cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Augmenting Sticky Notes as an I/O Interface

The design and implementation of systems that combine both the utilities of the digital world as well as intrinsic affordances of traditional artifacts are challenging. In this paper, we present `Quickies', an attempt to bring one of the most useful inventions of the 20th century into the digital age: the ubiquitous sticky notes. `Quickies' enriches the experience of using stickynotes by linking hand-written sticky-notes to the mobile phone, digital calendars, task-lists, e-mail and instant messaging clients. By augmenting the familiar and ubiquitous physical sticky-note, `Quickies' leverages existing patterns of behavior, merging paper-based sticky-note usage with the user's informational experience. The project explores how the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Natural Language Processing (NLP), RFID, and ink recognition technologies can make it possible to create intelligent sticky notes that can be searched, located, can send reminders and messages, and more broadly, can act as an I/O interface to the digital information world.
Liquid Chromatography/Fast Atom Bombardment Mass Spectrometry

The fast atom bombardment (FAB) ionization technique,(1) introduced in 1981, opened new vistas in the analysis of compounds previously intractable to mass spectrometry (MS). Before its introduction, compounds that were polar or thermally unstable required laborious and difficult derivatization prior to mass spectral analysis. Although derivatization often produced compounds that were observable by electron ionization (EI) or chemical ionization (CI), the spectra were complex. FABMS, with no derivatization required, yields simpler and more easily interpretable spectra; since its introduction, FABMS has become the method of choice for polar compounds. Probe FABMS is fundamentally different from such ionization techniques as EI and CI in that FAB is a desorption technique. With FABMS, the analyte is dissolved or dispersed in a polar matrix [e.g., glycerol, thioglycerol, m-nitrobenzyl alcohol, diethanolamine, or a liquid mixture of dithiothreitol and dithioerythritol (“magic bullet”)],(2) and the mixture is applied to a probe target. The target is inserted into the ion source of the mass spectrometer where its surface is bombarded with high-energy (8–10 keV) atoms [or in matrix secondary ion (SI)MS, with ions]. Cation attachment to, or proton removal from, the analyte occurs, producing ions that can then be analyzed in the mass spectrometer. Not only are molecular ion species produced, but often structurally useful fragment ions as well. Although FABMS is simple in design, it works best if the analyte is pure, unless tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) is used to study mixtures’ individual components. The surface activity of impurities or other components can be a problem with FABMS, and their removal or separation is often carried out by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Innate and adaptive immune responses to fungi in the airway

Fungi are ubiquitous outdoors and indoors. Exposure, sensitization, or both to fungi are strongly associated with development of asthma and allergic airway diseases. Furthermore, global climate change will likely increase the prevalence of fungi and enhance their antigenicity. Major progress has been made during the past several years regarding our understanding of antifungal immunity. Fungi contain cell-wall molecules, such as β-glucan and chitin, and secrete biologically active proteases and glycosidases. Airway epithelial cells and innate immune cells, such as dendritic cells, are equipped with cell-surface molecules that react to these fungal products, resulting in production of cytokines and proinflammatory mediators. As a result, the adaptive arm of antifungal immunity, including TH1-, TH2-, and TH17-type CD4+ T cells, is established, reinforcing protection against fungal infection and causing detrimental immunopathology in certain subjects. We are only in the beginning stages of understanding the complex biology of fungi and detailed mechanisms of how they activate the immune response that can protect against or drive diseases in human subjects. Here we describe our current understanding with an emphasis on airway allergic immune responses. The gaps in our knowledge and desirable future directions are also discussed.
Measuring hospital-specific disparities by dual eligibility and race to reduce health inequities.

Objective To propose and evaluate a metric for quantifying hospital-specific disparities in health outcomes that can be used by patients and hospitals. Data sources/study setting Inpatient admissions for Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction, heart failure, or pneumonia to all non-federal, short-term, acute care hospitals during 2012-2015. Study design Building on the current Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services methodology for calculating risk-standardized readmission rates, we developed models that include a hospital-specific random coefficient for either patient dual eligibility status or African American race. These coefficients quantify the difference in risk-standardized outcomes by dual eligibility and race at a given hospital after accounting for the hospital's patient case mix and proportion of dual eligible or African American patients. We demonstrate this approach and report variation and performance in hospital-specific disparities. Principal findings Dual eligibility and African American race were associated with higher readmission rates within hospitals for all three conditions. However, this disparity effect varied substantially across hospitals. Conclusion Our models isolate a hospital-specific disparity effect and demonstrate variation in quality of care for different groups of patients across conditions and hospitals. Illuminating within-hospital disparities can incentivize hospitals to reduce inequities in health care quality.
How do Investors and Analysts React to Accruals? Evidence from a Quarterly Analysis

Prior research finds that annual accruals are negatively associated with abnormal returns subsequent to release of annual financial statements, but are not significantly associated if annual cash flows are considered. In this study, I analyze the relation of quarterly accruals and cash flows to abnormal returns subsequent to release of quarterly financial statements and to errors in financial analysts' forecasts of upcoming earnings. After controlling for the effect of cash flows, quarterly accruals are found to be significantly positively associated with both subsequent abnormal returns and analysts' forecast errors. These findings are inconsistent with the prior conclusion that investors and analysts are overoptimistic about firms reporting high accruals and as a result, overprice accruals. Instead, because this positive association can be interpreted as an underreaction, the findings suggest that investors and analysts may consistently underprice both accruals and cash flows. Furthermore, the findings also suggest that the accrual anomaly is unlikely to be merely the value-glamour anomaly in disguise.
The Dream and the Image: Creative Transformations in Psychoanalytic Space.

Psychoanalysis is a transformational process through which meanings become visible and foreclosed identity may be further constituted. Winnicott (1971) marks the crucial developmental function of the relationship that is good enough to tolerate the separateness of the other. The analyst’s ability to “take the transference” enables the patient to locate himself in relation to another mind and being in ways that did not happen sufficiently in childhood. This process requires the signification of personal meanings that can become consensual without subverting one’s own becoming in the process. The dream provides idiosyncratic images that can demarcate conceptual space in ways that can enable the individual to move from the sign to the symbol; from what Kleinians term the symbolic equation, to the symbol proper, the domain of language and consensual meanings. I describe a case in which one young man used his dreams as a way of moving from a universe in which meanings could not be made into one in which he could build meanings in relation to his own experience and ideas.
Personality traits across the psychosis spectrum: A Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology conceptualization of clinical symptomatology.

Psychotic disorders have varied clinical presentations, diagnostic stability is poor and other mental disorders often co-occur with the conditions. To improve the clinical and pathophysiological utility of classification systems for psychosis, it is necessary to consider how symptoms may reflect dimensions of psychopathology that extend beyond the boundaries of traditional diagnostic classifications. We examined personality deviation as a means for explaining symptom variation across individuals with serious mental illness. Participants (N = 312) with psychosis, first-degree biological relatives and healthy controls underwent comprehensive clinical evaluations that included symptom ratings and Diagnostic Statistical Manual consensus diagnoses. They completed the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (PID-5), which provides multidimensional assessment of personality disturbances and characterizes psychosis-relevant phenomena, and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), a widely accepted measure of schizotypal traits. PID-5 was comparable with SPQ in differentiating between participants with and without psychosis. Greater psychotic symptomatology and higher scores on the SPQ Cognitive-perceptual dimension were associated with higher scores on PID-5 Psychoticism. Facet-level traits showed diverse associations with existing clinical syndromes, suggesting they have utility for quantifying separable symptom dimensions that cut across existing disorders. Yet the patient groups were similar across four of the five PID-5 personality trait domains, indicating shared patterns of personality expression that challenge existing categorical delineations. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling Airlines’ Route Selection Decisions Under Competition: A Discrete-Games-Based Model

To analyze the effects of policies within the air transportation network, there is a need to model how policies affect the decisions made by airlines. Because airline decision making is based on pr...
Transforming the Imaging Experience While Decreasing Sedation Rates.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the effect of the MRI-am-a-Hero program on sedation utilization for outpatient pediatric MRI studies. Methods The MRI-am-a-Hero program, which utilizes multimedia educational material and popular comic book characters to educate and support pediatric patients during MRI scan, was implemented at the radiology facility of a single tertiary care, academic medical center. The effect of the MRI-am-a-Hero program on sedation utilization for pediatric MRI was retrospectively evaluated using multivariate regressions yielding odds ratio of sedation before and after program implementation. The institutional review board approved the study with HIPAA compliancy. Effectiveness of the program was evaluated while controlling for age, neurological MRI examination, number of examinations in the case, and use of intravenous contrast. Further analysis was performed in subgroups categorized by age, neurological MRI versus nonneurological MRI, and the use of contrast. Results The percent of MRI cases with sedation decreased from 22.9% to 17.3% after the MRI-am-a-Hero program was implemented. When controlling for other variables, including patient age, neurological MRI, number of examinations in a case, and use of intravenous contrast, the odds of a study being performed with sedation after program implementation are 40% less than the odds before program implementation (odds ratio [OR] 0.60, P Conclusion MRI-am-a-Hero is a generalizable and inexpensive program for reducing sedation utilization for outpatient pediatric MRI studies, especially for patients aged 4 to 11.
Heading Blithely Down the Garden Path? Some Entry Points into Current Debates on Women and Biotechnologies

This chapter aims first to identify some of our reasons for wanting to speak about ‘women and biotechnologies’ in the current debates on biotechnology. Secondly it reports on issues related to women’s status in biotechnology today in Europe in research, academia and industry. And thirdly it reflects on the link between women and biotechnology in Europe and the global policy debate on biotechnologies.
Origin and Evolution of Carboxysome Positioning Systems in Cyanobacteria.

Carboxysomes are protein-based organelles that are essential for allowing cyanobacteria to fix CO2. Previously, we identified a two-component system, McdAB, responsible for equidistantly positioning carboxysomes in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 (MacCready JS, Hakim P, Young EJ, Hu L, Liu J, Osteryoung KW, Vecchiarelli AG, Ducat DC. 2018. Protein gradients on the nucleoid position the carbon-fixing organelles of cyanobacteria. eLife 7:pii:e39723). McdA, a ParA-type ATPase, nonspecifically binds the nucleoid in the presence of ATP. McdB, a novel factor that directly binds carboxysomes, displaces McdA from the nucleoid. Removal of McdA from the nucleoid in the vicinity of carboxysomes by McdB causes a global break in McdA symmetry, and carboxysome motion occurs via a Brownian-ratchet-based mechanism toward the highest concentration of McdA. Despite the importance for cyanobacteria to properly position their carboxysomes, whether the McdAB system is widespread among cyanobacteria remains an open question. Here, we show that the McdAB system is widespread among β-cyanobacteria, often clustering with carboxysome-related components, and is absent in α-cyanobacteria. Moreover, we show that two distinct McdAB systems exist in β-cyanobacteria, with Type 2 systems being the most ancestral and abundant, and Type 1 systems, like that of S. elongatus, possibly being acquired more recently. Lastly, all McdB proteins share the sequence signatures of a protein capable of undergoing liquid-liquid phase separation. Indeed, we find that representatives of both McdB types undergo liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro, the first example of a ParA-type ATPase partner protein to exhibit this behavior. Our results have broader implications for understanding carboxysome evolution, biogenesis, homeostasis, and positioning in cyanobacteria.
The Dome in Byzantine Church Architecture

Ο τρούλλος ήταν ένα σημαντικό αρχιτeκτονικό χαρακτηριστικό τόσο στη ρωμαϊκή όσο και στη βυζαντινή πeρίοδο. Υποστηρίζeται ότι υπήρξe συνeχιζόμeνη ανάπτυξη της αρχιτeκτονικής μορφής και του συμβολισμού του τρούλλου μeταξύ των δύο πeριόδων, αλλά μe eπέκταση της τυπολογίας του και σημαντική eνίσχυση του συμβολισμού του στην eκκλησιαστική αρχιτeκτονική της βυζαντινής eποχής. Στο eρώτημα τί διακρίνeι τον τρούλλο μeταξύ των δύο πeριόδων, η απάντηση πρέπeι να αναζητηθeί κατά κύριο λόγο στην λeιτουργία τους – στην χρήση του τρούλλου στα κοσμικά κτήρια κατά την Ρωμαϊκή πeρίοδο σe σύγκριση μe τα κατά κύριο λόγο θρησκeυτικά κτήρια του Βυζαντίου. Ο τρούλλος δeν eίναι μόνο ένα σταθeρό αρχιτeκτονικό χαρακτηριστικό των βυζαντινών eκκλησιών διαφόρων αρχιτeκτονικών τύπων αλλά συγχρόνως φορτίστηκe μe συμβολικά και θeολογικά μηνύματα και θeωρήθηκe ότι συμβολίζeι τον ουρανό και τον παράδeισο, eνώ στον eσωτeρικό διάκοσμο προσδόθηκe μυστικιστική σημασία
MESH1 is a cytosolic NADPH phosphatase that regulates ferroptosis

Critical to the bacterial stringent response is the rapid relocation of resources from proliferation toward stress survival through the respective accumulation and degradation of (p)ppGpp by RelA and SpoT homologues. While mammalian genomes encode MESH1, a homologue of the bacterial (p)ppGpp hydrolase SpoT, neither (p)ppGpp nor its synthetase has been identified in mammalian cells. Here, we show that human MESH1 is an efficient cytosolic NADPH phosphatase that facilitates ferroptosis. Visualization of the MESH1-NADPH crystal structure revealed a bona fide affinity for the NADPH substrate. Ferroptosis-inducing erastin or cystine deprivation elevates MESH1, whose overexpression depletes NADPH and sensitizes cells to ferroptosis, whereas MESH1 depletion promotes ferroptosis survival by sustaining the levels of NADPH and GSH and by reducing lipid peroxidation. The ferroptotic protection by MESH1 depletion is ablated by suppression of the cytosolic NAD(H) kinase, NADK, but not its mitochondrial counterpart NADK2. Collectively, these data shed light on the importance of cytosolic NADPH levels and their regulation under ferroptosis-inducing conditions in mammalian cells.
Loss compensation in metamaterials and plasmonics with virtual gain [Invited]

Metamaterials and plasmonics potentially offer an ultimate control of light to enable a rich number of non-conventional devices and a testbed for many novel physical phenomena. However, optical loss in metamaterials and plasmonics is a fundamental challenge rendering many conceived applications not viable in practical settings. Many approaches have been proposed so far to mitigate losses, including geometric tailoring, active gain media, nonlinear effects, metasurfaces, dielectrics, and 2D materials. Here, we review recent efforts on the less explored and unique territory of “virtual gain” as an alternative approach to combat optical losses. We define the virtual gain as the result of any extrinsic amplification mechanism in a medium. Our aim is to accentuate virtual gain not only as a promising candidate to address the material challenge, but also as a design concept with broader impacts.
Optical Flow Based Co-Located Reference Frame for Video Compression

This paper proposes a novel bi-directional motion compensation framework that extracts existing motion information associated with the reference frames and interpolates an additional reference frame candidate that is co-located with the current frame. The approach generates a dense motion field by performing optical flow estimation, so as to capture complex motion between the reference frames without recourse to additional side information. The estimated optical flow is then complemented by transmission of offset motion vectors to correct for possible deviation from the linearity assumption in the interpolation. Various optimization schemes specifically tailored to the video coding framework are presented to further improve the performance. To accommodate applications where decoder complexity is a cardinal concern, a block-constrained speed-up algorithm is also proposed. Experimental results show that the main approach and optimization methods yield significant coding gains across a diverse set of video sequences. Further experiments focus on the trade-off between performance and complexity, and demonstrate that the proposed speed-up algorithm offers complexity reduction by a large factor while maintaining most of the performance gains.
Beyond Binary: Influence of Sex and Gender on Outcome after Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects millions of individuals each year and is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. TBI is heterogeneous and outcome is influenced by a combination of f...
Income Loss and Financial Distress during COVID-19: The Protective Role of Liquid Assets

Nearly a quarter of U.S. households have experienced job or income losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Liquid assets mitigate financial distress in the face of financial shocks such as job loss, yet this relationship in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. Using a nationally representative sample of U.S. households (N = 4,383) who completed a survey in the early days of the pandemic, we examined pre-pandemic liquid assets as a moderator of the relationship between job and income loss and difficulty meeting financial obligations and use of high-cost financial resources. Estimates from propensity score-weighted linear probability models indicated that greater liquid assets lessened the probability of experiencing all eight measures of financial distress and most measures of distress among households experiencing job or income losses. Policy efforts to help households build emergency savings can help households better prepare for future pandemics while also supporting public health responses.
‘Velut in sentinam congessit’: Refugees and racism, modern and medieval

The racialized revulsion of persons displaced by extreme poverty, violence, and environmental crises – in simplified terms, anti-refugee xenophobia – is increasingly mainstream in the 21st century. This essay traces a long history of this form of xenophobia by bringing together two iterations of anti-refugee sentiment, one modern and one medieval. I specifically look at how scatological metaphors are used to dehumanize refugees in the literary works of William of Malmesbury (the premiere chronicler of the early twelfth century) and in the speeches of Donald Trump (who became the 45th president of the United States on January 2017). At first glance, this comparison may seem unlikely. However, comparing unwanted immigrants to human offal is a racializing, dehumanizing move that spans time and space, showing that hegemonic powers have a long history of using crises to engage in race-making activities. This study thus troubles the premodern/modern chronological split, showing that stateless immigrants have a troubled and unwanted position in the deep history of race. Modern non-refugees must recognize that the life of this particular form of dehumanization is long and ongoing. By recovering medieval refugee chronicles through a lens of refugee narratives, we may historicize and humanize a social group that has so often been dehumanized.
Bounded cutoff window for the non-backtracking random walk on Ramanujan Graphs

We prove that the non-backtracking random walk on Ramanujan graphs with large girth exhibits the fastest possible cutoff with a bounded window.
Gastrostomy tube dependence and patient-reported quality of life outcomes based on type of treatment for human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis

We examined the impact of treatment modality on gastrostomy tube dependence and patient-reported outcomes in human papillomavirus-associated oropharyngeal cancer (HPV-OPSCC). We performed systematic review and meta-analysis of functional outcomes 1-3 years after treatment. Twenty-three studies were included, reporting on 3127 patients treated for HPV-OPSCC. Gastrostomy tube dependence failed to show statistically significant difference between surgery with adjuvant therapy and chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin at 12 months (8.3% [95% CI: 3.1-15.9] vs. 4.2% [1.1-9.2], p = 0.37) and 24-36 months (10.5% [95% CI: 3.2-21.5] vs. 3.3% [2.0-4.9], p = 0.06). Surgery with adjuvant therapy was associated with worse University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) Swallowing (84 [95% CI: 80-88] vs. 89 [87-90], p = 0.03) and UW-QOL Overall scores (76 [95% CI: 72-80] vs. 84 [81-86], p = 0.001) compared to chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin at 12 months. Surgery with adjuvant therapy was associated with worse performance on certain measures of patient-reported swallow and overall function compared to chemoradiotherapy with cisplatin. Further randomized controlled trials are needed to directly compare functional outcomes after treatment for HPV-OPSCC.
PROMIS Upper Extremity and Pain Interference do not Significantly Predict Rotator Cuff Tear Dimensions

Abstract Background Proper diagnosis of rotator cuff tears is typically established with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); however, studies show that MRI-derived measurements of tear severity may not align with patient-reported pain and shoulder function. The purpose of this study is to investigate the capacity for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurements Information System (PROMIS) computer adaptive tests (CAT) to predict rotator cuff tear severity by correlating preoperative tear morphology observed on MRI with PROMIS Upper Extremity (UE) and Pain Interference (PI) scores. This is the first study to investigate the relationship between tear characteristics and preoperative patient-reported symptoms using PROMIS. Considering the essential roles MRI and patient-reported outcomes play in the management of rotator cuff tears, the findings of this study have important implications for both treatment planning and outcomes reporting. Methods Two PROMIS-CAT forms (PROMIS-UE and PROMIS-PI) were provided to all patients undergoing rotator cuff repair by one of three fellowship-trained surgeons at a single institution. Demographic information including age, sex, race, employment status, body mass index, smoking status, zip code, and preoperative PROMIS-UE and -PI scores were prospectively recorded. A retrospective chart review of small to large full- or partial-thickness rotator cuff tears between May 1, 2017 and February 27, 2019 was used to collect each patient’s MRI-derived tear dimensions and determine tendon involvement. Results Our cohort consisted of 180 patients (56.7% male, 43.3% female) with an average age of 58.9 years (standard deviation, 9.0). There was no significant difference in PROMIS-UE or -PI scores based on which rotator cuff tendons were involved in the tear (p > 0.05). Neither PROMIS-UE nor PROMIS-PI significantly correlated with tear length or retraction length of the supraspinatus tendon (p > 0.05). Sum of tear lengths in the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral directions was weakly correlated with PROMIS-UE (p = 0.042; r = -0.152, r2 = 0.031) and PROMIS-PI (p = 0.027; r = 0.165, r2 = 0.012). Conclusions Rotator cuff tear severity does not significantly relate to preoperative PROMIS-UE and -PI scores. This finding underscores the importance of obtaining a balanced preoperative assessment of rotator cuff tears that acknowledges the inconsistent relationship between rotator cuff tear characteristics observed on MRI and patient-reported pain and physical function.
Procedures for Precision Measurement of Fatigue Crack Growth Rate Using Crack-Opening Displacement Techniques

This paper describes experimental and analytical procedures whereby the conventional commercial fracture mechanics clip-gage can be used for precision measurement of fatigue crack growth rate in compact-type specimens. Potential sources of error in measuring crack length via crack-opening displacement (COD) techniques are delineated. Comparisons are made between crack-length data obtained via specimen surface observations and COD techniques. Comparisons are also made between data analyzed by the secant and 7-point incremental polynomial methods. It is emphasized that COD techniques can enhance the accuracy of the secant method of data reduction. Steploading procedures using COD techniques are described. Proposed amendments to ASTM Tentative Test Method for Constant-Load-Amplitude Fatigue Crack Growth Rates Above 10 - 8 m/Cycle (E 647-78 T) regarding incrementing of crack-length measurements via COD techniques are discussed.
The Bill of Attainder Clause: A New Weapon to Challenge the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

SeaRiver Maritime, Exxon Oil Company's United States shipping subsidiary, recently challenged section 5007 of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 as a bill of attainder. SeaRiver Maritime is the owner and operator of the former Exxon Valdez, which was renamed the SeaRiver Mediterranean following the Valdez's infamous spill in Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989. SeaRiver Maritime argued that section 5007, which prohibits any vessel that has spilled more than one million gallons of oil into the marine environment from ever reentering Prince William Sound, is an unconstitutional legislative punishment, and that this portion of the Oil Pollution Act was meant to apply only to the SeaRiver Mediterranean. This Comment examines the Oil Pollution Act's primary provisions and the Act's Prince William Sound provisions, which include section 5007. Further, this Comment explains the reasons for the constitutional prohibition on bills of attainder and the modern analysis to which courts subject legislation challenged under the Bill of Attainder Clause. Finally, this Comment argues that SeaRiver Maritime's claim fails both prongs of the Supreme Court's bill of attainder analysis and that section 5007 is legal and valid
Mechanism of Action of p-Hydroxybenzoate Hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida: III. THE ENZYME-SUBSTRATE COMPLEX

Abstract The mechanism of action of p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase from Pseudomonas putida, strain M-6, has been investigated. The aromatic substrate analogues, benzoate, p-fluorobenzoate, p-chlorobenzoate, p-nitrobenzoate, p-aminobenzoate, and 6-hydroxynicotinate, are found to be competitive inhibitors. This finding differs from the previously reported noncompetitive behavior in a different buffer system. The optical activity of the enzyme-inhibitor complex has been studied. From the kinetic and circular dichroism (CD) measurements, we have found that the carboxyl moiety is necessary and sufficient for the enzyme-substrate binding, whereas the hydroxyl group alone will not lead to binding. There are two classes of inhibitory analogues: one causes changes in CD spectra of the enzyme similar to those evoked by the substrate, and the other does not cause significant changes. The results indicate that more than one mode of enzyme-inhibitor interaction is involved. The CD of the enzyme-NADPH complex under anaerobic conditions suggests that the oxidized enzyme and reduced pyridine nucleotide form a complex, both in the absence and presence of the substrate, p-hydroxybenzoate. Furthermore, evidence for a ternary complex is given.
Structural, Dielectric, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Ti3+, Cr3+, and Fe3+: PVDF Polymer Films

Highly transparent and very clear nature of PVDF: Ti, PVDF: Cr, and PVDF: Fe polymer films of good quality have been synthesized by employing solution casting method. XRD profiles have confirmed semicrystalline structures in α-, β-, and γ-PVDF phases. IR spectra have confirmed these findings and revealed some structural defects such as monofluorinated alkenes. Emission spectra reveal that PVDF: Ti has a blue emission, PVDF: Cr has blue emission, and PVDF: Fe red emission was observed. The conductivity and dielectric measurements have also been carried out as function of frequency and temperature changes. Due to the presence of the transition metal ions in these films, significant improvement in the ionic conductivity has been noticed. The dielectric behaviors of these films have been analyzed using dielectric permittivity (e), dissipation factor (tan δ), and impedance spectra (Z and Z). VSMmeasurements have confirmed that the PVDF: Ti exhibits antiferromagnetic nature, PVDF: Cr film ferromagnetic nature, and PVDF: Fe film strong paramagnetic nature. Thus, the present study has successfully explored the fact that these optical materials are also potential enough in both conductivity and magnetic properties for their use in applications suitably.
Ensuring Positive Impact of DQ Metadata: Implications for Decision Support

Required) Organizations continue to manage poor quality data despite being aware of its negative impact on decision making. One effective way of addressing this situation is to inform decision-makers of the quality of the data they are using by providing data quality (DQ) metadata. However, despite its availability, not all decision-makers use DQ metadata. Further, when DQ metadata is included, the resulting dataset may be different from and significantly larger than the dataset created without DQ metadata. This potentially creates an information overload and the decision maker is conflicted about the use of DQ metadata. This paper demonstrates that decision-makers will use DQ metadata when a guideline about how DQ metadata should be used is provided. The paper also illustrates that variations in task complexity, work experience, and domain-specific experience interact. When guidance on how to use DQ metadata is provided the impact of DQ metadata on consensus among decision-makers depends on such interactions.
Multimedia Model for the Utilization of Geoscience Educational Resources in Public Parks near Urban Centers, Hudson Highlands, New York

A model to encourage the utilization of geoscience educational resources within public nature-type parks is being developed in Harriman-Bear Mountain-Sterling Forest State Park, Hudson Highlands, New York using multimedia techniques. The model uses a videotape to pique peoples interest and encourages them to visit a web site which in turn encourages them to see the rocks in the field. The videotape was produced by combining footage shot in the park with footage of prime examples of geologic features and custom animations to create an entertaining yet informative presentation. The fast-paced video is designed to inspire interest and enthusiasm in the geology of the park. Interested people are encouraged to visit an interactive web site. It provides the scientific background to the features in a stepwise manner of increasing complexity from simple pictures to advanced geochemistry, isotope geochemistry and structural geology. This allows visitors to find their level of interest and comfort. There are sugges...
Dynamics of cD Clusters of Galaxies. III. Redshift Data for 11 Abell Clusters

We present the final observational data for a spectroscopic study of a sample of cD galaxy clusters. The goal of this program has been to study the dynamics of the clusters, with emphasis on determining the nature and frequency of peculiar-velocity cD galaxies. In this paper we present redshifts for 762 galaxies in the fields of the rich Abell clusters A779, A1691, A1749, A1767, A1837, A1927, A2067, A2079, A2089, A2199, and A2666. We also present preliminary dynamical properties for these clusters using our measured redshifts.
Structure and control of Coulomb crystals in a Penning trap

We apply rotating electric fields to ion plasmas in a Penning trap to obtain phase-locked rotation about the magnetic field axis. These plasmas, containing up to 106 9Be+ ions, are laser-cooled to millikelvin temperatures so that they freeze into solids. Single body-centered cubic (bcc) crystals have been observed by Bragg scattering in nearly spherical plasmas with ≳ 2 × 105 ions. The detection of the Bragg patterns is synchronized with the plasma rotation, so individual peaks are observed. With phase-locked rotation, the crystal lattice and its orientation can be stable for longer than 30 min or ∼108 rotations.
JUST SKIP IT

When four-legged animals want to move quickly they gallop -- a gait that was thought to have no equivalent in humans. But a new paper shows that skipping in humans is biomechanically similar to galloping. In both cases, pendulums and springs collaborate to conserve mechanical energy.
Nanoporous microscale microbial incubators

Reconstruction of phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing reveals abundant microbial diversity that has not been cultured in the laboratory. Many attribute this so-called 'great plate count anomaly' to traditional microbial cultivation techniques, which largely facilitate the growth of a single species. Yet, it is widely recognized that bacteria in nature exist in complex communities. One technique to increase the pool of cultivated bacterial species is to co-culture multiple species in a simulated natural environment. Here, we present nanoporous microscale microbial incubators (NMMI) that enable high-throughput screening and real-time observation of multi-species co-culture. The key innovation in NMMI is that they facilitate inter-species communication while maintaining physical isolation between species, which is ideal for genomic analysis. Co-culture of a quorum sensing pair demonstrates that the NMMI can be used to culture multiple species in chemical communication while monitoring the growth dynamics of individual species.
Rapid Ultramicro Direct Determination of Erythrocyte Lead Concentration by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry, with Use of a Graphite-Tube Furnace

We describe a convenient, sensitive, accurate, precise and direct method for lead analysis in blood by use of the graphite-tube furnace with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Advantages of this proposed method are the ultramicro sample size and the minimal sample preparation required. Interferences by the major cations and anions in blood were studied and minimized. Anticoagulants examined for matrix effects included heparin, oxalate, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Potentially serious analytical errors can result if improper sample preparation procedures are adopted in the presence of sodium, potassium, hydroxide and heparin. The surfactant "Triton X-100" did not affect lead absorption. Recovery of lead (calculated as a percentage of the lead added) from human erythrocytes diluted 1:1 with Triton X-100 ranged from 96% to 103% over several days at a wide range of concentrations. On the other hand, recovery of lead added to whole blood, serum, or plasma was always incomplete, independent of the dilution or the diluents used. Quenching effects of sodium, potassium, hydroxide, and heparin were significantly less in whole blood or diluted erythrocytes than in aqueous standards. Absorption was decreased if the standards were not kept at a pH of less than 3. Within-run, the coefficient of variation (CV) was 3.5% at an erythrocyte lead concentration of 0.480 mg/liter of packed cells. The day-to-day CV for the erythrocyte matrix was 7% and 9% at 0.324 and 0.708 mg/liter of packed cells, respectively. When erythrocytes were diluted with an equal volume of Triton X-100 solution and 4 µl of the diluted sample was injected directly into the graphite furnace, no interferences were measured. This graphite-tube furnace method for erythrocytes has high accuracy, excellent precision, extremely high sensitivity, and requires a whole blood sample of less than 10 µl. The normal range for erythrocyte lead concentration (n = 26) was 0.10 to 0.60 mg/liter of packed red cells. This proposed method of lead analysis satisfies all previous criticisms of atomic absorption measurements for lead in blood.
Lifetimes of Hg(3P0) complexes with methanol, ammonia, and water

Abstract Lifetimes of Hg( 3 P 0 ) complexes were determined by simultaneous observation of Hg( 3 P 0 ) optical absorption and complex emission, using a modulation technique and phase sensitive detection. The lifetimes of the mercury complexes with methanol, (1.4 ± 0.7) × 10 -8 s, and water, ⩽ 8 × 10 -8 s, were found to be much shorter than reported in earlier work. For the ammonia complex, however a lifetime was measured which is in good agreement with previous determinations. Reasons for the large errors in earlier work where the methanol and water complex lifetimes were determined from complex emission data alone are discussed, and these data are reinterpreted. In the reaction rate of Hg( 3 P 0 ) with methanol no detectable contribution from the termolecular process Hg( 3 P 0 ) + 2CH 3 OH → (Hg·CH 3 OH) * + CH 3 OH could be observed.
Antioxidant and antipromotional effects of the soybean isoflavone genistein.

AbstractAntioxidant and antipromotional effects of the soybean isoflavone genistein have been studied in HL-60 cells and the mouse skin tumorigenesis model. Effects of structure-related flavone/iso...
Integration of photogrammetric cues into cartographic feature extraction

Most systems for cartographic features extraction developed within the computer vision and image understanding community make little use of detailed camera information during object detection and delineation. For the most part the scale, size, and orientation of specific features are usually expressed in terms of image pixel size. Given the use of nadir and near-nadir mapping photography this has not severely impacted the development of several techniques at a variety of institutions for building detection, road network extraction, and other specific man-made objects. It is not too unfair to say that the inherent difficulties involved in achieving robust automated object detection and delineation have overshadowed any errors due to lack of rigor in the modeling of the image acquisition. In this paper we will develop several of these issues and discuss how the use of photogrammetric cues will play a major role in future systems for automated cartographic feature extraction.
Regulation of Vascular Bed–Specific Prothrombotic Potential

Hemostasis is the result of interdependent and complex systemic and local endothelial pathways that govern vascular integrity and rheology. A striking feature of hypercoagulable conditions is the focal nature of the resultant thrombotic pathology. Such disorders in hemostasis may be associated with distinct vascular beds, thus implying that the relative combined contribution of individual regulatory pathways may be specific and/or unique to a particular locale in the vasculature. Systemic factors and platelets mediate the formation of fibrin deposition; however, it is the diverse interrelationships in the interaction of these systemic elements with the local endothelial components that dictate vascular bed-specific hemostatic regulation. Indeed, the local activation of coagulation cascades, rather than increases in systemic thrombotic potential, is what leads to fibrin formation in different vascular beds. Hence, the propensity for congenital or acquired disorders to result in local thrombotic pathology is based on the relative contribution of the various hemostatic regulatory pathways in individual vascular beds. The present review highlights the role of local endothelial regulation in the interaction between local and systemic elements that contribute to vascular bed-specific prothrombotic potential.
Transrectal scanning: an alternative when transvaginal scanning is not feasible

Objective In scanning the female pelvis the clear images of transvaginal sonography (TVS) result from placing the transducer close to the region of interest. The advantages of TVS over transabdominal sonography (TAS) and transperineal sonography are well documented. Transrectal scanning is proposed mostly for ultrasound guidance in draining a pelvic abscess. Our aim was to investigate the applicability of transrectal scanning (TRS) for cases in which TVS is impossible. Methods Forty-two patients with an absolute or a relative contraindication to TVS were scanned transabdominally and transrectally. The TRS was performed using a transvaginal probe, which was lubricated and slowly advanced into the rectum. The technique used was similar to that of TVS. Images were compared for resolution and quality. Results All scans were completed without significant patient discomfort or complaints. TRS was clearly superior to TAS in 31 cases. In nine cases TAS furnished some clinical information but TRS yielded better images. Only in one such case was TAS similar in quality to TRS. In four obese patients TAS did not reveal sufficient pelvic anatomy to generate a clinical diagnosis, whereas TRS revealed two sets of normal ovaries and two patients with ovarian cysts. In the two cases with vaginal agenesis TRS revealed the diagnosis of Rokitansky–Kuster syndrome. In three of the four patients with ruptured membranes the cervix could be measured precisely. Conclusion Transrectal scanning should be used liberally after proper patient selection and counseling. The images obtained are superior to TAS and comparable to those obtained by TVS. Copyright © 2003 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nuclide migration and the environmental radiochemistry of Florida phosphogypsum

Phosphogypsum, a waste by-product derived from the wet process production of phosphoric acid, represents one of the most serious problems facing the phosphate industry in Florida today. This by-product gypsum precipitates during the reaction of sulfuric acid with phosphate rock and is stored at a rate of about 40 million tons per year on several stacks in central and northern Florida. The main problem associated with this material concerns the relatively high levels of natural uranium-series radionuclides and other impurities which could have an impact on the environment and prevent its commercial use. We have studied the potential release of radionuclides from phosphogypsum by: (i) analysis of stack fluids, groundwaters, and soils associated with gypsum stacks; and (ii) geochemical modeling. Stack fluids were observed to be very high in dissolved uranium and 210Pb with only moderate concentrations of 226Ra. Underlying soils tend to be enriched in U and 210Pb indicating precipitation when acidic stack fluids enter a buffered environment. Modeling results showed significant increases in radionuclide complexes with sulfate and phosphate, resulting in relatively mobile uncharged or negatively charged solution species within the stacks with likely precipitation of multicomponent solids with increasing pH below the stack. Our evidence thus suggests that, while phosphogypsum stacks do contain significant quantities of dissolved radionuclides, removal mechanisms appear to prevent large-scale migration of radionuclides to the underlying aquifer.
Aptamer-based optical probes with separated molecular recognition and signal transduction modules.

A general strategy was developed to transform aptamers into highly sensitive and selective optical sensors. This was accomplished with an unmodified aptamer as the molecular recognition element and a competitor oligo, which was completely or partially complementary to the aptamer, as the signal transduction element. Displacement of competitor oligos in the presence of targets resulted in a detectable optical readout. Successful application of this strategy has been demonstrated not only with different types of targets (small molecules and proteins), but also with different types of aptamers (DNA and RNA). This strategy has high potential for various applications in high-throughput drug screening and intracellular studies.
Evidence against the existence of the purported Saccharomyces cerevisiae PKC2 gene

Abstract Background: The existence of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding a novel isoform of protein kinase C was reported recently in this journal. Results We demonstrate here that, firstly, the purported PKC2 gene does not reside at the chromosomal location to which it was assigned; secondly, it does not exist as a contiguous sequence in the S. cerevisiae genome; thirdly, some of its reported sequences do exist within other yeast genes; and fourthly, some of its reported sequences, encoding regions of the predicted protein related to protein kinase C, do not exist in any context in the yeast genome. Conclusion We conclude from these studies that the PKC2 gene is a composite construction of unrelated yeast and non-yeast sequences.
Questional benefit from occlusal adjustment for TMD disorders.

Article Title and Bibliographic Information Occlusal adjustment for treating and preventing temporomandibular joint disorders. Koh H, Robinson PG. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2003;(1): CD003812. Level of Evidence 1a Purpose To assess the effectiveness of occlusal adjustment for treating TMD in adults and preventing TMD. Source of Funding No funding. Type of Study/Design Systematic review with meta-analysis
The Accountable Prison

Despite being used on a massive scale and consuming huge amounts of the public treasury, prisons have largely failed to reduce offender recidivism. This failure persists both because of archaic bel...
A 31P NMR study of the thermal transition of dipalmitoyl lecithin vesicles

Phosphorous-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) was used to study the liquid crystalline transition of sonicated dipalmitoyl lecithin vesicles in D2O. Linewidths were dependent upon temperature and changed dramatically through the transition region. The potential usefulness of 31P NMR spectroscopy for probing the thermal behavior of phospholipid membranes is evaluated and discussed.