cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Mediterranean Diet in the Stroke Belt: A Cross-Sectional Study on Adherence and Perceived Knowledge, Barriers, and Benefits

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, yet little is known about the perceived barriers and benefits to the diet in the U.S., particularly in the Stroke Belt (SB). Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine MedDiet adherence and perceived knowledge, benefits, and barriers to the MedDiet in the U.S. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1447 participants in the U.S., and responses were sorted into geographic groups: the SB, California (CA), and all other US states (OtherUS). Linear models and multivariable linear regression analysis was used for data analysis. Convenience, sensory factors, and health were greater barriers to the MedDiet in the SB group, but not the OtherUS group (p < 0.05). Weight loss was considered a benefit of the MedDiet in the SB (p < 0.05), while price and familiarity were found to be less of a benefit (p < 0.05). Respondents with a bachelor’s degree or greater education had greater total MEDAS scores (p < 0.05) and obese participants had a lower MedDiet adherence score (p < 0.05). Our results identify key barriers and benefits of the MedDiet in the SB which can inform targeted MedDiet intervention studies.
Ovarian stimulation for fertility preservation or family building in a cohort of transgender men.

The purpose of this study was to compare ovarian stimulation and pregnancy outcomes between transgender men (1) with and without a history of testosterone use (HRT) and (2) to cisgender women. Retrospective chart review between January 1st 2015 and March 1st, 2019 of transgender men and cisgender women seeking ovarian stimulation (OS) matched by BMI and age. Outcomes were compared using Fisher’s exact or Wilcoxon’s rank sum tests. Thirteen transgender men presented for OS, 7 who used HRT. When comparing transgender men with and without a history of HRT, there were no differences in the baseline follicle count, cycle length, or FSH and hmG used (p = 0.193, 0.306, 0.200, and 0.197, respectively). Transgender men who used HRT had lower peak estradiol and oocytes retrieved compared to transgender men with no HRT use; peak estradiol levels of 1175 pg/mL IQR [559.5–2684]) vs 2713.5 pg/mL IQR [2335–3105]; oocytes retrieved 12 IQR [4–26]) vs. 25.5 [18–28] (p = 0.046. and 0.038, respectively). There were no differences in the estradiol level per oocyte, meiosis II oocyte yield, or maturity rate (MII/oocytes) between the two groups (p = 1.000, 0.148, and 0.147, respectively). Peak estradiol levels were lower among transgender men compared to cisgender women (p = 0.016), but the remaining cycle characteristics were similar between the two groups. Three successful pregnancies were conceived using the oocytes of transgender men who used HRT. HRT use may not negatively impact ovarian stimulation outcomes. Clinical pregnancies are possible from the oocytes of transgender men with a history of HRT.
Whose Voice Do We Hear in the Marketplace? Evidence from Consumer Complaining Behavior

Victims from heavily minority areas complain to the government much less than those from nonminority areas, relative to their degree of victimization.
Constitutional Diseases: Amplification-Based Next-Generation Sequencing

Disease-targeted testing is an appropriate choice for constitutional disorders with genetic heterogeneity and clinically overlapping features. Multigene panel testing using next-generation sequencing (NGS) is an exciting method that allows concurrent testing of all genes known to have clinical relevance for a disorder, which leads to a speedy diagnosis and better overall clinical yield. The selection of genes to include in a multigene panel test should be based on the best available evidence. Moreover, multigene panel testing aims for complete sequencing coverage of all the exons included in the panel. To achieve complete sequencing coverage requires validating multigene panels to evaluate and identify the exons with inadequate NGS coverage, and proactively Sanger sequencing the low-coverage exons. Once a test is validated, variants are screened and sorted using a number of bioinformatics tools to identify potential disease-causing mutations.
Nanophotonics for Photon Upconversion Enhancement

Lanthanide-based upconversion materials convert low-energy infrared photons into high-energy visible photons with much higher efficiency than two-photon absorption or second harmonic generation. Naturally, they have attracted much attention for potential applications in solar energy harvesting, photocatalysis, security, and biological imaging. Despite the high promise, the intrinsic conversion efficiency of upconversion materials remains low for most applications. The emergent nanophotonic technologies could provide a powerful tool to boost the upconversion efficiency and enable novel applications. In this chapter, we provide an in-depth review of the theoretical foundation for light-matter interaction, dynamics of luminescence upconversion process, and nanophotonic enhancement mechanisms. We then provide a comprehensive survey of recent progress in nanophotonic enhancement of upconversion. The use of plasmonic and dielectric nanostructures has led to 2–3 orders of magnitude improvements in upconversion efficiency. The accelerating pace of progress makes nanophotonically enhanced upconversion a highly promising platform for novel photonic applications.
The historian as unifier of probability’s diversity

Marc Barbut eut cette rare capacite de relier les nombreuses communautes qui etudient et utilisent les probabilites. La vocation de l’historien des probabilites requiert une constante ouverture et generosite d’esprit.
Modulation of the 'S' K+ channel by cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation in cell-free membrane patches.

Publisher Summary One of the best characterized second messenger systems is the cyclic 5',3'-adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) cascade that results in the activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase (cAMPdPK) according to the following scheme: Neurotransmitter (the first messenger) binds to a receptor coupled to the enzyme adenylate cyclase and leads to a rise in intracellular levels of cAMP (the second messenger); cAMP binds to the regulatory subunit of cAMPdPK and activates the enzyme by causing the dissociation of the regulatory from the catalytic subunit; and free catalytic subunit then phosphorylates target substrate proteins. cAMP-dependent protein phosphorylation has been shown to affect several voltage-gated conductances in neurons and the heart muscle. Evidence for the role of cAMP in neurotransmission has been obtained in a variety of ways. These include the demonstration that a neurotransmitter's effect is mimicked by intracellular injection of cAMP or bath application of membrane-permeable analogs of cAMP by the application of drugs that stimulate adenylate cyclase, or by direct injection of the catalytic subunit of cAMPdPK. The blockade of cAMP effects have also been demonstrated using a specific protein inhibitor of the catalytic subunit of cAMPdPK.
An increasing sequence of stein manifolds whose limit is not Stein

This question was raised in 1933 by Behnke-Thullen [2] in the case when M is an open subset of complex Euclidean space. In the same paper they solved this problem for various special domains M. The problem was solved affirmatively for arbitrary open subsets M in IF" by Behnke-Stein [1, 1938]. K. Stein [4, 1956] proved that M is Stein if each M i is relatively Runge in Mi+ 1. Docquier-Grauert [3, 1960] showed that M is a Stein manifold if there exists a family {Mt},t~[O, 1), of Stein open subsets such that M = U M t and such O ' o_-<t<to Q) Mt=Mt°=int(\to<t<lO Mr). Actually their theorem
X-RAY AND ALKYLATING AGENTS ALTER DIFFERENTIATION OF SURVIVING HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS.

Repopulation assays indicate that erythrocyte differentiation is preferentially impaired in the progeny of progenitor cells surviving radiation or alkylating agents. This was confirmed by study of the iron incorporation into spleen colonies produced by survivors of such treatments. These colonies were characterized by a reduced size and decreased radioactive iron incorporation. Thus, it appears that radiation and alkylating agents not only affect survival of stem cells, but also alter the differentation capacities of such surviving cells.
Winter variability in the western Gulf of Maine: Part 1: Internal tides

Abstract During the winter 1997–1998, a field program was conducted in Wilkinson Basin–western Gulf of Maine–as part of a study of winter convective mixing. The field program consisted of (1) Wilkinson basin-scale hydrographic surveys, (2) a tight three-mooring array with ∼100 m separations measured temperature and conductivity at rates of 2–15 min and (3) a single pair of upward/downward-looking pair acoustic Doppler current profiling (ADCP) instruments measured currents with 8 m vertical resolution over the 270 m water column in north-central Wilkinson basin at a rate of 10 min. The moored array measurements below the mixed layer (∼100 m depth) between 11 January and 6 February 1998 were dominated by a combination of the relatively strong semidiurnal external (depth-independent or barotropic) tide; upon which were superposed a weaker phase-locked semidiurnal internal tide and a very weak water column mean currents of about 1 cm/s southward or approximately across the local isobaths. The harmonic analysis of a vertical average of the relatively uniform ADCP velocities in the well-mixed upper 123 m of the water column, defined the external tidal currents which were dominated by a nearly rectilinear, across-isobath (326°T) M 2 semidiurnal tidal current of about 15 cm/s. The depth-dependent residual current field, which was created by subtracting the external tidal current, consisted of (1) clockwise-rotating semidiurnal internal tidal currents of about 5 cm/s below the mixed layer; (2) clockwise-rotating inertial currents; and (3) a considerably less energetic subtidal current variability. The results from both frequency-domain empirical orthogonal function and tidal harmonic analyses of the of isotherm displacement series at each of the three moorings in the 100 m array mutually confirm an approximate east-northeastward phase propagation of the dominant M 2 semidiurnal internal tide across Wilkinson Basin. Further investigation supports the idea that this winter internal tide is very likely generated by the interaction of the external tidal currents and the southwestern wall of Wilkinson Basin. The definitions of the local Wilkinson Basin external tide and phase-locked internal tides will enable us to analyze a less “noisy” set of measurements for the subtle atmospherically forced convective and wind-driven motions.
Geometrical and physical models for the recovery of quantitative information from medical image analysis

Summary form only given. The development of methods to accurately and reproducibly recover useful quantitative information from medical images is often hampered by uncertainties in handling these data related to image acquisition parameters, the variability of normal human anatomy and physiology, the presence of disease or other abnormal conditions, and a variety of other factors. Several image analysis strategies are presented that make use of models based on geometrical and physical/biomechanical information to help constrain the range of possible solutions in the presence of such uncertainty. Included are approaches for image segmentation, object motion tracking, shape/volume measurement, and deformation analysis. These ideas are presented in the context of three problem/application areas within the general field of organ/tissue-level medical image analysis: (i) the characterization of cardiac function from noninvasive 4D image data, (ii) the analysis of neuro-anatomical structure from magnetic resonance images, and (iii) the development of an approach that compensates for brain shift in the image data during image-guided neurosurgery. The talk will include a description of the problem areas and visual examples of the image datasets being used, an overview of the mathematical techniques involved and a presentation of results obtained when analyzing patient image data using these methods.
Context-Dependent Authentication and Access Control

As mobile computing continues to rise, users are increasingly able to connect to remote services from a wide range of settings. To provide this flexibility, security policies must be adaptive to the user’s environment when the request is made. In our work, we define context to include the spatiotemporal aspects of the user request, in addition to quantifiable environmental factors determined by the server hosting the resource. We identify a number of key open problems in this field and propose potential solutions to some of the problems.
The Bradycardia-Tachycardia Syndrome:Treatment with Cardiac Drugs and Adrenal Corticosteroid

Seven patients of S-A block complicated by tachycardic paroxysms of atrial fibrillation or flutter were described and the medical treatment in this syndrome was reappraised. Damage to S-A node and adjacent atrial tissue was assumed in all patients. All the patients had syncopal attacks associated with cardiac arrest occurring especially at the termination of tachycardia. Overdrive suppression of diseased S-A node and lower automatic pacemakers was demonstrated by ECG recordings. The term "bradycardia-tachycardia syndrome" or "syndrome of alternating bradycardia and tachycardia" seemed appropriate.In spite of difficulty of medical treatment reiterated by previous descriptions, 6 of 7 patients were improved with drug therapy, including adrenal corticosteroid. Adrenal corticosteroid in combination with orciprenaline or belladonna alkaloids was most helpful among the drugs used. Obviously, pacemaker implantation should be performed without delay in patients with frequent and prolonged attacks of syncope. But not all patients have need of pacemaker implantation. A trial of drug therapy may be permitted in many patients of this syndrome before introduction of pacemaker.
Coping by police officers: A study of role stress and Type A and Type B Behavior Patterns

This research examined the ways police officers appraise and cope with naturally occurring stressful events. We utilized interview and questionnaire instruments to obtain descriptions of the stressful events, how the events were appraised, and the ways in which officers coped. Analyses tested the situational specificity of the Type A behaviour pattern. As hypothesized, Type A officers selected strategies that were more active and narrowly focused on the problem than did Type B officers. For the Type A officer coping was relatively independent of appraisal, whereas for the Type B officer coping and appraisal were interdependent processes.
The effects of a mindfulness-based stress reduction programme on pre-sleep cognitive arousal and insomnia symptoms: a pilot study

The use of mindfulness meditation for stress management has grown in recent years. Practising mindfulness meditation has been shown to help manage stress and decrease arousal, both of which are associated with difficulty sleeping; thus, mindfulness-based stress management programmes may have a positive impact on sleep. The effects of an 8-week mindfulness-based stress management programme on pre-sleep cognitive arousal and insomnia symptoms were examined. Sleep was assessed with self-report measures and objectively with actigraphy. Results showed lower levels of pre-sleep arousal and milder subjective insomnia symptoms post-intervention. Longer duration of meditation practice in the final week was associated with greater decreases in cognitive arousal scores. No improvements were found in objectively measured sleep variables. The results of this study suggest that mindfulness-based stress management can lead to improvements in cognitive arousal and self-reports of sleep, even in the absence of objective evidence of sleep improvement. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Separation, identification and determination of short-chained calcium polyphosphates from pyrolyzed calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite.

Abstract Two liquid-liquid partition chromatography systems were employed to separate calcium ortho-, pyro- and tripolyphosphates on thin layers of micro-crystalline cellulose. Chromatography on anion-exchange thin layers of polyethyleneimine was unsuccessful. The liquid-liquid partition system was used to demonstrate that the major condensation product produced on pyrolysis of calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite is calcium pyrophosphate.
Meteoritic event recorded in Antarctic ice

During systematic sampling of volcanic ash (tephra) layers at a well-known Antarctic meteorite collection site (the Allan Hills main ice field), a band of unusually dark and rounded (many spheroidal) particles was discovered. This debris layer (BIT-58) extends parallel to the stratigraphy of the ice established from the tephra bands, apparently marking a single depositional event. The shapes, internal texture, major element composition, and levels of cosmogenic nuclides of particles from within BIT-58 all strongly suggest that this material represents ablation debris from the passage of a large H-group ordinary chondrite. Preliminary cosmogenic isotope dating suggests an age of 2.8 Ma, implying that the East Antarctic ice sheet has been stable since that time. The relationship of the Bit-58 layer to known impact events is not clear.
Treatment Patterns of FIGO Stage IB2 Cervical Cancer: A Single-Institution Experience of Radical Hysterectomy with Individualized Postoperative Therapy and Definitive Radiation Therapy

Objective The treatment of FIGO stage IB2 cervical cancer is controversial. Our aim was to assess treatment patterns, outcomes, and complications in patients with stage IB2 cervical cancer.
Surface films of desoxyribonucleic acid

Abstract High polymer desoxyribonucleic acid may be spread over 2 M NaCl at pH 7, the material being deposited on the surface from dilute aqueous solution. The thickness of the films has been estimated by extrapolation of force-area curves of films of known initial concentration and by direct optical measurement of the thickness of films deposited on solid surfaces. Both methods yield a value of approximately 22 A for the thickness of the DNA films. The thickness tends to decrease as the pH of the underlying solution is lowered, and the decrease is associated with an irreversible change in the system. The possible bearing of these observations on the analysis of the structure of DNA is discussed.
Mathematical model of a gas diffusion electrode bonded to a polymer electrolyte

A mathematical model for an ion-exchange membrane attached to a gas-fed porous electrode is derived and discussed. The model is applied to simulate the oxygen electrode of a polymer-electrolyte fuel cell. Our discussion focuses on cell polarization characteristics, water transport, and catalyst utilization—all of which must be considered for fuel-cell design. Calculated polarization behavior is shown to compare favorably with published experimental data. Our results indicate that if the membrane maintains full saturation, its contribution to the total cell resistance is most significant at higher operating current densities (greater than 200 mA/cm2). Polarization resistance due to the oxygen reduction reaction appears to be important for all practical current densities. Water transport, driven by pressure and electric-potential forces, is shown to be a complicated function of the cell operating conditions. The utilization and distribution of noble-metal catalyst is discussed.
Functional Mutation of Multiple Solvent-Exposed Loops in the Ecballium elaterium Trypsin Inhibitor-II Cystine Knot Miniprotein

Background The Ecballium elaterium trypsin inhibitor (EETI-II), a 28-amino acid member of the knottin family of peptides, contains three interwoven disulfide bonds that form multiple solvent-exposed loops. Previously, the trypsin binding loop of EETI-II has been engineered to confer binding to several alternative molecular targets. Here, EETI-II was further explored as a molecular scaffold for polypeptide engineering by evaluating the ability to mutate two of its structurally adjacent loops. Methodology/principal findings Yeast surface display was used to engineer an EETI-II mutant containing two separate integrin binding epitopes. The resulting knottin peptide was comprised of 38 amino acids, and contained 11- and 10-residue loops compared to wild-type EETI-II, which naturally contains 6- and 5-residue loops, respectively. This knottin peptide bound to α(v)β(3) and α(v)β(5) integrins with affinities in the low nanomolar range, but bound weakly to the related integrins α(5)β(1) and α(iib)β(3). In addition, the engineered knottin peptide inhibited tumor cell adhesion to vitronectin, an extracellular matrix protein that binds to α(v)β(3) and α(v)β(5) integrins. A (64)Cu radiolabeled version of this knottin peptide demonstrated moderate serum stability and excellent tumor-to-muscle and tumor-to-blood ratios by positron emission tomography imaging in human tumor xenograft models. Tumor uptake was ∼3-5% injected dose per gram (%ID/g) at one hour post injection, with rapid clearance of probe through the kidneys. Conclusions/significance We demonstrated that multiple loops of EETI-II can be mutated to bind with high affinity to tumor-associated integrin receptors. The resulting knottin peptide contained 21 (>50%) non-native amino acids within two mutated loops, indicating that extended loop lengths and sequence diversity were well tolerated within the EETI-II scaffold. A radiolabeled version of this knottin peptide showed promise for non-invasive imaging of integrin expression in living subjects. However, reduced serum and metabolic stability were observed compared to an engineered integrin-binding EETI-II knottin peptide containing only one mutated loop.
Ageing and attentional control.

The research examines the structural bottleneck account and the resource account of the substantial dual-task deficits among older adults. Procedures from two common dual-task methodologies—the psy...
Restraint stress alters lung gene expression in an experimental influenza A viral infection

In the present study the global effect of restraint stress on gene expression in the murine lung during an experimental influenza A/PR8 viral infection was examined. Gene expression profiling using high density oligonucleotide microarrays revealed that the expression of 95 genes was altered on day 3 post infection (p.i.), while 48 genes were altered on day 7 p.i. Restraint stress reduced and delayed the expression of specific cytokines, cell adhesion molecules and cell surface receptors indicating alterations in cell migration to the site of infection. Furthermore, mapping of the candidate genes to known pathways revealed that genes associated with host defense and immune responses, including chemotaxis and chemokine function, antigen presentation and processing, MHC class II receptor function and inflammation were the major pathways affected by restraint stress.
Numerical and Experimental Study of Shielding Gas Orientation Effects on Particle Stream Concentration Mode in Coaxial Laser Aided Material Deposition Process

Laser aided deposition quality largely depends on the powder stream structure below the nozzle. Modeling of the powder concentration distribution rarely relies on the numerical approach partially due to the complex phenomenon involved in the two-phase turbulence flow. In this paper, a numerical model is introduced to predict the particle-gas flow precisely and economically in order to meet the practical requirement for coaxial nozzle design optimizations. This model is able to quantitatively predict the powder stream concentration mode under different outer shielding gas directions and inner/outer gas velocity ratio. The numerical simulation results are compared with the experimental study using prototyped coaxial nozzles. The results are found to match. This study shows that the particle concentration mode is influenced significantly by the outer gas direction and gas flow settings.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Coulomb repulsion effects in driven electron transport

We study numerically the influence of strong Coulomb repulsion on the current through molecular wires that are driven by external electromagnetic fields. The molecule is described by a tight-binding model whose first and last site is coupled to a respective lead. The leads are eliminated within a perturbation theory yielding a master equation for the wire. The decomposition into a Floquet basis enables an efficient treatment of the driving field. For the electronic excitations in bridged molecular wires, we find that strong Coulomb repulsion significantly sharpens resonance peaks which broaden again with increasing temperature. By contrast, it has only a small influence on effects like non-adiabatic electron pumping and coherent current suppression.
Spheroid Chromatin Units (ν Bodies)

Linear arrays of spherical chromatin particles (nu bodies) about 70 angstroms in diameter have been observed in preparations of isolated eukaryotic nuclei swollen in water, centrifuged onto carbon films, and positively or negatively stained. These bodies have been found in isolated rat thymus, rat liver, and chicken erythrocyte nuclei. Favorable views also reveal connecting strands about 15 angstroms wide between adjacent particles.
Ernst Mayr as Community Architect: Launching the Society for the Study of Evolution and the Journal Evolution

Ernst Mayr's contributions to 20th century biology extend far beyond his defense of certain elements in evolutionary theory. At the center of mid-century efforts in American evolutionary studies to build large research communities, Mayr spearheaded campaigns to create a Society for the Study of Evolution and a dedicated journal,Evolution, in 1946. Begun to offset the prominence ofDrosophila biology and evolutionary genetics, these campaigns changed course repeatedly, as impediments appeared, tactics shifted, and compromises built a growing coalition of support. Preserved, however, were designs to “balance” the community and journal with careful equation of status and explicit partitioning of responsibilities within the working coalition. Choice terms such as “cooperation” and “unity” carried a strong political message. Mayr's editorship ofEvolution provides a superb example of these “balancing” efforts. The mid-century infrastructural activities described herein also represented aggressive attempts to leverage control across several layers of community. Leaders of these campaigns sought: (1) to promote evolutionary studies as a modernized research discipline and place it at the center of American biology, (2) to promote evolutionary studies within existing disciplines — e.g. systematics, genetics, and paleontology, (3) to foster certain research styles within evolutionary studies, and (4) to emphasize certain solutions to prominent research questions. Throughout, Mayr interjected his priorities, tactics and energy.
Immunoreactive enkephalin is contained within some trigeminal and spinal neurons projecting to the rat medial thalamus

In order to determine whether enkephalin is contained within rat trigeminothalamic and spinothalamic neurons, we have combined the techniques of retrograde labeling and immunocytochemistry. Injection sites were limited to medial thalamic nuclei. Retrogradely labeled neurons were most often seen contralaterally in trigeminal and spinal laminae I, V, VI and VII. After immunocytochemical processing, about 10% of the retrogradely labeled cells exhibited enkephalin immunoreactivity. These double-labeled neurons were located in laminae VI and VII.
An amplitude-stabilized bridged-t oscillator

In an analog computer application which used several nonlinear elements, there arose a need for a sinusoidal oscillator of 2,500 cps (cycles per second) frequency, with frequency stability of better than 0.5%, amplitude stability greater than 0.2%, and a harmonic content of less than 0.2%. There are very few circuits which can reconcile these requirements, one of these being the Meacham oscillator.1 If the requirement is for an oscillator in the audio-frequency range, the Meacham circuit loses its attractiveness, since quartz crystals in this frequency range are rather cumbersome. If an inductor and a capacitor are substituted for the crystal, it is found that some other circuits have better inherent phase magnification.
The indeterminate permit for utilities serving municipalities

Several states, starting with Wisconsin in 1907, have adopted the indeterminate permit. The advantages and disadvantages of such a permit are set forth in this article.
Experimental investigation on tritium gettering with hydrogen uranyl phosphate (HUP)

At room-temperature and atmospheric pressure, using electrode disks of various sizes, under the action 4 ∼ 7Vdc eletric field, we gettered tritium gas from 2.2L of air containing (0.15 ∼ 18.61)×108 Bq of tritium and (3000 ∼ 12000) ppm of moisture during 50 hours or so the efficiency of gettering tritium was over 95%. Applying liquid scintillation counting method, we measured the tritium in the disks after gettering, and found that the amounts of tritium in the disks were equal to those reduced in the tested tritiated air.
Inhibition of the puromycin reaction with benzamidine and related compounds.

The similarity between the mode of action of proteolytic enzymes and ribosomal peptidyltransferasecatalyzed peptide bond formation is of considerable current interest [1,2]. Peptidyltransferase can function essentially in three possible ways: (i) Via a double displacement mechanism involving an acyl-enzyme (ribosome) intermediate as found in serine proteases [3 ]; (ii) By a direct transfer of peptidyl residue to aminoacyl function without forming a covalent ribosomal intermediate or catalytic participation of the ribosome [4]; or ('tii) Via a concerted cyclic mechanism which includes both transfer of peptidyl moiety and proton [5] from a suitably oriented functional group on the ribosome. One approach to an evaluation of possibility (i) is to study a response of some known inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes in a suitable model system of peptidyltransferase-catalyzed peptide bond formation. Thus, it was reported [6] that phenylboronic acids, a group of chymotrypsin irthibitors [7], inhibited the fragment reaction and also, to a lesser extent, the reaction of N-Ac-Phe-tRNA with puromycin. Unlike proteases, which are fairly specific for distinct amino acids, ribosomal peptidyltransferase is capable of catalyzing peptide-bond formation with aminoacyl tRNAs derived from all 20 amino acids. It is then likely that peptidyltransferase can incorporate the active site features of proteolytic enzymes other than simply those of chymotrypsin. Therefore, it was of interest to study a group of aromatic amidines, which are known to inhibit trypsin [8] as possible inhibitors of peptidyltransferase. All amidine derivatives, L-arginine and sodium benzoate, used here, were commercial products of the highest available purity./3-Phenylethylboronic acid was prepared as in [9,10]. The pH of all inhibitor solutions was adjusted to 7.4 with HC1 or NaOH prior to the assay. Inhibition of the puromycin reaction was performed as in [11 ]. A typical reaction mixture conrained in 0.1 ml: 0.05 M Tris-HC1 (pH 7.4), 0.1 M NH4CI, 0.01 M MgC12, 4.0 A26o units of NH4-washed 70 S ribosomes from E. coli MRE 600 cells, 10 g poly(U), 0.20 A26o units of N-Ac-[14C]Phe-tRNA (~5200 cpm, spec. act. 0.84 nmol [~4C]phenylalanine/mg tRNA), puromycin 1 X 10 -s M and inhibitor at desired concentrations. Following the incubation at 37°C for 30 mill, the reaction was stopped by addition of 0.1 ml 0.1 M Be(NOa)2 in 0.3 M acetate buffer (pH 5.5) saturated with MgSO4 and the products were extracted with 1.5 ml ethyl acetate. Ethyl acetate phase (1 ml) was transferred to a scintillation vial and the radioactivity was determined in 10 ml Scinti Verse TM scintillation mixture (Fisher Scientific Co., Fair Lawn N J) in a Packard Tri-Carb liquid scintillation spectrometer at 73% counting efficiency. Percent inhibition represents the difference in ethyl acetate extracted N-acetyl-L[ ~4 C] phenylalanylpuromycin counts in the absence and in the presence of inhibitors. Further experimental details are provided in the figure legends.
PANEL UNIT ROOT TESTS WITH CROSS-SECTION DEPENDENCE: A FURTHER INVESTIGATION

An effective way to control for cross-section correlation when conducting a panel unit root test is to remove the common factors from the data. However, there remain many ways to use the defactored residuals to construct a test. In this paper, we use the panel analysis of nonstationarity in idiosyncratic and common components (PANIC) residuals to form two new tests. One estimates the pooled autoregressive coefficient, and one simply uses a sample moment. We establish their large-sample properties using a joint limit theory. We find that when the pooled autoregressive root is estimated using data detrended by least squares, the tests have no power. This result holds regardless of how the data are defactored. All PANIC-based pooled tests have nontrivial power because of the way the linear trend is removed.
THE CAUSE OF THE EXCESSIVE CALCIUM EXCRETION THROUGH THE FECES IN INFANTILISM

Analyses of the principal known bases and acids of the feces in cases of infantilism in which excessive amounts of calcium are being lost, and comparison with cases which are normal in this respect, show that the fats, fatty acids, and volatile acids are not high, and lead to the conclusion that the loss of calcium is not secondary to the presence of large quantities of phosphates, fatty acids, or volatile acids.
Quantification of G250 mRNA expression in renal epithelial neoplasms by real‐time reverse transcription‐PCR of dissected tissue from paraffin sections

Summary Aim Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) represents the most common malignant tumour in the kidney and is resistant to conventional therapies. G250 is a tumour-associated antigen and is expressed mainly in clear cell RCC. It is a potential therapeutic target as well as a diagnostic marker for RCC. Previous studies relating to G250 protein or G250 mRNA expression in RCC using human tissue have largely been limited to immunohistochemical or conventional RT-PCR approaches that lack reproducibility, are subject to observer bias and are at most semi-quantitative. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of using real-time RT-PCR in quantifying G250 mRNA expression using tissue dissected from paraffin sections of renal epithelial neoplasms. Using this approach, we performed a preliminary study investigating the relationship between G250 expression and tumor behavior in clear cell RCC. Methods A total of 53 radical nephrectomy specimens with renal epithelial neoplasms (nine oncocytoma, seven chro-mophobe RCC, four papillary RCC and 33 clear cell RCC) were included in this study. SYBR Green real-time RT-PCR was performed using the ABI PRISM 7700 Sequence Detection System. A TATA box-binding protein ( TBP ) was used as an endogenous reference gene. Results Our study showed that real-time RT-PCR is a reliable approach in quantifying G250 mRNA expression using paraffin sections. Using this methodology, G250 mRNA was detected in all of the clear cell RCCs, but none of the other types of tumours studied or in normal kidney tissue. Our study also suggested that the expression of G250 mRNA might correlate with tumour stage and overall survival.
Dynamic Influence of Valence Neutrons upon the Complete Fusion of Massive Nuclei

Excitation functions for complete fusion of $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ + $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$, $^{58}\mathrm{Ni}$ + $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$, and $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ + $^{64}\mathrm{Ni}$ have been determined over a range of energies from just above to well below the fusion barrier. The response of these excitation functions to the addition of valence neutrons is found to be surprisingly complex. We suggest that at least part of the observed variations may be due to dynamic, single-particle effects.
Piero della Francesca's Fresco of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta before St. Sigismund: ΘEΩI AΘANATΩI KAI THI ΠOΛEI

On the flanks of the Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini are two remarkable dedicatory inscriptions written in Greek (Fig. 1a, b). They are identical and read in translation.
Futility and avoidance. Medical professionals in the treatment of obesity.

TWENTY years ago, I changed course in my internal medicine practice and decided, rather deliberately, to work on the problem of obesity. My friends, my colleagues, and my family thought I was crazy. The warnings were clear. "Don't risk your credibility and your career." "Don't venture into a part of medicine that no one takes seriously." "Don't move into the world of quacks and charlatans." My brother, a thoughtful, professorial cardiologist, assessed the situation in most negative terms. "The guys who deal with obesity are the sleaziest guys in medicine. Pills and shots!" he shouted. Another friend, also comfortably cloistered in academia, could not imagine how I could possibly want to spend my time working with fat, middle-aged ladies: "What on earth is there to talk about?" Taking the Plunge Even in my naive youth I was not oblivious to the risks involved in dealing with obesity. Although my credentials
Cyclosporine microemulsion and tacrolimus are associated with decreased chronic allograft failure and improved long-term graft survival as compared with sandimmune

Tacrolimus and cyclosporine in the microemulsion formulation Neoral® have demonstrated improvements in acute rejection rates after renal transplantation compared with conventional cyclosporine formulation, Sandimmune®. To evaluate whether these drugs are also associated with improvements in chronic allograft failure (CAF) rates, we retrospectively analyzed 32 040 primary renal allograft recipients reported to the United States Renal Data System (USRDS) between 1994 and 1997. Graft loss secondary to CAF was defined as graft loss beyond 6 months post-transplant, censored for death, acute rejection, thrombosis, infections and noncompliance. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to investigate the relationship between graft loss secondary to CAF and the use of conventional cyclosporine formulation, as opposed to cyclosporine microemulsion and tacrolimus (Prograf®). The analysis was corrected for confounding variables, such as acute rejection, sex, race, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) mismatch, % panel reactive antibodies (PRA), delayed graft function (DGF), cold ischemia time, induction therapy, dialysis time, etiology of end-stage renal disease, cytomegalovirus (CMV) risk group, donor source, era effect, and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) use. Cyclosporine microemulsion use was associated with a significantly lower relative risk (RR = 0.6, CI = 0.5–0.7) for CAF as opposed to conventional cyclosporine formulation. Likewise tacrolimus as compared with conventional cyclosporine formulation was associated with a significantly lower relative risk (RR = 0.7, CI = 0.6–0.8) for CAF. Conventional cyclosporine formulation treatment was associated with a 87.6% adjusted CAF-free survival rate at 4 years. Both tacrolimus and cyclosporine microemulsion were associated with a significantly better adjusted CAF-free survival at 4 years (91.4 and 92.4%, respectively). Both cyclosporine microemulsion and tacrolimus are associated with improved graft survival and a decreased relative risk for CAF when compared with the older conventional cyclosporine formulation. This association is independent of the use of MMF or changes in era.
Free radical formation and lipid peroxidation in rat and mouse cerebral cortex slices exposed to high oxygen pressure.

Abstract Free radical formation and lipid peroxidation were investigated in rat and mouse cerebral cortex slices exposed to O2 at high pressure. Free radical formation as detected by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and lipid peroxidation as reflected by malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, increased with increasing O2 pressures. Greater amounts of MDA were formed in mouse than in rat brain slices exposed to O2. It is concluded that O2 exposure initiates free radical formation and subsequently lipid peroxidation, which may lead to cellular damage and seizure onset.
Clustering Mesh-Like Wireless Sensor Networks with an Energy-Efficient Scheme (an Extended Abstract)

In this paper the WSN model called COSMOS (cluster-based heterogeneous model for sensor networks) is described. A WSN model aiming at large size and scalability, COSMOS features a cluster-based, hierarchical network architecture. It comprises of a large number of low power, low cost sensors, presumably distributed in a large physical environment. The clusterheads of the whole WSN form a mesh-like topology which is equipped with more powerful transceiver that can communicate with any node within the cluster
Correlation between a novel calpastatin biosensor and traditional calpastatin assay techniques.

Abstract An optical fiber biosensor to detect calpastatin has been investigated as a preliminary step in developing tenderness detection instrumentation. Longissimus dorsi samples were taken from beef carcasses ( n = 21) at 0, 24, 36 and 48 h postmortem. Muscle homogenates were assayed for calpastatin activity using traditional methods and an optical fiber biosensor. Warner–Bratzler shear force was also performed on a steak from each carcass at 14 d postmortem. Results demonstrated that the measurements with highest correlation between traditional calpastatin assays and optical biosensor readings were taken at 48 h postmortem ( r = 0.597, P ≤ 0.01), suggesting that this is the best time for use of this biosensor in an on-line grading system. This research further advances the development of a calpastatin biosensor and would be useful in laboratory determination of the presence of biologically active calpastatin concentrations.
Hiding traffic with camouflage: Minimizing message delay in the smart grid under jamming

The smart grid is an emerging cyber-physical system that integrates power infrastructures with information technologies. In the smart grid, wireless networks have been proposed for efficient communications. However, the jamming attack that broadcasts radio interference is a primary security threat to prevent the deployment of wireless networks. Hence, spread spectrum systems with jamming resilience must be adapted to the smart grid to secure wireless communications. There have been extensive works on designing spread spectrum schemes to achieve feasible communication under jamming attacks. Nevertheless, an open question in the smart grid is how to minimize message delay for timely communication in power applications. In this paper, we address this problem in a wireless network with spread spectrum systems for the smart grid. By defining a generic jamming process that characterizes a wide range of existing jamming models, we show that the worst-case message delay is a U-shaped function of network traffic load. This indicates that, interestingly, increasing a fair amount of redundant traffic, called camouflage, can improve the worst-case delay performance. We demonstrate via experiments that transmitting camouflage traffic can decrease the probability that a message is not delivered on time in order of magnitude for smart grid applications.
Where Infants Look Determines How They See: Eye Movements and Object Perception Performance in 3-Month-Olds

A fundamental question of perceptual development concerns how infants come to perceive partly hidden objects as unified across a spatial gap imposed by an occluder. Much is known about the time course of development of perceptual completion during the first several months after birth, as well as some of the visual information that supports unity perception in infants. The goal of this investigation was to examine the inputs to this process. We recorded eye movements in 3-month-old infants as they participated in a standard object unity task and found systematic differences in scanning patterns between those infants whose post-habituation preferences were indicative of unity perception versus those infants who did not perceive unity. Perceivers, relative to nonperceivers, scanned more reliably in the vicinity of the visible rod parts and scanned more frequently across the range of rod motion. These results suggest that emerging object concepts are tied closely to available visual information in the environment, and the process of information pickup.
Ablation of ventricular arrhythmias arising near the anterior epicardial veins from the left sinus of Valsalva region: ECG features, anatomic distance, and outcome

Background Left ventricular outflow tract tachycardia/premature depolarizations (VT/VPDs) arising near the anterior epicardial veins may be difficult to eliminate through the coronary venous system. Objective To describe the characteristics of an alternative successful ablation strategy targeting the left sinus of Valsalva (LSV) and/or the adjacent left ventricular (LV) endocardium. Methods Of 276 patients undergoing mapping/ablation for outflow tract VT/VPDs, 16 consecutive patients (8 men; mean age 52 ± 17 years) had an ablation attempt from the LSV and/or the adjacent LV endocardium for VT/VPDs mapped marginally closer to the distal great cardiac vein (GCV) or anterior interventricular vein (AIV). Results Successful ablation was achieved in 9 of the 16 patients (56%) targeting the LSV (5 patients), adjacent LV endocardium (2 patients), or both (2 patients). The R-wave amplitude ratio in lead III/II and the Q-wave amplitude ratio in aVL/aVR were smaller in the successful group (1.05 ± 0.13 vs 1.34 ± 0.37 and 1.24 ± 0.42 vs 2.15 ± 1.05, respectively; P = .043 for both). The anatomical distance from the earliest GCV/AIV site to the closest point in the LSV region was shorter for the successful group (11.0 ± 6.5 mm vs 20.4 ± 12.1 mm; P = .048). A Q-wave ratio of Conclusions VT/VPDs originating near the GCV/AIV can be ablated from the LSV/adjacent LV endocardium. A Q-wave ratio of
Facilitators and Barriers of Independent Decisions by Midwives During Labor and Birth

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect labor management decisions of midwives in hospitals and freestanding birth centers. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted using one-on-one tape recorded interviews of midwives who had experience managing labor and birth in both hospitals and freestanding birth centers. Ten interviews consisting of several open-ended questions were conducted, coded, and analyzed in a stepwise fashion to identify codes, categories, and themes. Seven participants reviewed the final framework and confirmed credibility and trustworthiness. Results: Four overall themes were identified: trust birth, the woman, the environment, and the labor team. Discussion: When making labor management decisions, midwives are affected by their trust in birth, the woman, the health care team, and the birth environment. Midwives report more resistance when making labor management decisions in hospitals. The findings of this study provide insight into both the decision making of midwives and how factors in different environments, in this case hospitals and freestanding birth centers, influence the ability of midwives to make independent labor management decisions.