cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Clinical Prediction Model for Normalization of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation

Background Patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) are at risk increased for poor outcomes and may be ineligible for heart transplantation (HT). Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy can lower PVR for certain patients, but it is difficult to identify these patients preoperatively. Methods Using the INTERMACS registry, we developed a clinical prediction model to predict the likelihood of PVR normalization (≤ 3 WU) or HT within 1 year of LVAD implant among patients with baseline PVR > 3 WU. Backwards stepwise selection was used to select variables from 14 candidate predictors and logistic regression was used to estimate model coefficients. Model performance was summarized using measures of discrimination (c-statistic) and calibration (Harrel's EAVG). Internal validation was performed using bootstrap resampling over 200 iterations to generate an average calibration slope, which was used to uniformly shrink all model coefficients to generate the final model. Results There were 2209 patients available for analysis. Median preoperative PVR was 4.26 WU (IQR 3.54-5.54 WU) and the median time from LVAD implant to postoperative PVR assessment was 3 months. 1596 patients (72%) experienced PVR normalization or were transplanted within 1 year. 412 (19%) patients died and 201 (9%) were alive with persistently elevated PVR at 1 year. Final model coefficients are shown in the Table. Important predictors included older age (OR 0.72 per 10 years), severe baseline mitral regurgitation (MR) (OR 2.49 vs no MR), and increased baseline pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) (OR 1.24 per 5 mmHg increase). The model c-statistic was 0.66 and EAVG was 0.004. Conclusion Among patients with elevated PVR, preoperative patient characteristics such as severe MR and elevated PCWP are able to predict the likelihood of PVR normalization or HT within 1 year of LVAD implantation. These findings can help to inform decision making and frame patient expectations regarding anticipated improvements in pulmonary vascular disease following LVAD surgery. Future studies are needed to investigate potential management strategies to increase the likelihood of PVR normalization with LVAD support.
The Effects of Anti-retroviral Therapy on Epigenetic Age Acceleration Observed in HIV-1-infected Adults

Background: HIV-1 infection is associated with acceleration of age-related methylation patterns in peripheral blood and brain of infected individuals although the relative contributions of HIV-1 infection versus its treatment to the observed accelerations in biological aging have not yet been investigated. Methods: In this longitudinal study of the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) on epigenetic aging patterns, we extracted DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 15 HIV-1-infected individuals infected at three time points: 6 months-1year pre-ART, 6-12 months post-initiation of ART, and 18-24 months after initiating ART. We compared these trajectories with those of 15 age-matched uninfected control participants at three time points with similar intervals. Methylation studies were performed using the Infinium methylation 450 arrays. We examined four epigenetic clock measurements: Age acceleration residual (AAR), Extrinsic (EEAA), Phenotypic (PEAA), and Grim (GEAA) epigenetic age acceleration. Weighted correlation network (WGCNA) analysis was used to identify clusters of highly co-methylated CpGs. Results: We found that prior to the initiation of ART all four epigenetic measures were significantly higher in HIV-1-infected individuals compared with uninfected individuals (P<0.001 for AAR, P=0.008 for EEAA, P=0.012 for GEAA, P<0.001 for PEAA using Wilcoxon rank sum tests between serostatus groups). These effects persisted after the initiation of ART, although the magnitude of these differences diminished. At 18-24 months post-ART initiation (time point 3), PEAA and GEAA were no longer significantly different between HIV-1-infected and uninfected individuals (P=0.059 for PEAA, P=0.11 for GEAA), while AAR and EEAA remained significantly higher in HIV-1-infected individuals compared with uninfected individuals. We further examined for global patterns of methylation differences between HIV-1-infected and uninfected at each time point, and found 14 groups of co-methylated CpGs that were significantly different between groups at baseline, and remained different after the initiation of ART. Conclusion: We confirm that epigenetic age acceleration associated with HIV-1 infection is most dramatic before ART initiation, and this observation is consistent across four epigenetic clock measurements, as well as in additional groups of co-methylated CpGs identified using WGCNA. Following initiation of ART, there is a partial reduction in age acceleration in all measures, with loss of any significant difference in PEAA and GEAA between serostatus groups. Our findings support the need for future studies examining for a link between epigenetic age acceleration and clinical outcomes in HIV-1-infected individuals.
Analysis of the DNA-binding properties of Alx1, an evolutionarily conserved regulator of skeletogenesis in echinoderms

Alx1, a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, is a highly conserved regulator of skeletogenesis in echinoderms. In sea urchins, Alx1 plays a central role in the differentiation of embryonic primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) and positively regulates the transcription of most biomineralization genes expressed by these cells. The alx1 gene arose via duplication and acquired a skeletogenic function distinct from its paralog (alx4) through the exonization of a 41–amino acid motif (the D2 domain). Alx1 and Alx4 contain glutamine-50 paired-type homeodomains, which interact preferentially with palindromic binding sites in vitro. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) studies have shown, however, that Alx1 binds both to palindromic and half sites in vivo. To address this apparent discrepancy and explore the function of the D2 domain, we used an endogenous cis-regulatory module associated with Sp-mtmmpb, a gene that encodes a PMC-specific metalloprotease, to analyze the DNA-binding properties of Alx1. We find that Alx1 forms dimeric complexes on TAAT-containing half sites by a mechanism distinct from the well-known mechanism of dimerization on palindromic sites. We used transgenic reporter assays to analyze the functional roles of half sites in vivo and demonstrate that two sites with partially redundant functions are essential for the PMC-specific activity of the Sp-mtmmpb cis-regulatory module. Finally, we show that the D2 domain influences the DNA-binding properties of Alx1 in vitro, suggesting that the exonization of this motif may have facilitated the acquisition of new transcriptional targets and consequently a novel developmental function.
Nitro-oleic acid-mediated blood-brain barrier protection reduces ischemic brain injury.

Abstract Nitro-oleic acid (OA-NO2), a nitroalkene formed in nitric oxide-dependent oxidative reactions, has been found in human plasma and is thought to regulate pathophysiological functions. Recently, accumulating evidence suggests that OA-NO2 may function as an anti-inflammatory mediator, and ameliorate the progression of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, the role of OA-NO2 in ischemic brain injury remains unexplored. In this study, C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 1 h transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and followed by 1– 7 days of reperfusion. These mice were treated with vehicle, OA, or OA-NO2 (10 mg/kg) via tail vein injection at 2 h after the onset of MCAO. Our results show that intravenous administration of OA-NO2 led to reduced BBB leakage in ischemic brains, reduced brain infarct, and improved sensorimotor functions in response to ischemic insults when compared to OA and vehicle controls. Also, OA-NO2 significantly reduced BBB leakage-triggered infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages in the ischemic brains. Moreover, OA-NO2 treatment reduced the M1-type microglia and increased M2-type microglia. Mechanistically, OA-NO2 alleviated the decline of mRNA and protein level of major endothelial TJs including ZO-1 in stroke mice. Treatment of OA-NO2 also significantly inhibited stroke-induced inflammatory mediators, iNOS, E-selectin, P-selectin, and ICAM1, in mouse brains. In conclusion, OA-NO2 preserves BBB integrity and confers neurovascular protection in ischemic brain damage. OA-NO2-mediated brain protection may help us to develop a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.
Polymerization of L-leucineN-carboxyanhydride with 1,6-hexanediamine as initiator†

L-Leucine N-carboxyanhydride was polymerized in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) or 1,4-dioxane (DIO) at 25°C with either 1,6-hexanediamine (1) or its monocarbamate 2 using a constant volume apparatus, initially filled with nitrogen or carbon dioxide. Number average molar masses from amino end group titrations on one hand and from initial monomer/initiator ratios and conversions on the other were practically identical for monomer conversions between 25 and 79%, indicating both the living nature of the polymerization and a participation of all initially present amino groups, despite the fact that polymer precipitation was observed at higher conversions for all systems and an additional precipitation of the carbonate 2 for the system 1/DIO/CO2 at low conversions. Two kinetic stages were observed for the latter system, but three kinetic stages for all other ones. The absence of a rapid initial polymerization period for the system, 1/DIO/CO2 as contrasted to the high initial rates for the systems 1/DMF/CO2 or 1/DMF/N2 points towards a carbamate mechanism in the first case and an amine mechanism in the second. The relation between intrinsic viscosities and number average molar masses of poly(L-leucine) in trifluoroacetic acid at 25°C was found as [η] = 0,0169 〈Mn0,86 ± 0,04 ml/g.
More Misbehavior of Organisms: A Psi Chi Lecture by Marian and Robert Bailey.

In 1992, Dr. Marian Breland Bailey, assisted by her husband Robert E. Bailey, gave the following presentation at the Psi Chi Banquet of the University of Central Arkansas. She and her first husband, Keller Breland, were students of B. F. Skinner and established Animal Behavior Enterprises (ABE) in 1947 and the IQ Zoo in 1955. Unknown to many historians of psychology, most of ABE’s projects extended outside the confines of the IQ Zoo and included work for the military, fairs, parks, businesses, and entertainment venues. Dr. Bailey’s Psi Chi lecture should prove invaluable to students, researchers, and scholars, for it is one of the few places where the extensive nature of ABE is described in an overarching fashion.
Bonobo (Pan paniscus) Spatial Memory and Communication in a 20-hectare Forest

We used an artificial language as a tool for the study of spatial memory organization in a young Pan paniscus. In the first experiment, we showed the bonobo a road sign just outside its indoor sleeping area. The sign indicated, by means of arbitrarily designated geometrical shapes (lexigrams), where food was hidden. Only 2 of the 15 locations were visible from the sign. Distances ranged up to 170 m from the sign. In 99 of 127 test trials the bonobo went directly to the designated location on its first move. In a second experiment, we presented the road sign at varied points in the woods rather than at the original fixed place. In these trials the goal was a preferred toy. The bonobo's human companions were never told the location of the goal and distances were up to 650 m. In all 12 trials the bonobo led its companions to the designated place via an efficient path. The bonobo appeared to be able to move, based on the information provided by a lexigram, from almost any arbitrary starting location in its 20-ha environment to any one of the numerous goal locations.
In Situ Quantification of Protein Binding to the Plasma Membrane

This study presents a fluorescence-based assay that allows for direct measurement of protein binding to the plasma membrane inside living cells. An axial scan through the cell generates a fluorescence intensity profile that is analyzed to determine the membrane-bound and cytoplasmic concentrations of a peripheral membrane protein labeled by the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The membrane binding curve is constructed by mapping those concentrations for a population of cells with a wide range of protein expression levels, and a fit of the binding curve determines the number of binding sites and the dissociation coefficient. We experimentally verified the technique, using myosin-1C-EGFP as a model system and fit its binding curve. Furthermore, we studied the protein-lipid interactions of the membrane binding domains from lactadherin and phospholipase C-δ1 to evaluate the feasibility of using competition binding experiments to identify specific lipid-protein interactions in living cells. Finally, we applied the technique to determine the lipid specificity, the number of binding sites, and the dissociation coefficient of membrane binding for the Gag matrix domain of human T-lymphotropic virus type 1, which provides insight into early assembly steps of the retrovirus.
Wave and Circulation Prediction on Unstructured Grids

Abstract : The long term goal of this research is to significantly advance computational methods for multi-scale flow physics in geometrically and/or hydrodynamically complex oceanic and coastal ocean environments, through refinements in the defined physics, domain definition and computational grid resolution. The particular focus is on improved coupling of wind generated short wave and circulation models within the framework of adaptive, unstructured grid models for oceanic and coastal waters.
Serous cystadenoma of the pancreas: limitations and pitfalls of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

BACKGROUND Expectant management of serous cystadenoma (SCA) of the pancreas requires an accurate preoperative diagnosis. Previously published cytologic diagnostic sensitivities have ranged widely, from 10% to 100%. In the current study, the authors evaluated the diagnostic sensitivity of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and cross-sectional imaging for SCA. METHODS Group I consisted of 21 histologically confirmed SCAs. Group II (n = 7 lesions) lacked histologic confirmation and was defined by EUS findings that were consistent with SCA and a cyst fluid carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) level <5 ng/mL. Group III was comprised of 2 nonserous and potentially malignant cysts of the pancreas for which a preoperative diagnosis of SCA was considered. Cross-sectional imaging data were recorded. The smears were evaluated for the presence of serous lining epithelium, gastrointestinal-contaminating epithelium, and inflammatory cells including hemosiderin-laden macrophages. The authors also evaluated the presence of hemosiderin-laden macrophages in a series of 110 FNA specimens from histologically confirmed neoplastic mucinous cysts of the pancreas and 45 pseudocysts of the pancreas. RESULTS Prospectively among Group I lesions, the appearance on computed tomography (CT) was considered definitive for SCA in 3 of 12 cases (25%). The histologically confirmed SCA cases had CEA levels of <5 ng/mL, except for 1 case for which the CEA level was 176.5 ng/mL. A cytologic diagnosis of SCA was made prospectively in only 1 CT-guided case. Retrospectively, 3 intraoperative FNAs and 1 additional CT-guided aspirate contained rare epithelial cells of a SCA. None of the EUS-guided aspirates demonstrated serous epithelium. Among Group II aspiration specimens, only 1 contained serous epithelial cells. Approximately 52% of the EUS-guided aspirates demonstrated gastrointestinal contamination. This glandular epithelium was categorized as atypical in 2 cases. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were identified in 43% of the SCAs. Conversely, only 2% of neoplastic mucinous cysts and 9% of pseudocysts produced hemosiderin-laden macrophages in aspirate fluid. CONCLUSIONS In the current study, serous epithelial cells were identified in <20% of cases. Gastrointestinal-contaminating epithelium, often observed in EUS-guided aspirates, further contributes to difficulties in interpretation. The presence of hemosiderin-laden macrophages as a surrogate marker for SCA requires further study. A preoperative diagnosis of SCA remains a challenge, and an EUS-guided FNAB is unlikely to provide the high level of diagnostic accuracy necessary to permit a nonoperative approach. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Inspiration or Imitation: Copyright Protection for Stage Directions

This article examines an important and timely issue involving the extent of copyright protection for stage directions. The recent lawsuits involving the regional productions of the Broadway hit "Urinetown" indicate that stage directors and their union, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, are going to continue to press the courts and the Copyright Office for greater protection of what they perceive as their unique creative contribution to the theatrical arts. This article explores a myriad of issues related to copyright protection for stage directions and discusses copyrightable subject matter, copyright ownership, infringement, defenses to infringement, and other possible legal theories for protection of stage directions. It concludes that although stage directions are clearly copyrightable expression, the extent of copyright protection will necessarily be narrow because of doctrines such as scenes a faire and merger.
Cloning, sequencing, and expression of a cDNA encoding rat liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase I. Direct evidence that a single polypeptide is involved in inhibitor interaction and catalytic function.

Abstract We report the isolation and characterization of a full-length cDNA encoding rat liver carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT I). Oligonucleotides corresponding to two tryptic peptides derived from the malonyl-CoA/etomoxir-CoA-binding protein of rat liver mitochondria (Esser, V., Kuwajima, M., Britton, C. H., Krishnan, K., Foster, D. W., and McGarry, J. D. (1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 5810-5816) were used to screen a rat liver cDNA library constructed in the plasmid cloning vector, pcDV. The clone obtained consisted of a 102-nucleotide 5'-untranslated region, a single open reading frame of 2,319 bases predicting a protein of 773 amino acids (M(r) = 88,150), and a 3'-untranslated segment of 1,957 nucleotides followed by the poly(A)+ tail. A 0.9-kilobase fragment of the cDNA recognized a single species of mRNA (approximately 4.7 kilobases in size) in rat liver. The identity of the cDNA was confirmed by the findings that (i) the open reading frame encoded all four peptides found in the original protein; (ii) transfection of COS cells with the cDNA subcloned into the expression vector, pCMV6, resulted in a selective and 10-20-fold induction of a malonyl-CoA- and etomoxir-CoA-sensitive CPT activity; and (iii) the overexpressed product was readily detected on Western blots by an antibody raised against the starting material. It seems likely that the de novo synthesized enzyme is targeted to the mitochondrial outer membrane via a leader peptide and that the mature protein achieves membrane anchoring through a stretch of 20 amino acids present near its amino terminus. The predicted amino acid sequence of the protein shows regions of strong identity with those of three other rat acyltransferases, namely, liver CPT II, liver carnitine octanoyltransferase, and brain choline acetyltransferase. The findings provide the first insight into the structure of a CPT I isoform. They also establish unequivocally that CPT I and CPT II are distinct proteins and that inhibitors of CPT I interact within its catalytic domain, not with an associated regulatory component.
Some aspects of energy storage systems using Glauber salt mixtures

ABSTRACT An investigation on the phase-transformation process of the Glauber salt mixture has been performed. Results on the visual observations of the crystallization process, measurement of the crystallization rate and its dependence upon the degree of undercooling are reported in this paper. Based on experimental investigation, it is concluded that the crystallization process is limited by the rate of thermal diffusions from the growing interface.
N2/Ar plasma induced doping of ordered mesoporous TiO2 thin films for visible light active photocatalysis

Abstract This study reports the rapid and effective nitrogen doping of ordered, mesoporous TiO2 thin films using nitrogen/argon (N2/Ar) plasma. The resulting nitrogen-doped TiO2 (N–TiO2) films show significant enhancement in both visible light absorption and photocatalytic activity. The cubic ordered mesoporous TiO2 thin films are prepared via a sol–gel method using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) as precursor and triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 as the template. Following brief calcination, the TiO2 films are treated with N2/Ar plasma under controlled conditions of reactive gas pressure, microwave power, and plasma exposure duration. To vary the degree of nitrogen doping, the plasma exposure time was varied from zero up to 210 min. The nitrogen content of the films increases with plasma exposure duration, up to over 3 at% N. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) analyses and UV–vis absorbance spectra of N–TiO2 films indicate that the incorporated N atoms reduce the band gap of TiO2 and thus enhance the absorption of visible light. Finally, the visible-light photocatalytic activity of N–TiO2 films is determined from the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible-light illumination (with a 455 nm LED). The N–TiO2 films prepared by 150 min treatment show the optimum photocatalytic activity with a pseudo-first order rate coefficient of 0.24 h−1, which is six times greater than that of undoped TiO2 films. Treatment for excessive time (e.g. 210 min) leads to a decline in photocatalytic activity due to coarsening of the porous structure. The present study suggests that plasma-induced doping is a promising approach to enable the efficient incorporation of heteroatoms into surfactant-templated TiO2 thin films while maintaining their nanostructures, thereby leading to the significant enhancement of visible-light photoactivity.
Identification of an early-growth-response gene encoding a novel putative protein kinase.

Abstract Early-growth-response genes, also known as immediate-early genes, play important roles in regulating cell proliferation. We have identified a new type of early-growth-response gene product, a 77,811-Da putative serine/threonine kinase, which is highly inducible by serum and phorbol ester. mRNA encoding this putative kinase is markedly elevated within 1 h after treatment with mitogen, and this induction is synergistically increased by cycloheximide. Dexamethasone blocks serum induction of the kinase mRNA, as does transformation by v-Ki-ras. The kinase mRNA was detected in mouse brain, lung, and heart. This new putative kinase, which we term Snk, for serum-inducible kinase, showed similarity in its proposed catalytic domain to many other protein kinases; however, no other kinase showed enough sequence similarity with Snk to suggest the existence of a common function. Hence, Snk represents a new type of protein kinase involved in the early mitogenic response whose activity is transcriptionally and posttranscriptionally regulated.
The ISSMGE Kerry Rowe Lecture: The role of diffusion in environmental geotechnics1

Diffusion of contaminants can play a significant if not dominant role in many applications encountered within the field of environmental geotechnics. The objective of this paper is to provide an ov...
Transformation procedure of unit vectors to facilitate evaluation of vector potentials

A simple method is presented which details the process by which unit vectors in a source region are represented in terms of unit vectors of a field point. Since everything is done from the standpoint of the source unit vectors, this procedure differs slightly from equivalent treatments that transform distributions of source currents. The objective of this paper is to present this method in a systematic fashion which easily translates to a number of coordinate systems. Using the method of the gradient and a high-level language such as Mathematica, these conversions can be done with great ease This approach finds its greatest value when considering coordinate systems that are not used widely used.
Methyl p‐Tolyl Sulfone

Methyl p-tolyl sulfone reactant: 484 g. (2.54 moles) of p-toluenesulfonyl chloride reactant: 490 g. (370 ml., 3.88 moles) of dimethyl sulfate product: methyl p-tolyl sulfone product: methyl phenyl sulfone Keywords: alkylation, S-alkylation; replacement reactions, miscellaneous; sodium p-toluenesulfinate, preparation of; dimethyl sulfate, poison; dimethyl sulfate, ammonia antidote
On the spectral problem for anyons

We consider the spectral problem resulting from the Schrodinger equation for a quantum system ofn≧2 indistinguishable, spinless, hard-core particles on a domain in two dimensional Euclidian space. For particles obeying fractional statistics, and interacting via a repulsive hard core potential, we provide a rigorous framework for analysing the spectral problem with its multi-valued wave functions.
Effects of some typical and atypical antidepressants on schedule‐controlled responding in rats

The effects of tricylic antidepressant drugs with diverse chemical structures were studied in rats on responding maintained under a multiple fixed-ratio (30) fixed-interval (5 min) schedule of food resentation. Bupropion, mianserin, and nomifensine increased responding during the first half of the fixed-interval component and during the fixed-ratio component of the multiple schedule. Higher doses decreased rates under both the fixed-ratio component and during the second half of the fixed-interval component. Trazodone and trimipramine also increased rates of responding during the first half of the fixed-interval component. Higher doses of these drugs decreased rates under the fixed-ratio component more than the approximately equal rates during the second half of the fixed-interval component. Iprindole, protryptyline, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, maprotiline, clomipramine, imipramine, lithium, and chlorpromazine did not increase rates of responding under the fixed-ratio component or under either half of the fixed-interval component. Among these drugs, only imipramine differentially affected the nearly equal rates of responding during the second half of the fixed-interval component and during the fixed-ratio component. The effects of antidepressants depended on both the control rate of responding and the schedule. Rate-increasing effects tended to be associated with antidepressants that interact with dopaminergic systems, but in general, the correlation between behavioral and biochemical effects was low.
The algebra and geometry of Steiner and other quadratically parametrizable surfaces

Quadratically parametrizable surfaces (@g"1, @g"2, @g"3, @g"4) = (@f"1(u), @f"2(u), @f"3(u), @f"4(u)) where @f"k are homogeneous functions are studied in @?^3(@?). These correspond to rationally parametrizable surfaces in @?^3. All such surfaces of order greater than two are completely catalogued and described. The geometry of the parametrizations as well as the geometry of the surfaces are revealed by the use of basic matrix algebra. The relationship of these two geometries is briefly discussed. The presentation is intended to be accessible to applied mathematicians and does not presume a knowledge of algebraic geometry.
Regulating intertwining proteins

The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins constitute a family of eukaryotic transcription factors that have the ability to dimerize through a coiled-coil region, characterized by a series of highly conserved hydrophobic residues that form a helix-loop-helix structure. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Firulli et al. demonstrate that dimerization of the bHLH proteins, HAND1 and HAND2, is regulated by phosphorylation of residues located within the HLH domain.
The Dynamic Nature of Risk Factors for Substance Use Among Adolescents

ABSTRACT Substance use is one of the major social problems facing youth today. The research on risk factors associated with onset and continuation of use is extensive. Typically, reviews of the literature categorize risk factors by environmental domain (i.e., family, peer relations, neighborhoods). This review extends this framework by examining studies that focus on the changing nature of risk factors for substance use among teenagers. The underlying assumption is that, especially during adolescence, these relations are dynamic and shift across time. Five time-related mechanisms are identified and used to describe the research. The article concludes with a discussion about the implications for future research.
ESD considerations for SOI switch design

This paper proposes a solution that employs transistor self-conduction and circuit design techniques to improve ESD performance for SOI RF switch applications. The primary limitations and challenges in the ESD design for SOI technology are discussed. The solution enables the switch to pass 8kV IEC as well as typical HBM standards.
Climate Change and Risk Projection: Dynamic Spatial Models of Tsetse and African Trypanosomiasis in Kenya

African trypanosomiasis, otherwise known as sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in animals, is a parasitic protist passed cyclically by the tsetse fly. Despite more than a century of control and eradication efforts, the fly remains widely distributed across Africa and coextensive with other prevalent diseases. Control and planning are hampered by spatially and temporally variant vector distributions, ecologically irrelevant boundaries, and neglect. Tsetse are particularly well suited to move into previously disease-free areas under climate change scenarios, placing unprepared populations at risk. Here we present the modeling framework ATcast, which combines a dynamically downscaled regional climate model with a temporally and spatially dynamic species distribution model to predict tsetse populations over space and time. These modeled results are integrated with Kenyan population data to predict, for the period 2050 to 2059, exposure potential to tsetse and, by association, sleeping sickness and nagana across Kenya.
The Anti-Colonial Revolutionary in Contemporary Bollywood Cinema

In her article "The Anti-Colonial Revolutionary in Contemporary Bollywood Cinema" Vidhu Aggarwal discusses several contemporary films including Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's Rang de Basanti with focus on the figure of the revolutionary hero. The Bollywood film is a cultural form that combines several aesthetic styles, from within India and from the outside. With its formal heterogeneity and as a product of one of India's largest cities, Mumbai Bollywood has had an ongoing fascination with "arrival," that is, with India's status as a contemporary nation-state. While some Bollywood films seem to celebrate fantasy scenarios of India's arrival on the global scene, at the same time they express anxiety about affective possibilities within a new Bollywood of higher production values and larger global reach, an India of mobile borders and attenuated historical context. Aggarwal examines the way the contemporaneity of Bollywood — both in terms of acting style and aesthetics — is negotiated through reenactments of the colonial period and compares Bollywood cinema with aspects of the British film Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle. Vidhu Aggarwal, "The Anti-Colonial Revolutionary in Contemporary Bollywood Cinema" page 2 of 10 Thematic issue New Modernities and the "Third World." Ed. V. DeSousa, J.E. Henton, and G. Ramanathan CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 12.2 (2010):
Theoretical analysis of the asymmetry in chromatographic peaks

Abstract A methematical model describing axial dispersion, external film diffusion, intraparticle diffusion and solid-phase adsorption kinetics in linear chromatography is used to systematically investigate the influence of kinetic parameters on the shape of chromatographic peaks by adopting a fast Fourier transform technique. It is found that slow intraparticle diffusion and sorption kinetics can cause asymmetry in chromatographic peaks without using a two-site model, and these two effects can be distinguished under proper conditions. In addition, the effects of kinetic parameters on the asymmetry in elution peaks is summarized in this study, which could be used as a guide to analyze the chromatographic systems.
Role of hepatocyte nuclear factors in growth hormone-regulated, sexually dimorphic expression of liver cytochromes P450.

The liver is a sexually dimorphic organ in many species, including humans. In rodent models, dramatic sex differences characterize the expression of numerous plasma proteins, receptors and other signaling molecules, and enzymes of steroid and foreign compound metabolism, including members of the cytochrome P450 (CYP) superfamily. The sexual dimorphism of liver gene expression is dictated by the temporal pattern of plasma growth hormone (GH) stimulation, which is intermittent and highly pulsatile in males and more frequent in females. Many liver-specific genes, including CYP genes, are regulated by the coordinated action of multiple hepatic nuclear factors (HNFs) through a complex transcriptional hierarchy. These HNFs are proposed to collaborate with the GH pulse-activated latent cytoplasmic transcription factor STAT5b to regulate the sex-dependent expression of liver CYPs. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that certain HNFs are regulated by GH and exhibit a differential responsiveness to the sex...
Androgen Modulation of DNA- Binding Factors in the Mouse Kidney

Transcription of the RP2 gene in the mouse kidney is induced by androgens. This induction is species specific within the genus Mus. For example, the gene responds to androgens in Mus domesticus, but is refractory to hormone in the distantly related species M. caroli. In the present report we have characterized DNA-binding factors that recognize the 5' flanking region of the RP2 gene. One factor (termed RPBF-1) binds a DNA fragment spanning the region between -157 and -311 relative to the transcriptional start site. RPBF-1 is present in kidney nuclear extracts from both control and androgen-treated M. domesticus as well as from control M. caroli; however, in the latter species a distinct factor (termed RPBF-2) is induced by androgens and replaces RPBF-1. The androgen-dependent replacement of RPBF-1 by RPBF-2 is specific to the kidney of M. caroli. DNase-1 footprinting analyses indicate that the two factors recognize distinct, yet overlapping, regions of the RP2 promoter: RPBF-1 binds the region between -247 and -269, while RPBF-2 binds the region between -265 and -290. The RPBF-2-binding site contains a sequence that is homologous to that recognized by nuclear factor-1 (NF-1), suggesting that RPBF-2 is a NF-1-like factor. This is supported by competition experiments with synthetic oligonucleotides corresponding to the NF-1-binding site within the adenovirus origin of replication. Thus, androgens can modulate, in a species- and tissue-specific manner, DNA-binding factors that recognize promoter regions of genes.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Developmentally regulated expression of interleukin-1β by peri-implantation conceptuses in swine

Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) is one of the critical inflammatory cytokines involved in many physiological processes. This study investigated the temporal expression of IL-1 beta in pig conceptuses. A human IL-1 beta cDNA probe and a anti-human IL-1 beta antibody were used to examine IL-1 beta gene and protein expression in pig conceptuses on days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 112 of pregnancy using Northern, Slot and Western blot analyses. A human cell line (A375.S2) was used to determine IL-1 activity in pig conceptuses. High levels of IL-1 beta mRNA were detected in days 11, 12 and 13 conceptuses. IL-1 beta protein was also detected in conceptuses on days 11, 12, 13, and 14, but not in conceptuses recovered after day 15 of pregnancy. IL-1 beta biological activity was demonstrated in days 11 and 12 conceptus homogenates, but not in homogenates of days 112 allantochorion. Low levels of IL-1 beta mRNA were detected by Northern blot analysis in Day 15 conceptuses, endometrium and myometrium only when poly(A+) RNA was used. The production of IL-1 beta by peri-implantation pig conceptuses was temporally associated with maternal recognition of pregnancy. The results suggest that conceptus IL-1 beta may be important for conceptus development and establishment of pregnancy.
A Snapshot of Early Adopters of E-Journals: Challenges to the Library

Studies documenting the usage patterns of electronic journals have compared print and e-journal characteristics, surveyed faculty for their perceptions and expectations, and analyzed the impact on library practices. This study, a qualitative exploration of a wide array of issues related to the research and teaching habits of early adopters of e-journals in a research setting, was conducted in the spring of 2001 with faculty in the basic and health sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Open-ended questionnaires provided a framework to wide-ranging discussions of perceptions, expectations, and changing practices pertaining to e-journals and other electronic resources. The results were analyzed with a specific focus on shared behaviors and values, discipline-dependent variations, and changing research and teaching habits. Several challenges for library resources and services are identified and discussed.
Benzyl tert-but­oxy­carbonyl-α-amino­isobutyrate

The small synthetic peptide, benzyl 2-(tert-but­oxy­carbonyl-amino)­isobutyrate, C16H23NO4, has the α-helical conformation [|φ| = 55.8 (2)° and |ψ| = 37.9 (2)°] observed in peptide fragments of peptaibols containing the α-amino­isobutyric acid (Aib) residue. The structure shows no intramolecular hydrogen bonding, which would disrupt the limited conformational freedom associated with this amino acid. Two weak intermolecular hydrogen contacts are observed.
Infants of “depressed” mothers interact better with their nondepressed fathers

To determine whether infants of “depressed” mothers interact better with their nondepressed fathers, twenty-six 3- to 6-month-old infants were videotaped during face-to-face interactions with their parents. The “depressed” mother group consisted of twelve 3- to 6-month-old infants and their “depressed” mothers and nondepressed fathers. The control group was composed of 14 nondepressed mothers and nondepressed fathers and their 3- to 6-month-old infants. In the “depressed” mother group, the nondepressed fathers received better interaction ratings than the “depressed” mothers. In turn, the infants received better interaction ratings when they interacted with their nondepressed fathers than with their “depressed” mothers. In contrast, nondepressed fathers and mothers and their infants in the control group did not differ on any of their interaction ratings. These findings suggest that infants' difficult interaction behaviors noted during interactions with their “depressed” mothers may not extend to their nondepressed fathers. The data are discussed with respect to the notion that nondepressed fathers may “buffer” the effects of maternal depression on infant interaction behavior. Afin de determiner si les nourrissons de meres “deprimees” ont un meilleur contact avec leurs peres “non deprimts”, 26 nourrissons de 3 a 6 mois ont ete filmes a la video durant une interaction těte-a-těte avec leurs parents. Le groupe de meres deprimees etait compose de 12 nourrissons ǎges de 3 a 6 mois, de leurs meres deprimees et de leurs peres non deprimes. Le groupe contrǒle etait compose de 14 meres non deprimees et de peres non deprimes et de leurs nourrissons ǎges de 3 a 6 ans. Dans le groupe de meres “deprimees” les peres non deprimes ont recu de meilleurs scores d'interaction que les meres “deprimees.” Les nourrissons, quant a eux, ont recu de meilleurs scores d'interaction lorsqu'ils sont entres en contact avec leurs peres non deprimes qu'avec leurs meres “deprimees.” Par contraste les peres non deprimes, les meres et leurs nourrissons dans le groupe contrǒle ne differaient sur aucun des scores d'interaction. Ces resultats suggerent que les comportements d'interaction difficile des nourrissons notes durant les interactions avec leur meres “deprimees” peuvent ne pas s'elargir a leurs peres non deprimes. Les donnees sont discutees en tenant compte de la notion selon laquelle les peres non deprimes peuvent servir de pare-chocs aux effets de la depression maternelle sur le comportement interactif du nourrisson.
A survey of e-book interlibrary loan policy in US academic libraries

Purpose – This paper aims to reveal the perceived barriers to e-book interlibrary loan (ILL) and their reflections on academic libraries’ ILL/lending policies. Academic libraries in the USA have witnessed an impressive growth in acquiring e-journals and e-books. Although ILL of e-journal articles has become a standard practice, ILL of copyrighted e-books does not appear to be equally common. E-book ILL is often considered difficult or nearly impossible because restrictions for ILL are embedded in license agreements (or terms of use) and reinforced by technological measures. Design/methodology/approach – The study opted for a telephone survey method, in which researchers collected data on ILL/lending policies about e-journals and e-books in 200 randomly selected academic libraries in the USA. Findings – The findings show the state of e-books in US academic libraries and demonstrate the slow adoption of e-book ILL compared to e-journal ILL. Licensing restrictions and lack of technical means are the major ob...
Should physicians perform their own quality assurance audits

Quality assurance is required of all hospital outpatient clinics although there is little evidence documenting its value. The purposes of this study were to assess the impact of quality assurance audits on physicians’ ordering behavior and to learn whether doctors who actually performed audits behaved differently from physicians who passively received audit results. Baseline influenza vaccination and screening mammography ordering rates were established for the authors’ residents’ clinic in 1985. In 1986, residents were assigned randomly to three groups. Residents in one group audited their own charts for 1985 influenza vaccination ordering; the second group audited its own charts for 1985 screening mammography ordering; and the third group performed no audit but received the other groups’ results. Passive receipt of results improved ordering of vaccination from 40% to 59% and ordering of mammography from 8% to 16%. Actual performance of audits improved ordering of mammography from 16% to 26% but did not improve vaccination ordering. These quality assurance audits were effective in improving the performance of selected preventive health measures in a residents’ clinic.
Classifying medical images using morphological appearance manifolds

Input features for medical image classification algorithms are extracted from raw images using a series of pre processing steps. One common preprocessing step in computational neuroanatomy and functional brain mapping is the nonlinear registration of raw images to a common template space. Typically, the registration methods used are parametric and their output varies greatly with changes in parameters. Most results reported previously perform registration using a fixed parameter setting and use the results as input to the subsequent classification step. The variation in registration results due to choice of parameters thus translates to variation of performance of the classifiers that depend on the registration step for input. Analogous issues have been investigated in the computer vision literature, where image appearance varies with pose and illumination, thereby making classification vulnerable to these confounding parameters. The proposed methodology addresses this issue by sampling image appearances as registration parameters vary, and shows that better classification accuracies can be obtained this way, compared to the conventional approach.
Pulsed multiple reaction monitoring approach to enhancing sensitivity of a tandem quadrupole mass spectrometer.

Liquid chromatography (LC)−triple quadrupole mass spectrometers operating in a multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode are increasingly used for quantitative analysis of low-abundance analytes in highly complex biochemical matrixes. After development and selection of optimum MRM transitions, sensitivity and data quality limitations are largely related to mass spectral peak interferences from sample or matrix constituents and statistical limitations at low number of ions reaching the detector. Herein, we report on a new approach to enhancing MRM sensitivity by converting the continuous stream of ions from the ion source into a pulsed ion beam through the use of an ion funnel trap (IFT). Evaluation of the pulsed MRM approach was performed with a tryptic digest of Shewanella oneidensis strain MR-1 spiked with several model peptides. The sensitivity improvement observed with the IFT coupled in to the triple quadrupole instrument is based on several unique features. First, ion accumulation radio frequency (rf)...
Fault-tolerant control of a distributed database system

Optimal state information-based control policy for a distributed database system subject to server failures is considered. Fault-tolerance is made possible by the partitioned architecture of the system and data redundancy therein. Control actions include restoration of lost data sets in a single server using redundant data sets in the remaining servers, routing of queries to intact servers, or overhaul of the entire systemfor renewal. Control policies are determined by solving Markov decision problems with cost criteria that penalize system unavailability and slow query response. Steady-state system availability and expected query response time of the controlled database are evaluated with the Markov model of the database. Robustness is addressed by introducing additional states into the database model to account for control action delays and decision errors. A robust control policy is solved for the Markov decision problem described by the augmented state model.