cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single-molecule observation of nucleotide induced conformational changes in basal SecA-ATP hydrolysis

SecA is the critical adenosine triphosphatase that drives preprotein transport through the translocon, SecYEG, in Escherichia coli. This process is thought to be regulated by conformational changes of specific domains of SecA, but real-time, real-space measurement of these changes is lacking. We use single-molecule atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize nucleotide-dependent conformations and conformational dynamics of SecA. Distinct topographical populations were observed in the presence of specific nucleotides. AFM investigations during basal adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis revealed rapid, reversible transitions between a compact and an extended state at the ~100-ms time scale. A SecA mutant lacking the precursor-binding domain (PBD) aided interpretation. Further, the biochemical activity of SecA prepared for AFM was confirmed by tracking inorganic phosphate release. We conclude that ATP-driven dynamics are largely due to PBD motion but that other segments of SecA contribute to this motion during the transition state of the ATP hydrolysis cycle.
Upper Extremity Care for Children: Unique Medical and Psychosocial Aspects.

Hand surgeons encountering pediatric patients should be attuned to both technical and practical facets of caring for congenital and traumatic pathologies. Psychosocial aspects include engaging children in conversation and factoring in both self and external perception of deformity. Medical considerations are also unique, from including child abuse in the differential to having techniques to assess active motion and sensation in the nonverbal child. Certain universal principles, such as minimizing radiation exposure and limiting needle sticks, have higher emphasis in pediatric patients than in adults. With these aspects in mind, treating children and their families can be a mutually rewarding experience.
Contaminants of Emerging Concern: Occurrence, Fate, and Remediation

Abstract Evolving lifestyle aided by scientific advances has led to an increase in the production and consumption of chemical products such as pharmaceuticals, personal care, household products, etc. The result is ever-increasing release of contaminants in waste streams, from where they enter into the environment and pose ecotoxicological risks. Moreover, the existing treatment schemes have been proven to achieve minimal success in detecting and removing these contaminants. To mitigate the challenge, novel detection and remediation technologies are needed. In this work, we have analyzed the present state of affairs of regulatory frameworks developed by US EPA both for conventional and contaminants of emerging concern (CECs). We have studied occurrence, fate, ecotoxicological effects, and remediation methods for CECs. The major challenges ahead are identifying a majority of CECs and their transformation products (TPs) yet to be detected and developing and incorporating remediation technologies in our conventional treatment plants.
Provider Counseling and Weight Loss Outcomes in a Primary Care-Based Digital Obesity Treatment.

Primary care-based digital health weight loss interventions offer promise for addressing obesity in underserved populations. To determine if primary care providers’ weight counseling is associated with weight change during a weight loss intervention. This is a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial testing a 12-month primary care-based digital health weight loss intervention. Participants were community health center patients with body mass indexes of 30–44.9 kg/m2. The weight loss intervention included tailored behavioral goal setting; weekly goal monitoring via text messaging or interactive voice response calls; counseling calls; skills training material; and participant-tailored recommendations for provider counseling. At 6 and 12 months, participants’ weight was measured and they reported if their provider delivered weight counseling (general or intervention-specific) at their most recent visit and their perception of providers’ empathy. Providers’ documentation of weight counseling was extracted from health records. Participants (n = 134–141) were predominantly female (70%) and African American (55%) with a mean age of 51 years and BMI of 36 kg/m2. Participant-reported provider weight counseling was not associated with weight change. However, participants whose providers documented intervention-specific counseling at any point during the intervention (n = 35) lost 3.1 kg (95% CI 0.4 to 5.7 kg) more than those whose providers documented only general weight counseling (n = 82) and 4.0 kg (95% CI 0.1 to 7.9 kg) more than those whose providers did not document weight counseling (n = 17). Perceptions of provider empathy were associated with greater weight loss from 6 to 12 months (0.8 kg per measure unit, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.5 kg, p = .03). Provider counseling that focuses specifically on engagement in a weight loss intervention may enhance weight loss outcomes relative to more general weight loss advice. Counseling that enhances patients’ perceptions of empathy may be most beneficial for patients’ weight loss. NCT 01827800
Inhibiting BRAF Oncogene–Mediated Radioresistance Effectively Radiosensitizes BRAFV600E-Mutant Thyroid Cancer Cells by Constraining DNA Double-Strand Break Repair

Purpose: Activating BRAF mutations, most commonly BRAFV600E, are a major oncogenic driver of many cancers. We explored whether BRAFV600E promotes radiation resistance and whether selectively targeting BRAFV600E with a BRAF inhibitor (vemurafenib, BRAFi) sensitizes BRAFV600E thyroid cancer cells to radiotherapy. Experimental Design: Immunoblotting, neutral comet, immunocytochemistry, functional reporter, and clonogenic assays were used to analyze the outcome and molecular characteristics following radiotherapy with or without BRAFV600E or vemurafenib in thyroid cancer cells. Results: BRAFV600E thyroid cancer cell lines were associated with resistance to ionizing radiation (IR), and expression of BRAFV600E into wild-type BRAF thyroid cancer cells led to IR resistance. BRAFi inhibited ERK signaling in BRAFV600E mutants, but not BRAF wild-type thyroid cancer cell lines. BRAFi selectively radiosensitized and delayed resolution of IR-induced γH2AX nuclear foci in BRAFV600E cells. Moreover, BRAFi impaired global DNA repair and altered the resolution of 53BP1 and RAD51 nuclear foci in BRAFV600E cells following IR. BRAFV600E mutants displayed enhanced nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair activity, which was abolished by BRAFi. Intriguingly, BRAFV600E mutation led to upregulation of XLF, a component of NHEJ, which was prevented by BRAFi. Importantly, BRAFi in combination with radiotherapy resulted in marked and sustained tumor regression of BRAFV600E thyroid tumor xenografts. Conclusions: BRAFV600E mutation promotes NHEJ activity leading to radioresistance and BRAFi selectively radiosensitizes BRAFV600E thyroid cancer cells through inhibiting NHEJ. Our findings suggest that combining BRAFi and radiation may improve the therapeutic outcome of patients with BRAFV600E-mutant thyroid cancer.
Long-Term Survival of Patients With Coarctation Repaired During Infancy (from the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium)

Patients who undergo coarctation repair during infancy have excellent early survival but long-term survival is unknown. We aimed to describe the long-term survival of patients with coarctation repaired during infancy and determine predictors of mortality. We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Pediatric Cardiac Care Consortium for patients with coarctation who underwent surgical repair before 12 months of age between 1982 and 2003. Long-term transplant-free survival was obtained by linkage with the National Death Index and the Organ Sharing Procurement Network. Kaplan Meier survival plots were constructed, and univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine predictors of mortality. We identified 2,424 coarctation patients who met inclusion criteria. At 20 years postoperatively, 94.5% of all patients and 95.8% of those discharged after initial operation remained alive, respectively. Significant multivariable predictors of mortality included surgical weight <2.5 kg (hazard ratio [HR] 3.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.19 to 6.24), presence of a genetic syndrome (HR 2.40, 95% CI 1.13 to 5.10), and repair before 1990 (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.09 to 3.34). None of the other factors examined including age at repair, gender, coarctation type, or surgical approach were found to be statistically significant. Over half of the deaths were due to the underlying congenital heart disease or other cardiovascular etiology. Overall long-term survival of patients who undergo coarctation repair during infancy is excellent. However, patients do experience small continued survival attrition throughout early adulthood. Ongoing monitoring of this cohort is necessary to assess late mortality risk.
Real-Time Ray Tracing with Spherically Projected Object Data

As raytracing becomes feasible in regards to computational costs for real-time applications, new challenges emerge to achieve sufficient quality. To aim for an acceptable framerate, the amount of consecutive rays is strongly reduced to keep the workload on the GPU low, but sophisticated approaches for denoising are required. One of the major bottlenecks is finding the ray intersection with the geometry. In this work, we present a fast alternative by pre-computing a spherical projection of an object and reduce the cost of intersection-testing independent of the vertex count by projecting the object onto a circumscribed sphere. Further on, we test our Spherical Projection Approximation (SPA) by implementing it into a DirectX Raytracing (DXR) framework and comparing framerates and outcome quality for indirect light with DXR’s native triangle intersection for various dense objects. We found, that our approach not only hails comparable quality in representing the indirect light, but is also significantly faster and consequently provides a raytracing alternative to achieve real-time capabilities for complex scenes.
The Effects of Vehicle Level Of Automation and Warning Type on Responses to Vehicle Hacking

Modern surface transportation vehicles often include different levels of automation. Higher automation levels have the potential to impact surface transportation in unforeseen ways. For example, co...
Nostalgia: A Human-Machine Transliteration

Nostalgia is an installation that draws attention to the computational challenges of understanding human emotion. Through affective computing and machine learning, the underlying system attempts to translate the components of the sentiment’s qualitative makeup in quantitative terms. In Nostalgia, participants are asked to submit text-based memories, which are then used to calculate, predict and ultimately visualize relative nostalgia scores based on the aggregate of stories collected. However, given the ambiguities and complexity of human self-expression and the necessary precision of computational intelligence, Nostalgia highlights the entanglements of achieving emotional understanding between humans and machines.
Educational Program to Increase Substance Use Disorder Knowledge and Decrease Stigma in First-Year Nursing Students.

Abstract Purpose The opioid epidemic in the United States is changing the population nurses serve. Stigma and bias among healthcare providers towards patients with substance use disorder occurs across disciplines and negatively impacts the care provided to this population. We sought to assess the knowledge and perceptions of first-year nursing students at a large college of nursing towards those with opioid use disorder and to provide an educational intervention with the goals of decreasing bias, increasing substance use disorder knowledge, and increasing the understanding of multi-pronged treatment strategies. Design The program consisted of an interactive two-hour presentation based on the disease model of addiction. Methods First year nursing students from a large urban college were administered a pre- and post-presentation survey designed to evaluate their perceptions towards those with opioid use disorder. Results Thematic analysis indicated stigma and bias was present in some first-year nursing students towards those with opioid use disorder. Results from a summary t-test showed a significant increase in the mean scores from pre- to post-test (t = −2.224, df 429, p = .027). Conclusions Our project results indicate that knowledge and bias towards those with substance use disorder can be changed with education, which may improve the delivery of healthcare to this vulnerable population. Clinical Implications Since bias and stigma negatively impact care provided by clinicians, presentations such as this one can not only provide education on evidence based practices, but may change the attitudes of future providers, improving the quality of healthcare delivered to this vulnerable population.
Can vaccination coverage be improved through reducing the missed opportunities for immunization? Results from the evaluation in Zhejiang province, east China.

Background: To evaluate the missed opportunities for vaccination (MOV) in Zhejiang province by using the global methodology from World Health Organization (WHO).Methods: Based on the WHO Planning G...
Psychology: Climate change hits home

Engaging the public with climate change has proved difficult, in part because they see the problem as remote. New evidence suggests that direct experience of one anticipated impact — flooding — increases people's concern and willingness to save energy.
Functional genetics of human gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron reveals metabolic requirements for growth across environments

Harnessing the microbiota for beneficial outcomes is limited by our poor understanding of the constituent bacteria, as the functions of most of their genes are unknown. Here, we measure the growth of a barcoded transposon mutant library of the gut commensal Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron on 48 carbon sources, in the presence of 56 stress-inducing compounds, and during mono-colonization of gnotobiotic mice. We identify 516 genes with a specific phenotype under only one or a few conditions, enabling informed predictions of gene function. For example, we identify a glycoside hydrolase important for growth on type I rhamnogalacturonan, a DUF4861 protein for glycosaminoglycan utilization, a 3-keto-glucoside hydrolase for disaccharide utilization, and a tripartite multidrug resistance system specifically for bile salt tolerance. Furthermore, we show that B. thetaiotaomicron uses alternative enzymes for synthesizing nitrogen-containing metabolic precursors based on ammonium availability and that these enzymes are used differentially in vivo in a diet-dependent manner.
Utility of cardiovascular implantable electronic device–derived patient activity to predict clinical outcomes

Background The role of cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED)–derived activity to predict implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapy or death is not known. Objective We aimed to assess CIED-derived activity to predict clinical outcomes. Methods In 1500 patients enrolled in MADIT-RIT, CIED-derived patient activity was acquired daily, then averaged for the first 30 days following randomization to predict inappropriate/appropriate therapy or death. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional regression models were used to evaluate inappropriate/appropriate therapy, heart failure, or death by 30-day CIED-derived patient activity quintiles. Results There were 1463 patients with CIED activity data (98%). Patients in the highest quintile (Q5) of activity (more active) had the highest rate of inappropriate therapy, 21% at 2 years, as compared to 7%–11% in the other 4 quintiles (P 2 hours/day, 2%–3% mortality) (P Conclusions High CIED-derived 30-day median patient activity predicted inappropriate therapy, while low patient activity predicted mortality and heart failure in ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy with defibrillator patients enrolled in MADIT-RIT. Device-derived activity assessment could serve as a useful predictor of outcomes.
Visual dysfunction in a mouse model of chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity.

e24059Background: Chemotherapy-related neurotoxicity (CRNT) poses challenges to long-term outcomes of cancer survivors. Visual function remains relatively unexplored in CRNT. Preliminary clinical w...
An Architecture-centric Approach to Safety Critical Software Product Lines

Safety-critical software is increasingly integrated into everyday life. We depend on software for automation, such as medical monitoring, and we increasingly rely on software to make decisions in high-risk, safety-critical scenarios where there may not be enough time to alert humans, such as autonomous vehicle navigation. Traditional methods for creating safety-critical software are expensive, time-consuming and not suitable for consumer products. Software product line techniques have proven successful at reducing the cost and the time of creating and deploying traditional products. This paper presents a proposal for an investigation on conducting safety analysis in safety-critical software product lines using an architecture approach.
Estimating the Impact of Public and Private Strategies for Controlling an Epidemic: A Multi-Agent Approach

This paper describes a novel approach based on a combination of techniques in AI, parallel computing, and network science to address an important problem in social sciences and public health: planning and responding in the event of epidemics. Spread of infectious disease is an important societal problem -- human behavior, social networks, and the civil infrastructures all play a crucial role in initiating and controlling such epidemic processes. We specifically consider the economic and social effects of realistic interventions proposed and adopted by public health officials and behavioral changes of private citizens in the event of a ``flu-like'' epidemic. Our results provide new insights for developing robust public policies that can prove useful for epidemic planning.
The Stratosphere in the Southern Hemisphere

The stratosphere over Antarctica is one of the most inaccessible places on the planet. During the antarctic winter, it extends from about 8 to 55 km above the surface, has temperatures colder than −90°C, and winds that are greater than 100 m s−1. Yet even this terribly remote and hostile region has felt man’s impact. The antarctic ozone hole is a clear example of how our industrial society can affect the atmosphere even in this remote corner of the earth. The tremendous ozone losses over Antarctica observed each spring have ultimately resulted from man-made chlorine compounds, and these ozone losses have led to increased levels of biologically harmful ultraviolet radiation at the earth’s surface. Understanding the meteorology of the southern stratosphere is the key to our understanding of the antarctic ozone hole.
Expressive, efficient and obfuscation resilient behavior based IDS

Behavior based intrusion detection systems (BIDS) offer the only effective solution against modern malware. While dynamic BIDS have obvious advantages, their success hinges upon three interrelated factors: signature expressiveness, vulnerability to behavioral obfuscation and run-time efficiency of signature matching. To achieve higher signature expressiveness, a new approach for formal specification of the malicious functionalities based on abstract activity diagrams (AD) which incorporate multiple realizations of the specified functionality. We analyzed both inter and intra-process behavioral obfuscation techniques that can compromise existing BIDS. As a solution, we proposed specification generalization that implies augmenting (generalizing) otherwise obfuscation prone specification into more generic, obfuscation resilient specification. We suggest colored Petri nets as a basis for functionality recognition at the system call level. We implemented a prototype IDS that has been evaluated on malicious and legitimate programs. The experimental results indicated extremely low false positives and negatives. Moreover, the IDS shows very low execution overhead and negligible overhead penalty due to anti-obfuscation generalization.
Carbenicillin: Activity In Vitro and Absorption and Excretion in Normal Young Men

Carbenicillin is a new semisynthetic penicillin which differs from other penicillins in showing moderate antibacterial activity against Pseudomonas. Its activity in vitro is enhanced at low pH. Serum binding is of low order and does not appreciably alter activity. Strains of Pseudomonas exposed to subinhibitory concentrations of carbenicillin rapidly develop resistance by a mechanism that does not depend upon destruction of the drug. In normal subjects, high levels of anti-Pseudomonas activity are readily obtained in the urine after intramuscular injection. Levels of carbenicillin adequate to inhibit many strains of Pseudomonas can be achieved in serum only with an intravenous administration of a large dose. Carbenicillin appears to exhibit the same low degree of toxicity as do other penicillins.
Application of the method of moments to partial-wave dispersion relations: I. The scattering of spin zero particles

Abstract The partial-wave dispersion relation for the scattering of spinless particles is analyzed assuming that the discontinuity across the unphysical cut and the transmission factor are given. The requirement of the correct threshold behavior of the partial-wave amplitude is shown to lead to a moment problem where certain constants {μν}, which by assumption are known, are expressed as the moments of a positive definite function. Conditions on {μν} are proved for the existence of solutions of the moment problem and therefore of the dispersion relation. Upper and lower bounds for certain energy dependent integrals involving the imaginary part of the partial wave are derived at all physical energies in terms of the moments {μν}. Thus, in any model whose N D solution is free of ghosts, it is possible to deduce the general behavior of the partial wave in the physical region from these bounds. They also show that any approximation which does not lead to ghosts and which reproduces the moments sufficiently well will have a solution accurate up to the specified errors in the physical region. Moment problems are also derived without appealing to the threshold behavior of the amplitude, but by taking advantage of some experimental information instead. The applications of these problems to model calculations are discussed in detail. It is pointed out that the values of the moments associated with any of these problems can be calculated from experiments. A phenomenological method of approximation based upon the knowledge of these moments is suggested which seems capable of reproducing the scattering amplitude in the physical region with some accuracy. The consequences of the bounds mentioned above for the ambiguities in the solution of the dispersion relation are examined. Inequalities are derived for the parameters of the poles introduced by N D solutions which should prove useful in finding out whether the solutions of a particular model will contain ghosts or not. The distinction between the approximations based on the dominance of nearest singularities for form factors and peripheral collisions on the one hand and for partial-wave dispersion relations on the other is emphasized.
Analysis of international joint ventures within real estate investment trusts

This paper examines international joint ventures (IJVs) by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). Numerous papers have been published regarding international investments as a tool for diversification; however, the real estate industry has not experienced such research. Few researchers have studied the impact of IJVs on the real estate industry and, as a result, it is the authors' hope that this paper becomes a stimulus for further research in this field. The paper highlights recent IJVs within the real estate industry, including CBL & Associates Properties, Inc.'s JV with Galileo American REIT; Developers Diversified Realty Corporation's JV with Macquarie Bank of Australia; ProLogis' JV with Macquarie Bank of Australia; and Great White Shark Enterprises' JV with Macquarie Bank of Australia. The authors have focused their efforts on foreign investors acquiring US-based properties. The IJVs examined in this study appeared to be motivated by the foreign investors' desire to invest in US property. In this regard, foreign investors perceive US investments to be associated with less political and economic risk. Several characteristics emerge from the IJVs studied; specifically, IJVs present unique opportunities for global expansion for US firms otherwise prohibited by foreign governments. Further, IJVs allow firms to obtain additional capital resources. In most cases, IJVs are time consuming and messy to design. IJVs are unstable arrangements with, more than likely, one firm seeking to dissolve the arrangement in no more than five years. IJVs generally follow a very structured plan that includes opportunity assessment, evaluation, design and implementation. Copyright © 2005 Henry Stewart Publications
Toward an Understanding of 1,5-Asymmetric Induction during Nucleophilic Addition to (Arene)chromium Tricarbonyl Complexes: Conformational Preference of the Chromium Tricarbonyl Tripod for Transmission of Chirality

Asymmetric induction during enolate nucleophile addition to chromium tricarbonyl complexes of 4-alkoxy-1-(trimethylsilyl)benzene derivatives, in which the alkoxy group (R*O) is derived from an optically pure alcohol, is analyzed in terms of the effect of the chiral auxiliary (R*) on the conformation of the tricarbonylchromium tripod. Crystal structure determination on the three complexes 3a (R* = 2-phenylisobornyl), 3b (R* = 2-methylisobornyl), and 3c (R* = 2-(3-[1,3]-dioxalanyl)isobornyl) reveals that the chiral group R* causes a rotation of the Cr(CO)3 group from the normally preferred orientation, the extent and direction of which are dependent on the auxiliary. NMR studies on seven complexes indicate the presence of a single conformation in solution for each, which is assumed to be the same as that shown in the solid state. There is a correlation between the observed asymmetric induction and the Cr(CO)3 tripod rotation, which is believed to be a result of the effect of this conformational distortion o...
Role of lipid peroxidation in tissue injury after hepatic ischemia

Ischemia and anoxia are associated with decreased concentrations of cellular antioxidants. The hypothesis that recirculation of oxygenated blood to previously ischemic tissue may result in enhanced free-radical reactions leading to lipid peroxidation and tissue damage was investigated. Elevated hepatic conjugated diene concentrations were detected 60 min after treatment of rats with carbon tetrachloride, a positive control, but were not found after 90 min ischemia or at 5 or 60 min after reperfusion of ischemic tissue. These findings suggest that lipid peroxidation may not be an early event in ischemia-induced necrosis but do not rule out a role of other free-radical reactions in the pathogenesis of ischemic necrosis.
Bathymetry of the Pacific

During the ice-ages the formation of extensive inland-ice caps took up a certain amount of water from the oceans and thus the sea-level should then be slightly lower, and shore-lines should retreat seaward. On the contrary, the overcharge of the glacial areas, in the case of a perfect isostatic equilibrium, should cause a sinking of the land, an advance of shore-lines, and evidently an uplift at a certain distance from the inland ice. Such a possible cause of sea-level variations has been frequently discussed.
Betrayal by idealism and aesthetics: Special Attack Force (kamikaze) pilots and their intellectual trajectories. Part 1

This is the first part of a two-part article in which Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney looks at popular and media images of ‘suicide bombers’. in the light of post-9/11 events in the United States. Part 1 looks at the backgrounds of Japanese World War II ‘kamikaze’ pilots, often adduced in discussions of the 9/11 hijackers. In Part 2, to be published in a future issue, Ohnuki-Tierney will address the specific parallels drawn between Pearl Harbor and 9/11 in the US media and the role of intellectuals in wars.
Corticosteroids and peptic ulcer: Is there a relationship?

1. The incidence of peptic ulceration patients with chronic diseases is unknown. 2. There is limited evidence that corticosteroids in low doses do not cause peptic ulceration. 3. The incidence of peptic ulcer in rheumatoid arthritis is probably increased. It is not certain that this increase is due to the administration of corticosteroids.
Numerical investigation of the impact of uncertainties in satellite rainfall estimation and land surface model parameters on simulation of soil moisture

Abstract This study aims at evaluating the uncertainty in the prediction of soil moisture (1D, vertical column) from an offline land surface model (LSM) forced by hydro-meteorological and radiation data. We focus on two types of uncertainty: an input error due to satellite rainfall retrieval uncertainty, and, LSM soil-parametric error. The study is facilitated by in situ and remotely sensed data-driven (precipitation, radiation, soil moisture) simulation experiments comprising a LSM and stochastic models for error characterization. The parametric uncertainty is represented by the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation (GLUE) technique, which models the parameter non-uniqueness against direct observations. Half-hourly infra-red (IR) sensor retrievals were used as satellite rainfall estimates. The IR rain retrieval uncertainty is characterized on the basis of a satellite rainfall error model (SREM). The combined uncertainty (i.e., SREM + GLUE) is compared with the partial assessment of uncertainty. It is found that precipitation (IR) error alone may explain moderate to low proportion of the soil moisture simulation uncertainty, depending on the level of model accuracy—50–60% for high model accuracy, and 20–30% for low model accuracy. Comparisons on the basis of two different sites also yielded an increase (50–100%) in soil moisture prediction uncertainty for the more vegetated site. This study exemplified the need for detailed investigations of the rainfall retrieval-modeling parameter error interaction within a comprehensive space-time stochastic framework for achieving optimal integration of satellite rain retrievals in land data assimilation systems.
Effect of Parasitism by Mussel Glochidia on Growth of Coho Salmon

Abstract Coho salmon fry Oncorhynchus kisutch, experimentally infested with glochidia of the freshwater mussel Anodonta oregonensis, were reared in the laboratory for 120 days after emergence. Fish with more than 50 glochidia died within the first 30 days. Fish with 50 or fewer glochidia had reduced growth: by 90 days, for example, fish with 1–20 glochidia were only half as large as the controls. Parasitized fish also had reduced fat content. A lake containing freshwater mussels might have smaller coho salmon, which would overwinter an additional year with an attendant reduction in survival.
Data-domain correlation approach for joint hydrogeologic inversion of time-lapse hydrogeologic and geophysical data

Inverse estimations of hydrogeologic properties often are highly uncertain because of the expense of collecting hydrogeologic data and the subsequent lack of information. Geophysical data potentially can help fill this information gap because geophysical methods can survey large areas remotely and relatively inexpensively. However, geophysical data are difficult to incorporate into hydrogeologic parameter estimations primarily because of a lack of knowledge concerning the petrophysical relationships between hydrogeologic and geophysical parameters. A method can be used that allows time-lapse geophysical data to be incorporated directly into a hydrogeologic parameter estimation when a strong correlation exists between changes in geophysical and hydrogeologic properties. This approach bypasses the need for an explicit petrophysical transform by formulating the geophysical part of the hydrogeologic inversion in terms of a data-domain correlation operator. A synthetic electrical resistivity monitoring application is used to estimate the hydraulic conductivity distribution. Including time-lapse resistivity data to supplement sparse hydrologic data appears to improve greatly the resolution of hydraulic conductivity in this case. More generally, the formulation and results suggest that geophysical monitoring data can be incorporated effectively into a hydrogeologic parameter estimation using a data-domain correlation operator, assuming a strong correlation exists between changes in hydrogeologic and geophysical properties.
A Blind Decision Feedback Equalizer for QAM Signals based on the Constant Modulus Algorithm

This paper presents a blind adaptive decision feedback equalization (DFE) scheme for QAM signals, which uses block processing and is based on the constant modulus algorithm (CMA) [1]. A two-phase scheme is proposed in which the equalizer switches from the blind mode to decision feedback mode after the blind scheme has converged. If the error level is low and the equalizer output is reliable then DFE is successful and all intersymbol interference (ISI) can be removed by this scheme. The block DFE scheme is tested with two blind equalization schemes (i) CMA and (ii) CMA+AMA [3]. Their performance is compared to the original CMA/AMA scheme of [2], and to each of the blind equalization schemes operating alone. The convergence behavior of the AMA cost function is used to evaluate performance of the different schemes. In addition, the average symbol error rate (SER) is compared for the different schemes by Monte Carlo simulation.
Matchings and matching extensions in graphs

Abstract Let G be a graph with a perfect matching and k be an integer such that 1 ⩽ k vbV ( G ) vb /2. Then G is said to be k -extendable if every matching of size k in G extends to a perfect matching of G . Plummer (1994) proved that every (2 k + 1)-connected K 1,3 -free graph of even order is k -extendable. In this paper, it was proved that every (2 k + n − 2)-connected K 1, n -free graph of even order is k -extendable. Also, an answer to the problem of characterizing maximal k -extendable graphs posted by Plummer (1994) and Saito (1989/90) is given. Besides, we show that a regular graph of even order belongs to the first class if its any two odd cycles have at least a vertex in common.
A Novel Restricted Diffusion Model of Evoked Dopamine

In vivo fast-scan cyclic voltammetry provides high-fidelity recordings of electrically evoked dopamine release in the rat striatum. The evoked responses are suitable targets for numerical modeling because the frequency and duration of the stimulus are exactly known. Responses recorded in the dorsal and ventral striatum of the rat do not bear out the predictions of a numerical model that assumes the presence of a diffusion gap interposed between the recording electrode and nearby dopamine terminals. Recent findings, however, suggest that dopamine may be subject to restricted diffusion processes in brain extracellular space. A numerical model cast to account for restricted diffusion produces excellent agreement between simulated and observed responses recorded under a broad range of anatomical, stimulus, and pharmacological conditions. The numerical model requires four, and in some cases only three, adjustable parameters and produces meaningful kinetic parameter values.
Potential Role of Cattle Egrets, Bubulcus ibis (Ciconiformes: Ardeidae), in the Dissemination of Amblyomma variegatum (Acari: Ixodidae) in the Eastern Caribbean

The potential role of cattle egrets, Bubulcus ibis (L.), in the dissemination of Amblyomma variegatum (F.) in the eastern Caribbean was evaluated. The status of cattle egrets as hosts for A. variegatum in Antigua was determined during seven survey periods between September 1988 and May 1991. The mean prevalences of infestation by larvae and nymphs were 2.3 and 0.5%, respectively. The mean intensity and relative density of infestation by larvae were 8.8 (SD = 9.80) and 0.2 (SD = 0.28), respectively. Cattle egrets examined in Guadeloupe during February–March 1991 were not infested but 5.9% were infested by larvae during June–July 1991. Interisland movement of cattle egrets was evaluated relative to emigration of birds captured and marked in Antigua and Guadeloupe. During this aspect of the study, 1,129 cattle egrets were captured, marked, and released. Of 195 sighting reports received, 56 were determined to be independent sightings. Emigration of cattle egrets included movement of birds marked in Antigua or Guadeloupe to 14 Caribbean islands and the Florida Keys. Interisland movement occurred in each of the discrete observation periods during the 3-yr study period. The rate of emigration per period ranged from 1.2 to 12.9%. That cattle egrets served as hosts for immature A. variegatum in the eastern Caribbean and moved between islands in the region demonstrates that these birds could serve as disseminators of the tick. Estimates of the numbers of infested cattle egrets emigrating from Antigua and Guadeloupe ranged from 0 to 0.24% of the current populations.
TOMY OF THE CANINE BRAIN USING HIGH RESOLUTION OMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

High resolution computed tomography (CT) was used to determine the normal appearance of the brain of an adult Beagle dog. Objects as small as 0.6 mm for bony structures (high contrast) and 1.5–2.0 mm for soft tissue structures (low contrast) could be resolved in the CT images. Multiplanar imaging using direct transverse and reformatted dorsal and sagittal images made it possible to obtain a three dimensional presentation of anatomy. Selective viewing, where CT number window and level settings were varied, was used to optimize visualization of specific brain structures. Normal high contrast components, cerebrospinal fluid, and osseous land-marks, were important aids in identification of various intracranial structures. Quantitative densitometry was performed to characterize various regions of the brain in terms of their x-ray attenuation values or CT numbers. This study indicated that high resolution CT provides a qualitative and quantitative appraisal of the canine brain that is unavailable using conventional radiographic technics.
Correlation functions for simple hopping in a face-centered-cubic lattice

The correlation functions for a single specific particle and for a pair of specific particles are calculated for an ensemble of particles making nearest-neighbor simple jumps in a fcc lattice. The correlation functions are used to obtain diffusion coefficients and NMR relaxation times due to $I\ensuremath{-}S$ (unlike spin) and $I\ensuremath{-}I$ (like spin) dipolar interactions for various concentrations of particles. Our results are compared to previous theories and to experimental results on $\mathrm{Pd}{\mathrm{H}}_{x}$.
Human mitochondrial RNA polymerase: structure-function, mechanism and inhibition.

Abstract Transcription of the human mitochondrial genome is required for the expression of 13 subunits of the respiratory chain complexes involved in oxidative phosphorylation, which is responsible for meeting the cells' energy demands in the form of ATP. Also transcribed are the two rRNAs and 22 tRNAs required for mitochondrial translation. This process is accomplished, with the help of several accessory proteins, by the human mitochondrial RNA polymerase (POLRMT, also known as h-mtRNAP), a nuclear-encoded single-subunit DNA-dependent RNA polymerase (DdRp or RNAP) that is distantly related to the bacteriophage T7 class of single-subunit RNAPs. In addition to its role in transcription, POLRMT serves as the primase for mitochondrial DNA replication. Therefore, this enzyme is of fundamental importance for both expression and replication of the human mitochondrial genome. Over the past several years rapid progress has occurred in understanding POLRMT and elucidating the molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial transcription. Important accomplishments include development of recombinant systems that reconstitute human mitochondrial transcription in vitro, determination of the X-ray crystal structure of POLRMT, identification of distinct mechanisms for promoter recognition and transcription initiation, elucidation of the kinetic mechanism for POLRMT-catalyzed nucleotide incorporation and discovery of unique mechanisms of mitochondrial transcription inhibition including the realization that POLRMT is an off target for antiviral ribonucleoside analogs. This review summarizes the current understanding of POLRMT structure–function, mechanism and inhibition. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Mitochondrial Gene Expression.
Effectiveness of riluzole in suppressing spasticity in the spinal cord injured rat

Abstract Spasticity poses a major detrimental impact on the quality of life in a significant number of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Recent observations in our laboratory suggest that spinal transection at the sacral S 2 level induces a significant increase in glutamatergic input to sacrocaudal motoneurons during the time spasticity is present in the tail muscles. The present study examined the effectiveness of riluzole, an agent that has been shown to reduce glutamate release, in managing spasticity within the tail musculature. In this blinded, cross-over study animals with S 2 spinal transections were tested behaviorally for the progression of spasticity in the tail musculature using our established system. When the animals demonstrated a significant level of spastic behavior (e.g. increased response to quick stretch, noxious and non-noxious cutaneous stimuli), they received either saline or riluzole (8 or 10 mg/kg i.p.) and assessed behaviorally at 1, 3, 6, and 12 post-injection. Results : riluzole at 8 mg/kg significantly decreased the response of the tail muscle to noxious and non-noxious cutaneous stimuli for the first 3 h post-administration, while administration of riluzole at 10 mg/kg significantly decreased the responsiveness of the tail to all of the behavioral assessments. However, a significant percentage of the animals displayed motor impairments at this higher dosage. Conclusion : suppression of glutamate release by the administration of riluzole can reduce several, but not all, aspects of spastic activity in the tail muscles at concentrations that do not elicit negative side-effects.
Protein Nutritional Quality of Traditional and Novel Cowpea Products Measured by In Vivo and In Vitro Methods

Effect of processing on nutritional quality of cowpea meal protein was determined by in vivo and in vitro methods. Uncooked meal and meal which had been extruded at various temperatures and moistures; slurried, steamed, and drum-dried (SDP); and hydrated to a paste and deep-fat fried (akara) were studied. PER values of extrudates (1.81–1.97), and akara (1.89) were higher than those of raw meal (1.44) or steamed, drum-dried paste (1.63). The saturation kinetics model showed similar trends but differences were not significant. In vitro digestibility was highest for extrudates (83–85%), intermediate for akara and SDP (82.8%, 81.2%), and lowest (77.8%) for raw meal. C-PER/DC-PER gave differing and contradictory results.
Flow microfluorometric analysis of isolated Chinese hamster chromosomes

Abstract Isolated Chinese hamster chromosomes were analysed by flow microfluorometry after staining with ethidium bromide. Peaks corresponding to the expected DNA content of each of the autosomes were observed. Examination of chromosomes partially fractionated by zonal centrifugation on sucrose gradients verified the identity of the chromosomes in the various peaks of the whole karyotype. The significance of these observations to karyotype analysis is discussed.
Seismic tomography constrained by bouguer gravity anomalies: Applications in western Washington

Tomographic inversions for velocity variations in western Washington indicate a high correlation with surface geology and geophysical measurements, including gravity observations. By assuming a simple linear relationship between density and velocity (Birch's law) it is possible to calculate the gravity field predicted from the velocity perturbations obtained by local tomographic inversion. While the predicted gravity matches observations in parts of the model, the overall correlation is not satisfactory. In this paper we suggest a method of constraining the tomographic inversion to fit the gravity observations simultaneously with the seismic travel time data. The method is shown to work well with synthetic data in 3 dimensions where the assumption of Birch's law holds strictly. If the sources of the gravity anomalies are assumed to be spatially localized, integration can be carried out over a relatively small volume below the observation points and sparse matrix techniques can be applied. We have applied the constrained inversion method to western Washington using 4,387 shallow earthquakes, to depths of 40.0 km, (36,865 raypaths) convering a 150×250 km region and found that the gravitational constraints may be satisfied with minor effect on the degree of misfit to the seismic data.
Studies of androgens in patients with adrenocortical tumors.

ABSTRACT Seven patients with adrenal tumors have been studied. Two of them showed signs of feminization, 4 demonstrated only symptoms of masculinization, and 1 had a nonfunctional tumor. Peripheral and adrenal vein plasma concentrations of testosterone (T), androstenedione (Δ), dehydroepiandrosterone (D), its sulfate (DS) and glucuronide (DG) conjugates, androsterone sulfate (AS) and glucuronide (AG), and etiocholanolone sulfate (ES) and glucuronide (EG) were determined. Adrenal secretion of T, Δ, D and DS was established on the basis of differences in steroid concentrations in peripheral and adrenal vein blood. None of the other androgen conjugates (AS, AG, ES and EG) were found to be secreted by the adrenal tumors. When considering the age and sex of the patients, the concentrations in peripheral vein plasma of T, Δ, D and DS were increased in all subjects studied except for a normal level of T and D in 1 of the 2 patients with symptoms of feminization. Fractionation of urinary steroids in 3 patients wi...