cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular models and IR spectra of asymmetric tetraalkyl phosphonium iodide ionic liquids

Abstract Equilibrium geometries and IR spectra were computed for five novel tetraalkyl phosphonium iodide ionic liquids with potential use as electrolytes in Gratzel type nanocrystalline solar cells. These studies indicate a relationship between ionic conductivity and computed dipole moments, P–I ionic bond distances and HOMO–LUMO energy gaps. The computed IR spectra are in excellent agreement with observed spectra. DFT with the B3LYP hybrid functional was used together with Stuttgart–Dresden (SDD) basis sets for geometry optimization and frequency analysis calculations.
Cold adaptations in the rufous-collared sparrow Zonotrichia capensis

Abstract 1. 1. The Rufous-Collared Sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis) is an excellent model to study metabolic responses to hypoxia and cold, but contradictory results have been obtained by different researchers. 2. 2. We review these studies and conclude that this species has enhanced its metabolic capabilities to dealing with cold by lowering their lower critical temperature.
Mode of Action of Hypochlorite Sanitizers with and without Sodium Bromide

Summary Increases in bactericidal effectiveness of solutions of a hypochlorite sanitizer of high alkalinity with NaBr·2H 2 O added were related directly to the concentrations of NaBr·2H 2 O, with the effect of chlorine being negligible. Solutions containing constant concentrations of NaBr·2H 2 O and increasing concentrations of the alkaline hypochlorite sanitizer decreased in relative effectiveness with increasing concentrations of the sanitizer. This reduction in effectiveness appeared to be related to increases in pH of the solutions. The term active chlorine is proposed to express the per cent of the total available chlorine obtained by titration of a chlorine solution without acidification. The amount of active chlorine in a hypochlorite solution is related to the pH of the solution; consequently, to the bactericidal effectiveness and corrosiveness of the solution. Explanation is offered as to the reason why NaBr · 2H 2 O increases the effectiveness of hypochlorite solutions of high alkalinity. The merits of considering bacterial resistance to germicides on the basis of species, rather than on the basis of the gram-stain reaction, are discussed.
Promiscuous Realism: Reply to Wilson

This paper presents a brief response to Robert A. Wilson's critical discussion of Promiscuous Realism [1996]. I argue that although convergence on a unique conception of species cannot be ruled out, the evidence against such an outcome is stronger than Wilson allows. In addition, given the failure of biological science to come up with a unique and privileged set of biological kinds, the relevance of the various overlapping kinds of ordinary language to the metaphysics of biological kinds is greater than Wilson admits.
Unsteady aerodynamic models for maneuvering aircraft

Forced oscillation tests over a large angle-of-attack range for an F-18 model are conducted in the NASA Langley 12-foot low-speed tunnel. The resulting dynamic longitudinal data are analyzed with an unsteady aerodynamic modeling method based on Fourier functional analysis and the indicial formulation. The method is extensively examined and improved to automate the calculation of model coefficients, and to evaluate more accurately the indicial integral. The results indicate that the general model equation obtained from harmonic test data in a range of reduced frequency is capable of accurately modeling the nonlinear responses with large hysteresis effect, except in the region where a delayed flow reattachment occurs at low angles of attack in down strokes. The indicial formulation is used to calculate the response to harmonic motion, harmonic ramp motion, constant-rate pitching motion and smaller-amplitude harmonic motion. The results show that more accurate results can be obtained when the motion starts from a low angle of attack where hysteresis effect is not important.
Finding a closest visible vertex pair between two polygons

Given nonintersecting simple polygonsP andQ, two verticespeP andqe Q are said to be visible if\(\overline {pq}\) does not properly intersectP orQ. We present a parallel algorithm for finding a closest pair among all visible pairs (p,q),peP andqeQ. The algorithm runs in time O(logn) using O(n) processors on a CREW PRAM, wheren=¦P¦+¦Q¦. This algorithm can be implemented serially in Θ(n) time, which gives a new optimal sequential solution for this problem.
Orthotopic mouse lung transplantation as experimental methodology to study transplant and tumor biology

Unlike transplantation of other solid organs, vascularized mouse lung transplantation has only recently been developed. In this protocol, we describe a detailed method for performing a vascularized and aerated mouse orthotopic lung transplant, which to date represents the most physiological mouse model of lung transplantation. The procedure is divided into two separate portions consisting of donor harvest followed by implantation using the cuff technique for bronchovascular anastomoses. After a training period spanning several months, the procedure can be successfully mastered and, in experienced hands, requires approximately 90 min to perform. After an initial learning curve, perioperative survival is close to 100%. As the donor hematopoietic cells in the transplanted lung are replaced by those of the host over time, thereby creating a 'chimeric lung,' this model represents a novel research tool for the study of transplantation biology as well as other disease processes, such as malignancies.
The interim test effect: Testing prior material can facilitate the learning of new material

A wealth of prior research has shown that testing can improve subsequent learning of the initially tested material. In contrast, only one recent study has shown that an interim test over prior material can improve learning of subsequent new material (i.e., an interim-test effect). Five experiments replicated and extended this initial work by exploring the extent to which interim test effects generalize to complex text material. Participants were prompted to recall each section of an expository text before moving on to study the next section, or were only prompted to recall after the final section. In all experiments, recall of the final, target section was greater when prior sections had received interim tests versus no interim tests. Experiment 3 established that the effect was due to interim testing in particular rather than to intervening activity in general. Experiment 4 established that the effect was not due to test expectancy differences. In contrast to prior research, Experiment 4 also provided evidence that the effect is not due to release from proactive interference. We discuss other possible mechanisms underlying interim-test effects with text, including shifting to more effective encoding strategies.
The Pearls and Perils of Cross-Training: A Collaboration of Antepartum and Labor and Delivery Room Nurses

Poster Presentation Professional Issues Poster Presentation A cross‐training program was designed to increase the skill level of antepartum nurses in preparation for the increase acuity of patients in the unit. Cross‐training has been used by healthcare facilities to support the fluctuating needs of hospital units. Staff with similar skill sets have been successfully cross‐trained with education and clinical support. A cross‐training program was implemented in our health system to increase the skill level of the nurses in the antepartum unit. The program was to be a means of strengthening ties with labor and delivery (L&D), while at the same time giving the antepartum nurse an opportunity to experience the L&D process. Linking these units with similar skills made cross‐training easier because the nurses were already familiar with many of the protocols and devices. This poster presentation will display the benefits of cross‐training the antepartum and L&D staff, and illustrate challenges encountered. Proposed Change To provide opportunities for antepartum nurses to acquire new skills and enhance skills, knowledge, and abilities. Implementation, Outcomes, and Evaluation To implement cross‐training to increase the skill level of nurses to accommodate the higher acuity level of patients in an antepartum unit. The nurses from the antepartum unit were paired with nurses from L&D for several shifts. New staff nurses were oriented in L&D for several weeks. Experienced nurses had a shorten rotation to the L&D unit. The L&D preceptors played an important professional and individual role toward achieving desired clinical outcomes. The nursing staff from L&D and the antepartum unit developed a bond of respect after spending time together. The antepartum nurses gained a surge of knowledge, confidence, and professional growth during their cross‐training. Outcomes included acquisition of new skills and insights, increased morale, improved overall motivation and collaboration between the units, and improved confidence of staff. Implications for Nursing Practice Cross‐trained nurses developed new skills, confidence in patient care delivery, and respect for each other. With more skilled and flexible nursing staff, patients receive optimal care. At the end of cross‐training, nurses from the antepartum unit were given a survey to evaluate their cross‐training experience. Novice nurses learned new skills, experienced antepartum nurses expanded their knowledge base, and L&D nurses had the opportunity to take pride in their leadership capacity as preceptors. All participants involved in this cross‐training program enriched their skills and strengthened the delivery of care in our women's health units.
Systemic Delivery of shRNA by AAV9 Provides Highly Efficient Knockdown of Ubiquitously Expressed GFP in Mouse Heart, but Not Liver

AAV9 is a powerful gene delivery vehicle capable of providing long-term gene expression in a variety of cell types, particularly cardiomyocytes. The use of AAV-delivery for RNA interference is an intense area of research, but a comprehensive analysis of knockdown in cardiac and liver tissues after systemic delivery of AAV9 has yet to be reported. We sought to address this question by using AAV9 to deliver a short-hairpin RNA targeting the enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP) in transgenic mice that constitutively overexpress GFP in all tissues. The expression cassette was initially tested in vitro and we demonstrated a 61% reduction in mRNA and a 90% reduction in GFP protein in dual-transfected 293 cells. Next, the expression cassette was packaged as single-stranded genomes in AAV9 capsids to test cardiac GFP knockdown with several doses ranging from 1.8×1010 to 1.8×1011 viral genomes per mouse and a dose-dependent response was obtained. We then analyzed GFP expression in both heart and liver after delivery of 4.4×1011 viral genomes per mouse. We found that while cardiac knockdown was highly efficient, with a 77% reduction in GFP mRNA and a 71% reduction in protein versus control-treated mice, there was no change in liver expression. This was despite a 4.5-fold greater number of viral genomes in the liver than in the heart. This study demonstrates that single-stranded AAV9 vectors expressing shRNA can be used to achieve highly efficient cardiac-selective knockdown of GFP expression that is sustained for at least 7 weeks after the systemic injection of 8 day old mice, with no change in liver expression and no evidence of liver damage despite high viral genome presence in the liver.
Formation of Dinitrogen by Oxidation of [(bpy)2(NH3)RuORu(NH3)(bpy)2]4+

The Ru−O bond distance of the bridge in cis,cis-[(bpy)2(NH3)RuORu(NH3)(bpy)2]4+ (2) is 1.8939(15) A, the Ru−O−Ru angle is 158.2(4)°, the N1(ammonia)−Ru−Ru−N1(ammonia) torsional angle is 28.45°, and the distance between the N atoms of the ammines is 4.816 A. Electrochemical oxidation of 2 in acid gives N2 and oxidized forms of cis,cis-[(bpy)2(H2O)RuIIIORuIII(OH2)(bpy)2]4+ (1). The net reaction shown below occurs by reversible, 1-electron oxidation to [(bpy)2(NH3)RuORu(NH3)5]5+ followed by irreversible 5-electron oxidation and proton loss. At pH 12.2, cis,cis-[(bpy)2(NO2)RuORu(NO2)(bpy)2]2+ is formed in 11% yield by a competitive pathway involving capture of an oxidized intermediate by OH-.
Change with temperature of the ESR spectra of peroxy radicals trapped in irradiated polytetrafluoroethylene

The ESR spectra of peroxy radicals in irradiated powders and oriented samples of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTEE) have been measured with a K-band spectrometer, and the principal values and directions of the g tensor were determined both at room temperature and at 77°K. In contrast to the spectra of the usual peroxy radicals, those trapped in γ-irradiated PTFE exhibited an ESR spectrum apparently having a larger principal value for g⊥ than for g∥ when measured at room temperature, although the normal principal values were observed at 77°K. As for the directions of the principal axes, g∥ was directed along the chain axis at room temperature and was perpendicular to the chain axis at 77°K. From the temperature change of the g tensor and the line shapes in the oriented samples, it is shown that the observed temperature change of the spectra is due to rapid rotation at room temperature around the chain axis rather than around the CO bond axis. Assuming this, the apparent principal values of the g tensor at room temperature were calculated from the g tensor obtained at 77°K. for the rigid state, and the results are in good agreement with observations at room temperature. A structure for the peroxy radicals is also proposed. In addition, the spectral line shape function for the uniaxially oriented samples has been derived.
Right and left ventricular function at rest and with exercise in patients with sarcoidosis.

Fourteen patients with restrictive pulmonary disease due to sarcoidosis were studied with radionuclide angiocardiography in order to define the incidence and significance of right and left ventricular dysfunction. Right and left ventricular ejection fractions were determined by an equilibrium technique at both rest and exercise. All patients had a normal left ventricular ejection fraction with rest and 12 of 14 had the normal 5 percent or greater rise in ejection fraction with exercise. The right ventricular ejection fraction was abnormal in three patients at rest and only two patients had a 5 percent or greater rise in ejection fraction with exercise. A correlation was found between The right ventricular ejection fraction with exercise and the total lung capacity (r=0.73, p 2 during exercise (r=0.74, p
Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits High Glucose-induced Matrix Protein Synthesis by Activating AMP-activated Protein Kinase in Renal Epithelial Cells

Hydrogen sulfide, a signaling gas, affects several cell functions. We hypothesized that hydrogen sulfide modulates high glucose (30 mm) stimulation of matrix protein synthesis in glomerular epithelial cells. High glucose stimulation of global protein synthesis, cellular hypertrophy, and matrix laminin and type IV collagen content was inhibited by sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), an H2S donor. High glucose activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex 1 (mTORC1), shown by phosphorylation of p70S6 kinase and 4E-BP1, was inhibited by NaHS. High glucose stimulated mTORC1 to promote key events in the initiation and elongation phases of mRNA translation: binding of eIF4A to eIF4G, reduction in PDCD4 expression and inhibition of its binding to eIF4A, eEF2 kinase phosphorylation, and dephosphorylation of eEF2; these events were inhibited by NaHS. The role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), an inhibitor of protein synthesis, was examined. NaHS dose-dependently stimulated AMPK phosphorylation and restored AMPK phosphorylation reduced by high glucose. Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, abolished NaHS modulation of high glucose effect on events in mRNA translation as well as global and matrix protein synthesis. NaHS induction of AMPK phosphorylation was inhibited by siRNA for calmodulin kinase kinase β, but not LKB1, upstream kinases for AMPK; STO-609, a calmodulin kinase kinase β inhibitor, had the same effect. Renal cortical content of cystathionine β-synthase and cystathionine γ-lyase, hydrogen sulfide-generating enzymes, was significantly reduced in mice with type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes, coinciding with renal hypertrophy and matrix accumulation. Hydrogen sulfide is a newly identified modulator of protein synthesis in the kidney, and reduction in its generation may contribute to kidney injury in diabetes.
The infrared spectra of crystalline H2O, D2O and HDO

Abstract The infrared spectra of normal and deuterated ice prepared by freezing the liquid or by condensing the vapor were studied at temperatures down to −190°C. No important spectral differences between the various specimens were found. The infrared spectra of H2O, HDO and D2O at −190°C were compared and the spectrum of crystalline HOD identified. Starting from the HOD spectrum the spectra of H2O and D2O could be clarified. The band at 2230 cm−1 in ice is identified as the second overtone of a librational mode. The stretching region of ice consists of 2ν2 at about 3150 cm−1, ν3 at about 3240 cm−1 and ν1 at about 3350 cm−1; D2O is analogous. The cross-over between the frequency of ν1 and ν3 in passing from gas to solid is caused by a change in the stretch-stretch interaction constant. Its magnitude in ice,f12 = 0.3 cm dyn A , can be roughly explained on electrostatic grounds. The spectrum of the overtone region shows that the barrier to proton transfer in ice is greater than 27 kcal mole .
A Variable Heat Flux Model of Heat Transfer in Grinding With Boiling

In grinding processes, the grinding fluid is used to suppress the temperature rise in the grinding zone. Under some circumstances, the grinding fluid may undergo film boiling in the grinding zone, causing the workpiece temperature to rise significantly. The onsets of nucleate boiling and film boiling in the grinding zone are investigated in the present study. A model of heat transfer in grinding was previously developed (Jen and Lavine, 1995), which predicts the temperatures and heat fluxes in the grinding zone. With some modification, this model is used here to predict the occurrence of film boiling of the grinding fluid. The dependence of the workpiece background temperature on the various grinding parameters is explored. The workpiece background temperature distribution along the grinding zone, and comparisons with experimental results, are presented.
Breakdown of Thermalization in Finite One-Dimensional Systems

We use quantum quenches to study the dynamics and thermalization of hard core bosons in finite one-dimensional lattices. We perform exact diagonalizations and find that, far away from integrability, few-body observables thermalize. We then study the breakdown of thermalization as one approaches an integrable point. This is found to be a smooth process in which the predictions of standard statistical mechanics continuously worsen as the system moves toward integrability. We establish a direct connection between the presence or absence of thermalization and the validity or failure of the eigenstate thermalization hypothesis, respectively.
The treatment of prostate cancer by conventional radiation therapy: An analysis of long-term outcome

Purpose : To assess the long-term outcome of conventional external beam radiation therapy in the management of clinically confined prostate cancer and to examine the proposition that radiation accelerates tumor growth in those who fail treatment. Methods and Materials : One thousand and forty-four men with T1-4NxM0 prostate cancer treated by conventional external beam radiation therapy at the Massachusetts General Hospital between 1977 and 1991 were analyzed. Median follow-up was 49 months. Failure was defined as : two sequential rises in serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level ; or a PSA >1 ng/ml 2 or more years after radiation ; or any clinical failure. Kaplan-Meier actuarial analyses were used to assess outcome. Results : At 10 years only 40% of the T1-2 group remained disease free. When subdivided by grade, the well-differentiated tumors (Gleason 1-2) exhibited a 53% actuarial 10-year disease-free survival, moderately differentiated (Gleason 3) 42%, and poorly differentiated (Gleason 4-5) 20%. The corresponding values for the T3-4 men were 33% for Gleason 1-2, 20% for Gleason 3, and 10% for Gleason 4-5. Overall the value for T3-4 tumors was 18% at 10 years. On relapse the median PSA doubling times for the T1-2 patients were predicted by histology : 18.8 months for Gleason 1-2 patients ; 11.1 months for Gleason 3 ; and 9.6 months for Gleason 5. Significant differences were found between the Gleason 3 and the Gleason 4-5 groups (p = 0.04) and the Gleason 1-2 and the Gleason 4-5 groups (p = 0.03). A wide range of doubling times was seen within each grade group. When compared with recently reported data on selected T1-2 patients who were managed by expectant observation there was no advantage over the first decade (and certainly no disadvantage) in terms of metastasis-free survival or disease-specific survival for the irradiated Gleason 1-3 patients. However, a gain was seen for those with Gleason 4-5 tumors. Conclusion : Less than half of the T1-2NxM0 and less than one-fifth of the T3-4NxM0 patients receiving conventional radiation therapy were biochemically disease free at 10 years. The PSA doubling times on relapse show a wide variation. Grade was important in determining the rate of relapse suggesting that radiation does not induce a homogeneous acceleration of prostate tumors. A metastasis-free and disease-specific survival advantage was found for the poorly differentiated tumors when compared with similar patients reported in the literature who were managed initially by observation.
Nongenetic Variation, Genetic-Environmental Interactions and Altered Gene Expression. I. Temperature, Photoperiod, Diet, pH and Sex-Related Effects

The use of protein electrophoretic data for determining the relationships among species or populations is widespread and generally accepted. However, many confounding factors may alter the results of an electrophoretic study in such a way as to allow erroneous conclusions to be drawn in taxonomic, systematic or population studies. Such variables as temperature, photoperiod, salinity, pH and diet have been shown to influence enzymes and proteins both quantitatively and qualitatively. Production of distinct "cold" and "warm" isozymes or "seasonal" isozymes have been found in a variety of organisms. The factors that are or may be responsible for the appearance of these isozymes is discussed. Most studies that have demonstrated some apparent form of environmentally induced genetic expression have not determined that mechanisms responsible. However, proteolytic modification has been shown to produce seasonal isozymes of fructose 1,6-bisphosphatase in rabbit liver and may account for other seasonal isozymes. Acclimating organisms to various conditions may actually allow detection of cryptic genetic variation and provide valuable data. There are many aspects to consider in designing acclimation experiments, and the conditions used will vary according to the aim of the research. Polyploidy may contribute to the genesis of environmentally regulated isozymes. A review of this literature follows with additional hypotheses and conclusions. Recommendations are given for the resolution of real and potential problems.
Operator-Valued Connections, Lie Connections, and Gauge Field Theory

Noether's first theorem tells us that the global symmetry groupGr of an action integral is a Lie group of point transformations that acts on the Cartesian product of the space-time manifold with the space of states and their derivatives. Gauge theory constructs are thus required for symmetry groups that act indiscriminately on the independent and dependent variables where the group structure can not necessarily be realized as a subgroup of the general linear group. Noting that the Lie algebra of a general symmetry groupGr can be realized as a Lie algebragr of Lie derivatives on an appropriately structured manifold,Gr-covariant derivatives are introduced through study of connection 1-forms that take their values in the Lie algebragr of Lie derivatives (operator-valued connections). This leads to a general theory of operator-valued curvature 2-forms and to the important special class of Lie connections. The latter are naturally associated with the minimal replacement and minimal coupling constructs of gauge theory when the symmetry groupGr is allowed to act locally. Lie connections give rise to the gauge fields that compensate for the local action ofGr in a natural way. All governing field equations and their integrability conditions are derived for an arbitrary finite dimensional Lie group of symmetries. The case whereGr contains the ten-parameter Poincare group on a flat space-timeM4 is considered. The Lorentz structure ofM4 is shown to give a pseudo-Riemannian structure of signature 2 under the minimal replacement associated with the Lie connection of the local action of the Poincare group. Field equations for the matter fields and the gauge fields are given for any system of matter fields whose action integral is invariant under the global action of the Poincare group.
Acute Changes in Frequency Responses of Inferior Colliculus Central Nucleus (ICC) Neurons Following Progressively Enlarged Restricted Spiral Ganglion Lesions

Immediate effects of sequential and progressively enlarged spiral ganglion (SG) lesions were recorded from cochleas and inferior colliculi. Small SG-lesions produced modest elevations in cochlear tone-evoked compound action potential (CAP) thresholds across narrow frequency ranges; progressively enlarged lesions produced progressively higher CAP-threshold elevations across progressively wider frequency ranges. No comparable changes in distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) amplitudes were observed consistent with silencing of auditory nerve sectors without affecting organ of Corti function. Frequency response areas (FRAs) of inferior colliculus (IC) neurons were recorded before and immediately after SG-lesions using multi-site silicon arrays fixed in place with recording sites arrayed along IC frequency gradient. Individual post-lesion FRAs exhibited progressively elevated response thresholds and diminished response amplitudes at lesion frequencies, whereas responses at non-lesion frequencies were either unchanged or enhanced. Characteristic frequencies were shifted and silent areas were introduced within these FRAs. Sequentially larger lesions produced sequentially larger shifts in CF and/or enlarged silent areas within affected FRAs, producing immediate changes in IC frequency organization. These results contrast with those from the auditory nerve, extend previous reports of experience-induced plasticity in the auditory CNS, and support results indicating afferent convergence onto ICC neurons across broad frequency bands.
Möbius Syndrome: Evidence for a Vascular Etiology

We report five infants with restricted lateral gaze, facial diplegia, feeding difficulty, and/or respiratory disorders without significant pulmonary disease. Viral studies were negative in all patients. Two children had radiologic findings that included brain-stem hypoplasia and symmetric calcification in the dorsal tectum at the junction of the midbrain and pons. Autopsy of one of these two children demonstrated capillary telangiectasia in the mesencephalon and pons. The other three children had normal computed tomographic (CT) scans. However, their autopsies revealed focal brain-stem necrosis with calcifications but without vascular malformation.We suggest that the capillary malformations in one of our patients directly resulted in a vascular-induced necrosis and the manifestation of Mobius sequence. The similarity of symmetric neuropathologic findings in the three other patients and the CT scan in the one surviving patient suggest focal hemodynamic changes restricted to the posterior circulation, indir...
A survey of informatics approaches to whole-exome and whole-genome clinical reporting in the electronic health record.

A survey of informatics approaches to whole-exome and whole-genome clinical reporting in the electronic health record
Analysis of transient and catalytic desosamine-binding pockets in cytochrome P-450 PikC from Streptomyces venezuelae.

The cytochrome P-450 PikC from Streptomyces venezuelae exhibits significant substrate tolerance and performs multiple hydroxylation reactions on structurally variant macrolides bearing the deoxyamino sugar desosamine. In previously determined co-crystal structures (Sherman, D. H., Li, S., Yermalitskaya, L. V., Kim, Y., Smith, J. A., Waterman, M. R., and Podust, L. M. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281, 26289–26297), the desosamine moiety of the native substrates YC-17 and narbomycin is bound in two distinct buried and surface-exposed binding pockets, mediated by specific interactions between the protonated dimethylamino group and the acidic amino acid residues Asp50, Glu85, and Glu94. Although the Glu85 and Glu94 negative charges are essential for maximal catalytic activity of native enzyme, elimination of the surface-exposed negative charge at Asp50 results in significantly enhanced catalytic activity. Nevertheless, the D50N substitution could not rescue catalytic activity of PikCE94Q based on lack of activity in the corresponding double mutant PikCD50N/E94Q. To address the specific role for each desosamine-binding pocket, we analyzed the x-ray structures of the PikCD50N mutant co-crystallized with narbomycin (1.85A resolution) and YC-17 (3.2A resolution). In PikCD50N, the desosamine moiety of both YC-17 and narbomycin was bound in a catalytically productive “buried site.” This finding suggested a two-step substrate binding mechanism, whereby desosamine is recognized in the two subsites to allow the macrolide substrate to sequentially progress toward a catalytically favorable orientation. Collectively, the binding, mutagenesis, kinetic, and x-ray structural data suggest that enhancement of the catalytic activity of PikCD50N is due to the facilitated relocation of substrate to the buried site, which has higher binding affinity, as opposed to dissociation in solution from the transient “surface-exposed site.”
Interpersonal trust, trustworthiness and shoplifting in high school.

Scores of 106 male and 108 female high school students on Rotter's trust scale and self-reports of anti-social behavior and shoplifting indicated scores on Rotter's scale were related to self-repor...
Polyubiquitin-sensor proteins reveal localization and linkage-type dependence of cellular ubiquitin signaling

Polyubiquitin chain topology is thought to direct modified substrates to specific fates, but this function-topology relationship is poorly understood, as are the dynamics and subcellular locations of specific polyubiquitin signals. Experimental access to these questions has been limited because linkage-specific inhibitors and in vivo sensors have been unavailable. Here we present a general strategy to track linkage-specific polyubiquitin signals in yeast and mammalian cells, and to probe their functions. We designed several high-affinity Lys63 polyubiquitin-binding proteins and demonstrate their specificity in vitro and in cells. We apply these tools as competitive inhibitors to dissect the polyubiquitin-linkage dependence of NF-κB activation in several cell types, inferring the essential role of Lys63 polyubiquitin for signaling via the IL-1β and TNF-related weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) but not TNF-α receptors. We anticipate live-cell imaging, proteomic and biochemical applications for these tools and extension of the design strategy to other polymeric ubiquitin-like protein modifications.
Bluff Recession Rates in Chesapeake Bay

The recession rate of the bluffs at four sites on the Chesapeake Bay is related to three factors: the height of the bluff, the local potential littoral drift rate, and the overfill ratio, which is used in an analog of bluff slumping to beach nourishment. Results show that these factors can distinguish between the dissimilar erosion rates at the four sites.
Effects of resistance training and protein plus amino acid supplementation on muscle anabolism, mass, and strength

This study examined 10 wks of resistance training and the ingestion of supplemental protein and amino acids on muscle performance and markers of muscle anabolism. Nineteen untrained males were randomly assigned to supplement groups containing either 20 g protein (14 g whey and casein protein, 6 g free amino acids) or 20 g dextrose placebo ingested 1 h before and after exercise for a total of 40 g/d. Participants exercised 4 times/wk using 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions at 85-90% of the one repetition maximum. Data were analyzed with two-way ANOVA (p < 0.05). The protein supplement resulted in greater increases in total body mass, fat-free mass, thigh mass, muscle strength, serum IGF-1, IGF-1 mRNA, MHC I and IIa expression, and myofibrillar protein. Ten-wks of resistance training with 20 g protein and amino acids ingested 1 h before and after exercise is more effective than carbohydrate placebo in up-regulating markers of muscle protein synthesis and anabolism along with subsequent improvements in muscle performance.
Uptake and utilization of lipoprotein cholesteryl esters by rat granulosa cells.

Earlier studies have shown that rat granulosa cells grown in serum-free medium are exquisitely responsive to exogenously provided lipoprotein cholesterol. In this study we compare the amount of cholesterol (cholesteryl ester) actually delivered from various homologous and heterologous cholesterol-rich lipoproteins and examine the intracellular pathways used in the delivery system. Granulosa cells were incubated for 5 or 24 h with 125I-labeled human (h) HDL3, rat (r) HDL or hLDL equipped with non-releasable apoprotein and cholesteryl ether tags which accumulate within cells, even after degradation. We show that all the tested lipoproteins were similarly efficient in cholesteryl ester delivery; i.e., based on cholesterol: protein ratios of the starting ligands, each delivered approximately the same cholesteryl ester mass and evoked a similar progestin response. However, each lipoprotein was processed quite differently by the granulosa cells: hHDL3-cholesteryl ester was taken up almost exclusively by an non-endocytic pathway, hLDL-cholesteryl ester almost exclusively by an endocytic pathway and rHDL-cholesteryl ester by both pathways. In general, there was no correlation between the total amount of lipoprotein bound or apoprotein internalized and/or degraded by the cells with the amount of cholesteryl ester received or the level of the progestin response. Hormone stimulation upregulated the preferred pathway for each lipoprotein.
An experiment in building profiles in information filtering: the role of context of user relevance feedback

An experiment was conducted to see how relevance feedback could be used to build and adjust profiles to improve the performance of filtering systems. Data was collected during the system interaction of 18 graduate students with SIFTER (Smart Information Filtering Technology for Electronic Resources), a filtering system that ranks incoming information based on users' profiles. The data set came from a collection of 6000 records concerning consumer health. In the first phase of the study, three different modes of profile acquisition were compared. The explicit mode allowed users to directly specify the profile; the implicit mode utilized relevance feedback to create and refine the profile; and the combined mode allowed users to initialize the profile and to continuously refine it using relevance feedback. Filtering performance, measured in terms of Normalized Precision, showed that the three approaches were significantly different (α = 0.05 and p = 0.012). The explicit mode of profile acquisition consistently produced superior results. Exclusive reliance on relevance feedback in the implicit mode resulted in inferior performance. The low performance obtained by the implicit acquisition mode motivated the second phase of the study, which aimed to clarify the role of context in relevance feedback judgments. An inductive content analysis of thinking aloud protocols showed dimensions that were highly situational, establishing the importance context plays in feedback relevance assessments. Results suggest the need for better representation of documents, profiles, and relevance feedback mechanisms that incorporate dimensions identified in this research.
Black-White Intermarriages: The Racial and Gender Dynamics of Support and Oppositiond

Most marriages in the United States are between people of the same race, reflecting the strong tendency toward racial endogamy. Besides personal preferences, there are various explanations that may account for this pattern (Golden, 1958; McDowell, 1971). In this study, the aim is to explore one of the social mechanisms that contributes toward the enforcement of endogamous norms between Blacks and Whites, namely, attitudes. However, this subject was not approached merely from the point of view of outsiders; rather, the perceptions of people in Black-White intermarriages were studied themselves. Furthermore, the perceptions were not simply dichotomized by race, but gender was used as a factor, providing a more dynamic examination.
Role of outer membrane architecture in immune evasion by Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi

Combined ultrastructural and molecular studies have revealed that the syphilis and Lyme-disease spirochetes, Treponema pallidum and Borrelia burgdorferi, have distinctive molecular architectures. Both organisms persist in their hosts and have strategies for immune evasion that include the use of rare, poorly immunogenic surface-exposed proteins as potential virulence determinants.
Missing data imputation using the multivariate t distribution

Abstract When a rectangular multivariate data set contains missing values, missing data imputation using the multivariate t distribution appears potentially useful, especially for robust inferences. An efficient technique, called the monotone data augmentation algorithm, for implementing missing data imputation using the multivariate t distribution with known and unknown weights, with monotone and nonmonotone missing data, and with known and unknown degrees of freedom is presented. Two numerical examples are included to illustrate the methodology, to compare results obtained using the multivariate t distribution with results obtained using the normal distribution, and to compare the rate of convergence of the monotone data augmentation algorithm with the rate of convergence of the (rectangular) data augmentation algorithm.
Interactions among salty, sour and bitter compounds

Abstract The human gustatory system is capable of responding to and processing the taste of solitary compounds in water. However, the taste system rarely contacts solitary compounds outside the laboratory and has surely evolved to process complex mixtures of sapid chemicals, such as occur in virtually all foods. This review will focus primarily on the lesser-studied interactions between pairs of salty, sour and bitter compounds. Pair-wise interactions among these three taste qualities should be of interest because they constitute a significant proportion (∼30–50%) of possible binary taste interactions. In general, salts and acids enhance each other at moderate concentrations but suppress each other at higher concentrations. Bitter compounds and acids can either enhance or suppress each other depending on the concentrations, the food stimuli and the experimental methods involved. Sodium salts and bitter compounds generally interact so that bitterness is suppressed to some variable degree and the saltiness is unaffected. As will be described below, there are exceptions to all of these generalities.
A model for teaching bedside detection of glass in wounds.

Background: Emergency physicians often manage wounds contaminated with glass. Even when glass is visible on x rays, removal may require real-time bedside imaging. Aim: To assess whether novices can be easily trained to accurately detect tiny glass foreign bodies (GFBs) using low-power portable fluoroscopy. Methods: 21 medical students with no prior experience using fluoroscopy were taught to detect 1 mm GFBs in chicken legs either by training over three separate days or by training on 1 day. Skills were reassessed at 3 months. The number of mean correct responses was compared between groups using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and by examination of 95% CIs. Results: Examination of CI overlap and ANOVA suggested that asymptotic accuracy was achieved after 15–30 training specimens. The final accuracy was similar between protocols, was comparable to prior accuracy reports of plain film radiography and was maintained in both protocols at the 3 month follow-up: 10.9 (0.3) and 12.0 (0.8; out of 15). Conclusions: Novices can easily be taught to detect GFBs using fluoroscopy, with accuracy comparable to that achieved by radiologists using plain films. Further studies are needed to assess doctors’ use of the technique in real patients.
Optimal distributed consensus on unknown undirected graphs

For multi-agent networks described by fixed undirected connectivity graphs, the problem of optimal controller synthesis for distributed consensus is addressed without assuming prior knowledge about the global network topology. Under the proposed control scheme, the agents maintain a Nash equilibrium by updating their beliefs about the network topology over time and by computing their decisions via online optimization. This equilibrium attains finite-time consensus in minimum time while optimizing a quadratic transient performance index on the way to consensus.
Linkage between complement components 6 and 7 and glutamic pyruvate transaminase in the marsupial Monodelphis domestica.

The sixth and seventh components of complement were found to be polymorphic and tightly linked in the laboratory opossum (Monodelphis domestica), as they are in eutherian mammals. In addition, strong evidence for linkage of theC6–C7 haplotype to the gene for glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) was obtained for females but not for males. This result, combined with previous observations, establishes as a generality that recombination is severely reduced in females of this species by comparison with males. It also establishes synteny ofC6–C7 andGPT in a marsupial species, as exists in mice. Because these loci are not syntenic in humans, the results imply that this synteny is ancestral to the separation of marsupials and eutherians and that it was broken relatively recently in the mammalian lineage leading to human beings. The newly described C6 and C7 polymorphisms provide additional power for developing a linkage map for M. domestica and for localizing genes that confer susceptibility to diseases for which this species is used as a model.
A model-based investigation of manipulator characteristics and pilot/vehicle performance

Hess (1978, 1981) has introduced and discussed a structural model of the human pilot in which proprioceptive feedback plays a fundamental role in determining pilot equalization characteristics. It is pointed out that, on account of the feedback structure, this model may provide more insight into the effects of certain manipulator characteristics upon pilot equalization than would other modeling approaches. The model is briefly discussed, and an outline is presented concerning some of the implications of the model structure regarding the manipulator characteristics. Attention is given to some specific empirical examples of manipulator effects involving glide slope tracking in STOL aircraft, taking into account an employment of the model as a theoretical framework.
Using the Set-Covering Problem to Assign Fire Companies to Fire Houses

This paper gives a set-covering-problem formulation for determining locations for two types of ladder trucks used by the New York City Fire Department. It shows that the formulation can accommodate several different realistic restrictions on the solutions.
Attaining “a Sophisticated Maturity:” A Brief History of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

An historical overview of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion considers both the aspirations of the founders and the extent to which those aspirations have been realized, modified, or exceeded. Appropriate secondary sources are reviewed for an understanding of the intellectual and organizational contexts giving rise to the .Journal and for a qualitative consideration of its earliest decades. Then we introduce quantitative data derived from tabulations of all articles and research notes that have appeared in the Journal beginning with its inception in 1961 through 1998. Major trends across time are identified in theories, methods, topics, author characteristics, editor characteristics, and other important traits. The article concludes with evidence of the Journal s premier and significant impact on the social-scientific study of religion.
Immunosuppressive Effects of Fusarium moniliforme Corn Cultures in Chickens

In the present study, the toxic and immunosuppressive effects of three isolates of Fusarium moniliforme (MRC 826, MRC 1069, and RRC 408) in male White Leghorn chickens were investigated. Chickens were fed diets containing .5, 5.0, or 25% of F. moniliforme corn cultures for 6 wk. About 30% of the chickens fed RRC 408 had leg weakness. Relative weights of bursae of Fabricius were lower in birds fed all doses of MRC 826. Birds fed 5.0 or 25% MRC 1069 had lower relative spleen weights. Thymus weights were lower in birds fed .5 and 5.0% RRC 408, but not in those fed 25%. Immunosuppressive effects were determined by measuring serum levels of primary and secondary agglutinin responses to SRBC and Brucella abortus. Birds fed 5.0 or 25% MRC 826 were immunosuppressed, as shown by low antibody titers to B. abortus in both the primary and secondary responses. Isolate MRC 1069 caused a decrease in secondary response to SRBC at 25% and B. abortus at the 5.0 and 25% of culture material. The RRC 408 isolated reduced the secondary response to SRBC at all doses and response to B. abortus at 5.0 and 25% of culture material. These results appear to be the first report that feed contaminated with F. moniliforme can produce deficiencies in the immune system of chickens.
Suicide Attempts and Threats as Goal-Directed Communications in Psychotic Males

15 suicide attempters and 33 threateners were compared with each other and with 276 control male psychiatric patients on a Psychological Problem Inventory. Results indicated that suicide attempters were characterized by patterns of self-rejection and aggressive tendencies. Threateners were characterized by suicidal sexual anxiety, self-directed aggression, and a trend toward inadequacy. Implications were drawn relative to the motivational goals of attempters and threateners.