cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Winds and Currents Mission Concept

The Winds and Currents Mission (WaCM) is a proposed approach to meet the need identified by the NRC Decadal Survey for the simultaneous measurements of ocean vector winds and currents. WaCM features a Ka-band pencil-beam Doppler scatterometer able to map ocean winds and currents globally. We review the principles behind the WaCM measurement and the requirements driving the mission. We then present an overview of the WaCM observatory and tie its capabilities to other OceanObs reviews and measurement approaches.
Teaching About Women and Gender From a Transnational and Intersectional Feminist Perspective

Teaching about women and gender in psychology has been transformed in response to the field’s leading frameworks (e.g., diversity, intersectionality). For example, the content of U.S. psychology of...
O4 Ripple Effects Mapping to Explore Sustainability for Changes in Policies, Systems, and Environments

Background To improve healthy food systems, collective interventions that focus on promoting positive changes in policies, systems, and environments (PSEs) need sustained involvement and promotion from community members. Ripple Effects Mapping (REM)—a participatory method used to collect qualitative data about interventions impacts—has the potential to capture perceived effectiveness of these interventions as well as provide an opportunity to explore potential for sustainability. Objective The objective was to use REM to identify perceived effectiveness of the PSE interventions and opportunities for sustainability at the end of an obesity prevention grant in 4 rural Southern counties. Study Design, Setting, Participants At the conclusion of a 5-year grant, REM was used to capture qualitative data about perceived effectiveness and unanticipated consequences of PSE interventions focused on increasing access to healthy foods. Four REM sessions were conducted—1 in each county involved in the grant. Forty community members who had contributed to PSE implementations participated. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Trained facilitators guided participants through discussions about project activities and impacts and created a ripple map. The maps visually represented perceived community impacts and how these impacts were interconnected. The facilitators used the maps and detailed notes to code information using the Community Capitals Framework and to identify themes. Results Community capitals centered primarily on increases in human, cultural, and social capitals. One major theme that emerged from the sessions was the ongoing sustainability efforts that participants identified and discussed. The sessions helped participants frame how they could move forward to continue the interventions after the initial grant concluded. Participants discussed future funding efforts and how they could continue to collaborate and expand on interventions. Conclusion REM is a qualitative method that can capture perceived intervention impacts as well as help groups identify areas for sustainability. Funding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Clinical applications of artificial intelligence in urologic oncology.

Purpose of review This review aims to shed light on recent applications of artificial intelligence in urologic oncology. Recent findings Artificial intelligence algorithms harness the wealth of patient data to assist in diagnosing, staging, treating, and monitoring genitourinary malignancies. Successful applications of artificial intelligence in urologic oncology include interpreting diagnostic imaging, pathology, and genomic annotations. Many of these algorithms, however, lack external validity and can only provide predictions based on one type of dataset. Summary Future applications of artificial intelligence will need to incorporate several forms of data in order to truly make headway in urologic oncology. Researchers must actively ensure future artificial intelligence developments encompass the entire prospective patient population.
Neuroimaging correlates of emotional response-inhibition discriminate between young depressed adults with and without sub-threshold bipolar symptoms (Emotional Response-inhibition in Young Depressed Adults).

ABSTRACT Background Many subjects with major depression (MDD) exhibit subthreshold mania symptoms (MDD+). This study investigated, for the first time, using emotional inhibition tasks, whether the neural organization of MDD+ subjects is more similar to bipolar depression (BDD) or to MDD subjects without subthreshold bipolar symptoms (MDD-). Method This study included 118 medication-free young adults (15 – 30 yrs.): 20 BDD, 28 MDD+, 41 MDD- and 29 HC subjects. Participants underwent fMRI during emotional and non-emotional Go/No-go tasks during which they responded for Go stimuli and inhibited response for happy, fear, and non-emotional (gender) faces No-go stimuli. Univariate linear mixed-effects (LME) analysis for group effects and multivariate Gaussian Process Classifier (GPC) analyses were conducted. Results MDD- group compared to both the BDD and MDD+ groups, exhibited significantly lower activation in parietal, temporal and frontal regions (cluster-wise corrected p Limitations Results also need to be tested in a different independent dataset. Conclusion Using an fMRI emotional Go-Nogo task, MDD- subjects can be discriminated from BDD and MDD+ subjects.
Breast cancer epidemiology

1. Global Burden of Breast Cancer Jacques Ferlay, Clarisse He' ry, Philippe Autier, and Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan 2. Breast Cancer Biology and Clinical Characteristics Amanda I. Phipps and Christopher I. Li 3. In situ Breast Cancer Brian L. Sprague and Amy Trentham-Dietz 4. Endogenous Hormones Amanda I. Phipps and Christopher I. Li 5. Exogenous Hormones Christopher I. Li and Elisabeth F. Beaber 6. Reproductive Factors Mats Lambe 7. Physical Activity and Anthropometric Factors Katherine D. Henderson, Jennifer Prescott, and Leslie Bernstein 8. Diet and Nutrition Martin Lajous and Shumin M. Zhang 9. Environmental and Occupational Exposures Amanda I. Phipps, Dana Mirick, Christopher I. Li, and Scott Davis 10. Shift Work and Circadian Disruption Scott Davis and Dana K. Mirick
Thymic atrophy creates holes in Treg-mediated immuno-regulation via impairment of an antigen-specific clone.

Age-related thymic atrophy results in reduced output of naive conventional T (Tcon) cells. However, its impact on regulatory T (Treg) cells is insufficiently understood. Given evidence that thymic Treg (tTreg) cell generation is enhanced in the aged, atrophy thymus and that the aged periphery accumulates peripheral Treg (pTreg) cells, we asked why these Treg cells are unable to effectively attenuate increased auto-reactivity-induced chronic inflammation in the elderly. We designed a mock self-antigen chimera mouse model, in which membrane-bound ovalbumin (mOVA) transgenic mice, bearing a FoxN1-floxed gene for induction of conditional thymic atrophy, received OVA-specific (OT-II) T cell receptor (TCR) transgenic progenitor cells. The chimeric mice with thymic atrophy exhibited a significant decrease in OVA-specific tTreg and pTreg cells but not polyclonal (pan)-Treg cells. These OVA-specific pTreg cells were significantly less able to suppress OVA-specific stimulation induced proliferation in vitro, and exhibited lower FoxP3 expression. Additionally, we conducted preliminary TCR repertoire diversity sequencing for Treg cells among recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) from RagGFP -FoxP3RFP dual reporter mice and observed a trend for decreased diversity in mice with thymic atrophy compared to littermates with normal thymus. These data indicate that although the effects of age-related thymic atrophy do not affect pan-Treg generation, certain tissue-specific Treg clones may experience abnormal agonist selection. This, combined with enhanced pan-pTreg cells, may greatly contribute to age-related chronic inflammation, even in the absence of acute autoimmune disease in the elderly.
Dynamic thermomechanical behavior of fine-grained Mg alloy AMX602

Abstract This paper details the dynamic mechanical behavior of a fine-grained Mg alloy, AMX602 (Mg-6%Al-0.5%Mn-2%Ca), produced via the Spinning Water Atomization Process (SWAP), followed by compaction and extrusion, to obtain a fully dense plate. The rapid cooling from melt of SWAP results in a coarse powder with a fine-grained microstructure, and the consolidation of this powder followed by extrusion produces a relatively weak rolling texture. The mechanical behavior of the plate was measured in dynamic compression at different temperatures, quasi-static and dynamic tension at room temperature, and under dynamic shear at room temperature. In each case the behavior was probed in the different loading directions corresponding to the processing directions–extrusion, transverse, and normal. AMX602 has relatively high strength and modest ductility. Increasing the temperature increases the compressive strain-to-failure only a small amount, while reducing the flow stresses. In tension, however, the ductility in the normal direction is essentially zero, but modest in the other two directions. The large anisotropy and tension/compression asymmetry of typical rolled Mg alloys is significantly reduced in this material, and the anisotropy reduces further as the temperature increases. The dynamic shear response was measured for different shear planes but there was large specimen-to-specimen variation, however the resistance to shear localization is relatively poor. Despite the high strength of AMX602, the limited ductility hinders its performance in ballistic scenarios and restricts usage.
iPads and interaction: a materials perspective on collaborative discourse in secondary Spanish immersion

As digital technologies proliferate throughout classrooms in the United States, iPads and other mobile tablets have been heralded as tools for enhanced peer collaboration. However, little research ...
Asymmetrical hypertrophy of the heart: two sudden deaths in adolescents.

Since Teare's report of the first eight cases describing the pathologic features of asymmetrical hypertrophy of the heart [1], there have been few subsequent documentations of this condition in the forensic literature [2]. This seems rather surprising, since most of these deaths are in the sudden and unexpected category and should be candidates for proper medicolegal investigation. Misdiagnosis, certification without autopsy, and lack of documenting isolated cases are probably equally responsible for this phenomenon.
Commentary onKoons, RD, Buscaglia J. The Forensic Significance of Glass Composition and Refractive Index Measurements. J Forensic Sci 1999;44(3):496–503

Commentary on Koons, RD, Buscaglia J. The forensic significance of glass composition and refractive index measurements. J Forensic Sci 1999;44(3):496–503.
Rare Variant Association Analysis: Beyond Collapsing Approaches

In Chap. 13 we discussed rare variant tests which combine genotypes of multiple rare variants, known as the collapsing approaches. However, these tests may be underpowered in certain scenarios, and approaches that do not directly collapse genotypes of multiple rare variants have been proposed. In this chapter, we describe several non-collapsing approaches, summarize their common and unique features, and discuss their pros and cons.
Overexpression of glutathione peroxidase-1 induces steatosis in mouse (374.3)

Our laboratory has previously found insulin resistance and obesity in mice overexpressing Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1-OE). The present study was conducted to determine if and how he...
Keynote Address: Education - The World's Best Investment

In February, 1946, the information age was born as the ENIAC was christened — the world's first electronic computer. The five decades since then have witnessed the most rapid advancement of capability in history with a million times improvement in the span of a single career. That rate of change proscribes that all workers in the field will be obsolete in only a few years after graduation unless education and training continue as a way of life. Both the employer and employee must take responsibility for skills updates.
Spatio-temporal modelling of gene regulatory networks: transcription factors, negative feedback loops and oscillatory dynamics

There are many intracellular signalling pathways where the spatial distribution of the molecular species cannot be neglected. These pathways often contain negative feedback loops and can exhibit oscillatory dynamics in space and time. One such class of pathways is those involving transcription factors (e.g. Hes1, p53-Mdm2, NF-kB, Heat-shock proteins). In this talk, results from recent mathematical models which have been used to study the spatio-temporal dynamics of intracellular systems will be presented. Using the Hes1 gene regulatory network as an exemplar, both phenomenological partial differential equation models and mass action based spatial stochastic models will be considered. The benefits and drawbacks of the two different approaches will be discussed. For the partial differential equation approach, I will show how the diffusion coefficient can act as a bifurcation parameter, which, if in a certain range, can drive oscillatory dynamics.
Predictors of pancreatic cancer mortality among a large cohort of United States adults.

Objectives: Cigarette smoking is considered an important risk factor for pancreatic cancer, but other purported risk factors are less well established. To learn more about the epidemiology of this important cause of mortality we examined associations with a variety of possible risk factors for death from pancreatic cancer in a large, prospective study of United States adults.
4/spl times/4 individually addressable InGaAs APD arrays optimized for photon counting applications

InGaAs APDs with improved photon counting characteristics were designed and fabricated and their performance improvements were observed. Following the results, a 4/spl times/4 individually addressable APD array was designed, fabricated, and results are reported.
Contact Stresses in Twisted Wire Cables

A procedure has been outlined for determining the stresses in twisted wire cables, without many of the restrictive assumptions imposed by previous authors. Large changes in helix angle due to loading have been considered, and the contact line loads between the individual wires of a cable have been determined for a few representative cases. A general property of the contact line load between the wires is that it increases with increasing axial cable force up to a certain point and then decreases, owing to the straightening of the cable wires (i.e., the helix angle approaching 90°). This interesting and plausible behavior, which seems to prevail for all constant values of the axial cable twisting moment, can only be predicted if the governing equations take into account the change in helix geometry due to loading.
Integrating innovation and absorptive capacity into the place branding process: A capability-based perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to integrate organizational capabilities into the place branding process to showcase how a lead destination marketing organization (DMO) can influence a customer-based brand equity outcome. Doing so highlights the strategic, relational nature of place branding. The authors focus specifically on first- and zero-order capabilities, integrating absorptive capacity (first-order) and an innovation capability (zero-order) into a place branding framework. We define an innovation capability within a place branding context and offer absorptive capacity as a mechanism through which DMO leaders can exploit external knowledge acquisition. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a theoretical framework of the place branding process that integrates firm capabilities. A framework based on analyzing existing place branding models and integrating organizational capabilities, which find root in strategic management literature, was developed. Findings – Findings indicate tha...
Algorithms for optimal hybrid control

The authors previously (1994) proposed a general, unified framework for hybrid control problems that encompasses several types of hybrid phenomena and several models of hybrid systems. An existence result was obtained for optimal controls. The value function associated with this problem satisfies a set of "generalized quasi-variational inequalities" (GQVIs). We give a classification of the types of hybrid systems models covered by our framework and algorithms. We review our general framework and results. Then, we outline three explicit approaches for computing the solutions to the GQVIs that arise in optimal hybrid control. The approaches are generalizations to hybrid systems of shooting methods for boundary value problems, impulse control for piecewise-deterministic processes (PDPs), and value and policy iteration for piecewise-continuous dynamical systems. In the central case, we make clear the strong connection between impulse control for PDPs and optimal hybrid control. This allows us to give exact and approximate ("epsilon-optimal") algorithms for computing the value function associated with such problems and give some theoretical results. Also following previous work, we find that we can compute optimal solutions via linear programming (LP). The resulting LP problems are in general large, but sparse. In each case, the underlying feedback controls can be subsequently computed. Illustrative examples of each algorithm are solved in our framework.
Craniopharyngiomas of childhood: the CHLA experience

To improve the outcome of children with craniopharyngiomas by analyzing how they were treated. The records of patients who underwent operation at Childrens Hospital of Los Angeles (CHLA) from 1993 to 2004 were reviewed. Identified were 19 girls and 16 boys with an age range from 9 days to 16 years (mean 7 years, mode 3 years). Tumor control was achieved in 34 of 35 patients and was accomplished with reasonable outcome in terms of neurological deficits and overall level of function. In 25 patients, complete tumor resection was obtained with surgery alone, 18 with the first resection, and 7 with repeat operative intervention. Nine children received radiation therapy after the first or second recurrence. On retrospective review, there were no consistently identifiable features that would lead one to determine preoperatively which tumors would fall into a given category. We believe that the surgeon must determine a preoperative plan that maximizes the chance for a gross total removal of the craniopharyngioma. The biggest challenge intraoperatively is to determine whether to continue with the attempt at gross total removal or stop short of that goal before producing a significant irreversible neurological deficit. A staged removal using different operative corridors also needs to be considered.
Mechanisms of mRNA translation of interferon stimulated genes

Over the last two decades, a lot of research work has been focused on the interferon (IFN)-regulated JAK-STAT pathway and understanding the mechanisms governing the transcription of interferon stimulated genes (ISGs). Evidence suggests that the JAK-STAT pathway alone does not account in its entirety for mediating cellular responses to IFNs. There is emerging evidence that non-Stat pathways play important roles in mediating signals for the generation of IFN-responses. Various studies have underscored the importance of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs), especially p38 and ERK1/2, as well as the PI 3'K/AKT pathway in transmitting signals that are of critical importance for the biological effects of IFNs. Besides regulating the transcription of ISGs in some cases, engagement of these signaling pathways by the IFN-receptor (IFNR) associated complexes also plays an important role in mediating the translation of ISGs. The mechanisms regulating mRNA translation of ISGs is an area of ongoing active research and a lot more efforts will be required to complete our understanding of the various cellular elements involved in this process. In this review we highlight the mechanisms regulating translation of ISGs. We focus on the proteins regulated by the PI 3'K/AKT pathway, their role in mediating mRNA translation of ISGs and the functional consequences of this regulation. In addition, MAPKs are known to regulate the phosphorylation of various eukaryotic initiation factors and we summarize the roles of eIF4B and eIF4E phosphorylations on the translation of ISGs. The emerging roles of microRNAs in mRNA translation of ISGs are also discussed.
Silica-bound dimanganese(II) complex.: A robust material for heterogeneous disproportionation of H2O2 in aqueous solution

Abstract A new supported dinuclear Mn(II) complex catalyst has been synthesized through the tethering of a dinuclear chelating ligand, 1,4,7,10,13,16,19,22-octaazacyclotetracosane (N-BISDIEN), to the surface of mesoporous silica. The solid material obtained was characterized by elemental analyzes and ESR techniques. The potentiometric method was employed to investigate the stability of dimanganese(II) species. Catalytic experiments indicate that the prepared material is efficient in disproportionation of H 2 O 2 in aqueous solution.
The therapeutic potential of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Abstract 1. In recent years It has been established that patients with AD have a relatively specific loss of cerebral cortical and hippocampal chollnergic nerve terminals. This may be a reflection of degeneration of cholinergic neurons originating In the nucleus basalls of Meynert and septum Which project to the cortex and hippocampus, respectively. 2. In view of the long-standing association of chollnergic mechanisms with cognitive processes and the recognition of selective chollnergic deficits in AD, therapeutic attempts to enhance CNS chollnergic function have been undertaken In patients with AD. 3. While only limited success with this strategy has been achieved to date, the use of TRH may offer a novel, yet rational, approach to treating AD. This assumption is predicated on the extensive literature documenting unique, facilltatory interactions of this peptide with chollnergic neurons throughout the neuraxis. 4. Furthermore, the same rationale may account for the recently reported therapeutic benefit of TRH in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which like AD, is a disease whose symptoms are manifested through a progressive degeneration of a subpopulation of CNS cholinergic neurons.
Grain sorghum muffin reduces glucose and insulin responses in men

Diabetes and obesity have sparked interest in identifying healthy, dietary carbohydrates as functional ingredients for controlling blood glucose and insulin levels. Grain sorghum has been known to be a slowly digestible cereal; however, research is limited on its health effects in humans. The objectives of this study were to measure the contents of functional starch fractions, SDS (slowly-digestible starch) and RS (resistant starch), and to investigate the effects of grain sorghum on postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels in 10 healthy men. A whole-wheat flour muffin (control) was compared with the grain sorghum muffin with both muffins containing 50 g of total starch. Using a randomized-crossover design, male subjects consumed treatments within a one-week washout period, and glucose and insulin levels were observed at 15 minutes before and 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 120, 180 minutes after consumption. The mean glucose responses reduced after consuming grain sorghum, particularly at 45-120 minute intervals, and mean insulin responses reduced at 15-90 minute intervals compared to control (P < 0.05). The mean incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was significantly lowered for plasma glucose responses about an average of 35% from 3863 ± 443 to 2871 ± 163 mg (∼3 h) dL(-1) (P < 0.05). Insulin responses also reduced significantly from 3029 ± 965 μU (∼3 h) L(-1) for wheat to 1357 ± 204 with sorghum (P < 0.05). Results suggest that grain sorghum is a good functional ingredient to assist in managing glucose and insulin levels in healthy individuals.
Extracellular Matrix and Heart Development

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the developing heart contains numerous molecules that together form a dynamic environment that plays an active and crucial role in the regulation of cellular events. ECM molecules found in the heart include hyaluronan, fibronectin, fibrillin, proteoglycans, and collagens. Tight regulation of the spatiotemporal expression, and the proteolytic processing of ECM components by proteases including members of the ADAMTS family, is essential for normal cardiac development. Perturbation of expression of genes involved in matrix composition and remodeling can interfere with a myriad of events involved in the formation of the four-chambered heart and result in prenatal lethality and/or cardiac malformations as seen in humans with congenital heart disease (CHD). In this review we will briefly summarize what is known about the specific importance of some of the components of the ECM in relation to the cardiovascular development.
On the synthesis and characterization of N-formyl glutathione and N-acetyl glutathione.

Abstract Treatment of glutathione (GSH) with formic acid and acetic anhydride leads to preparation of crystalline N -formyl GSH. This is the first characterized preparation of N -formyl GSH; this product was previously erroneously thought to he N -acetyl GSH. Authentic N -acetyl GSH (crystalline) was prepared by treating GSH with acetic acid and acetic anhydride. The N -acylated derivatives were characterized by 1 H NMR and mass spectroscopy.
The self‐esteem of women: A cognitive‐phenomenological study

Abstract Social workers address self‐esteem concerns of female clients without benefit of adequate theory—theory which is phenomenologically derived, prescriptive in nature, and readily transferable to clinical settings. This article reports findings from a cognitive‐phenomenological study in which 16 women provided detailed accounts of their self‐esteem experiences during major life transitions. In‐depth interviewing and cognitive mapping procedures yielded a view of underlying cognitive self‐schemata against which respondents evaluated current perceptions of self. Discrepancies between ideal self‐concept and self‐perceptions produced cognitive dissonance, a major component of self‐esteem difficulties and a potential target of clinical intervention.
Between God and the apple: divinity, violence and desire in A.L. Kennedy's Original bliss

This article investigates how female sexuality and desire can be refigured beyond dynamics of fear and subjugation. By offering a close reading of A.L. Kennedy's novel Original bliss through the theories of Helene Cixous and Luce Irigaray, this work highlights the relationship between violence and Western religious notions of divinity, sexuality and the female body. Kennedy's novel portrays, in violent detail, that the way in which the religious dimension has been conceptualised and articulated enforces negative views of female sexuality and justifies violence against the body. Rather than merely confronting the religious denigration of feminine sexuality, however, Kennedy's novel also attempts to refigure the connection between eroticism and divinity, and points toward the possibility of renewed relationships that cultivate ‘horizontal transcendence’ between women and men.
Adjustable speed control of A-C motors

Description of a drive that uses saturable reactors and a wound rotor motor to provide adjustable constant speed performance comparable to d-c variable voltage drives. A line contactor is used to connect the system to the power line. All regulating components are static. Motor currents are controlled in all three phases for motor heating.
Death Anxiety and Attitudes toward Hospice Care

Summary.-A random telephone survey was completed with 253 adults to explore a possible relationship between death anxiety and public attitudes toward prospective use of hospice services. Among these adults, death anxiety does not appear to be related to attitudes toward prospective personal use of hospice services, although a desire to prolong life may be related to specific items within the Templer Death Anxiety Scale. A telephone survey to assess a possible relation between death anxiety and attitudes toward using hospice care was completed in Fulton and DeKalb counties in Georgia (1). These contiguous counties include urban and suburban communities in the Atlanta area. This geographic area was selected to produce a sample including a wide range of incomes and a significant proportion of black respondents. The research population was a random sample of 263 adults from whom 10 interviews were not completed. The telephone numbers were computer-generated using a variety of Waksberg random digit dialing (3). Comparison with census data showed that the research sample reflected the adult population of the two counties quite well in terms of age distribution and race. Females were overrepresented in the sample, and the research participants were more affluent and better educated than the general population. Of the respondents, 32.4% were black and 64.0% were white. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 88 yr. About 90% of the parcicipants had completed 12 yr. of education. About 65% reported family incomes of over $20,000 in the previous year or 1985. About 62% of the participants were women. The researchers hypothesized that adults with relatively high death anxiety would be less predisposed to think they would want hospice care if they became terminally dl. The explanation of hospice care read to each of the participants included the facts that hospice care is provided at home and that the emphasis is on preventing pain and helping the patient stay at home-"not on curing the patient, since the patient can't be cured." Following the reading of the explanation, each participant was asked to respond to five statements intended to measure prelsposition to use hospice care if he became terminally ill. The participants were also asked the direct question, "If you became a dying patient, and someone was willing to help
Rational reprogramming of the R2 subunit of Escherichia coli ribonucleotide reductase into a self-hydroxylating monooxygenase.

The outcome of O2 activation at the diiron(II) cluster in the R2 subunit of Escherichia coli (class I) ribonucleotide reductase has been rationally altered from the normal tyrosyl radical (Y122•)1 production to self-hydroxylation of a phenylalanine side-chain by two amino acid substitutions that leave intact the (histidine)2(carboxylate)4 ligand set characteristic of the diiron-carboxylate family. Iron ligand Asp (D) 84 was replaced with Glu (E), the amino acid found in the cognate position of the structurally similar diiron-carboxylate protein, methane monooxygenase hydroxylase (MMOH). We previously showed that this substitution allows accumulation of a μ-1,2-peroxodiiron(III) intermediate,2,3 which does not accumulate in the wild-type (wt) protein and is probably a structural homologue of intermediate P (Hperoxo) in O2 activation by MMOH.4 In addition, the near-surface residue Trp (W) 48 was replaced with Phe (F), blocking transfer of the “extra” electron that occurs in wt R2 during formation of the for...
Brain Mu-Opioid Receptor Binding Predicts Treatment Outcome in Cocaine-Abusing Outpatients

Background Cocaine users not seeking treatment have increased regional brain mu-opioid receptor (mOR) binding that correlates with cocaine craving and tendency to relapse. In cocaine-abusing outpatients in treatment, the relationship of mOR binding and treatment outcome is unknown. Methods We determined whether regional brain mOR binding before treatment correlates with outcome and compared it with standard clinical predictors of outcome. Twenty-five individuals seeking outpatient treatment for cocaine abuse or dependence (DSM-IV) received up to 12 weeks of cognitive-behavioral therapy and cocaine abstinence reinforcement, whereby each cocaine-free urine was reinforced with vouchers redeemable for goods. Regional brain mOR binding was measured before treatment using positron emission tomography with [ 11 C]-carfentanil (a selective mOR agonist). Main outcome measures were: 1) overall percentage of urines positive for cocaine during first month of treatment; and 2) longest duration (weeks) of abstinence from cocaine during treatment, all verified by urine toxicology. Results Elevated mOR binding in the medial frontal and middle frontal gyri before treatment correlated with greater cocaine use during treatment. Elevated mOR binding in the anterior cingulate, medial frontal, middle frontal, middle temporal, and sublobar insular gyri correlated with shorter duration of cocaine abstinence during treatment. Regional mOR binding contributed significant predictive power for treatment outcome beyond that of standard clinical variables such as baseline drug and alcohol use. Conclusions Elevated mOR binding in brain regions associated with reward sensitivity is a significant independent predictor of treatment outcome in cocaine-abusing outpatients, suggesting a key role for the brain endogenous opioid system in cocaine addiction.
A Dynamical Systems Proof of Fermat's Little Theorem

(2003). A Dynamical Systems Proof of Fermat's Little Theorem. Mathematics Magazine: Vol. 76, No. 1, pp. 48-51.
Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assessment of T helper cell response in a murine model of respiratory syncytial virus infection

Selective activation of T helper cell (Th) subsets affects disease severity in RSV infection. Animal studies have shown by Northern blot analysis that Th type 2 response to formalin-inactivated RSV vaccine is responsible for enhanced pathology in RSV disease. We developed a quantitative RT-PCR to characterize the cytokine response following primary and secondary RSV infection. Methods: Retired breeder BALB/c mice were intranasally inoculated with 106.5 plaque-forming units of RSV A2 on days 0 and +28. At various times after secondary exposure, RNA was extracted from the left lung of 2 animals and cytokine levels determined by RT-PCR. Lung RNA was reverse transcribed to complimentary DNA (cDNA) using oligo-dT primers and PCR amplified with cytokine-specific primers in the presence of increasing concentrations of primer-specific competitive fragment (CF). cDNA levels were determined from the concentration of CF at the point of equivalence of cDNA and CF on ethidium bromide stained agarose gel. Results from each time point were averaged. All samples were normalized to β-actin prior to cytokine quantitation. Results: γ-IFN was detected after primary and secondary infection, the amount increasing with time after secondary exposure. No or trace amounts of IL-2 or IL-4 was detected by this sensitive technique. Conclusion: Using this model, cytokine response to RSV infection and reinfection was quantified. As expected, primary and secondary RSV infection were associated with Th type 1 responses. Our model may be used to assess vaccines, antiviral and antiinflammatory agents for the treatment and prevention of RSV disease. Table
Combining Locations from Working Memory and Long-Term Memory into a Common Spatial Image

This research uses a novel integration paradigm to investigate whether target locations read in from long-term memory (LTM) differ from perceptually encoded inputs in spatial working-memory (SWM) with respect to systematic spatial error and/or noise, and whether SWM can simultaneously encompass both of these sources. Our results provide evidence for a composite representation of space in SWM derived from both perception and LTM, albeit with a loss in spatial precision of locations retrieved from LTM. More generally, the data support the concept of a spatial image in working memory and extend its potential sources to representations retrieved from LTM.
Carbohydrate-peptide linkages in glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides from brain.

— Treatment of glycopeptides, prepared from glycoproteins of rat and rabbit brain, with NaOH-NaBH4 leads to the destruction of a portion of the serine, threonine and galactosamine present, and the appearance in acid hydrolysates of alanine, α-aminobutyric acid and galactosaminitol. These results indicate that N-acetylgalactosamine at the reducing end of oligosaccharide chains in brain glycoproteins is linked O-glycosidically to the hydroxyl groups of serine and threonine residues. 2-acetamido-1-(L-β-aspartamido)-l,2-dideoxy-β-D-glucose was also detected after partial acid hydrolysis of the alkali-stable glycopeptides, and most of the carbohydrate in brain glycoproteins appears to be linked by N-acetylglucosaminylasparagine linkages. The results of the treatment of the sulphated mucopolysaccharides from bovine brain with alkaline-borohydride indicate that the polysaccharide chains in chondroitin sulphate and heparan sulphate are linked exclusively to serine.
A Novel Non-Enzymic Browning Reaction

THE enzymic oxidation of polyphenols, particularly in the presence of amino-acids, is well known to be a cause of browning in foodstuffs. The mechanism of non-enzymic browning reactions is, however, still obscure. It is generally believed that non-enzymic browning involves an initial condensation of amino-acids with the active carbonyl group of reducing sugars (the Maillard reaction) or furfuraldehydes derived from sugars or sugar-acids1. The condensation product is assumed to undergo further reactions leading to highly coloured, ill-defined materials. The possibility of an initial, direct reaction of some naturally occurring polyphenols with amino-acids as a cause of non-enzymic browning, however, does not seem to have been proposed.
The status of community mental health centers ten years into block grant financing

This study tracks the 761 community mental health centers which received federal grants as of 1981 and assesses their status 10 years after the shift to Block Grant financing. Contrary to what had been predicted (Biegel, 1982), the vast majority of centers remained open (88.3%), a small proportion were involved in mergers (8.5%) and an even smaller percentage closed (3.3%). No pattern was evident as to which centers closed or merged by type of initial funding, although some states showed a concentration of mergers and closures. Data from the 1988 Inventory of Mental Health Organizations are used to characterize the centers still in operation by facility type, ownership, service mix and revenue mix. In 1988, federally funded CMHCs accounted for 34% of the total patient episodes treated and 22.7% of the total revenues reported by specialty mental health providers in the United States.
The impact of economic factors and acquisition reforms on the cost of defense weapon systems

Abstract This paper evaluates how defense budget instability, consolidation of the defense industry, acquisition reform, war, and cost estimating error are related to cost overruns in major Department of Defense Acquisition projects from 1979 to 2002. Employing a panel model of service specific cost overruns, with fixed effects, we find that funding instability in O&M and R&D budgets had large impacts on procurement costs overruns. We further found that unexpected inflation and armed conflict led to higher levels of Procurement cost overruns. Finally we found that the acquisition reforms of the Nunn–McCurdy Act of 1982, the Packard Commission Recommendations of 1986 and the Federal Acquisition Streamlining Act (FASA) of 1994 resulted in significant reductions in procurement cost overruns.
Practical Rapid, Minimally Invasive, Reliable Nonendoscopic Method to Obtain Helicobacter pylori for Culture

Background. Helicobacter pylori culture typically requires endoscopy. Aim. To develop a minimally invasive rapid and reliable method to obtain H. pylori cultures. Methods. An extendable oro-gastric brush, contained within a plastic over-tube, was constructed (Baylor Brush, US Endoscopy). After topical oral anesthesia, the 5-mm diameter brush assembly was swallowed. The brush was extended in the stomach and the mucosa was brushed three or four times. The brush was then retracted into the protective sleeve and withdrawn from the patient. The brush was either cultured directly or placed in cysteine transport medium with 20% glycerol which was then sampled immediately or after freezing at −70°C. Results. Twenty-five adult H. pylori-infected subjects (13 male, 12 female) were studied. Helicobacter pylori recovery rate was 100% (11 of 11) when cultured immediately or after storage in transport medium at −70°C for 1 or 2 weeks or after storage at 4°C for 24 hours (four of four) or 72 hours (four of four) before being cultured. Freezing on dry ice and air shipment did not reduce recovery. Conclusion. Rapid, reliable, nonendoscopic culture of gastric mucus is a practical method to obtain culture of H. pylori for clinical or research purposes. The method is amenable to being performed in a doctor's office or in the field.
Pohozaev obstructions on non-starlike domains

This paper investigates the existence of a Pohozaev obstruction on non-starlike domains. The elliptic problems we examine are of the form \(\begin{array}{rl}\displaystyle \rm div\left\{\, g(x, \nabla u) \right\} + \lambda f(x,u) = 0, & x\in\Omega , \\\displaystyle u = 0, & x\in\partial\Omega , \end{array}\) where \(\Omega\) is a bounded domain with smooth boundary. It is well understood that the nonexistence theory can be extended, but not well understood how far. This paper looks at classes of domains which fall outside the class of starlike domains. For the extensions of the starlike domains studied, existence, uniqueness and non-existence are discussed for the elliptic problem above.
Radiometric accuracy of the Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE)

The Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) is a cryogenically-cooled 10-band photometer with a large field-of-view (0.886 x 0.886 sq deg) which scans by rotation of the Cosmic Background Explorer about a spin axis. In-orbit calibration requires that the DIRBE detect and measure with precision the signatures of compact sources as they transit the field-of-view. Analysis of the conceptual optical design revealed that response of the 10 bands would vary significantly as a function of source position in the field-of-view, caused by anamorphic pupil distortion and field separation. The optical design reported in this paper is the result of changes which greatly improve the response uniformity and radiometric accuracy of the DIRBE.
Analysis of cohesive failure in adhesively bonded joints with the SSPH meshless method

Abstract Adhesives have become the method of choice for many structural joining applications. Therefore, there is a need for improved understanding of adhesive joint performance, especially their failure, under a variety of loading conditions. Various numerical methods have been proposed to predict the failure of adhesive bonded material systems. These methods generally use a cohesive zone model (CZM) to analyze crack initiation and failure loci. The CZM incorporates a traction–separation law which relates the jump in surface tractions with the jump in displacements of abutting nodes of the cohesive segment; the area under the curve relating these jumps equals the energy release rate which is determined from experimental data. Values of parameters in the CZM are usually obtained through the comparison of results of numerical simulations with the experimental data for pure mode I and mode II deformations. Here a numerical approach to simulate crack initiation and propagation has been developed by implementing CZM in the meshless method using the symmetric smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SSPH) basis functions, and using the design of experiments technique to find optimal values of CZM parameters for mode I failure. Unlike in the finite element method where a crack generally follows a path between element boundaries, in the meshless method a crack can follow the path dictated by the physics of the problem. The numerical technique has been used to study the initiation and propagation of a crack in a double cantilever beam under mode I and mixed mode in-plane loadings. Computed results are found to agree well with the corresponding experimental findings. Significant contributions of the work include the determination of optimum values of CZM parameters, and simulating mode I, mode II and mixed mode failures using a meshless method with the SSPH basis functions.
Correlated two-photon interference in a dual-beam Michelson interferometer

We report on an interference effect arising from a two-photon entangled state produced in a potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystal pumped by an ultraviolet argon-ion laser. Two conjugate beams of signal and idler photons were injected in a parallel configuration into a single Michelson interferometer, and detected separately by two photomultipliers, while the difference in its arm lengths was slowly scanned. The coincidence rate exhibited fringes with a visibility of nearly 50%, and a period given by half the ultraviolet (not the signal or idler) wavelength, while the singles rate exhibited no fringes.
Account: Impulsive excitation in collision-induced dissociation reactions of polyatomic cations

Our understanding of the mechanisms of energy transfer and subsequent dissociations in the collision of ions with a neutral [collision-induced dissociation, (CID)] has been significantly advanced by recent dynamics studies using the crossed-beam tandem mass spectrometry technique. In this account two classifications of impulsive excitation, both involving significant angular deflection of product ions from the direction of travel of the parent ion, are described in microscopic detail. Recent experimental examples of these classes of impulsive mechanisms are described, along with their dynamics “signatures”. Connections are drawn between these models, beam experiments and conventional studies of CID reactions by means of mass-analyzed ion kinetic energy spectroscopy (MIKES).
FRACTAL ASPECTS OF PROTEIN STRUCTURE AND DYNAMICS

Proteins have well-defined three dimensional structures which are dictated by their amino acid sequence. Despite this great specificity, general structural and dynamic properties exist. Scaling relationships for the radius of gyration and surface area of a large data set of proteins are demonstrated in this work. These results show that proteins scale as collapsed polymers. Thermal fluctuations are examined for two different proteins by an analysis of the Debye-Waller factors derived from X-ray crystallographic data. Long-range correlations exist between fluctuations along the backbone. A disordered Ising model is presented which gives similar correlations. To further examine the role of multiple connectivity in protein structures, the vibrational spectrum for an alpha helix (linear chain with H-bonds) is analyzed from recursive relationships derived using a decimation technique.