cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of Adsorption and Desorption of PEO-PPO-PEO Triblock Copolymers on a Self-Assembled Hydrophobic Surface

We report on the kinetic behavior of adsorption from solution of a family of triblock copolymers, copoly(ethylene oxide−propylene oxide-ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO), on a gold surface modified by ...
THE VATICAN AND THE RESHAPING OF THE EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL ORDER AFTER THE FIRST WORLD WAR

The Vatican is often cast as a marginal player in the reshaping of the European international order after the First World War. Drawing on new archival material, this article argues for a reassessment of the content and consequences of papal diplomacy. It focuses on the years between 1917 and 1929, during which time the Vatican used the tools of international law and state-to-state diplomacy to expand its power in both eastern and western Europe. The Vatican's interwar activism sought to disseminate a new Catholic vision of international affairs, which militated against the separation of church and state, and in many contexts helped undermine the principles of the League of Nations’ minority rights regime. Thanks in no small part to the assiduity of individual papal diplomats – who disseminated the new Catholic vision of international affairs by supporting anti-communist political factions – the Vatican was able to claim a more prominent role in European political affairs and lay the legal and discursive foundations for an alternate conception of the European international order, conceived in starkly anti-secular terms.
Molecular Mechanism of Apolipoprotein E Binding to Lipoprotein Particles

The exchangeability of apolipoprotein (apo) E between lipoprotein particles such as very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) is critical for lipoprotein metabolism, but despite its importance, the kinetics and mechanism of apoE-lipoprotein interaction are not known. We have used surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to monitor in real time the reversible binding of apoE to human VLDL and HDL(3); biotinylated lipoproteins were immobilized on a streptavidin-coated SPR sensor chip, and solutions containing various human apoE molecules at different concentrations were passed across the surface. Analysis of the resultant sensorgrams indicated that the apoE3-lipoprotein interaction is a two-step process. After an initial interaction, the second slower step involves opening of the N-terminal helix bundle domain of the apoE molecule. Destabilization of this domain leads to more rapid interfacial rearrangement which is seen when the lipoprotein binding of apoE4 is compared to that of apoE3. The resultant differences in interfacial packing seem to underlie the differing abilities of apoE4 and apoE3 to bind to VLDL and HDL(3). The measured dissociation constants for apoE binding to these lipoprotein particles are in the micromolar range. C-Terminal truncations of apoE to remove the lipid binding region spanning residues 250-299 reduce the level of binding to both types of lipoprotein, but the effect is weaker with HDL(3); this suggests that protein-protein interactions are important for apoE binding to this lipoprotein while apoE-lipid interactions are more significant for VLDL binding. The two-step mechanism of lipoprotein binding exhibited by apoE is likely to apply to other members of the exchangeable apolipoprotein family.
An Evaluation of Heuristic Methods for Determining the Best Table Mix In Full-Service Restaurants

Abstract Little research has been done on the optimal mix of supply in service businesses that maximizes revenue. Our research context is the full-service restaurant table mix problem. This problem, which is quite new to the literature, finds the optimal number of different size tables for a restaurant to maximize its value (revenue or contribution) generating potential. Specifically, we examine the effectiveness of eight heuristic techniques for the problem using two experiments. The first experiment uses data from a 240-seat full-service restaurant to evaluate all eight heuristics, while the second experiment investigates the performance of selected heuristics under a broader set of environmental factors. The results of our first experiment showed that the better of the simulated annealing heuristic variants yielded the optimal solution in seven of eight test problems, averaging within 0.1% of optimal. Our second experiment showed that the simplest of the models we investigated yielded solutions within 1% of the simulated annealing solution. Finally, we observed that altering the table mix on a daily basis increased performance by over 1% compared to maintaining the optimal weekly table mix.
What the Children Said: Children's Narrative Constructions of the Events of 9/11 in Psychotherapy

This article is based on a study of children's narrative constructions of the events of September 11 as told to their psychotherapists. Twenty psychoanalytically oriented child therapists were interviewed for case vignettes illustrating how children narrated their responses to the attacks on the World Trade Center. The therapists presented 45 different cases, some of which are discussed here. The narratives included accounts that were verbal or utilized symbolic play content or enactments and, drawings as part of play therapy. The vignettes are discussed utilizing narrative theories, narratology, and psychoanalytic and trauma perspectives. These cases reflected children who lost a parent, relative, or friend; were forced to relocate; children who witnessed the attacks personally or on television; and children who became symptomatic after the attacks. Therapists interviewed worked in school settings, clinics, or in private practice.
Unique normal forms for planar vector fields

Soit X un germe d'un champ vectoriel analytique (ou formel) en equilibre a O∈R 2 avec des valeurs propres purement imaginaires ±[a 0 i, a 0 >0. Alors X est formellement equivalent a precisement un des champs vectoriels polynomiaux suivant (ou x=(ρ) 1/2 cosφ, y=(ρ) 1/2 sin φ, pour des coordonnees appropriees (x, y)):(#7B-A 0 ): a 0 ∂/∂φ; (#7B-A k , ±): (a 0 ±[ρ k )∂/∂φ; (#7B-B j , ±): (a 0 +a 1 ρ+...+a j ρ j )∂/∂φ±ρ j (1+bρ j )∂/∂ρ, j>0
A quantitative explanation and precise measurement of the pulse height shift associated with nuclear reaction peaks in solid state detectors

Abstract Nuclear interactions that take place in a lithium-drifted silicon detector have been observed with an incident beam of 15 MeV protons. The energy and intensity of a number of escape peaks are enumerated. A calculation has been carried out to predict these quantities for the escape peak due to inelastic scattering from the 1.77 MeV state of 28 Si and good agreement has been found with the experimental results.
PREDICTING THE FATIGUE BEHAVIOR OF WELDMENTS FOR RANDOM LOADS

Because of the simplicity of laboratory tests when compared with real service conditions and many simplifying design assumptions, the resulting design provisions have been very general and often overly conservative. The recent developments in structural safety and reliability have provided bases upon which random loadings and reliability criteria can be used to develop simple but more realistic fatigue design criteria. To provide an indication of the applicability of some of these new hypotheses, laboratory tests conducted on butt-welded joints in structural steel and tested under a tension-biased random loading have been compared with a proposed random loading fatigue design criteria. Although of limited scope, the excellent correlation of the data indicates that more realistic design procedures for random loadings now are possible and can be used readily for the fatigue design of welded structures.
226Ra in the western Indian Ocean

Abstract 226 Ra profiles have been measured in the western Indian Ocean as part of the 1977–1978 Indian Ocean GEOSECS program. These profiles show a general increase in deep and bottom water Ra concentration from the Circumpolar region to the Arabian Sea. A deep Ra maximum which originates in the Arabian Sea and in the Somali basin at about 3000 m depth spreads southward into the Mascarene basin and remains discernible in the Madagascar and Crozet basins. In the western Indian Ocean, the cold Antarctic Bottom Water spreads northward under the possibly southward-flowing deep water, forming a clear benthic front along the Crozet basin across the Southwest Indian Ridge into the Madagascar and Mascarene basins. The Antarctic Bottom Water continues to spread farther north to the Somali basin through the Amirante Passage at 10°S as a western boundary current. The benthic front and other characteristic features in the western Indian Ocean are quite similar to those observed in the western Pacific where the benthic front as a distinctive feature was first described by Craig et al. [15]. Across the Mid-Indian Ridge toward the Ceylon abyssal plain near the triple junction, Ra profiles display a layered structure, reflecting the topographic effect of the mid-ocean ridge system on the mixing and circulation of the deep and bottom waters. Both Ra and Si show a deep maximum north of the Madagascar basin. Linear relationships between these two elements are observed in the deep and bottom water with slopes increasing northward. This suggests a preferential input of Ra over Si from the bottom sediments of the Arabian Sea and also from the flank sediments of the Somali basin.
Conflict of Interest and Value: An Analysis of Negotiations between Taiwan and China, 1992-1998

In the 1990s, Taiwan and China conducted over twenty rounds of negotiations through the semi-official Strait Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS) concerning the following issues: notarized papers, registered mail, illegal immigration, fishing disputes, airplane hijacking, and post-1997 shipping links between Taiwan and Hong Kong. Regrouping these issues into rights, law-and-order, and shipping, this study analyzes the differences in the negotiation processes and outcomes through variations of value-interest alignments and their perceived impact on future policy objectives.
CARER: Efficient dynamic sensing for continuous activity monitoring

Advancement in wireless health sensor systems has triggered rapidly expanding research in continuous activity monitoring for chronic disease management or promotion and assessment of physical rehabilitation. Wireless motion sensing is increasingly important in treatments where remote collection of sensor measurements can provide an in-field objective evaluation of physical activity patterns. The well-known challenge of limited operating lifetime of energy-constrained wireless health sensor systems continues to present a primary limitation for these applications. This paper introduces CARER, a software system that supports a novel algorithm that exploits knowledge of context and dynamically schedules sensor measurement episodes within an energy consumption budget while ensuring classification accuracy. The sensor selection algorithm in the CARER system is based on Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP). The parameters for the POMDP algorithm can be obtained through standard maximum likelihood estimation. Sensor data are also collected from multiple locations of the subjects body, providing estimation of an individual's daily activity patterns.
Reflections from a randomly grooved interface: ultrasonic modelling and finite‐diff erence calculation1

This study utilizes ultrasonic water tank modelling to examine the complexities which can result when seismic energy is diffracted by even a simple 3D interface structure. Ultrasonic laboratory modelling is carried out in our in-house water tank, using an aluminum block to simulate very simple ocean-bottom topography. The topography consists of parallel depressions which simulate valleys running parallel to a mid-ocean spreading ridge. This study shows that the phase and amplitude of primary ocean-bottom reflections can vary strongly with the azimuth of propagation. The trailing energy coda also varies dramatically as a function of propagation direction, showing the importance of developing a seismic model which includes the full 3D azimuthal distribution of interface structure.
CHLORIDE ENHANCEMENT OF QUENCHING OF TRIPLET METHYLENE BLUE BY Fe(II)

— The influence of chloride ion on the rate of decay of triplet methylene blue in 0.01 M acid in the absence and presence of ferrous ions was investigated by means of laser flash-photolysis monitored by kinetic spectrophotometry. Chloride weakly accelerates decay of 3MBH2± in aqueous solution in the absence of Fe(II). Quenching of 3MBH2+ by Fe(II) is more strongly catalyzed by Cl- in both water and 50 v/v% aq. CH3CN. The uncatalyzed quenching constant, k5, is of the order of 1 × 106M-1 s-1 while in 4.8 M aqueous chloride (μ– 7.2 M) k5= (37.2 ± 1.8) × 106M-1 s-1. A possible role of chloride is as a bridging species in quenching via electron transfer between 3MBH2+ and Fe(II).
Trellis Coded Modulation for 4800-9600 bits/s Transmission Over a Fading Mobile Satellite Channel

The combination of trellis coding and MPSK signaling with the addition of asymmetry to the signal set is discussed with regard to its suitabllity as a modulation/coding scheme for the fading mobile satellite channel. For MPSK, introducing nonuniformity (asymmetry) into the spacing between signal points in the constellation buys a further improvement in performance over that achievable with trellis coded symmetric MPSK, all this without increasing the average or peak power, or changing the bandwidth constraints imposed on the system. Whereas previous contributions have considered the performance of trellis coded modulation transmitted over an additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel, the emphasis in this paper is on the performance of trellis coded MPSK in the fading environment. The results will be obtained by using a combination of analysis and simulation. It will be assumed that the effect of the fading on the phase of the received signal is fully compensated for either by tracking it with some form of phase-locked loop or with pilot tone calibration techniques. Thus, our results will only reflect the degradation due to the effect of the fading on the amplitude of the received signal. Also, we shall consider only the case where interleaving/deinterleaving is employed to further combat the fading. This allows for considerable simplification of the analysis and is of great practical interest. Finally, the impact of the availability of channel state information on average bit error probability performance is assessed.
Effects of college climate on students' binge drinking: hierarchical generalized linear model.

Background Few studies have investigated the effect of college-level contextual factors on students' binge drinking. Most previous studies focused on the effect of individuals' characteristics on their binge drinking.
Combined use of T2‐weighted MRI and T1‐weighted dynamic contrast–enhanced MRI in the automated analysis of breast lesions

A multiparametric computer-aided diagnosis scheme that combines information from T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI and T2-weighted MRI was investigated using a database of 110 malignant and 86 benign breast lesions. Automatic lesion segmentation was performed, and three categories of lesion features (geometric, T1-weighted DCE, and T2-weighted) were automatically extracted. Stepwise feature selection was performed considering only geometric features, only T1-weighted DCE features, only T2-weighted features, and all features. Features were merged with Bayesian artificial neural networks, and diagnostic performance was evaluated by ROC analysis. With leave-one-lesion-out cross-validation, an area under the ROC curve value of 0.77±0.03 was achieved with T2-weighted-only features, indicating high diagnostic value of information in T2-weighted images. Area under the ROC curve values of 0.79±0.03 and 0.80 ± 0.03 were obtained for geometric-only features and T1-weighted DCE-only features, respectively. When all features were considered, an area under the ROC curve value of 0.85±0.03 was achieved. We observed P values of 0.006, 0.023, and 0.0014 between the geometric-only, T1-weighted DCE-only, and T2-weighted-only features and all features conditions, respectively. When ranked, the P values satisfied the Holm-Bonferroni multiple-comparison test; thus, the improvement of multiparametric computer-aided diagnosis was statistically significant. A computer-aided diagnosis scheme that combines information from T1-weighted DCE and T2-weighted MRI may be advantageous over conventional T1-weighted DCE-MRI computer-aided diagnosis.
How Prevalent is Performance-Related Pay in the United States? Current Incidence and Recent Trends:

We address basic questions about performance-related pay in the US. How widespread is it? What characteristics of employers and jobs are associated with it? What are recent trends in its incidence? What factors are responsible for these trends? Nearly two-fifths of hours worked in the US economy in 2013 were in jobs with performance-related pay, but this share has been declining. We consider several possible causes for this trend and find that they do not have much explanatory power. We do establish, however, that any potential explanation must also account for a long-term shift in the relative incidence of performance-related pay away from low-wage and toward high-wage jobs.
Catalytic activity of ethylene-bridged aminoacid-copper(II) complexes for the dismutation of superoxide

Abstract Copper complexes of bridged ethylene derivatives of the aminoacids leucine, isoleucine, valine, alanine, glycine and 2-methylalanine showed marked differences in their ability to quench superoxide. Leucine, alanine and 2-methylalanine ethylene-bridged copper complexes displayed the highest activity, the glycine complex was the least active, and valine had low and isoleucine intermediate activities. A study of differences in speciation, chelation, electronic and steric factors with the aid of molecular models led to a tentative hypothesis that the methyl groups of isoleucine and valine, when distorted toward tetrahedral, are able to block the axial site of copper from binding to superoxide. The glycine-bridged copper complex is believed to form a dimer at the axial copper site which completely blocks the attachment of superoxide.
The Inadequacy of Temperature Measurements in the Solar Corona through Narrowband Filter and Line Ratios

We analyze the determination of coronal line-of-sight temperatures with the technique of narrowband filter ratios that is currently employed for data obtained with the Transition Region and Coronal Explorer and the EUV Imaging Telescope on board the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. We demonstrate that the simple fact that the observed differential emission measure curves in coronal loops have a broad plateau everywhere along the length of the loop leads to the finding of isothermal loops with different temperatures for each pair of filters. We show that none of the temperatures thus obtained correctly describe the state of the loop plasma, which instead must be characterized by the full differential emission measure per pixel. We conclude that the recent discovery of a new class of isothermal loops is probably a mere artifact of the narrowband filter ratio method and show that the shift in the location of the plateau in the differential emission measure along the loop indicates significant heating near the loop tops.
A Simple Model for Understanding the Origin of the Amide Proton Transfer MRI Signal in Tissue

Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a new molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that gives contrast at the cellular protein level. To better understand the origin of the APT signal in tissue, fresh and cooked hen eggs (n = 4) were imaged at 4.7 T. The APT effect was quantified using the asymmetry in the magnetization transfer ratio (MTRasym) at the composite amide proton resonance frequency (3.5 ppm from the water resonance). The measured APT signals were significantly higher in the fresh egg white (20.1 ± 0.9%) than in the fresh egg yolk (−1.4 ± 1.1%; P < 0.001), and in the cooked egg white (2.8 ± 0.7%; P < 0.001), all of which have similar absolute protein contents. The data support the notion that the APT effect observed in vivo is associated with mobile proteins in tissue, such as those in the cytoplasm.
Negotiating the Slippery Slope: School Change and Literacy Achievement

Newspaper headlines from across the United States reflect the turmoil in public education today, with some states protesting federal requirements for testing, some states lowering proficiency requirements, other states raising proficiency requirements, and even kindergarten and preschool children facing higher academic expectations. These headlines, reflecting the accountability pressures of higher standards and high-stakes tests, are having predictable effects upon educators in schools. My home state of Hawaii is no exception. “Teachers say they're the ones being left behind,” stated a headline in the Honolulu Advertiser, while the line below read, “Morale low, frustration high among many” (DePledge, 2004).
Detecting Suspicious Behavior in Surveillance Images

We introduce a novel technique to detect anomalies in images. The notion of normalcy is given by a baseline of images, under the assumption that the majority of such images is normal. The key of our approach is a featureless probabilistic representation of images, based on the length of the codeword necessary to represent each image. Such codeword's lengths are then used for anomaly detection based on statistical testing. Our techniques were tested on synthetic and real data sets. The results show that our approach can achieve high true positive and low false positive rates.
Interferometric measurements of refractive index dispersion in polymers over the visible and near‐infrared spectral range

A low-coherence Michelson interferometric method for characterizing the refractive index and refractive index dispersion over the visible and near-infrared spectral ranges (350–1700 nm) is described. The method is particularly suited to measurements in optical materials that have flat, parallel surfaces. The accuracy and precision associated with the method are address from a theoretical standpoint and the technique is demonstrated through the collection of dispersion curves for a number of standard optical glasses and three common polymers (polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), and polycarbonate). The advantages and disadvantages of this method in comparison to conventional “refractometry” (i.e., the Abbe refractometer) are also addressed. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 100: 65–72, 2006
Dimethyl 1,3‐Acetonedicarboxylate

(1; R = Me) [1830-54-2] C7H10O5 (MW 174.15) InChI = 1S/C7H10O5/c1-11-6(9)3-5(8)4-7(10)12-2/h3-4H2,1-2H3 InChIKey = RNJOKCPFLQMDEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N (2; R = Et) [105-50-0] C9H14O5 (MW 202.21) InChI = 1S/C9H14O5/c1-3-13-8(11)5-7(10)6-9(12)14-4-2/h3-6H2,1-2H3 InChIKey = ZSANYRMTSBBUCA-UHFFFAOYSA-N (3; R = H) [542-05-2] C5H6O5 (MW 146.10) InChI = 1S/C5H6O5/c6-3(1-4(7)8)2-5(9)10/h1-2H2,(H,7,8)(H,9,10) InChIKey = OXTNCQMOKLOUAM-UHFFFAOYSA-N (acidic β-keto esters, which undergo 2∶1 condensations with α-dicarbonyl compounds to form bicyclo[3.3.0]octane-3,7-diones;1-6 Robinson–Schopf condensation to form piperidones;7 α,α- and α,α′-dialkylation with 1,n-dibromoalkanes; aldol and Claisen condensations with 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds;13 various heterocyclizations with nitriles and aldehydes;16 α,α′-aldol annulations with 1,2-enedials, producing tropone derivatives22) Physical Data: (1) bp 150 °C/25 mmHg; d 1.185 g cm−3. (2) bp 250 °C/760 mmHg; bp 140 °C/12 mmHg; d 1.113 g cm−3. (3) decomposes upon heating. Solubility: sol ethanol, methanol. Form Supplied in: colorless liquid. Purification: distillation at reduced pressure. Handling, Storage, and Precautions: can be stored in the refrigerator. Does not appear to be toxic.
How Planned Is “Planned Litigation”?

Civil rights litigation undertaken by lawyers associated with interest groups, particularly the NAACP and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), is of ten described as planned” litigation. This article examines litigation by these organizations from the late 1960s through the early 1980s to explore the extent to which “planned litigation” is planned. The author interviewed both staff attorneys for organizations participating in race relations litigation and “cooperating attorneys” associated with such organizations. Elements of planned litigation discussed are litigating organizations’ choices—of areas of law on which to focus, of cases, of federal or state courts, and of amicus curiae participation—and the dynamics of litigation—including relations between staff and cooperating attorneys, litigators’ control of cases, and the effect of Supreme Court decisions on litigation strategy. The interviews reveal that much interest-group civil rights litigation is not selected deductively on the basis of previously developed criteria but instead develops inductively from cases that come to the organizations and is affected by pressure and circumstance. Counter to the view, stemming from Brown v. Board of Education, that civil rights litigation is undertaken as planned “campaigns” based on “blueprints,” it appears that much about “planned” litigation is problematic, with many constraints imposed by the actions of others and by resource problems, with the result that many deviations from litigation strategy occur. Thus much “planned” litigation b responsive and reflexive and beyond litigators’ control.
Melatonin inhibition of vasopressin-stimulated water transport in the toad urinary bladder

Because melatonin mimics the effects of microtubular disruptive agents (e.g., colchicine) in various cellular systems, we have examined its effect on water transport in the toad urinary bladder. Microtubules are essential to vasopressin-stimulated water transport in this tissue and are labile to colchicine (Kachadorian et al., '79). In unstimulated urinary bladders, melatonin is without effect; however, in the presence of 20 μ/ml of vasopressin, 4 × 10−6M melatonin significantly reduced the stimulation of water transport in this preparation. The inhibition of water transport by melatonin is comparable to that effected by colchicine. The possibility that melatonin may modulate microtubular functions is discussed.
Extended local similarity analysis (eLSA) of microbial community and other time series data with replicates

Background The increasing availability of time series microbial community data from metagenomics and other molecular biological studies has enabled the analysis of large-scale microbial co-occurrence and association networks. Among the many analytical techniques available, the Local Similarity Analysis (LSA) method is unique in that it captures local and potentially time-delayed co-occurrence and association patterns in time series data that cannot otherwise be identified by ordinary correlation analysis. However LSA, as originally developed, does not consider time series data with replicates, which hinders the full exploitation of available information. With replicates, it is possible to understand the variability of local similarity (LS) score and to obtain its confidence interval.
On the Approximate Linear Programming Approach for Network Revenue Management Problems

One method to obtain high-quality bid prices for network revenue management problems involves using the approximate linear programming approach on the dynamic programming formulation of the problem. This approach ends up with a linear program whose number of constraints increases exponentially with the number of flight legs in the airline network. The linear program is solved using constraint generation, where each constraint can be generated by solving a separate integer program. The necessity to solve integer programs and the slow convergence behavior of constraint generation are generally recognized as drawbacks of this approach. In this paper, we show how to effectively eliminate these drawbacks. In particular, we establish that constraint generation can actually be carried out by solving minimum-cost network flow problems with natural integer solutions. Furthermore, using the structure of minimum-cost network flow problems, we a priori reduce the number of constraints in the linear program from expon...
A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned: Avoiding Investment Losses Through the Early Detection of Financial Shenanigans

In this study, we investigate the benefits available to investors for identifying firms exhibiting the early warning signs of “financial shenanigans” in the post Sarbanes-Oxley era. We examine a sample of 202 firms placed on the Center for Financial Research and Analysis/RiskMetrics Group’s Biggest Concerns List over the period from January 2005 through December 2008. Using calendar-time portfolio regressions, we find these firms underperform on a risk-adjusted basis while appearing on the list, as evidenced by significantly negative alphas. We also document significant negative cumulative abnormal returns immediately following the firms’ placement on the list and significantly negative holding period returns while they remain on the list. We find no significant differences in common firm characteristics between the biggest concerns firms and a matched sample of firms based on industry and size. Finally, we show the extent to which otherwise passive investors in various Russell indices could have boosted their overall returns by purging the firms appearing on the Biggest Concerns List from their portfolios.
An Evolutionary Search Algorithm to Guide Stochastic Search for Near-Native Protein Conformations with Multiobjective Analysis

Predicting native conformations of a protein sequence is known as de novo structure prediction and is a central challenge in computational biology. Most computational protocols employ Monte Carlo sampling. Evolutionary search algorithms have also been proposed to enhance sampling of near-native conformations. These approaches bias stochastic search by an energy function, even though current energy functions are known to be inaccurate and drive sampling to non-native energy minima. This paper proposes a multiobjective approach which employs Pareto dominance, rather than total energy, to evaluate a conformation. This multiobjective approach accounts for the fact that terms in an energy function are conflicting optimization criteria. Our analysis is conducted on a diverse set of 20 proteins. Results show that employing Pareto dominance, rather than total energy, to guide stochastic search is more effective at sampling conformations which are both lower in energy and near the protein native structure.
Test Results of a 27-Cm Bore Multifilamentary Nb3Sn Solenoid

Future-controlled thermonuclear reaction (CTR) machines will undoubtedly require high-field superconducting magnets for plasma confinement. Although the maximum magnetic field that the superconductor windings will experience will depend on the particular confining magnet geometry and details of the magnet design, a recent conceptual design study made at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLL) for a fusion engineering research facility (FERF) [1] indicates that the superconductor will have to withstand fields as high as 12 T. This high value requires that superconducting materials from the A-15 class (Nb3Sn, Nb3Al, V3Ge, etc.) be used, at least in the high-field portions of the magnets.
Surgical site infections following operative management of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: prevalence, predictors of occurence, and influence on peri-operative outcomes.

Studies have examined infection rates following spine surgery and their relationship to post-operative complications and increased length of stay. Few studies, however, have investigated predictors of infection, specifically in the setting of operative intervention for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). This study aims to identify the incidence and factors predictive of infection amongst this cohort. This study performed a retrospective review of the prospectively collected American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database. Patients included those treated surgically for CSM (ICD-9 code 721.1) from 2010 to 2012. Patient demographics and surgical data were collected with outcome variables including the occurrence of one of the following surgical site infections (SSIs) within 30 days of index operation: superficial SSI, deep incisional SSI, and organ/space SSI. 3057 patients were included in this analysis. Overall infection rate was 1.15 % (35/3057), of which 54.3 % (19/35) were superficial SSIs, 28.6 % (10/35) were deep incisional SSI, and 20 % (7/35) were peri-spinal SSI. Logistic regression revealed factors associated with SSI included: higher BMI [OR 1.162 (CI 1.269–1.064), p = 0.001] and operative time ≥208 min [OR 4.769 (CI 20.220–1.125), p = 0.034]. The overall SSI rate for the examined CSM cohort was 1.15 %. This study identified increased BMI and operative time ≥208 min as predictors of infection in surgical CSM patients. This information should be carefully considered in delivering patient education and future efforts to optimize risk in CSM patients indicated for surgical intervention.
The Transportation of Carbon Dioxide by Paraffine Oil and Some Other Substances.

In a previous paper1 the use of luminous bacteria as an oxygen indicator was described. Some rough estimates of the passage of oxygen through a number of substances were given, as determined by the length of luminescent columns of bacteria. The properties of several of these substances, notably dry collodion, were of interest and these and some others were selected for further study with reference to carbon dioxide. In this case the time in hours required for one atmosphere of carbon dioxide to decolorize 1 cm. of phenolphthalein in NaOH agar is used for comparison. It is clearly recognized that this is not a quantitative method for the study of diffusion as there is a concentration gradient of carbon dioxide in the colorless portion of the phenolphthalein as well as through the membrane closing the tube. Nevertheless, it makes a very striking demonstration for class use and does give a qualitative expression for the passage of carbon dioxide. The proper methods of quantitative study may be found in the p...
Species Temporal and Spatial Distributions in Laser Ablation Plumes

The intermediate species present in laser ablation plumes, particularly those formed during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) of thin films, have been identified for a variety of advanced materials systems. Optical multichannel analysis spectroscopy has been used to monitor the atomic and ionic species present, via their spectral emissions. Molecular beam-sampling mass spectrometry has been used to monitor the molecular species present, in addition to atoms and ions. With both monitoring approaches, temporal and spatial species distribution information has been obtained. Velocity distributions, obtained from the time-dependent mass spectral studies, show the effects of isentropic expansion to be predominant when compared with gasdynamic models of the plume evolution process. Also, the plume structure was found to be particularly sensitive to target elemental distribution. Examples of systems studied include high temperature superconductors, refractory compounds, ferroelectrics and nanostructured magnetic films.
Qué ocurrió en los 80 que sea digno de mención

La generacion poetica peruana de los anos 80 reelabora creativamente parte de las propuestas de poetas del 68 para sostener una exploracion en el lenguaje poetico en clave posmoderna y de neovanguardismo. Incorpora lasformas del giro linguistico barriales y de sectores dominados, naturalizandolos en el poema, ademas de realizar una critica a la identidad nacional desde un sujeto escindido y descentrado.
Gaius Julius Caesar

Herkunft aus altem romischen Adelsgeschlecht; erfolgreiche politische und militarische Amterlaufbahn; 59 v. Chr. Konsulat; Eroberung Galliens in zehnjahrigem Feldzug; anschliesend Burgerkrieg gegen innenpolitische Gegner, danach wenige Monate Diktator Roms; Tod durch Attentat; vielfaltige, bereits von den Zeitgenossen geschatzte literarische Aktivitaten.
Belatacept conversion in African American kidney transplant recipients with severe renal dysfunction.

Objectives:Conversion from calcineurin inhibitor–based maintenance immunosuppression to belatacept in kidney transplant recipients has been demonstrated to improve renal function while maintaining ...
Stock market signals and consequences of securities class actions lawsuits: a microstructure perspective

We perform a microstructure analysis of trading activities pre- and post-class period end-dates of securities class action lawsuits. We posit that these events are likely to significantly impact the spreads of affected firms, in addition to the well documented market capitalization loss that spurs the legal action. We detect neither meaningful widening of spreads nor change in put-call ratios ahead of the class period end-date, suggesting no microstructure or option open interest signal of the upcoming event. However, we present strong evidence of a significant degradation in market quality post the class period end-date based on widening spreads lasting for at least 60 trading days. We also document a trading volume spike and share price decline around the event date. Our research shows the impact on shareholders extends beyond the capitalization loss through wider spreads for defendant firms, while the same is not true for a control sample.
Maize lateral root developmental plasticity induced by mild water stress. I: Genotypic variation across a high‐resolution series of water potentials

Lateral root developmental plasticity induced by mild water stress was examined across a high-resolution series of growth media water potentials (Ψw ) in two genotypes of maize. The suitability of several media for imposing near-stable Ψw treatments on transpiring plants over prolonged growth periods was assessed. Genotypic differences specific to responses of lateral root growth from the primary root system occurred between cultivars FR697 and B73 over a narrow series of water stress treatments ranging in Ψw from -0.25 to -0.40 MPa. In FR697, both the average length and number of first-order lateral roots were substantially enhanced at a Ψw of -0.25 MPa compared with well-watered controls. These effects were separated spatially, occurring primarily in the upper and lower regions of the axial root, respectively. Furthermore, first-order lateral roots progressively increased in diameter with increasing water stress, resulting in a maximum 2.3-fold increase in root volume at a Ψw of -0.40 MPa. In B73, in contrast, the length, diameter, nor number of lateral roots was increased in any of the water stress treatments. The genotype-specific responses observed over this narrow range of Ψw demonstrate the necessity of high-resolution studies at mild stress levels for characterization of lateral root developmental plasticity.
Maximizing the benefits of autopsy for clinicians and families. What needs to be done.

. The benefits of autopsy, both for clinicians and families, are reviewed. The autopsy rate in the United States has fallen dramatically in the past 50 years. The many factors contributing to this decline are summarized. For clinicians and families to receive the maximum benefits from the autopsy will require (1) altering methods of obtaining consent (eg, using trained autopsy advocates and enhancing awareness of cultural issues) ; (2) altering autopsy procedures (eg, decreasing turnaround time ; discussing issues and concerns with clinicians ; and issuing more detailed, less technical reports) ; (3) improving communication with clinicians and families (eg, collecting clinician and family contact information on autopsy permits ; inviting attendings, housestaff, and students to attend gross conferences ; making telephone calls regarding unexpected findings ; guaranteeing reports to clinicians ; writing nontechnical summary letters to clinicians and families when the final report is completed ; and conducting postautopsy conferences); and (4) educating both medical professionals and public citizens about the value of autopsy (eg, featuring autopsy results in medical conferences, distributing educational materials, and using print and electronic media).
Effect of Constant Energy Source on Coherence Function in Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW) Testing

The quality and acceptability of a waveform data collected during spectral analysis of surface waves (SASW) testing is judged based on the coherence function over the measured range of frequencies. However, many trials and repetitions are required during SASW testing to obtain data with acceptable coherence value (>0.95). This makes the test time-consuming, and in most cases, only small portion of the collected data that satisfies the acceptable coherence criteria can be used for analysis. In this research study, an attempt was made to study the effect of using an impact source of constant energy on the coherence function as compared to the use of traditional handheld hammers. Laboratory experimental studies were performed on sandy clay soil bed filled in a metal box of dimensions 1.5 m × 0.61 m × 0.45 m. Also, a series of field tests were performed to validate the applicability of the laboratory findings. In both laboratory and field testing, a 2.5 kg hammer was used with height of fall as variable parameter. Two sets of tests were performed. One with random height of fall that is similar to current practice and the other with fixed height of fall of 0.13 m to simulate impacts with same energy conditions. Test results depicted that unlike the conventional procedure of testing, the use of constant energy of impact leads to coherence close to 1 over a significantly large frequency bandwidth. This research highlights the effect of using constant and varying impact energy on coherence value over a wide range of frequencies obtained during SASW testing.
Acute reversal of dabigatran with Idarucizumab for intravenous thrombolysis as acute stroke treatment

Abstract Intravenous thrombolysis with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is contraindicated in patient taking either Factor Xa inhibitors or direct thrombin inhibitors. Idarucizumab completely reverses the biologic effect of dabigatran within minutes. Intravenous rt-PA treatment results in a significant benefit in functional outcome when administered 3–4.5 h after stroke onset or last seen normal time. There is little reported data and no large-scale studies of the reversal of dabigatran with Idarucizumab for the purpose of treating AIS with IV rt-PA. We describe the case of a 73 year old male with AIS and active dabigatran use. Idarucizumab was administered per an approved medical center protocol and the patient was subsequently treated with IV rt-PA. The patient had a severe stroke with no other contraindications to IV rt-PA other than dabigatran use. The patient was administered Idarucizumab and IV rt-PA was given. Within 24 h of treatment, the patient had minimal stroke deficits. Imaging revealed a right middle cerebral artery patchy infarct. The patient was restarted on dabigatran therapy for his atrial fibrillation and was discharged to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. The patient did not experience any symptomatic or asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage after treatment or through day 90. Though no randomized evidence exists for the risk of IV rt-PA after dabigatran reversal with Idarucizumab, the case experiences are mounting. This case of successful stroke treatment after reversal adds to the anecdotal literature and supports the study of dabigatran reversal with Idarucizumab for thrombolysis in AIS.
Interventional Radiology Services for Vascular Anomalies: An Update

Interventional radiology procedures for the treatment of vascular anomalies have evolved over the last several years. Specifically, newer procedural imaging techniques and embolization materials have expanded the range of options for minimally invasive treatment. For example, preoperative embolization of venous malformations with n-BCA glue to aid in surgical resection has emerged as an effective alternative to traditional percutaneous sclerotherapy (Tieu et al, Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 48:678–684, 2013). Imaging techniques have also evolved, for example, with the use of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) adjunctively with angiography. This chapter will discuss these recent advances in interventional radiology for the treatment of vascular anomalies.
Medicaid Payer Status Is Associated with Increased 90-Day Morbidity and Resource Utilization Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Propensity-Score-Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND Medicaid payer status has been shown to affect risk-adjusted outcomes and resource utilization across multiple medical specialties. The purpose of this study was to examine resource utilization via readmission rates, length of stay, and total cost specific to Medicaid payer status following primary total hip arthroplasty. METHODS The Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) was utilized to identify patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty in 2013 as well as corresponding "Medicaid" or "non-Medicaid" payer status. Demographic data, 14 individual comorbidities, readmission rates, length of stay, and direct cost were evaluated. A propensity-score-based matching model was utilized to control for baseline confounding variables between payer groups. Following propensity-score matching, the chi-square test was used to compare readmission rates between the 2 payer groups. The relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was estimated to quantify readmission risk. Length of stay and total cost comparisons were evaluated using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS A total of 5,311 Medicaid and 144,814 non-Medicaid patients managed with total hip arthroplasty were identified from the 2013 NRD. A propensity score was estimated for each patient on the basis of the available baseline demographics, and 5,311 non-Medicaid patients were matched by propensity score to the 5,311 Medicaid patients. Medicaid versus non-Medicaid payer status yielded significant differences in overall readmission rates of 28.8% versus 21.0% (p < 0.001; RR = 1.37 [95% CI, 1.28 to 1.46]) and 90-day hip-specific readmission rates of 2.5% versus 1.8% (p = 0.01; RR = 1.38 [95% CI, 1.07 to 1.78]). Mean length of stay was greater in the Medicaid group than in the non-Medicaid group at 4.5 versus 3.3 days (p < 0.0001), as was the mean total cost at $71,110 versus $65,309 (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that Medicaid payer status is independently associated with increased resource utilization, including readmission rates, length of stay, and total cost following primary total hip arthroplasty. Providers may have a disincentive to treat patient populations who require increased resource utilization following surgery. Risk adjustment models accounting for Medicaid payer status are necessary to avoid decreased access to care for this patient population and to avoid financial penalty for physicians and hospitals alike. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.