that an understanding of interactions between these soil drivers may help to resolve discrepancies between conceptual models and empirical results, improving our understanding of grasslands and our ability to restore them.
Association rule computation using lexicographic order combination

Association rules in data mining are used in order to discover latent information hidden in databases. The class of apriori algorithms provide a simple way to compute association rules. Despite the simplicity of the algorithm its computational complexity is quite high. Specifically, the computational performance degrades due to intense computational requirements during the phase of frequent itemset generation. In this paper we have proposed a novel procedure to extract frequent itemsets. The itemset is modeled as a cell of a hypercube, and this cell is represented as a lexicographical order combination. The procedure described in this paper reduces the number of database passes to a single pass to extract frequent itemsets. Thus, the procedure is computationally attractive.
FRANTZ FANON AS A DEMOCRATIC THEORIST

CURRENT DEBATES and reforms around the issue of democratization in Africa will, hopefully, encourage the development of indigenous political theories favouring democratization in the long run. This essay is intended to emphasize that need by stimulating discussions around the ideas of one of the founding fathers of the African liberation movement, Frantz Fanon. Frantz Fanon was born in Martinique in 1925 and died in 1961. After studying psychiatry in France, he worked for a brief period in colonial Algeria where he joined the Algerian freedom fighters in their insurrection against French colonialism. A psychiatrist, social philosopher, journalist, diplomat and political activist, Fanon wrote four books1 dealing with national liberation, social reconstruction and self-reconstitution. His eloquent defence of violence by colonized peoples in the struggle for national emancipation attracted a great deal of attention. His defence contains several strands including the psychological strand implying that violence would result in a 'collective catharsis' that would free the oppressed from their inferiority complexes and degredation. The debates that ensued clouded Fanon's reflections on a number of serious issues: democratizing development, promoting national cultures or facilitating the emancipation of women, for example. Even though Fanon did not shed much light on certain detailed aspects of democratic politics electoral mechanisms, for example the corpus of his political writings is both compatible with and supportive of an understanding of democracy as a process in which individuals cooperate as free and equal participants in the demanding task of development and self-rule. Today we confront reordered global relationships. First, the Cold War has encled. Over thirty years ago, Fanon said, 'The Cold War must be ended, for it leads nowhere' .2 The end of the Cold War removes any excuse by national and international forces to compromise principle because of the fear of disturbing East-West loyalties. Second, popular revolts in Africa and elsewhere have shown that military power has become problematic as a tool of foreign policy and internal repression. Third, the nature, scope,
Age-related changes in body fluid volumes in young spontaneously hypertensive rats

We have measured total body water (TBW, by dessiccation), extracellular fluid volume (ECF, Na2(35)SO4 space), and plasma volume (PV, radioiodinated serum albumin space) in 5-sec-butyl-5-ethyl-2-thiobarbituric acid and sodium salt (Inactin)-anesthetized spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats aged 12-60 days. Interstitial fluid volume (ISF) was calculated as ECF minus PV. Changes in TBW, ECF, and ISF were largely a function of age in both strains, which is typical of developing mammals. Further analysis revealed that although these volumes were significantly larger in SHR before 25 days of age, after 30 days no difference existed between the strains. Before 25 days of age, when SHR's TBW was expanded, no weight difference was seen between the strains. However, once TBW was normalized (after 30 days), WKY was significantly heavier than SHR. The ISF volume was preferentially enlarged in SHR, although PV was also periodically greater. ISF normalized at the time when blood pressure becomes significantly higher in SHR, when (as we have previously reported) plasma aldosterone falls to WKY values in SHR and when renal function is approaching adult levels. Thus the return of ECF (ISF) to normal values may be a result of decreased aldosterone-dependent volume retention or to diuresis induced by increasing blood pressure in an animal whose renal function is close to maturity.
Rotation flaps to reconstruct nasal tip defects following Mohs surgery.

BACKGROUND. Skin cancer involving the nasal tip is fairly common. The repair of these nasal tip defects is often a challenging opportunity. The current range of reconstructive techniques include partial closure and second intention healing to skin grafts and midline forehead flaps. OBJECTIVE. Here we present an interesting method of nasal tip repair harvesting a rotation flap that uses adjacent skin from lateral and upper bridge of nose. METHODS. Using three case studies examples of the rotation flap are demonstrated to reconstruct the nasal tip defects following Mohs surgery for skin cancer. RESULTS. For medium size defects of up to 1 cm in diameter, rotation flaps offer an alternative surgical one-stage method of reconstruction of the nasal tip in selected cases. CONCLUSION. Satisfactory results can often be achieved with a modest amount of planning, intra-, and postoperative care. Rotation flaps possess a circular configuration that allow recapitulation of the natural creases and contours of nasal tip anatomy resulting in aesthetic repairs.
Detection and Classification of SPLCV Isolates in the U.S. Sweetpotato Germplasm Collection via a Real-Time PCR Assay and Phylogenetic Analysis

Abstract The United States Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service sweetpotato (Ipomoea batatas) germplasm collection contains accessions that were initially collected from various countries worldwide. These materials have been maintained and distributed as in vitro plantlets since the mid-1980s. The status of viral infection by the emerging Sweet potato leaf curl virus (SPLCV) and other Begomovirus spp. in this germplasm has yet to be determined. In order to minimize the potential distribution of virus-infected clones, all accessions in the collection were tested for SPLCV using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay. In total, 47 of 701 accessions of in vitro plantlets tested positive for SPLCV. The presence of SPLCV detected in these materials was confirmed via biological indexing using the indicator plants I. nil and I. muricata. Symptoms appeared more rapidly on I. muricata than on I. nil. Nucleotide polymorphisms among the isolates were evaluated by sequencing the AV1 coat prote...
Complement-induced thrombus formation on the surface of poly(N-vinylpyrpolidone)-grafted polyethylene

The role of complement activation in thrombogenesis was investigated on the surface of hydrophilic monomer-graft copolymerized polyethylene (PE) tubes. N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP)-grafted tubes activated in an in vitro complement system of canine serum; but no activation occurred in 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-grafted tubes. The relative patent time for NVP-grafted tubes implanted in canine peripheral veins was shorter than that for HEMA-grafted tubes and adhesion of numerous leucocytes was observed on the luminal surfaces of the NVP-grafted tubes. Decomplementation by prior administration of cobra venom factor elongated the relative patent time for NVP-grafted tubes only and also inhibited the adhesion of leucocytes onto them. These results suggest that the complement activation participates in thrombus formation on the polymer surfaces in canine veins.
A Wide Conversion Ratio, Extended Input 3.5-μA Boost Regulator With 82% Efficiency for Low-Voltage Energy Harvesting

An inductive boost regulator is presented that can harvest energy over a wide input voltage range. The wide input range is enabled by a current-based analog oscillator capable of providing very high duty cycle. The analog control circuits are designed to operate at subthreshold voltage to enable low voltage all electronic autonomous startup. A test chip designed in 130-nm CMOS demonstrates energy harvesting from as low as 12-mV input while biased by an external 1-V battery and autonomous (without using any additional device or battery) startup above 305 mV at output. The design typically consumes 3.5-μA standby current, achieves peak efficiency of 82%, and can regulate output from 0.66 to 3.3 V. The booster is coupled with a thermoelectric generator and the integrated system delivers output power of 6 μW at ~2 °C temperature difference to a maximum of 12 mW at ~50 °C temperature difference.
Autohemotransfusion in preventing postoperative lung complications

T HE administration of bIood as a therapeutic agent is a very oId procedure, and in primary anemic cases where the repIacement of substance pIays the main roIe, is, of course, we11 known. The appIication we have in mind is the withdrawa of a smaI1 amount of bIood from the patient’s vein and reinjection directIy into the body. In 1898, Grafstrom and EIfstroml appIied autotransfusion in a case of pneumonia. Ten years Iater BaIfour2 used this method as a specific therapy. AI1 authors empIoyed it pureIy empiricaIIy without expIanation of its action. In 1913 autohemotherapy was advocated by Spiethoff3 in dermatoIogy and considered an unspecific protein therapy. Autohemotherapy has since been used extensiveIy in a variety of diseases and conditions. The resuIts were encouraging in postoperative pneumonia, furuncuIosis, bronchitis, eczemas and urticaria. A good resuIt in postoperative Iung compIications is manifested by the dechne of temperature within twenty-four to forty-eight hours after administration and disappearance of symptoms. There are five different methods of appIication : I. Intramuscular injection of defibrinated bIood; 20 C.C. of bIood is dehbrinated by shaking in a flask with gIassbeads and injected immediately. 2. IntramuscuIar injection of 16 C.C. of fresh bIood mixed with 4 C.C. of distiIIed water. 3. IntramuscuIar injection of unaItered fresh bIood. YORK
The effect of feedback on students’ abilities to write daily progress notes

Previous research has shown that the majority of medical schools do not formally teach medical writing, including writing of progress notes. The purpose of this research was to determine the impact consistently provided objective feedback has on enhancing the quality of student notes. A static group‐comparison design was used to determine the quality of progress notes written by students who received structured written feedback versus those given traditional feedback. Twenty patient names were selected from students’ logbooks from both groups, totaling 40 patient charts. Progress notes were blindly reviewed by 1 faculty member, using a checklist instrument, which was studied for evidence of reliability and validity. Results showed a statistically significant (p = .05) difference between the groups’ abilities to write assessment and plan portions of a progress note, but no differences were noted on student abilities to document subjective data. Findings suggest some students often have an inability to inte...
Generalized mixed integer rounding inequalities: facets for infinite group polyhedra

We present a generalization of the mixed integer rounding (MIR) approach for generating valid inequalities for (mixed) integer programming (MIP) problems. For any positive integer n, we develop n facets for a certain (n + 1)-dimensional single-constraint polyhedron in a sequential manner. We then show that for any n, the last of these facets (which we call the n-step MIR facet) can be used to generate a family of valid inequalities for the feasible set of a general (mixed) IP constraint, which we refer to as the n-step MIR inequalities. The Gomory Mixed Integer Cut and the 2-step MIR inequality of Dash and gunluk (Math Program 105(1):29–53, 2006) are the first two families corresponding to n = 1,2, respectively. The n-step MIR inequalities are easily produced using periodic functions which we refer to as the n-step MIR functions. None of these functions dominates the other on its whole period. Finally, we prove that the n-step MIR inequalities generate two-slope facets for the infinite group polyhedra, and hence are potentially strong.
Static Approximation and Bounds on Single-Channel Phase Shifts

A single-channel scattering process with the set of quantum numbers $C$ is completely characterized by a phase shift, ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}$. A common approximation in the determination of ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}$ for the scattering of a particle by a compound system is to assume that, apart from the possibility of an exchange of the incident particle with an identical target particle, the target is unaffected by the incident particle. The incident particle is then scattered by the static potential generated by the target in its ground state. The phase shift determined in this approximation, to be called ${{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}}^{P}$, can be calculated for a number of scattering processes. Let $H$ represent the Hamiltonian of the entire system, incident particle plus target, let ${E}_{T0}$ be the ground-state energy of the target, and let ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}$ be the smallest energy for which ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}+{E}_{T0}\ensuremath{-}H$ is a negative definite operator in the space in which the given quantum numbers are $C$ and in which the ground state of the target is projected out. Utilizing the generalized optical potential formalism due to Feshbach and others, it can then be shown that ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}g{{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}}^{P}$ if the incident energy is less than ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}$. (The bound is probably valid for higher energies, perhaps for all energies for which the process remains a single-channel process. If so, however, the difference between ${\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}$ and ${{\ensuremath{\eta}}_{C}}^{P}$ for these higher energies will generally be large, of the order of a multiple of $\ensuremath{\pi}$, and the bound will not be immediately useful. We will, therefore, be concerned primarily with incident energies ${E}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ less than ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}$.) Furthermore, as one allows for more and more virtual excitation of the target system, the approximate phase shift is guaranteed to improve if ${E}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ is less than ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}$, and ${{{E}^{\ensuremath{'}}}_{C}}^{Q}$ will itself increase. Applications are given to the scattering of electrons and of positrons by hydrogen atoms.
Quantitative analysis of protein phosphorylation in mouse brain by hypothesis-driven multistage mass spectrometry.

Determination of site-specific changes in the levels of protein phosphorylation in mammals presents a formidable analytical challenge. Here, we demonstrate a strategy for such analyses utilizing a combination of stable isotope chemical labeling and tandem mass spectrometry. Phosphoproteins of interest are isolated from two sets of animals that have undergone differential drug treatments, separated by SDS−PAGE, excised, and subjected to in-gel enzymatic digestion. Using a simple chemical labeling step, we introduce stable, isotopically distinct mass tags into each of the two sets of peptides that originate from the samples under comparison, mix the samples, and subject the resulting mixture to a procedure based on our previously reported hypothesis-driven multistage MS (HMS−MS) method (Chang, E. J.; Archambault, V.; McLachlin, D. T.; Krutchinsky, A. N.; Chait, B. T. Anal. Chem. 2004, 76, 4472−4483). The method takes advantage of the dominant loss of H3PO4 during MS/MS from singly charged phosphopeptide ion...
Characterization of a tri-n-butyl phosphate-nitric acid complex: A CO2-soluble extractant for dissolution of uranium dioxide

Tri-n-butyl phosphate (TBP) reacts with nitric acid to form a hydrogen-bonded complex TBP(HNO3)x(H2O)y that is highly soluble in supercritical fluid carbon dioxide (SF-CO2). The value of x can be up to 2.5, whereas the value of y varies between 0.4 and 0.8 determined by acid−base and Karl Fischer titrations. The protons of HNO3 and H2O in the complex undergo rapid exchange and exhibit a singlet resonance peak in NMR spectra. When the complex is dissolved in a low dielectric constant solvent, small droplets of nitric acid are formed that can be detected by NMR. Phase behavior studies indicate that the complex forms a single phase with SF-CO2 above a certain pressure for a given temperature. This CO2-soluble Lewis acid−base complex provides a method of introducing nitric acid in SF-CO2 for effective dissolution of uranium dioxide, lanthanide oxides, and perhaps other metal oxides.
Development of poly(vinyl chloride)/wood composites. A literature review

Poly(vinyl chloride)/wood fiber (flour) composites are currently experiencing a dramatic increase in use. Most of them are used to produce window/door profiles, decking, railing, and siding by using conical counterrotating intermeshing twin-screw extruders. Heat stabilizers, processing aids, impact modifiers, lubricants, and pigments are still important for PVC/wood composite formulations. Poly[methylene(polyphenyl isocyanate)] (PMPPIC), γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, maleated polypropylene (MAPP), and copper metallic complex have proved to be effective coupling agents for this composite system. Mechanical properties of PVC/wood composites can be enhanced by combining wood with mica or glass fibers to form hybrid reinforcements. Ultraviolet light resistance and weathering dimensional stabilities of PVC/wood composites are superior to those of natural wood. Density reduction can be achieved through the microcellular foaming technique by using chemical blowing agents, such as azodicarbonamide and sodium bicarbonate, or physical blowing agents, such as carbon dioxide. J. Vinyl Addit. Technol. 10:59–69, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.
Anomalous sputter yields due to cascade mixing

Sputter‐removal rates of overlayer and interfacial species on silicon are analyzed to determine sputtering yields for the species involved. Sputtering yields up to two orders of magnitude lower than those measured for silicon are found, and the results are interpreted in terms of a cascade mixing process which continually reburies much of the overlayer material beyond the escape depth of the sputtered atoms.
Topology optimization of fluid domains: kinetic theory approach

We consider the problem of optimal design of flow domains for Navier-Stokes flows in order to minimize a given performance functional. We attack the problem using topology optimization techniques, or control in coefficients, which are widely known in structural optimization of elastic solids and structures for their flexibility, generality, yet ease of use, and integration with existing FEM software. We use a simple kinetic model to approximate the Navier-Stokes system. Arguably, we take a rather unconventional path in the kinetic theory, using it only to gain insight about the Navier-Stokes-related system of hydrodynamical equations, which we take as our starting point. Thus all the modifications we make to the kinetic models are "hydrodynamically" inspired and we seek no particular physical explanation for them; the only requirement for us is the convergence (at least, formal) of the kinetic equations towards the correct hydrodynamical limit. We formally compute the hydrodynamical limit of the proposed kinetic system, and rigorously establish the existence of flow solutions and their continuous dependence on the design parameters. Optimal controls are shown to belong to a special class (0-1 solutions) for a popular power dissipation minimization problem for viscous fluids.
Changes in ovarian steroidogenesis in vitro associated with final maturation of Atlantic croaker oocytes.

Abstract Changes in ovarian steroidogenesis during final oocyte maturation (FOM) in the Atlantic croaker ( Micropogonias undulatus ) were investigated in vitro by incubation of oocytes with tritiated pregnenolone, followed by chromatographic separation of the radioactive steroid products. Testosterone and estradiol-17β were the major tritiated steroids produced by the ovary before the onset of FOM. Induction of FOM by human chorionic gonadotropin, both in vivo and in vitro , coincided with the appearance of 17α,20β,21-trihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (20β-S) as the predominant steroid product. The production of 17α,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one and 11-deoxycorticosterone, maturation-inducing steroids previously proposed for other teleost species, could not be demonstrated in Atlantic croaker ovaries during FOM. The timely synthesis of 20β-S in croaker at the onset of oocyte maturation provides further evidence for a physiological role of 20β-S in the induction of FOM in this species.
Militia Training and State Control in Republican Hu’nan

AbstractThis study of Hunan province during China’s Nanjing decade (1927-1937) shows how militia training could play a key role in the extension of state control both over local militia and through militia into local society. Provincial authorities in Hunan used an argument for the need to increase the efficacy of militia through more rigorous military training to justify an activist intervention in local militia organizations. This training goal then provided a means of extending increased state control over militia as provincial personnel were dispatched to “supervise” local militia training, as local militia leaders were evaluated on the basis of their ability to provide this training, and as training content was expanded to include political indoctrination as well as military skills. Meanwhile the government strengthened ties with local militia officers through extended training programs in the provincial capital or in army units. While many of these efforts focused on standing militia forces and their officers, training programs were also instituted for the mass membership of lower-level “volunteer corps.” More than just political indoctrination, the regimentation instilled by regular training programs also worked to increase the state’s control over the lives of its citizens.
Diet and morphology through ontogeny of the nonindigenous Mayan cichlid 'Cichlasoma (Nandopsis)' urophthalmus (Gunther 1862) in southern Florida

We evaluated diet and morphology through ontogeny for a freshwater population of the Mayan cichlid ‘Cichlasoma (Nandopsis)’ urophthalmus (Gunther 1862) in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. This species is a generalist predator throughout ontogeny. Fish remained the primary prey item throughout ontogeny, but there was a shift from detritus and ostracods among juveniles to algae, gastropods (snails), decapods, Hymenoptera, and adult Diptera among adults. All morphological variables grew isometrically except total molariform tooth area and pharyngeal jaw mass, which exhibited positive allometry. Despite a moderately robust adult pharyngeal jaw apparatus, this species does not specialize on hard prey at this south Florida site. Compared to its native range in Mexico, fish in Florida have undergone a pronounced niche shift with the diet being dominated by fish and snails, probably due to greater availability. The invasive success of C. urophthalmus does not appear to be related to ontogenetic morphological shifts or dietary specialization. Rather, its successful and rapid colonization of southern Florida might in part be related to its generalized and opportunistic feeding habits and morphology.
Statistical properties of large published classifications

Large published classifications typically consist of sets (called taxa) hierarchically arranged according to taxonomic rank. A statistical survey of 23 such classification reveals the following distinctive properties. The pattern of mandatory and optional taxonomic ranks is similar to a Guttman scale. Mean taxon size (defined as the number of next-lower-rank taxa per higher-rank taxon) is a U-shaped function of mandatory rank, and averages about seven across ranks with no significant differences between classifications. The variability of taxon size is a decreasing function of mandatory rank. The generality of these properties across classifications suggests that they are determined by the psychology of the classification process. In contrast, there are significant differences between classifications in the variability of taxon size and in the prevalence of optional ranks, both of which are greater in biological than in nonbiological classifications. These differences may reflect the nature of the materials classified.
Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-Positive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Lung Infection in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

Background Panton-Valentine Leukocidin-expressing (PVL+) methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is an emerging pathogen worldwide causing fatal necrotizing pneumonias in otherwise healthy individuals but has not been described in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Following two cases of patients with CF admitted with lung abscesses in association with PVL+ MRSA, we examined the incidence and the clinical characteristics of MRSA acquisition in our CF patient population. Methods Newly acquired MRSA isolates from patients with CF followed up at St. Louis Children's Hospital were analyzed for the presence of Panton-Valentine leukocidin coding region, clindamycin susceptibility, staphylococcal cassette chromosome (SCC) mec type, and multilocus sequence type. Medical records and pulmonary function studies at the time of MRSA isolation were reviewed. Results MRSA isolates from 40 CF patients were available for analysis. Six children (15%) had PVL+ MRSA infection. All PVL+ organisms were clindamycin susceptible. Patients who acquired a PVL+ organism were more likely to have a focal pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph, including cavitary lung lesions in two patients (p = 0.04), a markedly greater decline in FEV1 at the time of MRSA detection (p = 0.01), and a significantly higher WBC count (p = 0.04) and absolute neutrophil count (p = 0.04). These patients were more likely to be admitted for IV antibiotic therapy for respiratory illnesses (p Conclusions We describe the emergence of PVL+ MRSA in our CF population in association with development of invasive lung infections including lung abscesses. Early identification and treatment of CF patients with newly acquired PVL+ MRSA may be crucial.
The Surgical Therapy for Pulmonary Artery—Right Ventricular Discontinuity

Abstract The results of operations performed at the University of Michigan for conditions characterized by pulmonary artery-right ventricular discontinuity are reviewed. In 5 infants with increased pulmonary blood flow, pulmonary artery banding was performed with unsatisfactory results. Two survived operation but later died of complications related to the bands. Fourteen children received shunts for conditions involving reduced pulmonary blood flow; 13 survived and have either undergone subsequent total repair or are doing well and are awaiting total repair when possible. Twelve patients have undergone total repair; valveless cloth tube conduits were utilized in 4, and 2 remain well 11 years later. More recently, fresh, antibiotic-preserved aortic allografts have been utilized for the conduit. Six of 8 patients survived the operation, and there was 1 late death. The aortic wall of one graft became calcified after 4 years and had to be replaced, although the valve leaflets remained functional. Immediate success of the totally corrective operation depends on the pulmonary vascular resistance being less than 60% of the systemic. Long-term success depends on the fate of the conduit. From previous experience we think fresh allografts should be more durable than the sterilized allografts used by most other groups; however, we have found that even fresh allografts can calcify.
Regulation of albumin synthesis in rat liver

The present report reviews our findings on the subcellular distribution of albumin mRNA in rat liver under normal and abnormal physiologic conditions, the identification of albumin mRNA in specific mRNP complexes in liver cytosol of starved rats, and evidence fo albumin mRNA sequences in a higher molecular weight nuclear precursor to cytoplasmic albumin mRNA.
Polarization of neutrons from the reactions Li7(p, n)Be7 and D(d, n)He3

Abstract The polarization of neutrons has been measured for the Li7(p, n)7Be reaction at a laboratory angle of 50° at bombarding energies from 3.0 to 6.0 MeV, and for the D(d, n)He3 reaction at a laboratory angle of 40° at bombarding energies from 2.0 to 4.5 MeV. The polarization was determined from the left-right asymmetry in the scattering of the neutrons from liquid helium. A nanosecond time-of-flight system was used as a neutron spectrometer.
A COMPARISON OF DEPRECIATION METHODS UNDER CURRENT COST ACCOUNTING

In New Zealand the Richardson Report has recommended to government the adoption of a form of inflation accounting known as Current Cost Accounting (CCA). This paper reports research carried out to determine which of the traditional historical cost depreciation methods used in farm accounting might be most appropriate when adapted to a current cost basis. The current cost depreciation methods are compared on the basis of their ability to predict accurately actual replacement values for a survey sample of farm tractors and headers. The resultant measures of depreciation are compared with those currently allowable under New Zealand taxation laws, and the proposition that investment allowances on purchases of new machinery offset the inadequacies of historical cost depreciation is discussed.
Factors Related to the Flavor Stability of Foam-Dried Whole Milk. I. Effect of Oxygen Level

Summary After developing methods capable of packaging milk powders in atmospheres of nitrogen containing less than 0.1% oxygen, a study was made of the effect of the inpackage oxygen levels on the storage life of foam-dried whole milk. It was found that the shelf life of this product could be extended by reducing the oxygen levels in the packages below those now generally considered acceptable for the storage of spray-dried whole milk powders. During an 8-mo. period, 14 foam-dried milks were made from fluid milks, each of which received a minimum heat treatment of 145° F. for 30min. The dry milks contained 2–3% moisture, were packaged in an atmosphere that contained about 0.1, 1, and 21% oxygen, and stored at 80° F.; they were flavor-scored each 2 mo. for 6 mo. by a ten-judge expert panel, using a slight modification of the American Dairy Science Association scoring guide. A statistically, highly significant improvement in storage stability was noted in milk powders packed in 0.1% oxygen compared with those packed in 1% oxygen and in air. Numerical trends in oxidized and other off-flavors are reported.
Some partial ordering results on record values

It has been shown that if the nth record value Rn of a sequence of i.i.d. r.vs. has an increasing failure rate (IFR) distribution then so does Rn+1 On the other hand Rn-1 has decreasing failure rate (DFR) distribution if Rn is DFR. Some other partial ordering results for the record values have also been obtained.
Identification of Factors that Influence Authorship Name Placement and Decisions to Collaborate in Peer-Reviewed, Education-Related Publications.

Abstract In many universities authorship credit plays an important role in academic decision-making, such as for tenure and promotion. The purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence the placement of names in coauthored works in specific education-related journals, and to identify perceived benefits of single and coauthored publications. Results indicate that both contribution amount and idea origination were typically used to determine name placement, but respondents also noted that authorship credit was assigned based upon other criteria, such as seniority and assistance to colleagues. A number of benefits for both sole and coauthored publications were also found.