cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ξ hyperon

The Ξ hyperon is an isospin doublet (Ξ0, Ξ-) with hypercharge Y = -1. The cross sections for producing the Ξ in πN and \(\bar K\) N collisions are much smaller than the corresponding cross sections for producing the Λ or ∑. For this reason, not as much is known about the Ξ as about these other two hyperons.
Interpreting the Moving Image: For God and Country

The critique of religion is the prerequisite of all criticism.… The foundation of this critique is the following: man makes religion, religion does not make man. –Karl Marx, Contribution to the Critique of Hegel's Philosophy of Right (opening lines) The critique of competitive capitalism, in Marx, is motivated by a root concern with the topic of alienation, or, rather more abstractly, with the relation between human activity and human accomplishment. Human activity creates a range of “objects” including not only trucks and trains but social systems, values, technologies. Though these “objects” are originally fabricated for the gratification of man, within the historical process, these “objects” become independent of their original function. That is, more concretely, the state or the exchange system evolves from the role of service institution for the needs of man to autonomous entities whose needs must be served by man. Within the historical context, the state comes to presuppose war or the possibility of war as a basic justification of its existence. Hence, conscription. Dialectically, the need of the state has come to supersede the needs of man. The products of human activity come to enslave human activity. For Marx, this process of inversion, alienation, is paradigmatically represented by religion. For religion is a product of man. Yet, it dominates man not only as a social institution; it inverts the relation of man and god cosmologically. Man made god; yet religion posits that god makes man.
Studies on the group-specific polysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup X and an improved procedure for its isolation.

Abstract The purified serogroup X meningococcal polysaccharide contains equimolar proportions of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d- glucose and phosphate as its sole constituents. Under conditions of mild acid hydrolysis the polysaccharide yielded only 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose 4-phosphate, indicating that the adjacent acetamido sugar units are linked by 1→4 phosphodiester bonds. Other studies on the polysaccharide indicate that it is linear, has an average chain length of 50 units, and that the glycosidic phosphodiester bonds are in the α configuration. Serological studies on the polysaccharide have shown that its antiserum is highly specific for the position of linkage of the phosphodiester bonds. Also, the poor inhibitory properties, to the precipitin reaction, of the α-1-phosphate and 4-phosphate monomers indicate that the main serological specificity is probably directed to oligomer units. The polysaccharide was isolated by a method involving buffered phenol extraction, to remove protein contaminants, with subsequent treatment by ribonuclease, to remove nucleic acid. This rapid and simple procedure is adaptable to the isolation of other meningococcal polysaccharides (serogroups A, B, C, Y, and Z) in both good yields and a high degree of purity.
Inhibition of zymosan activation of human neutrophil oxidative metabolism by a mouse monoclonal antibody.

We have studied a neutrophil-specific murine monoclonal antibody, PMN7C3 (IgG3), which specifically alters PMN oxidative metabolism stimulated by serum-opsonized zymosan (STZ) or Candida albicans (STC). Polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) exposed to PMN7C3 show a significant depression in O2- release (52.8% +/- 2.5% of control), H2O2 release (44.4% +/- 6.0% of control), and O2 consumption (73.9% +/- 2.6% of control) in response to STZ. O2 release in response to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was modestly reduced (78.4% +/- 3.7%) by PMN7C3 treatment, but not to the extent seen with STZ or STC. PMN7C3 did not affect O2 release by PMNs stimulated by zymosan opsonized with IgG or by S. aureus, A 23187, or FMLP. PMN7C3 was not cytotoxic, did not trigger oxidative metabolism when used as a stimulus, did not alter STZ- induced degranulation, and did not interfere with binding or uptake of STZ by PMNs. Exposure of PMNs to PMN7C3 decreased PMN rosette formation with erythrocytes coated with C3b (54% of control) or C3bi (63% of control), but had no affect on rosette formation with IgG-coated erythrocytes. PMN7C3 does not bind to monocytes and had no affect on rosette formation by this cell type. Binding of antibody PMN7C3 to the neutrophil surface inhibits the oxidative response to opsonized STZ or STC, possibly in part by altering the function or expression of C3b and C3bi receptors. Monoclonal antibodies such as PMN7C3 provide highly specific probes that may be used to define the molecular features of the stimulus-coupled response of PMN activation.
An integrated approach to machine fault diagnosis

This paper introduces an integrated methodology to monitor and diagnose machine faults in complex industrial processes such as textile and fiber manufacturing facilities. The approach is generic and applicable to a variety of industrial plants that operate critical processes and may require continuous monitoring and maintenance procedures. A dual approach is pursued: high-bandwidth fault symptomatic evidence, such as vibrations, current spikes, etc., are treated via a feature extractor/neural network classifier construct; while low-bandwidth phenomena, such as temperature, pressure, corrosion, leaks, etc., are better diagnosed with a fuzzy rule base set as an expert system. The technique is illustrated with typical examples from benchmark processes common to many industrial plants.
Differentiating recognition in international politics

Recognition has gained increasing attention among international relations (IR) scholars in recent years (Ringmar 2002; Wendt 2003; Greenhill 2008; Murray 2010; Lindeman and Ringmar 2012; Wolf 2011)...
MoGeo: A location-based educational service

The classroom is an efficient venue for conveying theories and concepts in many disciplines. In geography, however, students often have difficulty understanding spatio-temporal processes that are represented abstractly. Though field-based classes embed students in the environment they are studying, they are decoupled from supplemental information that often catalyzes learning. In this paper we present a location-based service for geographic education: the Mobile Geographic Education (MoGeo) System. MoGeo design is based on contextually-aware computing and integrates the following technologies: GPS receivers, GIS software, wireless networks, mobile computers (PDAs or tablets), and centralized computers (e.g., servers). Using this assemblage of technologies, we integrate the important elements of the classroom and computer laboratory into a field-based learning environment by providing remote, real-time access to: 1) context-specific educational materials; 2) sophisticated spatial analyses; 3) high-end visualization and simulations; 4) feedback and evaluation; and 5) instructors and peers. The overall experience is analogous to the guided tours available at many museums, but is richer and more conducive to intellectual exploration (e.g., through simulation, visualization, and experimentation) and collaboration (e.g., through audio/visual communication and real time tracking of classmates).
On Target? The Israeli Supreme Court and the Expansion of Targeted Killings

After four years of consideration, the Israeli Supreme Court recently issued the world's first judicial decision on targeted killings in Public Committee Against Torture in Israel v. Government of Israel (PCATI). In PCATI, the court held that terrorists are civilians under the law of armed conflict and thus are lawfully subject to attack only when they directly participate in hostilities. But the court also expanded the traditional definition of direct participation and the time period during which civilians may lawfully be attacked. By disregarding the direct participation requirement's important evidentiary function, the court weakened the protections that international law affords to all civilians, not just to terrorists.
GPU-based Parallel R-tree Construction and Querying

An R-tree is a data structure for organizing and querying multi-dimensional non-uniform and overlapping data. Efficient parallelization of R-tree is an important problem due to societal applications such as geographic information systems (GIS), spatial database management systems, and VLSI layout which employ R-trees for spatial analysis tasks such as map-overlay. As graphics processing units (GPUs) have emerged as powerful computing platforms, these R-tree related applications demand efficient R-tree construction and search algorithms on GPUs. This problem is hard both due to (i) non-linear tree topology of the data structure itself and (ii) the unconventional single-instruction multiple-thread (SIMT) architecture of modern GPUs requiring careful engineering of a host of issues. Therefore, the current best parallelizations of R-tree on GPU has limited speedup of only about 20-fold. We present a space-efficient data structure design and a non-trivial bottom-up construction algorithm for R-tree on GPUs. This has yielded the first demonstrated 226-fold speedup in parallel construction of an R-tree on a GPU compared to one-core execution on a CPU. We also present innovative R-tree search algorithms that are designed to overcome GPU's architectural and resource limitations. The best of these algorithms gives a speed up of 91-fold to 180-fold on an R-tree with 16384 base objects for query sizes ranging from 2k to 16k.
Effects of rectangular microchannel aspect ratio on laminar friction constant

In this paper, the effects of rectangular microchannel aspect ratio on laminar friction constant are described. The behavior of fluids was studied using surface micromachined rectangular metallic pipette arrays. Each array consisted of 5 or 7 pipettes with widths varying from 150 micrometers to 600 micrometers and heights ranging from 22.71 micrometers to 26.35 micrometers . A downstream port for static pressure measurement was used to eliminate entrance effects. A controllable syringe pump was used to provide flow while a differential pressure transducer was used to record the pressure drop. The experimental data obtained for water for flows at Reynolds numbers below 10 showed an approximate 20% increase in the friction constant for a specified driving potential when compared to macroscale predictions from the classical Navier-Stokes theory. When the experimental data are studied as a function of aspect ratio, a 20% increase in the friction constant is evident at low aspect ratios. A similar increase is shown by the currently available experimental data for low Reynolds number (< 100) flows of water.
14H-Indolo[2,3-a]phenanthridizinium Salts†

Four l-Aryl-9H-[3,4-b]pyridoindoles have been prepared and quaternized with bromoacetone. The resulting salts were cyclized under acidic conditions to afford 5-methyl-14H-indolo[2,3-a]phenanthridizinium perchlorate as well as the 2,3-dimethoxy-, 2,3-methylenedioxy- and 2-methoxy- derivatives.
Influence of Lateral Connections on the Structure of Cortical Maps

Maps of ocular dominance and orientation in primary visual cortex have a highly characteristic structure. The factors that determine this structure are still largely unknown. In particular, it is unclear how short-range excitatory and inhibitory connections between nearby neurons influence structure both within and between maps. Using a generalized version of a well-known computational model of visual cortical map development, we show that the number of excitatory and inhibitory oscillations in this interaction function critically influences map structure. Specifically, we demonstrate that functions that oscillate more than once do not produce maps closely resembling those seen biologically. This strongly suggests that local lateral connections in visual cortex oscillate only once and have the form of a Mexican hat.
Uterine trauma with fetal loss associated with chronic perforation of the inferior vena cava by an infrarenal vena cava filter.

Gestational complications in pregnant women have been considered a theoretical sequelae of vena cava filters (VCFs) positioned in the infrarenal segment of the inferior vena cava. We describe a 32-year-old woman who became pregnant with the known existence of an asymptomatic but chronically perforated, permanent infrarenal VCF. At 24 weeks gestation, uterine trauma leading to massive intraperitoneal hemorrhage and fetal loss occurred. Our case documents that gestational risk, heretofore theoretical, is real and calls for heightened awareness of the need for appropriate VCF management in women of childbearing age and consideration for preconception evaluation of the filter-bearing inferior vena cava in women considering pregnancy in whom VCFs have been previously implanted.
Prevention and control of influenza A outbreaks in long-term care facilities.

No single virus has the health impact of influenza. Influenza has remained epidemiologically important because it escapes host immune pressure through antigenic variation, is highly contagious, and can cause pneumonia and death in the most susceptible hosts. Viral transmission is most efficient where contact between susceptible hosts is greatest. For humans, this includes institutional settings such as daycare centers, schools, hospitals, and long-term care facilities. Of the three types of influenza, influenza C is relatively nonvirulent. Influenza B is most virulent in children; its antigenic stability presumably allows the adult population to benefit from acquired immunity. Influenza A is virulent in people of all ages, especially in those at the extremes of age or with immunocompromising disease; the attack rate in persons over 70 years of age is four times that of adults under 40 years of age. A major factor accounting for recurrent influenza A epidemics is change in the virus (antigenic drift and shift) that renders the vaccine less efficacious. Influenza epidemics cost billions of dollars and result in thousands of deaths annually. This discussion will focus on the prevention and treatment of influenza A in the long-term care facility.
Utilizing Peer Mentorship to Engage High Recidivism Substance-Abusing Patients in Treatment

Background: Often high recidivism substance-using patients have difficulty connecting to outpatient treatment contributing to greater functioning disturbances. Approaches to address this problem frequently are staff extensive. Objective: This study evaluates the impact of peer mentorship and/or enhanced dual recovery treatment (DRT) on individuals who are inpatients, substance abusing, and have a history of high recidivism. The primary outcome is post-discharge treatment attendance. Methods: In an inpatient Veterans Administration hospital setting, 96 patients with a history of high recidivism and current and/or past diagnosis of substance use disorders were randomized to either (i) Treatment As Usual (TAU), (ii) TAU + DRT + Mentorship for Addictions Problems to Enhance Engagement to Treatment (MAP-Engage), or (iii) TAU + MAP-Engage. Results: Overall MAP-Engage was found to be comparable to the DRT + MAP-Engage and both of these conditions were significantly better than TAU alone at increasing adherence t...
The brain's orienting response (novelty P3) in patients with unilateral temporal lobe resections

The brain's orienting response is a biologically primitive, yet critical cognitive function necessary for survival. Though based on a wide network of brain regions, the lateral prefrontal cortex and posterior hippocampus are thought to play essential roles. Indeed, damage to these regions results in abnormalities of the novelty P3 or P3a, an event-related potential (ERP) sign of the orienting response. Like other ubiquitous markers of orienting, such as the galvanic skin response, the P3a habituates when novel events are repeated. Here, we assessed habituation of the P3a in patients who had undergone unilateral anteromedial resection of the medial temporal lobe (AMTL), including the entire hippocampus, for relief of pharmacologically intractable epilepsy. Eight left- and 8 right-AMTL patients and 16 age- and education-matched controls heard frequent standard tones, infrequent targets (requiring reaction times) and equally infrequent, unique novel, environmental sounds. The novel sounds repeated 2 blocks after their first presentation. In controls, novel repetition engendered a reduction in P3a amplitude, but this was not the case in either left- or right-AMTL patients. We conclude that bilaterally intact hippocampi are necessary for the brain to appreciate that a repetition of a novel sound has occurred, perhaps due to disruptions in ipsilateral hippocampal-prefrontal pathways and/or between the left and right hippocampi.
Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, blackness, and a global race consciousness

Hip Hop Desis: South Asian Americans, blackness, and a global race consciousness, by Nitasha Tamar Sharma, Durham, Duke University Press, 2010, 368 pp., US$ 23.95 (paperback), ISBN 9780822347606 Sc...
The Cathepsin B of Toxoplasma gondii,Toxopain-1, Is Critical for Parasite Invasion and Rhoptry Protein Processing

Cysteine proteinases play a major role in invasion and intracellular survival of a number of pathogenic parasites. We cloned a single copy gene, tgcp1, from Toxoplasma gondii and refolded recombinant enzyme to yield active proteinase. Substrate specificity of the enzyme and homology modeling identified the proteinase as a cathepsin B. Specific cysteine proteinase inhibitors interrupted invasion by tachyzoites. The T. gondii cathepsin B localized to rhoptries, secretory organelles required for parasite invasion into cells. Processing of the pro-rhoptry protein 2 to mature rhoptry proteins was delayed by incubation of extracellular parasites with a cathepsin B inhibitor prior to pulse-chase immunoprecipitation. Delivery of cathepsin B to mature rhoptries was impaired in organisms with disruptions in rhoptry formation by expression of a dominant negative micro1-adaptin. Similar disruption of rhoptry formation was observed when infected fibroblasts were treated with a specific inhibitor of cathepsin B, generating small and poorly developed rhoptries. This first evidence for localization of a cysteine proteinase to the unusual rhoptry secretory organelle of an apicomplexan parasite suggests that the rhoptries may be a prototype of a lysosome-related organelle and provides a critical link between cysteine proteinases and parasite invasion for this class of organism.
Stem cells in cardiopulmonary development: Implications for novel approaches to therapy for pediatric cardiopulmonary disease

Abstract One of the most exciting discoveries of recent times is that of the stem cell. While hematopoieitic stem cells were identified in the 1960's, representing the prototypic “adult stem cell”, the pace of knowledge about embryonic stem cells has advanced substantially in the past decade. New data is emerging regarding the continuum between embryonic cardiac precursors and cardiac stem cells found postnatally and in adulthood. The new biological insights offer new opportunities to understand cardiomyogenesis, physiologically and pathophysiologically. Importantly, new therapeutic opportunities are beginning to emerge as well. While the pace of the cell-based therapy field has already led to clinical trials for adult cardiac diseases, this new field has the potential to advance dramatically insights and therapies for congenital heart disease and other cardiopulmonary diseases of neonates and children.
Preparation of the cde-ring system of pleurotin and geogenine via a stereoselective free radical cyclization

Abstract A synthesis of lactone 3, a projected intermediate in an approach to pleurotin (1) and geogenine (2), is described. The trans-perhydroindan nucleus is constructed using a stereoselective free radical cyclization (5 → 9).
Retinoids activate RXR/CAR-mediated pathway and induce CYP3A

Retinoids and carotenoids are frequently used as antioxidants to prevent cancer. In this study, a panel of retinoids and carotenoids was examined to determine their effects on activation of RXR/CAR-mediated pathway and regulation of CYP3A gene expression. Transient transfection assays of HepG2 cells revealed that five out of thirteen studied retinoids significantly induced RXRalpha/CAR-mediated activation of luciferase activity that is driven by the thymidine kinase promoter linked with a PXR binding site in the CYP3A4 gene [tk-(3A4)(3)-Luc reporter]. All-trans retinoic acid (RA) and 9-cis RA were more effective than CAR agonist TCBOPOP in induction of the tk-(3A4)(3)-Luc reporter. Addition of retinoid and TCBOPOP further enhanced the inducibility and the induction was preferentially mediated by RXRalpha/CAR and RXRgamma/CAR heterodimer. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that retinoids recruit RXRalpha and CAR to the proximal ER6 and distal XREM nuclear receptor response elements of the CYP3A4 gene promoter. The experimental data demonstrate that retinoids can effectively regulate CYP3A gene expression through the RXR/CAR-mediated pathway.
The influence of silicon heat treatments on the minority carrier generation and the dielectric breakdown in MOS structures

The minority carrier lifetime of Si and the dielectric breakdown of SiO2 on Si has been investigated as a function of various high temperature treatments preceding the formation of the SiO2 layer.
Glycinergic “Inhibition” Mediates Selective Excitatory Responses to Combinations of Sounds

In the mustached bat's inferior colliculus (IC), combination-sensitive neurons display time-sensitive facilitatory interactions between inputs tuned to distinct spectral elements in sonar or social vocalizations. Here we compare roles of ionotropic receptors to glutamate (iGluRs), glycine (GlyRs), and GABA (GABA(A)Rs) in facilitatory combination-sensitive interactions. Facilitatory responses to 36 single IC neurons were recorded before, during, and after local application of antagonists to these receptors. The NMDA receptor antagonist CPP [(+/-)-3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl)-propyl-1-phosphonic acid], alone (n = 14) or combined with AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX (n = 22), significantly reduced or eliminated responses to best frequency (BF) sounds across a broad range of sound levels, but did not eliminate combination-sensitive facilitation. In a subset of neurons, GABA(A)R blockers bicuculline or gabazine were applied in addition to iGluR blockers. GABA(A)R blockers did not "uncover" residual iGluR-mediated excitation, and only rarely eliminated facilitation. In nearly all neurons for which the GlyR antagonist strychnine was applied in addition to iGluR blockade (22 of 23 neurons, with or without GABA(A)R blockade), facilitatory interactions were eliminated. Thus, neither glutamate nor GABA neurotransmission are required for facilitatory combination-sensitive interactions in IC. Instead, facilitation may depend entirely on glycinergic inputs that are presumed to be inhibitory. We propose that glycinergic inputs tuned to two distinct spectral elements in vocal signals each activate postinhibitory rebound excitation. When rebound excitations from two spectral elements coincide, the neuron discharges. Excitation from glutamatergic inputs, tuned to the BF of the neuron, is superimposed onto this facilitatory interaction, presumably mediating responses to a broader range of acoustic signals.
Measurement of the Nonsteady Flow Field in the Opening of a Resonating Cavity Excited by Grazing Flow

Abstract Flow past the opening of a cavity can excite acoustic resonance. The periodic velocity field in the region of the cavity opening has been measured for various flow conditions and the vorticity distribution has been computed from the measured data using numerical differentiation. The results indicate that the shear layer rolls up into discrete vortices, which travel across the cavity opening. Two resonances were found. The first is characterized by a single vortex being present and results in the greatest amplitude. The second is characterized by the presence of two vortices which excite a distinct but lesser amplitude resonance. As the flow velocity changes, the position of these vortices shifts relative to the phase of the acoustic cycle. The timing of the interaction between the moving vortices and the acoustic particle velocity determines, to a large extent, the intensity of the excitation, and therefore also the oscillation amplitude. The measurements also indicate that the boundary layer upstream of the leading edge pulsates considerably.
NMDA receptors: the first decade

A little over ten years ago, three events occurred which began the story of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, as far as drug discovery was concerned. In a series of publications, Watkins and co-workers marshalled sufficient evidence about the ability of certain antagonists to block the excitatory action of NMDA. This evidence served to convince a majority of scientists that NMDA receptors did indeed exist. The mechanism of action of MK-801 was discovered to be the blockade of ion channels associated with NMDA receptors. Finally, the first competitive NMDA antagonists to be developed for therapeutic purposes, CPP and CGS19755, were discovered. It was the honeymoon for the NMDA receptor, with expected side effects exceeded only by predicted therapeutic applications. Now there has been sufficient time to test many of the original concepts surrounding the NMDA receptor and its antagonists, and to test the first generation of NMDA antagonists in man. At the same time, many other classes of compounds ac...
Care of chronic wounds in palliative care and end‐of‐life patients

The aim of this paper was to provide a literature synthesis on current wound care practices for the management of chronic wounds in palliative care and end-of-life patients, focusing on the control of wound-related symptoms for comfort and improved quality of life. These wounds included pressure ulcers, venous and arterial leg ulcers, diabetic ulcers and fungating malignant wounds. Wound-related symptoms included pain, exudate, malodour, infection, bleeding, dressing comfort and negative psychological and social functioning. Best care wound practices were formulated for each wound type to ease suffering based on the literature review. Although symptom management strategies for comfort may work in tandem with healing interventions, it is important to recognise when efforts towards wound closure may become unrealistic or burdensome for the patient at end of life. Thus, unique aspects of palliative wound care feature clinical indicators for early recognition of delayed healing, quality of life measurement tools related to chronic wounds, and comfort care strategies that align with patient wishes and realistic expectations for wound improvement.
Estimation of substance use involvement: Theoretical considerations and empirical findings

The present study is concerned with the development of a substance use index to be used in the examination of substance use and related phenomena among adolescent substance users. The Substance Use Involvement Index (SUI) was constructed to provide a composite score that combines quantitative and qualitative aspects of substance use into a unitary score that reflects a user's substance involvement relative to a specific reference group. The SUI was used to examine the relationship between substance use involvement and predictor variables, (i.e., personal distress and self-concept) by first dividing the student population into six substance use involvement groups. The SUI was also used to examine differences in substance use levels as a function of sex, grade-in-school, self-reported grade point average, and race/ethnicity. Finally, the SUI was examined in relation to the qualitative aspects of multiple substance use and other use patterns.
Teaching and learning DC-DC converter design using MathCAD

This paper presents an approach for teaching and learning dc-dc converter design using MathCAD. MathCAD provides advantages that greatly improve teaching and learning process especially when long and complicated design equations are involved such as those found in dc-dc converters. A design example using Excel is presented and then compared with the same example using MathCAD. Experience learned from using MathCAD in power electronic courses at Cal Poly will be discussed in this paper.
A history of rhinology in North America

Abstract The history of rhinology is the story of the efforts of men and women who have tried to help patients who have nasal and sinus disorders or other conditions thought to be related to the nose or sinuses. Woven through this story are the subplots of the progress of surgical technology, the understanding of anatomy and physiology, and the hit-or-miss relationship between them. Through the last half of the nineteenth century, great strides were made in understanding nasal and sinus anatomy and physiology. As that century ended and as the twentieth century began, there was a surge of technology that allowed a marked increase in the type and number of surgeries performed. Unfortunately, nasal and sinus surgery holds the awesome potential to promote health or to severely hurt someone. The knowledge of nasal physiology and anatomy had been exceeded, and often those operations were not in the patient's best interest. Through the middle of the twentieth century the basic science knowledge seems to have caught up with the care being provided, but as the end of the century approaches, another tide of surgical activity seems to be upon us. Perhaps in no other area of surgery has this disparity between biologic knowledge and surgical activity been so well demonstrated. Perhaps the next 100 years will witness a better coordination of these activities. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1996;115:283-97.)
Reactions of Methane with Hafnium Atoms: CH2HfH2, Agostic Bonding, and (CH3)2HfH2

Laser-ablated hafnium atoms react with methane to form the methylidene complex CH2HfH2. The activation of a second CH4 molecule forms (CH3)2HfH2 particularly on sample annealing. These molecules are identified from infrared spectra by isotopic substitution (CH4, 13CH4, CD4, CH2D2) and comparison to DFT frequency calculations. The computed structure for singlet ground state CH2HfH2 shows CH2 and HfH2 distortion and evidence for agostic bonding (angle H−C−Hf, 95.6°), which is more stable than the symmetrical nonagostic structure. The CHDHfHD isotopic molecules provide experimental evidence for agostic bonding distortion. In addition, changes within the absorptions of the CHDHfHD isotopic molecules on annealing the argon matrix to 20−26 K demonstrates facile interchange of the agostic bonding positions.
A procedure for obtaining young children's reports of olfactory stimuli.

Young children (ages 2 to 5) have proved to be difficult subjects for obtaining valid reports of their ratings of olfactory stimuli. Thirty-six preschoolers were tested on benzaldehyde (a pleasant odor) and on dimethyl disulfide (an unpleasant odor) using a smiling or frowning face as a response format. The results showed the ability of young children to discriminate between pleasant and unpleasant odors.
Successful treatment of gastrointestinal follicular lymphoma with rituxan and combination chemotherapy.

The clinical course of follicular lymphoma (FL) is well known. Although it is a chemosensitive disease, thereby allowing substantial palliation, recurrence is the rule; only a small subset who presents with limited stage disease is cured. Multiple attempts have been made over the past two decades to improve the survival of patients with FL, and a large number of phase III trials have been reported. These have included a variety of different therapeutic interventions, such as combination chemotherapy, recombinant interferons, new cytotoxic drugs, and immunologic agents. Most studies have not demonstrated that the use of a particular therapy convincingly prolongs survival. Follicular lymphoma cells express CD20 and are associated in most cases with the t(14:18) chromosomal translocation. Rituximab is a chimeric monoclonal antibody directed against the B-cell CD20 antigen, which has been utilized for the therapy of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Rituximab was shown to be active in FL, and studies of its effectiveness in combination with cytotoxic chemotherapy to increase the response rate are forthcoming.
A new model of low-temperature photoluminescence in amorphous semiconductors

Abstract Recent low-temperature a-Si:H photoluminescence shows the presence of two peaks in the lifetime distribution, and a G−0.5 dependence of the efficiency on the generation rate. These results cannot be explained by existing models of amorphous semiconductor photoluminescence. The reason for the discrepancy is that every model predicts diffusive motion of the photogenerated pairs. It is shown how the inclusion of the Coulomb interaction between photocarriers, of spin selection effects, and of Auger recombination, gives better agreement of theory with experiment.
Interest and Participation in High School Activities by College Freshmen

This study attempts to determine interest and participation in high school activities. For 950 male college freshmen physical education students participation in activity was determined by an Information Check List. The results indicated that high school students tended to participate in team activities, but when asked what they were interested in learning as new activities, they preferred the individual activities that could be participated in during later years.
Characteristics of drowning by different age groups

Context: While it is known that the risk of unintentional drowning varies with age, the manner in which drowning episode characteristics vary by age has not been well described. Such information might be useful for prevention. Objective: To describe characteristics of drowning by age group. Design: Retrospective review of the characteristics of drowning victims and their drowning incidents obtained from death certificates, medical examiner, pre-hospital, emergency department, and hospital records. Setting: Three counties in Western Washington state. Subjects: Residents who died (n=709) of unintentional drowning within the study region during 1980 through 1995. Outcomes: Age specific counts, proportions, and rates per million person years were estimated for and compared among six age groups. Results: Rates varied by age group: 0–4 (30.5), 5–14 (11.6), 15–19 (29.9), 20–34 (21.5), 35–64 (12.5), and 65 years or older (21.2). Among those 0–4 years, the proportions that drowned in pools, bathtubs, and open water were nearly equal. But from age 5–64 years, over 69% of deaths were in open water. Among those 65 years and older, the deaths were almost evenly divided between bathtub and open water; bathtub drowning rates were highest in this age group, 10.9. Pre-drowning activities were divided into boating, swimming, car passenger, bathing, and fell in while doing something else. Most (64/89, 76%) victims aged 0–4 years drowned while bathing or after falling in. Among those 15–19 years, most occurred while swimming (24/79, 34%) or boating (22/79, 31%). The drowning event was least often witnessed among those 0–4 years (10/36, 28%), and most often witnessed (44/58, 76%) among those 15–19 years. Medical care (pre-hospital, emergency department, or hospital) was most often involved in drownings of those 0–4 years (70/89, 79%) and least among those over 65 years (11/86, 13%). Conclusion: The characteristics of drowning episodes vary greatly by age. Different prevention strategies may be needed for different age groups.
Molecular dynamics in the membranes of helper T cells.

Abstract We provide evidence that redistributions and interactions of integral proteins in the fluid membranes of helper T (Th) cells may play important roles in Th-cell activation. A particular monoclonal antibody, 3D3, directed to a clonotypic determinant on the T-cell receptor (TCR) of the cloned Th-cell line D10, had previously been shown to be distinctively capable of directly activating D10 cells at low concentrations. We demonstrate here by immunofluorescence experiments that it is also distinctively able itself to produce a clustering (capping) of the TCRs on the D10 cell surface. Simultaneously, by means of double-immunofluorescence experiments, we find that the 3D3-induced clustering of the TCRs distinctively produces a co-clustering of the accessory molecule CD4 with the TCR clusters, although the CD4 and TCR molecules are normally independent of one another in the D10 cell membrane. These results, and related ones previously obtained from studies of the interactions of D10 Th cells with antigen-presenting cells, are analyzed to suggest that the membrane clustering of TCRs and the induced TCR-CD4 interactions are critical to the signaling events in Th-cell activation.
SOME NEUROPHYSIOLOGIC ASPECTS OF CONSCIOUSNESS

An anatomico-physiologic approach to consciousness is facilitated by recognizing that the various meanings of consciousness have in common a crucial core C variously called subjectivity, awareness, consciousness-as-such, or consciousness per se. A sharp distinction is made between the property C and the contents of consciousness, partial loss of which is typical of cerebro-cortical lesions. The neuronal mechanism producing subjectivity also acts as an attention-action coordinator, hence must have specific connectivity requirements. These requirements are best met by the thalamic intralaminar nuclei (ILN). Whereas large lesions elsewhere leave C undisturbed, quite small bilateral lesions in ILN engender immediate unresponsiveness. This combination of anatomic and neurologic evidence is bolstered by a variety of physiologic evidence leading to the conclusion that further investigations of the ILN, and their interaction with lower centers as well as cerebral cortex, are most apt to yield a better understanding of consciousness.
Decade in review-bladder cancer: international progress: from cytology to genomics

The past decade has seen many notable contributions to bladder cancer research. Here, we highlight the international efforts in the field, with findings from Europe, USA and China, as well as papers resulting from international cooperation. We anticipate the next 10 years will see even greater collaborative and international efforts.
Mechanics of damage in a random granular microstructure: Percolation of inelastic phases

Abstract In this paper a micromechanical approach to the evolution of damage in solids with granular-type microstructures is presented. Damage is defined as an elastic-inelastic transition in the grain boundaries, whereby inelasticity signifies plasticity and breaking. Representation of the microstructure, made up of convex grains of random physical and geometrical properties, in terms of a graph G permits the introduction of grain-grain constitutive interactions. Elastic and inelastic states of the solid are represented in terms of a binary random field Z on the graph G′ dual to G , and the boundary in the stress space between elastic and inelastic response ranges is given by a statistical family of random failure surfaces. The problem of determination of an effective failure surface is reduced to the problem of percolation of inelastic edges on G′ . A solution method based on the self-consistent approach to random media, the Markov property of field Z and the percolation theory is outlined. This analysis brings out naturally the size effects—decrease of scatter in strength with specimen size and dependence of average strength on specimen size—as well as the fractal character of percolating sets of inelastic edges. A direct link is found between the entropy of disorder of Z and the thermodynamic entropy; this forms the basis for thermodynamics of damage processes in random media as well as for their experimental investigation.
Geneesmiddelen en ouderen

Betere inbedding van ouderengeneeskunde in de medische opleidingen en meer training in het veilig voorschrijven van geneesmiddelen aan ouderen.
Porphyrin-heme pathway: regulation by intermediates in bile acid synthesis.

Dihydroxycoprostane and trihydroxycoprostane, intermediates in normal bile acid synthesis in the liver, enhanced the rate of porphyrin synthesis in cultured liver cells by induction of δ-aminolevulinate synthetase, the rate-limiting enzyme for this pathway. Other 5β-cholestane derivatives and cholest-5-ene derivatives were ineffective. The selectivity of the induction may indicate that the above-mentioned coprostanes have a physiological role in porphyrin synthesis.
Precise Partition of Micro/Nanoparticles in an Electro-Optofluidic Platform

Integrated optofluidics, when controlled electro-optically, can facilitate the high-throughput on-chip manipulation and detection of biomolecules and micro/nanoparticles. Previously we demonstrated stable trapping and precise manipulation of trapped microspheres, with positions of trapped microspheres dictated by antinodes of a standing wave formed along a nanofabricated waveguide [1]. Using this nanophotonic platform, we now report a method of generating an optical binding effect on-chip. We show that an array of microspheres can be stably trapped and uniformly spaced with a travelling wave. The direction of the travelling wave is rapidly switched using the thermo-optic effect via an integrated electric microheater which modulates the phase of a wave in a waveguide in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Our theoretical work suggests that the periodic trapping potential is a result of multiple-interference of the wave due to its interactions with the microspheres. Such a demonstration of on-chip optical binding provides a novel mode of manipulation and spacing of trapped micro/nanoparticles on an optofluidic platform.[1] M. Soltani, J. Lin, R. A. Forties, J. T. Inman, S. N. Saraf, R. M. Fulbright, M. Lipson & M. D. Wang, Nanophotonic trapping for precise manipulation of biomolecular arrays. Nature Nanotechnology 9, 448-452 (2014).
Long term benefit of multiple sclerosis treatment: an investigation using a novel data collection technique:

Background:The Knowledge Program (KP) is an initiative to collect self-reported patient data and objective clinician assessments electronically at each outpatient clinical encounter. Available outc...
Aortic injury during laparoscopic fundoplication: an underreported complication.

Background: Advances in video equipment, instrumentation, and laparoscopic skills have enabled the performance of an increasing variety of procedures using minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, the public is more aware of the benefits of laparoscopic surgery, including decreased postoperative pain and shortened recovery period. Surgical treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is blossoming as a result. As with all surgical procedures, complications can occur. This case report describes a complication of laparoscopic fundoplication not previously reported. Also summarized is a review of all complications associated with minimal access fundoplication reported in the literature. Methods: After appropriate evaluation for surgical treatment of GERD that revealed a nonspecific esophageal motility disorder, a 52-year-old female underwent laparoscopic Toupet fundoplication. During the procedure, a needle injury occurred to the aorta at the level of the hiatus. Despite exploration during the original procedure, which had been converted to laparotomy, and at two subsequent operations, the intermittent bleeding source was not found. The patient eventually died secondary to blood loss. The aortic injury was discovered postmortem. Conclusion: A variety of intraoperative complications associated with laparoscopic fundoplication have been reported, including gastric, esophageal, and bowel perforations, cardiac tamponade, pneumothorax, celiac artery thrombosis, bleeding, and death. Although this is the first reported aortic injury during minimally invasive fundoplication not related to trocar placement, discussion with other surgeons indicates that this is not the only occurrence of this complication.
The determination of SO42-, NaSO4-, and MgSO40 tracer diffusion coefficients and their application to diagenetic flux calculations

Sulfur-35 was used to monitor the non-steady-state tracer diffusion of the free sulfate ion and sulfate ion-pairs in aqueous solutions of MgSO4 and Na2SO4. Diffusion coefficients were derived from radiotracer flux measurements taken over ionic strengths ranging from 0.001 to 0.7. The experimental tracer diffusion coefficient is a function of the diffusion coefficients of the free sulfate ion and the sulfate ion-pairs as well as the ion pair equilibrium constant. The free sulfate ion tracer diffusion coefficient was determined independently from both the MgSO4 and Na2SO4, experiments and found to be 1.11 and 1.08 (in units of 10-5cm2sec-1, ± 10%, respectively. These values closely agree with that calculated from the Nernst expression, 1.07 sx 10-5cm2sec-1. The tracer diffusion coefficients of MgSO40 and NaSO4- were determined to be 0.85 and 1.23 sx 10-5cm2sec-1, respectively. These numbers are in reasonable agreement with the earlier work on mutual diffusion coefficients by Rard and Miller (1979b) (DMgSO4o = 0.65, Dnaso4- = 1.19) and Harned and Hudson (1951)DMgSO40 = (0.70). A modified version of the theoretical equation developed by Pikal (1971) is proposed for predicting the tracer diffusion coefficients of many ion-pairs relevant to seawater. Many of these predicted values are found to be within 10–20% of the empirical values extracted from mutual diffusion data. The experimental and theoretical diffusion coefficient data are used to calculate revised coupled diffusion coefficients, Dg, according to the model of Lasaga (1979).
Molecular-state treatment of He+(2p) excitation through electron capture in He2+-H2 collisions at low energies.

We report the calculation of low-energy state-selective electron-capture cross sections in an \ensuremath{\alpha}-particle collision with molecular hydrogen. The semiclassical molecular-orbital expansion method is used and electron translation effects are taken into account. The calculated ${\mathrm{He}}^{+}$(2p) formation cross sections are in good overall agreement with the recent measurements of Hoekstra et al. [J. Phys. B 22, L603 (1989)]. However, the experimental cross sections show a pronounced plateau between E=0.7 and 2.0 keV/amu. In the same energy region the calculated results exhibit an oscillatory structure that arises from a combination of Landau-Zener and Rosen-Demkov oscillations.