cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ion-dipole interactions and their functions in proteins.

Ion–dipole interactions in biological macromolecules are formed between atomic or molecular ions and neutral protein dipolar groups through either hydrogen bond or coordination. Since their discovery 30 years ago, these interactions have proven to be a frequent occurrence in protein structures, appearing in everything from transporters and ion channels to enzyme active sites to protein–protein interfaces. However, their significance and roles in protein functions are largely underappreciated. We performed PDB data mining to identify a sampling of proteins that possess these interactions. In this review, we will define the ion–dipole interaction and discuss several prominent examples of their functional roles in nature.
How not to punish your neighbour: Microfinance and second-order free riding in rural China

Purpose – The paper aims to better understand why borrowers do not sanction one another in group-lending microfinance programmes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper utilises interviews conducted in 16 villages in Western China. The data were complemented by ethnographic fieldwork of an NGO in the region. Findings – The paper confirms the relevance to microfinance of existing literature showing that punishing others is costly, so people tend to wait for others to do it. It also reveals the existence of particularistic metanorms – norms of sanctioning that focus on whom one can and cannot punish. Additionally, it shows that people may punish according to whether they believe others are punishing. Research limitations/implications – The results are not immediately generalisable to all group-lending programmes. Originality/value – Fieldwork in rural China is difficult to conduct. Although cultural and social patterns are known to be important in development work, little is known about how it affects micr...
Vegetation index-based crop coefficients to estimate evapotranspiration by remote sensing in agricultural and natural ecosystems

Crop coefficients were developed to determine crop water needs based on the evapotranspiration (ET) of a reference crop under a given set of meteorological conditions. Starting in the 1980s, crop coefficients developed through lysimeter studies or set by expert opinion began to be supplemented by remotely sensed vegetation indices (VI) that measured the actual status of the crop on a field-by-field basis. VIs measure the density of green foliage based on the reflectance of visible and near infrared (NIR) light from the canopy, and are highly correlated with plant physiological processes that depend on light absorption by a canopy such as ET and photosynthesis. Reflectance-based crop coefficients have now been developed for numerous individual crops, including corn, wheat, alfalfa, cotton, potato, sugar beet, vegetables, grapes and orchard crops. Other research has shown that VIs can be used to predict ET over fields of mixed crops, allowing them to be used to monitor ET over entire irrigation districts. VI-based crop coefficients can help reduce agricultural water use by matching irrigation rates to the actual water needs of a crop as it grows instead of to a modeled crop growing under optimal conditions. Recently, the concept has been applied to natural ecosystems at the local, regional and continental scales of measurement, using time-series satellite data from the MODIS sensors on the Terra satellite. VIs or other visible-NIR band algorithms are combined with meteorological data to predict ET in numerous biome types, from deserts, to arctic tundra, to tropical rainforests. These methods often closely match ET measured on the ground at the global FluxNet array of eddy covariance moisture and carbon flux towers. The primary advantage of VI methods for estimating ET is that transpiration is closely related to radiation absorbed by the plant canopy, which is closely related to VIs. The primary disadvantage is that they cannot capture stress effects or soil evaporation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abusive Relationships in Late Life

Elder abuse knows no boundaries – older adults of all ages, genders, races, incomes, and cultures experience abuse. In the United States, at least 1 in 10 adults aged 60 and older living in their own homes experiences abuse, neglect, or exploitation annually. The risk for abuse increases among vulnerable community-dwelling older adults, including individuals who have physical or cognitive impairments or persons who are socially isolated and alone. Some of the harm to victims of elder abuse is obvious, such as physical injuries or the loss of money and valued possessions. Not as immediately evident are the less tangible consequences of elder abuse. Long-term outcomes may include emotional or psychological distress, new or exacerbated health problems and hospitalizations, premature institutionalization, and a hastened death. Community-level initiatives to prevent and address elder abuse vary considerably across the United States. Promising programs often incorporate multidisciplinary response teams, inter-agency collaboration, and comprehensive, coordinated community education efforts. Although many legislation and policy initiatives have addressed elder abuse at the state and national level, the Elder Justice Act in 2010 (Public Law 111-148) is considered the most comprehensive federal bill ever passed to combat elder abuse.
The energy-conserving electron transfer system used by Desulfovibrio alaskensis strain G20 during pyruvate fermentation involves reduction of endogenously formed fumarate and cytoplasmic and membrane-bound complexes, Hdr-Flox and Rnf.

The adaptation capability of Desulfovibrio to natural fluctuations in electron acceptor availability was evaluated by studying Desulfovibrio alaskensis strain G20 under varying respiratory, fermentative and methanogenic coculture conditions in chemostats. Transition from lactate to pyruvate in coculture resulted in a dramatic shift in the population structure and closer interspecies cell-to-cell interactions. Lower methane production rates in coculture than predicted from pyruvate input was attributed to redirection of electron flow to fumarate reduction. Without a methanogenic partner, accumulation of H₂and formate resulted in greater succinate production. Comparative transcript and gene fitness analysis in concert with physiological data of G20 wildtype and mutants demonstrated that pyruvate fermentation involves respiration of cytoplasmically formed fumarate using cytoplasmic and membrane-bound energy-conserving complexes, Rnf, Hdr-Flox-1 and Hmc. At the low H₂/formate levels maintained in coculture, Rnf likely functions as proton-pumping ferredoxin (Fd): type-I cytochrome c oxidoreductase, which transitions to a proton-pumping Fd(red): nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺) oxidoreductase at high H₂/formate levels during fermentation in monoculture. Hdr-Flox-1 is postulated to recycle Fd(red) via a flavin-based electron bifurcation involving NADH, Fdox and the thiol/disulphide-containing DsrC. In a menaquinone (MQ)-based electron confurcation reaction, the high-molecular-weight cytochrome-c₃complex, Hmc, is proposed to then couple DsrC(red) and periplasmic H₂/formate oxidation using the MQ pool to fuel a membrane-bound fumarate reductase.
Preference for Axial N-Alkylation of Tetrahydro-1,3-oxazines and Hexahydropyrimidines: Manifestation of a Kinetic Anomeric Effect

Reaction of 3-amino-1-propanol with 5-bromo-5-deoxy-d-xylose in aqueous solution gives anomeric hexahydropyrido[2,1-b][1,3]oxazine-7,8,9-triols 2α and 2β. When this reaction was monitored by 1H NMR, it was observed that the α-anomer formed 20 times faster but the β-anomer was more stable (Kβ/α = 7.3). The reaction pathways for formation of these products are assessed, and it is determined that N-alkylation of diastereomeric tetrahydro-1,3-oxazine intermediates is the discriminatory step. The faster formation of the α-anomer is ascribed principally to a kinetic anomeric effect that destabilizes the transition state for equatorial N-alkylation and formation of the β-anomer. The α-anomer is principally formed by axial N-alkylation. Reaction of meso-2,4-pentanediamine with 5-bromo-5-deoxy-d-xylose in aqueous solution gives octahydropyrido[1,2-a]pyrimidine-7,8,9-triols 16α and 17β, which cannot interconvert. In this case, formation of 16α is twice as fast as formation of 17β. This rate differential is ascribed...
Early Perforation in Appendicitis After Age 60

Twenty-eight consecutive cases of acute appendicitis have been reviewed in patients 60 to 91 years of age. The clinical picture was usually similar but less striking than that seen in young adults. The appendix had perforated in 17 of 21 patients operated upon more than 24 hours after onset of symptoms, but in only one of six patients operated upon before this time. Perforation was frequently correlated with septic complications and was felt to be the chief cause of mortality (2/28, 7%) and complication rate (11/28, 41%). Because of the high incidence of early perforation with acute appendicitis in the elderly, prompt surgical exploration is even more urgent than in younger patients.
Validating Proofs and Counterexamples across Content Domains: Practices of Importance for Mathematics Majors.

Abstract Validating proofs and counterexamples across content domains is considered vital practices for undergraduate students to advance their mathematical reasoning and knowledge. To date, not enough is known about the ways mathematics majors determine the validity of arguments in the domains of algebra, analysis, geometry, and number theory—the domains that are central to many mathematics courses. This study reported how 16 mathematics majors, including eight specializing in secondary mathematics education, who had completed more proof-based courses than transition-to-proof classes evaluated various arguments. The results suggest that the students use one of the following strategies in proof and counterexample validation: (1) examination of the argument's structure and (2) line-by-line checking with informal deductive reasoning, example-based reasoning, experience-based reasoning, and informal deductive and example-based reasoning. Most students tended to examine all steps of the argument with informal deductive reasoning across various tasks, suggesting that this approach might be problem dependent. Even though all participating students had taken more proof-related mathematics courses, it is surprising that many of them did not recognize global-structure or line-by-line content-based flaws presented in the argument.
Estrogen and progesterone receptor sites in malignancies of the uterine cervix, vagina, and vulva.

Abstract Cytoplasmic receptors for 17β-estradiol (ER) and progesterone (PR) were measured in uterine cervical, vaginal, and vulvar carcinomas by the dextran-coated charcoal (DCC) technique. Tissues from 30 patients with cervical carcinoma were examined. Thirteen percent (2 of 16) of well-differentiated squamous carcinomas had positive ER, and 19% (3 of 19) had positive PR. None of the three patients with moderately well-differentiated disease have positive ER or PR, while two of five patients with poorly differentiated lesions contained measurable ER and PR. In contrast, all four of the well-differentiated adenocarcinomas of the cervix had detectable ER, and three of four for PR. Neither of the two patients with poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma had either ER or PR. None of the five vulvar and seven vaginal epidermoid carcinomas studied had ER or PR activity. Hormonal therapies may be useful in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of the cervix.
They never told me it would be like this

Abstract A young woman lies dead in the hospital mortuary, part of her head is missing. Her baby lies in the resuscitation room, gravely injured, with brain oozing from a wound in her forehead. The grandmother lies in the next bay, conscious, an eye and most of her nose removed. The perpetrator of this horrendous accident lies unconscious and intoxicated in the third bay. The Accident and Emergency (A & E) staff fly about, no emotions surface, the jobs in hand take all their thoughts. The horrors are pushed to one side as they intubate, cannulate, do vital signs, comfort the grandmother, hold X-ray plates, make phone calls and empty vomit bowls. For almost two hours they concentrate with all their thoughts and skills centered on the practical tasks in hand. Then a young man is brought in, tightly holding the hand of a young child. The police have told him about his wife. Sister takes him to see his baby and sits with her arms around him as the sombre prognosis is explained. The dreadful impact of the day is mirrored in his face but no tears fall. He goes to see his mother-in-law and a loving smile lights up his face as he asks her how she is. The love he shows to the only, and oldest, survivor of this terrible accident which has devastated his family reduces several of the nurses in the room to furtive tears. The grandfather takes the little child home for tea, the Sister takes the young man to see his wife in the mortuary. The grandmother goes to theatre and the baby to intensive care. The remaining staff and the porter clear up the resuscitation room. When all the jobs are done and tea has been drunk, the staff try to motivate themselves to be enthusiastic about treating the patients waiting with their minor injuries.
The Proxy War — SCHIP and the Government's Role in Health Care Reform

Why would President Bush veto bipartisan legislation that does precisely what he insisted on — namely, aggressive enrollment of the poorest children? Sara Rosenbaum writes that in the end, the SCHIP battle became a proxy war over the duties that government should assume in national health care reform.
Structural Basis of Transcription Initiation: RNA Polymerase Holoenzyme at 4 Å Resolution

The crystal structure of the initiating form of Thermus aquaticus RNA polymerase, containing core RNA polymerase (alpha2betabeta'omega) and the promoter specificity sigma subunit, has been determined at 4 angstrom resolution. Important structural features of the RNA polymerase and their roles in positioning sigma within the initiation complex are delineated, as well as the role played by sigma in modulating the opening of the RNA polymerase active-site channel. The two carboxyl-terminal domains of sigma are separated by 45 angstroms on the surface of the RNA polymerase, but are linked by an extended loop. The loop winds near the RNA polymerase active site, where it may play a role in initiating nucleotide substrate binding, and out through the RNA exit channel. The advancing RNA transcript must displace the loop, leading to abortive initiation and ultimately to sigma release.
Mild catalytic pyrolysis of biomass for production of transportation fuels: a techno-economic analysis

A techno-economic analysis of mild catalytic pyrolysis (CP) of woody biomass followed by upgrading of the partially deoxygenated pyrolysis liquid is performed to assess this pathway's economic feasibility for the production of hydrocarbon-based biofuels. The process achieves a fuel yield of 17.7 wt% and an energy conversion of 39%. Deoxygenation of the pyrolysis liquid requires 2.7 wt% hydrogen while saturation of aromatic rings in the pyrolysis liquid increases total hydrogen consumption to 6.4 wt%. Total project investment is $457 million with annual operating costs of $142 million for a 2000 metric ton per day facility. A minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of $3.69 per gal is estimated assuming 10% internal rate of return. Twenty-nine percent of the capital outlay is the result of including a co-generation system to consume heat generated from burning part of the off-gases from pyrolysis and upgrading and all of the coke during regeneration of catalysts. Forty-five percent of the MFSP arises from the cost of biomass feedstock. Hydrogen required for the upgrading process is generated using the balance of the process off-gases. The analysis reveals that an optimum design would include a cogeneration unit; however using natural gas for hydrogen generation is more favorable than using process off-gases as the feed. An uncertainty analysis indicates a probable fuel price of $3.03 per gal, demonstrating the potential of the CP pathway as an alternative to petroleum-derived transportation fuels.
Models for Hierarchial Decisions Involving Inventories

Models that facilitate analysis of decision making in hierarchial systems, for example involving wholesalers and retailers, can ultimately be of significance not only to academic people concerned w...
Metal-coated fullerenes: electronic, geometrical and vibrational properties of C60M62 (M=Ti and V)

Abstract Recent experiments have revealed well-defined magic numbers for transition-metal-coated fullerenes C60MN (for example, M=Ti, V, Zr, and N=50, 62, 72, 80). We investigate the origin of the stability of such metal-coated fullerenes through first-principles calculations and compare these structures to other forms of clusters containing C and transition metals. Although, the transition-metal coatings disrupt the π bonding on the fullerene cage, we find that the clusters should be metastable at low temperatures or laser fluence. We discuss relative stabilities, the electronic and vibrational propertries, and the nature of bonding in the representative C60Ti62 cluster.
Assessment and Monetary Valuation of the Storm Protection Function of Beaches and Foredunes on the Texas Coast

ABSTRACT Taylor, E.B.; Gibeaut, J.C.; Yoskowitz, D.W., and Starek, M.J., 2015. Assessment and monetary valuation of the storm protection function of beaches and foredunes on the Texas coast. Beaches and dunes dampen wave energy and protect against storm surge. This protection is not uniform and varies according to geomorphic characteristics along the coast. Barrier island communities should identify the protection afforded by beaches and dunes to better assess their vulnerability and inform decision making regarding management alternatives. Our study presents a classification identifying a theoretical level of protection that beaches and foredunes could provide against overwash resulting from a tropical storm or hurricane along Mustang and North Padre Islands, Texas. In addition, a monetary valuation of this protective function is estimated at a site level. The theoretical level of storm protection was determined by assessing the response of representative beach-dune profiles to a set of synthetic storms ...
Man-Made Mass Death Shifting Concepts of Community

HOW ARE WE TO THINK-to think meditatively-about the problem of community in an age of man-made mass death? Have we as of now even begun to describe the sea-change that this event has brought about in the fabric of meanings that constitutes the backdrop of our lives? To be sure, a vast literature that branches out in several directions has grown up around mass death brought about through human agency: descriptions of apocalypse and negation that picture the doom of the planet; social, political and economic explanations of crises in world affairs; and pragmatic analyses that deal piecemeal with practical issues such as armament reduction and the lessening of tensions in areas of political unrest. Yet these inquiries cannot illuminate the phenomenon in any fundamental way. Still less do they help in understanding how man-made mass death affects the question of community. I shall turn first to what has befallen us, the emergence of man-made mass death, then to the problem of community as it has generally been articulated in the history of Western philosophy. These comments will be brief as they are intended only to sketch the context for the main focus of my remarks, the depiction of community in an age of apocalypse. Communities marked by the death age, I shall argue, fall into three types: communities of memory and communities of terror, both with roots in the past, and a new unprecedented form of community, the unavowable community, that comes into being during and by way of the epoch of manmade mass death itself.
Molecular Architecture and Divalent Cation Activation of TvoK, a Prokaryotic Potassium Channel

RCK (regulator of conductance of potassium) domains form a family of ligand-binding domains found in many prokaryotic K+ channels and transport proteins. Although many RCK domains contain an apparent nucleotide binding motif, some are known instead to bind Ca2+, which can then facilitate channel opening. Here we report on the molecular architecture and ligand activation properties of an RCK-containing potassium channel cloned from the prokaryote Thermoplasma volcanium. This channel, called TvoK, is of an apparent molecular mass and subunit composition that is consistent with the hetero-octameric configuration hypothesized for the related MthK (Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum potassium) channel, in which four channel-tethered RCK domains coassemble with four soluble (untethered) RCK domains. The expression of soluble TvoK RCK subunits arises from an unconventional UUG start codon within the TvoK gene; silent mutagenesis of this alternative start codon abolishes expression of the soluble form of the TvoK RCK domain. Using single channel recording of purified, reconstituted TvoK, we found that the channel is activated by Ca2+ as well as Mg2+, Mn2+, and Ni2+. This non-selective divalent activation is in contrast with the activation properties of MthK, which is selectively activated by Ca2+. Transplantation of the TvoK RCK domain into MthK generates a channel that can be activated by Mg2+, illustrating that the Mg2+ binding site is likely contained within the RCK domain. We present a working hypothesis for TvoK gating in which the binding of either Ca2+ or Mg2+ can contribute approximately 5 kcal/mol toward stabilization of the open conformation of the channel.
Seizing the means of reproduction: An illegal feminist abortion collective—How and why it worked

This paper describes an illegal feminist abortion collective [the Service] through whose efforts 11,000 abortions were performed between 1969 and 1973 when abortion was legalized. An analysis of interviews from 32 members of this lay group indicates how and why the collective was so effective in providing what is usually a physician-controlled medical procedure. After describing the structure of the organization and the process by which women obtained the abortion, including pre-abortion counseling and post-abortion follow-up, two sets of reasons for the collective's effectiveness are presented. The first five reasons derive from the interview themselves; they deal with the organization's social and historical context, its illegality, its charismatic leaders, its member satisfaction and its financial self-sufficiency. The next nine reasons deal with factors that make The Service a relatively typical democratic collective organization. The most important of these factors is its lack of concern for organizational survival per se. This account supports the Rothschild-Whitt model for collective democratic organizations. It also suggests that counseling is important both for the providers and for the receivers of abortions.
Clinical experience with somatrem in growth hormone deficiency.

Three studies of human growth hormone (hGH) in hGH deficiency were initiated. In the first of these, adolescent patients were switched from pituitary hGH to somatrem (SI preparation) for 1 month. No significant differences were noted in any of the clinical parameters measured during treatment with either preparation. In the second study, nine patients (six of them naive) were treated with somatrem (SII preparation) for 9-12 months. The naive patients exhibited catch-up growth, and bone age developed in parallel to chronological age during the study period. Somatomedin activity increased and correlated positively with growth. Antibodies to hGH and Escherichia coli polypeptide (ECP) developed in some patients, but titres and binding capacities were low. In the third study, 21 patients are currently being treated with Somatonorm; the first 3-6 months are evaluable. Growth velocities increased to normal values. Antibodies to hGH and ECP were present in several patients, but again the titres and binding capacities were low, and Somatonorm was less antigenic than the SI and SII preparations.
A bioassay for antiestrogenic activity--potential utility in drug development and monitoring effective in vivo dosing.

Monitoring effective antiestrogenic activity of the triphenylethylenes in patients with breast cancer is usually determined by the duration of response. The pharmacokinetics of toremifene and tamoxifen have been shown to be highly variable but patient specific. In the present study, we developed a method to accurately assess the antiestrogenic activity of these agents using plasma specimens, cell culture, and cell cycle measurements. Plasma specimens (4–5mls) obtained from patients receiving toremifene (360mg/day for 5 days in a phase I trial) or tamoxifen (20mg/day) were extracted and reconstituted in tissue culture media (4–5mls), and growth inhibition was determined in estrogen responsive MCF-7 cells. Additionally, plasma specimens were quantified for toremifene or tamoxifen concentrations using HPLC. Growth inhibition of plasma specimens containing either toremifene or tamoxifen and their metabolites was also examined. Cell cycle measurements were determined followingin vitro exposure with flow cytometric techniques. Our results show that a dose-response relationship exists between cell growth inhibition and cell cycle measurements for human plasma with added toremifene or tamoxifen, and also for human plasma specimens containing drug and its metabolites after treatment. Our antiestrogenic bioassay can address clinical research problems such as patient-specific pharmacokinetics, dosing compliance, and acquired antiestrogen resistance.
Auditory cortex lesions prevent the extinction of Pavlovian differential heart rate conditioning to tonal stimuli in rabbits

Abstract The present study examined the role of the auditory cortex in the extinction of differentially conditioned heart rate (HR) responses in rabbits. Lesions were placed bilaterally in wither the auditory cortex or the visual cortex. Three days after recovery from surgery, the auditory cortex lesion group and the visual cortex lesion control group were habituated to the tonal conditioned stimuli (CSs), and then given 2 days of Pavlovian differential conditioning (60 trials per day) in which one tone (CS+) was always paired with the unconditioned stimulus and another tone (CS−) was never paired with the uncondition stimulus. Animals that had demonstrated reliable differential conditioning (CS+ response at least 5 beats greater than the CS− response) were placed on an extinction schedule for 7 days. The extinction schedule was identical to the differential conditioning schedule with the exception that shock never followed the CS+. The results of the study indicate that auditory cortex lesions prevent the extinction of differential bradycardia conditioned responses (CRs) to tonal CSs. Whereas the bradycardia responses to the CS+ quickly extinguished in the group that had control lesions in the visual cortex, the auditory cortex lesion group continued to exhibit significantly larger bradycardiac HR CRs to the CS+ relative to the CS− during all 7 days of extinction. These results suggest that the animals in the auditory cortex lesioned group did not inhibit responses to a previously reinforced stimulus (i.e. CS+) as well as animals with control lesions in the visual cortex.
Delineating Grazing: Observations of Remote Control Use

Contrary to many previous reports of widespread grazing, most viewers in this study made very limited use of remote control devices (barely one or two RCD operations per half-hour). Comparisons of the separate operations of punching, arrowing, scanning, jumping, inserting, and muting showed that, overall, the most common RCD activity was punching in a specific channel number, a direct substitute for dial turning. Moreover, most activity took place on the hour and half-hour rather than within programs, meaning that commercial avoidance was infrequent and suggesting that industry concerns about radical changes in viewing behavior resulting from remote control use may be overblown.
Stochastic tree-adjoining grammars

The notion of stochastic lexicalized tree-adjoining grammar (SLTAG) is defined and basic algorithms for SLTAG are designed. The parameters of a SLTAG correspond to the probability of combining two structures each one associated with a word. The characteristics of SLTAG are unique and novel since it is lexically sensitive (as N-gram models or Hidden Markov Models) and yet hierarchical (as stochastic context-free grammars). An algorithm for computing the probability of a sentence generated by a SLTAG is presented. Then, an iterative algorithm for estimating the parameters of a SLTAG given a training corpus is introduced.
Three‐dimensional finite element simulation of creep deformation in rock salt

Describes a set of numerical techniques which implement the rate‐dependent multi‐mechanism deformation (M‐D) constitutive model for rock salt in a finite element code for use in three‐dimensional, finite strain simulations of creep closure in deeply buried salt excavations. Presents essential details of the numerical implementation. The constitutive model is exercised in a three‐dimensional closure simulation of a large underground field experiment. Compares results from the simulation against actual closure measurements taken from the experiment.
Effects of hydrogen doping on UPd 2 Al 3

We have succeeded in doping hydrogen into the ``semiheavy'' ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$ up to a stable concentration of ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$${\mathrm{H}}_{1.3}$. Magnetism is depressed in ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$${\mathrm{H}}_{\mathit{x}}$: ${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{N}}$ falls from 14.5 K with an initial slope of about 55 mK/%H, \ensuremath{\chi}(1.8 K) initially remains relatively constant but rises substantially for xg0.34 to 21.4 memu/mole at x=1.30, while the effective moment inferred from the Curie-Weiss behavior in the susceptibility above 100 K falls monotonically with hydrogen doping from 3.39${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$ for x=0 to 2.82${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\mu}}}_{\mathit{B}}$ for x=1.30. Superconductivity is totally suppressed by approximately x=0.5. At the same time as the antiferromagnetic peak in the specific heat is being depressed to lower temperatures with increasing x, the specific heat divided by temperature data show more and more of an upturn below 10 K, reminiscent of the behavior seen in heavy fermion systems like ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$. Whether or not this upturn in C/T is magnetic in character was checked via measurements of the magnetization at 1.8 K, which showed no signs of saturation up to 5.5 T, and of the field dependence of the low-temperature (0.3 K\ensuremath{\le}T1.5 K) specific heat in 14 T, which showed approximately a 25% decrease. Such a decrease in the specific heat with field is significantly smaller than that seen in, e.g., ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{6}$ (65% suppression in 14.5 T) where magnetic correlations are thought to be strong, and is similar to the size effect seen in nonsuperconducting samples of ${\mathrm{CeCu}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Si}}_{2}$ (35% suppression in 10 T). However, whether this upturn in C/T in ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$${\mathrm{H}}_{1.3}$ is indicative of an electron effective mass increased by a factor of 4 vs pure ${\mathrm{UPd}}_{2}$${\mathrm{Al}}_{3}$, or due to magnetic correlations/short-range magnetic order remains an open question.
The effects of nanoparticle shape and orientation on the low frequency dielectric properties of nanocomposites

In this paper, we examine the effects of aspect ratio and orientational order of nanoparticles on the dielectric properties of nanocomposites. The motivation is to clearly establish the effects of orientational order, since ambiguities exist in the literature. We focus on metallic nanoparticles, and show that, in the dilute concentration limit, theory, experiments and numerical simulations all unequivocally indicate that the effective dielectric constant increases with increasing aspect ratio and increasing degree of alignment of rod-like nanoparticles when they orient in direction of the electric field.
Conversion of Phytoplankton to Zooplankton

ONE of the major problems in the efficient production of food by mass cultivation of unicellular algae is harvesting the crop. Centrifugation, the accepted method in the harvest of algal suspensions, is an expensive operation. Other procedures which have been used are gravitational settling of the heavy cells1 and flocculation by addition of special agents2.
Measuring hypertensive cardiovascular risk: The vascular overload concept

Abstract Hypertensive cardiovascular risk may be related primarily to vascular overload, the rum of three vascular abnormalities: increased arteriolar resistance, increased large-artery stiffness, and the effect of increased early pulse-wave reflection. A method for quantifying vascular overload as an index can be derived from measurements of mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure. Several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that abnormal artery stiffness and early pulse-wave reflection become larger components of vascular overload as the duration and severity of hypertension increase. Moreover, these studies suggest that vascular overload is a true indicator of hypertensive cardiovascular risk. Increased systolic blood pressure is a surrogate for vascular overload in young and middle-aged hypertensive subjects. Increased pulse pressure and decreased diastolic pressure are superior to increased systolic pressure as surrogates for vascular overload in geriatric isolated systolic hypertension. By itself, diastolic blood pressure is difficult to interpret and may be an epiphenomenon. Therefore new therapeutic goals, are control of systolic pressure in the young and of pulse pressure in the elderly.
Prophylactic mesh to prevent incisional hernia: a note of caution.

Abstract Background Ventral hernia is a common complication of open Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). The aim of this study was to determine whether prophylactic mesh placement during RYGB would reduce the incidence of postoperative hernias. Methods Obese patients undergoing RYGB by a single surgeon had prosthetic mesh placed in a subfascial location at the conclusion of the procedure. The incidences of recurrent hernia and morbidity associated with the placement of mesh were assessed. Results Sixteen patients underwent RYGB with prophylactic mesh placement over 6 months. The average preoperative body mass index was 46.6 kg/m2. Half of the patients were diabetics. None were smokers. During mean follow-up of 6 months, 4 patients (25%) required mesh excision, 3 for infection and 1 for a persistently symptomatic seroma. One patient was explanted incidentally in the course of reexploration for intractable nausea and vomiting. Another developed an incisional hernia despite prophylactic mesh. Conclusions In the investigators' experience, the use of prophylactic new-generation mesh at the time of open RYGB led to an unacceptable rate of local complications. They caution against this technique in patients undergoing open RYGB.
Understanding the molecular mechanism by which methylation influences gene expression

CpG dinucleotides that are found in the DNA of higher eukaryotes often contain cytosine that has been modified by methylation at the C5 position. The frequency with which 5-methyl cytosine is found at a particular site varies between cell types. Many studies have shown that the transcriptional control regions of genes that are expressed in a given cell type tend to be undermethylated, relative to the same sequences in other cell types. These observations support the idea that methylation may be involved in tissue-specific regulation of gene expression (recently reviewed in Refs 1, 2).
Testing mitochondrial markers for noninvasive genetic species identification in European mammals

While DNA-barcoding routines have largely facilitated molecular identification of animal species, there is no common strategy for species identifications based on noninvasively collected samples. We compared the performance of six commonly used mitochondrial fragments for identification success of low-quality hair and scat samples from 15 European mammals. The standard cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 barcoding fragment performed worst in the test, with only three successful species identifications out of 32 samples. In contrast, three short fragments (16S and 12S rDNA, cytochrome b) led to reliable species identifications for >80 % of all tested samples. Success rates also differed among feeding types.
Sex-related differences in sleep slow wave activity in major depressive disorder: a high-density EEG investigation

Sleep disturbance plays an important role in major depressive disorder (MDD). Prior investigations have demonstrated that slow wave activity (SWA) during sleep is altered in MDD; however, results have not been consistent across studies, which may be due in part to sex-related differences in SWA and/or limited spatial resolution of spectral analyses. This study sought to characterize SWA in MDD utilizing high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG) to examine the topography of SWA across the cortex in MDD, as well as sex-related variation in SWA topography in the disorder. All-night recordings with 256 channel hdEEG were collected in 30 unipolar MDD subjects (19 women) and 30 age and sex-matched control subjects. Spectral analyses of SWA were performed to determine group differences. SWA was compared between MDD and controls, including analyses stratified by sex, using statistical non-parametric mapping to correct for multiple comparisons of topographic data. As a group, MDD subjects demonstrated significant increases in all-night SWA primarily in bilateral prefrontal channels. When stratified by sex, MDD women demonstrated global increases in SWA relative to age-matched controls that were most consistent in bilateral prefrontal regions; however, MDD men showed no significant differences relative to age-matched controls. Further analyses demonstrated increased SWA in MDD women was most prominent in the first portion of the night. Women, but not men with MDD demonstrate significant increases in SWA in multiple cortical areas relative to control subjects. Further research is warranted to investigate the role of SWA in MDD, and to clarify how increased SWA in women with MDD is related to the pathophysiology of the disorder.
Spectroscopy and structure of hibonite, grossite, and CaAl2O4: Implications for astronomical environments

Abstract Infrared (IR) spectra of phases found in calcium-aluminum rich inclusions in meteorites are incomplete, yet such data are needed to ascertain the mineralogy of astronomical environments. To better characterize the system CaO-Al2O3, we obtained IR thin-film absorption data, partially polarized Raman scattering spectra, and single-crystal X-ray structure refinements from small single-crystals of end-member hibonite (CaAl12O19) and grossite (CaAl4O7), synthesized by laser-heating. Vibrational spectra were also acquired from natural samples of Th-bearing hibonite, synthetic corundum (Al2O3), 17O-enriched grossite, CaAl2O4, and CaO. Spectral fitting provided band positions and widths. The true absorbance of strong IR peaks in calcium aluminates is 1–2/μm, based on thickness determined from interference fringes and on comparison with absorption coefficients calculated from reflectivity data on natural hibonite. Our data on the lattice vibrations of hibonite reveal that the terrestrial samples are partially metamict: their spectra cannot be used for comparison with astronomical objects because of peak broadening and changes in the polarization of the vibrations. Direct comparison of our IR data of synthetic samples with astronomical observations shows that grossite and hibonite are present in the proto-planetary nebula NGC 6302. That spectral patterns match provides a strong case. Corundum, spinel, and melilite-group minerals also could be present in the nebula. Because spectra of melilites resemble those of pyroxenes, the latter assignment is less certain. We limit our compositional analysis of the nebula to matching spectral patterns, because detailed spectral modeling of the mineralogy would be both premature (due to a lack of cryogenic IR data), and uncertain (due to the occurrence of dust in clumps large enough to emit as blackbodies). The inferred mineralogy of NGC 6302 follows the condensation sequence for a nebula of solar composition, and contains mineral types known to be presolar.
A Practical and Evidence-Based Approach to Common Symptoms: A Narrative Review

Physical symptoms account for more than half of all outpatient visits, yet the predominant disease-focused model of care is inadequate for many of these symptom-prompted encounters. Moreover, the amount of clinician training dedicated to understanding, evaluating, and managing common symptoms is disproportionally small relative to their prevalence, impairment, and health care costs. This narrative review regarding physical symptoms addresses 4 common epidemiologic questions: cause, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. Important findings include the following: First, at least one third of common symptoms do not have a clear-cut, disease-based explanation (5 studies in primary care, 1 in specialty clinics, and 2 in the general population). Second, the history and physical examination alone contribute 73% to 94% of the diagnostic information, with costly testing and procedures contributing much less (5 studies of multiple types of symptoms and 4 of specific symptoms). Third, physical and psychological symptoms commonly co-occur, making a dualistic approach impractical. Fourth, because most patients have multiple symptoms rather than a single symptom, focusing on 1 symptom and ignoring the others is unwise. Fifth, symptoms improve in weeks to several months in most patients but become chronic or recur in 20% to 25%. Sixth, serious causes that are not apparent after initial evaluation seldom emerge during long-term follow-up. Seventh, certain pharmacologic and behavioral treatments are effective across multiple types of symptoms. Eighth, measuring treatment response with valid scales can be helpful. Finally, communication has therapeutic value, including providing an explanation and probable prognosis without "normalizing" the symptom.
Synthesis of 14C‐labelled bis‐azo biphenyl dyes

Two 14C-labelled bis-azo biphenyl dyes have been prepared from uniformly ring-labelled 14C-benzidine and 14C-3, 3′-dimethylbenzidine. The amines were tetra-azotized with sodium nitrite and HCL. Direct Blue 6 was then prepared from tetra-azo benzidine by allowing it to react with two equivalents of H acid (8-amino-1-naphthol-3,6-disulfonic acid mono sodium salt) under basic conditions. Acid Red 114 was prepared from tetra-azo 3,3′-dimethylbenzidine by sequential reaction with one equivalent of G acid (2-naphthol-6,8-disulfonic acid dipotassium salt) followed by one equivalent of phenol. This product was then esterified with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride to give acid Red 114.
Electronic Structure of Molecules Using Relativistic Effective Core Potentials

The application of ab initio techniques to molecular electronic structure has enabled the quantum chemist to make reliable predictions of molecular geometries and spectroscopic properties, to calculate excitation and ionization energies, and to characterize transition states and energy barriers in chemical reactions Investigations of the electronic properties of molecules containing heavier atoms (such as transition-metal or actinide compounds) has been hampered by (1) the increase in computational effort (by roughly N4) with the number of electrons (N) in heavier atoms and (2) the importance of relativistic effects, even on valence electrons, with increasing Z.
Autoradiographic localization of tritiated decamethonium in rat brain slices-evidence in support of an effective barrier to central penetration of this compound.

Abstract The uptake of tritium labeled decamethonium in cerebral cortical slices has been studied using a liquid scintillation counter. Part of the labeled drug was taken up and retained by the tissue after prolonged periods of washing in Kreb's saline solution. Autoradiographic studies were undertaken to histologically localize the decamethonium remaining in coronal and cerebral cortical slices after washing the incubated tissue. Radioactivity was detected in the arachnoid, “pia-arachnoid”, choroid plexuses and in other cells (probably glial cells) within the brain slices. In all the tissue sections examined neurons were devoid of detectable radioactivity. The present findings have been correlated with the results of in vivo studies and provide evidence of an effective barrier to in vivo central nervous tissue penetration of decamethonium. The pharmacological significance of uptake studies employing decamethonium in brain slices has been discussed in relation to the present findings.
Synthesis of chemical probes to map sulfenic acid modifications on proteins.

Cysteine sulfenic acids in proteins can be identified by their ability to form adducts with dimedone, but this reagent imparts no spectral or affinity tag for subsequent analyses of such tagged proteins. Given its similar reactivity toward cysteine sulfenic acids, 1,3-cyclohexadione was synthetically modified to an alcohol derivative and linked to fluorophores based on isatoic acid and 7-methoxycoumarin. The resulting compounds retain full reactivity and specificity toward cysteine sulfenic acids in proteins, allowing for incorporation of the fluorescent label into the protein and “tagging” it based on its sulfenic acid redox state. Control experiments using dimedone further show the specificity of the reaction of 1,3-diones with protein sulfenic acids in aqueous media. These new compounds provide the basis for an improved method for the detection of protein sulfenic acids.
Serum vasopressin response in patients with intradialytic hypotension: a pilot study.

Background and Objectives: Arginine vasopressin (AVP), an endogenous hormone with vasopressor properties, may be inadequately secreted during episodes of intradialytic hypotension (IDH). Design, Setting, Participants, and Measurements: To evaluate this, we performed a prospective, observational pilot study of 20 chronic hemodialysis patients assessing the baseline AVP level and trend of AVP with ultrafiltration in patients with a diagnosis of IDH compared with patients without IDH. Ten symptomatic IDH patients and 10 controls were enrolled and matched for age, gender, and dialysis vintage. AVP levels were obtained hourly throughout the dialysis session and during hypotensive episodes. Results: We observed that IDH patients experienced greater decreases in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the dialysis session despite equivalent ultrafiltration in both groups. AVP concentration did not increase in the IDH patients (5.0 ± 1.8) compared with controls (6.4 ± 6.0) (P = 0.5) despite hypotensive events. Conclusions: This study suggests that symptomatic IDH patients are unable to mount an appropriate increase in AVP secretion in the setting of hypotension. These findings support the possibility of AVP as a mechanism driven therapy for patients with symptomatic IDH.