cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
R&D Investment in the Global Paper Products Industry: A Behavioral Theory of the Firm and National Culture Perspective

Abstract Investing in R&D is particularly relevant for firms competing in today’s globalized knowledge-based economy. This multilevel study offers a national culture perspective integrated with the behavioral theory of the firm to test whether outperforming industry peers motivates subsequent R&D investment in a sample of paper products industry firms from 13 countries. We also hypothesize and find that home country cultural dimensions (institutional collectivism, power distance, and uncertainty avoidance) create a context that either encourages or discourages firm-level R&D investment. Additionally, we evaluate the cross-level moderating effects of culture to explore how the strength of the firm-level relationship between outperforming industry peers and R&D investment changes as a function of cultural context. Our multilevel analysis demonstrates outperforming industry peers and national culture are both important for explaining variance in firm-level R&D investment in the global paper industry.
An homology index generalizing Fuller's index for periodic orbits

Abstract The homology Fuller index is defined. It is defined for compact sets of periodic orbits that are isolated in the phase-cross-period space for a vector field on a smooth manifold. The index is related to the Fuller index, and the motivation for the definition comes from homology constructions used by Fuller in the work on his index. A continuation theory for the index is presented. The relationship between the homology Fuller index and the Fuller index is established.
Approaches to the Synthesis of (±)-Strychnine via the Cobalt-Mediated [2 + 2 + 2] Cycloaddition: Rapid Assembly of a Classic Framework

Five synthetic approaches to racemic strychnine (1), with the cobalt-mediated [2 + 2 + 2] cycloaddition of alkynes to indoles as the key step, are described. These include the generation and attempted cyclization of macrocycle 8 and the synthesis of dihydrocarbazoles 15, 22, and 26 and their elaboration to pentacyclic structures via a conjugate addition, dipolar cycloaddition, and propellane-to-spirofused skeletal rearrangement, respectively. Finally, the successful total synthesis of 1 is discussed. The development of a short, highly convergent route (14 steps in the longest linear sequence) is highlighted by the cyclization of enynoylindole 40 with acetylene and the formal intramolecular 1,8-conjugate addition of amine 49 to form pentacycle 50. Numerous attempts toward the formation of the piperidine ring of 1 from vinyl iodide 56 were made and its successful formation via palladium-, nickel-, and radical-mediated processes is described.
Computerized texture analysis of mammographic parenchymal patterns of digitized mammograms

Abstract This study involved a comparative evaluation of various computer-extracted texture features of mammographic parenchymal patterns of women with BRCA1/BRCA2 gene mutations and those of women at low risk of developing breast cancer. With our method, computerized texture analysis is performed on a region of interest (ROI) within the mammographic image. We analyzed mammograms from 172 subjects: 30 women with the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation and 142 low-risk women. A series of texture features were automatically extracted from each ROI to assess the mammographic parenchymal patterns in the images. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to assess the performance of the computerized texture features in the task of distinguishing between gene mutation carriers and low-risk subjects. Results show that gene mutation carriers and low-risk women have different mammographic patterns. For the gene carriers, their mammographic images have coarse texture, which is indicated by high coarseness values, low fractal dimension, and low entropy. It is expected that women identified as high risk by such radiographic markers of risk might potentially be more aggressively screened for breast cancer.
Flow-Induced Beta-Hairpin Folding of the Glycoprotein Ib-alpha Beta-Switch

Flow-induced shear has been identified as a regulatory driving force in blood clotting. Shear induces beta-hairpin folding of the glycoprotein Ib-alpha (GPIb-alpha) beta-switch which increases affinity for binding to the von Willebrand factor, a key step in blood clot formation and wound healing. To explore the mechanism underlying the flow-induced conformational transition, we conducted altogether 2.1 microsecond molecular dynamics simulations of flow acting on the beta-switch of GPIb-alpha. Simulations sampling different flow velocities reveal that under flow, beta-hairpin folding is initiated by hydrophobic collapse, followed by interstrand hydrogen bond formation and turn formation. Adaptive biasing force simulations are employed to determine the free energy required for extending the unfolded beta-switch from a loop to an elongated state. Lattice and freely-jointed chain models illustrate how the folding rate depends on the entropic and enthalpic energy, the latter controlled by flow. The results reveal that the free energy landscape of the beta-switch has two stable conformations, loop and hairpin, imprinted on it. Normal flow prefers the disordered state; high shear flow prefers the ordered state, inducing thereby a transition between the two.
Multisample Tests for the Equality of Dispersions Based on Quantiles

An alternative to Levene's and Bartlett's tests for homogeneity of variances is introduced. The test is found to be robust under nonnormality and relatively easy to compute. A comparison of the three tests shows the quantile test to be generally superior when sampling from distributions with lighter tails than the normal distribution.
Heterogeneous mixtures of elliptical particles: Directly resolving local and global properties and responses

In our earlier papers, Prosperetti's seminal Physalis method for fluid flows was extended to directly resolve electric fields in finite-sized particles and to investigate accurately the mutual fluid-particle, particle-particle, and particle-boundary interactions for circular/spherical particles. For the first time, the method makes the accurate prediction of the local charge distribution, force and torque on finite-sized particles possible. In the present work, the method is extended to heterogeneous mixtures of elliptical particles to further investigate the effects of the orientation and anisotropy. The direct resolution of the effect of fields in heterogeneous mixtures of elliptical particles to determine local and global properties and responses has many applications in engineering, mechanics, physics, chemistry, and biology. The method can be applied to heterogeneous materials, heterogeneous functional materials, microfluidics, and devices such as electric double layer capacitors. In the present paper, the accuracy of the method is extensively investigated even for very challenging problems, for example, for elongated rod-like particles with very high aspect ratios. The accuracy and efficiency of the method suggests that it can be used for many important applications of broad interest.
The Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Center's role in the climate and global change program

Abstract The Navy/NOAA Joint Ice Center (JIC) is responsible for producing global, regional, and local ice analyses and forecasts for the Arctic, Antarctic, and Great Lakes. Presently, satellite image products are the primary source of sea ice data at the JIC and the NOAA polar orbiting series satellites are the primary source of satellite data. In the future when the JIC's Digital Ice Forecasting and Analysis system (DIFAS) becomes operational, digital satellite data from the NOAA polar orbiters will be used. The JIC is the only organization in the free world that produces weekly global sea ice analyses. These analyses will likely become a good source of data for the cryospheric section of the Climate and Global Change program. Many scientists expect that a change in sea ice extent in the polar regions will be one of the first signals for a change in the earth's climate. A very important new source of data for ice operations and the Climate and Global Change program will be the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data which will be available in limited amounts starting in 1991. This high-resolution, all-weather data source will allow the JIC, in some polar regions, to provide more detailed analyses of ice extent, ice concentration, ice age and certain ice features such as leads and polynyas. Detailed lead and polynya analyses will yield a better estimate of the heat budget in the polar regions which is an important parameter for the Climate and Global Change program. This paper will describe the various products produced at the JIC and how these products and future ice data and products analyzed on DIFAS will contribute to the cryospheric section of the Climate and Global Change program.
Walking in Waikiki, Hawaii : Measuring pedestrian level of service in an urban resort district

This study examines pedestrian conditions in Waikiki, the most urbanized area in Honolulu, Hawaii. Focusing on one side of approximately a four-block stretch of Kalakaua Avenue, a series of 15-min pedestrian counts was conducted to establish overall sidewalk volumes and flows. Detailed maps were produced to characterize the physical environment and to identify potential factors associated with measurement of the pedestrian environment. Next, the pedestrian level of service (LOS) was estimated. A variety of factors affect the pedestrian environment. In addition to the width of the sidewalk, there are also movable and immovable objects, street furniture, plantings, and other activities that affect access and use of sidewalks. The intent of this study was to understand and measure better the impacts of sidewalk activities on LOS. To test and refine the approach, the impacts of street performers who occupied the sidewalks in the area were analyzed in terms of the effects on pedestrian flow and LOS. Street performers create the following kinds of impacts to the pedestrian environment: (a) increased delay, (b) direction changes and longer travel paths for pedestrians, (c) increased traffic conflicts as pedestrians step into moving motorized traffic to avoid congestion, (d) disruption of pedestrian platoons or preferred side of sidewalk for travel (generally, most pedestrians prefer to walk on the right side of the sidewalk), and (e) increased confusion associated with crowding and forced changes in direction. Policy considerations as well as directions for research are discussed in a concluding section.
“The Mill Ran Today”: Patterns of Work in a Mid-Nineteenth Century Northwest Missouri Woolen Mill:

Mid-nineteenth century woolen mills in northwest Missouri represented proprietary rather than corporate mill ownership found in the northeastern United States. Although the work performed by mill operatives was similar in both types of mills, forms of mill management and the daily rhythm of work differed. The first purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of work at the Watkins Woolen Mill (WWM), near Lawson, Missouri. The second purpose was to compare WWM weavers to the New England mill girl profile (Dublin, 1979). Data revealed that weavers at the WWM worked irregular weeks compared to the 12-hour, six-day work weeks common in corporate New England mills; that the weavers’ work culture included job-sharing and on-the-job training; and that there were sibling employment patterns similar to Dublin’s (1979) study. Weavers at the WWM experienced a “dual loyalty” to their home and to the mill (Zonderman, 1986).
Topic aspect analysis for multi-document summarization

Query-based multi-document summarization aims to create a short summary given a collection of documents and a query. Most of the existing methods treat the query as one single sentence and rank the sentences in the documents based on their similarities with the query sentence. However, these methods lack of intensive analysis on the given query which typically consist of several topic aspects. In this paper, we propose a topic aspect extraction method to discover the aspect words and sentences contained in the query narrative texts and the input documents, and then incorporate these aspect words and sentences into a cross propagation model based on the sentence-term bipartite graph for document summarization. Experiments on DUC benchmark data show the effectiveness of our proposed approach on the topic-driven document summarization task.
Sentence Completion Responses and Classroom Social Behavior

To develop a scoring scale to differentiate “behaving” from “misbehaving” children, sentence completion responses of 96 children whose classroom behavior was socially approved were compared with responses of 96 children whose behavior was disapproved because they were aggressive and disruptive. Applied to a cross-validation sample of 96 approved and 96 disapproved children, it was found that scoring reliability was satisfactory, that the total scale score could be used to discriminate between these groups, and that inspection of individual protocols might yield valuable insights concerning a child's personal problems.
A role for differential variable gene pairing in creating T cell receptors specific for unique major histocompatibility ligands.

Summary A limited set of T cell receptor (TCR) variable (V) gene segments are used to create a repertoire of TCRs that recognize all major histocompatibility complex (MHC) ligands within a species. How individual αβTCRs are constructed to specifically recognize a limited set of MHC ligands is unclear. Here we have identified a role for the differential pairing of particular V gene segments in creating TCRs that recognized MHC class II ligands exclusively, or cross-reacted with classical and nonclassical MHC class I ligands. Biophysical and structural experiments indicated that TCR specificity for MHC ligands is not driven by germline-encoded pairwise interactions. Rather, identical TCRβ chains can have altered peptide-MHC (pMHC) binding modes when paired with different TCRα chains. The ability of TCR chain pairing to modify how V region residues interact with pMHC helps to explain how the same V genes are used to create TCRs specific for unique MHC ligands.
A reconfigurable pattern matching hardware implementation using on-chip RAM-based FSM

The use of synthesizable reconfigurable IP cores has increasingly become a trend in System on Chip (SoC) designs because of their flexibility and powerful functionality. The market introduction of multi-featured platform FPGAs equipped with embedded memory and processor blocks has further expanded the possibility of utilizing dynamic reconfiguration to improve overall system adaptability to meet varying product requirements. In this paper, a reconfigurable hardware implementation for pattern matching using Finite State machine (FSM) is proposed. The FSM design is RAM-based and is reconfigured on the fly through altering memory contents only. An embedded processor is used for orchestrating run time reconfiguration. Experimental results show that the system can reconfigure itself based on a new incoming pattern and perform the text search without the need of a host processor. Results also proved that each search iteration was executed in one clock cycle and the maximum achievable clock frequency is independent of search pattern length.
Blind hexapod walking over uneven terrain using only local feedback

Biological studies on animal walking and running have contributed to the control of mobile robots. Taking inspiration from such studies, a hybrid impulse-position (HIP) controller has been developed for legged locomotion over uneven terrain. The HIP controller generates joint torques during the stance phase of each leg cycle to propel and stabilize the body, and is meant to operate with CPG-based coordination strategies and ground search routines to generate robust walking, running, jumping and climbing. Joint torques are computed without extracting information about the ground and using only local feedback. No feedback of body state is needed to regulate body motion, which is preferred because inertial sensors are rife with issues. The algorithm is applied to a hexapod system in simulation, and an experimental system is being built to further investigate the approach. The HIP controller has potential for expansion to bipeds, quadrupeds and other biologically-inspired forms.
Latitudinal variations of ammonia in the atmosphere of Uranus: An analysis of microwave observations

A 2-cm wavelength VLA map of Uranus is found upon analysis to display strong limb darkening and a lack of symmetry about the subearth point, perhaps due to a latitudinally varying NH3 mixing ratio. The change in NH3 abundance occurs near -45 deg latitude, and the calculated NH3 molar mixing ratios in the 5-20 bar region average 4.9 + or - 0.7 x 10 to the -7th at -90 to -45 deg latitudes, and 1.3 + or - 0.4 x 10 to the -6th at -45 to -15 deg latitudes. The model is in agreement both with previous work indicating the depletion of ammonia relative to solar abundance and a preliminary analysis of 6-cm data.
Highly infectious phenol extracts from Tobacco leaves infected with Cucumber mosaic virus.

Abstract An unusually infectious fraction of cucumber mosaic virus was extracted from infected leaves by homogenizing the leaves in a mixture of phenol and tetrasodium pyrophosphate. The aqueous phase of the homogenate was found to be as much as 6.6 times as infectious as extracts of similar leaves prepared without phenol. The infectious agent in the phenol extract was highly sensitive to inactivation by RNAase, was more stable in 67% alcohol than in distilled water, and had an ultraviolet absorption curve typical for nucleic acid. On the other hand, after ultracentrifugation the supernatant liquid contained only about one-third of the infectivity whereas the pellet had about two-thirds of the infectivity, indicating that more than one size of infectious particle was present.
Infection control practitioners' perceptions and educational needs regarding bioterrorism: results from a national needs assessment survey.

Abstract Background: The perceived threat that biological weapons will be used in an act of terror against the United States has escalated sharply since the discovery of anthrax-tainted letters after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. These events underscore the critical nature of health care and public health preparedness and the need to augment infection control practitioner education and training. Methods: Between October 2000 and August 2001 a national needs assessment was conducted by use of a 35-question survey. The survey measured infection control practitioners' (ICPs') perception of the risk for bioterrorism in the United States and in their community, the proportion of ICPs with prior training in bioterrorism preparedness, and preferences for delivery media of future bioterrorism education. Results: The assessment of the perceived threat of bioterrorism in the United States during the next 5 years ( P = .022) and in the ICPs' work community ( P Conclusions: The results of this study indicate an urgent need for more resources and opportunities for clinical education in bioterrorism preparedness that will provide continuing education credit. Successful bioterrorism education will require a variety of instructional designs and media delivery methods to address ICPs' preferences and needs. (Am J Infect Control 2003;31:129-34.)
Hybrid simulations of debris-ambient ion interactions in astrophysical explosions

[1] Hybrid simulations (particle ions, massless fluid electrons) have been carried out to study the super-Alfvenic expansion of a dense, hot debris plasma against a relatively tenuous, relatively cool magnetized ambient plasma for the purpose of modeling the physics relevant to the early phase of explosions in astrophysical environments (supernovae, solar flares). We examine the stopping of the debris ions, the spatial distribution of the stopped ions, and their penetration across the compressed ambient magnetic field, using simulations run in a two-dimensional geometry. The simulations show that the expanding debris excludes the ambient magnetic field to form a diamagnetic cavity. The stopping distance of the debris is consistent with that determined from the debris ions overrunning an equivalent mass of ambient ions. The distribution of the stopped debris ions is strongly dependent on the debris gyroradius based on the initial directed velocity ρd, being highly peaked at the debris-magnetic field interface when ρd is large. The distance that debris ions penetrate into and mix with the excluded magnetic field is measured and shown to increase linearly with ρd.
Reverse Engineering Input Syntactic Structure from Program Execution and Its Applications

Program input syntactic structure is essential for a wide range of applications such as test case generation, software debugging, and network security. However, such important information is often not available (e.g., most malware programs make use of secret protocols to communicate) or not directly usable by machines (e.g., many programs specify their inputs in plain text or other random formats). Furthermore, many programs claim they accept inputs with a published format, but their implementations actually support a subset or a variant. Based on the observations that input structure is manifested by the way input symbols are used during execution and most programs take input with top-down or bottom-up grammars, we devise two dynamic analyses, one for each grammar category. Our evaluation on a set of real-world programs shows that our technique is able to precisely reverse engineer input syntactic structure from execution. We apply our technique to hierarchical delta debugging (HDD) and network protocol reverse engineering. Our technique enables the complete automation of HDD, in which programmers were originally required to provide input grammars, and improves the runtime performance of HDD. Our client study on network protocol reverse engineering also shows that our technique supersedes existing techniques.
A tunable laser system for the wavelength calibration of astronomical spectrographs

Precise wavelength calibration of the multi-object echelle spectrographs used in searches for extrasolar planets is an unsolved problem in astrophysical instrumentation. We present results from a novel tunable laser calibration system that achieves unprecedented precision.
Age of Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquisition and subsequent severity of cystic fibrosis lung disease.

Rationale Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa) is associated with poor pulmonary outcomes in cystic fibrosis (CF), but the association between age of Pa infection and severity of subsequent lung disease has not been thoroughly investigated. Objective Our goal was to determine the association between age of Pa acquisition and subsequent severity of CF lung disease. Methods Case-control study using CF Foundation Registry data of 629 ΔF508 homozygotes with severe and mild lung disease (FEV1 in the lowest and highest quartile of birth cohort, respectively). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to determine the association between age of Pa acquisition and lung disease severity. Results Earlier age of Pa infection was strongly associated with increased odds of severe lung disease. For first and persistent Pa, adjusted odds ratios for severe lung disease were 6.5 (95% CI 3.1, 13.7; P Conclusions Earlier Pa infection, particularly before 5 years of age, is strongly associated with severe CF lung disease later in life. This study is not designed to determine causality; Pa infection may be causing lung injury, or may be a marker of ongoing inflammation and lung damage in young children with CF.
Bounds for truncation error in sampling expansions of band-limited signals

For f(t) a real-valued signal band-limited to - \pi r \leq \omega \leq \pi r (0 and represented by its Fourier integral, upper bounds are established for the magnitude of the truncation error when f(t) is approximated at a generic time t by an appropriate selection of N_{1} + N_{2} + 1 terms from its Shannon sampling series expansion, the latter expansion being associated with the full band [-\pi, \pi] and thus involving samples of f taken at the integer points. Results are presented for two cases: 1) the Fourier transform F(\omega) is such that |F(\omega)|^{2} is integrable on [-\pi, \pi r] (finite energy case), and 2) |F(\omega)| is integrable on [-\pi r, \pi r] . In case 1) it is shown that the truncation error magnitude is bounded above by g(r, t) \cdot \sqrt{E} \cdot \left( \frac{1}{N_{1}} + \frac{1}{N_{2}} \right) where E denotes the signal energy and g is independent of N_{1}, N_{2} and the particular band-limited signal being approximated. Correspondingly, in case 2) the error is bounded above by h(r, t) \cdot M \cdot \left( \frac{1}{N_{1}} + \frac{1}{N_{2}} \right) where M is the maximum signal amplitude and h is independent of N_{1}, N_{2} and the signal. These estimates possess the same asymptotic behavior as those exhibited earlier by Yao and Thomas [2], but are derived here using only real variable methods in conjunction with the signal representation. In case 1), the estimate obtained represents a sharpening of the Yao-Thomas bound for values of r dose to unity.
Structural basis for cooperativity in recruitment of MAML coactivators to Notch transcription complexes

Notch receptors transduce essential developmental signals between neighboring cells by forming a complex that leads to transcription of target genes upon activation. We report here the crystal structure of a Notch transcriptional activation complex containing the ankyrin domain of human Notch1 (ANK), the transcription factor CSL on cognate DNA, and a polypeptide from the coactivator Mastermind-like-1 (MAML-1). Together, CSL and ANK create a groove to bind the MAML-1 polypeptide as a kinked, 70 A helix. The composite binding surface likely restricts the recruitment of MAML proteins to promoters on which Notch:CSL complexes have been preassembled, ensuring tight transcriptional control of Notch target genes.
Organic Acids in Citrus Fruits. II. Seasonal Changes in the Orangea

SUMMARY Organic acids were quantitatively determined by silicic-acid chromatography in juice of Valencia oranges sampled from trees over a 16-month period, and in the juice, albedo, and flavedo of Washington Navel oranges sampled over a 12-month period. Results obtained prior to late maturity generally agreed with existing data, but previously unreported changes occurred during and after late maturity. In the juices, citrate predominated, but declined on a per-fruit basis in late season; malate appeared at a low level. In the Navel flavedo and albedo, oxalate decreased and malonate increased. Through most of the season, albedo acid composition was comparable to that of diluted flavedo, but in the latest sample, malonate predominated in the flavedo and oxalate predominated in the albedo. Malate appeared in low, decreasing amounts in the peel, with lesser amounts of citrate. These four acids accounted for 30–50% of the total anions in the peel fractions.
Mobile Agents in Mobile Data Access Systems

The heterogeneity and geographical distribution of data sources in the presence of autonomy make it a very difficult task to provide global information sharing. When adding mobility and wireless medium to this mix (Mobile Data Access System), the constraints on bandwidth, connectivity, and resources worsen the problem. Application of mobile agent technology in a global information-sharing environment releases the global mobile users from the constraints imposed by the wireless medium and mobile devices.This work applies the Mobile Agent technology in a Mobile Data Access System framework (MAMDAS) using the Summary Schemas Model as the underlying multidatabase platform. This approach provides better performance by reducing the network traffic and higher degree of autonomy by allowing agents to execute without the owners interference. As witnessed by our experimental results, the MAMDAS exhibits the following advantages compared to the first SSM prototype: ? It is about 6 times faster. ? It supports larger number of concurrent queries. ? It demonstrates greater scalability, portability, and robustness.
Evaluation of antimicrobial effects of lauric arginate on reduction of Salmonella spp. in ground chicken

Summary The efficacy of lauric arginate (LAE) on Salmonella survivability in ground chicken containing 9.8% fat was determined under refrigerated storage. The effect of LAE treatments on total aerobes, pH and objective colour were also assessed in ground chicken. LAE was highly effective against Salmonella in 0.1% peptone with no detectable survivors following treatment with 200 ppm and 400 ppm of LAE. No difference existed (P > 0.05) in the growth of Salmonella and total aerobes after treatment with 200 and 400 ppm of LAE in ground chicken inoculated with a four strain mixture of Salmonella. At these concentrations, LAE did not exhibit any treatment effect on the pH and colour of ground chicken (P > 0.05). In conclusion, although LAE possesses strong inhibitory (P 0.05) effect on growth of Salmonella was observed in ground chicken at the currently approved levels of 200 ppm of LAE.
Critical brain characteristics to consider in developing dream and memory theories

Dreaming in sleep must depend on the activity of the brain as does cognition and memory in wakefulness. Yet our understanding of the physiological subtleties of state differences may still be too primitive to guide theories adequately in these areas. One can state nonetheless unequivocally that the brain in REM is poorly equipped to practice for eventualities of wakefulness through dreaming, or for consolidating into memory the complex experiences of that state.[Hobson et al., Nielsen, Solms, Vertes & Eastman, Revonsuo]
Upregulation of xanthine oxidase by tobacco smoke condensate in pulmonary endothelial cells.

Abstract Tobacco smoking has been causally linked to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It has been reported that the reactive oxygen species (ROS)- generating enzyme xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase (XO) is increased in smoking-related stomach ulcers and that gastric mucosal damage caused by tobacco smoke can be blocked by the XO inhibitor allopurinol. In order to test the hypothesis that tobacco may cause the upregulation of XO in the lung, cultured rat pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were exposed to tobacco smoke condensate (TSC). TSC at a concentration of 20 μg/mL significantly upregulated XO activity after 24 h of exposure. Longer exposure (1 week) to a lower concentration of TSC (2 μg/mL) also caused an increase in XO activity. Unlike hypoxia, TSC treatment did not alter the phosphorylation of XO. However, TSC treatment increased XO mRNA expression and the XO gene promoter activity. Furthermore, actinomycin D blocked the activation of XO by TSC. In conclusion, our results indicate that tobacco smoke condensate causes upregulation of XO transcription and activity.
Management of patients undergoing multivalvular surgery for carcinoid heart disease: the role of the anaesthetist

Abstract Background The management of patients with carcinoid heart disease poses two major challenges for the anaesthetist: carcinoid crisis and low cardiac output secondary to right ventricular (RV) failure. Carcinoid crises may be precipitated by the administration of catecholamines and histamine-releasing drugs. Methods We analysed a series of 11 patients [six males, median (range) age 60 (42–73) yr] with severe symptomatic carcinoid heart disease who underwent multivalve surgery (right-sided valves, n =8; right- and left-sided valves, n =3) between 2001 and 2007. Results All patients received octreotide intraoperatively [650 (300–1050) μg] to prevent carcinoid symptoms and vasoplegia. Those patients on a greater preoperative octreotide regime required additional intraoperative octreotide [median (range) dose 320 (300–850) vs 750 (650–1050) μg]. Similarly, the use of greater doses of aprotinin (>5 KIU) was associated with greater requirements for octreotide [475 (300–700) vs 750 (320–1050) μg] and higher glucose levels (≥8.5 mmol litre −1 ). Catecholamines were generally required in those patients who presented with a worse New York Heart Association functional class. Overall mortality was 18% ( n =2) and only one episode of mild intraoperative carcinoid crisis was observed. Conclusions Carcinoid crisis and RV failure still remain the primary challenges for the anaesthesiologist while managing patients with carcinoid heart disease. Our study supports the administration of catecholamines to wean patients off cardiopulmonary bypass, particularly in the presence of myocardial dysfunction. Those patients on higher octreotide dosages may require close intraoperative glucose monitoring. Despite high operative mortality, surgical outcome has been improved potentially due to earlier patient referral and better perioperative management.
Insight into the common mechanism of the chromophore formation in the red fluorescent proteins: the elusive blue intermediate revealed.

Understanding the chromophore maturation process in fluorescent proteins is important for the design of proteins with improved properties. Here, we present the results of electronic structure calculations identifying the nature of a blue intermediate, a key species in the process of the red chromophore formation in DsRed, TagRFP, fluorescent timers, and PAmCherry. The chromophore of the blue intermediate has a structure in which the π-system of the imidazole ring is extended by the acylimine bond, which can be represented by the model N-[(5-hydroxy-1H-imidazole-2yl)methylidene]acetamide (HIMA) compound. Ab initio and QM/MM calculations of the isolated model and protein-bound (mTagBFP) chromophores identify the anionic form of HIMA as the only structure that has absorption that is consistent with the experiment and is stable in the protein binding pocket. The anion and zwitterion are the only protonation forms of HIMA whose absorption (421 and 414 nm, or 2.95 and 3.00 eV) matches the experimental spectrum ...
Visibility-Based Optimal Path Planning

In Chap. 3, we considered various optimization problems for one or more point-observers which are stationary with respect to the object \(\mathcal{O}\) under observation in the world space \(\mathcal{W}\). For a single stationary point-observer, total visibility of \(\mathcal{O}\) may not be attainable.
The nature and role of incoherent interphase interfaces in diffusional solid-solid phase transformations

In this article, some views on the nature of incoherent interphase interfaces, and their role in the nucleation and growth processes governing the evolution of microstructure in solid-state diffusional transformations (reconstructive transformations), are explored. It is argued that essentially incoherent interfaces can be involved in the initiation and propagation of polymorphic transformations and massive transformations as well as in various precipitation phenomena in metallic and ceramic systems. Similar views have already been advanced earlier in connection with studies of massive transformations. Faceting along the interphase interface during nucleation and growth can derive from thermodynamic, kinetic, and crystallographic factors independent of the bicrystallography of the conjugate phases. This idiomorphic behavior can be relevant to both intergranular and intragranular phase formation. The concept of one-dimensional (1-D) commensuration of phases through plane edge-to-edge/row matching is an interesting extension of the classic ideas of coherency and bicrystallography and potentially important in characterizing the behavior of certain types of boundaries. However, the general importance of these geometrical relations in real and reciprocal space will depend on the depth of the energy wells in orientation space associated with these special boundaries.
Information theory applied to the sparse gene ontology annotation network to predict novel gene function

Motivation: Despite advances in the gene annotation process, the functions of a large portion of gene products remain insufficiently characterized. In addition, the in silico prediction of novel Gene Ontology (GO) annotations for partially characterized gene functions or processes is highly dependent on reverse genetic or functional genomic approaches. To our knowledge, no prediction method has been demonstrated to be highly accurate for sparsely annotated GO terms (those associated to fewer than 10 genes). Results: We propose a novel approach, information theory-based semantic similarity (ITSS), to automatically predict molecular functions of genes based on existing GO annotations. Using a 10-fold cross-validation, we demonstrate that the ITSS algorithm obtains prediction accuracies (precision 97%, recall 77%) comparable to other machine learning algorithms when compared in similar conditions over densely annotated portions of the GO datasets. This method is able to generate highly accurate predictions in sparsely annotated portions of GO, where previous algorithms have failed. As a result, our technique generates an order of magnitude more functional predictions than previous methods. A 10-fold cross validation demonstrated a precision of 90% at a recall of 36% for the algorithm over sparsely annotated networks of the recent GO annotations (about 1400 GO terms and 11 000 genes in Homo sapiens). To our knowledge, this article presents the first historical rollback validation for the predicted GO annotations, which may represent more realistic conditions than more widely used cross-validation approaches. By manually assessing a random sample of 100 predictions conducted in a historical rollback evaluation, we estimate that a minimum precision of 51% (95% confidence interval: 43–58%) can be achieved for the human GO Annotation file dated 2003. Availability: The program is available on request. The 97 732 positive predictions of novel gene annotations from the 2005 GO Annotation dataset and other supplementary information is available at http://phenos.bsd.uchicago.edu/ITSS/ Contact: Lussier@uchicago.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available atBioinformatics online.
CNS injection of CCK in rats: effects on real and sham feeding and gastric emptying

Cholecystokinin (CCK) released from the intestine during feeding may have a physiological role in satiety. There is also evidence that activation of central CCK-containing pathways is involved in the control of feeding behavior. This study was carried out to determine whether CCK-8 administered into the lateral cerebral ventricles (lv) of rats suppresses both sham feeding (SF) and real feeding (RF). Rats with lv guides and gastric cannulas ate a liquid diet with cannulas open (SF) or closed (RF) after lv (0, 0.05, 0.5 micrograms) or intraperitoneal (ip) (0, 4 micrograms/kg) injection of CCK-8. Both RF and SF were significantly decreased by ip CCK-8. RF was also decreased in a dose-related manner after lv CCK-8, but SF was not affected by lv CCK-8. Decreased feeding after ip CCK-8 may be due in part to its suppression of gastric emptying rate (GER). To determine whether central nervous system (CNS) CCK might also be involved in the control of gastric function, GER was measured after lv (0, 0.05, 0.5 micrograms) or ip (0, 4 micrograms/kg) injection of CCK-8. GER was significantly decreased after ip CCK-8, but lv CCK-8 had no effect on GER. Although both CNS and peripheral CCK peptide systems may be involved in satiety, CNS CCK appears to depend on concurrent peripheral nutrient-related stimuli in eliciting satiety.
Pharmacologic approaches to cognitive deficits in Alzheimer's disease.

This article reviews placebo-controlled studies addressing drug efficacy for the cognitive deficits of Alzheimer's disease. Efforts to compensate for the presynaptic cholinergic deficiency in Alzheimer's disease by pharmacologically inhibiting acetylcholine degradation have been successful in several clinical trials. Two cholinesterase inhibitors are available forAlzheimer's disease, and others most likely will soon be available. Cholinesterase inhibitors represent the only therapy currently approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The antioxidant drugs alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and selegiline have been demonstrated marginally superior to placebo for slowing functional deterioration in patients with moderately advanced Alzheimer's disease. Epidemiologic studies suggest protective effects against Alzheimer's disease from postmenopausal estrogen replacement and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Placebo-controlled studies prospectively evaluating the hypotheses generated by these epidemiologic studies are ongoing.
Timing of bariatric surgery for severely obese adolescents: a Markov decision-analysis

Abstract Purpose Although controversial, bariatric surgery is increasingly being performed in adolescents. We developed a model to simulate the effect of timing of gastric bypass in obese adolescents on quantity and quality of life. Methods A Markov state-transition model was constructed comparing two treatment strategies: gastric bypass surgery at age 16 versus delayed surgery in adulthood. The model simulated a hypothetical cohort of adolescents with body mass index of 45kg/m 2 . Model inputs were derived from current literature. The main outcome measure was quality and quantity of life, measured using quality-adjusted life–years (QALYs). Results For females, early gastric bypass surgery was favored by 2.02 QALYs compared to delaying surgery until age 35 (48.91 vs. 46.89 QALYs). The benefit was even greater for males, where early surgery was favored by 2.9 QALYs (48.30 vs. 45.40 QALYs). The absolute benefit of surgery at age 16 increased; the later surgery was delayed into adulthood. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that adult surgery was favored only when the values for adverse events were unrealistically high. Conclusions In our model, early gastric bypass in obese adolescents improved both quality and quantity of life. These findings are useful for surgeons and pediatricians when counseling adolescents considering weight loss surgery.
Additional Information on Baits Attractive to the Oriental Peach Moth, Laspeyresia Molesta Busck, 1925

Oriental peach moths are attracted to fermenting molasses baits from the middle of April until the middle of October. Some or many males and females may be found in the bait containers every day during the entire season. This year, 1925, at Riverton, New Jersey, the largest number of adults were captured during the emergence period of the first brood moths. Later broods were reduced by parasitism. The graphs show that more moths came to the same sort of bait located in peach orchards than in apple or quince orchards. An enameled stewpan has proved to be the most satisfactory container for baits. So far as known bait containers should be well filled in order to catch the maximum number of adults. Containers placed high in the tree catch more moths than those placed low. Cheap stock-feeding molasses seems to be the most satisfactory grade of molasses for baits. Dilutions of 1–10 and 1–20 are more satisfactory than weaker or greater strengths. Yeast is unnecessary. Under most conditions natural fermentation makes a better bait than where yeast is added. Corn syrup, particularly the colorless grade, diluted 1–20 with water, attracted large numbers of moths.
E-013 Endovascular Management of Pseudoaneurysms Secondary to External Ventricular Drain Placement: Single Center Experience

Introduction Placement of external ventricular drains is a common, life-saving neurosurgical procedure indicated across a variety of settings. While advances have made the procedure quite safe, the potential for iatrogenic morbidity and mortality continues. Herein, we document our experience with the endovascular management of three pseudoaneurysms associated with EVD placement. Patients and methods We performed a retrospective analysis to identify all EVDs placed from 2008 through 2013 at our institution,. In instances of EVD-associated cerebrovascular injury, all admission and subsequent radiographic studies were reviewed, including cerebral angiograms and computed tomography (CT) scans. Angiograms were reviewed to record the extent of vascular injury and angiographic outcomes after treatment. Results One female and two male patients (40–75 years) were found to have developed vascular injuries associated with EVD placement. Three pseudoaneurysms, namely of the posterior communicating artery (PCOM), pericallosal artery branch and the middle meningeal artery, were treated by coil and/or glue embolization. Conclusions Although EVD-associated cerebrovascular injury remains a rare phenomenon, such procedures are not entirely benign. Endovascular repair for such lesions proves a viable, effective option. Abbreviations arteriovenous fistula (AVF), computed tomography (CT), external ventricular drain (EVD), posterior communicating artery (PCOM), posterior cerebral artery (PCA) Disclosures O. Choudhri: None. M. Gupta: None. J. Heit: None. A. Feroze: None. H. Do: None.
539 Severe form of Congenital Toxoplasmosis with Extensive Cerebral findings

Introduction Congenital toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease caused by the protozoon toxoplasma gondii is one of the classic intrauterine infections. The combination of hydrocephalus, retinochorioditis, intracranial calcification and parenchymal necrosis is rare. The majority of infected newborns present with uncharacteristic symptoms or remain asymptomatic. We report on a newborn with congenital toxoplasmosis and extensive cerebral findings. Case report Term male newborn, pregnancy and delivery uneventful, no maternal toxoplasmosis screening, admission on day 18 due to lethargy, sucking and muscular weakness, increase in head circumference of 4 cm since birth with gaping cranial sutures and recurrent cerebral convulsions. Brain ultrasound demonstrated distinctive ventriculomegaly with multiple intraventricular filaments. Liquor findings revealed elevated protein and positive toxoplasmosis PCR. Serologically toxoplasmosa antibodies showed positive as well. Treatment was commenced with pyrimethamine, sulfadiazine and folin acid. Ophthamological examination showed microphthalmus and retinal scars; NMR reveals multiple necrosis of basal ganglia and cerebellum. Multiple neurosurgical interventions were indispensible due to progressive intraventricular filament formation and subdural hygroma. Furthermore, severe thrombosis of the vena cava superior and the subclavian veins developed due to extensive clotting activation. Catheter intervention to achieve recanalization was performed with subsequent enoxaprarin therapy. After development of sinus thrombosis and progressive intracranial haemorrhage intensive care treatment was limited. The baby deceased after 28 days of treatment. Discussion Our case demonstrates that though maternal screening is available and despite of existing treatment options severe courses of the disease are still possible. In case of excessive increase in head circumference an elaborate search for intrauterine infections should be mandatory.
Logistics on Transfusion Support for Patients Undergoing Same-Day Surgery

Scheduling of same-day surgery poses special challenges to the logistics of presurgical testing, particularly for patients who may need blood transfusion during or after the operation. Blood type and screen results routinely performed for all patients scheduled for surgery are valid for 3 days only. However, hospitals and other health care organizations that provide same-day surgery have individualized institutional policies to serve their particular patient populations without violating the spirit of the type and screen policy, and ensuring that the patient is provided safe transfusion support.