cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantification of gastric sleeve stenosis using endoscopic parameters and image analysis

Background and Aims Sleeve gastrectomy has quickly become the most commonly performed bariatric surgery. In light of its increasing popularity, the prevalence of gastric sleeve stenosis (GSS) continues to rise. Management with serial pneumatic dilation is highly successful but underused because of a lack of quantitative diagnostic criteria. We aimed to develop quantifiable endoscopic criteria to characterize GSS based on the (1) ratio of narrowest to widest gastric lumen diameter, (2) endoscope angulation/trajectory required for passage, and (3) presence of bilious fluid pooling in the proximal sleeve and compare it with endoluminal functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP) diameter and distensibility indices (DIs) and endoscopic documentation of gastric lumen morphology. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing endoscopy to assess for GSS. Endoscopic images were reviewed in a blinded fashion by 2 bariatric endoscopists. The narrowest and widest part of the gastric lumen diameters were noted on each image, in addition to a hypothetical trajectory required for endoscope passage. Using image processing software, we calculated the the ratio of diameters (ie, narrowest divided by widest) and angle of endoscope trajectory. The presence of bilious fluid pooling in the proximal gastric lumen was noted. These values were then compared with EndoFLIP parameters and endoscopic documentation of gastric lumen morphology. Results Thirty patients met inclusion criteria, and 26 (87%) were found to have a stenosis on endoscopy. Of those, 9 (35%) were characterized as mild, 11 (42%) as moderate, and 6 (23%) as severe. There was no difference in demographic information between patients with and without stenosis. In patients with stenosis, mean EndoFLIP diameters and DIs were 12.9 ± 3.9 mm and 11.0 ± 6.8 mm2/mm Hg, respectively. In patients without stenosis, mean EndoFLIP diameters and DIs were 19.9 ± 2.9 mm and 21.5 ± 1.0 mm2/mm Hg, respectively. Patients with stenosis had significantly lower diameter ratios compared with those without stenosis (.27 ± .14 vs .48 ± .77, P = .01). Diameter ratios were also inversely related to severity of sleeve stenosis (β = –.08, P = .01). Patients with stenosis were also more likely to have fluid pooling (96.2% vs 25%, P Conclusions Endoscopic criteria for diagnosis of GSS are lacking. Our data suggest the ratio between the narrowest and widest gastric lumen diameters and presence of pooled fluid is associated with diagnosis of stenosis by EndoFLIP and gastric lumen morphology. Future studies to validate these criteria are needed.
Long-Run Taxation Risk and the Presidential Equity Premium Puzzle

This paper aims to explain the Presidential Equity Premium Puzzle. I estimate a simple model in which a new President serves as an uncertainty shock to the growth rate of dividends. This uncertainty shock is differentially priced across parties because Democrats increase the tax burden of equity holders. The interaction between the dual shocks to expected tax burdens and dividend growth rates gives rise to expected returns that are higher under Democrats. Results from structural estimation show that this channel accounts for approximately a third of the difference in the level of expected returns on the market across parties. This model can match the level of the difference in expected returns for “normal” times, but not in Presidential terms immediately preceding and following financial crises, which accounts for the missing two-thirds of the difference. This model also generates dynamics consistent with the cross-sectional moments of returns and announcement effects noted in the literature. Further, this model is able to generate occasionally high realized returns under Republicans, consistent with the experience of equity markets in the post-2016 sample.
Open season for solid frameworks

Microporous materials can now be designed from first principles. A new metal-organic framework has a crystalline structure that is twice as porous as most zeolites, which are currently the catalysts of choice for many industrial processes and domestic water softeners.
Bioactivation I: Bioactivation by Cytochrome P450s

Metabolism reactions generally result in detoxification of xenobiotics and are accompanied by the formation of chemically stable metabolites, which are devoid of pharmacological or toxicological activities. However, in some cases, these reactions can convert drugs to products that are either chemically reactive or pharmacologically active, a process that is commonly referred to as metabolic activation or bioactivation. Most, if not all, functionalization and conjugation reactions can result in bioactivation. Even though all enzymes have the propensity to catalyze the metabolic activation of compounds, cytochrome P450 (P450) enzymes, which generally dominate metabolism, play a major role in the metabolic activation of drugs. The primary objective of this chapter is to provide an overview of bioactivation by P450 to pharmacologically active and chemically reactive metabolites. The common reactions that result in bioactivation of xenobiotics and consequences of bioactivation have been discussed here. Keywords: bioactivation; CYP450; active metabolites; reactive metabolites
Complex responsive processes: a new lens for leadership in twenty-first-century health care.

PROBLEM. Health care is currently in the midst of an age change. Leadership styles and organizational structures that were prevalent in the twentieth century no longer apply in twenty-first-century health care. Leaders of health care must embrace and help others to embrace new ways of being and relating in twenty-first-century organizations. METHODS. This paper introduces a new framework through which leaders can see their organizations differently. Complex responsive processes (CRPs) focus on the interactions between people that take place in the living present as the building block of transformative organizations. This paper also introduces the seven da Vincian principles as a personal tool that twenty-first-century leaders might use to increase their capacity for creativity and to develop their ability to thrive in uncertainty. FINDINGS. The power to shape the preferred future of health care lies within our relationships with others that take place locally and in the living present. CONCLUSIONS. Viewing organizations through the lens of CRPs and developing practices around the seven da Vincian principles provides directions and a starting point for traditional leaders to move away from rationalist, twentieth-century practices toward transformative leadership practices.
Plasma-deposited Beryllium Carbide Coatings for Application to Inertial Confinement Fusion

AbstractComposite coatings containing beryllium are prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition at a substrate temperature as low as 250°C in a radio-frequency-induced cylindrical plasma reactor. Diethylberyllium is used as the precursor together with hydrogen as a coreactant gas. These coatings are characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electrical resistivity, and thermogravimetric analysis. AES indicates that the composition of the coatings reaches a steady level at a depth of 300 A from the surface and maintains a constant composition throughout the thickness of the coatings. The characterization studies establish the dominant phase to be Be2C. The coatings are also resistant to oxidation and hydrolysis in dry/moist air unlike bulk Be2C. It is found that the coatings deposited close to the diethylberyllium inlet contain amorphous beryllium that is homogeneously dispersed in...
Bernoulli Graph Bounds for General Random Graphs

General random graphs (i.e., stochastic models for networks incorporating heterogeneity and/or dependence among edges) are increasingly in wide use in the study of social and other networks, but fe...
Fluorescence ratio imaging of cyclic AMP in single cells

Fluorescence imaging is perhaps the most powerful technique currently available for continuously observing the dynamic intracellular biochemistry of single living cells. However, fluorescent indicator dyes have been available only for simple inorganic ions such as Ca2+, H+, Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Cl-. We now report a fluorescent indicator for the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) signalling pathway. The sensor consists of cAMP-dependent protein kinase in which the catalytic (C) and regulatory (R) subunits are each labelled with a different fluorescent dye such as fluorescein or rhodamine capable of fluorescence resonance energy transfer in the holoenzyme complex R2C2. When cAMP molecules bind to the R subunits, the C subunits dissociate, thereby eliminating energy transfer. The change in shape of the fluorescence emission spectrum allows cAMP concentrations and the activation of the kinase to be nondestructively visualized in single living cells microinjected with the labelled holoenzyme.
Position Reporting Error of Intelligent Compaction and Continuous Compaction Control Roller-Measured Soil Properties

A field investigation was conducted with four intelligent compaction/continuous compaction control rollers to characterize the spatial reporting of vibratory roller-measured soil properties and to investigate global positioning system (GPS)-based position reporting error. The key reporting characteristics examined include the spatial resolution of roller measurement values (MVs) and the volume/area reflected in each MV. Each vibration-based roller MV investigated is a reflection of soil properties over spatial dimensions that vary across manufacturers. The reporting resolution of roller MVs also varied across manufacturers. Three sources of GPS-determined position error were observed, namely, (1) accuracy of GPS, (2) unaccounted for physical offset of roller-mounted GPS receiver from the drum center, and (3) the spatial averaging of vibration data during roller MV calculation coupled with possible computational latency. The physical offset error was found to be as great as 1.0–2.0 m, while the error due to spatial averaging of vibration data coupled with latency ranged from 0.4 to 0.8 m. Both of these errors are significant but can be estimated and corrected by using a validation procedure described in the paper. Left uncorrected, these errors have a significant adverse effect on the analysis and interpretation of roller MV data when used in quality control/quality assurance specifications.
The Epithelium as a Target of Glucocorticoid Action in the Treatment of Asthma

Bronchial asthma can be a chronic and debilitating respiratory disease. Increasing evidence suggests that airway epithelial cells and their products may in part be responsible for the establishment and/or maintenance of the bronchial inflammation that occurs in chronic asthma. Although inhaled glucocorticoids are among the most effective therapies in the treatment of this disease, the molecular mechanisms by which steroids attenuate chronic asthma remain unclear. Important among steroid effects is the inhibitition of the activation and recruitment of inflammatory cells and the release of chemical and cytokine mediators of inflammation. The pleiotropic actions of glucocorticoids most likely account for their widespread efficacy and use in the treatment of chronic asthma. Prominent among the cellular targets of topical steroids are airway epithelial cells. The purpose of this chapter is to examine the role of airway epithelium in chronic asthma and how glucocorticoids modulate epithelial function.
COLOR, SIZE, AND LOCATION OF ARTIFICIAL FRUITS AFFECT SUCROSE AVOIDANCE BY CEDAR WAXWINGS AND EUROPEAN STARLINGS

Fruit choice by birds is affected by many factors, but the interactions between sensory and postingestive cues has received little experimental study. To evaluate how post- ingestive responses to fruit sugars relate to color and other visual cues, we offered individually caged Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum) and European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) artificial red and green fruits containing 12.8% (g/g) sucrose or hexose (1:1, glucose: fructose) sugars. In 1-h trials with 6-mm-diameter fruits, waxwings preferred hexose to sucrose fruits, re- gardless of color. Birds given only sucrose fruits ate more than other groups. With 11-mm fruits, patterns of consumption were the same, but clear preferences for hexose over sucrose showed only in 3-h trials. Waxwings given red-hexose and red-sucrose fruits or green-hexose and green-sucrose fruits in two-cup tests learned to prefer the hexose fruits from positional cues. Starlings that initially preferred green learned to prefer red-hexose over green-sucrose fruits after two 3-h trials. Similarly, starlings that initially preferred red learned to prefer green-hexose fruits when paired with red-sucrose fruits. These preferences persisted through three posttreatment trials when both red and green fruits had only hexose sugars. In contrast to Cedar Waxwings, starlings given all-sucrose fruits ate the least, and two of four birds in the all-sucrose group stopped eating fruits altogether. At the level tested, sucrose was a strong associative repellent for starlings, probably because of induced postingestional distress due to their inability to digest sucrose. In contrast, waxwings can digest sucrose, but appear unable to maintain positive energy balance feeding solely on high-sucrose fruits. Development of high-sucrose cultivars may alleviate depredation to fruit crops by sucrose-deficient species
Decentralized H ∞ control

This paper presents a method based on the use of algebraic Riccati equations for designing a decentralized control law. The designs provide both greater computational ease as well as improved H∞ performance over previous designs. Results are given in both the continuous and discrete time settings.
Sequence and characterization of an insertion sequence, IS711, from Brucella ovis

The nucleotide (nt) sequence of a previously discovered insertion in Brucella ovis was determined and found to have the hallmarks of an insertion sequence (IS). The element, designated IS711, of 842 bp, is similar in G + C content to that of the Brucella genome and is bounded by 20-bp imperfect inverted repeats (IR). The element appears to duplicate the nt TA of a consensus target site, YTAR (R, purines; Y, pyrimidines). When the complete nt sequence of four elements and 300 bp of the 3' ends of five other elements were compared to IS711 and to each other, minor nt sequence variations were found amongst most of them. Similar to several other transposable elements, IS711 has overlapping ORFs rather than one long ORF extending the length of the element. Even though only ten B. ovis IS711 elements were characterized, in three cases we found these elements flanked by either identical or similar nt sequences. This suggests that some target sites are hot spots for insertion and that some of the elements may be duplicated by mechanisms other than transposition. No DNA or protein database entries had an obvious resemblance to either IS711 or its deduced gene products.
Teaching educators to deal with death

Abstract Although school counselors, teachers, and other members of the school staff frequently are called upon to help students with death-related concerns, most educators have had little, if any, training in the area of death and dying. This article describes a seminar on death conducted for school counselors and teachers. The goals, content, and procedures used in this seminar are described in detail. Also presented are participants' evaluations of the seminar as well as specific activities undertaken as a direct result of the course.
Physiological function as regulation of large transcriptional programs: the cellular response to genotoxic stress.

Abstract The responses to ionizing radiation and other genotoxic environmental stresses are complex and are regulated by a number of overlapping molecular pathways. One such stress signaling pathway involves p53, which regulates the expression of over 100 genes already identified. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that the pattern of stress gene expression has some cell type specificity. It may be possible to exploit these differences in stress gene responsiveness as molecular markers through the use of a combined informatics and functional genomics approach. The techniques of microarray analysis potentially offer the opportunity to monitor changes in gene expression across the entire set of expressed genes in a cell or organism. As an initial step in the development of a functional genomics approach to stress gene analysis, we have recently demonstrated the utility of cDNA microarray hybridization to measure radiation-stress gene responses and identified a number of previously unknown radiation-regulated genes. The responses of some of these genes to DNA-damaging agents vary widely in cell lines from different tissues of origin and different genetic backgrounds. While this again highlights the importance of a cellular context to genotoxic stress responses, it also raises the prospect of expression-profiling of cell lines, tissues, and tumors. Such profiles may have a predictive value if they can define regions of ‘expression space’ that correlate with important endpoints, such as response to cancer therapy regimens, or identification of exposures to environmental toxins.
Transverse Momentum and Angular Distributions of Hadrons in Muon-Proton Scattering and Tests of Quantum Chromodynamics

The properties of the transverse momenta and angular distributions of hadrons produced in muon-proton scattering with first-order quantum-chromodynamics calculations. The quantum-chromodynamics prediction for the Q/sup 2/ dependence of the average hadron transverse momentum squared agrees with the data provided a constant term is added in quadrature to the prediction. This additive term is attributed to the intrinsic transverse momentum of the quarks in the nucleon and to the transverse momentum inherent in quark fragmentation.
398: Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with enhanced amniotic fluid and placental cytokine levels in an animal model

than 38 days were spent in the hospital, post-natal surgery became the cheaper strategy but fetal surgery remains dominant. Fetal repair of MMC in a hypothetical cohort of 1000 women would yield 526 fewer shunts and 395 fewer non-ambulatory toddlers at age 30-months, but result in 290 additional PTBs and 18 additional cases of RDS. CONCLUSION: Fetal MMC repair is cost-effective from a societal perspective, but trades improved post-natal outcomes for higher rates of preterm birth-associated and maternal morbidities. However, given the significant investment required to initiate and maintain such programs, the most cost-effective strategy from the institutional perspective deserves further analysis
Parents' evaluations of genetic counselling

Genetic counseling represents a new and important health service, but little is known about how the clients of genetic clinics actually experience and view the genetic counseling process. This paper reports on the evaluations made by clients of a genetics clinic and their recommendations for ways to improve and expand this service. In their comments, clients stressed the need for more time and individual attention from genetic counsellors, additional follow-up and supportive counselling, and increased efforts to educate the general public about birth defects. Their recommendations are discussed in terms of the implications for developing and improving genetic counselling services.
A Set of Equations for Computing Equilibrium Ratios of a Crude Oil/Natural Gas System at Pressures Below 1,000 psia

Equations are presented for computing equilibrium ratios (K values) for calculating flash vaporizations at conditions usually found in oilfield gas-oil separation processes (temperatures between 40/sup 0/ and 200/sup 0/F and pressures below 1000 psia). Simple enough for small programmable calculators, the equations were developed from K values derived experimentally by Katz and Hachmuth in 1937.
Salt water modeling of fire induced flows in multicompartment enclosures

Salt water modeling is used to study fire-induced flows in multicompartment structures. Scaling laws relating salt water flows and hot gas flows are developed. Results from 1/20 scale salt water simulations of fire-induced flows in a single-story multiroom structure are shown to be in good agreement with available full-scale results. Experiments involving a 1/20 scale model of a U.S. Navy ship demonstrate the feasibility of using the technique to study hot gas flows in compartmented structures too complex to study economically by other means.
Contextualizing Procedural Fairness: Factors Mediating the Effect of Process Control on Leadership Evaluation in Organizations

Two studies were conducted to examine contextual mediators of the relationship between process control and evaluations of authority in organizations. Specifically, the studies investigated the role in this relationship of intragroup conflict, the necessity for future cooperation, and group members' level of experience. In Study 1, subjects with current experience working in schools were led to believe that future cooperation among teachers in a hypothetical school was important, and thus were more likely to give a favorable evaluation to a leader who used a decision-making procedure lacking in process control than were subjects who had not worked in a school. The experienced subjects in the future cooperation condition also judged that cooperation among group members would more likely be saved by this procedure. In Study 2 -- a survey conducted in several elementary and high schools -- experienced teachers who perceived considerable need for future cooperation in their schools placed less emphasis on proc...
Computational Studies on HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors: Influence of Calculated Inhibitor−Enzyme Binding Affinities on the Statistical Quality of 3D-QSAR CoMFA Models

A theoretical study was performed on a set of 38 human immunodeficiency type 1 (HIV-1) protease inhibitors that are structurally similar to the AIDS drug Indinavir. Comparison between the computed binding energies and experimental activity data (pIC50) found a high degree of correlation (r2 = 0.82). Three-dimensional quantitative structure−activity relationship (3D-QSAR) models using comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) yielded predicted activities that were in excellent agreement with the corresponding experimentally determined values. Inclusion of the calculated enzyme−inhibitor binding energy as an additional descriptor in the CoMFA model yielded a significant improvement in the internal predictive ability of our model (q2 = 0.45 to q2 = 0.69). Separate CoMFA models were constructed to evaluate the influence of different alignment schemes (Atom Fit and Field Fit) and different partial atomic charge assignment schemes (Discover CVFF, Gasteiger−Marsili, and AM1-ESP) on the statistical quality of ...
Use of isotope effects to deduce the chemical mechanism of fumarase

The pH variation of primary 18O and primary and secondary deuterium isotope effects has been determined by the use of the equilibrium perturbation method for the reaction catalyzed by fumarase. The primary 18O effect is 1.073 from the malate side at pH 5 (with an equilibrium 18O effect of 1.033) but decreases rapidly to near unity above pH 7. The primary deuterium isotope effect is near unity at pH 5 and 9 but is strongly inverse at neutral pH (0.915 from the malate said at pH 7, compared to the equilibrium isotope effect of 0.98). Secondary isotope effects with dideuterated substrates from (Brant malate side were 1.31 at pH 5-6 but decreased to a value of 1.08 at pH 9.6 (the equilibrium isotope effect is 1.45). These data are interpreted to mean that the 3R proton of malate is transferred to a group (probably carboxyl) on the enzyme with a fractionation factor relative to water of at least 1.2, to give a carbanion intermediate with an acicarboxylate structure which is tetrahedral at C-2 and trigonal at C-3. Carbon-oxygen bond cleavage accompanied by proton transfer from a group (probably imidazole) on the enzyme then gives water and fumarate. By quantities analysis of the isotope effects, partition ratios for forward and reverse reaction of the E-malate, EH-carbanion, and EH-H2O-fumarate intermediates are calculated as a function of pH. The commitments to catalysis of malate, fumarate, water, and the proton on the enzyme are small at pH 5, and carbon-oxygen bond breaking is totally rate limiting. At neutral and high pH, however, the commitment factors (except that for water) are large, so that no 18O isotope effect is seen, and the other isotope effects are equilibrium ones, with the exact value seen depending on the ratio of forward and reverse commitments.
Predicting the coherent X-ray wavefront focal properties at the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) X-ray free electron laser

The first X-ray free electron laser (XFEL) at keV energies will be the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), located at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Scheduled to begin operation in 2009, this first-of-a-kind X-ray source will produce ultra-short X-ray pulses of unprecedented brightness in the 0.8 to 8 keV first harmonic photon energy regime. Much effort has been invested in predicting and modeling the XFEL photon source properties at the undulator exit; however, as most LCLS experiments are ultimately dependent on the beam focal spot properties it is equally as important to understand the XFEL beam at the endstations where the experiments are performed. Here, we use newly available precision surface metrology data from actual LCLS mirrors combined with a scalar diffraction model to predict the LCLS beam properties in the experiment chambers.
Characterization of the mUBC9-binding Sites Required for E2A Protein Degradation

Mammalian Ubc9 (mUbc9) is required for rapid degradation of the E2A proteins E12 and E47 by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. We have shown elsewhere that mUbc9 interacts with amino acids 477–530 of E12/E47. Here we test the hypothesis that this region, rich in proline, glutamic acid, serine, and threonine (PEST) residues, serves as the E2A protein degradation domain (DD). An E2A protein lacking this region, E47Δ(478–531), was significantly more stable than wild-type E47(half-life of more than 6 h versus55 min). Deletion of the E2A DD had no effect on the E-box-binding and transcriptional activity of E47. We mapped two discreet mUbc9-interacting regions within the E2A DD: amino acids 476–494 and 505–513. E2A(505–513) interacted with mUbc9 but not with human Ubc5, MyoD, Id3, or the polymyositis-scleroderma autoantigen. Substitution of the E2A(505–513) central hydrophobic residues with basic residues abolished interaction with mUbc9. Also, full-length E47 lacking the second mUbc9-interacting region was significantly more stable than wild-type E47. Reintroduction of the E2A DD into the long-lived, naturally occurring chimeric oncoprotein E2A-HLF (hepatic leukemic factor) destabilized it, suggesting that this domain can transfer a degradation signal to a heterologous protein. E2A-HLF-DD chimeric protein was stabilized by the proteasome inhibitor LLNL, indicating the role of the ubiquitin-proteasome system mediating degradation through the E2A degradation domain. Our experiments indicate that the E2A DD mediates E2A protein interactions with the ubiquitin-proteasome system and that the E2A DD is required for metabolism of these widely expressed proteins.
Imposing Smoothness Priors in Applied Welfare Economics: An Application of the Information Contract Curve to Environmental Regulatory Analysis

Economic effects of public policy alternatives often are analyzed with simulation models. The value of simulation is enhanced when model parameters can credibly be estimated econometrically. But unrestricted estimation can be expected to result in problematic estimates, for example, estimated parameters contrary in sign to what economic theory dictates. The information contract curve (ICC), developed by Leamer, provides a flexible means to impose regularity on estimated parameters at minimum-likelihood cost. We extend the ICC methodology, using conically uniform priors, and apply it to measuring the welfare costs of environmental regulations in the U.S. pulp, paper, and paperboard industry.
Olfactory preferences resulting from mere exposure in human neonates

Abstract Twenty-four (12 males, 12 females) healthy, full-term neonates were exposed to an artificial odorant within the first day after birth for approximately 24 hrs to determine if mere exposure would lead to a subsequent preference for that odor. In choice tests following the treatment period, female infants displayed preferential orientation to the exposure odor. Males, in contrast, displayed no evidence of preference for the exposure odor; rather, they demonstrated a right turning bias regardless of odor location. These data suggest that familiarization with an odor shortly after birth is sufficient for female infants to develop preferential responsiveness to that odor.
Whistlers and VLF noises propagating just outside the plasmapause

Ground-based recordings have been made of broadband whistler mode signals propagating along the plasmasphere outer surface, i.e., beyond the region of steep plasmapause density gradients. In contrast to features found in other field line regions, the extension of signal frequencies into the 0.5-0.8 f(Heq) range is observed, (where f(Heq) is the equatorial electron gyrofrequency of the path). The effects are exhibited by the fine structure of the knee trace and other plasmapause irregularities, amplitude peaks and emissionlike behavior above the nose frequency, whistler mode echoing above 0.5 f(Heq), and narrowband noises and noise bursts propagating along the plasmapause outer surface.
Studies on the Black Box: incorporation of 3-oxo-7-dehydrocholesterol into ecdysteroids by Drosophila melanogaster and Manduca sexta.

Abstract It has long been hypothesized that the oxidation of 7-dehydrocholesterol (7dC), made from dietary cholesterol (C), to 3-oxo-7dC (3-oxo-Δ 5,7 C) immediately precedes the unknown “Black Box” oxidations that lead to the formation of the first up-stream intermediate exhibiting the highly characteristic ecdysteroid structure of the steroid molting hormone of insects, crustaceans and some other arthropods. Perhaps rate-limiting and under the control of the prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH), the biosynthesis of 3-oxo-7dC and its subsequent oxidative modifications have been difficult to study because of their apparent instability, i.e. no intermediates between 7dC and the diketol (3-oxo-25,22,2-trideoxyecdysone) have ever been observed or identified in insect prothoracic gland incubations with radiolabelled precursors. However, we show that 3-oxo-7dC can be converted into lipophilic, photosensitive, ketone-blocked (PSKB) ketal derivatives which will release 3-oxo-7dC when and where desired following brief irradiation with innocuous long-wave (365 nm) UV-light both in vivo and in vitro. In this manner, 3-oxo-7dC is quickly and efficiently incorporated into ecdysteroids by adult male and female Drosophila raised on a diet containing the PSKB ketals and in prothoracic glands of Manduca sexta incubated with the ketals emulsified into media. The instability of 3-oxo-7dC and its spontaneous transformation into extensively electron-delocalized intermediates will be discussed in relation to a possible mechanism of the Black Box oxidations eventually leading to the production of the active molting hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E).
Beyond structural genomics: computational approaches for the identification of ligand binding sites in protein structures

Structural genomics projects have revealed structures for a large number of proteins of unknown function. Understanding the interactions between these proteins and their ligands would provide an initial step in their functional characterization. Binding site identification methods are a fast and cost-effective way to facilitate the characterization of functionally important protein regions. In this review we describe our recently developed methods for binding site identification in the context of existing methods. The advantage of energy-based approaches is emphasized, since they provide flexibility in the identification and characterization of different types of binding sites.
A method for differentially coherent multichannel processing of acoustic OFDM signals

We propose a low complexity array processing method for differential detection of OFDM signals over underwater acoustic channels. Partial FFT technique, developed previously for mitigating inter-carrier interference in single-channel receivers operating over time-varying channels, is extended to multichannel configuration. Performance results based on simulation and experimental data demonstrate the advantage of the proposed method compared to conventional differential and coherent detection.
Regulation of the reovirus RNA transcriptase by a viral capsomere protein

Abstract Reovirus subviral particles combine spontaneously in vitro with soluble viral proteins to form a particle which is similar to the intact virion in structure and buoyant density. The RNA transcriptase activity which is manifest in the subviral particle becomes masked in the reassembled virions. The viral protein responsible for these structural and functional alterations has been identified as the major outer capsomere protein, σ3.
Fingerprinting with Wow

Wow, or time warping caused by speed fluctuations in analog audio equipment, provides a wealth of applications in watermarking. Very subtle temporal distortion has been used to defeat watermarks, and as components in watermarking systems. In the image domain, the analogous warping of an image's canvas has been used both to defeat watermarks and also proposed to prevent collusion attacks on fingerprinting systems. In this paper, we explore how subliminal levels of wow can be used for steganography and fingerprinting. We present both a low-bitrate robust solution and a higher-bitrate solution intended for steganographic communication. As already observed, such a fingerprinting algorithm naturally discourages collusion by averaging, owing to flanging effects when misaligned audio is averaged. Another advantage of warping is that even when imperceptible, it can be beyond the reach of compression algorithms. We use this opportunity to debunk the common misconception that steganography is impossible under "perfect compression."
Dark stars: a new study of the first stars in the Universe

We have proposed that the first phase of stellar evolution in the history of the Universe may be dark stars (DSs), powered by dark matter (DM) heating rather than by nuclear fusion. Weakly interacting massive particles, which may be their own antipartners, collect inside the first stars and annihilate to produce a heat source that can power the stars. A new stellar phase results, a DS, powered by DM annihilation as long as there is DM fuel, with lifetimes from millions to billions of years. We find that the first stars are very bright (~106L⊙) and cool (Tsurf 50 000 K); hence DS should be observationally distinct from standard Pop III stars. Once the DM fuel is exhausted, the DS becomes a heavy main sequence star; these stars eventually collapse to form massive black holes that may provide seeds for supermassive black holes observed at early times as well as explanations for recent ARCADE data and for intermediate black holes.
Robust room-temperature magnetism of (110) CrO 2 thin films

We have used x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) and ab initio electronic-structure calculation techniques to investigate the magnetic properties of high-quality epitaxial (110) and (100) ${\text{CrO}}_{2}$ thin films. A relatively larger XMCD was observed on the $\text{Cr}\text{ }{L}_{2,3}$ edge of (110)-oriented ${\text{CrO}}_{2}$ films compared to (100)-oriented ${\text{CrO}}_{2}$ films at room temperature. Analysis of our data with conventional sum rules for $3d$ elements shows a nearly 50% higher spin moment on (110) films compared to (100) orientation, consistent with bulk magnetometry measurements. The orbital moment is found to be similar for both orientations. Robust magnetism is attributed to increased collinearity of Cr spins in strain-free (110) films as compared to strained (100) films. Zero-temperature density-functional calculations show opposing trends in nearest-neighbor and next-nearest-neighbor exchange interactions between relaxed and strained ${\text{CrO}}_{2}$.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF OCHREOUS PRECIPITATES FROM OHIO COAL MINE DRAINAGE

Ochreous precipitates and associated solutions were collected from waters draining abandoned coal works at 28 locations in eastern Ohio. Major and trace element contents of the precipitates were determined, and comparisons were made with source solutions to evaluate the effects of pH, organic C, and ionic strength on solid-phase composition and trace metal distribution
Meta-Path-Based Search and Mining in Heterogeneous Information Networks

Information networks that can be extracted from many domains are widely studied recently. Different functions for mining these networks are proposed and developed, such as ranking, community detection, and link prediction. Most existing network studies are on homogeneous networks, where nodes and links are assumed from one single type. In reality, however, heterogeneous information networks can better model the real-world systems, which are typically semi-structured and typed, following a network schema. In order to mine these heterogeneous information networks directly, we propose to explore the meta structure of the information network, i.e., the network schema. The concepts of meta-paths are proposed to systematically capture numerous semantic relationships across multiple types of objects, which are defined as a path over the graph of network schema. Meta-paths can provide guidance for search and mining of the network and help analyze and understand the semantic meaning of the objects and relations in the network. Under this framework, similarity search and other mining tasks such as relationship prediction and clustering can be addressed by systematic exploration of the network meta structure. Moreover, with user's guidance or feedback, we can select the best meta-path or their weighted combination for a specific mining task.
Alpha-NREM sleep distributed across the 24-hour day in a legally blind elderly male

A 77-year-old married man was evaluated in our Sleep Evaluation Center for a 6-month history of excessive daytime sleepiness. By reported history and a 2-week sleep diary, he showed a polyphasic sleep-wake rhythm, which, by itself, is not unusual in this age group (Tune, 1969a,b; Webb 1969; Miles and Dement 1980). However, 2 consecutive nights of polysomnography, followed by a Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT), revealed a continuous well-formed alpha rhythm coincident with all NREM sleep recorded. Except for a 40-second fragment on the second night of recording, REM sleep was absent. Delta sleep was the predominant form of NREM sleep recorded in this patient, and it was recorded during the second half of both nights and throughout all four daytime naps (MSLT). To our knowledge, this is the first case description of a sleep-wake rhythm that shows not only a breakdown in the regulation of sleep and waking as distinct states, but also a redistribution of electroencephalographic (EEG) sleep architecture across the 24-hr period.
Optical thin films deposited by energetic particle processes

Various processes can generate energetic particles suitable for thin film deposition. In some more commonly used energetic deposition processes, auxiliary ions bombard a growing film, or evaporated coating material is ionized and accelerated toward the substrate. Ion assisted deposition (IAD), ion beam deposition (IBD), ionized cluster beam deposition (ICBD), and reactive low voltage ion plating (RLVIP) are such processes. Coating material species can be ejected also from a solid target at high velocity, for example, in ion beam sputtering (IBS). These processes generate an average energy per deposited particle that is significantly higher than for thermal or electron beam evaporation (where it is only approximately equals 0.1 eV). Higher energy results in higher surface mobility and, in turn, higher density of the growing films, as the condensing species can fill all or most of the available surface sites. The effect of higher particle energy (>= 5 eV) on thin film deposition is comparable to a transient liquid film formation. This is true even for highly refractory oxides if the thermal equivalent of the average particle energy exceeds the melting point of the coating material. An extension of the well-known structure zone model of Movchan and Demchishin with a Zone 4 represents the vitreous phase seen for some oxide thin films deposited with energetic particle processes.
Eyewitness memory in late bilinguals: Evidence for discursive relativity

Loftus and Palmer's(1974) ingenious experiments convincingly demonstrated that linguistic changes in the verbal framing of questions result in changes in eyewitness testimonies. Their findings have inspired a new line of research investigating the relationship between language and eyewitness memory. The present study expands the focus of inquiry to bilingual individuals and examines ways in which cross-linguistic differences—and second language learning in adulthood—may influence the participants' performance on memory tasks involving visual recall. The results demonstrate that in instances where availability—or lack—of certain lexically encoded concepts led to differences in narratives elicited from monolingual speakers of Russian and American English, there were also differences between the two bilingual groups. Russians who learned English as a foreign language patterned with monolingual Russians in their recall, while Russians who learned English as a second language used additional interpretive frame...
Pauli forbidden states and nucleus-nucleus potentials

We discuss the tangible consequences of the existence of Pauli forbidden states of relative motion of two nuclei for the nucleus-nucleus interaction. The ranges of the influence of the Pauli forbidden states are tabulated for the systems /sup 12/C-/sup 12,13,14/C, /sup 14/C-/sup 14/C, /sup 12,14/C-/sup 16/O, /sup 16/O-/sup 16/O, ..cap alpha..-/sup 28/Si, and ..cap alpha..-/sup 40/Ca.
Structure-activity relationships of the peptides released from canine fibrinogen by thrombin

Abstract The peptides released from canine fibrinogen by thrombin were isolated, purified and investigated for biological activity with reference to its relationship to peptide structure. Three peptides are released by canine thrombin from canine fibrinogen concomitant with the formation of fibrin polymer. One of these peptides, the canine A, possesses the ability to potentiate the bradykinin-induced contraction of rat uterine muscle in the estrus cycle. Structural degradation of over half of the molecule was performed on the peptide without loss of biologic activity; however, additional degradation resulted in progressive loss of activity. Comparison of the “active site” of the A peptide with other species indicates that the negative charge distribution of the peptide in the N-terminal portion may be responsible for the observed in vitro activity and that this site may play a role in the regulation of the microcirculation.
Fluorescence assay of high concentrations of DPNH and TPNH in a spectrophotofluorometer.

Abstract Under conditions usually employed to measure DPNH and TPNH fluorescence in spectrophotofluorometers, the curve of fluorescence vs. concentration (response curve) becomes nonlinear above a concentration of 10 −5 M . The nonlinearity is due to absorption of the incident light by the solution rather than reabsorption of the emitted light, because the corrected excitation and emission spectra of DPNH show little overlap. The response curve can be improved by use of a cell holder modified to allow eccentric placement of the cuvette, or by the use of a microcell with a short path length. Furthermore, since the absorbancy of DPNH and TPNH is low at 395 mμ, excitation with the monochromator set at this wavelength produces response curves which are linear up to 5 × 10 −4 M , if used in conjunction with a microcell.
The temperature sensitivity of elastic wave velocity at high pressure: New results for molybdenum

A new experimental technique is described whereby a material is heated to very high temperature (T), shock compressed to high pressure (P) (and higher T), and the compressional elastic wave velocity of the high P and T state is measured. This method has been applied to the high-pressure standard molybdenum at pressures between 12 and 81 GPa and at an initial temperature of 1400°C. The compressional velocity of Mo at 2450°C and 81 GPa is found to be 7.91 km/s, compared to a calculated value of 8.36 km/s at 81 GPa along the 25°C isotherm. Data for molybdenum, a number of other metals, and a silicate yield a consistent trend which can be used to determine the scaling coefficient between compressional velocity and temperature at geophysically relevant conditions.
Net Energy Dissipation Rates in the Tropical Ocean and ENSO Dynamics

Abstract How unstable is the tropical ocean–atmosphere system? Are two successive El Nino events independent, or are they part of a continual (perhaps weakly damped) cycle sustained by random atmospheric disturbances? How important is energy dissipation for ENSO dynamics? These closely related questions are frequently raised in connection with several climate problems ranging from El Nino predictability to the impact of atmospheric “noise” on ENSO. One of the factors influencing the system’s stability and other relevant properties is the damping (decay) time scale for the thermocline anomalies associated with the large-scale oceanic motion. Here this time scale is estimated by considering energy balance and net energy dissipation in the tropical ocean and it is shown that there are two distinct dissipative regimes: in the interannual frequency band the damping rate is approximately (2.3 yr)−1; however, in a near-annual frequency range the damping appears to be much stronger, roughly (8 months)−1.
Infrared multiphoton dissociation of UF6

Abstract Infrared multiphoton dissociation of UF 6 has been demonstrated with a 16μm CF 4 laser. The process has been detected by Mie scattering from dissociated particulates and by infrared fluorescence from the HF produced in the exothermic reaction of one of the dissociation products, fluorine, with added hydrogen buffer gas. A threshold and dissociation yield similar to that reported for SF 6 has been found.