cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
AM1 parameters for the prediction of 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts in proteins.

The semiempirical quantum mechanical description of NMR chemical shifts has been implemented at the AM1 level with NMR-specific parameters to reproduce experimental 1H and 13C NMR chemical shifts. The methodology adopted here is formally the same as that of the previously published finite perturbation theory GIAO-MNDO-NMR approach [Wang, B.; et al. J. Chem. Phys. 2004, 120, 24.]. The primary impetus for this parametrization was the accurate capture of chemical environments of atoms in biological systems. Protein-specific parameters were developed on a training set that comprised five globular protein systems with varied secondary structure and a range in size from 46−61 amino acid residues. A separate set of parameters was developed using a training set of small organic compounds with an emphasis on functional groups that are relevant to biological studies. Our approach can be employed using semiempirical (AM1) geometries and can be executed at a fraction of the cost of ab initio and DFT methods, thus pro...
Long-term results of ileostomy in older patients

Surgical alternatives to proctocolectomy and ileostomy appear to be associated with poor functional results in older patients. Surprisingly, little has been written regarding the long-term results of conventional ileostomy in the elderly. Questionnaires were sent to all patients requiring ileostomy between 1966 and 1980. Six hundred seventy-five patients responded (81 percent). Sixty-seven (10 percent) of the respondents were 60 years of age or older at the time of surgery. In all categories dealing with quality of life assessment, the group of older patients fared as well or better than those younger than age 60. Older patients, however, reported greater difficulty in daily management of their stomas (P less than 0.01). Patients 60 years of age or older tolerate ileostomy well, but care of the stoma can cause problems. Occupational and activity restrictions, however, are no more prevalent in older patients than in their younger counterparts.
Formalization of 2-D spatial ontology and OWL/Protégé realization

Ontology specification is a core component of the Semantic Web, and facilitates interoperability among different systems that use distinct models. Developing a spatial ontology will allow many applications that have spatial objects to interact. In this paper, we formalize 2-D spatial concepts and operations into a spatial ontology. We show how these concepts can be realized in Protege [30]. The Protege spatial ontology provides spatial built-ins that can be used to provide a spatial dimension to other ontologies when needed. We give some examples of the use of our ontology, which is based on a standard Geometry class hierarchy [23], with a few modifications.
Effects of aging on cutaneous regional and superficial capillary blood flows during heat stress in the rat

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aging on the cutaneous circulatory response to heat stress. Young (6–8 too) and old (22–24 mo) Fischer 344 rats were placed unanesthetized in an environmental chamber arranged so that the body could be heated while the tail remained at ambient temperature (23°C Total blood flow (TBF) to the tail was measured via strain gauge plethysmography while the cutaneous microcirculation was investigated by way of videomicroscopic measurements of capillary blood cell velocity (CBV) and the density of flow active capillaries (DFC) within the subepidermal vascular plexus of the tail. The measurements of CBV were multiplied by vessel cross sectional area and DFC to obtain a calculated variable termed the capillary perfusion index (CPI). As chamber temperature was increased in a stepwise manner from 23° to 40°C TBF and CPI significantly increased in both young and old animals (P≤0.001) with the rise in CPI being mediated by changes in both CBV and DFC. Colonic temperature (Tc) tended to be lower in the old group up to a chamber temperature of 40°C at which point the old animals had a higher Tc. At the initial chamber temperature of 23°C the CPI/TBF ratio was significantly higher in the old compared to the young rats (P≤0.05), and as chamber temperature increased this ratio decreased in the old (P≤0.030) but not in the young animals. This finding suggests that heat stress in an older organism requires a greater total cutaneous blood flow response in order to maintain sufficient flow in the subepidermal plexus for heat liberation.
ADP but Not Pi Dissociation Contributes to Rate Limitation for Escherichia coli Rho

To define the molecular mechanism by which ATP hydrolysis powers the 5′→3′ travel of homohexameric Escherichia coli transcription termination factor Rho along RNA, rates for association and dissociation of non-RNA substrates and products were measured. Rapid mix/chemical quench and stopped-flow spectrofluorometry measurements were carried out with Rho and [γ-32P]ATP, mantADP, or fluorescently tagged E. coli phosphate-binding protein. The results indicate that the Pi off-rate is not rate limiting, but at ∼90 s−1, the ADP dissociation rate is comparable to the 30 s−1 kcat. Previous results indicate that the chemistry step of ATP hydrolysis by Rho is at least 10-fold faster than the overall catalytic cycle. The as yet unmeasured RNA dissociation step, which could be associated with a protein conformation change, might also be a rate-limiting factor.
Multichannel Tunneling Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor (MT-CNTFET)

Tunnel Field Effect Transistor (TFET) based on Band-to-Band tunneling mechanism is a revolutionary device technology that has a very strong potential to break the thermodynamic barrier of conventional FETs and provide a very steep subthreshold slope. TFETs would also allow further reduction of channel length to extend the Moore's law. TFETs in general suffer from low ON-state current (ION). In this paper, we propose a new TFET structure to increase the drain to source current of the tunneling devices. The design is based on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). The idea is to provide multiple SWCNTs as tunneling path. We demonstrated the concept with three SWCNTs. By having three tunneling paths in a single device higher ON-current can be achieved. In this study, the diameter of the tubes and the gate oxide thickness are adjusted to obtain a high ION.
Report of the Penicillin Study Group—American Academy of Allergy

Many aspects of the problem of penicillin hypersensitivity remain unsolved. The Penicillin Study Group of the American Academy of Allergy was formed to investigate various aspects of this problem. A number of studies have attempted to evaluate the relationship of clinical penicillin hypersensitivity to reactions to skin tests with penicillin and its degradation products. These studies generally have shown positive correlations, but considerable variation has existed in their magnitude.= This variation may well relate to differences in protocol, techniques, patient populations, or investigators.2-n The present cooperative study was devised to investigate the relationship of skin reactivity to penicillin hypersensitivity. The reagents used were penicillin G (Pen G) and penicilloyl-polylysine (PPL), a conjugated form of a penicillin degradation product (penicilloyl) , which prior studies have shown to be associated with the majority of penicillin hypersensitivity reactions.g The patient population was drawn from the clinical and private practices of practicing allergists who are members of the Penicillin Study Group of the American Academy of Allergy.
Review of Normative Data For Common Screening Measures Used to Evaluate Cognitive Functioning in Elderly Individuals

When conducting neuropsychological evaluations of the elderly, it is important to compare patients' test scores to appropriate normative data to maximize diagnostic and descriptive accuracy. Many sets of normative data are now available for screening measures that assess cognitive functioning in the elderly. This article systematically reviewed available norms for 6 widely used screening measures of cognitive functioning in elderly patients. Details regarding the sample characteristics and data collection methods are provided for each set of norms, thereby providing a useful reference for clinicians.
A health planner meets C. West Churchman

From 1966 to 1984, the author was professor of health planning at the School of Public Health of the University of California at Berkeley. During those years, he became a close colleague and friend of C. West Churchman, whose thinking on systems design became a Source of inspiration to him for rethinking many conventional patterns of thought in the field of health planning. In this paper, Henrik L. Blum draws a fine portrait of West Churchman, describing him as many of us who had the privilege of working with him—be it as colleagues or students—know him. (Editor)
Neuroimaging in Acute Ischemic Stroke

Noncontrast computed tomography (CT) is currently accepted as the gold standard for the detection of intracranial hemorrhage, though rigorous data is lacking (limited evidence) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is equivalent to CT in the detection of intracranial hemorrhage (strong evidence), but its role in the evaluation of thrombolytic candidates has not been studied. Noncontrast CT of the head should be performed in all patients who are candidates for thrombolytic therapy to exclude intracerebral hemorrhage (strong evidence). Magnetic resonance (MR) (diffusion-weighted imaging) is superior to CT for detection of cerebral ischemia within the first 24 h of symptom onset (moderate evidence); however, some argue that identification of ischemia merely confirms a clinical diagnosis and does not necessarily influence acute clinical decision making, or outcome. Advanced functional imaging such as MR perfusion, MR spectroscopy, CT perfusion, xenon CT, SPECT, and PET show promise in improving patient selection and individualizing therapeutic time windows (limited evidence), but the data are inadequate for routine use in the current management of stroke patients.
Straight out the barrio: Ozomatli and the importance of place in the formation of Chicano/a popular culture in Los Angeles

Abstract Ozomatli's history of formation, the multiplicity of its sounds, the role played by its music in enabling political activism and political coalitions illuminate the relations between identities and politics at the present moment. The group is grounded in Los Angeles contemporary Chicano/a culture and in the new social relations, new knowledges, and new sensibilities of an emerging global city in a transnational era. Speaking from the interstices between commercial culture and the new social movements, Ozomatli's music and political work offers us invaluable bottom‐up perspectives on the terrain of counter‐politics and cultural creation at the beginning of the twenty‐first century.
Real-time shape evolution of nanoimprinted polymer structures during thermal annealing.

The real-time shape evolution of nanoimprinted polymer patterns is measured as a function of annealing time and temperature using critical dimension small-angle X-ray scattering (CD-SAXS). Periodicity, line width, line height, and sidewall angle are reported with nanometer resolution for parallel line/space patterns in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) both below and above the bulk glass transition temperature (TG). Heating these patterns below TG does not produce significant thermal expansion, at least to within the resolution of the measurement. However, above TG the fast rate of loss in pattern size at early times transitions to a reduced rate in longer time regimes. The time-dependent rate of polymer flow from the pattern into the underlying layer, termed pattern “melting”, is consistent with a model of elastic recovery from stresses induced by the molding process.
The role of collisions in the aligned growth of vertical nanowires

We report a route to highly aligned, vertical arrays of GaN nanowires in which the degree of vertical alignment is improved via collisions between nanowires during growth. An investigation of the initial growth process indicates that in addition to vertically aligned nanowires a significant fraction of tilted nanowires also nucleate, the density of which appears to sharply decrease with growth time. We attribute this decay in the density of tilted nanowires during growth to collisions with vertical nanowires, which terminate the growth of tilted nanowires shortly after nucleation. The experimentally observed tilted nanowire density evolution agrees well with a Monte Carlo model developed to simulate the collision process. The results show that at high nanowire densities this collision mechanism rapidly terminates the growth of tilted nanowires, leading to highly aligned, vertical nanowire arrays.
Medical Management of Frontotemporal Dementias: The Importance of the Caregiver in Symptom Assessment and Guidance of Treatment Strategies

There are no currently Food and Drug Administration-approved or proven off-label treatments for the frontotemporal dementias (FTD). Clinicians, caregivers, and patients struggle regularly to find therapeutic regimens that can alleviate the problematic behavioral and cognitive symptoms associated with these devastating conditions. Success is "hit or miss" and the lessons learned are largely anecdotal to date. Drug discovery in this area has been largely hampered by the heterogeneous clinical presentations and pathological phenotypes of disease that represent significant obstacles to progress in this area. Biologically, plausible treatment strategies include the use of antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitor and monoamine oxidase inhibitors), acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, N-methyl-D-aspartic acid antagonists, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, stimulants, antihypertensives, and agents that may ameliorate the symptoms of parkinsonism, pseudobulbar affect, and motor neuron disease that can often coexist with FTD. These medications all carry potential risks as well as possible benefits for the person suffering from FTD, and a clear understanding of these factors is critical in selecting an appropriate therapeutic regimen to maximize cognition and daily functions, reduce behavioral symptoms, and alleviate caregiver burden in an individual patient. The role of the caregiver in tracking and reporting of symptoms and the effects of individual therapeutic interventions is pivotal in this process. This manuscript highlights the importance of establishing an effective therapeutic partnership between the physician and caregiver in the medical management of the person suffering from FTD.
Chloride secretion by canine tracheal epithelium: III. Membrane resistances and electromotive forces

We used intracellular microelectrode techniques and equivalent electrical circuit analysis to examine the changes in individual membrane resistances and electromotive forces that accompany stimulation of Cl secretion across canine tracheal epithelium. Tissues were pretreated with indomethacin (10−6 m, mucosal solution) to reduce basel Cl secretion rate. Subsequent addition of epinephrine (10−6 m, submucosal solution) increased the rate of electrogenic Cl secretion as indicated by an increase in the short-circuit current (I sc) and decrease in the transepithelial resistance (R t ). The reduction inR t was due to decreases in bothR a andR b (the resistances of the apical and basolateral cell membranes, respectively). At the apical membrane, a nearly 10-fold decrease inR a was accompanied by reversal of the electromotive force (E a ) from +11±9 mV to −31±3 mV. Variations in Cl secretion rate induced by indomethacin and epinephrine disclosed a direct relation betweenR a andE a . In the presence of indomethacinR a was high andE a was consistent with the chemical potential difference for Na across the apical membrane (ca. +60 mV), reflecting the predominance of Na absorption across indomethacin-treated tissues. In the presence of epinephrine,R a was low andE a was consistent with the chemical potential difference for Cl across this barrier (−31 mV), reflecting the dominance of Cl secretion across epinephrine-treated tissues. These findings suggest that the conversion from absorption to secretion primarily involves a secretogogue-induced decrease in apical membrane resistance to Cl. At the basolateral membrane, epinephrine decreasedR b threefold without markedly altering the electromotive force across this barrier (E b ). To the extent thatR b andE b represent the resistance and chemical potential difference for K diffusion across the basolateral membrane, the inverse relation betweenR b andI sc suggests that stimulation is associated with increased basolateral membrane K permeability without marked changes in intracellular K activity.
The effect of black raspberry extracts on MnSOD activity in protection against concanavalin A induced liver injury

Inflammation and oxidative stress are the key events in carcinogenetic transformation. Black raspberries (BRB) have been demonstrated to have antioxidant, antiinflammatory and anticancer bioactivities. In this study, a concanavalin A induced hepatitis mouse model is used to examine the effect of BRB extract on hepatic injury. Three BRB extracts, including ethanol/H2O extracts (both anthocyanin-contained fraction and nonanthocyanin-contained fraction) and hexane extract were used. The alterations in hepatic histology, apoptosis, and oxidative stress were observed in the animals pretreated with BRB extracts and then challenged by concanavalin A. Results indicate that ethanol/H2O extracts can inhibit Con A induced liver injury. The hepatic protection by the ethanol/H2O BRB extracts is associated with decreases of lipid peroxidation and NDA oxidative damage. Importantly, the BRB extracts increase manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) activity but not the CuZnSOD. The preservation of MnSOD by BRB extracts is associated with the protective action in the liver challenged by Con A. Ethanol/H2O BRB extracts function as antioxidants, thus demonstrating the critical role of oxidative stress in the Con A induced liver injury, and providing evidence that the protective effects of ethanol/H2O BRB extracts result, at least in part, from their antioxidant action.
Educational Mismatches and Earnings: Extensions of Occupational Mobility Theory and Evidence of Human Capital Depreciation

Abstract Using a human capital theory framework, this study examines the impact of educational mismatches on earnings and occupational mobility. Occupational mobility theory suggests that overeducated workers observe greater upward occupational mobility and undereducated workers observe lower upward occupational mobility. By extension, this leads to relatively high earnings growth for overeducated workers and relatively low earnings growth for undereducated workers. Moreover, overeducated workers are probably transient relative to their undereducated counterparts, so employers have few incentives to invest in their human capital. Accordingly, their experience will be rewarded at lower rates. These results may also occur if the unused human capital of overeducated workers depreciates with nonuse. The data verify these predictions. Insights on the link between experience and educational mismatches are also examined.
Predictive Power of Sequential Measures of Albuminuria for Progression to ESRD or Death in Pima Indians With Type 2 Diabetes

Background To determine whether historic albuminuria measurements provide additional predictive value for diabetic end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and natural mortality over the most recent measurement, ie, whether "regression" from high albuminuria has a different prognosis than stability at the lower level. Study Design Observational longitudinal study. Setting & Participants Pima Indians 15 years or older with type 2 diabetes and at least 2 consecutive measurements of urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) within 6 years. Predictors Sequential measurements of urinary ACR. Outcomes & Measurements Proportional hazards analyses were used to estimate the risk of ESRD and natural death associated with the first and second ACR measurement. The ability of these highly correlated variables to predict outcome was compared with receiver operating characteristic curves calculated by means of the generalized c statistic. Results In 983 subjects, 136 developed ESRD and 180 died of natural causes during a maximum follow-up of 12.6 years. Each doubling in the second ACR was associated with a 1.71-fold greater incidence of ESRD (95% confidence interval, 1.54 to 1.89) and 1.16-fold greater natural mortality (95% confidence interval, 1.07 to 1.27) adjusted for age, sex, diabetes duration, and antihypertensive medication. The addition of the first ACR measurement to the model did not add to the predictive value for ESRD or mortality. In pairwise comparisons of c statistics, the second ACR was a significantly better predictor of ESRD than the first ACR. Limitations The predictive value of ACR measurements is decreased to the extent that its precision is based on a single measure. Conclusion The predictive power of the latest ACR for ESRD and natural mortality in patients with diabetes is not enhanced by knowledge of the preceding ACR. Therefore, ACR changes over time, ie, regression or progression, add minimal predictive value beyond the latest measurement in the series.
Medial Models Incorporating Object Variability for 3D Shape Analysis

Knowledge about the biological variability of anatomical objects is essential for statistical shape analysis and discrimination between healthy and pathological structures. This paper describes a novel approach that incorporates variability of an object population into the generation of a characteristic 3D shape model. The proposed shape representation is based on a fine-scale spherical harmonics (SPHARM) boundary description and a coarse-scale sampled medial description. The medial description is composed of a net of medial samples (m-rep) with fixed graph properties. The medial model is computed automatically from a predefined shape space using pruned 3D Voronoi skeletons to determine the stable medial branching topology. An intrinsic coordinate system and an implicit correspondence between shapes is defined on the medial manifold. Our novel representation describes shape and shape changes in a natural and intuitive fashion. Several experimental studies of biological structures regarding shape asymmetry and similarity clearly demonstrate the meaningful represesentation of local and global form.
Plant Processing by Simultaneous Lactic Acid Fermentation and Ensiling

Plants contain valuable natural substances that are usually recovered by pressing or extraction. The recovery and yield of such substances depends on the efficient disruption of the plant cell wall. Examples are recovery of protein from alfalfa in the so-called leaf protein process, recovery of reducing sugars from sweet sorghum, and recovery of drugs and fragrances from various plants. Most of these biological substances are sensitive to harsh mechanical, chemical or physical treatments during recovery, hence the need for a mild biological procedure.
Pharmacodynamics of Oritavancin (LY333328) in a Neutropenic-Mouse Thigh Model of Staphylococcus aureus Infection

The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oritavancin (LY333328), a glycopeptide antibiotic with concentration-dependent bactericidal activity against gram-positive pathogens, in a neutropenic-mouse thigh model of Staphylococcus aureus infection were studied. Plasma radioequivalent concentrations of oritavancin were determined by using [(14)C]oritavancin at doses ranging from 0.5 to 20 mg/kg of body weight. Peak plasma radioequivalent concentrations after an intravenous dose were 7.27, 12.56, 69.29, and 228.83 micro g/ml for doses of 0.5, 1, 5, and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The maximum concentration of drug in serum (C(max)) and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) increased linearly in proportion to the dose. Neither infection nor neutropenia was seen to affect the pharmacokinetics of oritavancin. Intravenous administration resulted in much higher concentrations in plasma than the concentrations obtained with subcutaneous administration. Single-dose dose-ranging studies suggested a sigmoid maximum effect (E(max)) dose-response relationship, with a maximal effect evident at single doses exceeding 2 mg/kg. The oritavancin dose (stasis dose) that resulted in a 24-h colony count similar to the pretreatment count was 1.53 (standard error [SE], 0.35) mg/kg. The single oritavancin dose that resulted in 50% of maximal bacterial killing (ED(50)) was 0.95 (SE, 0.20) mg/kg. Dose fractionation studies suggested that single doses of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 16 mg/kg appeared to have greater bactericidal efficacy than the same total dose subdivided and administered multiple times during the 24-h treatment period. When using an inhibitory E(max) model, C(max) appears to correlate better with bactericidal activity than do the time during which the concentration in plasma exceeds the MIC (T>MIC) and AUC. These data suggest that optimal oritavancin dosing strategies will require regimens that favor high C(max) concentrations rather than long periods during which unbound concentrations in plasma exceed the MIC.
Using traits of web macro scripts to predict reuse

To help people find a code that they might want to reuse, repositories of end-user code typically sort scripts by number of downloads, ratings, or other information based on prior uses of the code. However, this information is unavailable when the code is new or when it has not yet been reused. Addressing this problem requires identifying reusable code based solely on information that exists when a script is created. To provide such a model for web macro scripts, we identified script traits that might plausibly predict reuse, then used IBM CoScripter repository logs to statistically test how well each corresponded to actual reuse. These tests confirmed that the traits generally did correspond to higher levels of reuse as anticipated. We then developed a machine learning model that uses these traits as features to predict reuse of macros. Evaluating this model on repository logs showed that its accuracy is comparable to that of existing machine learning models for predicting reuse-but with a much simpler structure. Sensitivity analysis revealed that our model is quite robust; its quality is greatly reduced only when parameters are set to such extreme values that the model becomes inordinately selective. Testing the model with individual traits revealed those that provided the best predictions on their own. Based on these results, we outline opportunities for using our model to improve repositories of end-user code.
Environmental stress cracking resistance of blow moded poly(ethylene terephthalate) containers

A method is developed for determining the environmental stress cracking resistance (ESCR) of blow molded poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) containers. By this method, the internal chamber of a container is presurized in 68.9 kPa (10 psi) increments while the outside of the base is being exposed to an environmental stress cracking (ESC) agent. The base of the container is examined after each 68.9 kPa of pressurization if crazing has occurred. The process is continued until a threshold value of craze initiation pressure (CIP) can be determined. Low CIP for the type of containers tested generally corresponds to a high rate of field failures. The method does not only gage the susceptibility of different types of one-piece PET containers to ESC but also provides helpful information to improve the container designs.
An Analytical Approach for Allocating Service Recovery Efforts to Reduce Internal Failures

Prior research substantiates the value of compensating customers for poor quality. However, little guidance has been provided for the recovery of errors while service delivery is in progress. The authors provide analytical models inspired by reliability theory to guide managers in allocating their investments in service recovery. Models are constructed to achieve four different objectives and converted to Lagrangian formulations for solution. Example solutions illustrate the contrast in investment allocations.
An Energy-Efficient Scheduling Algorithm Using Dynamic Voltage Scaling for Parallel Applications on Clusters

In the past decade cluster computing platforms have been widely applied to support a variety of scientific and commercial applications, many of which are parallel in nature. However, scheduling parallel applications on large scale clusters is technically challenging due to significant communication latencies and high energy consumption. As such, shortening schedule length and conserving energy consumption are two major concerns in designing economical and environmentally friendly clusters. In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient scheduling algorithm (TDVAS) using the dynamic voltage scaling technique to provide significant energy savings for clusters. The TDVAS algorithm aims at judiciously leveraging processor idle times to lower processor voltages (i.e., the dynamic voltage scaling technique or DVS), thereby reducing energy consumption experienced by parallel applications running on clusters. Reducing processor voltages, however, can inevitably lead to increased execution times of parallel task. The salient feature of the TDVAS algorithm is to tackle this problem by exploiting tasks precedence constraints. Thus, TDVAS applies the DVS technique to parallel tasks followed by idle processor times to conserve energy consumption without increasing schedule lengths of parallel applications. Experimental results clearly show that the TDVAS algorithm is conducive to reducing energy dissipation in large-scale clusters without adversely affecting system performance.
Active Human Cytomegalovirus Protease Is a Dimer

The quaternary state of the human cytomegalovirus (hCMV) protease has been analyzed in relation to its catalysis of peptide hydrolysis. Based on results obtained from steady state kinetics, size exclusion chromatography, and velocity sedimentation, the hCMV protease exists in a monomer-dimer equilibrium. Dimerization of the protease is enhanced by the presence of glycerol and high concentrations of enzyme. Isolation of monomeric and dimeric species eluted from a size exclusion column, followed by immediate assay, identifies the dimer as the active species. Activity measurements conducted with a range of enzyme concentrations are also consistent with a kinetic model in which only the dimeric hCMV protease is active. Using this model, the dissociation constant of the protease is 6.6 μM in 10% glycerol and 0.55 μM in 20% glycerol at 30°C and pH 7.5.
Survival and behaviour of juvenile unionid mussels exposed to thermal stress and dewatering in the presence of a sediment temperature gradient

SUMMARY 1. Freshwater mussels (Unionidae) are a highly imperilled faunal group. One critical threat is thermal sensitivity, because global climate change and other anthropogenic activities contribute to increasing stream temperature and altered hydrologic flow that may be detrimental to freshwater mussels. 2. We incorporated four benthic environmental components – temperature, sediment, water level (a surrogate for flow) and a vertical thermal gradient in the sediment column – in laboratory mesocosm experiments with juveniles of two species of freshwater mussels (Lampsilis abrupta and Lampsilis radiata) and tested their effects on survival, burrowing behaviour and byssus production. 3. Increasing temperature diminished burrowing behaviour significantly in both species (P < 0.01), and the dewatered treatment significantly reduced burrowing in L. radiata, compared with that in the watered treatment. Increasing temperature also significantly reduced byssus production in both species (P < 0.01). Median lethal temperatures (LT50) ranged from 29.9 to 35.6 °C. Mussels did not burrow beneath the top stratum of sediment (0–2.5 cm) and thus did not use the available thermal refuge. 4. Our findings suggest that rising stream water temperature and dewatering may directly impact freshwater mussel abundance by causing mortality and may have indirect impacts via sublethal effects. Reduced burrowing capacity may hamper ability to escape predation or unfavourably high or low flows, and decreased byssus production may inhibit attachment and dispersal capabilities in juveniles.
EVIDENCE FOR MULTIPLE PLEISTOCENE REFUGIA IN THE POSTGLACIAL EXPANSION OF THE EASTERN TIGER SALAMANDER, AMBYSTOMA TIGRINUM TIGRINUM

Pleistocene glaciations were important determinants of historical migration and, hence, current levels of genetic diversity within and among populations. In many cases, these historical migrations led to the existence of disjunct populations of plants and animals. However, the origin and timing of arrival of these disjunct populations is often debated. In the current study, we identify potential refugia and estimate the timing of vicariance events of the eastern tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum, using mitochondrial sequence data. The results suggest a vicariant event 0.75–2 million years ago, separating the tiger salamanders to the east and west of the Apalachicola River Basin. East of the Appalachians, there appear to be multiple independent refugia with little migration among the remaining populations. In particular, populations along the Atlantic Coastal Plain were likely isolated in a coastal plain refugium in the Carolinas. Migrants from this refugium were the likely source of colonists for populations occupying previously glaciated areas along the northeastern Atlantic Coast. A second potential refugium occurs in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western Virginia. This refugium contains a disjunct population of the eastern tiger salamander, as well as a community of nearly 70 other disjunct plant and animal species. The tiger salamanders here have been isolated from other populations for 200,000–500,000 years. These results suggest that disjunct mountain populations of Coastal Plain species may have existed in situ throughout the Pleistocene in Appalachian refugia. Therefore, these disjunct populations are not of recent origin, but rather exist as relicts of a warmer, more widespread fauna and flora that is now restricted to the Coastal Plain.
Remarks on Quasi-Equilibrium Theory

Abstract A recent article by J. I. Yano has indicated that there is an inconsistency in the original formulation of the quasi-equilibrium theory of Arakawa and Schubert. He argues that this inconsistency results from a contradiction in the two asymptotic limits of the theory; that is, the fractional area covered by convection, and the ratio of the convective adjustment and large-scale timescales cannot simultaneously go to zero, σ → 0 and τADJ/τLS → 0. Yano cites the heat engine theory proposed by Renno and Ingersoll as “formally establishing” this contradiction. It is demonstrated in this paper that the quasi-equilibrium framework originally developed by Arakawa and Schubert is perfectly consistent with the heat engine theory for steady-state convection, that is, when the timescale associated with the large-scale forcing τLS approximates the effective adjustment timescale of the large-scale ensemble of convective clouds τEFF. Indeed, the quasi-equilibrium framework states that, on the large scale, the at...
Thyroid Hormone Stimulates Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase-α Transcription in Hepatocytes by Modulating the Composition of Nuclear Receptor Complexes Bound to a Thyroid Hormone Response Element

Triiodothyronine (T3) stimulates a 7-fold increase in transcription of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase-alpha (ACCalpha) gene in chick embryo hepatocytes. Here, we characterized an ACCalpha T3 response element (ACCalpha-T3RE) with unique functional and protein binding properties. ACCalpha-T3RE activated transcription both in the absence and presence of T3, with a greater activation observed in the presence of T3. In nuclear extracts from hepatocytes incubated in the absence of T3, ACCalpha-T3RE bound protein complexes (complexes 1 and 2) containing the liver X receptor (LXR) and the retinoid X receptor (RXR). In nuclear extracts from hepatocytes incubated in the presence of T3 for 24 h, ACCalpha-T3RE bound a different set of complexes. One complex contained LXR and RXR (complex 3) and another contained the nuclear T3 receptor (TR) and RXR (complex 4). Mutations of ACCalpha-T3RE that inhibited the binding of complexes 1 and 2 decreased transcriptional activation in the absence of T3, and mutations of ACCalpha-T3RE that inhibited the binding of complexes 3 and 4 decreased transcriptional activation in the presence of T3. The stimulation of ACCalpha transcription caused by T3 was closely associated with changes in the binding of complexes 1-4 to ACCalpha-T3RE. These data suggest that T3 regulates ACCalpha transcription by a novel mechanism involving changes in the composition of nuclear receptor complexes bound to ACCalpha-T3RE. We propose that complexes containing LXR/RXR ensure a basal level of ACCalpha expression for the synthesis of structural lipids in cell membranes and that complexes containing LXR/RXR and TR/RXR mediate the stimulation of ACCalpha expression caused by T3.
MULTIFUNCTIONAL ANTIVIRAL POLY-DNP-OLIGONUCLEOTIDES

Monofunctional, bifunctional and trifunctional poly-2′-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-oligoribonucleotides have been designed and synthesized as inhibitors of retroviruses. These compounds are membrane-permeable, ribonuclease-resistant, and apparently mutation-insensitive inhibitors of reverse transcriptases. These inhibitors have been tested for the treatment of murine leukemia as an animal model related to AIDS. Although the monofunctional inhibitor is already 100% effective for the treatment of murine leukemia, its efficacy can be increased by two orders of magnitude by introducing antisense sequences in the nucleotide backbone so that the resulting multifunctional inhibitor can also disrupt the synthesis of specific viral proteins. The entropy advantage of multifunctionality in the design of antiviral agents is discussed.
Regression Kink With an Unknown Threshold

This article explores estimation and inference in a regression kink model with an unknown threshold. A regression kink model (or continuous threshold model) is a threshold regression constrained to be everywhere continuous with a kink at an unknown threshold. We present methods for estimation, to test for the presence of the threshold, for inference on the regression parameters, and for inference on the regression function. A novel finding is that inference on the regression function is nonstandard since the regression function is a nondifferentiable function of the parameters. We apply recently developed methods for inference on nondifferentiable functions. The theory is illustrated by an application to the growth and debt problem introduced by Reinhart and Rogoff, using their long-span time-series for the United States.
A Genetic Optimization Approach for Isolating Translational Efficiency Bias

The study of codon usage bias is an important research area that contributes to our understanding of molecular evolution, phylogenetic relationships, respiratory lifestyle, and other characteristics. Translational efficiency bias is perhaps the most well-studied codon usage bias, as it is frequently utilized to predict relative protein expression levels. We present a novel approach to isolating translational efficiency bias in microbial genomes. There are several existent methods for isolating translational efficiency bias. Previous approaches are susceptible to the confounding influences of other potentially dominant biases. Additionally, existing approaches to identifying translational efficiency bias generally require both genomic sequence information and prior knowledge of a set of highly expressed genes. This novel approach provides more accurate results from sequence information alone by resisting the confounding effects of other biases. We validate this increase in accuracy in isolating translational efficiency bias on 10 microbial genomes, five of which have proven particularly difficult for existing approaches due to the presence of strong confounding biases.
Comparative Biomechanics: The Jellyfish Paradox Resolved

Studying the mechanics of swirling water has solved a mystery about the evolution of body shape and size in jellyfish.
Adaptive blind equalization of time-varying channels

In mobile communications, often time-varying multipath is too rapid for a conventional adaptive algorithm to track. This motivates expansion of the time varying channel impulse response over a basis. Rather than estimating the time-invariant coefficients of this basis expansion, it is possible to equalize the channel output directly even when the input is not known. This requires multichannel data as well as a minimal persistence of the excitation condition on the input and a coprimeness condition on the multiple channels obtained via fractional sampling and/or multiple antennas. Since the coefficients of the basis expansion will not be constant due to noise and unmodelled dynamics, the equalizer coefficients may also change slowly with time. Adaptive algorithms to track this change are proposed and basis mismatch problems are also investigated.
Successful treatment of refractory simple motor status epilepticus with lacosamide and levetiracetam

Lacosamide has been reported to have been successfully used for non-convulsive status epilepticus after benzodiazepine failure, and convulsive status epilepticus after benzodiazepine and levetiracetam failure. We report a case of simple motor status epilepticus refractory to benzodiazepines and multiple anti-epileptic medications (AEDs) over 4 days. The addition of lacosamide in combination with existing levetiracetam aborted the continuous seizure with maintenance of seizure freedom through the most recent follow-up at 4 weeks.
Airport-Independent Uninhabited Air Vehicle (UAV) Cargo System Concept

A new concept is proposed to allow cargo to be transported by air directly from origin to destination or from collection centers to distribution centers without using airports. The concept uses fixed-wing Uninhabited Air Vehicles (UAV) optimized for autonomous containerized cargo operations from one industrial park to another. The key enabler is an electromagnetic catapult and arrestor system for short take-off and landing (STOL). The flywheel capacitor provides the required high energy rate for the catapult take-off when discharged. When a UAV lands and is decelerated using the arrestor hook, the energy of deceleration is used to re-charge the flywheel for the next take-off. UAV ground movements between the runway and loading facilities would be automatic using a magnetic rail system. Cargo container loading and unloading would be robotic. Steep angle, engine idle approaches and high acceleration departures would be used to minimize noise impact on surrounding communities to allow operations from populated areas.
ABA Versus TEACCH: The Case for Defining and Validating Comprehensive Treatment Models in Autism

The authors analyzed the results of a social validation survey to determine if autism service providers including special education teachers, parents, and administrators demonstrate a preference for the intervention components of Applied Behavior Analysis or Training and Education of Autistic and other Communication Handicapped Children. They also investigated the comprehensiveness of these treatment models for use in public school programs. The findings indicate no clear preference for either model, but a significantly higher level of social validity for components inherent in both approaches. The authors discuss the need for research to define what is meant by comprehensive programming in autism.
Computerized Video Time-Lapse (CVTL) Analysis of Cell Death Kinetics in Human Bladder Carcinoma Cells (EJ30) X-Irradiated in Different Phases of the Cell Cycle

Abstract Chu, K., Leonhardt, E. A., Trinh, M., Prieur-Carrillo, G., Lindqvist, J., Albright, N., Ling, C. C. and Dewey, W. C. Computerized Video Time-Lapse (CVTL) Analysis of Cell Death Kinetics in Human Bladder Carcinoma Cells (EJ30) X-Irradiated in Different Phases of the Cell Cycle. Radiat. Res. 158, 667–677 (2002). The purpose of this study was to quantify the modes and kinetics of cell death for EJ30 human bladder carcinoma cells irradiated in different phases of the cell cycle. Asynchronous human bladder carcinoma cells were observed in multiple fields by computerized video time-lapse (CVTL) microscopy for one to two cell divisions before irradiation (6 Gy) and for 6–11 days afterward. By analyzing time-lapse movies collected from these fields, pedigrees were constructed showing the behaviors of 231 cells irradiated in different phases of the cell cycle (i.e. at different times after mitosis). A total of 219 irradiated cells were determined to be non-colony-forming over the time spans of the experim...
Beta-2 microglobulin (B2M) is an independent prognostic factor for clinical outcomes in patients with CLL treated with frontline fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) regardless of age, creatinine clearance (CrCl)

7034 Introduction: High β2M levels are a risk factor in CLL. PCR therapy has been reported to be better tolerated than FCR in older or with decrease renal function pts (Shanafelt, Blood 108:15a). W...
Expression of extracellular glutathione peroxidase in human and mouse gastrointestinal tract

Extracellular glutathione peroxidase (EGPx) is a glycosylated selenoprotein capable of reducing hydrogen peroxide, organic hydroperoxides, free fatty acid hydroperoxides, and phosphatidylcholine hy...
Nutritional Status is Associated with Faster Cognitive Decline and Worse Functional Impairment in the Progression of Dementia: The Cache County Dementia Progression Study1.

Nutritional status may be a modifiable factor in the progression of dementia. We examined the association of nutritional status and rate of cognitive and functional decline in a U.S. population-based sample. Study design was an observational longitudinal study with annual follow-ups up to 6 years of 292 persons with dementia (72% Alzheimer’s disease, 56% female) in Cache County, UT using the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-sb), and modified Mini Nutritional Assessment (mMNA). mMNA scores declined by approximately 0.50 points/year, suggesting increasing risk for malnutrition. Lower mMNA score predicted faster rate of decline on the MMSE at earlier follow-up times, but slower decline at later follow-up times, whereas higher mMNA scores had the opposite pattern (mMNA by time β = 0.22, p = 0.017; mMNA by time2 β = −0.04, p = 0.04). Lower mMNA score was associated with greater impairment on the CDR-sb over the course of dementia (β = 0.35, p < 0.001). Assessment of malnutrition may be useful in predicting rates of progression in dementia and may provide a target for clinical intervention.