cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nature of the chromophore binding site of bacteriorhodopsin: the potential role of Arg82 as a principal counterion.

Abstract The nature of the chromophore binding site of light-adapted bacteriorhodopsin is analyzed by using modified neglect of differential overlap with partial single and double configuration interaction (MNDO-PSDCI) molecular orbital theory to interpret previously reported linear and nonlinear optical spectroscopic measurements. We conclude that in the absence of divalent metal cations in close interaction with Asp 85 and Asp 212 , a positively charged amino acid must be present in the same vicinity. We find that models in which Arg 82 is pointed upward into the chromophore binding site and directly stabilizes Asp 85 and Asp 212 are successful in rationalizing the observed one-photon and two-photon properties. We conclude further that a water molecule is strongly hydrogen bonded to the chromophore imine proton. The chromophore " 1 B u * + " and " 1 A g * − " states, despite extensive mixing, exhibit significantly different configurational character. The lowest-lying " 1 B u * + " state is dominated by single excitations, whereas the second-excited " 1 A g * − " state is dominated by double excitations. We can rule out the possibility of a negatively charged binding site, because such a site would produce a lowest-lying " 1 A g * − " state, which is contrary to experimental observation. The possibility that Arg 82 migrates toward the extracellular surface during the photocycle is examined.
Brain Regulation of Thrombosis and Hemostasis: From Theory to Practice

Thrombosis and hemostasis impact stroke neurology and cerebrovascular disease. Decision making for stroke prevention and stroke treatment almost invariably involves pharmacotherapies that involve coagulation, with drugs ranging from aspirin to anticoagulants, both new and old. Nevertheless, the focus on pharmacotherapy modulation of coagulation processes tends to overlook some basic pathophysiological realities: the organ affected by stroke has its own unique system for regulation of thrombosis and hemostasis. The purpose of this article is to review the brain’s intrinsic capacity for thrombosis and hemostasis regulation. At first glance, it may seem that this is esoteric subject matter. Indeed, until recently, it seemed that this material was largely of theoretical interest. It is now evident that thrombosis, hemostasis, and the brain have enormous practical significance for the field of stroke neurology. Intrinsic regulation of thrombosis and hemostasis can no longer be ignored if one is to intervene pharmacologically in ways that impact coagulation. Manipulation of systemic coagulation factors will necessarily have consequences implicating intrinsic brain regulatory mechanisms. This article will review thrombosis and hemostasis from an organ-specific perspective and one organ in particular: the brain. The article will address how brain regulation of thrombosis and hemostasis manifests itself in the context of organ-specific regulation. The phenomenon of cerebral microbleeds will then be discussed as a pivotal and perhaps paradigmatic example of the importance of this issue. The terms thrombosis, hemostasis, and coagulation are sometimes used interchangeably, but more precisely refer to different processes. Hemostasis defines the avoidance or arrest of bleeding by maintaining blood within a vessel. Thrombosis is the formation of clot within a blood vessel, resulting in obstruction of flow, whereas coagulation refers to a liquid transformed into a coherent solid or semisolid mass.1 Coagulation is primarily regulated by circulating soluble factors, circulating cells, and vessel wall constituents, combined …
Circuit configuration of the GTO converter for superconducting magnetic energy storage

The authors discuss the circuit configurations and design of two AC-to-DC power converters for superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) using gate-turn-off (GTO) thyristors. The circuits are current-source rectifiers, so that suppressing the overvoltage on the GTOs during commutation is an important consideration. Moreover, to get high conversion efficiency it is necessary to handle the commutation energy properly. Two circuits are presented for this purpose, and the detailed computer simulation of these circuits is discussed. The resulting design policies and characteristics for both circuits are described, and the best choice of converter circuit for SMES is determined. >
Role of the renin angiotensin system on bone marrow-derived stem cell function and its impact on skeletal muscle angiogenesis

Autologous bone marrow cell (BMC) transplantation has been shown as a potential approach to treat various ischemic diseases. However, under many conditions BMC dysfunction has been reported, leadin...
Laminar flow at a three-dimensional stagnation point with large rates of injection

Exact calculations of the titled flow are presented and compared to the predictions of an asymptotic analysis for large rates of injection. The inner layer of the boundary layer is found to involve outflow in both orthogonal directions whether the external flow along the y axis is inward or outward. As a result, the flow at a nearly two-dimensional stagnation point involves drastic changes as a weak outflow changes to a weak inflow. It is also found that the velocity profiles in the two directions in the inner layer are quite different.
MALE GENOTYPE AFFECTS FEMALE LONGEVITY IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Several recent studies suggest that interactions with conspecific males can reduce the longevity of female Drosophila melanogaster or support the idea that male and female fitness components are involved in antagonistic interactions. Here we report that males from third-chromosome isogenic lines demonstrated significant genetic variation in male reproductive performance and in the longevity of their mates. Increased male performance was marginally significantly associated with one measure of increased female survival rate. However, there was no indication of tradeoffs or negative correlations between male reproductive success and female survival. We discuss alternative hypotheses for the cause of the induced variation in female longevity.
Three Models of the International Rule of Law (Tres modelos de imperio internacional de la ley)

English Abstract: While it is common to refer to the international rule of law, it is less common to define it or to explore what it means. In this essay I examine the international rule of law both in practice and as a concept. This is important because many controversies about the direction of world politics in fact rest on different accounts of the international rule of law. Understanding the various ways the idea is used, and their implications for policy-choices, can help clarify what it and what it is not being argued over in global controversies. I set out three distinct approaches to the concept of the international rule of law and compare them to contemporary state practice. The first is anchored on the obligation of states to comply with their international legal obligations. The second draws on an analogy with the domestic rule of law. The third begins from the observation that states invoke international law to explain and justify their policies - from this it expands into a model of law as integral to political legitimation. I find that the third provides the most conceptually coherent understanding of the international rule of law, and has interesting implications for the study of international law and politics.Spanish Abstract: Aunque es comun referirse al imperio internacional de la ley, es menos comun definirlo o explorar lo que significa. En este ensayo examino el imperio internacional de la ley en la practica y en teoria. Esto es importante porque muchas controversias sobre la direccion de la politica mundial se basan de hecho en explicaciones diferentes del imperio internacional de la ley. Comprender las diferentes maneras en que se usa esta idea y sus implicaciones para la eleccion de politicas puede ayudar a clarificar lo que se esta discutiendo y lo que no en las controversias globales. Yo planteo tres enfoques distintos del concepto de imperio internacional de la ley y los comparo con la practica estatal contemporanea. El primero esta anclado en la obligacion de los estados de cumplir sus obligaciones legales internacionales. El segundo traza una analogia con el imperio domestico de la ley. El tercero parte de la observacion de que los estados invocan la ley internacional para explicar y justificar sus politicas – de aqui se amplia a un modelo de la ley como parte integral de la legitimacion politica. Me parece que el tercero ofrece la comprension conceptualmente mas coherente del imperio internacional de la ley y tiene implicaciones interesantes para el estudio de la ley y la politica internacionales.
Real-Time Simulation of Communications and Power Systems for Testing Distributed Embedded Controls

The anticipated benefits of the next generation of electric distribution systems of efficiency and reliability greatly rely on a dependable power delivery system that incorporates information and communication infrastructures. While great efforts have been expanded to address the challenges of modelling and simulating either the power or the communications system, combining these two into a single, coherent system is still a field of active research. This article describes the approach taken to achieve real time simulation capabilities of such a hybrid system to demonstrate developments performed within the FREEDM Systems Center. The objective is to provide a platform that allows evaluating a newly developed, power electronics-based distribution system concept that requires communication among the various components to properly operate and respond to fault conditions. This objective is achieved by extending existing real-time power system simulation capabilities by a real-time communications simulation tool and bridging the gap between the two. The issues described herein address core modelling and simulation components and the interfaces developed to access simulation data and cope with the required amount of exchanged data.
Association of Hypoalbuminemia With Osteoporosis: Analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Context: The association of hypoalbuminemia with osteoporosis in human studies is controversial. Objective: We tested the independent association between hypoalbuminemia and osteoporosis in a national dataset. Design: This is a cross-sectional observation. Setting and Participants: Participants are individuals selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) with available clinical, laboratory, and densitometry data from the 2005–2010 and 2013–2014 cycles. Exposure: Exposure is hypoalbuminemia defined as serum albumin <3.5 g/dL. Main Outcome Measure: Osteoporosis is defined as bone mineral density of ≤2.5 SD below the mean peak bone mass of young, healthy adults. Analysis took into account the hidden variance and the weighting methodology pertinent to analysis of NHANES. Results: Overall, 15 539 individuals were included. The mean age was 48.6 years (SE = 0.27). Fifty percent of the individuals were male, and 10.2% were of the black race. There was a graded decrease in the rate ...
SLCO1B1 polymorphism associated with methotrexate disposition and clinical outcome

Organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1( OATP1B1,encoded by SLCO1B1 gene) plays a crucial role in the hepatic uptake of many endogenous compounds and xenobiotics. It has been demonstrated that SLCO1B1 polymorphism could change the pharmacokinetics characteristics of many clinically used drugs,which has influenced their outcome and safety. However,inter- individual variant of methotrexate results in vastly different clinical effectiveness and toxicity. Herein,we review the current knowledge about this topic to provide theoretical guidance for the clinical use of methotrexate.
Towards on-chip, tunable X-ray sources based on graphene plasmons

Leveraging the high field confinement of graphene plasmons enables the creation of table-top and chip-scale sources of intense, monochromatic, directional and robustly tunable free-electron sources from the IR to hard X-ray regime.
Kant and Mathematics, an Outline

The key to understanding Poincare’s philosophy of mathematics is to realise that he defends Kant’s epistemological view that mathematics is synthetic a priori, but that the details of Poincare’s theory of the ‘synthetic a priori’ are quite distinct from Kant’s. Indeed, Poincare’s theory might be sufficiently distinct so as not to be subject to the pitfalls to which Kant’s theory is so vulnerable.1 Since Poincare adopts the Kantian terminology, though he adapts the theory, my first task is to outline Kant’s theory, to enable the necessary comparison to be made. Poincare explicitly rejects Kant’s thesis that Euclidean geometry is synthetic a priori. He even disagrees with Kant’s more minimal thesis that the three-dimensionality of space is synthetic a priori. He holds that these are, rather, ‘conventional’ matters. However, he follows Kant in asserting that the theorems and the acceptable axioms of pure number-theoretic mathematics have the synthetic a priori status.
Dynamical response of dark matter to galaxy evolution affects direct-detection experiments

Over a handful of rotation periods, dynamical processes in barred galaxies induce nonaxisymmetric structure in dark matter halos. Using $n$-body simulations of a Milky Way--like barred galaxy, we identify both a trapped dark matter component, a shadow bar, and a strong response wake in the dark matter distribution that affects the predicted dark matter detection rates for current experiments. The presence of a baryonic disk, together with well-known dynamical processes (e.g. spiral structure and bar instabilities), increases the dark matter density in the disk plane. We find that the magnitude of the combined stellar and shadow bar evolution, when isolated from the effect of the axisymmetric gravitational potential of the disk, accounts for $g30%$ of this overall increase in disk-plane density. This is significantly larger than that of previously claimed deviations from the standard halo model. The dark matter density and kinematic wakes driven by the Milky Way bar increase the detectability of dark matter overall, especially for the experiments with higher ${v}_{\mathrm{min}}$. These astrophysical features increase the detection rate by more than a factor of 2 when compared to the standard halo model and by a factor of 10 for experiments with high minimum recoil energy thresholds. These same features increase (decrease) the annual modulation for low (high) minimum recoil energy experiments. We present physical arguments for why these dynamics are generic for barred galaxies such as the Milky Way rather than contingent on a specific galaxy model.
Abstract 093: Progesterone Supplementation Improves Blood Pressure And Uterine Artery Resistance In Response To Placental Ischemia During Pregnancy

Preeclampsia (PE), new onset hypertension at 20 weeks of gestation, is characterized by increased uterine artery resistance index (UARI), chronic immune activation and decreased of vasodilators such as nitric oxide (NO). Despite being one of the leading causes of death in pregnant women, currently there is no effective treatment for PE except for early delivery of the fetus. We have demonstrated that PE women have significantly lower circulating progesterone than normal pregnant (NP). 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) is a synthetic metabolite of progesterone used for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth and although the mechanism is not understood, is suspected to have vasodilatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, we hypothesized that progesterone (17-OHPC) supplementation could reduce blood pressure (MAP), pro-inflammatory cytokines, CD4+ T cells, UARI, as well as increase NO bioavailability in a hypertensive rat model of PE. To address this question 17-OHPC (3.32mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered on day 18 of gestation into Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure (RUPP) rats and carotid catheters were inserted. MAP, blood and tissues were collected on day 19. MAP in NP rats (n=13) was 92±2; 123±2 in RUPP (n=18), and 116 ±1 mmHg in RUPP+17-OHPC (n=10), p
Multimodality Imaging Findings in Carcinoid Tumors: A Head-to-Toe Spectrum

Carcinoid tumors are a rare biologically heterogeneous group of neuroendocrine tumors with a spectrum ranging from benign indolent to aggressive metastatic tumors. They belong to the category of amine precursor uptake and decarboxylase tumors, or apudomas. The most common sites for primary locations are the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts; however, any organ can be involved. The clinical presentation depends on location, aggressiveness, production of biologically active amines and peptides, paraneoplastic syndromes, and tendency for metastasis. Their reported age-adjusted incidence has increased in recent years, partly due to improved detection at radiologic imaging and endoscopy. Not a ll neuroendocrine cell tumors are carcinoids. Numerous systems have been proposed regarding their nomenclature and classification. Cross-sectional and functional imaging plays an important role in diagnosis, lesion characterization, and staging. Awareness of nomenclature, classification, common sites of involvement, and imaging presentation are pivotal for making the diagnosis. Knowledge of the diverse clinical, pathologic, and radiologic spectrum of carcinoid tumors involving various organs of the body is important for diagnosis and patient management. ©RSNA, 2017.
Development and testing of an intrusion detection system for unmanned aerial systems

This paper discusses the development, testing and prospective use of an intrusion detection system (IDS) for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and systems (UASs). Intrusion detection systems are typically used in computer networking and other applications to detect and respond to attempts to compromise computers, servers, firewalls and other network resources. In the context of the development of an IDS for UAV/UAS applications, several topics are considered. These include what an IDS is and how it is used, why do UAVs/UASs need an IDS and attack detection expectations for IDSs used in UAV/UAS applications. Because UAVs and UASs operate in the real world, with numerous and varied sensory inputs, testing and validation of these systems is particularly problematic. IDS Training challenges and the use of automated training to validate UAV/UAS IDS systems is, thus, a major consideration and also covered. The use of adaptive testing, in particular, is discussed.
Causes, Preventability, and Cost of Unplanned Rehospitalizations Within 30 Days of Discharge After Lung Transplantation.

Background Unplanned rehospitalizations (UR) within 30 days of discharge are common after lung transplantation. It is unknown whether UR represents preventable gaps in care or necessary interventions for complex patients. The objective of this study was to assess the incidence, causes, risk factors, and preventability of UR after initial discharge after lung transplantation. Methods This was a single-center prospective cohort study. Subjects completed a modified short physical performance battery to assess frailty at listing and at initial hospital discharge after transplantation and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory at discharge. For each UR, a study staff member and the patient's admitting or attending clinician used an ordinal scale (0, not; 1, possibly; 2, definitely preventable) to rate readmission preventability. A total sum score of 2 or higher defined a preventable UR. Results Of the 90 enrolled patients, 30 (33.3%) had an UR. The single most common reasons were infection (7 [23.3%]) and atrial tachyarrhythmia (5 [16.7%]). Among the 30 URs, 9 (30.0%) were deemed preventable. Unplanned rehospitalization that happened before day 30 were more likely to be considered preventable than those between days 30 and 90 (30.0% versus 6.2%, P = 0.04). Discharge frailty, defined as short physical performance battery less than 6, was the only variable associated with UR on multivariable analysis (odds ratio, 3.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-11.8; P = 0.04). Conclusions Although clinicians do not rate the majority of UR after lung transplant as preventable, discharge frailty is associated with UR. Further research should identify whether modification of discharge frailty can reduce UR.
Plasminogen binding and degradation by Treponema denticola: Identification of the plasminogen binding interface on the FhbB protein

Treponema denticola is a proteolytic-anaerobic spirochete whose abundance in the subgingival crevice correlates with periodontal disease severity. Treponema denticola evades serum-mediated killing through the binding of factor H (FH), a negative regulator of the complement system. The T. denticolaFH receptor has been identified as FhbB, an 11.4kDa immunodominant lipoprotein. Three distinct subfamilies of FhbB proteins have been delineated and designated as FhbB1, FhbB2 and FhbB3. In this study we demonstrate that all FhbB variants bind human plasminogen (Plg). Competitive binding analyses revealed that FH and Plg do not compete for binding. Binding studies with FhbB135405 site-directed amino acid substitution mutants demonstrated that the interaction domains for FH and Plg on FhbB are separable. Inhibition of Plg-FhbB binding by e-aminocaproic acid (a lysine analog) indicates that binding is mediated by electrostatic interactions that presumably occur with Lys binding sites contained within Plg "Kringle" domains 1, 2, 4 or 5. Similar to that demonstrated for FH, Plg can also serve as a substrate for the T. denticola protease, dentilisin. The in vivo consequences of dentilisin-mediated cleavage of Plg remained to be determined. The data presented demonstrate that FhbB is a multi-functional protein that may contribute to virulence through several mechanisms including immune evasion, manipulation of the host immune response, adherence or tissue invasion.
Evolution of the Spinal Delivery of Opiate Analgesics

Abstract Morphine and other alkaloids were initially isolated in the 1850s, and their application to ameliorate pain by hypodermic delivery began shortly thereafter. The development of conduction anesthesia by delivery of cocaine to the peripheral nerve in the 1880s and then later to the spinal cord in the late 1890s was accompanied by several reports where morphine was added, but thereafter its neuraxial use disappeared until the latter half of 20th century. At this time three important observations were made: the specific and precise pharmacology of opiates led to the conclusion that the agents were acting though a specific site(s) (receptor/s); consistent with the presumed actions, opiates were found to have a potent analgesic effect mediated though an action at specific brain sites, notably the periaqueductal gray; and while opiates indeed had a potent effect in the brain, the preclinical demonstration that intrathecal (IT) opiates specifically blocked nociception led to the conclusion that opiates with an action limited to the spinal cord would have behaviorally relevant effects upon spinal pain processing. Subsequent work in humans displayed an important effect upon acute pain processing, and the development of implanted pumps and catheters enabled the use of IT opiates in chronic pain.
Learning from Expected and Unexpected Sources

ABSTRACT The premise of this essay is that teaching is a continuous learning experience. Experiential learning theory and insights from the Pathways Commission provide the framework for my reflecti...
Current status of cerebral perfusion radiopharmaceuticals

This is the first of a four-part Continuing Education series describing current trends in radiopharmaceutical research and development. After reading and studying this article the reader should be able to: 1) discuss the updated approach to brain scintigraphy, 2) discuss characteristics of cerebral perfusion radiopharmaceuticals, and 3) be aware of the prospects of cerebral perfusion imaging in nuclear medicine.
The Unexpected Value of Litigation

In this article suggest that litigation can be analyzed as though it is a competitive research and development project. Developing this analogy, we present a two stage real option model of the litigation process that involves sequential information revelation and bargaining over the surplus generated by early settlement. Litigants are risk neutral and have no private information. The model generates results that, we believe, have analytic and normative significance for the economic analysis of litigation. From an analytic perspective, we demonstrate that negative expected value (NEV) lawsuits are analogous to out of the money call options held by plaintiffs and that every NEV lawsuit is credible if the variance of the information revealed during the course of the litigation is sufficiently large. This finding helps explain the prevalence of a class of lawsuits that has proved puzzling to traditional, expected value-based modes of litigation analysis. The model also suggests that risk neutral defendants can act as though they are risk averse and that risk neutral plaintiffs can act as though they are risk seeking because increases in variance can increase a lawsuit's settlement option value just as it increases a call option's value without regard to the holder's degree of risk aversion. Models that presume defendants' relative risk aversion may therefore rely on an unnecessary assumption. Our model also suggests that a lawsuit's option settlement value is not a monotonically increasing function of the variance of the information revealed during the litigation. In particular, at low levels of variance a lawsuit's option settlement value may equal its traditional expected value, but as variance increases its option settlement value can display a discontinuity after which its option settlement value becomes a monotonically increasing function of variance. NEV lawsuits can also display dead zones - regions of variance over which the claim is not credible even though it is credible over higher or lower levels of variance. Comparative statics analysis also quantifies the extent to which a lawsuit's settlement value increases as plaintiff's litigation expenses occur later in the litigation process, as the ratio of defendant to plaintiff litigation expense increases, and as plaintiff bargaining power increases. From a normative perspective, we offer an impossibility conjecture suggesting that the mere presence of an irreducible degree of uncertainty endemic to the litigation process can be sufficient to prevent private litigation incentives from equating to socially optimal incentives, even if one adopts all other assumptions necessary to equate private and social incentives. It follows that it may be impossible to articulate normative principles of law through substantive standards that ignore the uncertainty inherent in the litigation process and the procedural environment in which the litigation occurs.
End of life spending among cancer patients in an ACO vs. non-ACO.

6511Background: Nearly 25% of the annual Medicare budget is devoted to care of beneficiaries who die in a given year. Therefore, there has been increased policy and provider focus on understanding ...
Methylation of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Genomes Are Associated with Cervical Precancer in HIV-Positive Women.

Background: HIV-positive women are at substantial risk of HPV-associated cervical neoplasia caused by high-risk (HR) HPVs. Methylation of the HPV genome is associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) in HIV-negative women, yet it is unknown whether this holds true for HIV-positive women. Methods: We designed a case–control study within the Women9s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) cohort comparing HIV-positive CIN3 cases (N = 72) to HIV-positive controls without detectable CIN2+. The unit of analysis and matching was HPV-type infection. Cases with ≥2 HR-HPV types (N = 23; 32%) had a separate control for each HR-HPV type. We developed and utilized next-generation sequencing (NGS) methylation assays for 12 different HR-HPVs, focusing on CpG sites in the L1/L2 regions. Results: Significant case–control differences in individual CpG site methylation levels were observed for multiple alpha-9 (HPV16/31/35/58) and alpha-7 HPV (HPV18/39/45) types, based on dichotomization of tertile levels (T3 vs. T1 and T2). Analyses combining homologous CpG sites [e.g., HPV16-L1-5608/HPV31-L1-5521/HPV35-L2L1-5570; OR = 7.28; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.75–19.3], and (e.g., HPV18-L1-7062/HPV45-L1-7066; OR = 6.94; 95% CI: 1.23–39.3) were significant in separate case–control comparisons. In cases with multiple HR-HPVs, we tested and confirmed the hypothesis that one HR-HPV type would have higher methylation than other types detected, consistent with there being a single HR-HPV causally related to a lesion. Conclusions: CIN3 is associated with elevated L1/L2 CpG methylation levels in HIV-positive women. Impact: HPV DNA CpG methylation is a promising triage option in HIV-positive women testing positive for HR-HPV types and provides risk attribution in women with multiple HPV type infections.
Differences in Cost of Care by Palliation Strategy for Infants With Ductal-Dependent Pulmonary Blood Flow.

Background: In infants with ductal-dependent pulmonary blood flow, initial palliation with patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) stent or modified Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt have comparable mortality but ...
Medetomidine Analogs as α2-Adrenergic Ligands. 3. Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of a New Series of Medetomidine Analogs and Their Potential Binding Interactions with α2-Adrenoceptors Involving a “Methyl Pocket”

The synthesis and the biological evaluation of a new series of medetomidine analogs are reported. The substitution pattern at the phenyl ring of the tetralin analogs had a distinct influence on the α2-adrenoceptor binding affinity. 4-Methylindan analog 6 was the most potent α2-adrenoceptor binding ligand among these 4-substituted imidazoles, and its α2-adrenoceptor selectivity was greater than the 5-methyl tetralin analog 4c. Ligand-pharmacophore and receptor modeling were combined to rationalize α2-adrenoceptor binding data of the imidazole analogs in terms of ligand−receptor interactions. The structure−activity relationships that were apparent from this and previous studies were qualitatively rationalized by the binding site models of the α2-adrenoceptor. The benzylic methyl group of medetomidine or the naphthyl analog 2a was superimposable with the α-methyl group of (−)-α-methylnorepinephrine and fit into the proposed “methyl pocket” of the α2-adrenoceptor defined by the residues Leu110, Leu169, Phe391...
The Image Debate: Figural Representation in Islam and across the World: edited by Christiane Gruber, Berkeley, CA, Gingko Library, 2019, 240 pp., $90.00, ISBN 9781909942349

An academic sub-discipline known as ‘Image Science’ (Bildwissenschaft) has become an increasingly valuable tool not only for art history, but also for religious and cross-cultural studies. Christia...
Characterisation of gas exchange in COPD with dissolved-phase hyperpolarised xenon-129 MRI

To investigate whether hyperpolarised xenon-129 MRI (HXeMRI) enables regional and physiological resolution of diffusing capacity limitations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we evaluated 34 COPD subjects and 11 healthy volunteers. We report significant correlations between airflow abnormality quantified by HXeMRI and per cent predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s; HXeMRI gas transfer capacity to red blood cells and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (%DLCO); and HXeMRI gas transfer capacity to interstitium and per cent emphysema quantified by multidetector chest CT. We further demonstrate the capability of HXeMRI to distinguish varying pathology underlying COPD in subjects with low %DLCO and minimal emphysema.
The place of non-epistemic matters in epistemology: norms and regulation in various communities

This paper brings together two lines of thought. The first is the broadly contextualist idea that what is takes to satisfy central epistemic concepts such as the concept of knowledge or that of objectively justified belief may vary with the stakes faced in settings or contexts. Attributions of knowledge, for example, certify an agent to those who might treat them as a source on which to rely. Henderson and Horgan write of gate-keeping for an epistemic community. The second line of thought turns on the idea that such central epistemic concepts are keyed to the conformity with epistemic norms for the fitting fixation of belief—and that the epistemic norms function in important ways as social norms by which folk regulate their epistemic lives as members of communities of interdependent agents. The two lines of thought are practically made for one another! I develop the connections and show how the results both vindicate and reinforce a form of contextualist epistemology, but refine and limit the range of contextual variation one should envision.
Connectivity, contestation, and cultural production: an analysis of Dominican online identity formation

In this paper, I employ thematic analysis of text data from a web forum to highlight the prevalent debates and themes that emerge in online discussions of Dominican identity. I find that these spac...
Exponentially Simpler Network Rate Regions

Determining the rate region of a network is of great importance in the research area of network coding. Lots of attempts have been made and significant progress has been achieved over the last decade on this topic. Although these researches provide us with multiple ways of calculating the outer or inner bounds of rate region, the sheer complexity of the problem, which involves expressing and projecting a very high dimensional polyhedra, makes it computationally infeasible beyond networks with 10s of edges. Aimed at reducing the complexity of the rate region calculation, in this paper a new theorem that implicitly determines the rate region of a network is proved and a corresponding systematic way of applying the theorem to calculate explicitly the outer bounds to a rate region is proposed. Compared with the traditional method, the proposed method has the potential to calculate the true rate region via the projection of simpler polyhedra that has exponentially less dimensions and is characterized by exponentially less facets.
A Pilot Study of Effects of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program on Phonemic Awareness and Basic Reading Skills

The current pilot study was an investigation into the effectiveness of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program reading curriculum among kindergarten students. Magic Penny was introduced as a supplement to the existing curriculum in the intervention classroom for approximately three months. Reading achievement was assessed using a selection of tests from the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Cognitive Abilities and the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement that comprise the Basic Reading Skills Cluster and the Phonemic Awareness III Clinical Cluster. Utilizing a between-group comparison and longitudinal study design, group differences between intervention (n = 19) and comparison (n = 19) classrooms on the early literacy outcome measures were examined using linear regression models. Results provided mixed support for the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program. Analyses indicated that intervention group membership was associated with greater improvement in children’s Basic Reading scores, when controlling for pre-test scores. In contrast, intervention group membership was not associated with greater improvement in children’s Phonemic Awareness scores. This study represents the first formal evaluation of the Magic Penny Early Literacy Program. However, this pilot study was limited in scope and lacked random assignment. Given its limitations, additional, larger-scale research is warranted to further examine the impact of this new program.
ABSTRACT: Formation Resistivity as an Indicator of Oil Generation — Bakken Formation of North Dakota and Woodford Shale of Oklahoma*

ABSTRACT With the onset of oil generation in organic-rich, low porosity shales, nonconductive hydrocarbons begin to displace conductive pore water. As this process continues, formation resistivity increases from the low levels typical of water saturated shales and can reach hundreds of ohm-m if sufficient oil is generated. In this study, formation resistivity of selected organic-rich shales is compared with geochemical indicators of hydrocarbon generation and thermal maturity in order to quantify relationships between resistivity and oil generation. The upper and lower shale members of the Bakken Formation (Upper Devonian and Lower Mississip-pian) of the Williston Basin, North Dakota, and the Woodford Shale (Upper Devonian and Lower Missis-sippian) of the Anadarko Basin, Oklahoma are used here as illustrative examples. An increase of volatile hydrocarbons (Si) in core samples indicates that a resistivity of about 35 ohm-m marks the onset of observable oil generation in these three organic rich shales. This resistivity value is used to map regions of the study areas where the Woodford Shale and the Bakken Formation have generated oil and where free oil might possibly be produced from fracture systems. Crossplots of formation resistivity versus vitrinite reflectance (Ro) indicate that the level of thermal maturation required for oil generation is about Ro = 0.44% in the upper Bakken Formation, Ro = 0.50% in the lower member of the Bakken Formation, and Ro = 0.57% in the Woodford Shale of the study area. Crossplots of formation resistivity versus Lopatin's time-temperature index of thermal maturity (TTI) indicate that the level of time-temperature exposure required for oil generation is about TTI = 11 in the upper Bakken Formation, TTI = 23 in the lower member of the Bakken Formation, and TTI = 33-48 in the Woodford Shale of the study area. Such crossplots provide a direct empirical link between initiation of oil generation and mathematical measures of time-temperature exposure, thereby circumventing problems of indirect calibrations.
The Intrigue of the Interface

Diverse phenomena, ranging from the way shorebirds feed to self-cleaning by leaves, can be explained through surface tension effects.
Are ILEs ready for the classroom? bringing teachers into the feedback loop

This paper proposes a new approach for incorporating intelligent learning environments (ILEs) into K-12 classrooms that tightly integrates interactions between the students, the classroom teacher, and the ILE The ILE's ability for continual, fine-grained monitoring and analysis of students' learning activities supports the teacher's ability to more effectively guide student learning.
Urban Life and Tall Buildings

This note informally comments on the relationship between tall buildings and the urban setting.
Adaptive traitor tracing with Bayesian networks

The practical success of broadcast encryption hinges on the ability to (1) revoke the access of compromised keys and (2) determine which keys have been compromised. In this work we focus on the latter, the so-called traitor tracing problem. We present an adaptive tracing algorithm that selects forensic tests according to the information gain criteria. The results of the tests refine an explicit, Bayesian model of our beliefs that certain keys are compromised. In choosing tests based on this criteria, we significantly reduce the number of tests, as compared to the state-of-the-art techniques, required to identify compromised keys. As part of the work we developed an efficient, distributable inference algorithm that is suitable for our application and also give an efficient heuristic for choosing the optimal test.
Nonlinear current observer for backstepping control of buck-type converters

Two backstepping control schemes are developed for buck-type converters for two different types of loads. The first considers an unknown passive load, while the second considers a time-varying current source load. Both schemes utilize a novel inductor current observer which eliminates the need for a costly current sensor. For the passive load, the output voltage tracking objective is met using only parameter knowledge and the output voltage measurement. For a current source load, the output voltage tracking objective is met using parameter knowledge and measurement of output voltage and load current. A stability analysis and simulation results validate each approach.
Age and Ethnic Differences in the Onset, Persistence and Recurrence of Alcohol Use Disorder

Aims To estimate ethnic differences in three components of alcohol use disorder and alcohol dependence course (onset, persistence and recurrence) in a developmental framework. Design Longitudinal data from The National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), collected using face-to-face interviews. Setting Civilian non-institutionalized US population aged 18 years and older, with oversampling of Hispanics, blacks and those aged 18-24 years. Participants Individuals who completed both NESARC assessments, were not life-long abstainers and were either white (n = 17 458), black (n = 4995), US-born Hispanic (n = 2810) or Hispanic-born outside the United States (n = 2389). Measurements Alcohol dependence (AD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD; abuse or dependence) onset, persistence and recurrence were examined using the Alcohol Use Disorders and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule, DSM-IV version.Findings Among men: relative to whites aged 18-29, AUD onset and persistence were elevated only in US-born Hispanics aged 40 years and older; odds were reduced for all non-US-born Hispanics, older whites, most blacks and US-born Hispanics aged 30-39. For AD, onset risk was elevated for all younger minority men and only reduced among non-US-born aged Hispanics 40 or older. For women: compared to young whites, non-US-born Hispanics were at decreased AUD and AD onset risk; AUD and AD onset and persistence were increased for older blacks and US-born Hispanics. Conclusions In the United States, ethnic differences in alcohol disorder transitions (onset, persistence, and recurrence) vary across age, gender and whether a broad (alcohol use disorder) or narrow (alcohol dependence) alcohol definition is used. Evidence of increased risk for some transitions in minority groups suggests that attention should be paid to the course of alcohol use disorders, and that differences in prevalence should not be assumed to reflect differences in specific transitions.
Studies of the in vitro activation and differentiation of human B lymphocytes. II. Optimization of activation by anti-immunoglobulin antibody bound to beads: analysis of the role of autocrine effects on B-cell proliferation and of T-cell help in B-cell differentiation.

Abstract We report experiments attempting to optimize the proliferative response of human B cells to rabbit anti-immunoglobulin antibody (RAHIg)-linked beads (anti-Ig beads). By choosing polyacrylamide beads of small size (3 μm) and coupling anti-Ig to them at high concentrations, beads were obtained which were both B-cell specific and more highly mitogenic than other anti-Ig reagents and B-cell mitogens (SAC, protein A). Using these beads to activate B cells, the augmentation of the anti-Ig-induced proliferative response by added T-cell-derived growth factors was largely eliminated at high cell densities although the effect of these factors was still evident at low cell densities. However, when cultures were performed in round-bottom vessels which crowded the B cells together, the response to anti-Ig beads was independent of T-cell factors even at low B-cell densities, suggesting that normal B cells triggered by anti-Ig beads are able to maintain their own proliferation. In contrast to the proliferative response, even with the most potent anti-Ig bead preparations, no differentiation (Ig production or expression of terminal differentiation markers) was evident unless T-cell help was provided.
CO vibrational population distributions in the reactions of COS with O(3PJ) and O(1D2) atoms

Abstract The populations of the nascent CO formed in the reactions of COS with O( 3 P J ) and O( 1 D 2 ) atoms: have been determined by a CO laser resonant absorption method. The fraction of the total available energy channelled into CO as vibration was calculated to be 11% in reaction (3) and only about 4% in (4). A similar experiment for the O( 1 D) + CO 2 reaction showed no appreciable CO production.
Comparative compressibility of end-member feldspars

The compressibilities of the three end-member feldspars have been determined between 1 bar and 50 kbar by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques, using a Merrill-Bassett type diamond anvil cell with three crystals loaded simultaneously. Low albite (ordered aluminium-silicon distribution) and high sanidine (disordered Al-Si) show similar behaviour on compression, with bulk moduli (linear fit to volume-pressure data) of 0.70 and 0.67 Mbar respectively. The most compressible cell axis of all three feldspars studied is a, indicating that the major change in the feldspar framework with pressure is a shortening of the overall length of the “crankshaft chains” by reduction of T-O-T angles. Anorthite shows anomalous behaviour in that we have observed a previously unreported reversible phase transition at a pressure between 25.5 and 29.5 kbar. This transition is marked by large discontinuities in the unit cell angles and a small decrease of 0.2 percent in the cell volume with increasing pressure. The high-pressure phase is less compressible than the low-pressure phase, the bulk moduli being 0.94 and 1.06 Mbar respectively. There was no evidence of a monoclinic to triclinic inversion in sanidine that was expected to occur between 20 and 30 kbar on the basis of previous work on intermediate alkali feldspars.
Dicarboxylate carrier-mediated glutathione transport is essential for reactive oxygen species homeostasis and normal respiration in rat brain mitochondria

Glutathione transport into mitochondria is mediated by oxoglutarate (OGC) and dicarboxylate carrier (DIC) in the kidney and liver. However, transport mechanisms in brain mitochondria are unknown. W...
Presence of complement in serum of the mouse.

SummaryUsing a reduced number of sensitized sheep erythrocytes, hemolytic complement activity in the serums of most mice has been demonstrated.
Uncertainty quantification in performance evaluation of manufacturing processes

This paper proposes a systematic framework using Bayesian networks to integrate all the available information for uncertainty quantification (UQ) in the performance evaluation of a manufacturing process. Energy consumption, one of the key metrics of sustainability, is used to illustrate the proposed methodology. The evaluation of energy consumption is not straight-forward due to the presence of uncertainties in different variables in the process and occurring at different stages in the process. Both aleatory and epistemic sources of uncertainty are considered in the UQ methodology. A dimension reduction approach through variance-based global sensitivity analysis is proposed to reduce the number of variables in the system and facilitate scalability to high-dimensional problems. The proposed methodologies for uncertainty quantification and dimension reduction are demonstrated using two examples — an injection molding process and a welding process.
Ultrastructural effects of the Bacillus sphaericus mosquito larvicidal toxin on cultured mosquito cells

Abstract Crude Bacillus sphaericus extracts and purified toxin derived from these extracts caused very rapid changes in cultured Culex quinquefasciatus cells, including dilation of mitochondrial cristae, endoplasmic reticula, and Golgi secretory vesicles, and condensation of the mitochondria. The cell membrane gradually lost integrity as intoxication progressed. These observations are compared to the ultrastructure of the pathology due to Bacillus thuringiensis in cultured cells and larvae, and are discussed in relation to binding and internalization of the toxin.