cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reasons for extended length of stay following chest tube removal in general thoracic surgical patients.

Background Many patients undergoing general thoracic surgery can be discharged on the same day as chest tube removal, but some are not, leading to increased resource utilization. This study assesses the frequency and duration of extended length of stay (ELOS) after tube removal and identifies risk factors for ELOS. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all adult patients undergoing general thoracic surgery at a tertiary referral medical center captured in the Society of Thoracic Surgeons General Thoracic Surgery Database and obtained detailed clinical data on chest tube management from August 2013 to April 2017. Pre-operative demographics, procedures, diagnoses, comorbidities, hospital service category, and lab values were examined to identify risk factors associated with ELOS after chest tube removal using multivariable generalized linear regression models. Results One thousand and four hundred seventy patients had ≥1 chest tubes placed at the time of operation and discharged after chest tube removal: anatomic lung resection (34%), wedge resection (29%), decortication (16%), and other (21%). Fifty-one percent of these patients were male, 81% were white, and the mean age was 59 years (SD: 15 years). One-third of the patients had prior cardiothoracic operations. Twenty-three percent of these patients had ELOS, defined as discharge ≥1 calendar day after chest tube removal with a median additional hospital stay of 3 days (interquartile range, 2-7 days). A multivariable regression model demonstrated that risk factors for ELOS included being admitted to an oncology or transplant service, undergoing decortication procedure, active smoking, and increased disability. Conclusions Patients with obesity, more severe disability, or actively smoking, undergoing, decortication, admitted to transplant and oncology services were more likely to experience ELOS. These factors should be considered when identifying appropriate patient groups for fast-track algorithms.
Comparing Speech Recognition for Listeners With Normal and Impaired Hearing: Simulations for Controlling Differences in Speech Levels and Spectral Shape.

Purpose This study investigated methods used to simulate factors associated with reduced audibility, increased speech levels, and spectral shaping for aided older adults with hearing loss. Simulati...
Art as Black and White: examining interactions between race in the 20th century through Black artist experience.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between African-American art throughout the 20th century and mainstream art critics’ perspectives of the African-American community. Aaron Douglas’, Jacob Lawrence’s, and Jean Michel Basquiat’s experiences as artists spanned the 20th century. The study examined approximately 40 primary documents written by White individuals who played a role in the mainstream art world during the 20th century. The analysis determined that there was no change in the perspectives of the White majority towards the African-American community in response to Aaron Douglas’, Jacob Lawrence’s, and Jean Michel Basquiat’s art. Two main themes emerged regarding White response to these artists. First, the White majority seems to have felt threatened by the African-American community and utilized its power to keep African-American art confined to its own community. Second, the White majority commodified African-American art in order to keep it outside the mainstream. Therefore, the key contribution of this study is to document one important way that racism seeped into the arts. Not only can the findings be applied to other methods of cultural production, but the construction of this study can provide a model for other studies dealing with similar qualitative materials.
Harnessing anomeric anions to synthesize α- and β-deoxyaminoglycosides

The synthesis of glycosides incorporating basic nitrogen atoms is a longstanding challenge in organic synthesis. By leveraging the reactivity of glycosyl anions, a general method has been developed that enables use of glycosyl donors incorporating unprotected, basic amines.
Vestir al sujeto femenino: la moda goticuqui en Casa de Muñecas (2012) de Patricia Esteban Erlés

This article analyzes the influence of Fashion and Gothic in the configuration of the female subject within the anthology of micro-stories Casa de Munecas (2012), by Patricia Esteban Erles (Saragossa,1972). Through a review of the dollhouse’s theories, and the role of dolls following Gothic aesthetics, I will approach the anxieties of the postmodern Spanish female subject through Fashion. The characterization of the female protagonists is through the goticuqui dress, which girdles and restricts the body. Those female selves are restricted by the values of a traditional and claustrophobic intra-family life. Dolls and their owners’ rebel against a submissive role and the Gothic aesthetic distorts their normative behaviors.
Effects of Tap Spacings to Discrete-Time RAKE Receivers in Exponentially Decaying Delay Profiles

In the literature the tap spacirngs for RAKE systems are typically analyzed for a channel with uniformly distributed multipath delay profile. However in realistic simulations, usually exponentially decaying delay profile is conrsidered. Furthermore, the analytical works do not take channel estimation errors into account. In this work we investigate the effect of tap spacing in exponentially decaying delay profile systems to the performance of several advanced discrete-time RAKE receivers under the effect of channel estimation errors. Our simulations indicate that 3T c /4 tap spacing is the best choice which gives good performance with less complexity compared to T c /2 spacing.
Cyber Security Policy Specification and Management

Security policies define the secure and nonsecure states in a system. Historically, organizations have used natural language security policies as a means to guide their security implementation and communicate their security goals to their employees and customers. Formal policies must be developed to enable a policy to automatically drive the operation of enforcing devices either through configuration or direct application to a policy-aware infrastructure. Ideally, the natural language security policy is at the top of a refinement hierarchy that eventually reaches the security implementation such that each level is derived from the next higher level. In reality there are large gaps in the refinement hierarchy with many organizations only having natural language security policy and the implementation configuration files. This disconnect between natural language policy and implementation configuration means that an organization is often operating outside the bounds of their policy. By running outside of their policy bounds an organization has a higher likelihood of operating in an exploitable insecure state. Keywords: policy specification; policy management; policy validation; network security; operating system security
The Politics of Haunting and Memory in International Relations

1. Ghostly Politics: An Introduction, 2. 'We're All of Us Haunting and Haunted', 3. Border Monuments: Memory, Counter-Memory, and (b)Ordering practices along the US-Mexico Border, 4. Bones in a Brown Bag: Haunting and the Place of the Body in Rwandan Genocide Memorialization, 5. Vanishing Monuments: Absence and 9/11 Memorialization, 6. Conclusions: After Ghostly Politics
Comparison of Shortened and Standard Liquid Cooling Garments to Provide Physiological and Subjective Comfort During EVA

The shortened liquid cooling/warming garment (SLCWG) developed by the University of Minnesota group was compared with the standard NASA liquid cooling/ventilating garment (LCVG) garment during physical exertion in comfort (24°C) and hot (35°C) chamber environments. In both environmental conditions, the SLCWG was just as effective as the LCVG in maintaining rectal temperature (Tre) in a thermal comfort range; sweat production on the face was less; and subjective perception of overall and local body comfort was higher. The findings indicate that the SLCWG produces the same or greater comfort level as that achieved with the LCVG's total coverage of the body surface.
Celecoxib in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a major cause for pain worldwide and is increasingly so as the number of elderly people continues to grow. Finding treatments that are effective and safe for this pain has been challenging primarily because gastrointestinal risks increase with aging as well. One step in the direction of improvement was the development of selective COX-2 inhibitors, which as a group have lower gastrointestinal adverse reaction rates than traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, increases in cardiovascular adverse events with some of these have dampened initial enthusiasm for this approach. One of these inhibitors, celecoxib remains available in most areas of the world for use in pain associated with osteoarthritis. This review illustrates how best to consider it’s role in the current treatment of pain associated with arthritis with an emphasis on osteoarthritis.
What I Left, Unknown

"What I Left, Unknown" is a poem centered on my experiences as a social worker in rural Illinois, working to keep the above 65 population independent in their own homes.
The Effects of Market-based School Reforms on Students with Disabilities

Neoliberalism is a theory of political economy which holds that the well-being of individuals is best served by liberating individual entrepreneurial freedom in a framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. The role of government is limited to keeping people safe and preserving the rules of the market and leaving to the markets services, including education, that it is assumed will be more efficiently delivered by the private sector. Educational policies in the US and in other countries around the world have been strongly influenced by market-based reforms including accountability, high-stakes testing, data-driven decision-making, charter schools, deregulation, and competition among schools. This paper summarizes current theory and research on the effects of market-based schooling practices on students with disabilities. The available evidence indicates that students with disabilities are not well served by market-based reforms and, further, free-market reforms may be fundamentally incompatible with the needs of students with disabilities. Keywords: charter schools; vouchers; educational reform; free-market schooling; school choice; neoliberalism
Complications Necessitating a Return to the Operating Room Following Intradural Spine Surgery

Objective To determine the incidence of and risk factors for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), wound, and hematoma-related complications following intradural spine surgery. Background Complications of intradural spinal surgery requiring a return to the operating room lengthen hospital stay and increase cost as well as patient risk. Here we present our experience with complications in intradural spinal surgery. Methods Between 1993 and 2010, a total of 528 pediatric and adult patients who underwent biopsy and/or resection of intramedullary or extramedullary spinal lesions at Mayo Clinic-Rochester were evaluated. Results The overall complication rate in this series was 4.9%. Complications, such as neurologic worsening due to an etiology not able to be treated surgically, or medical complications, such as deep venous thrombosis, were not included in this study. The overall complication rates that were CSF-related, wound-related, hematoma-related, and miscellaneous were 3.0%, 1.1%, 0.6%, and 0.2% respectively. Complication rates decreased with age from 15.4% in 0- to 10-year-olds to 4.1% in 61- to 90-year-olds. Tumors represented the majority of pathology at 90.5%. The complication rate for patients who had prior treatment was higher at 6.9% compared with 4.7% in those who had no prior treatment (P = 0.5). Intramedullary tumors had a complication rate of 7.1% vs. 3.6% for extramedullary tumors (P = 0.14). Some patients (5.7%) had coexisting intracranial tumors at the time of their surgery but none had complications with intradural spine surgery. Conclusions Complications of intradural spine surgery are most commonly CSF related, may decrease with increasing age of the patient, and are higher with intramedullary tumors.
Nutrient dynamics on a precipitation gradient in Hawai'i

We evaluated soil and foliar nutrients in five native forests in Hawai'i with annual rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 5500 mm. All of the sites were at the same elevation and of the same substrate age; all were native-dominated forests containing Metrosiderospolymorpha Gaud. Soil concentrations of extractable NO3-N and PO4-P, as well as major cations (Ca, Mg, and K), decreased with increasing annual precipitation, and δ15N values became more depleted in both soils and vegetation. For M.polymorpha leaves, leaf mass per area (LMA) and lignin concentrations increased significantly, while δ13C values became more depleted with increasing precipitation. Foliar phosphorus, and major cation (Ca, Mg, and K) concentrations for M.polymorpha all decreased significantly with increasing precipitation. For other native forest species, patterns of LMA, δ13C, and δ15N generally mirrored the pattern observed for M. polymorpha. Decreasing concentrations of available rock-derived nutrients in soil suggest that the effect of increased rainfall on leaching outweighs the effect of increasing precipitation on weathering. The pattern of decreased foliar nutrient concentrations per unit leaf area and of increased lignin indicates a shift from relatively high nutrient availability to relatively high carbon gain by producers as annual precipitation increases. For nitrogen cycling, the pattern of higher inorganic soil nitrogen concentrations in the drier sites, together with the progressively depleted δ15N signature in both soils and vegetation, suggests that nitrogen cycling is more open at the drier sites, with smaller losses relative to turnover as annual precipitation increases.
Geriatric patients with head and neck problems

Abstract All lesions of the head and neck (including the parotid gland, oral cavity, larynx, thyroid, and lateral portions of the neck) call for excisional biopsy at the least. The operative procedure should be extended as indicated after the type of lesion has been established. The age of the patient, even though he is in an older age group, is not a deterrent to definitive surgery. Surgical procedures on the head and neck, even though radical, are well tolerated by older persons. The mortality for these operations is very low and morbidity is minimal. Results of treatment of carcinoma of the head or neck are good. Earlier treatment and more adequate surgical procedures should improve these results in the future.
Ischemic colitis in marathon runners : A case-based review

In the United States over 450,000 participants finished a marathon in 2002. Some of them will present to an Emergency Department (ED) with a variety of gastrointestinal complaints. The diagnosis of ischemic colitis should be considered in patients who present with bloody diarrhea. We describe three patients who presented to our ED with abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea after a marathon. Gastrointestinal complaints with emphasis on mesenteric ischemia and ischemic colitis are discussed.
Mississippi Valley regional source of loess on the southern Green Bay Lobe land surface, Wisconsin

Loess has been recognized on the glacial land surface of the Green Bay Lobe for over 100 yr, but no systematic explanation of the source of the loess has been advanced. Intriguingly, the loess on the Green Bay Lobe land surface is thicker than predicted by regional thinning trends from the Mississippi Valley and is geographically separated from much loess of southwest Wisconsin by a sandy region devoid of loess. Mapping based on soil survey interpretation indicates that the loess occurs above an escarpment marking the eastern end of the sandy loess-free region. Particle size fining trends demonstrate that the loess was transported by northwesterly winds. Clay mineralogy of the Green Bay Lobe loess is distinctly different than glaciogenic sediments and matches loess of the Mississippi Valley, indicating a regional source and long distance transport of the loess. We propose the loess was transported from the regional source along a surface of transport produced by migration of eolian sand through low-relief landscapes including the glacial Lake Wisconsin basin. Eolian sand migration caused repeated entrainment of dust leading to east-southeastward transport. The loess accumulated above an escarpment that limited sand mobility and re-entrainment of loess beyond this topographic barrier.
Researching Those Who Have the Most to Gain: Focused Physical Activity Promotion in Lower Socioeconomic Populations

Physical inactivity is among the most pressing public health challenges facing industrialized nations, and low socioeconomic status (SES) populations report lower rates of physical activity than high SES populations. The Ecologic Model of Physical Activity (EMPA) accounts for individual, social and environmental factors that contribute to physical activity, and can be used to demonstrate possible pathways by which SES may influence physical activity, illuminating strategies for intervention. This review examines current approaches to physical activity promotion in low SES populations couched within the EMPA. Findings suggest that limitations and challenges remain for physical activity promotion in low SES populations. Coordinated and consistent physical activity promotion efforts, targeting multiple levels of influence and a range of settings, including political, corporate and community support, are needed to prevent and treat the disparity in physical activity in this vulnerable population.
Rights and Responsibilities in Calls for Help: The Case of the Mountain Glade Fire

In this article, we examine a corpus of calls occasioned by a single event, the 1990 Mountain Glade Fire in a coastal community on the Pacific Coast, to consider (a) how the distribution of rights and responsibilities are displayed in the talk of callers to the emergency phone line (9-1-1) and call takers (CTs) who receive them and (b) how these are linked to the directionality and action trajectory of such calls. In the case of the Mountain Glade corpus, the organization of emergency calls and the presuppositions and distribution of rights and responsibilities that it institutionalizes was incrementally but systematically altered over the course of multiple calls. In describing the problems encountered by callers and CTs in managing these calls, we note that even in departing from the institutionalized activities emergency telecommunications were designed to facilitate, callers and CTs were not free to disregard its constraints. These observations suggest that the ways in which the organized practice thr...
Computer-based recovery support for patients receiving residential treatment for alcohol/drug dependence: relationship between program use and outcomes.

Abstract Objective: This analysis of administrative data examined whether use of a Web-based recovery support program was related to self-reported post-treatment alcohol use among patients attending residential treatment for a substance use disorder. Materials and Methods: The program delivered individually tailored clinical content in a multimedia format over the initial 18 months after discharge from treatment. Post-treatment logins to the program and access of clinical content were measured, as was post-treatment alcohol use. Results: Use of the program was frequent in the first 30 days following treatment but steadily decreased over time. Regression analyses revealed a significant relationship between the number of program logins and self-reported alcohol use in the first 6 months following treatment when controlling for other covariates related to alcohol use. Conclusion: These results replicate a previous study of the My Ongoing Recovery Experience (MORE®) program (Hazelden, Center City, MN) and sug...
Uranian ring dynamics: an analysis of multimode motions

The purpose of this paper is to present an extension of the standard streamline formalism which allows us to discuss the dynamics of a narrow ring in the presence of several modes. The ring is supposed to be perturbed by its self-gravity only, and nonlinear coupling between the modes is neglected. It is shown that self-gravity is able to enforce the rigid precession of all modes. Also, special attention is paid to the response of the ring width to the presence of several modes. In particular, it is shown that the m = 1 mode of the γ ring should have no influence on its width, and that extreme cases for which the mean shape is purely elliptical (m = 1 mode) while the width is controlled by a different mode are possible. This last result might help explain the apparent incoherence of the width-longitude relations of the narrowest Uranian rings.
Product formulas, nonlinear semigroups, and accretive operators

A special case of our main theorem, when combined with a known result of Brezis and Pazy, shows that in reflexive Banach spaces with a uniformly Gâteaux differentiable norm, resolvent consistency is equivalent to convergence for nonlinear contractive algorithms. (The linear case is due to Chernoff.) The proof uses ideas of Crandall, Liggett, and Baillon. Other applications of our theorem include results concerning the generation of nonlinear semigroups (e.g., a nonlinear Hille-Yosida theorem for “nice” Banach spaces that includes the familiar Hilbert space result), the geometry of Banach spaces, extensions of accretive operators, invariance criteria, and the asymptotic behavior of nonlinear semigroups and resolvents. The equivalence between resolvent consistency and convergence for nonlinear contractive algorithms seems to be new even in Hilbert space. Our nonlinear Hille-Yosida theorem is the first of its kind outside Hilbert space. It establishes a biunique correspondence between m-accretive operators and semigroups on nonexpansive retracts of “nice” Banach spaces and provides affirmative answers to two questions of Kato.
A quorum sensing pattern for multi-agent self-organizing security systems

Swarm concepts of various types borrowed from nature have been proposed for multi-agent security approaches. Distributed decision-making in multi-agent systems is of particular interest, and has good application in large networks with end-point agents looking for anomalies and potential threat indications, which in isolation may mean nothing. Quorum sensing (QS) in bacterial systems and Honeybee nest-site selection are two examples of distributed decision making in nature that show promise for reuse in reaching collective conclusions and triggering action in networked cyber systems. This paper examines these two cases of QS in nature and abstracts a generic pattern that qualifies for self-organizing security according to six SAREPH characteristics covered in prior work. The pattern form and qualifying characteristics from this prior work are briefly outlined, and QS in the two different natural systems is shown to reach a tipping point based on the density of independent agents with relevant similarities. The inter-agent signaling mechanisms are shown to be central to the process, and the abstracted core pattern is discussed with the conflicting forces that have to be resolved in any application of the pattern. Illustrative examples of both deployed and proposed security approaches are then shown employing this pattern, along with a pseudo-code model for an appropriate signaling mechanism inspired by a paper on social network quorum achievement.
An Evolutionarily Conserved Domain in a Subfamily of Rabs Is Crucial for the Interaction with the Guanyl Nucleotide Exchange Factor Mss4

Mss4 is a guanine nucleotide exchange factor that specifically binds to, and promotes GDP-GTP exchange on, a subset of the Rab GTPases (Burton, J. L., Burns, M. E., Gatti, E., Augustine, G. J., and De Camilli, P. (1994) EMBO J. 13, 5547-5558). In order to identify the domain(s) of the GTPase that is important for this interaction, protein chimeras were constructed between Rab3a, which binds Mss4, and Rab5a, which does not bind Mss4. We have identified the amino-terminal portion of Rab3a as the Mss4-binding region, with the effector domain being critically required for binding and the flanking regions further enhancing the interaction. Sequence comparisons have revealed that Mss4-binding Rabs share more homology with each other than with Rabs that do not bind Mss4. The region of highest homology between these Rabs, which defines them as members of the same evolutionary branch within the Rab subfamily, coincides with the domain shown here to be critical for Mss4 binding. A mutation in the zinc-binding domain of Mss4 (Mss4 D96H), a region that is highly conserved between Mss4 and its yeast homologue Dss4, completely abolished its property to bind to, and promote GDP-GTP exchange on, Rab3a. Thus, the preservation of the Mss4/Dss4-GTPase interaction appears to have been a critical factor in the evolution of this subset of Rab proteins.
THE JANUARY WARM SPELL AND ASSOCIATED LARGE-SCALE CIRCULATION CHANGES

Abstract Recurrent departures of mean weekly temperatures from a smooth seasonal trend during the past several decades in the northeastern United States are shown to be a manifestation of a shift in the planetary circulation. The geographical extent of these temperature excursions from normal and the synoptic pattern through which they occur are discussed. Secular changes in the amplitude of the warm spell which occurs in January over the northeastern United States are directly related to simultaneous changes in the planetary circulation and are not independent fluctuations.
“Don't Tell Me No; I Tell You No!”: Facilitating Self-Control in Infants and Toddlers

(2007). “Don't Tell Me No; I Tell You No!”: Facilitating Self-Control in Infants and Toddlers. Childhood Education: Vol. 84, No. 2, pp. 79-84.
The role of homework and skill acquisition in the outcome of group cognitive therapy for depression

Despite the crucial role typically accorded to between-session self-help assignments in cognitive therapy of depression, the actual impact of homework assignment on therapy outcome has received little empirical attention. The present study evaluated the effect of homework by assigning 63 carefully diagnosed unipolar depressives to one of two otherwise identical 10-week cognitive therapy conditions, only one of which utilized weekly homework assignments. As predicted, assignment to the homework condition predicted more substantial improvement in symptomatic features of depression as rated by an independent clinician at therapy termination, although this effect was not maintained at six month follow-up. However, a post-therapy assessment of skill acquisition in completing the core cognitive restructuring technique did predict self-rated maintenance of treatment gains six months later, irrespective of the treatment condition to which the subject had been assigned. Taken together, these findings reinforce the value of homework in improving treatment response during the active treatment phase of cognitive therapy for depression, and the importance of skill acquisition in promoting maintenance of treatment gains once therapy has ended.
Advantages of voltage-gated ion channels as drug targets.

Many human diseases result from over- or underactivity in one or more critical physiologic systems. One of the foremost challenges in modern drug discovery is the identification and selection of cellular proteins that can be specifically targeted with therapeutic agents in order to normalize aberrant processes/systems. Suitable drug targets must be validated in the human disease state and ideally, the targeted protein will fulfill similar physiologic and pathologic functions in humans and at least one animal species so that in vivo efficacy and toxicology assays with some predictive clinical relevance may be developed. Nowadays, drug targets must also be amenable to high-throughput screening so that novel molecules, which are capable of modifying cellular protein function, can be identified in large libraries of compounds. Voltage-gated ion channels satisfy many of these requirements and, as a class, are viewed as promising drug targets. Nevertheless, despite their relevance to human disease, voltage-gate...
Wear rates of retentive versus nonretentive reverse total shoulder arthroplasty liners in an in vitro wear simulation.

Background Although short-term outcomes of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) remain promising, the most commonly cited complication remains prosthetic instability. A retentive rTSA liner is commonly used to increase system constraint; however, no studies have evaluated the rate of polyethylene wear. Our hypothesis was that more constrained retentive liners would have higher wear rates than nonretentive liners. Methods Six nonretentive and six retentive rTSA non-cross-linked polyethylene liners were subjected to 4.5 million cycles of alternating cycles of abduction-adduction and flexion-extension motion loading profiles. The rTSA liners were assessed for gravimetric wear loss, 3-dimensional volumetric loss by novel micro-computed tomography analysis, and particulate wear debris analysis. Results Volumetric wear rates were significant at 7 specific time points (1.0, 2.0, 2.5, 3.25, 3.75, 4.0, and 4.5 million cycles) throughout testing between nonretentive and retentive liners; however, overall mean volumetric wear rate was not statistically significant (P = .076). Total volume loss between liner test groups was found to be significant starting after 3.5 million cycles of testing. Maximum and mean surface deviations were found to be larger for retentive liners vs. nonretentive liners by micro-computed tomography analysis across the entire articulation surface. Discussion and conclusion Retentive liners undergo significantly greater volume loss and greater surface deviation compared with nonretentive liners, most notably at later time points representing extended implantation times. Additional stability afforded by retentive liners should be balanced against the potential for increased wear and potential for subsequent polyethylene wear-induced aseptic loosening.
Amplitude measures of operant response: Implementation with Apple Pascal

Because operant conditioning studies involving force of response as a dependent variable require high-speed A/D conversion, conventional operant software, which treats the input datum as a dimensionless event, is generally unsuited for this kind of work. The author describes a complete Apple-based hardware-software ensemble that measures and records on diskette the peak force, duration, time integral of force, and interresponse time for individual operant responses. Data acquisition and control programs were written in Apple Pascal linked to selected assembly language modules. The real-time base was derived from an inexpensive crystal clock interfaced
Theoretical π-π* circular dichroic spectra of helical poly(glycine) and poly(L-alanine) as functions of backbone torsion angles.

Circular dichroic spectra and oscillator strengths of the π-π transition near 190 nm are calculated for helical (Gly)6 and (Ala)6 at 30° intervals of the backbone torsion angles (ϕ,ψ) over the range -180° ≤ ϕ ≤ -60°, −60° ≤ ψ ≤ 180°, using the partially dispersive normal mode treatment of the dipole interaction model. Polarizabilities of atoms and the NC′O group are those determined semiempirically in previous studies. Calculations for (Ala)6 at (ϕ,ψ) angles corresponding to the α-helix, the poly(Pro) II helix, a collagen single helix, a poly-(MeAla) helix, and single β-helices are found to agree well with most of the available experimental data.
Frequency Stabilization of a Ho:Tm:YLF Laser to Absorption Lines of Carbon Dioxide.

A single-frequency Ho:Tm:YLF laser, operating at an eye-safe wavelength of 2 µm, has been developed with tuning characteristics optimized for spectroscopy of absorption features. The laser frequency was stabilized to three different absorption lines of carbon dioxide by a wavelength modulation technique. Long-term frequency drift has been eliminated from the laser, and shorter-term jitter has been reduced to within 13.5 MHz of the absorption line center. This stabilized laser is an ideal injection seed source for a differential absorption lidar system for measurement of atmospheric gases.
Products of angiotensin I hydrolysis by human cardiac enzymes potentiate bradykinin

Abstract E. G. Erdos, H. L. Jackman, V. Brovkovych, F. Tan and P. A. Deddish. Products of Angiotensin I Hydrolysis by Human Cardiac Enzymes Potentiate Bradykinin. Journal of Molecular and Cellular Cardiology (2002) 34 , 1569–1576. Some beneficial effects of ACE inhibitors are attributed to potentiation of bradykinin's actions exerted through its B 2 receptor. We investigated them on cultured cells transfected or constitutively expressing both ACE and B 2 receptor. The potentiation of bradykinin was indirect and attributed to a crosstalk induced between enzyme and receptor via ACE, a heterodimer formation. While looking for endogenous activators, we investigated the split products of angiotensin I (Ang) Ang 1–9 and 1–7, peptides released by enzymes of human atria and ventricle. Ang 1–9 was liberated by a cathepsin A-type enzyme, Ang 1–7 by a different metallopeptidase-protease. Cathepsin A's presence in heart tissue was shown by deamidating enkephalinamide substrate, by immunoprecipitation and by immunohistochemistry. In immunohistochemistry, cathepsin A was detected in myocytes of atrial tissue. Ang 1–9 and Ang 1–7 potentiated the effect of an ACE-resistant bradykinin analogue on the B 2 receptor in transfected cells expressing human ACE and B 2 , and in human endothelial cells. Ang 1–9 and 1–7 augmented arachidonic acid and NO release by bradykinin. NO liberation by bradykinin from endothelial cells was potentiated at 10 nmol/L concentration by Ang 1–9 and Ang 1–7; at higher concentrations, Ang 1–9 was significantly more active. Both peptides had little activity in absence of bradykinin or ACE. Ang 1–9 and 1–7 potentiated bradykinin action on its B 2 receptor at much lower concentrations than their IC 50 values with ACE. They probably induce conformational changes in the ACE/B 2 receptor complex via interaction with ACE.
Cognitive impairment and negative symptoms in geriatric chronic schizophrenic patients: a follow-up study

Cognitive impairment is increasingly recognized as an important aspect of schizophrenia. Since cognitive impairment has many features in common with the negative symptoms of the illness, it is possible that some of the characteristics attributed to negative symptoms are due to an association with cognitive impairments. In order to test this hypothesis, 174 chronically hospitalized geriatric schizophrenic patients were examined twice at a 1-year follow-up with ratings of the severity of their symptoms (using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale: PANSS) and assessments of cognitive functions with the Mini-Mental State Examination and a brief neuropsychological battery aimed at the typical impairments seen in dementia. Positive symptoms were unassociated with any of the cognitive variables, while negative symptom severity was correlated with each of the cognitive measures. In the cross-temporal analyses, cognitive impairments were more stable over time than negative symptom scores, but cognitive impairment did not predict the severity of any negative symptom over time. At each assessment, however, cognitive impairment was strongly correlated with each of the seven negative symptoms studied. These data indicate that cognitive impairments and negative symptoms are related, but discriminable, features in schizophrenia and that the considerable overlap between some negative symptoms and estimates of cognitive function may suggest a rethinking of the definition of some of these symptoms.
Impact of market reforms on USSR energy consumption Scenarios for the next decade

Abstract In the post-1973 period the energy efficiency gap has widened considerably between the USSR and the West. The paper's econometric estimate shows that Soviet energy over-use is predominately system-policy determined. Key elements of economic perestroika are examined which are believed to shape future energy efficiency. Focus is directed on energy price reform that aims at bringing low domestic energy prices closer to world prices. Using alternative exchange rates, estimates are presented for the current degree of disjunction between the two sets of prices. Scenarios running to the year 2000 are constructed to illustrate the consumption implications of various market-oriented options. Most scenarios indicate that a marked reversal is possible with appropriate pricing and exchange rate policies and the creation of microincentives for Soviet energy-users to act as cost-minimizers.
Comparison of thin ice thickness distributions derived from RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System and advanced very high resolution radiometer data sets

[1] Thin ice thickness distributions estimated from advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) and RADARSAT Geophysical Processor System (RGPS) data sets were compared over the Beaufort Sea and the Canada Basin for the period December 1996 to February 1997. The comparisons show a compelling agreement. High correlations were found in cases where thin ice grew in large, wide leads extending several hundred kilometers. At these large scales, estimates from AVHRR images and RGPS showed similar amounts of thin ice in leads. However, when major surface deformation occurred on small scales (100 m to 10 km), the finer spatial resolution (100 m) of RADARSAT images enabled the RGPS algorithm to derive more thin ice than that of AVHRR. Under such conditions the correlation between the two dropped, and a small negative bias (about 1%) was observed in the estimates from AVHRR. This bias, mostly concentrated at the very thin end of the thickness distribution, caused a further deficit in the AVHRR-derived thin ice growth, roughly 0.2 cm/d. Although the AVHRR and RGPS algorithms treat snowfall differently in the ice thickness calculations, both snow assumptions appear reasonable. However, RGPS may underestimate the thin ice production because of the 3-day sampling interval. With a better understanding of the sources of uncertainty and improved satellite estimates, a combination of these two satellite data could offer a wider coverage of thin ice thickness observations in the Arctic Basin.
Fabrication of nanodot plasmonic waveguide structures using FIB milling and electron beam-induced deposition

Fabrication of metallic Au nanopillars and linear arrays of Au-containing nanodots for plasmonic waveguides is reported in this article by two different processes-focused ion beam (FIB) milling of deposited thin films and electron beam-induced deposition (EBID) of metallic nanostructures from an organometallic precursor gas. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) modeling of electromagnetic fields around metallic nanostructures was used to predict the optimal size and spacing between nanostructures useful for plasmonic waveguides. Subsequently, a multi-step FIB fabrication method was developed for production of metallic nanorods and nanopillars of the size and geometry suggested by the results of the FDTD simulations. Nanostructure fabrication was carried out on planar substrates including Au-coated glass, quartz, and mica slides as well as cleaved 4-mode optical fibers. In the second fabrication process, EBID was utilized for the development of similar nanostructures on planar Indium Tin Oxide and Titanium-coated glass substrates. Each method allows formation of nanostructures such that the plasmon resonances associated with the nanostructures could be engineered and precisely controlled by controlling the nanostructure size and shape. Linear arrays of low aspect ratio nanodot structures ranging in diameter between 50-70 nm were fabricated using EBID. Preliminary dark field optical microscopy demonstrates differences in the plasmonic response of the fabricated structures.
The role of magnetite in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis

Mossbauer spectroscopy studies of iron catalysts from a Fischer-Tropsch (FT) Pilot Plant run at different time-on-stream periods were carried out. Magnetite Fe3O4 was found to be active for the water-gas-shift (WGS) reaction which accompanies the FT synthesis reaction over Fe-based catalysts. A correlation between the ratio of the occupancy of octahedral sites to the tetrahedral sites in magnetite to the WGS activity was found. Cation-deficient magnetite gave higher WGS activity as compared to the stoichiometric phase.
Phase Diagram of the Ir-Sb System on the Antimony-Rich Part

The antimony-rich iridium antimony phase diagram was investigated by means of differential thermal analysis, microprobe analysis, metallography and X-ray powder diffractions.
A question of time: Replication origins of eukaryotic chromosomes

Walton L. Fangman and Bonita J. Brewer Department of Genetics SK-50 University of Washington Seattle, Washington 98195 Each chromosome of a eukaryotic organism contains many replication origins (Figure 1) from which DNA is effi- ciently duplicated during S phase of the cell cycle. Recent work raises new questions about the nature of these ori- gins and their regulation. What Are Origins? Like initiation of transcription at a promoter, initiation of replication at an origin can be thought of as requiring three discrete steps: the recognition of one or more cis-acting elements by specific initiation proteins, the localized un- winding of the DNA helix, and the selection of a site for the initiation of polymerization. Continuing the analogy to a promoter, it is clear that these three steps do not necessar- ily have to occur at the same site and may differ greatly in their degree of sequence specificity. Assays to detect ori- gin function may detect one or more of these steps of initiation and thus may give different results if the events occur at different sites. Replication origins have been best defined in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The autonomous replication sequence (ARS) assay, which detects the cis-acting se- quences required for origin function in plasmids, has al- lowed mutational analysis with increasing resolution (Mar- ahrens and Stillman, 1992). ARS elements consist of only 100-200 bp and include a conserved 11 bp core consen- sus sequence and several other less conserved elements that are required for or enhance the maintenance of a plasmid. Mapping of the site of initiation by two-dimen- sional gels (Brewer and Fangman, 1987; Huberman et al., 1987) reveals that replication initiation on plasmids occurs in the vicinity of the ARS element (within a few hundred base pairs of the ARS consensus). The exact size of the initiation zone and the locations of priming sites for DNA chain elongation are yet to be determined. Two-dimensional gel analysis of replicating chromo- somal DNA fragments has shown that many but not all ARS elements are active as origins in the chromosome, and that initiation is dependent on a functional ARS ele- ment (Dubey et al., 1991; Rivier and Rine, 1992; Desh- pande and Newlon, 1992). Quantitative assessments show that specific origins can have eff iciencies of activation that range from .90 per cell cycle (Dubey et al., 1991; Ferguson et al., 1991). The basis for differences in effi- ciency is not known. Do All Eukaryotes Have Specific Origins? A simple, reliable ARS assay has not been achieved for any eukaryote other than yeast. However, by physical means, examples of specific initiation have been observed in both Physarum and Tetrahymena (Benard and Pierron, 1992; Cech and Brehm, 1981). In these cases, the speci- ficity of initiation can be interpreted as evidence for specific
Convergence of matrices under random conjugation: wave packet scattering without kinematic entanglement

In previous work, it was shown numerically that under successive scattering events, a collection of particles with Gaussian wavefunctions retains the Gaussian property, with the spread of the Gaussian ('Δx') tending to a value inversely proportional to the square root of each particle's mass. We prove this convergence in all dimensions ≥3.
Effect of Time at 37°C on the Creep and Metallurgical Characteristics of Amalgam

When aged at 37°C for six months, dental amalgam exhibits a marked decrease in the property of creep. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between this decrease in creep and selected metallurgical characteristics. The formation of β1 (Ag-Hg), the grain size of γ 1 (Ag-Hg), and the composition of γ1were chosen for investigation. Creep was determined according to ADA Specification test No. 1, β1 was measured by x-ray diffraction, and γ 1grain size and γ1 composition were determined by electron-probe microanalysis. The results showed that the decrease in creep was related to β1formation and not to changes in either γ1 grain size or γ1 composition.
Synthetic Studies on Amipurimycin: Total Synthesis of a Thymine Nucleoside Analogue

Amipurimycin, a member of the complex peptidyl nucleoside family of antibiotics, is a Streptomyces-derived potent antifungal agent. The mechanism of action of amipurimycin, however, remains undetermined. Additionally, there are no reports on the total synthesis or structure−activity relationships (SAR) of this potentially useful bioactive compound. In a study aimed at the total synthesis and SAR studies of this natural product, the present research reports the development of a synthetic route to the central pyranosyl amino acid core of amipurimycin and its further elaboration, culminating in the synthesis of a unique thymine analogue. Utilizing a d-serine-derived dihydroaminopyrone as a strategic building block, the synthesis involves de novo construction of the fully functionalized C-3-branched carbohydrate amino acid core, followed by glycosidic attachment of thymine at C-1, and peptidic linking of the C-6 amine with the 1,2-aminocyclopentane carboxylic acid side chain.
Energy crop cultivations of reed canary grass — An inferior breeding habitat for the skylark, a characteristic farmland bird species

Abstract Here, I present the first comparison of the abundance of farmland birds in energy grass fields and in cereal-dominated conventionally cultivated fields (CCFs). I demonstrate that in boreal farmland, skylark (Alauda arvensis) densities were significantly lower in reed canary grass (RCG) (Phalaris arundinacea) fields than in CCFs. I found that during the early breeding season RCG fields and CCFs are equally good habitats, but over the ensuing couple of weeks RCG rapidly grows too tall and dense for field-nesting species. Consequently, RCG is an inferior habitat for skylark for laying replacement clutches (after failure of first nesting) or for a second clutch after one successful nesting. The results imply that if RCG cultivation is to be expanded, the establishment of large monocultures should be avoided in farmland landscapes; otherwise the novel habitat may affect detrimentally the seriously depleted skylark population, and probably also other field-nesting bird species with similar breeding habitats.