cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Recovery Mechanisms of Alkaline Flooding

In the alkaline flood process, the surfactant is generated by the in situ chemical reaction between the alkali of the aqueous phase and the organic acids of the oil phase. The surface-active reaction products can adsorb onto the rock surface to alter the wettability of the reservoir rock and/or can adsorb onto the oil-water interface to lower the interfacial tension. At these lowered tensions (1–10 dyne/cm), surface or shear-driven forces promote the formation of stable oil-in-water emulsions or unstable water-in-oil emulsions; the nature of the emulsion phase depends on the pH, temperature, and electrolyte type and concentration. These different paths of the surface-active reaction products have created different recovery mechanisms of alkaline flooding. The four alkaline recovery mechanisms which have been cited in the recent literature are: (i) Emulsification and Entrainment, (ii) Emulsification and Entrapment, (iii) Wettability Reversal from Oil-to Water-Wet, and (iv) Wettability Reversal from Water- to Oil-Wet. These four mechanisms are similar in that alkaline flooding enhances the recovery of acidic oil by two-stage processes.
Applying Machine Learners to GUI Specifications in Formulating Early Life Cycle Project Estimations

Producing accurate and reliable early life cycle project estimates remains an open issue in the software engineering discipline. One reason for the difficulty is the perceived lack of detailed information early in the software life cycle. Most early life cycle estimation models (e.g. COCOMO II, Function Point Analysis) use either the requirements document or a size estimate as the foundation in formulating polynomial equation models. This paper explores an alternative approach using machine learners, in particular neural networks, for creating a predictive effort estimation model. GUI-specifications captured early in the software life cycle serve as the basis for constructing these machine learners. This paper conducts a set of machine learning experiments with software cost estimation empirical data gathered from a “real world” eCommerce organization. The alternative approach is assessed at the program unit level, project subsystem level, and project level. Project level models produce 83 percent average accuracy, pred (25), for the client-side subsystems.
Network reduction for frequency domain transient analysis of power components

Network equivalents are used to reduce the size of electrical systems that can be difficult to solve due to computational constraints. They are also useful for cases in which it is sufficient to model in detail only a portion of the system that is relevant for the study to be performed. The purpose of this work is to apply Kron's reduction method in combination with frequency domain modeling techniques and the numerical inversion of the Laplace transform to obtain the transient response of different power components defined by large matrix systems (in the order of hundreds of nodes). Three different applications: distribution network, machine winding, and transformer winding are presented. Comparisons between the complete systems and the corresponding equivalents provide identical results using a very small portion of the original computer time.
Partisan Gerrymandering: Re-Establishing the Political Question Doctrine in Gill v. Whitford

American politics is more divided and more contentious than ever, and the Supreme Court is about to step in to redefine the nation’s political landscape. In Gill v. Whitford, the Wisconsin Elections Commission has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a divided three-judge district court decision striking down a Wisconsin voter redistricting plan as an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. But the Court has yet to clearly define the Constitutional boundaries of partisan gerrymandering, having provided contradictory holdings and reasoning for decades. This paper finds that partisan gerrymandering is correctly viewed as a non-justiciable political question, due to a lack of judicially-manageable standards, the proper role of the judiciary, and judicial hyper-partisanship. Furthermore, alternatives under the First and Fourteenth Amendments carry implications that inevitably circle back to the rationale for invoking the political question doctrine in the first place. And while the Court is not bound by ethical rules, general ethical principles should guide the Justices’ own moral compass towards the political question doctrine.
Design of Dominant Negatives to bHLHZip Proteins that Inhibit DNA Binding

The Myc oncogene is a transcription factor that heterodimerizes with a partner protein termed Max to bind sequence-specific DNA (Blackwood and Eisenman, 1991). Both Myc and Max are members of the basic-helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper (bHLHZip) family of transcription factors (Murre, et al., 1989). The Myc/Max heterodimer binds the DNA sequence CACGTG, termed the Myc E box, and activates transcription from these sites (Blackwood, et al., 1992; Henriksson and Luscher, 1996). Provocatively, several other bHLHZip proteins, including the two USF family members and the four TFE family members, also bind and can transactivate E box DNA sequences (Desbrarats, et al., 1996). These proteins however have not been implicated in oncogenesis suggesting a more subtle mechanism exists to discriminate between the promoters relevant to cellular transformation by Myc. An unresolved question is if there is competition between different bHLHZip proteins for binding to the same cis element, with some bHLHZip proteins acting as repressors while others can act as activators, depending on the exact context of the promoter.
GENETIC STABILITY OF A/ANN ARBOR/6/60 COLD-MUTANT (TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE) LIVE INFLUENZA VACCINE STRAINS

Publisher Summary Live, attenuated vaccines obtained by reassortment between epidemic wild-type (wt) strains and the cold-adapted (ca) A/Ann Arbor/6/60 donor strain are continually being evaluated biochemically and genetically as well as being tested in human volunteers. These ca viruses have been demonstrated to be infectious and immunogenic for children and young adults but rarely cause unacceptable vaccine-associated side effects. This chapter discusses the genetic stability of A/ANNARBOR/6/60 cold-mutant (temperature-sensitive) live influenza vaccine strains. The presence of multiple mutations in the genome of the mutant virus provides a theoretical basis for postulating a lower rate of reversion to virulence for the ca mutant than has been observed for single-step ts mutants with lesions in one or two genes. By examining the oligonucleotide maps of live attenuated influenza ca recombinant vaccine strains both before use and after replication in humans, researchers have provided the first assessment, using molecular techniques, of the overall genetic stability of these viruses. Thus, it provides a useful method for the rapid screening of closely related viruses for an initial determination of the extent of their genetic relatedness.
Providing variable levels of security in quantum cryptography

Quantum cryptography provides perfect secrecy if the key exchanged is used for one-time-pad encryption. However, this requires very long keys which are not practical in most scenarios. Further, the key exchange bit-rate for quantum key distribution is very low. Consequently, often quantum key distribution algorithms only exchange (128, 192 or 256 bit) AES keys and then AES is used for data encryption. While Grover's algorithm will force us to only use AES- 256 and does not pose a catastrophic failure to AES, AES does not provide provable security. In this paper, we discuss methods that provide provable security but at the same time the key lengths may be controlled to practical levels. Difficulty of breaking the cipher is directly proportional to the key length and depends on the specific algorithm employed. The key idea is that key lengths can be tweaked such that an acceptable and provable level of security is achieved and therefore the cipher is not reliant on any assumptions for security. The paper will discuss different ways of achieving the above goal.
Lessons on Addiction Messages From "The Real Cost" Campaign.

Introduction A key strategy in reducing the public health burden of cigarette smoking is preventing youth from ever becoming addicted to cigarettes in the first place. However, there is limited research exploring youth responses to addiction messages. This study assesses youths’ responses to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's “The Real Cost” campaign messaging depicting addiction as a “loss of control.” Methods Between 2013 and 2016, three focus group studies and four copy testing studies were conducted to assess reactions to advertising concepts and near-final videos. Participants were aged 12–17 years and ethnically and geographically diverse. Researchers conducted a thematic secondary analysis of focus group transcripts and open-ended survey questions from the copy testing studies. Data analysis for this study took place in 2017. Results Youth responded favorably to loss of control messages showing real, often short-term, consequences of addiction, such as choosing to spend money on cigarettes instead of going to a movie, and depictions of scenarios that were relatable to youth. Youth also responded favorably to messages describing how nicotine changes the brain. A portion of youth remained skeptical, stating they felt the consequences depicted were unrealistic. Conclusions This study shows that by framing addiction as a loss of control and tying that loss of control to short-term health and social consequences, addiction becomes more concrete and understandable, and the consequences feel more relatable and relevant to youth. Supplement information This article is part of a supplement entitled Fifth Anniversary Retrospective of “The Real Cost,” the Food and Drug Administration's Historic Youth Smoking Prevention Media Campaign, which is sponsored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Ghosting in Emerging Adults’ Romantic Relationships: The Digital Dissolution Disappearance Strategy:

The purpose of this study is to examine relational dissolution using the technique of ghosting. This qualitative study explores the emerging adults’ dissolution strategies leading up to and through...
Moral distress in medical student reflective writing

Purpose: Moral distress occurs when one identifies an ethically appropriate course of action but cannot carry it out. In this conceptualization, medical students may be particularly vulnerable to m...
The effects of class rarity on the evaluation of supervised healthcare fraud detection models

The United States healthcare system produces an enormous volume of data with a vast number of financial transactions generated by physicians administering healthcare services. This makes healthcare fraud difficult to detect, especially when there are considerably less fraudulent transactions (documented and readily available) than non-fraudulent. The ability to successfully detect fraudulent activities in healthcare, given such discrepancies, can garner up to $350 billion in recovered monetary losses. In machine learning, when one class has a substantially larger number of instances (majority) compared to the other (minority), this is known as class imbalance. In this paper, we focus specifically on Medicare, utilizing three ‘Big Data’ Medicare claims datasets with real-world fraudulent physicians. We create a training and test dataset for all three Medicare parts, both separately and combined, to assess fraud detection performance. To emulate class rarity, which indicates particularly severe levels of class imbalance, we generate additional datasets, by removing fraud instances, to determine the effects of rarity on fraud detection performance. Before a machine learning model can be distributed for real-world use, a performance evaluation is necessary to determine the best configuration (e.g. learner, class sampling ratio) and whether the associated error rates are low, indicating good detection rates. With our research, we demonstrate the effects of severe class imbalance and rarity using a training and testing (Train_Test) evaluation method via a hold-out set, and provide our recommendations based on the supervised machine learning results. Additionally, we repeat the same experiments using Cross-Validation, and determine it is a viable substitute for Medicare fraud detection. For machine learning with the severe class imbalance datasets, we found that, as expected, fraud detection performance decreased as the fraudulent instances became more rare. We apply Random Undersampling to both Train_Test and Cross-Validation, for all original and generated datasets, in order to assess potential improvements in fraud detection by reducing the adverse effects of class imbalance and rarity. Overall, our results indicate that the Train_Test method significantly outperforms Cross-Validation.
Measures of the efficiency of natural selection during gene substitution.

Abstract Natural selection is not perfectly efficient: it does not cause the instantaneous substitution of a beneficial mutation. Instead, substitution takes time, reflecting the statistical consequences of fitness differences over some number of generations. In this note, I suggest two measures of the efficiency of natural selection during gene substitution. I compare these measures against both ideal (instantaneous) and failed evolution. I also compare these measures to Haldane's cost of natural selection.
Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in an HIV-infected patient with disseminated coccidioidomycosis.

Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) is a condition characterized by excessive inflammatory response to an underlying pathogen following immune recovery. IRIS associated with coccidio...
Predicting Leader Emergence with Bright and Dark Traits

Leader emergence was regressed on five factor model (FFM; NEO Five-Factor Inventory) traits and four additional traits (achievement, dominance, aggression, and Machiavellianism) in a sample of 280 ...
Oocytes, a single cell and a tissue

Abstract Development of single cell sequencing allows detailing the transcriptome of individual oocytes. Here, we compare different RNA-seq datasets from single and pooled mouse oocytes and show higher reproducibility using single oocyte RNA-seq. We further demonstrate that UMI (unique molecular identifiers) based and other deduplication methods are limited in their ability to improve the precision of these datasets. Finally, for normalization of sample differences in cross-stage comparisons, we propose that external spike-in molecules are comparable to using the endogenous genes stably expressed during oocyte maturation. The ability to normalize data among single cells provides insight into the heterogeneity of mouse oocytes.
OSTEOBLASTOMA VS OSTEOID OSTEOMA: 2 CASE REPORTS

Clinical Presentation Case 1: A 17-year-old male presented 3 months –after third molar extraction with progressively worsening pain in the lower left extraction site. Clinical examination was unremarkable. Computed tomography (CT) showed a 12 × 10 × 11 mm, well-demarcated, circular, nonexpansile, mixed-density lesion with a sclerotic border and surrounded by a radiolucent rim. Lingual cortical bone defect was noted. Case 2: A 37-year-old male presented with progressively worsening pain in the left posterior mandible and preauricular area. CT showed a 16 × 21 mm well-defined, expansile, mixed-density lesion with a soft tissue capsule, which was surrounded by a sclerotic band. Unusual features included buccal/lingual expansion, new bone apposition, and soft tissue edema in the masseter muscle. Clinically, the site was significant for swelling. Differential Diagnosis Given the radiographic findings and the presence of pain, osteoblastoma and osteoid osteoma were considered in the differential diagnoses in both cases. Case 1 included cementoblastoma and foreign body reaction. In case 2, osteosarcoma was considered because of the apparent expansion. Because of the lesion size, osteoid osteoma was considered unlikely. Diagnosis and Management Both patients were initially managed pain with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but the symptoms continued to worsen. Case 1 was treated with enucleation, curettage, and extraction of tooth #18. Case 2 was treated with excisional biopsy and extraction of tooth #17. Histologic reports rendered a final diagnosis of osteoblastoma in both cases. Discussion Osteoblastoma is rare, especially in the maxillofacial region. We present 2 unusual and distinct cases of osteoblastoma. In case 1, there was large cortical perforation with no expansion, whereas in case 2, the lesion was expansile with no perforation. To the best of our knowledge, soft tissue edema and new bone apposition, as seen in case 2, have not been reported previously.
Frequency-Domain Quantum Interference with Entangled Photons from an Integrated Microresonator

We report frequency-domain quantum interference with spectrally distinct photons from a microresonator. We create an active, tunable ‘frequency beam splitter’ via Bragg-scattering four-wave mixing and achieve interference visibilities of 0.95 ±0.02.
Negotiating Intersectional Identities in a Christian Student Organization

Researchers have suggested that student group involvement during college is beneficial for students on various academic and psychosocial measures. Most research has not focused on how different stu...
Comparative treatment effectiveness of oral fingolimod and conventional injectable disease-modifying agents in multiple sclerosis

Study objective To compare the effectiveness of oral fingolimod and conventional injectable disease-modifying agents (DMAs) using the composite endpoint of relapse or DMA treatment switch in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Design A retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Data source IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database from 2010-2012. Patients Adults (≥18 years) with MS diagnosis (ICD-9-CM:340) who newly initiated DMAs. Intervention Oral fingolimod and conventional injectable DMAs (interferon beta and glatiramer acetate). Measurements Composite endpoint of time to relapse or DMA treatment switch. Main results The incident study cohort consisted of 1997 MS patients who initiated oral fingolimod (15.6%) or injectable (84.4%) DMAs. The proportion of patients who had a composite endpoint (relapse/DMA treatment switch) in oral fingolimod and injectable DMA users was found to be 16.72% and 27.16%, respectively. The Cox PH regression model with stabilized IPTW revealed that fingolimod is equally effective as conventional injectable DMAs in reducing the risk of experiencing the composite endpoint of relapse or DMA switch (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.67, 95% CI: 0.43-1.03). Additional analysis among patients who were adherent also found no significant difference in the composite endpoint (aHR: 0.70, 95% CI 0.49-1.15) between oral fingolimod and injectable DMA users. Conclusions Oral fingolimod has similar effectiveness as conventional injectable DMAs in reducing the risk of experiencing the composite endpoint (relapse or DMA treatment switch). In addition, when assessed independently, oral fingolimod showed no difference in reducing the time to relapse or DMA treatment switch compared to injectable DMAs.
Non-thermal processes in large solar flares

We analyze particle acceleration processes in large solar flares, using observations of the August, 1972, series of large events. The energetic particle populations are estimated from the hard X-ray and γ-ray emission, and from direct interplanetary particle observations. The collisional energy losses of these particles are computed as a function of height, assuming that the particles are accelerated high in the solar atmosphere and then precipitate down into denser layers. We compare the computed energy input with the flare energy output in radiation, heating, and mass ejection, and find for large proton event flares that: The highly efficient electron energization required in these flares suggests that the flare mechanism consists of rapid dissipation of chromospheric and coronal field-aligned or sheet currents, due to the onset of current-driven Buneman anomalous resistivity. Large proton flares then result when the energy input from accelerated electrons is sufficient to form a shock wave.
The future of Clostridioides difficile diagnostics.

Purpose of review Although the epidemiology of Clostridioides difficile has changed, this organism continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality. This review addresses current and future approaches to the diagnosis of C. difficile disease. Recent findings Over the last several years, large prospective studies have confirmed that there is no single optimal test for the diagnosis of C. difficile disease. The pendulum has swung from a focus on rapid molecular diagnosis during the years of the ribotype 027 epidemic, to a call for use of algorithmic approaches that include a test for toxin detection. In addition, diagnostic stewardship has been shown to improve test utilization, especially with molecular methods. Advances in testing include development of ultrasensitive toxin tests and an expansion of biomarkers that may be more C. difficile specific. Microbiome research may be leveraged to inform novel diagnostic approaches based on measurements of volatile and nonvolatile organic compounds in stool. Summary As rates of C. difficile infection decline, emphasis is now on improving test utilization and a quest for improved diagnostic approaches. These approaches may involve implementation of technologies that improve toxin testing, predict patients likely to have disease and/or a severe outcome, and harnessing research on changes in the microbiome to advance metabolomics.
When Globalization Sticks

In Friction, Anna Tsing asks us to see the rain forests of Indonesian Kalimantan as a place where chaste concepts such as “nature” and “science” get pulled into the forest, shoved past devastated hillsides, and dragged through community meetings into a desperate melee of stories and desires. The concepts will never be the same again. The book is organized into three sections: “Prosperity,” “Knowledge,” and “Freedom” (with a crucial introduction and a pensive coda). The headings refer to universalist aspirations; they serve as themes rather than markers of the actual chapter topics. In each section, using a wide range of ethnographic techniques, Tsing explores how various peoples’ ideas and desires come into engagement and how that engagement changes the people, their ideas, and the world. The book has seven chapters, but the chapters alternate with short segments of writing offering particular perspectives that implicitly explore how to take a perspective at all. These segments allow the suggestion that the concerns in them have been generated by the way the chapters themselves rub against each other. Under the first section, “Prosperity,” Tsing asks us to consider how global capitalism operates in specific instances, as she puts it, “in friction” (p. 12). A preliminary segment that traces the 1970s dreams of progress before circling around to rage and despair. Chapter 1, “Frontiers of Capitalism,” explores the concept of “frontier,” the negotiation of what is “legal” (and for whom), and how land is made “public” (thereby taking it from people who use it and giving it to others) and then tumbles into the depths of the struggle to control the valuable commodities in the Kalimantan rain forests. This will be difficult going for many readers. Some will be put off by the constant presence of Tsing’s pointing finger directing us exactly where to look and what to see. Others will be unnerved by the violence (no easy escape to paper generalities allowed—there is mud here, and greed, and despair–“Look at it!” Tsing insists). Chapter 2, “The Economy of Appearances,” at first seems like a safe refuge. There is even a reassuringly abstract graphic
Quality Assurance of Radiolabeled Proteins, Peptides and Antisense Oligonucleotides

Radiopharmaceuticals (RP) labeled with nonmetallic (I–123, C-11, F-18) and metallic radionuclides (Tc-99m, Ga-67, In-111) are used for diagnosis and therapy; they could be classified as blood flow markers, metabolic substrates, receptor ligands, peptide/proteins and antisense oligonucleotide analogs (F-18, 1–123, In-111, Tc-99m). The oligopeptide/nucleotide based tracers, are designed to adhere as “molecular velcro” to target molecules in diseased cells for early, high-contrast imaging. For safety, efficacy and further improvement of the tests using these tracers, quality assurance (QA) of tracers (chemical, radionuclidiC., radiochemical impurities, enantiomers, immunoreactivity, sterility, apyrogenicity, cell-viability) is required. These tests are more critical for the RP under clinical investigations. FDA allows a maximum permissible limit of 10% of the injected radionuclide as impurity. Quality assurance of RP is carried out by thin-layer, size-exclusion/ion-exchange (high pressure liquid transport) chromatography and gel electrophoresis. For therapeutic RP labeled with 1–131 (β, γ), Re-186 (β, γ), Re-188 (β), Y-90 (β), At-211(α) and Bi-212 (α), etc., the level of chemical alterations/degradations, directly by energetic particles or indirectly by free-radicals, is higher for the α-, β- than γ-emitting RP and chemical alterations are time-dependent processes. Considering the adverse reactions (marrow-suppression), unnecessary radiation due to unbound tracers and impurities, QA of RP should be performed and impurities eliminated before RP administration.
Abstract 329: CRISPR/Cas-mediated Gene Editing in Human iPSC-derived Macrophage Reveals Lysosomal Acid Lipase Functions in Human Macrophages

Loss-of-function mutations of lysosomal acid lipase ( LIPA or LAL) are the cause of the rare lysosomal disorders, Wolman disease and Cholesteryl Ester Storage Disease (CESD), which manifest with hepatomegaly, hyperlipidemia and premature atherosclerosis due to lysosomal cholesteryl ester (CE) accumulation mainly in hepatocytes and macrophages. Surprisingly, recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have implicated LIPA alleles, which associate with higher LIPA mRNA, also associate with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD). To date, the mechanistic insights into the role of human LIPA were largely derived from skin fibroblasts of CESD patients. Here we use CRISPR/Cas techniques to knock-out LIPA in human iPSC, and then differentiate to macrophage (IPSDM) to explore human macrophage LIPA phenotypes. LIPA mRNA was markedly induced by ~20 fold upon iPSC to IPSDM differentiation, was comparable between IPSDM and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC)-derived macrophages (HMDM, n=9) and was ~7 fold higher than in skin fibroblasts. Knock-out LIPA ( LIPA-/- ) IPSDM had barely detectable LIPA mRNA. Control and LIPA-/- IPSDM were loaded with [3H]-cholesteryl oleate (CO)-labeled acetylated-LDL ([3H]CO-ac-LDL) followed by efflux to apolipoprotein-AI (apoA-I) in the presence of ACAT inhibitor (n=5). Efflux of [3H]-cholesterol was abolished in LIPA-/- IPSDM with massive lysosomal [3H]-CE accumulation, indicating deficiency in LIPA-mediated lysosomal CE hydrolysis. In non-lipid loading state, LIPA-/- IPSDM had high levels of CE mass compared with minute amounts in control IPSDM (11.34±0.49 vs. 2.42±0.44 ug/mg protein, n=3). Yet, with ac-LDL loading, CE mass was similarly increased in both control and LIPA-/- IPSDM (22.34±1.70 vs. 21.96±2.18 ug/mg). LIPA-/- also did not impact IPSDM lysosomal apoB degradation or [3H]-labeled free cholesterol efflux to apoA-I (4h and 20h) with ac-LDL loading. In conclusion, LIPA-/- IPSDM reveals macrophage-specific hallmarks of human LIPA LOF. CRISPR/Cas and IPSDM provide critical tools in assessing the impact of human LIPA genetic variation in diseases including the impact of GWAS CAD alleles in macrophage-specific functions in atherosclerosis.
SAG/ROC2/RBX2 is a HIF-1 target gene that promotes HIF-1α ubiquitination and degradation

SAG (sensitive to apoptosis gene) or ROC2/RBX2 is the second family member of ROC1/RBX1, a component of SCF (Skp1, Cullin, F-box protein) and VCB (von Hippel-Lindau (VHL), Cullin and Elongin B/C) E3 ubiquitin ligases. SAG protected cells from hypoxia-induced apoptosis when overexpressed. We report here that SAG was subjected to hypoxia induction at the levels of mRNA and protein. Hypoxia induction of SAG was largely HIF-1alpha dependent. A consensus HIF-1-binding site, GCGTG was identified in the first intron of the SAG gene. In response to hypoxia, HIF-1 bound to this site and transactivated SAG expression. SAG transactivation required both the intact binding site in cis and HIF-1alpha in trans. On the other hand, like its family member, ROC1, SAG promoted VHL-mediated HIF-1alpha ubiquitination and degradation, which was significantly inhibited upon small interfering RNA silencing of SAG or ROC1. Furthermore, the endogenous HIF-1alpha at both basal and hypoxia-induced levels was significantly increased upon SAG silencing. Finally, SAG forms in vivo complex with Cul-5 and VHL under hypoxia condition. These results suggest an HIF-1-SAG feedback loop in response to hypoxia, as follows: hypoxia induces HIF-1 to transactivate SAG. Induced SAG then promotes HIF-1alpha ubiquitination and degradation. This feedback loop may serve as a cellular defensive mechanism to reduce potential cytotoxic effects of prolonged HIF-1 activation under hypoxia.
The conformational basis of energy transformations in membrane systems. IV. Energized states and pinocytosis in erythrocyte ghosts.

Abstract An energized change in shape which corresponds to pinocytosis has been observed by electron microscopy in erythrocyte ghosts obtained from cow, pig, and rabbit blood. This pinocytosis requires ATP and is not induced by the imposition of an external osmotic pressure; ITP will not replace ATP as an energizing agent. Ouabain, which inhibits energized sodium and potassium movements, does not prevent pinocytosis. Since the hydrolysis of ATP is required to energize the movement of ions across the red cell membrane, it is hypothesized that the pinocytosis observed is a result of a conformational change induced in membrane subunits when they are energized by ATP. The conformationally energized state could be a required step in the movement of ions across the membrane. It could give rise to the gross shape changes of pinocytosis only in a membrane which is freed from normal constraints, as is the case for the erythrocyte ghost.
Ab initio calculation of electronic charge mobility in metal–organic frameworks

A density functional theory approach coupled with the Boltzmann transport equation within the relaxation time approximation was used to investigate the charge mobility for three MOF functionalization designs. The specific MOF investigated was a Zr-UiO-66 MOF with three functionalizations that included benzenedicarboxylate (BDC), BDC functionalized with an amino group (BDC + NH2), and BDC functionalized with a nitro group (BDC + NO2). Previous experimental studies have confirmed a 40% decrease in the optical band-gap with functionization; this study predicted an accompanying decrease in mobility by 14%. On the contrary, the charge density was found to increase with functionalization. The culmination of these two findings resulted in a predicted conductivity of approximately 3.8 × 10−8 S cm−1 for BDC design and decreasing less than 2% for other cases. Furthermore, band conduction was confirmed for this MOF design as a result of the de-localized π electron of the carbon atoms along the organic linker. Overall, the functionalization proved to decrease mobility; however, it was evident that the functionalization has potential for tailoring the spectral layout of low lying unoccupied orbitals and ultimately the charge concentration, which could prove to be important for increasing the overall conductivity of MOFs.
Mathematical Model and Experimental Results for Cryogenic Densification and Sub-Cooling Using a Submerged Cooling Source

Among the many factors that determine overall rocket performance, propellant density is important because it affects the size of the rocket. Thus, in order to decrease the size of a rocket, it may be desirable to increase the density of propellants. This study analyzes the concept of increasing the propellant density by employing a cooling source submerged in the liquid propellant. A simple, mathematical model was developed to predict the rate of densification and the propellant temperature profile. The mathematical model is generic and applicable to multiple propellants. The densification rate was determined experimentally by submerging a cooling source in liquid oxygen at constant, positive pressure, and measuring the time rate of change in temperature with respect to vertical position. The results from the mathematical model provided a reasonable fit when compared to experimental results.
Computation of the Conjugating Heat Transfer of Fuel and Oxidant Separated by a Heat-Generating Cell Tube in a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

A numerical model is presented in this work to compute the inter-dependent fields of flow, temperature and the concentrations of multiple gases in a single tubular solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system. It was supposed that the fuel gas supplied to the fuel cell is from a pre-reformer and thus contains hydrogen and proportions of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, steam, and methane. The model takes mixture gas properties of the fuel and oxidant as functions of the numerically obtained local temperature, pressure and species concentrations, which are inter-dependent and intimately related to the electrochemical reaction in the SOFC. In the iterative computation steps, local electrochemical parameters were simultaneously calculated based on the local parameters of pressure, temperature, and concentration of the species available at each step. Upon the convergence of the computation, both local details and the overall performance of the fuel cell could be obtained. The numerical results obtained are helpful for better understanding of the operation of SOFCs.© 2002 ASME
Study of Millimeter-Wave On-Wafer Calibration Techniques and Effect Upon HEMT Parameter Extraction

A new procedure has been developed to identify which calibration techniques are most suitable for millimeter-wave, on-wafer measurements. This work quantifies the sources and types of error encountered with SOLT and LRM calibrations in relation to multi-line TRL calibrations at V-band. A sensitivity analysis studies these calibration effects upon InP HEMT parameter extraction at V-Band.
Hierarchically ordered carbon tubes

Abstract Micropatterns of hierarchically ordered carbon tubes (i.e., ordered carbon microtubes composed of aligned carbon nanotubes ) were grown on a film-like iron/silica substrate consisting of ring-like catalyst patterns. The substrates were prepared by a combined technique, in which the sol–gel method was used to prepare catalyst film and transmission electron microscope grids were used as a shadow mask. In comparison with other techniques that involve sophisticated lithography, this approach represents a simple and low-cost way to the micropatterning of aligned carbon nanotubes.
Improving efficiency in active surveillance for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus at hospital admission.

Emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), are leading causes of infections in hospitalized patients that result in substantial costs, morbidity, and mortality.1–4 Efforts to decrease the incidence of healthcare-associated infections have included attempts to use active detection and isolation to reduce the transmission of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.5,6 MRSA and VRE have been the primary targets of active surveillance cultures, which typically are administered to all patients at admission to the hospital or to those on specific high-risk units within the hospital.5–8 Active surveillance cultures for MRSA are primarily based on cultures of nares samples,5,6,9 and those for VRE are based on cultures of perirectal samples.10,11 Recent studies have come to differing conclusions regarding the benefit of using active surveillance culturing for MRSA for all patients admitted to the hospital.5,6 There is likely a benefit to active surveillance in some types of facilities. Many institutions have adopted active surveillance for MRSA, including all Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, which mandate active surveillance culturing for MRSA for all patients admitted since 2007.12 The practice of active surveillance culturing for all patients admitted to the hospital is costly.13 Targeted active surveillance has been proposed to contain costs while preserving the potential benefits of active surveillance culturing.10 This method attempts to identify a group of patients at high risk for MRSA or VRE among the general population of patients admitted to the hospital.10 A prediction rule using the lone criterion of self-reported hospitalization during the past year was found to identify 76% of patients colonized with MRSA and 100% of patients colonized with VRE in a university hospital (with electronic hospital administrative data being significantly less predictive).10 Riedel et al11 examined prediction rules based on electronic hospital administrative data (disregarding patient self-reporting) in a VA hospital. They found electronic medical record (EMR) documentation of hospitalization during the past year to be the best rule, predicting 70% of MRSA colonization and 71% of VRE colonization. Other research has examined various prediction models for MRSA using many variables in more complex models. In general, these models are not feasible for screening at admission in most facilities because of the large number of variables that they include.14,15 To investigate the clinical utility of alternative methods for targeted active surveillance in a VA hospital population, we formed a prospective cohort of patients. In this cohort, we identified potential prediction rules from self-reported and EMR-documented variables and performed surveillance cultures for MRSA and VRE. Prediction rules were evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, and ability to identify and prevent days of exposure to MRSA and VRE.
Stability and Sharing of Value Norms among American University Student Cohorts in 1970, 1980, and 1990

Abstract To examine the stability of normative value profiles at one university in the western United States, a 100-item survey was administered to student cohorts in 1970, 1980, and 1990. The findings revealed a striking continuation of the normative value profile from decade to decade (rs = .95 and .97), with a high level of agreement between men and women in each cohort (rs = .94, .96, and .95). In addition, the average correlation of individuals with the group norm (rs = .63, .63, and .61 at succeeding decades) suggested considerable sharing of the normative profile. Values themselves also seemed to become more important to these students, as overall ratings of values increased from decade to decade. Although statistically significant changes occurred across decades in the average ratings for individual values, caution is encouraged in interpreting such changes as an indication of instability of normative values.
Adherence to asthma therapy in the preschool child

Preschool children's adherence to asthma therapy is often sub-optimal and can result in decreased quality of life for children and parents, as well as an increased risk for dangerous asthma exacerbations. Asthma management for the preschool child presents some unique challenges to adherence to therapy, including the child's limited ability to communicate, multiple caregivers responsible for medications, and parental concerns about medications. Parent beliefs, characteristics of the regimen, and family functioning have been associated with adherence levels. Understanding and improving adherence to asthma therapy for the preschool child will necessarily require addressing these age-specific concerns.
State of the art in hormonal contraception: an overview.

Abstract In June 2001, together with an esteemed group of colleagues, I had the opportunity to preside over a 2-day conference presented by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that focused on “Preventing Unintended Pregnancy: Advances in Hormonal Contraception.” This conference was a well-timed update of a similar program that took place in 1993. In the 8 years since that conference, there have been a number of major advances in the area of contraception. These advances include the introduction of new formulations of oral contraceptives, continued development of existing injectable and implantable delivery methods, and the development and approval of 2 novel delivery systems of contraceptive steroids. The 2001 conference provided a format for the presentation and discussion of these advances, and other important issues that impact both clinicians and patients. Both groups wish to have additional, effective, and safe methods of contraception that are easy to use.
Carboxylate binding to be(2+) in proteins and influence of the dielectric environment.

To gain insight into the interaction of Be 2 + ions with negatively charged protein residues, the free energy changes associated with the replacement of water molecules in the first hydration shell of Be(H 2 O) 2 + 4 with one and two acetate anions were computed for the gas phase reactions using ab initio methods at the MP2 and DFT-B3LYP computational levels. Both unidentate and bidentate modes of coordination of the carboxylate group with the Be 2 + ion are considered. Continuum dielectric calculations were then performed to estimate the corresponding free energy changes in several environments of varying dielectric strength. Environments with dielectric constants of 2 and 4, which represent a protein interior, and 78, which corresponds to water, were used. It is found that the free energy changes for the substitution reactions decrease in magnitude with increasing dielectric strength, in agreement with similar results reported for Mg 2 + , Ca 2 + , and Zn 2 + (Dudev et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2000, 104, 3692). However, unlike Mg 2 + , Ca 2 + , and Zn 2 + , the free energy change for single-anion or concerted two-anion substitution reactions with Be(H 2 O) 2 + 4 remains negative and indicates the reactions are still favorable in the high dielectric aqueous environment. It is also found that the unidentate mode of binding is favored over the bidentate mode, and this is attributed, in part, to the introduction of hydrogen bonds between one carboxylate oxygen and a water molecule within the cluster when unidentate binding with Be 2 + is involved.
Uptake of sorbitol by chick embryo heart cells at various stages of development.

Sorbitol enters chick embryo heart cells from five days of development on. The rate of sorbitol entry becomes slower as development proceeds and the data suggest this is principally due to an increase in the apparentK m of transport, theV max remaining relatively constant. The uptake of sorbitol displays saturation kinetics and is believed on this ground to be carrier-mediated. Sorbitol does not appear to be actively transported since it is not concentrated against a gradient and its uptake is not inhibited by iodoacetate or 2,4-dinitrophenol. Sorbitol does not appear to be taken up via the glucose transport system since uptake is not stimulated by insulin or inhibited by glucose or phloretin.
The control of chemical reactivity

Abstract An analysis of the factors that govern the outcome of Donor-Acceptor reactions in solution is presented. It is shown that the narrowing “Gap” between the “Stereodirecting Orbitals” is the overwhelming factor responsible for the formation of alternate products in ambident reactions.
The known and the unknown about oxygen use.

It is interesting, as well as disturbing, to find wide variability in the use of oxygen (O2) among neonatologists following discharge of premature infants from the hospital. Some physicians do not prescribe O2 unless pulse oximetery O2 saturation (SPO2) of the premature infant is less than 84%; while others recommend supplemental O2 when SPO2 is below 98%. This wide variation in the use of O2 suggests that our knowledge about O2 is far from adequate. Oxygen is, without a doubt, important for life. Even a short absence, can be disastrous, and can lead to long-term neurological consequences. Chronic hypoxia may lead to learning, cognitive, and attention disabilities when it occurs in utero as observed in small-for-date infants or postnatally as in children with congenital heart diseases. Oxygen is required for cell metabolism and for growth. Some physicians advocate use of ‘‘excess’’ oxygen to ensure proper oxygenation, weight gain and more regular breathing. Still, an excess of oxygen is not safe. In 1954, Dr. William Silverman taught us a lesson with the discovery of an association between increased inspired O2 concentration (FiO2) and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). It had become fashionable in the 12 preceding years to provide supplemental O2 to establish regular rhythmic breathing in premature infants based on the then ‘‘current available’’ knowledge. Thousands of newborns developed blindness until it was discovered that using supplemental O2 was based on beliefs, not science. Premature infants, when supplied with excess O2 to sustain SPO2 >95%, developed O2 dependency, bronchiopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and pneumonia, without improving neurological outcomes when compared to SPO2 <95%. Oxygen can also harm term infants. The use of oxygen for a brief period of time (median of 7 min) during resuscitation of fullterm infants in the delivery room can cause an oxidative stress, detectable even a month following exposure to O2. 8 Supplemental oxygen use in infants with severe persistent pulmonary hypertension, and need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, is associated with abnormal pulmonary mechanics when measured at 10 to 15 years of age. The severity of these pulmonary changes correlates significantly with the duration of exposure to supplemental O2. 9
Experimental studies of a direct methanol fuel cell

Systematic experiments have been conducted to study the effects of various operating parameters on the performances of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The effects of cell operating temperature, methanol concentration, anode flow rate, air flow rate, and cathode humidification have been studied. The experimental results showed that all the studied operating parameters, except the cathode humidification, have significant effects on the DMFC cell performances, and the cathode humidification has almost negligible effect. The study revealed that the detrimental effect of methanol crossover can be alleviated by increasing cathode air flow rate or oxygen partial pressure. This result showed that the cathode structure and operating condition may play a very important role in DMFC design and operations. The experimental results are presented in both graphical and tabular forms.
Computerized Ultrasonic Arteriography: A New Technique for Imaging the Carotid Bifurcation

The development of a new noninvasive computerized technique for producing simultaneous lateral, anterior-posterior, and transverse views of the carotid bifurcation for the diagnosis of occlusive disease is described. These multiplanar views have been used to detect 40 percent diameter reductions with a sensitivity of 100 percent and a specificity of 85 percent in 94 comparisons with vessel X-rays.