cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An ultraprocessive, accurate reverse transcriptase encoded by a metazoan group II intron

Group II introns and non-LTR retrotransposons encode a phylogenetically related family of highly processive reverse transcriptases (RTs) that are essential for mobility and persistence of these retroelements. Recent crystallographic studies on members of this RT family have revealed that they are structurally distinct from the retroviral RTs that are typically used in biotechnology. However, quantitative, structure-guided analysis of processivity, efficiency, and accuracy of this alternate RT family has been lacking. Here, we characterize the processivity of a group II intron maturase RT from Eubacterium rectale (E.r), for which high-resolution structural information is available. We find that the E.r. maturase RT (MarathonRT) efficiently copies transcripts at least 10 kb in length and displays superior intrinsic RT processivity compared to commercial enzymes such as Superscript IV (SSIV). The elevated processivity of MarathonRT is at least partly mediated by a loop structure in the finger subdomain that acts as a steric guard (the α-loop). Additionally, we find that a positively charged secondary RNA binding site on the surface of the RT diminishes the primer utilization efficiency of the enzyme, and that reengineering of this surface enhances capabilities of the MarathonRT. Finally, using single-molecule sequencing, we show that the error frequency of MarathonRT is comparable to that of other high-performance RTs, such as SSIV, which were tested in parallel. Our results provide a structural framework for understanding the enhanced processivity of retroelement RTs, and they demonstrate the potential for engineering a powerful new generation of RT tools for application in biotechnology and research.
The Frequency of Infective Endocarditis in Candida Bloodstream Infections: a Retrospective Study in a Child Hospital.

Abstract Introduction: Fungal endocarditis is reported less frequently than bacterial endocarditis, with an incidence of 0-12% of the total pediatric infective endocarditis. Objective: In this study, the incidence of infective endocarditis in Candida bloodstream infections in a tertiary hospital during the periods of 2007 and 2016 was reviewed. Methods: Patients with positive blood or catheter cultures in terms of Candida spp. during the study period of January 2007 and January 2016 were analyzed in terms of Candida infective endocarditis. Infective endocarditis was defined according to the modified Duke criteria. The outcome, possible associated predisposing factors for Candida endocarditis were determined. Results: 221 patients and 256 attacks with positive blood or catheter cultures in terms of Candida were included in the study. The most common Candida species was Candida parapsilosis, isolated in 157 (61.3%) attacks, followed by Candida albicans in 70 (27.3%). Neurological diseases (23%), hemato-oncological diseases (12.1%), previously known heart diseases (8.2%), inborn errors of metabolism (9%) were common comorbidities. Twelve (5.4%) patients had a previous history of cardiac surgery. Among the 221 patients, Candida endocarditis was present in only two (0.9%) of them. Conclusion: Although Candida infective endocarditis is an uncommon but frequently fatal infection in pediatrics, echocardiography should be performed routinely for patients with positive blood or catheter cultures in terms of Candida. Prompt and effective antimicrobial therapy might prevent cardiac surgery in selected cases, however this could not be a general rule for all patients.
Some Properties of Exponentially Damped Wave Functions

We know from Bloch’s theorem that the wave function ψ of an electron in a semiconducting or insulating crystal can be written $$\psi ={{e}^{ikx}}u\left( x \right),$$ (1) where k is the wave vector of the state and u(x) is a periodic function with the lattice period of the crystal. Over reasonable distances the u(x) part of the function averages out, and we can view the propagating part e ikx as a quasi-particle behaving in much the same way as a particle in free space. The dynamics of this particle are given by the dispersion relation between the wave vector k and the energy E. For a semiconductor or insulator with a forbidden gap the dispersion relation is something like the one shown in Fig. 1. Note that we have plotted E versus k 2 rather than the more conventional E versus k. The reason is as follows: It can be shown rather generally that near one of the band edges (E c or E υ ) the energy is quadratic in k,and is usually written E=ћ 2 k 2 /2m* by analogy with the free electron. Here m* is the effective mass of the quasi-particle. This form is shown by the straight line in Fig. 1. For E>E c, and E<E υ , k 2 is positive; therefore k is real, and propagating solutions result. For energies in the forbidden gap E c <E<E υ , k 2 is negative, k is imaginary, and exponentially damped solutions result. It is these damped solutions with which we are concerned in tunneling problems.
Block Additivity of ℤ2-Embeddings

We study embeddings of graphs in surfaces up to i¾?2-homology. We introduce a notion of genus mod 2 and show that some basic results, most noteworthy block additivity, hold for i¾?2-genus. This has consequences for potential Hanani-Tutte theorems on arbitrary surfaces.
Grounded in Their Work: Interpreting Perceptions of Professional Values by Participants in Student Affairs Preparation Programs

Socialization to a profession includes the development of the field’s values. Socialization into student affairs often takes place through participation in a master’s preparation program. This stud...
[20] Principles and applications of a tat-based assay for analyzing specific RNA-protein interactions in mammalian cells

Publisher Summary Specific ribonucleic acid (RNA)–protein interactions are critical for the posttranscriptional regulation of cellular gene expression at the levels of messenger RNA (mRNA) splicing, nuclear export, translation, and stability and are key to the replication cycle of many pathogenic viruses, including human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), picornaviruses, and influenza viruses. Once a cis -acting RNA regulatory element has been defined, the next step is frequently the identification and subsequent characterization of the cellular or viral protein that determines the phenotype exerted by that element. In addition to the conceptually simple but often technically challenging approach of biochemical purification based on RNA affinity, an in vivo genetic approach can also be used to this problem. However, given that many of the interesting RNA–protein interactions occur in higher eukaryotes and, more specifically, in human cells, it is apparent that a simple and sensitive assay for RNA–protein binding in these same cells would be of considerable utility. The Tat-based assay for analyzing specific RNA–protein interactions relies on the unusual ability of the HIV-1 Tat protein to potently activate transcription from the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter element when targeted to a promoter-proximal RNA target sequence. Specific RNA binding by a Tat-protein Y chimera can in principle be readily detected by cotransfection of an appropriate indicator construct and chimeric Tat protein expression plasmid into a relevant cell line.
Adiponectin-deficient Mice Demonstrate Impaired Coronary Arteriolar Vasodilation and Subsequent Decline in Cardiac Function

Circulating adiponectin levels have been shown to correlate with microvascular coronary function, suggesting a cardioprotective effect. Our previous work has shown that adiponectin deficiency decre...
Open Problems on With-Carry Sequence Generators

Pseudorandom sequences are used in a wide range of applications in computing and communications, including cryptography. It is common to use linear feedback shift registers (LFSRs) to generate such sequences, either directly or as components in more complex structures. Much of the analysis of such sequences is done using the algebra of polynomials and power series over finite fields. The subjects of this chapter are feedback with carry shift registers (FCSRs) and algebraic feedback shift registers (AFSRs, generalizations of both LFSRs and FCSRs), sequence generators that are analogous to LFSRs, but whose state update involves arithmetic with a carry. Their analysis is based on algebraic structures with carry, such as the integers and the N-adic numbers. After a brief review of the basics on LFSRs, FCSRs, and AFSRs, we describe several open problems. These include: given part of a sequence, how to find an optimal generator of the sequence; how to construct sequences that cannot be generated by short LFSRs, FCSRs, or AFSRs; and the analysis of various statistical properties related to these generators.
Personalized Blood Pressure Estimation using Photoplethysmography and Wavelet Decomposition

Blood pressure (BP) is the most important indicator of cardiovascular diseases. Traditional cuff-based methods for measuring BP require manual intervention and time. These methods may lead to inaccurate measurements and are not practical for continuous BP monitoring, which is crucial for detecting abnormal BP fluctuations. In this study, we propose a personalized machine learning model to estimate BP using his/her previous BPs and the photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal, the simplest and most popular tool for non-invasive diagnosis. To best utilize the information contained in the PPG signal, we propose to apply wavelet decomposition to extract features from the PPG signal. The arterial blood pressure (ABP) time series is processed with an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) and a peak detection technique to derive the SBP, DBP, and their corresponding trends. Finally, a random forest model is used to construct a predictive model based on these features. The MIMIC dataset is used for analysis and comparison with other BP estimation methods. Our experimental results demonstrate the proposed approach has smaller estimation error than existing methods, with mean average errors (MAE) for SBP and DBP equal to 3.43 and 1.73, respectively.
MANAGEMENT OF ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME IN A PATIENT WITH FACTOR XI DEFICIENCY

Factor XI deficiency is a rare inherited bleeding disorder associated with increased rates of bleeding with trauma or surgery. Since Factor XI is part of the intrinsic pathway of coagulation, activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) is prolonged at baseline in patients with Factor XI deficiency
Vaccine communication in the age of COVID-19: Getting ready for an information war

‘The other night … .I had a terrifying thought: What if we get a Covid-19 vaccine and half the country refuses to take it?’ [1] Kevin Roose, The New York Times. Fueled by widespread misinformation,...
Measures of Urban Patterns in Large Urban Areas in the U.S., 1950-2010

Patterns of housing unit distributions in 59 large urban areas in the United States from 1950 to 2010 were evaluated using 4 measures: density, the index of dissimilarity for variation in density, the centralization ratio, and Moran’s I for clustering. The mean values for the first 3 measures consistently declined over the period, but wide variation was observed among the urban areas with both large increases as well as large decreases. The measures were correlated with one another as expected. Simple multivariate analysis showed centralization and clustering to be strongly related to variation with weak or no direct relationship with density. Larger urban areas exhibited greater complexity, tending to have higher values for all 4 measures. Average values varied by region, with areas in the Northeast generally having the highest values while those in the South were consistently lowest. However, a significant shift occurred with urban areas in the West changing from having below-average densities in 1950 to the highest densities in 2010. Cluster analysis was used to develop a typology of urban areas in 2010, classifying them into 6 groups.
Transcranial photobiomodulation with light emitting diodes increases vigilance performance and EEG alpha power of the human brain

We investigated the effect of transcranial photobiomodulation induced by light emitting diodes by recording 64-chennel electroencephalogram in vivo. Compared to sham, subjects with tPBM showed an increase in vigilance and enhanced EEG alpha power.
Evaluating Outcomes Related to Donor and Recipient Metabolic Environment: Macrosteatotic Allografts and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

The increasing prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) affects both recipient and donor populations in liver transplantation. Presently, it is unclear whether transplantation of macrosteatotic allografts is affected by the metabolic milieu of liver transplant recipients. This study investigates fatty liver disease at the intersection of donor and recipient. A retrospective review of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation database identified 5167 NASH and 26,289 non-NASH transplant recipients who received transplants from January 1, 2004, to June 12, 2020. A total of 12,569 donors had allografts with no macrosteatosis (<5%), 16,140 had mild macrosteatosis (5%-29%), and 2747 had moderate to severe macrosteatosis (≥30%). Comparing recipients with NASH to propensity score-matched (PSM) recipients without NASH demonstrated noninferior graft and patient survival up to 10 years in patients with NASH. Similar trends were observed in subgroup analyses of transplants within each strata of allograft macrosteatosis. Assessing allograft macrosteatosis specifically in the NASH population demonstrated that allografts with ≥30% macrosteatosis were associated with reduced early graft survival (30 days, 93.32% versus 96.54% [P = 0.02]; 1 year, 84.53% versus 88.99% [P = 0.05]) compared with PSM grafts with <30% macrosteatosis. Long-term graft survival at 5 and 10 years, however, was similar. The use of carefully selected macrosteatotic allografts can be successful in both recipients with NASH and recipients without NASH. The metabolic environment of patients with NASH does not appear to adversely affect outcomes with regard to the allograft when controlled for numerous confounders. It is, however, important to remain cognizant of the potential for high-risk macrosteatotic allografts to negatively affect outcomes.
Altered prevalence of pulp diagnoses in diabetes mellitus patients: A retrospective study.

ABSTRACT Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex multisystemic disorder that affects an estimated 21 million Americans. No studies have evaluated the association of DM with the prevalence of each pulpal diagnosis. The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of each pulp diagnosis including symptomatic irreversible pulpitis (SIP), asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis (AIP), reversible pulpitis (RP), normal pulp (NP) and pulp necrosis (PN) in DM patients against a non-diabetic control group. Methods The retrospective chart review was approved by Rutgers University Institutional Review Board. The prevalence of the diagnoses SIP, AIP, RP, NP and PN was calculated from AxiUm electronic health records at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. Chi-square test was used to see the relationship between the two categorical variables. Second, binary logistic regression analyses were performed for each group. Results A total of 2979 teeth were diagnosed with pulp condition between April 2013 and November 2018. The total tooth number of DM patients was 682 whereas the tooth number of non-diabetic patients was 2,279. In the subgroup of younger than 40 years old, SIP is notably more prevalent in DM patients. In addition, the prevalence of PN in elderly DM patients (60-69 years old) was significantly higher than control group. Conclusion The prevalence of SIP in DM patients was significantly higher compared to control group (younger than 40 years old), suggesting the possibility that DM condition could hypersensitize the subgroup of younger than 40 years old to pulpitis pain.
Active Sites in Heterogeneous Catalysis

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the active sites in heterogeneous catalysis. The chapter reviews a surface structure and chemisorption characteristics of crystals cut along different crystallographic orientations. A chemical reaction is studied at low pressure to establish correlations between reactivity and surface structure and composition. The same catalytic reaction is studied at high pressures and the pressure dependence of the reaction rate is determined using the same sample over the nine orders of magnitude range. The rates and product distributions that were determined at high pressures on single-crystal surfaces are compared with the reactivity of polydispersed small-particle catalyst systems. At low pressures, a quadrupole mass spectrometer is used as a detector of both the chemical reaction rates and the product distributions. At high pressures, a gas chromatograph is employed that is as sensitive as a mass spectrometer that is used at low pressures. Small-surface-area single-crystal catalyst samples can readily be used in studies as long as the reaction rate is greater than 10−6 product molecules/surface atom/sec. The rate defined is called “turnover number” in the field of catalysis.
Perturbation Analysis of Discrete Event Dynamical Systems with Applications to Manufacturing

The perturbation analysis approach has been proved to be very useful in analyzing and optimizing the discrete event dynamic systems (DEDS). The approach derives the exact value of the sensitivities of the system performance with respect to system parameters, by only observing one sample experiment of the system. Comparing with the conventional approach for optimizing DEDS performance, the analytic method and the simulation method. this approach has many advantages. It avoids the numerical problems associated with computing a finite difference of noisy functions. It does not suffer from the constraining assumptions required by the analytic models, i.e., it applies to most general DEDS almost without any restrictions. Besides, it obtains the sensitivities with respect to all parameters from one experiment, hence saves many simulation runs. This new approach to DEDS analysis was introduced by Ho et. al. [1] to solve a design problem in production lines. Extensions and formalizations to determine throughput sensitivity (gradient) with respect to various parameters for tandem queues were given in [2-8]. The method was generalized for throughput sensitivity w.r.t service time parameters, in queueing networks at equilibrium [7-8]. The sensitivity analysis of performance w.r.t finite changes in parameters was discussed in [9]. Determination of throughput sensitivity w.r.t number of customers in a multiclass closed network enabled application to flexible manufacturing [10] and computer communication systems [11]. Sensitivity of a new performance measure, sojourn time in queueing networks was studied w.r.t service time parameters in [12]. Some related modelling issues were formally analyzed in [13-15].
Asiatic Russia: imperial power in regional and international contexts

This volume, an edited collection based on a late 2007 conference at Hokkaido University's Slavic Research Center, begins with ambitious goals. Dating the most significant moment of growth in the s...
Dog-Women and She-Devils: The Queering Field of Monstrous Women

Contemporary British writers Angela Carter, Jeanette Winterson, and Fay Weldon all employ representations of excessive and powerful female characters in their fiction. Although these often monstrous characterizations may be read as posing an onslaught to the notion of the subject, such representations ultimately allow for greater complexity in exploring possibilities of sexual subjectivity and identifications. All three authors craft their characters through a strongly-invested materialism, one derived through Bakhtinian excesses, pornography, and S/M. This essay investigates how these monstrous bodies model both feminist and queer applications, and how the narratives open spaces for a queer configuration of female heterosexuality.
Modeling population responses of rapidly-adapting mechanoreceptive fibers.

The population response of rapidly-adapting (RA) fibers is one component of the physiological substrate of the sense of touch. Herein, we describe a computational scheme based on the population-response model by K.O. Johnson (J. Neurophysiol. 37: 48–72, 1974) which we extended by permitting the capability to include the spatial distributions of receptors in the glabrous skin linked to RA fibers. The hypothetical cases simulated were rectangular, uniformly random and proximo-distally Gaussian distributions. Each spatial organization produced qualitatively distinct population-response profiles that also varied due to stimulus parameters. The effects of stimulus amplitude, average innervation density and contactor-probe location were studied by considering various response measures: number of active fibers, summated firing rate and the average firing rate of a subset of the modeled population. The outcome of the measures were statistically compared among simulated anatomical distributions. The response is the same for rectangular and uniformly random distributions, both of which have a homogeneous innervation density. However, the Gaussian distribution produced statistically different responses when the measure was not averaged over the subset population which represented the receptive field of a higher-order neuron. These results indicate that, as well as stimulus parameters, the anatomical organization is a significant determinant of the population response. Therefore, reconstructing population activity for testing psychophysical hypotheses must presently be done with care until the organization of the receptors within the skin has been clarified.
Massive fatal rectal hemorrhage from capillary oozing

Abstract We have related the unfortunate history of an unrecognized case of gangrenous appendicitis in an individual whose appreciation of pain was remarkably dull. The pus from the appendiceal abscess perforated the parietal peritoneum and travelled upward to the liver. Extending along the right branch of the portal vein the infection produced an enormous liver abscess which later ruptured and drained through the appendiceal incision. Further extension of the infection proceeded by the retroperitoneal route toward the pelvic brim. The mesentery was involved and in one particular area an inflammatory tumor developed. This tumor was adjacent and adherent to the sigmoid. The wall of the sigmoid was edematous and congested at the area of contact. No open lesion of the sigmoid or in fact any portion of the intestinal tract could be demonstrated at autopsy and yet this patient expired as a result of a massive rectal hemorrhage. The remarkable feature of the case is the fact that such a large quantity of blood reached the lumen of the bowel through an intact but congested mucosa. Capillary oozing of this character is frequently noted in the stomach resulting in the so-called coffee-ground vomitus. In our experience such bleeding on an extensive scale is rarely seen in the lower end of the intestinal tract.
Protecting the financial system from abuse

Purpose – To examine the implications of the changing compliance environment confronting banks as the international anti‐money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards have become more rigorous and more attention is paid to integrity related concerns by supervisors and market participants.Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes recent regulatory and financial sector developments and draws analytical lessons.Findings – Banks are facing increasing pressure from a number of sources to improve their compliance with AML/CFT and integrity related standards, and a number of institutions are responding positively to the challenge to establish robust AML/CFT regimes. However, there is a risk of disruption of legitimate business lines.Practical implications – Striking the right balance in protecting systems from abuse while avoiding disruption to legitimate business lines will require further research on how best to implement the standards.Originality/value – The paper initiates...
A Framework for Analyzing Locality and Portability Issues in Parallel Computing

This work potentially affect two areas: interconnection network design, and parallel programming methodology.
Management of Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia in the Elderly: Current Strategies and Future Directions

The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) increases with age, and the majority of cases occur in adults aged >55 years. The prognosis of AML in older adults is generally poor; however, AML is a heterogeneous disease regardless of age, and prognosis depends on cytogenetic changes, genetic mutations, and patient characteristics. Several lines of evidence support offering treatment to the vast majority of older patients, and the survival benefit associated with this approach generally outweighs the risk of toxicity. Response and long-term survival using intensive induction regimens are significantly lower in older patients, although a small proportion of patients can achieve durable remissions. Selection of patients for intensive induction therapy requires comprehensive assessment of disease characteristics, performance status, and comorbidities. In unfit patients, options for treatment include hypomethylating agents, low-dose ara-C, or consideration of a clinical trial if available. The incorporation of novel therapies into treatment, such as FLT3 inhibitors and antibody–drug conjugates, offers significant promise in older patients, although, thus far, increased responses using novel agents have often not translated to improved survival outcomes. The development of reduced-intensity conditioning regimens and improvements in supportive care has increased the use of allogeneic stem cell transplant (ASCT) in older patients. Selection of patients for ASCT requires an estimation of the trade-off between toxicity and risk of relapse.
The impact of situational dimensions on compliance‐resisting strategies: A comparison of methods

This study replicated and extended a study on compliance‐resisting and found that the factors of Intimacy and Rights to Resist each had predictable influences on strategy construction. Utilizing both constructed strategies and preference rating methods, similar situational effects on strategy selection were determined for negotiation, justification, and positive identity management strategies. For example, both procedures indicated that positive identity management strategies were selected more frequently in intimate situations than in nonintimate situations and both procedures indicated that rights to resist was not associated with this strategy selection. However, comparison of the methods indicated that participants underreported the likelihood‐of‐use of negative relational strategies in intimate situations and generally overreported the likelihood‐of‐use of positive identity management strategies. Recommendations for future research were discussed.
Effects of vacuum polarization on quasi-elastic electron scattering

Abstract The effect of vacuum polarization on the response of nuclei to quasi-elastic electron scattering is studied in the random phase approximation (RPA) to a relativistic σ−ω model. The longitudinal response function is modified appreciably, whereas the transverse response is changed little by NN excitation. Uncertainties in the prediction of response functions in terms of relativistic models are also discussed.
Specific power optimization of closed-cycle OTEC plants

Abstract The specific power of a simple irreversible closed-cycle OTEC power plant is analyzed and optimized. The plant uses a working fluid such as ammonia to produce power. Specific power is the net output per unit total heat exchanger surface area. Net output generated by the working fluid is obtained in terms of the rate of heat added to the working fluid from the warm surface ocean water, less the rate of heat removed from the working fluid to the cold deep ocean water. A time factor is added to iimulate the heat exchanges between the OTEC plant and its surroundings. A mathematical expression is derived for the specific power output of the irreversible OTEC heat engine. It is found that there is a bound on the specific power output. This bound provides the basis for a practical engineering effort towards maximizing the per unit time and per unit total heat exchanger area production of work in power plants whose heat transfer area is constrained by economic consideration.
Electrostatics Promotes Molecular Crowding and Selects the Fibrillation Pathway in Fibril-Forming Protein Solutions

The role of intermolecular interaction in fibril-forming protein solutions and its relation with molecular conformation is a crucial aspect for the control and inhibition of amyloid structures. Here, we use optical spectroscopies, x-ray and light scattering to study the fibril formation and the protein-protein interactions of different model proteins. In the case of lysozyme, the monomeric solution is kept in a thermodynamically metastable state by strong electrostatic repulsion, even in denaturing conditions. At high temperature proteins are driven out of metastability through conformational sub-states, which are kinetically populated and experience lower activation energy for fibril formation. This explains how electrostatic repulsion may act as a gatekeeper in selecting the appropriate pathway to fibrillation. The protein density fluctuations are measured by light scattering and exhibit a regime dominated by protein concentration. Highly charged colloidal solutions are characterized by damped density fluctuations and mimics locally a crowded environment. Further, by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) we measure protein collective and self-diffusion. Both PCS and FCS evidence how an increase of concentration hinders protein self-diffusion, likely due to both hydrodynamics and crowding effect.
[Ni(PPh2NC6H4X2)2]2+ Complexes as Electrocatalysts for H2 Production: Effect of Substituents, Acids, and Water on Catalytic Rates

A series of mononuclear nickel(II) bis(diphosphine) complexes [Ni(PPh2NC6H4X2)2](BF4)2 (PPh2NC6H4X2 = 1,5-di(para-X-phenyl)-3,7-diphenyl-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane; X = OMe, Me, CH2P(O)(OEt)2, Br, and CF3) have been synthesized and characterized. X-ray diffraction studies reveal that [Ni(PPh2NC6H4Me2)2](BF4)2 and [Ni(PPh2NC6H4OMe2)2](BF4)2 are tetracoordinate with distorted square planar geometries. The Ni(II/I) and Ni(I/0) redox couples of each complex are electrochemically reversible in acetonitrile with potentials that are increasingly cathodic as the electron-donating character of X is increased. Each of these complexes is an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen production at the potential of the Ni(II/I) couple. The catalytic rates generally increase as the electron-donating character of X is decreased, and this electronic effect results in the favorable but unusual situation of obtaining higher catalytic rates as overpotentials are decreased. Catalytic studies using acids with a range of p...
Direct determination of the surface excess of specifically adsorbed ions on mercury

Abstract Gibbs' adsorption equation has been derived in the case of mixed solutions of strong electrolytes at constant molal ionic strength. Under these conditions, the specifically' adsorbed surface excess of ionic species at the mercury electrode and the charge of the diffuse, layer in presence of specific adsorption may be obtained. The main fea.Ture.of the treatment consists in the fact that neither the differential equation of Poisson—Bpltzman nor the integrated solution of Gouy-Chapman have to be introduced.
A High Repetition Rate (1 kHz) Microcrystal Laser for High Throughput Atmospheric Pressure MALDI-Quadrupole-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry

Sample throughput has been increased in many areas of proteomics, but the last significant advance in lasers used for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) was the introduction of cartridge-type N2 lasers (337 nm, 4-ns pulse widths, 1−30-Hz repetition rates) more than a decade ago. This report describes the application of a 1-kHz repetition rate Nd:YAG laser (355 nm, <500-ps pulse widths) for atmospheric pressure MALDI-QqTOFMS, and data obtained are compared to a conventional nitrogen laser. For example, the signal intensity for angiotensin II using the 1-kHz laser was in some cases enhanced by a factor of 80 and high-quality data could be obtained in as little as 1 s.
The surface and Microminiaturization

The reduction in size of miniature devices which depend, for their operation, upon the volume properties of the material is severely limited by the increase in the surface to volume ratio. After a certain critical size is reached, the surface properties of the material may begin to play a dominant role. Various effects which may occur are discussed and a number of examples are cited. It is suggested that miniaturization may proceed more quickly by utilizing the properties of surfaces in design considerations rather than trying to avoid them.
Research Note: An Alternate Method Of Mounting Phlebotomus And Other Small Diptera

We have found Hoyer's medium to be a good agent for mounting Phlebotomus and certain other small Diptera. It consists of gum arabic, chloral hydrate and glycerin. The formula is given by Baker & Wharton (1951 An Introduction to Acarology, MacMillan Co., N.Y. p. 10). Kirk & Lewis (1951 Trans. R. Ent. Soc. London 102: 500) recommend Puri's medium, which essentially is the same as Hoyer's but differs in proportion of ingredients and the addition of glacial acetic acid. Also, the material is prepared commercially and may be obtained from Ward's Nat. Sci. Estal., P. O. Box 1712, Rochester, N.Y. 14603.
TEMPORAL CHANGES IN SURFACE ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION: A STUDY OF THE ROBERTSON-BERGER METER AND DOBSON DATA RECORDS

Abstract— Ultraviolet radiation data sets obtained by Robertson-Berger meters located at Bismarck, ND and Tallahassee, FL show variations over the time period 1974–1985 which we interpret in terms of clouds and ozone. Cloudiness is a major source of variance in the irradiance measurements. When this variance is minimized, the monthly mean Robertson-Berger meter record contains trends which are in good agreement with irradiance calculations based on the Dobson ozone measurements in spring, summer and early autumn. Despite the agreement among trends, predictions based on the ozone data explain 40% or less of the variance in the monthly mean radiation values over the 11-year period. The radiation measurements contain negative trends in winter which are contrary to expectations based on the behavior of ozone alone. These trends remain when we minimize the effects of cloudiness. Based on the information available in this study, it is not possible to determine whether the wintertime trends have an instrumental or environmental origin.
Parallel Computation of Persistent Homology using the Blowup Complex

We describe a parallel algorithm that computes persistent homology, an algebraic descriptor of a filtered topological space. Our algorithm is distinguished by operating on a spatial decomposition of the domain, as opposed to a decomposition with respect to the filtration. We rely on a classical construction, called the Mayer--Vietoris blowup complex, to glue global topological information about a space from its disjoint subsets. We introduce an efficient algorithm to perform this gluing operation, which may be of independent interest, and describe how to process the domain hierarchically. We report on a set of experiments that help assess the strengths and identify the limitations of our method.
Immunochemical studies of the Alport antigen

Immunochemical studies of the Alport antigen. The Alport antigen, a component of normal glomerular basement membranes (GBM) which is absent in Alport familial nephritis, is characterized as a 26 kD non-collagenous (NCI) peptide identified by a monoclonal antibody (Mab A7) and an Alport alloantibody. Both antibodies discriminate X-linkage of the Alport defect using indirect immunofluorescence of hemizygous and heterozygous Alport GBM and epidermal basement membrane (EBM). Immunoblotting of SDS-PAGE gels of collagenase-digested Alport renal BM shows absence of monomeric and dimeric components of the Alport antigen, α3(IV) NCI, and α4(IV) NCI. By immunopre-cipitation experiments with specific antibodies, the Alport antigen is distinct from the 26 kD NCI peptide derived from α1(IV). The monoclonal antibody to the Alport antigen and rabbit antiserum to a non-consensus sequence of α5(IV) NCI react similarly by immunofluorescence with normal kidney and both fail to bind to Alport renal BM. Two dimension Western blots of collagenase-digested BM show that the anti-Alport antigen and the ant-α5(IV) NCI react similarly with monomeric and dimeric components of BM collagen. These studies are consistent with the likelihood that the Alport antigen and α5(IV) NCI are the same or are highly homologous molecules. The precise relationship will require characterization of α5(IV) NCI protein and determination of the nucleotide sequence of the Alport antigen. The associated absence of α3(IV) NCI and α4(IV) (NCI) from Alport BM is consistent with other observations for a molecular association of these chains in a novel collagen network.
The role of self-esteem and locus of control in the differential prediction of performance, program satisfaction, and life satisfaction in an educational organization

Abstract The present research was an attempt to examine the role of task-specific self-esteem Korman, 1966 , Korman, 1976 and locus of control (Rotter, 1966) in the differential prediction of academic performance, program satisfaction, and personal life satisfaction. Based on earlier research and theory in this area, it was predicted that (1) high task-specific self-esteem individuals would perform better, would be more satisfied with their program of studies and their personal lives compared to low task-specific self-esteem individuals, and (2) individuals with an internal locus of control would also perform better, would be more satisfied with their program of studies and their personal lives compared to individuals with an external locus of control. These hypotheses found strong empirical support in the study. The findings are interpreted as being strongly supportive of Korman's theory on the role of task specific esteem and Rotter's theory on the concept of locus of control in the prediction of certain select organizational outcomes.
Brownian dynamics simulations of the stress and molecular configuration of polymers in exponential and linearly-ramped shear flow

The rheological and optical properties of dilute polymer solutions during the startup and subsequent relaxation in exponential shear flow are studied using Brownian dynamics simulations of freely draining, flexible bead-rod chains. We find that exponential shear flow is capable of effecting large molecular deformation for finite shear rates and strains, and furthermore, the polymer undergoes an initial stress and index of refraction relaxation that is much faster than a single exponential decay upon cessation of flow. When we compare the first normal stress difference (τ 1 1 -τ 22 ) to the corresponding components of the index of refraction tensor, n 11 -n 22 , we find that there is hysteresis when plotted over the course of a full startup and relaxation experiment. This is very similar to the hysteresis originally discovered by Doyle et al. [J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 76 (1998) 79-110] for uniaxial extensional flow. Moreover, the shear components of the stress and index of refraction tensors (τ 12 and n 12 ) also exhibit hysteretic behavior. However, whereas the hysteresis loop for the 11-22 component traverses up the left branch during startup and relaxes on the right branch, that for the 12 component is in the completely opposite direction, i.e. the right branch corresponds to startup and the left branch relaxation. The presence of stress-index of refraction hysteresis clearly has important implications for the stress-optic rule. We calculate the stress-optic coefficient for the startup process, and find that the normal and shear components give the same value, but that it is strongly dependent on Wi. This result is consistent with that found by Doyle et al. during the startup of steady shear flow [Doyle and Shaqfeh, Dynamic simulation of freely-draining, flexible bead-rod chains: startup of extensional and shear flow, J. Non-Newtonian Fluid Mech. 76 (1998) 43-78]. We also simulated shear flows with a linearly ramped shear rate to compare to out results for exponential shear. We find that for comparable final shear rate and time, both exponential and linear ramping shear produce very similar hysteresis effects in both the shear and normal components suggesting that there may be many unsteady shear flow capable of creating large polymer stretch and stress-birefringence hysteresis. Finally, we compare out bead-rod chain simulations to the FENE dumbbell model, and we find that while the latter can qualitatively capture the normal stress hysteresis, it predicts negligible shear stress hysteresis at equivalent shear rates and shear strains.
Asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes in the Women's Health Study.

Background Chronic airway inflammation in asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) may be involved in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes; however, prospective data have been limited.
THE INTRACELLULAR LOCALIZATION OF AN ENZYMATIC DEFECT OF LIPID METABOLISM IN DIABETIC RATS.

Abstract The conversion of stearic acid to oleic acid has been studied in homogenates and other subcellular fractions of adipose tissues and liver of untreated and insulin-treated diabetic rats and rats maintained on a fat-free diet. The synthesis of the monounsaturrated fatty acid is an oxygenase reaction requiring molecular oxygen and DPNH or TPNH. The site of the reaction has been localized to the microsomes. In diabetes, the microsomal enzymatic conversion of strearate to oleate stops. This defect in lipid metabolism, which is separable from the overall depression of lipid biosynthesis, is corrected by insulin therapy.
Pointers for Optimizing Radiation Dose in Chest CT Protocols

In the past several years, MRI has emerged as the imaging modality of choiceforavastmajorityofbrainand spinal clinical indications. Head CT is still the second most commonly performed CT examination, with 28% of the total number of CT examinations, second only to abdominal and pelvic CT (39%) [1]. CT remains an integral part of modern neuroradiologic practice that can provide critical and not infrequently lifesaving information about patient management, specifically in patients with cerebrovascular diseases and head trauma. In this article, we discuss strategies for radiation dose reduction for the application of CT in the head, paranasal sinuses, and spine.
The Influence of Preschoolers' Speech Usage on Their Disfluency Frequency

A relationship between the function of speech usage and disfluency as it interacts with the speaking situation was hypothesized to explain a previously observed situational difference in preschoole...
Buffer minimization in pipelined SDF scheduling on multi-core platforms

With the increasing number of cores available on modern processors, it is imperative to solve the problem of mapping and scheduling a synchronous data flow graph onto a multi-core platform. Such a solution should not only meet the performance constraint, but also minimize resource usage. In this paper, we consider the pipeline scheduling problem for acyclic synchronous dataflow graph on a given number of cores to minimize the total buffer size while meeting the throughput constraint. We propose a two-level heuristic algorithm for this problem. The inner level finds the optimal buffer size for a given topological order of the input task graph; the outer level explores the space of topological order by applying perturbation to the topological order to improve buffer size. We compared our proposed algorithm to an enumeration algorithm which is able to generate optimal solution for small graphs, and a greedy algorithm which is able to run on large graphs. The experimental results show that our two-level heuristic algorithm achieves near-optimal solution compared to the enumeration algorithm, with only 0.8% increase in buffer size on average but with much shorter runtime, and achieves 38.8% less buffer usage on average, compared to the greedy algorithm.
A computationally efficient metamodeling approach for expensive multiobjective optimization

This paper explores a new metamodeling framework that may collapse the computational explosion that characterizes the modeling of complex systems under a multiobjective and/or multidisciplinary setting. Under the new framework, a pseudo response surface is constructed for each design objective for each discipline. This pseudo response surface has the unique property of being highly accurate in Pareto optimal regions, while it is intentionally allowed to be inaccurate in other regions. In short, the response surface for each design objective is accurate only where it matters. Because the pseudo response surface is allowed to be inaccurate in other regions of the design space, the computational cost of constructing it is dramatically reduced. An important distinguishing feature of the new framework is that the response surfaces for all the design objectives are constructed simultaneously in a mutually dependent fashion, in a way that identifies Pareto regions for the multiobjective problem. The new framework supports the puzzling notion that it is possible to obtain more accuracy and radically more design space exploration capability, while actually reducing the computation effort. This counterintuitive metamodeling paradigm shift holds the potential for identifying highly competitive products and systems that are well beyond today’s state of the art.
Resting energy expenditure in patients with thermal injuries.

Numerous equations have been used to estimate the energy needs of burned patients. Many of these equations were based on indirect calorimetry data collected in the early 1970s.1,2 Since then, treatment and survival of burned patients have improved; thus, present energy requirements may differ from those estimated in the past. Several investigators have found that equations based on earlier studies overestimate energy requirements.3-7 The investigators in this study reassessed the relationship between energy requirements and burn size by comparing measured resting energy expenditure (REE) by using indirect calorimetry in patients with burn injuries treated during 1972 to 1973 with measurements made in a similar group of burned patients treated during 1987 to 1989.REE data were collected during 1987 to 1989 from 62 patients with burn size equal to 12% to 91% of total body surface area (TBSA) between 5 and 19 days postburn. These data were compared with data collected during 1972 to 1973 from 43 patients wit...
The effects of clofibrate on cell division of log phase and synchronized cells and on macromolecular synthesis in Tetrahymena pyriformis, GL.

Abstract 1. 1. Clofibrate. a hypolipidemic agent, inhibits cell growth and division of both log phase and synchronized Tetrahymena pyriformis , GL. 2. 2. At doses which inhibited cell growth and division, the incorporation of precursors to DNA, RNA, protein and lipid was inhibited. 3. 3. It is suggested that the primary effect of the agent is on the energetics and inhibitory effects on cell division and incorporation of precursors to macromolecules are secondary effects.