cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Plasma gonadotropin secretory patterns in patients with functional menstrual disorders and Stein-Leventhal syndrome: Response to clomiphene treatment

Abstract Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were determined daily in 18 women with functional amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea and correlated with changes in basal body temperature, karyopyknotic index, and cervical mucus characteristics. Of these 18 women, 5 began to menstruate spontaneously after inclusion into the study, 4 cases were diagnosed as the Stein-Leventhal syndrome, and the remaining half could be divided into 3 groups based upon plasma gonadotropin levels: consistently low, consistently high, or normal levels with spontaneous peaks unaccompanied by evidence of ovulation. Ovulation was induced in 10 of 12 patients given clomiphene. Of these, plasma gonadotropins rose slightly during treatment in 7, while the karyopyknotic index rose progressively prior to the ovulatory surge in 9. These studies demonstrate the heterogeneous pattern of gonadotropin secretion in oligomenorrhea and the clinical correlates useful in predicting an individual's response to clomiphene therapy.
A mobile phone text message program to measure oral antibiotic use and provide feedback on adherence to patients discharged from the emergency department.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:949–958 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Abstract Objectives: Nonadherence to prescribed medications impairs therapeutic benefits. The authors measured the ability of an automated text messaging (short message service [SMS]) system to improve adherence to postdischarge antibiotic prescriptions. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial in an urban emergency department (ED) with an annual census of 65,000. A convenience sample of adult patients being discharged with a prescription for oral antibiotics was enrolled. Participants received either a daily SMS query about prescription pickup, and then dosage taken, with educational feedback based on their responses (intervention), or the usual printed discharge instructions (control). A standardized phone follow-up interview was used on the day after the intended completion date to determine antibiotic adherence: 1) the participant filled prescription within 24 hours of discharge and 2) no antibiotic pills were left on the day after intended completion of prescription. Results: Of the 200 patients who agreed to participate, follow-up was completed in 144 (72%). From the 144, 26% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 19% to 34%) failed to fill their discharge prescriptions during the first 24 hours, and 37% (95% CI = 29% to 45%) had pills left over, resulting in 49% (95% CI = 40% to 57%) nonadherent patients. There were no differences in adherence between intervention participants and controls (57% vs. 45%; p = 0.1). African American race, greater than twice-daily dosing, and self-identifying as expecting to have difficulty filling or taking antibiotics at baseline were associated with nonadherence. Conclusions: Almost one-half (49%) of our patients do not adhere to antibiotic prescriptions after ED discharge. Future work should improve the design and deployment of SMS interventions to optimize their effect on improving adherence to medication after ED discharge.
Uptake and Distribution of Labeled Carbon from 14C-Asparagine by Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Asparagine supplies not only nitrogen but also carbon to growing cells of Myobacterium tuberculosis. The carbon of asparagine is rapidly taken up and extensively utilized.
Simulation training for patient blood management

This paper discusses a simulation training tool that incorporates the medical philosophy and practice of peri-operative patient blood management. A simulation training tool of this nature addresses first and foremost patient safety and the risks associated with blood transfusion; second, it indirectly provides a means to reduce institutional costs associated with transfusions through the instruction and training it offers. Significantly, the tool is built upon evidence-based practice that incorporates the philosophy, tools, and techniques of patient blood management. The advisability to instruct via a simulation tool lies in the fact that medical simulation is able to execute training in a real-world, temporal mode; it can house large digital libraries for a breadth of experiences; and it can accommodate a repetition of exercises to reinforce learning. Credibly, this tool engages instructional materials in the form of actual patient cases, i.e., the tool is populated with simulations drawn from de-identified patient charts. The targeted training audience is physicians.
Auctions and Contract Enforcement

Auctions for contracts are generally viewed as a way to elicit accurate information about supplier costs. However, the effectiveness of the auction mechanism is limited by the extent of the contractual commitment. Competitive bids for contracts involve both a price and a promise to peiform a service. The cost information conveyed by the bid is based on whether the firm intends to carry out its promise. Thus, the accuracy of cost information revealed by competitive bidding depends on the consequences of not carrying out contractual commitments. The present article shows that contract enforcement is an important determinant of bidding behavior and the efficiency of auctions. In the U.S. economy, many franchise contracts and contracts for the production of goods and services are allocated to sellers on the basis of competitive bidding. Auctions for contracts often are seen by economists as the mirror image of bidding to purchase an object, such as a painting. In contract auctions, the firm entering the lowest bid is awarded the contract, just as in sales auctions where the buyer making the highest bid obtains the painting. While providing a useful analogy, this symmetry can create a mis-
Translational Findings from Cardiovascular Stem Cell Research

The possibility of using stem cells to regenerate damaged myocardium has been actively investigated since the late 1990s. Consistent with the traditional view that the heart is a “postmitotic” organ that possesses minimal capacity for self-repair, much of the preclinical and clinical work has focused exclusively on introducing stem cells into the heart, with the hope of differentiation of these cells into functioning cardiomyocytes. This approach is ongoing and retains promise but to date has yielded inconsistent successes. More recently, it has become widely appreciated that the heart possesses endogenous repair mechanisms that, if adequately stimulated, might regenerate damaged cardiac tissue from in situ cardiac stem cells. Accordingly, much recent work has focused on engaging and enhancing endogenous cardiac repair mechanisms. This article reviews the literature on stem cell–based myocardial regeneration, placing emphasis on the mutually enriching interaction between basic and clinical research.
Discovery of Potent 3,5-Diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole Sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 (S1P1) Receptor Agonists with Exceptional Selectivity against S1P2 and S1P3

A class of 3,5-diphenyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole based compounds have been identified as potent sphingosine-1-phosphate-1 (S1P1) receptor agonists with minimal affinity for the S1P2 and S1P3 receptor subtypes. Analogue 26 (S1P1 IC50 = 0.6 nM) has an excellent pharmacokinetics profile in the rat and dog and is efficacious in a rat skin transplant model, indicating that S1P3 receptor agonism is not a component of immunosuppressive efficacy.
Distribution of Virulence Genes and Their Association of Serotypes in Pathogenic Escherichia coli Isolates From Diarrheal Patients in Korea

Objectives To characterise the genetic and serological diversity of pathogenic Escherichia coli, we tested 111 E coli strains isolated from diarrhoeal patients in Korea between 2003 and 2006.
Effectiveness of mouse minute virus inactivation by high temperature short time treatment technology: A statistical assessment

Viral contamination of mammalian cell cultures in GMP manufacturing facility represents a serious safety threat to biopharmaceutical industry. Such adverse events usually require facility shutdown for cleaning/decontamination, and thus result in significant loss of production and/or delay of product development. High temperature short time (HTST) treatment of culture media has been considered as an effective method to protect GMP facilities from viral contaminations. Log reduction factor (LRF) has been commonly used to measure the effectiveness of HTST treatment for viral inactivation. However, in order to prevent viral contaminations, HTST treatment must inactivate all infectious viruses (100%) in the medium batch since a single virus is sufficient to cause contamination. Therefore, LRF may not be the most appropriate indicator for measuring the effectiveness of HTST in preventing viral contaminations. We report here the use of the probability to achieve complete (100%) virus inactivation to assess the effectiveness of HTST treatment. By using mouse minute virus (MMV) as a model virus, we have demonstrated that the effectiveness of HTST treatment highly depends upon the level of viral contaminants in addition to treatment temperature and duration. We believe that the statistical method described in this report can provide more accurate information about the power and potential limitation of technologies such as HTST in our shared quest to mitigate the risk of viral contamination in manufacturing facilities.
Uncertain Demand, Heterogeneous Expectations, and Unintentional IPO Underpricing

Distinguishing between intentional and unintentional incentives to underprice initial public offerings (IPOs), I develop sufficient conditions for the winners' curse postulated by Miller (1977) and implications for intertemporal changes in the magnitude of underpricing. Specifically, I show that unintentional underpricing (and occasional overpricing) of IPOs is a consequence of investors' heterogeneous expectations of the uncertain value of a stock when the supply is constrained and the underwriter's price discovery process only partially identifies aggregate demand. Moreover, an IPO that is oversubscribed in the premarket sale almost certainly will experience a short-term price increase in the secondary market.
A Review of Optimal Chemotherapy Protocols: From MTD towards Metronomic Therapy

We review mathematical results about the qualitative structure of chemotherapy protocols that were obtained with the methods of optimal control. As increasingly more complex features are incorporated into the mathematical model—progressing from models for homogeneous, chemotherapeutically sensitive tumor cell populations to models for heterogeneous agglomerations of subpopulations of various sensitivities to models that include tumor immune-system interactions—the structures of optimal controls change from bang-bang solutions (which correspond to maximum dose rate chemotherapy with restperiods) to solutions that favor singular controls (representing reduced dose rates). Medically, this corresponds to a transition from standard MTD (maximum tolerated dose) type protocols to chemo-switch strategies towards metronomic dosing.
Nearest points and support points in Banach spaces

DEFINITION. Let Y be a family of closed convex subsets of a Banach space X. For a real number, (Y, we shall say X possesses property D(or, 9) if for each ,4 E 9 and each ICE X there is a pomt u E X such that x E u + aPA( (We shall use the convention that u + o = o .) Nashed, in the paper cited above, showed that every Hilbert space possesses D( 1, YO) where Y0 is the famdy of all closed nonempty convex subsets of the space. Our investigation is divided into three sections which consider, respectively, the cases when (Y > 1, 01 = 1, and ar < 1. In each case we obtain a characterization of reflexivity (Theorem 1, Theorem 2, and
Quantity production of polarized target material

Abstract A simple, inexpensive device for quickly making large quantities of small, uniform, frozen beads of alcohol for polarized targets is described. It has been successfully used at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center for about two years.
Function theory on metabelian solvmanifold

Abstract The Laplace operators for metabelian solvmanifolds are used to describe certain spaces of C∞ functions on metabelian solvmanifolds of interest in harmonic analysis.
High-power ultrasonic treatment of butyl rubber gum: Structure and properties

The ultrasonic treatment of butyl rubber gum during extrusion with a grooved-barrel ultrasonic reactor was carried out at a mean residence time of 3.6 s and at different ultrasonic amplitudes. Gel permeation chromatography, NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic and mechanical property measurements were performed. The changes in the structure, curing behavior, and physical properties of the gum were found to be highly dependent on the applied ultrasonic amplitude. In particular, the molecular weight of the treated gum decreased and the molecular weight distribution increased with the ultrasonic amplitude. The number of double bonds in the ultrasonically treated gum was less than that in the virgin gum. The dynamic properties of the ultrasonically treated gums also indicated the occurrence of degradation during the ultrasonic treatment. The tensile strength and modulus of the vulcanizates prepared from the treated gums were reduced in comparison with those of the virgin vulcanizate because of degradation. In contrast, the elongation at break was higher. However, no significant changes in the thermal stability between the virgin and treated gums and among the vulcanizates were observed. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 334–344, 2005
The clinical-pathologic spectrum of alcoholic hepatitis.

Sequential clinical, laboratory and pathologic data were reviewed on 252 patients with alcoholic liver disease admitted to the medical service during a 12-month period. Without prior knowledge of the clinical or laboratory data, 37 liver biopsy and/or autopsy specimens were selected from 27 cases that satisfied the criteria for histologic alcoholic hepatitis on the basis of hepatocellular necrosis, polymorphonuclear infiltration and the presence of alcoholic hyalin (Mallory body). This distinctive “triad” plus other pathologic changes were quantitatively graded on a 4-point scale. Additionally, two histologic control groups were selected. One consisted of 19 specimens graded as 3+ cirrhosis and the other (10 specimens) as 3+ fatty metamorphosis. Neither control group contained the “triad” nor features of the other control. The highest mortality occurred in the group with the most extensive hepatocellular necrosis. Prominence of alcoholic hyalin and neutrophilic infiltration were quantitatively related to the extent of necrosis. Fatty metamorphosis was variable and prominent (3+) in only 50% of specimens with 3+ necrosis. It was not possible to distinguish alcoholic hepatitis from fatty metamorphosis or cirrhosis on the basis of clinical or laboratory data. Although this study deemphasizes the concept that alcoholic hepatitis can be recognized as a distinct clinical syndrome, attention is focused on the diagnostic specificity, prognostic value and therapeutic implications of the liver biopsy in patients with alcoholic liver disease.
Are psychological treatments effective for fibromyalgia pain

This article considers four broad classes of psychological techniques and their effects on fibromyalgia (FM) pain. A literature search identified 14 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and operant-behavioral therapy (OBT), five relaxation RCTs, five biofeedback RCTs, five hypnotherapy RCTs, and two writing intervention RCTs. For psychoanalytic therapy in FM, no RCTs have been published. The highest effect sizes (r = 0.53-2.14) for pain reduction are found after CBT and OBT group treatments. Relaxation as a single treatment has not been proven useful. Hypnotherapy and writing intervention have demonstrated mild treatment effects, whereas psychological treatment is effective in FM pain. Considering the heterogeneity of FM, the promising effects of matched interventions such as CBT and OBT with pharmacotherapy, exercise, and other treatment domains require further research.
Discovery of an Optically-Faint Quasar at z=5.70 and Implications for the Faint End of the Quasar Luminosity Function

We present observations of an optically-faint quasar, RD J114816.2+525339, discovered from deep multi-color observations of the field around the z = 6.42 quasar SDSS J1148+5251. The two quasars have a projected separation of 109 arcsec and both are outliers in r-z versus z-J color-color space. Keck spectroscopy reveals RD J114816.2+525339 to be a broad-absorption line quasar at z = 5.70. With z_AB = 23.0, RD J114816.2+525339 is 3.3 mag fainter than SDSS J1148+5251, making it the faintest quasar known at z>5.5. This object was identified in a survey of ~2.5 square degrees. The implied surface density of quasars at these redshifts and luminosities is broadly consistent with previous extrapolations of the faint end of the quasar luminosity function and supports the idea that active galaxies provide only a minor component of the reionizing ultraviolet flux at these redshifts.
Conduction and Hall measurements of Ba2YCu3O6+ delta films at high temperatures: The role of oxygen.

We report new resistance and Hall effect measurements for ${\mathrm{Ba}}_{2}\mathrm{Y}{\mathrm{Cu}}_{3}{\mathrm{O}}_{6+\ensuremath{\delta}}$. The data were taken at temperatures up to 1100 K, and at various oxygen partial pressures. For $Tg700$ K, the resistivity shows an activated temperature dependence, and a square-root pressure dependence. Measurements of oxygen content in the literature, however, show a dependence on pressure that is much weaker than square root. For the measurements of resistivity and oxygen content to be consistent, the mechanism for conduction at high temperatures is likely to be hopping. Our experiments are the first to show that the linear temperature dependence of the effective Hall carrier density persists up to \ensuremath{\simeq} 700 K and then drops.
Evaluation of lateral boundary errors in a limited-domain model

Computational errors that arise from the imposition of artificial lateral boundaries in numerical forecast models are evaluated, using the Perkey–Kreitzberg method of variable tendency averaging near the boundary in the NCAR second generation Limited Area Model. Boundary error is diagnosed for two sets of initial conditions by using an unbounded forecast as background truth. Several components of boundary error are identified and evaluated. These include the accuracy of the boundary specification, the formulation of the blending, the increased boundary diffusion, and the physical location of the boundary. The formulation is tested by comparing boundary errors generated by the Williamson–Browning method for the same initial conditions. Finally, the boundary errors are compared to the total forecast error to evaluate its significance. Results indicate the Perkey–Kreitzberg method is stable for a wide variety of resolutions and situations. Significant errors propagate inward from the boundaries at speeds of 20–30° longitude per day. Inaccuracies in the data specified at the boundary can account for a major part of these errors, while increased diffusion near the boundary plays a lesser role in error generation. The two formulations produce similar error structures, but with less generation of spurious transients in the Williamson–Browning method. However this method proved to be unstable at high horizontal resolutions. In general, the boundary error is much less than the total forecast error. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1982.tb01831.x
Selenium content of enteral formulas.

Selenium content of several complete enteral formulas and modular enteral components was determined by neutron activation analysis. Formulas based on egg albumin provided the highest content of selenium. Most of the remaining formulas had selenium contents that would provide an amount less than the proposed safe and adequate range of intake. Selenium supplementation should be considered for these latter formulas. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 10:213-215, 1986)
“Renormalized” crossover exponent for anisotropic cubic systems

Abstract The shift and crossover exponents are calculated for an anisotropic n-vector model with cubic symmetry, both in the limit n → ∞ and to second order in ϵ. The former yields ψ = φ = 1/(1−αI), where αI is the Ising specific heat exponent.
Background measurements using the NPS-IRST system

The NPS-IRST,a modification of the Advanced Demonstration Model of the Navy AN/SAR-8 InfraRed Search and Target Designation system, mounted in a rooftop location at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, has been used to record background scene information. High data-rate tape-recording with reduced-rate playback is used for data processing and a 'framegrabber' board for image display and processing. Irradiance probability density function, pulse width probability density function, and autocorrelation function plots are displayed for five background types selected from false-color image displays.
Optimizing the location of assembly tasks in a manipulator's workspace

Off-line programming of robotic workcells has become an invaluable tool for the workcell designer, however, current robot programming systems lack the capability to automatically determine the locations for performing assembly operations within the manipulator's workspace. A gradient function of manipulability in Cartesian space was developed based on an explicit determination of the manipulability function and the gradient of the manipulability function in joint space. A modified method of the steepest descent optimization procedure was then used as the basis for an algorithm that automatically locates an assembly task away from singularities within a manipulator's workspace. This algorithm can readily be extended to any nonredundant manipulator.
Effect of thickness on buckling of perfect cross-ply rings under external pressure

Effect of thickness on the buckling of a perfect thick plane strain cross-ply ring (very long cylindrical shell) is investigated. A linearized version of a fully nonlinear finite element analysis, that employs a cylindrically curved 16-node layer-element, and is based on the assumption of layer-wise linear displacements distribution through thickness (LLDT), is utilized for computation of hydrostatic buckling pressure of the afore-mentioned cross-ply ring. Numerical results pertaining to the effect of thickness (interlaminar shear/normal deformation) on the hydrostatic buckling pressure of cross-ply rings and comparison with their classical lamination theory (CLT) counterparts are also presented.
High and low responding strains of laboratory opossums differ in sterol 27-hydroxylase and acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activities on a high cholesterol diet

Two partially inbred strains of laboratory opossums exhibit extremely high or low levels of VLDL+LDL cholesterol concentrations, respectively, when challenged with a high cholesterol and high fat diet. The present studies were conducted to determine whether the high and low responding strains differ in activities of important enzymes that have been shown to affect lipemic responsiveness to diet. We measured plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol and hepatic activities of 27-hydroxylase and 7alpha-hydroxylase in high and low responding opossums while consuming the basal diet and cholesterol-enriched diets. Plasma 27-hydroxycholesterol concentration and 27-hydroxylase activity in liver did not differ between groups on the basal diet, but both were significantly higher in low responders than in high responders on the cholesterol-enriched diet with unsaturated fat (10.79 +/- 0.56 in low vs. 7.31 +/- 0.50 mg/dl in high responders for 27-hydroxycholesterol and 14.14 +/- 0.79 in low vs. 10.07 +/- 0.80 pmol/mg protein/min in high responders for 27-hydroxylase activity). On the other hand, 7alpha-hydroxylase activity was significantly higher in high responding opossums (75.72 +/- 6.81 pmol/mg protein/min) than in low responding opossums (51.39 +/- 6.18 pmol/mg protein/min) on the basal diet, but it did not differ on the high cholesterol and high fat diet. We measured hepatic ACAT and extrahepatic hepatic 27-hydroxylase activities in high and low responding opossums on the cholesterol enriched diet. Hepatic ACAT activity was significantly higher in high responding opossums (137.00 +/- 18.33 pmol/mg protein/min) than in low responding opossums (47.67 +/- 2.71 pmol/mg protein/min), whereas extrahepatic 27-hydroxylase activity was higher in low responding opossums (33.00 +/- 2.10 pmol/mg protein/min in lungs and 3.69 +/- 0.20 in kidneys) than in high responding opossums (21.17 +/- 1.54 pmol/mg protein/min in lungs and 2.82 +/- 0.31 in kidneys). We also compared the composition of bile between high and low responders. The concentration of taurine conjugates of cholic acid in bile of both groups was similar, but concentration of taurine conjugates of chenodeoxycholic acid in bile of low responding animals was higher than in high responding animals (124.9 +/- 17.3 in low vs. 59.2 +/- 13.2 mmol/ml in high responders). The results of these studies suggest two enzymes may affect the lipemic response to diet in laboratory opossums: sterol 27-hydroxylase and ACAT. Each of these enzymes may influence diet-induced hyperlipidemia at a different step of lipoprotein metabolism.
Anti-inflammatory treatment in AD mice protects against neuronal pathology.

Abstract Prior studies suggest that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may lower the incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and delay onset or slow progression of symptoms in mouse models of AD. We examined the effects of chronic NSAID treatment in order to determine which elements of the pathological features might be ameliorated. We compared the effects of the NSAIDs ibuprofen and celecoxib on immunohistological and neurochemical markers at two different ages in APPxPS1 mice using measurements of amyloid plaque deposition, Aβ peptide levels, and neurochemical profiles using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). At 6 months of age, few neurochemical changes were observed between PSAPP mice and WT mice using MRS. Ibuprofen, but not celecoxib, treatment significantly decreased the Aβ42/40 ratio in frontal cortex at 6 months, but overall amyloid plaque burden was unchanged. Consistent with prior findings in mouse models, at 17 months of age, there was a decrease in the neuronal markers NAA and glutamate and an increase in the astrocytic markers glutamine and myo-inositol in AD mice compared to WT. Ibuprofen provided significant protection against NAA and glutamate loss. Neither of the drugs significantly affected myo-inositol or glutamine levels. Both ibuprofen and celecoxib lowered plaque burden without a significant effect on Aβ1–42 levels. NAA levels significantly correlated with plaque burden. These results suggest that selective NSAIDs (ibuprofen and possibly celecoxib) treatment can protect against the neuronal pathology.
Gaining Compliance and Losing Weight:The Role of the Service Provider in Health Care Services

Abstract This research provides and empirically tests a conceptualization of health care services in which customer compliance outside of the service organization is necessary for successful health outcomes. Using data from service providers and customers in a weight-loss clinic, the authors examine the provider’s role in gaining customer compliance. They find that provider expertise and attitudinal homophily play a role in bringing about customer role clarity, ability, and motivation. This study demonstrates that compliance leads to goal attainment, which results in satisfaction. More important, compliance also leads to satisfaction directly; consumers who comply with program requirements have greater satisfaction with the program.
Utilizing targeted cancer therapeutic agents in combination: novel approaches and urgent requirements

The rapid development of new therapeutic agents that target specific molecular pathways involved in tumour cell proliferation provides an unprecedented opportunity to achieve a much higher degree of biochemical specificity than previously possible with traditional chemotherapeutic anticancer agents. However, the lack of specificity of these established chemotherapeutic drugs allowed a relatively straightforward approach to their use in combination therapies. Developing a paradigm for combining new, molecularly targeted agents, on the other hand, is substantially more complex. The abundance of molecular data makes it possible, at least in theory, to predict how such agents might interact across crucial growth control networks. Initial strategies to examine molecularly targeted agent combinations have produced a small number of successes in the clinic. However, for most of these combination strategies, both in preclinical models and in patients, it is not clear whether the agents being combined actually hit their targets to induce growth inhibition. Here, we consider the initial approach of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) to the evaluation of combinations of molecularly targeted anticancer agents in patients and provide a description of several new approaches that the NCI has initiated to improve the effectiveness of combination-targeted therapy for cancer.
Synthesis and crystal structures of two (cyclopentadienyl)titanium(III) hydroborate complexes, [Cp*TiCl(BH4)]2 and Cp2Ti(B3H8)

Abstract Treatment of Cp∗TiCl3 and Cp2TiCl2 with NaB3H8 affords the titanium(III) hydroborate compounds [Cp∗TiCl(BH4)]2 and Cp2Ti(B3H8), respectively. The former compound arises by means of a new reaction, the metal-induced fragmentation of the B3H8 anion, and can also be made by treating Cp∗TiCl3 with LiBH4. The latter compound has been previously described, but not characterized crystallographically. Both compounds have been studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Dimeric [Cp∗TiCl(BH4)]2 has bridging chloride ligands and terminal Cp∗ and BH4 ligands. The Ti–Ti distance is 3.452(1) A, which indicates that there is no metal–metal bonding interaction. The Ti–Cl distances are 2.440(2) A and the Ti–Cl–Ti and Cl–Ti–Cl angles of 89.97(8) and 90.03(8)° so that the Ti2Cl2 unit is nearly a perfect square. The BH4 groups are each tridentate, with a Ti–B distance of 2.220(9) A and an average Ti–H distance of 1.98(5) A. In Cp2Ti(B3H8), the B3H8 ligand is bidentate, as is usually seen, and the Ti–B and Ti–H distances are 2.600(3) and 1.96(2) A. The dihedral angle between the Ti–B(1)–B(2) plane and the B(1)–B(2)–B(3) plane is 123.4°. The Ti–B distances are 0.04 A longer than those in niobium analog, Cp2Nb(B3H8), despite the fact that the single bond metallic radius of Ti is 0.02 A smaller than that of Nb. This lengthening of the bond is probably a consequence of the presence of one fewer skeletal bonding electron in Cp2Ti(B3H8).
Oil Core and Silica Shell Nanocapsules: Toward Controlling the Size and the Ability To Sequester Hydrophobic Compounds

Nanocapsules were synthesized using the droplets of an oil-in-water microemulsion as a template. Ethyl butyrate was solubilized in normal saline using Tween-80, lecithin, and n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane as surfactants. A polysiloxane/silicate shell was formed at the surface of the mixed surfactant layer by cross-linking n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane and tetramethoxysilane. The shell stabilized the oil droplets against coalescence as seen by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the samples immediately following the synthesis and months afterward. The diameter of nanocapsules can be controlled by using different component ratios, as measured by quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS) and TEM. The efficacy of nanocapsules to sequester hydrophobic compounds made by using different formulations was studied by UV−visible spectrometry. The results showed that nanocapsules with smaller diameters are generally more efficient in the uptake process than larger ones.
Regulation of tissue factor and inflammatory mediators by Egr-1 in a mouse endotoxemia model

In septic shock, tissue factor (TF) activates blood coagulation, and cytokines and chemokines orchestrate an inflammatory response. In this study, the role of Egr-1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction of TF and inflammatory mediators in vivo was evaluated using Egr-1(+/+) and Egr-1(-/-) mice. Administration of LPS transiently increased the steady-state levels of Egr-1 mRNA in the kidneys and lungs of Egr-1(+/+) mice with maximal induction at one hour. Egr-1 was expressed in epithelial cells in the kidneys and lungs in untreated and LPS-treated mice. LPS induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein mRNA in the kidneys and lungs of Egr-1(-/-) mice was not affected at 3 hours, but its expression was significantly reduced at 8 hours compared with the expression observed in Egr-1(+/+) mice. Similarly, LPS induction of TF mRNA expression in the kidneys and lungs at 8 hours was reduced in Egr-1(-/-) mice. However, Egr-1 deficiency did not affect plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha in endotoxemic mice. Moreover, Egr-1(+/+) and Egr-1(-/-) mice exhibited similar survival times in a model of acute endotoxemia. These data indicate that Egr-1 does not contribute to the early inflammatory response in the kidneys and lungs or the early systemic inflammatory response in endotoxemic mice. However, Egr-1 does contribute to the sustained expression of inflammatory mediators and to the maximal expression of TF at 8 hours in the kidneys and lungs.
The Activity Spectrum of Vif from Multiple HIV-1 Subtypes against APOBEC3G, APOBEC3F, and APOBEC3H

The APOBEC3 family comprises seven cytidine deaminases (APOBEC3A [A3A] to A3H), which are expressed to various degrees in HIV-1 susceptible cells. The HIV-1 Vif protein counteracts APOBEC3 restriction by mediating its degradation by the proteasome. We hypothesized that Vif proteins from various HIV-1 subtypes differ in their abilities to counteract different APOBEC3 proteins. Seventeen Vif alleles from seven HIV-1 subtypes were tested for their abilities to degrade and counteract A3G, A3F, and A3H haplotype II (hapII). We show that most Vif alleles neutralize A3G and A3F efficiently but display differences with respect to the inhibition of A3H hapII. The majority of non-subtype B Vif alleles tested presented some activity against A3H hapII, with two subtype F Vif variants being highly effective in counteracting A3H hapII. The residues required for activity were mapped to two residues in the amino-terminal region of Vif (positions 39F and 48H). Coimmunoprecipitations showed that these two amino acids were necessary for association of Vif with A3H hapII. These findings suggest that the A3H hapII binding site in Vif is distinct from the regions important for A3G and A3F recognition and that it requires specific amino acids at positions 39 and 48. The differential Vif activity spectra, especially against A3H hapII, suggest adaptation to APOBEC3 repertoires representative of different human ancestries. Phenotypic assessment of anti-APOBEC3 activity of Vif variants against several cytidine deaminases will help reveal the requirement for successful replication in vivo and ultimately point to interventions targeting the Vif-APOBEC3 interface.
Sexual Behaviors of Middle School Students: 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results From 16 Locations

BACKGROUND: The potential negative consequences of engaging in sexual risk behaviors at a young age are well documented. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of information about the prevalence of sexual behaviors among middle school students. This article provides an overview of the sexual risk behaviors of middle school students from 16 districts and states throughout the country, and examines these risks by demographic variables. METHODS: In 2009, 10 states and 6 districts administered the Youth Risk Behavior Survey-Middle School and included sexual behavior questions. Data were examined using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Online database. Frequencies were run for 4 sexual behaviors and an HIV/AIDS education question for each location. A series of t-tests were calculated for these 5 items by gender, age, and race for each location. RESULTS: Data show that 5-20% of sixth graders and 14-42% of eighth graders have engaged in sexual intercourse. A concerning percentage of students have also engaged in other sexual risk behaviors and many are not receiving HIV/AIDS education. Additionally, there were significant differences by gender, race, and age. CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous studies, males, minorities, and older students are more likely to engage in sexual risk behaviors. There is also variation in the percentage of students engaging in sexual behaviors across locations. Sexual risk reduction education is important for middle school youth, particularly for minorities, males and those from southern and/or larger, urban cities as those are the populations with generally higher sexual risk behaviors. Language: en
Wave-optics analysis of pupil imaging

Pupil imaging performance is analyzed from the perspective of physical optics. A multi-plane diffraction model is constructed by propagating the scalar electromagnetic field, surface by surface, along the optical path comprising the pupil imaging optical system. Modeling results are compared with pupil images collected in the laboratory. The experimental setup, although generic for pupil imaging systems in general, has application to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) optical system characterization where the pupil images are used as a constraint to the wavefront sensing and control process. Practical design considerations follow from the diffraction modeling which are discussed in the context of the JWST Observatory.
Hepatitis: Chronic HCV infection, diabetes and liver-related outcomes

There is increasing interest in the role that diabetes has in liver-related outcomes in patients with chronic HCV. Elkrief and colleagues have furthered this discussion by indicating that diabetes may be considered a prognostic factor for major liver-related outcomes in patients with chronic HCV infection, including death and transplantation.
Changing policies on employment and pension coverage in U.S. Firms

Prior to the 1950s, very few people could afford complete retirement before age 65. Today, some people retire from careers while still in their 40s or early 50s, while others, especially those in professional and technical careers, postpone retirement until they are well into their 70s. In this article, authors Hardy and Hazelrigg examine patterns of economic, political, and social change affecting U.S. employment and pension policies.
Studies on gas-phase negative ion/molecule reactions of relevance to ion mobility spectrometry: kinetic modelling of the reactions occuring in “clean” air

Abstract Previous studies of negative ion/molecule reactions of relevance to the negative reactant ion peak occurring in an ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) are reviewed. A model describing the chemical kinetics of the reactions occurring in ”clean” air has been constructed and explored. Some of the previously published rate constants are not in agreement with those required to describe our data and the reasons for these disagreements need to be explored. Overall, good agreement between calculated and observed data for a range of conditions has been observed. This success has given us confidence in using this model as a basis for our studies of the responses of IMS systems to pollutants.
Functional adaptation of the femoral head to voluntary exercise

The functional adaptation of limb joints during postnatal ontogeny is necessary to maintain proper joint function. Joint form is modified primarily through differential rates of articular cartilage proliferation across articular surfaces during endochondral growth. This process is hypothesized to be mechanically regulated by the magnitude and orientation of stresses in the articular cartilage. However, the adaptation of limb joint morphology to the mechanical environment is poorly understood. We investigate the effects of voluntary exercise on femoral head morphology in 7-week-old female mice of the inbred strain C57BL/6J. The mice were divided into a control group and a group treated with voluntary access to an activity wheel for the duration of the 4-week study. Histomorphometric comparisons of chondral and osseous joint tissue of the proximal femur were made between control and exercise treatment groups. We find that exercised mice have significantly thicker articular cartilage with greater chondral tissue area and cellularity. Exercised mice also exhibit significantly greater bone tissue area and longer and flatter subchondral surfaces. No significant difference is found in the curvature of the articular cartilage or the length of the chondral articular surface between groups. These data suggest that a complex mechanistic relationship exists between joint stress and joint form. Joint tissue response to loading is multifaceted, involving both size and shape changes. Our data support the hypothesis that joint growth is ontogenetically plastic. Mechanical loading significantly influences chondral and subchondral tissue proliferation to provide greater support against increased mechanical loading.
Wind Tunnel Model Design for the Study of Plume Effects on Sonic Boom for Isolated Exhaust Nozzles

A low cost test capability was developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center 1- by 1-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel (SWT), with a goal to reduce the disturbance caused by supersonic aircraft flight over populated areas. This work focused on the shock wave structure caused by the exhaust nozzle plume. Analysis and design was performed on a new rig to test exhaust nozzle plume effects on sonic boom signature. Test capability included a baseline nozzle test article and a wind tunnel model consisting of a strut, a nosecone and an upper plenum. Analysis was performed on the external and internal aerodynamic configuration, including the shock reflections from the wind tunnel walls caused by the presence of the model nosecone. This wind tunnel model was designed to operate from Mach 1.4 to Mach 3.0 with nozzle pressure ratios from 6 to 12 and altitudes from 30,000 ft (4.36 psia) to 50,000 ft (1.68 psia). The model design was based on a 1 in. outer diameter, was 9 in. in overall length, and was mounted in the wind tunnel on a 3/8 in. wide support strut. For test conditions at 50,000 ft the strut was built to supply 90 psia of pressure, and to achieve 20 psia at the nozzle inlet with a maximum nozzle pressure of 52 psia. Instrumentation was developed to measure nozzle pressure ratio, and an external static pressure probe was designed to survey near field static pressure profiles at one nozzle diameter above the rig centerline. Model layout placed test nozzles between two transparent sidewalls in the 1 1 SWT for Schlieren photography and comparison to CFD analysis.
Effects of cold storage on anion, ammonium, and total nitrogen concentrations in soil water.

Abstract Researchers frequently must store water samples >24 h after collection until chemical analyses can be accomplished. Samples are commonly stored in darkness at near‐freezing temperatures until analysis, but effects of this storage method on soil water chemistry are not well‐documented. Soil water samples were collected from eastern hemlock [Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carriere] stands and analyzed initially and over time to determine if nitrate (NC3 ‐), chloride (Cl‐), sulfate (SO4 2‐), ammonium (NH4 +), and/or total nitrogen (TN) concentrations changed when samples were stored in darkness at 2–4°C. Subsamples were analyzed <24 h after collection and reanalyzed five times in a 12 to 24 wk period following sample collection. Nitrate concentrations remained stable for at least one wk and were only slightly lower than initial concentrations after 3–16 wk of storage. Chloride and SO4 2‐ remained stable for 16 wk, while TN remained stable for 8 wk and decreased slightly after 24 wk. Most NH4 + concentrations...
Distress tolerance and perceived barriers to smoking cessation.

ABSTRACT. Background: The present study examined the role of emotional distress tolerance (DT) in predicting barriers to smoking cessation and number of quit attempts. Methods: The sample consisted of regular daily smokers (N = 126; 37 females; M age = 36.51, SD = 13.05) who completed self-report measures on affect and smoking. Results: After controlling for daily smoking rate and anxiety sensitivity, emotional DT significantly predicted internal barriers to cessation (6.9% unique variance) but not external or addiction-related barriers to cessation. Inconsistent with prediction, emotional DT did not significantly predict number of quit attempts. Conclusions: These results suggest that individuals who are low in emotional DT believe that quitting smoking will be difficult because it takes away an important affect regulation strategy, and there may be utility in targeting emotional DT in smoking cessation interventions.
Development in moral judgment as indicated by rejection of lower-stage statements

Previous failures of preference rating scales to identify developmental differences in moral judgment may have occurred because the focus was on acceptance of high-stage reasons rather than on consistent rejection of lower-stage reasons. Attention focused on seventh-, ninth-, and eleventh-grade students' (N = 178) rejection of the lower-stage statements that they presumably comprehend but have to varying degrees dropped from their spontaneous-production repertoire. Students rated the adequacy of the reasons presented in statements written to exemplify Kohlberg's stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Ratings of Stage 1, 2, 3, and 4 statements showed clear age discrimination (all p's < .001). As in previous preference studies, higher-stage items produced no significant age differences. Implications for evaluation of change studies were noted.
23S rRNA Gene-Based Enterococci Community Signatures in Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA, Following Urban Runoff Inputs After Hurricane Katrina

Little is known about the impacts of fecal polluted urban runoff inputs on the structure of enterococci communities in estuarine waters. This study employed a 23S rRNA gene-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay with newly designed genus-specific primers, Ent127F-Ent907R, to determine the possible impacts of Hurricane Katrina floodwaters via the 17th Street Canal discharge on the community structure of enterococci in Lake Pontchartrain. A total of 94 phylotypes were identified through the restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) screening of 494 clones while only 8 phylotypes occurred among 88 cultivated isolates. Sequence analyses of representative phylotypes and their temporal and spatial distribution in the lake and the canal indicated the Katrina floodwater input introduced a large portion of Enterococcus flavescens, Enterococcus casseliflavus, and Enterococcus dispar into the lake; typical fecal groups Enterococcus faecium, Enterococcus durans, Enterococcus hirae, and Enterococcus mundtii were detected primarily in the floodwater-impacted waters. This study provides a global picture of enterococci in estuarine waters impacted by Hurricane Katrina-derived urban runoff. It also demonstrates the culture-independent PCR approach using 23S rRNA gene as a molecular marker could be a good alternative in ecological studies of enterococci in natural environments to overcome the limitation of conventional cultivation methods.