cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Coenzymes and Cofactors

The 20 common amino acids that comprise the building blocks of proteins are characterized by their side-chains, which can range from simple aliphatic groups such as that found in alanine to more complex, functionalized side groups such as that of histidine. All of the amino acids play important roles in determining the three-dimensional structure of proteins through hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions, ionic interactions and formation of disulfide bonds. Only a smaller subset of these amino acid side-chains, however, have been implicated in direct roles in enzymatic catalysis. Amino acids that are implicated directly in enzymatic catalysis are those with functional groups on the side-chains. Protein functional groups include hydroxyl (serine [I], threonine [II], tyrosine [III]), sulfhydryl (cysteine [IV]), ammonium (lysine [V] and arginine [VI]), imidazolium (histidine [VII]), carboxylate (aspartate [VIII] and glutamate [IX]), amide (asparagine [X] and glutamine [XI]), and thioether (methionine [XII]) groups. These groups can function in a variety of ways in enzymatic catalysis. Work in recent years has pointed to the presence of a new type of protein functional group: the amino acid radical. A number of enzymes have nowbeen identified that contain a catalytically essential protein radical (Stubbe and van der Donk, 1998). The most notable and best characterized example at this point is the ribonucleotide reductase found in aerobic Escherichia coli, which contains a stable, catalytically essential tyrosyl radical (Jordan and Reichard, 1998). Other enzymes have been shown to require a stable tyrosyl radical for catalytic activity, including the photosynthetic oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II (Barry and Babcock, 1987) as well as galactose oxidase (Babcock et al., 1992). Other enzymes, including the ribonucleotide reductase from anaerobic E. coli (Mulliez et al., 1993) and pyruvate formate-lyase (Unkrig et al., 1989) contain a catalytically essential glycyl radical in their active forms. Because these protein-based radicals have distinct chemical properties and functionalities relative to the counterpart nonradical amino acid, they can be considered as protein functional groups distinct from the typical amino acid side-chains.
Introduction to Asymptotic Approximations

We will be interested in this book in using what are known as asymptotic expansions to find approximate solutions of differential equations. Usually our efforts will be directed toward constructing the solution of a problem with only occasional regard for the physical situation it represents. However, to start things off, it is worth considering a typical physical problem to illustrate where the mathematical problems originate.
Self-reported versus informant-reported depressive symptoms in adults with mild intellectual disability.

Background Virtually nothing is known about potential differences in the types of depression symptoms reported by adults with mild intellectual disability (ID) on self-reported questionnaires as compared with the types of symptoms reported by caregivers on informant questionnaires. Moreover, little is known about how the presentation of depression among adults with mild ID varies based on socio-demographic characteristics. Methods We compared findings from two self-reported questionnaires, the Self-Reported Depression Questionnaire (SRDQ) and the Glasgow Depression Scale for People with a Learning Disability (GDS), to that of an informant questionnaire of depressive symptoms, the Glasgow Depression Scale – Caregiver Supplement (CGDS), in 80 adults with mild ID. We also examined the association between age, sex, IQ and the presence of a co-occurring psychiatric disorder and frequency of affective, cognitive and somatic depressive symptoms in our sample of adults with mild ID. Results Adults with mild ID self-reported a higher frequency of affective and cognitive depressive symptoms than staff reported on the informant measure. Staff reported a higher frequency of somatic symptoms than adults with mild ID on one of the self-reported questionnaires (GDS) and a similar frequency on the other self-reported questionnaire (SRDQ). Important differences were found in the types of depressive symptoms based on their IQ, age and presence of a co-occurring psychiatric disorder. Conclusion Informant questionnaires offer valuable information, but assessment should include self-reported questionnaires as these questionnaires add unique information about internalised experiences (affective and cognitive symptoms) of adults with mild ID that may not be apparent to caregivers. Health care providers should be made aware of the important differences in the presentation of depressive based on their IQ, age and presence of a co-occurring psychiatric disorder.
Biomedicine, the whiteness of sleep, and the wages of spatiotemporal normativity in the United States

The racialization of individuals in the contemporary United States is increasingly accomplished through institutional actors, including scientists and physicians. As genetic health risks, chronic disease treatments, and pharmaceuticals come to define Americans’ understanding of themselves, a fundamental shift is occurring in the way medicine is practiced and its role in the production of subjectivity. Underlying these changes is an expectation of orderly bodies—of “white” bodies that exemplify social and cultural norms of biology and behavior. Fundamental to U.S. medical ideas of normativity is that the white heteronormative subject is the standard against which disorderly and nonwhite subjects are to be judged. I explore these ideas through the history and contemporary world of sleep: the clinical production and interpretation of related scientific data, advertising use of images of sleep-disordered patients who have been “cured,” and experiences of nonwhite Americans within mainstream sleep medicine. [biopolitics, critical race theory, science studies, abstraction, normalcy, capacity, desire]
Skin lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and IL-1β production after thermal injury

In response to a burn injury, skin can have an inflammatory response characterized by the production of inflammatory cytokines, recruitment of immune cells, containment of invading organisms, and clearance of noxious substances from the wound. Lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) is a molecule that is capable of coordinating all 4 functions; we previously found evidence that suggested that LBP is produced within surgical wounds. Because of the central role of LBP in the response to bacterial infection, as well as in the high rate of infection after burn injuries, we sought to determine whether a thermal injury could affect wound LBP production and thereby affect host responses against bacterial infection. Rats were given either a burn or a sham burn and were killed 24, 48, and 72 hours after the injuries. Wound specimens were assayed for bacterial counts and for the presence of LBP, messenger (m)RNA, and interleukin (IL)-1beta mRNA. Wound LBP mRNA was significantly upregulated at 24 hours in the group with burn injuries (P < .05; burn vs sham burn); this was followed by decreases at 48 and 72 hours. Immunohistochemistry showed LBP protein in the epidermis of animals with burns. Bacterial counts increased in the group with burn injuries (P < .05; burn vs sham burn) and continued to rise for 72 hours. IL-1beta mRNA levels were elevated at all time points in the group with burn injuries (P < .05). These results suggest an inverse correlation between burn wound LBP expression and bacterial wound counts. This failure to maintain local LBP production after severe thermal injury despite localized inflammation shown by high IL-1beta levels may predispose local wounds to bacterial invasion.
Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metals: Distribution and Loss in a High Sierra Nevada Watershed

The geologic balance and distribution of two families of metals, K-Rb-Cs and Ca-Sr-Ba, were investigated in Thompson Canyon, an undisturbed watershed in the central crest region of the Sierra Nevada of California. The study supports the following conclusions: (1) In the source rock, two major minerals, microcline and plagioclase, and one minor mineral, biotite, contain most of the mass of these metals. (2) Ca and Sr are being removed from the watershed as stream solute at a higher rate than the alkalies or Ba relative to their abundance in source rocks. Rapid breakdown of plagioclase and exchange mechanisms involving the soil may be responsible for this differential removal. However, no excess of alkalies or of Ba is to be expected in the soil relative to the source rock, because the masses of metals that are mobilized each year are small in relation to the masses in the soil reservoir, and only a short time has been available for accumulation since the end of the last glacial period. (3) Snow, the main source of water to the valley, enters the system having a much lower concentration of metals than has been previously reported, and its slight contamination appears to be from distant sources. As the snowpack ages in the late spring, it accumulates dusts on its surface, with metal ratios indicating that Thompson Canyon rocks and soils are the source of the dusts. (4) Determination of the mass of metals leaving the watershed annually in stream flow indicates that the watershed is being denuded at a rate of less than 1 cm per 1,000 yr and that chemical removal is responsible for the bulk of this rate. The rock type and the precipitation regime in Thompson Canyon are similar to much of the terrain in the glacially scoured central crest region of this part of the Sierra Nevada range.
The impact of trade policies on income distribution in a planning model for Colombia

This paper develops a multisector Computable General Equilibrium model to simulate the effects of trade on the distribution of income among socioeconomic groups defined both by the factors of production they own and the sector in which they work. The categorization of recipients includes landless rural labor, land owners, workers in the urban traditional sector, and workers in the organized sector and capitalists. Experiments are conducted with an application to Colombia, a primary-exporting economy. The results indicate that, for such an economy, outward-looking policies with increased primary exports are likely to be more detrimental for the distribution of income in the medium term than inward-looking ones.
Modeling and Analysis for Performance and Power

Accurately modeling application performance for specific architectures allows us to understand and analyze the impact of various architectural features on performance which will ultimately lead to improved performance and better architecture design choices for efficiency and scalability on future systems. However, with the end of Dennard scaling, processors can no longer maintain constant power per unit area as before and consequently power and energy efficiencies has become arguably an even more important factor than performance for future systems. Unfortunately, performance and power/energ efficiencies are not metrics that can be optimized separately, but are intricately dependent factors. Therefore, in order to design efficient systems that can meet both performance and energy/power requirements that are becoming ever more stringent, an acccurate performance-energy model is required so that we can analyze applications on given architectures in terms of both performance and power/energy. With such a model, we can better understand the impact of application and architectural features on performance and power and design applications and systems to maximize their efficiencies.
Identification of Damping Matrices from Measured Frequency Response Functions

An improved method to identify damping characteristics of a dynamic system is developed. The method identifies damping characteristics of the system in matrix forms directly from its measured frequency response functions. Each different damping mechanism is identified in a distinct matrix. Theoretical validation and related error analysis are conducted by applying the method to a simple lumped parameter system. The method is implemented experimentally to a thin beam of two different damping configurations. The experimental results demonstrate that the method will work well with realistic problems. Important advantages of the method and potential applications are explained.
CALPUFF and AERMOD model validation study in the near field: Martins Creek revisited.

ABSTRACT This paper describes a near-field validation study involving the steady-state, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guideline model AERMOD and the nonsteady-state puff model CALPUFF. Relative model performance is compared with field measurements collected near Martins Creek, PA—a rural, hilly area along the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border. The principal emission sources in the study were two coal-fired power plants with tall stacks and buoyant plumes. Over 1 yr of sulfur dioxide measurements were collected at eight monitors located at or above the two power plants' stack tops. Concurrent meteorological data were available at two sites. Both sites collected data 10 m above the ground. One of the sites also collected sonic detection and ranging measurements up to 420 m above ground. The ability of the two models to predict monitored sulfur dioxide concentrations was assessed in a four-part model validation. Each part of the validation applied different criteria and statistics to provide a comp...
Vasodepressor Syncope Due to Subclinical Myocardial Ischemia

Vasodepressor Syncope. Introduction: Vasodepressor syncope is a common cause of syncope, but the initiating event that triggers the vasodepressor response remains incompletely understood. Although ischemia due to acute right coronary occlusion may precipitate hypotension and bradycardia through the Bezold-Jarisch reflex, an ischemic precipitant for the common vasodepressor faint has not been previously identified. In the present study, we present evidence for a causal relationship between myocardial ischemia and vasodepressor syncope. Methods and Results: Two patients referred for evaluation of syncope underwent upright tilt table testing with either ST segment monitoring, sestamibi scintigraphy and echocardiography during the tilt test, or coronary angiography. Both patients had positive tilt table tests during the control study. Patient 1 was documented to have reproducible ischemic ECG changes during atypical chest pressure induced by upright tilt, despite a normal coronary angiogram with ergonovine provocation. Subsequent tilt testing with simultaneous sestamibi perfusion imaging and echocardiography revealed reversible anterolateral hypoperfusion corresponding with anterolateral hypokinesis during upright tilt that preceded syncope. Ischemic ECG changes during incremental rapid atrial pacing further suggested ischemia on the basis of microvascular disease. Follow-up tilt testing on verapamil was negative. Patient 2 developed ischemic ECG changes during the recovery phase of an exercise stress test, which was followed by a vasodepressor response and frank syncope. Coronary angiography revealed a 90% distal right coronary artery stenosis that was successfully dilated, after which follow-up tilt table testing off all other medication was negative. Conclusions: These two cases illustrate a previously unrecognized causality between myocardial ischemia and clinical vasodepressor syncope, and demonstrate that subtle manifestations of myocardial ischemia, associated with either atypical angina or silent ischemia, can provoke syncope.
Bayesian image reconstruction - The pixon and optimal image modeling

In this paper we describe the optimal image model, maximum residual likelihood method (OptMRL) for image reconstruction. OptMRL is a Bayesian image reconstruction technique for removing point-spread function blurring. OptMRL uses both a goodness-of-fit criterion (GOF) and an 'image prior', i.e., a function which quantifies the a priori probability of the image. Unlike standard maximum entropy methods, which typically reconstruct the image on the data pixel grid, OptMRL varies the image model in order to find the optimal functional basis with which to represent the image. We show how an optimal basis for image representation can be selected and in doing so, develop the concept of the 'pixon' which is a generalized image cell from which this basis is constructed. By allowing both the image and the image representation to be variable, the OptMRL method greatly increases the volume of solution space over which the image is optimized. Hence the likelihood of the final reconstructed image is greatly increased. For the goodness-of-fit criterion, OptMRL uses the maximum residual likelihood probability distribution introduced previously by Pina and Puetter (1992). This GOF probability distribution, which is based on the spatial autocorrelation of the residuals, has the advantage that it ensures spatially uncorrelated image reconstruction residuals.
Minority threat and school security: Assessing the impact of Black and Hispanic student representation on school security measures

The use of security measures has drastically increased in the hallways of US schools over the past three decades. Although previous studies have assessed the impact of school security measures on student outcomes, little attention has been given to understanding what factors lead schools to adopt such measures. Using the Educational Longitudinal Study data and guided by minority threat hypotheses, the current research assesses the impact of school racial composition on the use of security measures. Findings indicate the size of the Black student population is related to schools utilizing metal detectors, security guards, surveillance cameras, required ‘check-in’ areas and fencing around the entire school, while a null effect was found between Hispanic student representation and the majority of security measures. On the other hand, both Black and Hispanic student representation significantly related to the overall number of security measures utilized within schools. The differential impact of race and ethnicity is addressed.
Observational biases in determining extrasolar planet eccentricities

We investigate biases in the measurement of exoplanet orbital parameters – especially eccentricity – from radial velocity (RV) observations. In this contribution we consider single-planet systems. We create a mock catalog of RV data, choosing planet masses and orbital periods, and observing patterns to mimic those of actual RV surveys. Using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations, we generate a posterior sample for each mock data set, calculate best-fit orbital parameters for each data set, and compare these to the true values. We find that the precision of our derived eccentricities is most closely related to the effective signal-to-noise ratio, K √ N / σ , where K is the velocity amplitude, σ is the effective single-measurement precision, and N is the number of observations. We also find that eccentricities of planets on nearly circular ( e ) orbits are preferentially overestimated. While the Butler et al. (2006) catalog reports e for just 20% of its planets, we estimate that the true fraction of e orbits is about 50%. We investigate the accuracy, precision, and bias of alternative sets of summary statistics and find that the median values of h = e sin ω and k = e cos ω (where ω is the longitude of periapse) of the posterior sample typically provide more accurate, more precise, and less biased estimates of eccentricity than traditional measures.
Inflammation and intracranial aneurysms: mechanisms of initiation, growth, and rupture

Outcomes following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage remain poor in many patients, despite advances in microsurgical and endovascular management. Consequently, considerable effort has been placed in determining the mechanisms of aneurysm formation, growth, and rupture. Various environmental and genetic factors are implicated as key components in the aneurysm pathogenesis. Currently, sufficient evidence exists to incriminate the inflammatory response as the common pathway leading to aneurysm generation and rupture. Central to this model is the interaction between the vessel wall and inflammatory cells. Dysfunction of the endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) promotes a chronic pathological inflammatory response that progressively weakens the vessel wall. We review the literature pertaining to the cellular and chemical mechanisms of inflammation that contribute to aneurysm development. Hemodynamic stress and alterations in blood flow are discussed regarding their role in promoting chronic inflammation. Endothelial cell and VSMC dysfunction are examined concerning vascular remodeling. The contribution of inflammatory cytokines, especially tumor necrosis factor-α is illustrated. Inflammatory cell infiltration, particularly macrophage-mediated deterioration of vascular integrity, is reviewed. We discuss the inflammation as a means to determine aneurysms at greatest risk of rupture. Finally, future therapeutic implications of pharmacologic modulation of the inflammation are discussed.
Microtubule Crystals: A New Biophysical Phenomenon induced by Vinca Alkaloids

THE mitotic apparatus of living oocytes of Pectnaria gouldi undergoes marked alterations when the oocytes are perfused with solutions containing alkaloids from the periwinkle (Vinca): the size and birefringence of the mitotic spindle decrease gradually as seen in polarized light, and these changes occur concomitant with the attrition and disappearance of the spindle microtubules as shown by electron microscopy1. We have now shown that these same alkaloids (10−4–10−5 M vinblastino or vincristine sulphate) bring about a reorganization of microtubules after incubation for a short time with various mammalian cells (human polymorpho and mononuclear leucocytes or strain L fibroblasts) in maintenance media.
Fully prime rings. II

The structure of right FBN rings in which every ideal is idempotent and the structure of rings all of whose nonzero proper ideals are prime are studied. Rings with involution (∗) in which every (∗)-ideal is (∗)-prime are also considered.
Hybrid potentials for the 1Σg+ state of Mg2

Abstract The interatomic potential of the ground 1Σg+ state of 24Mg2 is approximated by a variety of Morse hybrid potential functions. These are constructed from a Morse potential for short and intermediate separation and the long range dispersion attractions. We emphasize the need for uncoupling the two forms to produce realistic potentials.
Radiation-induced accelerated senescence: A fate worse than death?

Damage to normal tissue is a limiting factor for clinical radiation for cancer eradication. Ionizing radiation can induce a variety of cellular responses, including apoptosis, necrosis, necroptosis...
Sensation seeking and drug use among high risk Latino and Anglo adolescents

This study examines the relationship between sensation seeking and drug use in a sample of white and Latino southern California adolescents enrolled in continuation high schools. The 11 item sensation seeking portion of the Zuckerman Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (version three; ZKPQIII) was used to measure sensation seeking. Sensation seeking was examined as a correlate of self reports of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, stimulants, and LSD use. The 11 item sensation seeking scale was found to have adequate reliability and to be positively associated with use of each of the drugs examined. The relationship between sensation seeking and drug use was found to vary across ethnic backgrounds. Among the white students sensation seeking was positively associated with drug use only among those with low to moderate scores on sensation seeking. Among the Latino students increased sensation seeking levels were consistently associated with increased drug use.
Application of Threshold Concepts to Improve a Design-Focused Course in Transportation Engineering

Design is an integral part of engineering courses. To address its associated problems, however, is a challenging task in instruction because of design's open-endedness and complexity. In this study, two theoretical models were implemented in an introductory transportation engineering course to address the challenges associated with design of a highway. First, the theoretical framework proposed by the threshold concepts model was used to identify a candidate concept for the instructional redesign process. Two major characteristics of threshold concepts, integrativity and transformativity, were used to identify horizontal alignment as a candidate concept for the highway design process. Second, concept mapping was done to create operational measures of the integrativity of complex concepts, such as horizontal alignment. These maps and measures led to several changes to the structure of lecture materials and project tasks. Finally, questions for reflective assessment were administered to students after each r...
Decomposition algorithms for on-line estimation with nonlinear DAE models

In a previous paper we presented an algorithm for solving the large nonlinear problems that arise in dynamic state and parameter estimation. These problems are described by a set of Ordinary Differential Equations (ODE) subject to initial values, discretized and solved under a simultaneous solution strategy within an Error-in-all-Variable-Measurements (EVM) framework. In this paper, we extend this work to systems described by Differential and Algebraic Equations (DAE), for both initial value (IVP) and boundary value (BVP) problems. The resulting discretized NLP problems are usually large both in the number of variables and the number of degrees-of-freedom, and the size of the problem grows linearly with the number of data samples or the number of discretizations, making them difficult to solve with general purpose NLP solvers. We discretize the DAE model with an implicit Runge-Kutta scheme (IRK) so that higher index and stiff problems can be solved, and use the SQP method to solve the resulting NLP. Under the assumption that the measurement errors are independently distributed, the optimality conditions for each data set at the QP subproblem level are decoupled so that the first order conditions in the state variables, input variables and the stage derivatives can be solved recursively and expressed as functions of the optimality conditions in the parameters, thus reducing the size of the QP subproblem and turning the solution effort linear with both the number of sample points and the number of discretization points. We use two decoupling procedures depending on whether the DAE system is expressed as an IVP or a BVP. For the IVP we extend the technique used in our previous paper and use an affine transform which expresses the directions in the variables and the multipliers as functions of the steps in the parameters. For the BVP we use a selected variable elimination procedure so that the optimality conditions in the state and input variables, stage derivatives and multipliers of the QP subproblem will be transformed into an almost block diagonal system of linear equations. We then solve this system using SOLVEBLOCK, a solution method linear with the number of blocks to reduce the size of the QP subproblem to the dimension of the parameters. As seen in our examples, these approaches are therefore much faster than general purpose NLP solvers. In this paper we also present a case where an IVP is unstable and difficult to solve, but stable and well behaved when rewritten as a BVP.
The evolving Interstate Highway System and the changing geography of the United States

The Interstate Highway System is a product of the 1930s and 1940s, yet remains essential to U.S. transportation in 2012 and for the foreseeable future. This analysis examines how the Interstate Highway System has changed since its inception in 1938, first map in 1947, and the beginning of construction in 1956. The mileage has grown considerably, allowing for many new routes, and the spatial coverage of the network has been extended to allow many new metropolitan areas to be connected. This has lowered connectivity but increased the metropolitan population served. A GIS dataset was created for the 1947 network, allowing it to be compared to the current network using standard accessibility measurement techniques. This research shows that the Interstate System has not kept up with population shifts in the South and West, and there is no correlation between accessibility change and population change. The greatest improvements have in fact taken place in the densest part of the network, not where population or traffic growth has been greatest. It has therefore reinforced advantages held by places already well placed on the original 1947 network. The old American Manufacturing Belt continues to provide an effective regionalization for capturing variations in the Interstate network, though it has become the Rustbelt and is of declining importance within the country.
Mannitol for Traumatic Brain Injury: Searching for the Evidence

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW SOURCE This is a systematic review abstract, a regular feature of the Annals’ Evidence-Based Emergency Medicine (EBEM) series. Each features an abstract of a systematic review from the Cochrane database of systematic reviews and a commentary by an emergency physician knowledgeable in the subject area. The source for this systematic review abstract is: Wakai A, Roberts I, Schierhout G. Mannitol for acute traumatic brain injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;Issue 1:CD001049. DOI: 10.1002/14651858. The Annals’ EBEM editors assisted in the preparation of the abstract of this Cochrane review, as well as the Evidence-Based Medicine Teaching Points.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for April–June 2000

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor (CMT) solutions are presented for 246 earthquakes that occurred during the second quarter of 2000. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical earth structure represented by a whole mantle shear velocity model SH8/U4L8 of [Acoustic imaging at the planetary scale, in: H. Emert, H.-P. Harjes (Eds.), Acoustical Imaging, Vol. 19, Plenum Press, New York, 1992, p. 785]. A model of anelastic attenuation of Durek and Ekstrom [Bull. Seism. Soc. Am. 86 (1996) 144] is used to predict the decay of the waveforms.
A cytoscape based framework for efficient sub-graph isomorphic protein-protein interaction motif lookup

Study of interactomes requires assembling complex tools, ontologies and online interaction network databases and so on to validate hypotheses and gain insight. One of the major bottlenecks is the discovery of similar or isomorphic subgraphs in very large interactomes and cross referencing the relationships a set of proteins or genes share. These interactomes are so large that most traditional subgraph isomorphism computation tools are unable to handle efficiently as stand alone tool, or as part of systems such as R. In this paper, we present a Cytoscape plugin to compute and discover isomorphic subnetworks in large interactomes based on a novel and efficient isomorphic subgraph computation method developed in our laboratory. Given an input interactome and a given query subnetwork, the plugin can efficiently compute interactome subnetworks similar to the query network, and cross reference the results from GO or other interactome databases with the aid of other available Cytoscape plugins such as BinGO. We describe the tool with respect to real life applications Biologists may want to contemplate.
The stubborn-error effect in verbal discrimination learning

The stubborn-error effect (SEE), a tendency toward increasing probability of repetition of specific errors over successive trials, has been reported in tasks using verbal learning materials. The present experiment was primarily designed to investigate the time of stimulus presentation and feedback as determinants of the SEE. Verbal discrimination learning data collected from 80 introductory psychology students confirmed the SEE in a large number of subjects. Its dependence upon temporal factors, most notably the time of stimulus presentation, was also demonstrated. The present data did not support the earlier finding of a gender difference (males more likely than females to contribute to the effect). Finally, the subjects who did show some SEE were found to be generally less capable, as measured on a variety of independently obtained indicators of academic achievement. Increments in the probability of repeating a prior error in human multiple-choice verbal learning have been shown to be an increasing function of the number of successive repetitions of that same error (Marx, 1971; Marx & Marx, 1980a; Marx, Witter, & Mueller, 1972). The present experiment was designed primarily to examine this stubborn-error effect (SEE) as a function of the presentation time of the stimuli (four words) and of the feedback (right or wrong signal) . Secondary purposes were to assess the role in the SEE of prior associative strength of the verbal cues and to determine the relationship of the SEE to gender and to some measures of academic achievement. METHOD
Understanding the Role of Glycosylation in the Thermostability of CEL7A

Many industrially important cellulolytic enzymes, such as CEL7A (also known as cellobiohydrolase 1), natively exhibit numerous glycosylation sites for covalent attachment of N- and O-linked glycans. The presence of such glycans, as well as variations in their chemical structures, can influence enzyme properties such as substrate binding, catalytic efficiency, and thermostability. While the CEL7A sequence manifests four potential N-glycosylation sites, only three of which are typically glycosylated, the extent of glycosylation at each site varies with expression host. For example, yeast systems generally express cellulases that are hyperglycosylated compared to fungi. Both hyperglycosylation and the presence of glycans at particular glycosylation sites have been shown to negatively impact catalytic activity, yet the presence of glycans at alternative sites, including those engineered into the enzymes, have been shown to enhance activity. Furthermore, studies suggest that glycosylation contributes structural integrity that facilitates the functioning of cellulases under harsh reaction conditions, such as high temperature or pressure, that are often preferred during the industrial production of bioethanol. Despite the relationship between enzyme glycosylation and demonstrated cellulolytic functionality, the structural mechanisms by which glycosylation alters enzyme properties remain largely undetermined.Molecular dynamics simulations provide a powerful solution for investigating structure/function relationships in biomolecular systems. Here, a range of CEL7A glycoforms are simulated at high temperature/pressure in order to elucidate the structural role by which glycosylation enhances thermodynamic integrity. Findings are supported by analogous experimental studies of CEL7A under thermal/baric stress. Combining theory with experiment to develop a more comprehensive understanding of glycosylation as a factor controlling cellulolytic enzyme functionality will ultimately enable researchers to exploit glycosylation as a strategy for tuning cellulase efficiency and stability, which can serve to enhance the cost-competitiveness of second-generation biofuels.
Understanding Midlatitude Jet Variability and Change Using Rossby Wave Chromatography: Methodology

AbstractRossby wave chromatography (RWC) is implemented in a linearized barotropic model as a tool to diagnose and understand the interaction between the midlatitude jet and the eddies. Given the background zonal-mean flow and the space–time structure of the baroclinic wave activity source, RWC calculates the space–time structure of the upper-tropospheric eddy momentum fluxes. Using the convergence of the vertical Eliassen–Palm (E–P) flux in the upper troposphere as the wave source, RWC reproduces the main features of a GCM’s mean state and response to external forcing. When coupled to the zonal-mean zonal wind and a simple model of wave activity source phase speed changes, RWC also simulates the temporal evolution of the GCM’s internally generated zonal-mean zonal wind anomalies. Because the full space–time structure of the baroclinic wave activity source is decoupled from the background flow, RWC can be used to isolate and quantify the dynamical mechanisms responsible for 1) the poleward shift of the mi...
Recognition Of Hand Written Arabic Characters

This paper introduces a novel statistical approach for recognizing handwritten Arabic characters. The proposed method involves, as a first step, digitization of the segmented character. The secondary characters are then isolated and identified separately thereby reducing the recognition issue to a 20 class problem. The moments of the horizontal and vertical projections of the remaining primary characters are estimated and normalized with respect to the zero order moment. Simple measures of shape are obtained from the normalized moments and incorporated into a feature vector. Classification is accomplished using quadratic discriminant functions. Results confirming that the method show considerable merit are presented.
A new method for determining semiclassical tunneling probabilities in atom–diatom reactions

We present an approximate semiclassical method for determining state to state transition probabilities for reactions which proceed via tunneling which uses a trajectory integrated along purely real and purely imaginary time contours from reagents through the barrier to products. The real and imaginary time portions of the trajectory are connected by introducing separable approximations to the potential near certain translational turning points in the trajectory. For atom–diatom collinear reactions, the use of a vibrationally adiabatic approximation from these turning points to the asymptotic region leads to a very simple expression for the imaginary part of the action involving a nonseparable contribution from a purely real valued portion of the trajectory passing through the barrier along an imaginary time contour, and a separable contribution from a path which follows part of the locus of outer vibrational turning points. At very low translational energies E0, we find that the nonseparable contribution ...
Measurement Of Transient Flow Field Phenomena With A Digital Heterodyne Interferometer

A heterodyne interferometer is described for measuring transient flow field phenomena. Data are acquired through up to 64 channels in parallel with a dedicated phase meter, digitizer and buffer memory for each channel. Data frame rates can be as high as 100 KHz with instrumental background levels less than 0.8 nm rms. Measured data of an electron-beam or e-beam pumped flow fields will be presented and discussed.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Bridging infectious disease vaccines with cancer immunotherapy: a role for targeted RNA based immunotherapeutics.

Tumor-specific immunotherapy holds the promise of eradicating malignant tumors with exquisite precision without additional toxicity to standard treatments. Cancer immunotherapy has conventionally relied on cell-mediated immunity while successful infectious disease vaccines have been shown to induce humoral immunity. Efficacious cancer immunotherapeutics likely require both cellular and humoral responses, and RNA based cancer vaccines are especially suited to stimulate both arms of the immune system. RNA is inherently immunogenic, inducing innate immune responses to initiate cellular and humoral adaptive immunity, but has limited utility based on its poor in vivo stability. Early work utilized ‘naked’ RNA vaccines, whereas more recent efforts have attempted to encapsulate RNA thereby protecting it from degradation. However, feasibility has been limited by a lack of defined and safe targeting mechanisms for the in vivo delivery of stabilized RNA. As new cancer antigens come to the forefront with novel RNA encapsulation and targeting techniques, RNA vaccines may prove to be a vital, safe and robust method to initiate patient-specific anti-tumor efficacy.
Teaching Clinical Psychopharmacology on an Inpatient Psychiatric Research Center

In this article we have shown how an inpatient Psychiatric Clinical Research Center has been used successfully to teach medical students and residents some basic principles of clinical psychopharmacology. Although teaching effectiveness and resident acceptance of the program have not been measured objectively (we intend to do this in the next 2 years), informal feedback about the CRC rotation has been enthusiastic. The clinical psychopharmacology curriculum in our department has been enhanced by the experience of trainees on a research unit. In the rapidly expanding area of psychopharmacology, where new drugs are continually coming on the market, the CRC provides an opportunity to demonstrate the biopsychosocial model and to explore the interface between the research and clinical aspects of psychopharmacology.
Magnetism in FeO at Megabar Pressures from X-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

We report evidence for a preserved magnetic state in FeO up to 143 GPa at room temperature using high-resolution x-ray emission spectroscopy. This observation is based on the spectral line shape of the Fe Kb emission line. Up to the highest pressure, FeO remains a magnetic insulator. Combining our results with previous Mossbauer data, we present a new magnetic phase diagram of FeO. Features like a closed-loop P-T antiferromagnetic domain confirm that high-pressure investigations can reveal new physical properties and unexpected phenomena.
Characterization and definition of a software stack for a reference experimental framework

In 2006, the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) established a collab­ orative research alliance with academia and industry, named the International Technology Alliance in Network and Information Science (ITA) 1 to address fundamental issues concerning Network and Information Sciences. Research performed under the ITA was extended through a collaboration between ARL and IBM UK to char­ acterize and define a software stack and tooling that will become the reference framework for network science experimentation. A key element to the success and validation of ITA theoretical research is experimentation in a controlled environment that can, as best as possible, emulate the real world conditions and context. Ex­ perimental validation in a network emulation environment contributes to the validation of theoretical concepts and algorithms, the investigation of more complex scenarios that span multiple research areas, exposing gaps in the theory that may need special attention, identifying additional areas where the research might focus and develop, and reproducible experimentation, which enables and facilitates the comparison of results from multiple executions of the same experiment. To accomplish these experimentation goals, the framework needs to foster the collaboration across multiple disciplines and facilitate the sharing of existing and new assets in a common emulation environment. The framework also needs to be extensible for the integration of new features, emula­ tion models, monitoring, and integration with real, external assets that can be linked to any given experiment. This paper discusses the work resulting from the ARL/ IBM UK collaboration to build a framework to support experimentations and foster collaboration within and across different research groups.
Text Messaging Interventions for Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Use: a Meta-Analysis

Tobacco and alcohol use continues to be associated with negative health outcomes among adolescents and young adults. New technologies such as text messaging can increase access to substance use interventions and have now been established as an evidence-based, recommended approach towards substance use prevention. This review presents results from a meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of text message interventions for tobacco and alcohol cessation within adolescent and young adult populations. Results from 14 studies with effect sizes are ranging from −0.25 to 0.54. Combining the effect sizes across studies yielded a summary effect size of 0.25, indicating that in general, text interventions have a positive effect on reducing substance use behaviors. Results are discussed in the context of prevention opportunities and recommendations for future text messaging intervention research.
Weighted CDF-based scheduling for an OFDMA relay downlink with partial feedback

Modern wireless systems are targeted to support various services to a variety of equipment. The services such as sending texts, images, and videos have different resource requirements, and so they should be granted different priorities. Moreover, a large number of resource blocks and users in a downlink system make full feedback expensive. In this paper, a partial feedback OFDMA system is considered where each user feeds back only the best M channel quality information (CQI) among the total number of resource blocks. The users are classified into several groups and users in each group have the same priority. A metric based on the weighted cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the received CQI of users is developed to exactly control the amount of resource allocated to different users. Then, both the distribution and average value of the system throughput are analyzed and verified by matching the analytical expression with the simulation results. The analysis is applied to two network models, one consists of only macro users and the other consists of both macro users and users communicating through relays.
Antithrombotic therapy for left ventricular assist devices in adults: a systematic review.

SummaryBackground Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have dramatically increased the survival of adults with end-stage systolic heart failure. However, rates of bleeding and thromboembolism remain high. Objectives We completed a systematic review to evaluate outcomes of adults with LVADs treated with various anticoagulant and antiplatelet strategies. Methods Databases were searched using the terms ‘assist device’, ‘thrombosis’, and ‘anticoagulant’ or ‘platelet aggregation inhibitor’ with appropriate synonyms, device names and manufacturers. Results and Conclusions Of 977 manuscripts, 24 articles met the inclusion criteria of adults with implanted LVADs where clinical outcomes were defined based on anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet regimen. Most studies reported treatment with unfractionated heparin post-operatively which was transitioned to a vitamin K antagonist (VKA). Goal INR varied between 1.5–3.5. Antiplatelet regimens ranged from no treatment to dual therapy. Definition of major bleeding differed between trials and incidence varied between 0% and 58%. The available evidence could not demonstrate a clear benefit of aspirin compared with VKA therapy alone [stroke RR 1.02 (95% CI 0.49–2.1)]. There was a suggestion that treatment with aspirin and dipyridamole decreased the risk of thromboembolism compared to aspirin [RR 0.50 (0.36–0.68)], but the comparison is limited by differences in demographics, devices, and INR goals among studies. Additionally, most studies did not blind investigators to outcomes thus contributing to an increased risk for bias. Clinical equipoise exists as to the most appropriate antithrombotic therapy in LVAD patients. Randomization between regimens within a prospective trial is needed to define the treatment regimen that minimizes both bleeding and thrombotic complications.