cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theory for the Interaction of Phonons with Nonharmonic Impurities and Their Effect on the Polarizability

A new formalism is used to describe the interaction of localized nonharmonic impurities with a field. The impurity is described in terms of anticommuting Fermi operators, thus permitting the use of diagrammatic techniques. The formalism is used to study the impurity-phonon interaction in general, and to study, in particular, the effect of the phonon field on the impurity's polarizability. Using linear-response theory and thermodynamic Green's functions, the polarizability is obtained. It is found to contain a resonance term and a dipole relaxation term which is found to be present even when the impurity has no diagonal dipole matrix elements. The effect of the four-vertex part on the polarizability is to renormalize the impurity's dipole matrix elements and make them temperature dependent. The formalism is particularly suited to the study of highly polarizable impurities such as the proton in hydrogen-bonded ferroelectrics, off-center impurities, and permanent-dipole impurities.
Growth factors, cytokines, and vascular injury.

Restenosis after angioplasty can be considered as the undesirable consequence of the vascular response to injury. The repair process, which manifests as smooth muscle cell hyperplasia and extracellular matrix deposition, is controlled by growth factors and cytokines from a variety of sources. Vascular smooth muscle cells themselves synthesize mitogens, such as platelet-derived growth factor and insulinlike growth factor I, which synergize to promote medial cell proliferation. Additionally, growth factors such as fibroblast growth factor are probably released by trauma from damaged smooth muscle cells or from the matrix that surrounds them. The abundance and cellular distribution of cell membrane receptors for the various growth factors is also modulated after arterial injury, and probably plays a role in determining the characteristics and magnitude of the proliferative response. It is becoming increasingly apparent that multiple redundant and often overlapping control mechanisms are involved in modulating restenosis. As the sequence of signaling events is unraveled, and antagonists to the critical mediators are developed, it is likely that more effective treatment protocols will become available to improve the long-term outcome of angioplasty procedures.
Sequence of a cDNA for mouse thrombomodulin and comparison of the predicted mouse and human amino acid sequences.

Thrombomodulin is an endothelial cell surface anticoagulant cofactor for activation of the serum protease protein C. The authors have previously described a complete cDNA for human thrombomodulin, and a partial cDNA for mouse thrombomodulin. They now report the complete cDNA for mouse thrombomodulin, and compare the predicted amino acid sequence to human. The sequence contains a 5{prime} untranslated region of 158 bases, followed by 1,731 bases encoding 577 amino acids, and 1,745 bases of 3{prime} untranslated sequence terminating in a poly A tail (24 bases). The sequence was determined by sequencing both strands of two independent cDNA clones, one encoding bases 1-833, the other 446-3,658.
A light scattering study of the hydrolytic polymerization of aluminum

Abstract Rayleigh turbidity measurements at 24, 35, 50, and 75°C were made on hydrolyzed aluminum solutions containing 1.0, 2.0, 2.25, 2.35, and 2.40 bound hydroxide ions per aluminum ion. The results indicate that the size of the polynuclear hydroxocomplexes formed reaches a minimum of eight or nine aluminum atoms per isopolycation before incipient precipitation. It is unlikely that any solutions save those with OH Al = 1.0 represent equilibrium conditions. The study was over a tenfold aluminum concentration range, 0.02–0.30 M aluminum, in a constant ionic medium of 1 M sodium perchlorate.
Stimulatory effect of ionophores on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate content in human mononuclear leukocytes.

Abstract Ionophores A23187 and bromo-lasalocid ethanolate enhanced the cyclic AMP content in human mononuclear leukocytes. The maximum effect of A23187 with a 10-min incubation was found with 0.3–1.0μM concentrations with or without l-isoproterenol (1 μM) or prostaglandin E 1 (pge 1) (0.3 μM). The maximum effect after 5 min of incubation at 37° was observed with 0.05, 0.2 and 1 μm A23187. The effect of ionophore A23187 was enhanced by both aminophylline (1 mM) and isobutyl-methylxanthine (1 mM). Calcium (1 mM). aspirin (1 mM) and indomethacin (100 μM) decreased the stimulatory action of A23187. Bromo-lasalocid ethanolate increased cyclic AMP content in cells maximally at a 3 μM concentration with or without 0.3 μM pge 1.
Shape-sensitivity-based evaluation of the stress intensity factors at the nanoscale by means of quantized fracture mechanics

Abstract An approach based upon the concept of shape sensitivity is presented for numerically evaluating the quantized fracture mechanics (QFM) stress intensity factors (SIFs) in the absence of an analytical expression for the linear elastic fracture mechanics SIFs. This approach is general and can be employed in conjunction with any numerical techniques such as finite element or boundary element methods to evaluate the QFM SIFs at the nanoscale for many fracture problems in engineering practice. Some numerical examples involving benchmark problems in fracture mechanics are reported to demonstrate the validity and accuracy of the proposed technique when it is coupled with a numerical method like the symmetric-Galerkin boundary element method.
Design of nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and their use to reverse hypotension associated with cancer immunotherapy.

It is now just 10 years since it was first appreciated that NO is endogenously synthesized in mammals. In this period, two constitutive and one inducible isoform of NOS have been isolated, sequenced, and characterized with respect to their protein chemistry and catalytic mechanism. A wide variety of NOS inhibitors, most targeted to the arginine binding site in the oxygenase domain, have been synthesized and used to elucidate the physiological and pathophysiological roles of NO. It is now clear that NO is involved in signal transduction (e.g., in neurotransmission and blood pressure homeostasis), and that these roles are mediated by low concentrations of NO synthesized by nNOS or eNOS. The NO receptor is the heme cofactor of soluble isoform of guanylyl cyclase. Higher amounts of NO, typically but not always synthesized by iNOS, are often cytotoxic. At a minimum, high concentrations of NO derange the signal transduction pathways normally served by nNOS or eNOS. In addition, NO or its nitrosative products (RSNO, N2O3, or ONOO−) inhibit or damage cellular constituents, interfering with DNA synthesis, energy metabolism, and the structural integrity of the cell. Such cytotoxicity can be beneficial to the host if pathogens or tumor cells are destroyed, but is detrimental to the host if it results in inappropriate inflammation, hypotension, or immunosuppression. Therapeutic utility of NOS inhibitors has been demonstrated in sepsis and cytokine-induced hypotension; additional applications are being identified in a treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders.
Glycogen synthase: The existence of a single demonstrable form in bovine adipose tissue

Abstract Glycogen synthase from bovine adipose tissue has been kinetically characterized. Glucose 6-phosphate increased enzyme activity 50-fold with an activation constant ( A 0.5 ) of 2.6 m m . Mg 2+ reversibly decreased this A 0.5 to 0.75 m m without changing the amount of stimulation by glucose 6-phosphate. Mg 2+ did not alter the apparent K m for UDP-glucose (0.13 m m ). The pH optimum was broad and centered at pH 7.6. The glucose 6-phosphate activation of the enzyme was reversible and competitively inhibited by ATP ( K i = 0.6 mm) and P i ( K i = 2.0 mm). The use of exogenous sources of glycogen synthase and glycogen synthase phosphatase suggests that (i) adipose tissue glycogen synthase phosphatase activity in fed mature steers is low or undetectable, and (ii) endogenous bovine adipose tissue glycogen synthase can be activated to other glucose 6-phosphate-dependent forms by addition of adipose tissue extracts from fasted steers or fed rats.
Efficacy of intravascular catheter lock solutions containing preservatives in the prevention of microbial colonization

There is little published evidence regarding whether heparin lock solutions containing preservatives prevent catheter-related infections. However, adverse effects from preservative-containing flushes have been documented in neonates, leading many hospitals to avoid their use altogether. Infection control records from 1982 to 2008 at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (SJCRH) were reviewed regarding the incidence of catheter-related infections and the use of preservative-containing intravenous locks. In addition, the antimicrobial activities of heparin lock solution containing the preservatives parabens (0.165%) or benzyl alcohol (0.9%), and 70% ethanol were examined against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans, and compared with preservative-free saline with and without heparin. Growth was assessed after exposure to test solutions for 0, 2, 4 and 24h at 35 °C. The activities of preservatives were assessed against both planktonic (free-floating) and sessile (biofilm-embedded) micro-organisms using the MBEC Assay. Infection control records revealed two periods of increased catheter-related infections, corresponding with two intervals when preservative-free heparin was used at SJCRH. Heparin solution containing preservatives demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against both planktonic and sessile forms of all six microbial species. Ethanol demonstrated the greatest antimicrobial activity, especially following short incubation periods. Heparin lock solutions containing the preservatives parabens or benzyl alcohol, and 70% ethanol demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against both planktonic and sessile micro-organisms commonly responsible for catheter-related infections. These findings, together with the authors' historical infection control experience, support the use of preservatives in intravenous lock solutions to reduce catheter related infections in patients beyond the neonatal period.
Furfurol als Ausgangsprodukt zur Herstellung von ω-Aryl- bzw. ω-Cycloalkyl-alkanolen und -diolen I†

Furfurol dient als Kondensationspartner von technischen Ketonen zur Herstellung von β-Furfurylidenketonen. Durch Alkoholyse derselben mit aliphatischen niederen Alkoholen lassen sich daraus 5-substituierte β-(Furyl-[2])-propionsaureester gewinnen. Deren Hydrierung ergibt eine Reihe interessanter ω-Aryl-bzw. ω-Cycloalkyl-alkanole und -alkandiole in ausgezeichneten Ausbeuten. Die Verfahren sind wegen der billigen Rohmaterialien und der guten Rentabilitat von hohem wirtschaftlichem Interesse. Furfurol as Basic Material for the Preparation of ω-Aryl- respectively ω-Cycloalkyl-Alkanols and -Diols I Furfurol acts as a condensating partner of commercial ketones for the preparation of β-furfurylidenketones. Alcoholysis of the same with lower aliphatic alcohols leads to the production of 5-substituted β-(Furyl-[2])-propionic acid ester; the hydrogenation results a series of interesting ω-aryl- respectively ω-cycloalkyl-alkanols and alkandiols with excellent yield. On account of cheap raw materials and good profitableness the procedures are of high economic interest.
The influence of parental and peer drinking behaviors on underage drinking and driving by young men

BACKGROUND: Studies have consistently found that parental and peer drinking behaviors significantly influence adolescent drinking behavior and that adolescent drinking has a significant effect on their drinking-and-driving behavior. Building upon these studies, the present article assesses whether parental and peer drinking behaviors have direct and indirect effects on adolescent drinking and driving as well as whether they moderate the effect of adolescent drinking on their drinking-and-driving behavior. METHODS: The assessment is conducted using data collected from the Buffalo Longitudinal Survey of Young Men (BLSYM) with Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analyses. RESULTS: The data reveal that peer drinking has direct and indirect effects on adolescent drinking-and-driving behavior when adolescent drinking behavior is controlled. It also moderates the effect of adolescent drinking behavior on their drinking and driving. However, parental drinking does not have these direct and interactive effects, although it may have an indirect effect on adolescent drinking and driving via adolescent drinking behavior. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that peer drinking behavior should be considered seriously in prevention and intervention for reducing the risk of adolescent drinking-and-driving behavior. Language: en
The biomechanical function of the patellar tendon during in-vivo weight-bearing flexion

Few studies have investigated the function of the patellar tendon in-vivo. This study quantified the three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the patellar tendon during weight-bearing flexion. Eleven subjects were imaged using magnetic resonance (MR). Sagittal plane images were outlined to create a 3D model of the patella, tibia, and femur and included the attachment sites of the patellar tendon. Each attachment site was divided into central, medial, and lateral thirds. Next, the subjects were imaged using fluoroscopy from two orthogonal directions while performing a single-leg lunge. The models and fluoroscopic images were used to reproduce the motion of the patella, tibia, and femur. The apparent elongation, sagittal plane angle, and coronal plane angle of each third of the patellar tendon were measured from the relative motion of the attachment sites. All three portions of the patellar tendon deformed similarly with flexion. The length of the patellar tendon significantly from full extension to 30 degrees . From 30 degrees -110 degrees , no significant change in the length of the patellar tendon was observed. The patellar tendon was oriented anteriorly at flexion angles less than 60 degrees and posteriorly thereafter. From full extension to 60 degrees , the medial orientation of the patellar tendon decreased significantly with flexion. These data may have important implications for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patellar tendon autografts and for the design of rehabilitation regimens for patients of patellar tendon repair.
The phylogeny of Lens (Leguminosae): new insight from ITS sequence analysis

Lens includes L.culinaris subsp. culinaris (the cultivated lentil) and several wild species distributed from the Mediterranean region to western Asia. We compared sequence variation in the ITS region among species of Lens in an effort to end persisting uncertainty regarding the phylogeny of the genus. The parsimony analysis revealed a single minimum-length tree with a topology congruent with patterns derived by previous studies of nuclear and chloroplast DNA RFLPs. The basal and highly divergent status of the L. nigricans clade is depicted, and the progenitor-derivative relationship between L. culinaris subsp. orientalis and L. culinaris subsp. culinaris is reaffirmed. Resolution in the tree was improved by combining the ITS data set with a pre-existing set of chloroplast DNA restriction site data obtained from the same group of samples.
The synthesis of a c(RGDyK) targeted SN38 prodrug with an indolequinone structure for bioreductive drug release

Preparation of a novel c(RGDyK) targeted SN38 prodrug incorporating an indolequinone structure for bioreductively triggered drug release is described. This design yields a prodrug that targets surface molecules on tumor cells (αvβ3 integrins) and releases drug under bioreductive conditions. There are three moieties in the prodrug design, namely a therapeutic drug SN38, an indolequinone structure serving as a drug releasing trigger, and an αvβ3 integrin targeting peptide c(RGDyK). Preliminary studies showed that SN38 is released in the presence of a bioreductive enzyme (DT-diaphorase).
Alternative Nested Logit Model Structures and the Special Case of Partial Degeneracy

Partially degenerate nested logit (NL) models have broad applicability in regional science. However, the literature on them is relatively sparse and confusion exists on some aspects of identification and related matters. This paper addresses a number of conceptual and econometric aspects of partially degenerate NL models. These include identification, scaling, invariance, and consistency with the utility-maximizing postulate that underlies discrete choiceanalysis. This is accomplished within the larger, encompassing framework of nondegenerate NL models of which the partially degenerate model is a special case.
Short-term memory as a response preparation state

This review considers recent findings on motor-response programming which indicate that there is a temporary mode of storage for response commands. This storage, which is distinct from long-term memory, is required for emission of a programmed response even when there are no explicit requirements for memory. Although this system is considered to be primarily a stage in response control rather than a memory system, it may mediate verbal short-term memory when encoded in articulatory form. The implications of this perspective on short-term memory are considered.
Feasibility of a Multimedia Program for Parentally Bereaved Children

Background Self-directed multimedia resources that provide psycho-educational information to selected populations have been supported in child health related areas including parenting skills in adults and literacy in children. Comparable programs for use with bereaved children and families have not been adequately developed or empirically examined. Examining usability and satisfaction with such materials is critical, especially when dealing with bereavement.
Economics and the selection and development of energy standards for buildings

Abstract Energy-conservation standards for new buildings will play a major role in federal and state conservation policies in the coming decade. This article discusses economic-efficiency considerations that can be incorporated into the selection and development of such standards. Three types of energy budgets — ‘fixed energy budgets’, ‘partially variable energy budgets’, and ‘economically efficient energy budgets’ (EEEB) — are examined for use as standards. Economic-efficiency criteria are presented for use in selecting an appropriate energy budget. An illustrative example shows the potential dollar losses in life-cycle terms from failing to apply an EEEB. Research and operational requirements for developing and implementing an energy budget are described. Three energy-budget standards are evaluated in terms of economic efficiency, administrative feasibility, equity, and consistency in design requirements. An EEEB appears optimal in that it ranks highest overall with respect to the four criteria. Failure to begin research for, and development of, EEEBs now would impose unnecessary social costs in the form of extra expenses to achieve any chosen target levels of energy conservation in buildings.
Occult middle ear and mastoid fluid in acute otitis externa.

Objectives/Hypothesis: Presence of fluid in the middle ear (ME) or mastoid air cells in acute otitis externa (OE) has not been reported. We hypothesize that in patients with OE there is often otitis media (occult middle ear and mastoid fluid) and secondary fluid in the mastoid air cell system, which is not seen during a clinical examination because of edema in the external canal skin. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 209 patients who presented to our ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinic with acute OE that was resolved with oral and/or topical antibiotics. Results: Twenty-seven of the 209 patients presented with unilateral or bilateral acute OE (29 ears) and received a computed tomography (CT) scan of their temporal bones, which was ordered by the Emergency Department or ENT services. Twenty-three of 29 ears (79%) showed fluid in the ME, mastoid, or both. Nine of the 10 patients (82%), who obtained their CT scan within 1 week of symptom onset, were found to have fluid. Conclusions: These findings support our hypothesis and serve to inform the medical community (both ENT and primary care) that fluid is often present in the ME or mastoid in patients with acute OE whose symptoms will resolve with oral and/or topical antibiotics.
Multi-robot routing under connectivity constraints

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of routing multiple range constrained robots to service spatially distributed requests at specified time instants, while ensuring a connected information exchange network at all times. We discuss the feasibility aspects of such a connectivity constrained routing problem. In particular, we derive the minimum number of robots required to service such requests, and we present an algorithm for the explicit construction of the corresponding routes for every robot, with total length traveled as the optimization criterion.
Effect of Prolonged Geo‐stimulation and Presence of 32P on the Elongation of Lateral Shoots of Decapitated Pea Seedlings

The effects of prolonged geo-stimulation and presence of 32P on 3-leaf decapitated pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) seedlings were studied with regard to lateral bud elongation as well as accumulation and recovery of isotope. Prolonged geo-stimulation favoured the dominance of basally located, upwardly directed buds and suppressed the elongation of subapical bud — a gravimorphic response similar to the one shown by intact geo-stimulated branches of woody plants. Basal bud 2 was an exception as it dominated both in the above- and below-axis position. Accumulation of 32P in buds was the result of their own growth, whereas in the other parts of the seedlings accumulation of isotope was not necessarily related to growth. Geo-stimulation affected 32P recovery in redistribution experiments, whereas it had no effect in distribution experiments. In the former, the decrease in the isotope level in the seedling suggests a loss of 32P. Prolonged presence of 32P in the seedlings had a deleterious effect on bud elongation.
NUEVA POLÍTICA SOCIAL, VIEJO CONTRATO SOCIAL: POLÍTICAS DE VIVIENDA Y PROTESTA URBANA EN LA PERIFERIA DE LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO, 1960S-1980S

Este articulo es un estudio de politica social latinoamericana de las decadas que siguieron a la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Se investiga la relacion entre la politica de vivienda del Estado mexicano y las masas urbanas en la zona metropolitana de Ciudad de Mexico. A pesar de la expansion de la politica social urbana entre 1960 y 1980, las masas urbanas no recibieron el mismo reconocimiento que los trabajadores y los campesinos entre 1910 y 1940. Aunque durante estas decadas las politicas sociales apaciguaron transitoriamente a los grupos urbanos, dejaron a su vez a muchas personas con el sentimiento que las politicas favorecian a los intereses de los mas poderosos y de ninguna manera resolvian la raiz de los problemas urbanos ni actualizaban las estructuras del gobierno para asimilar cambios demograficos, economicos y politicos. A traves del tiempo, las masas urbanas adquirieron mayor conciencia de sus derechos, y sus movimientos sociales y politicos se volvieron mas criticos y amplios. Ni aliadas solidamente al Estado, ni completamente ignoradas o reprimidas, las masas urbanas ocuparon un lugar incierto e impredecible entre ciudadanos de primera y segunda clase, y como resultado su compleja cultura politica fue, y continua siendo, uno de los misterios de la politica mexicana moderna.
Clinical Telerehabilitation: Applications for Physiatrists

Telemedicine offers an innovative approach to increase access to rehabilitation medicine services for patients who live in areas where physiatrists are scarce or absent. This article reviews the current status of telerehabilitation services delivered through real-time videoconferencing to provide support, assessment, and interventions to individuals with impairments or disabilities. A literature review demonstrates various uses of telerehabilitation by physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologists, audiologists, recreational therapists, neuropsychologists, nurses, other physician specialists, and physiatrists. We also provide more in-depth examples of 2 current programs that involve physiatrists: One furnishes telerehabilitation services to adult stroke survivors, and the other addresses the special health care needs of children with developmental disabilities. We discuss the benefits of using telemedicine via real-time videoconferencing to care for individuals with disabilities, outline the challenges of successfully implementing a physiatric telerehabilitation program, and finish with a list of potential applications for physiatrists interested in incorporating telemedicine into their practice. Further investigation of the use of telehealth technologies to deliver physiatric services, care coordination, and education is needed. We recommend that our professional societies develop and publish guidelines to facilitate development and use of telerehabilitation technologies to increase access to physiatric services.
Murine colon adenocarcinoma. Immunobiology of metastases

Orthotopic transplantation of MCA-38 murine colonic tumor cells into the submucosa of the cecum results in the growth of a “primary” tumor that metastasizes to the liver. This model system parallels the sequence of events that can occur with human colon carcinoma and provides a means of evaluating the role of the immune system in hepatic metastases formation. Temporal studies of the specific antitumor response detected by a micro-leukocyte adherence inhibition (LAI) assay revealed two patterns of sensitization as the “primary” tumor grew and hepatic metastases developed. The systemic antitumor response was monophasic and disappeared prior to the formation of hepatic metastases. In contrast, the local and regional antitumor response was biphasic. The breakdown in the local and regional response may play a permissive role in the formation of hepatic metastasis.
Sex and Race Differences in Mathematics Aptitude: Effects of Schooling

The differential course-work hypothesis posits that intergroup differences in mathematics aptitude result from differences between groups in both the extent and type of in-school exposure to mathematics and to related quantitatively oriented courses. Differential course-work effects on gender differences in mathematics aptitude are ambiguous, and research on racial differences is limited. This article examines the extent of the reduction in sex and race differences in mathematics competence when accounting for course-work in high school. The findings indicate that the previously more-researched sex differences in mathematics competence may or may not be significantly reduced when course work is controlled, depending on which component of mathematics competence is measured. However, racial differences in all components of mathematics competence are significantly reduced when racial differences in exposure to relevant high school course work are taken into account. These findings imply that simply increasin...
Policies for building post-conflict peace

Civil wars always end, but they usually restart. Globally, with the first ten years of the end of a conflict, 31 percent of them have resumed. African conflicts are even more prone to restart than the global average: half of African peace restorations last less than a decade. Thus, while for those African countries currently at war the task of reaching peace may seem enormous, the harder task is probably not to reach peace but to sustain it. This paper explores appropriate policies for sustainable peace both for the international community and for a post-conflict government. Section two provides an overview of the problem. The authors discuss the risk factors which determine whether a conflict restarts, and show how they can be measured. In the next two sections the authors focus in turn on action by the international community and action by a post-conflict government. In section three the authors focus upon peace-building actions by the international community, identifying the circumstances in which United Nations intervention is most valuable. In section four the authors turn to the policy choices of a post-conflict government. The authors focus on two core tasks: defusing a volatile military situation, and making government more inclusive. In section five the authors pull together the evidence. Each African post-conflict situation is different, but that does not mean it is unpredictable. The composition of the risk factors facing a country at a particular time can be estimated, and from this, the most serious risks can be identified and prioritized.
Creative thinking abilities and hemispheric asymmetry in schizotypal college students

Two groups of college students that scored high (N=25) and low (N=60) on a schizotypal personality index based on the Perceptual Aberration, Magical Thinking, and Schizotypal Personality Scales, were tested for hemisphericity using a dichotic listening task and completed the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking. The schizotypy scales correlated with high scores on the nonverbal portion of the creativity tests and with a left ear preference to dichotically presented verbal stimuli. The Torrance Test of Creative Thinking did not correlate, however, with hemispheric asymmetry. These results clarify the relationship between schizotypy and creating thinking abilities but fail in establishing the role of hemispheric asymmetry in the production of creative thinking ideas.
Dually fluorescent sensing of pH and dissolved oxygen using a membrane made from polymerizable sensing monomers

Abstract Using a thermal polymerization approach and polymerizable pH and oxygen sensing monomers with green and red emission spectra, respectively, new pH, oxygen, and their dual-sensing membranes were prepared using poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-poly(acrylamide) as a matrix. The sensors were grafted on acrylate-modified quartz glass and characterized under different pH values, oxygen concentrations, ion strengths, temperatures and cell culture media. The pH and oxygen sensors were excited using the same excitation wavelength and exhibited well-separated emission spectra. The pH sensing films showed good response over the pH range 5.5–8.5, corresponding to pKa values in the biologically relevant range between 6.9 and 7.1. The oxygen sensing films exhibited linear Stern–Volmer quenching responses to dissolved oxygen. As the sensing membranes were prepared using thermally initiated polymerization of sensing moiety-containing monomers, no leaching of the sensors from the membranes to buffers or medium was observed. This advantageous characteristic accounts in part for the sensors’ biocompatibility without apparent toxicity to HeLa cells after 40 h incubation. The dual-sensing membrane was used to measure pH and dissolved oxygen simultaneously. The measured results correlated with the set-point values.
Natural Resonances of a Lossy Conductor-backed SLAB Excited by a Non-planar Incident Field

The impulsive transient response of a conductor-backed dielectric slab to line-source illumination is considered. After compensating for the transient effects of the two-dimensional source, the scattered field is characterized as a natural mode series. The natural frequencies are extracted using the E-pulse technique, and are shown to approach the natural frequencies excited by plane-wave illumination as the source and observer heights approach infinity. At lower source and observer heights, the behavior of the natural frequency response is examined, and the trajectories of the natural frequencies in the complex plane as a function of these heights are established. These results should prove useful for material characterization using the E-pulse technique with a source having a non-planar wavefront.
Strategizing in small group decision-making: Host state identification for radioactive waste disposal among eight southern states

Experimental work in economics has long focussed attention on strategic interaction amongst individuals. A robust result is that a large fraction of participants in public goods experiments act cooperatively. This paper tests for the extent of strategic behavior in a non-laboratory setting. These data were generated when representatives from eight southeastern states voted to identify one state as host for a regional disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste. We find that no state plays its dominant (free-riding) strategy, but none plays in a completely cooperative fashion either. This result is similar to that found in laboratory public goods experiments.
Experimental and Numerical Studies of NOx Formation in Two-Stage Methane-Air Flames

To help understand how staged combustion aids in reducing emissions of oxide of nitrogen from gas turbines, measurements and computations are made of structures of two-stage counterflow methane-air flames at nomal atmospheric pressure and a feed-stream temperature of about 300 K. The fuel stream is partially premixed, with equivalence ratios from 1.5 to 3.0. To the air stream is added up to 10% by mass of water spray, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen. Flame structures, including formation of species containing two carbon atoms, are measured by gas chromatography of samples withdrawn by fine quartz probes and are calculated by numerical integrations of the conservation equations employing an updated elementary chemical-kinetic data base. The same sampling system is employed with a low-flow-rate NOx analyzer to obtain profiles of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are also calculated in the numerical integrations. The two-stage flame exhibits a green fuel-rich premixed flame and a blue diffusion flame with the maximum NOx concentrations found near the blue flame. At an air-side strain rate of 50 s−1, for fuel-side equivalence ratios of 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0, respectively, measured peak NOx concentrations were about 70, 90, 100 and 90 ppm, reduced to 60, 70, 50, and 40 ppm, respectively, when 5% water by mass was added to the air stream. Results of the numerical integrations were in reasonable agreement with these experimental results when suitable selections were made of certain critical elementary reaction-rate constants. These new NOx measurements and computations help to increase understanding of influences of staging and diluent addition, identify important reactions for pollutant formation and suggest means to reduce emissions.Copyright © 1998 by ASME
Towards a Coordinated Approach to the Structuring of Cost and Design Models: A Case Example

During the early phases of design, engineering decisions are made affecting costs for the entire life cycle of a man-machine system, that is, from development through manufacture and operations. These critical decisions are commonly made without reference to total cost effects. Cost studies are conducted, of course, at various times and places in the organization. The difficulty is, however, that such efforts are too belated and/or fragmentary to be useful in attempts to evolve an economically efficient design.
An early middle miocene catarrhine from Pakistan with comments on the dispersal of catarrhines into Eurasia

An isolated catarrhine primate molar from the Kamlial Formation of northern Pakistan is shown by magnetic polarity stratigraphy to be 16·1 My old, making it the oldest securely dated catarrhine in Eurasia. It is most similar to small catarrhines from East Africa and China, particularly Micropithecus Fleagle and Simons, 1978 , and Dionysopithecus Li, 1978 . It is distinctly different from European pliopithecids, suggesting that the dispersal of catarrhines into Europe and Asia, while broadly contemporaneous, took place in the context of at least partly independent immigration events. In terms of morphology, the specimen sheds no more light on the ancestry of gibbons than do other small early Miocene catarrhines with a phenetic resemblance to gibbons. However, as part of the Siwalik Miocene provincial fauna which has clear affinities with the modern fauna of Southeast Asia, it is perhaps a more likely candidate for gibbon ancestry than other purported gibbon ancestors.
Suppression of inward-rectifying K+ channels KAT1 and AKT2 by dominant negative point mutations in the KAT1 alpha-subunit

The Arabidopsis thaliana cDNA, KAT1 encodes a hyperpolarization-activated K+ (K+in) channel. In the present study, we identify and characterize dominant negative point mutations that suppress K+in channel function. Effects of two mutations located in the H5 region of KAT1, at positions 256 (T256R) and 262 (G262K), were studied. The co-expression of either T256R or G262K mutants with KAT1 produced an inhibition of K+ currents upon membrane hyperpolarization. The magnitude of this inhibition was dependent upon the molar ratio of cRNA for wild-type to mutant channel subunits injected. Inhibition of KAT1 currents by the co-expression of T256R or G262K did not greatly affect the ion selectivity of residual currents for Rb+, Na+, Li+, or Cs+. When T256R or G262K were co-expressed with a different K+ channel, AKT2, an inhibition of the channel currents was also observed. Voltage-dependent Cs+ block experiments with co-expressed wild type, KAT1 and AKT2, channels further indicated that KAT1 and AKT2 formed heteromultimers. These data show that AKT2 and KAT1 are able to co-assemble and suggest that suppression of channel function can be pursued in vivo by the expression of the dominant negative K+in channel mutants described here.
Brief meditation increases fiber wiring between striatum and corona radiata

White matter tractography has becoming increasingly useful for the visualization and measurement of brain anatomical structures and connections in both cortical and subcortical regions. Our previous studies using Diffusion Tensor Imaging have revealed the changes of white matter indexes including fractional anisotropy, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity at the corona radiata, an important white matter tract connecting the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) to other structures including striatum after brief meditation training - integrative body-mind training (IBMT) in healthy college students [1,2]. Since ACC and striatum involve in self-control networks, here we seek to further investigate the mechanism of white matter changes by employing an innovative tracking method and targeting specific fiber bundle connecting ACC and striatum after 2-week of IBMT. Fourteen healthy undergraduates were recruited at campus and received 30 min of IBMT for 2-wk, with a total of five hours training. IBMT involves body relaxation, mental imagery, and mindfulness training, accompanied by selected music background and guided by IBMT coach [1,2]. DTI scans were preformed before and after 2-wk IBMT with a Philips 3T Achieva. DTIstudio was used for preprocessing that includes motion and eddy current correction, coregistration, and subsequent calculation of diffusion tensors and FA maps. Fiber Assignment by Continuous Tractography (FACT) method was then used with FA threshold set at 0.2 and principal eigenvector set at 45° for fiber tracking. Normalization was carried out with DiffeoMap to normalize subject images to atlas by linear and non-linear transformation. With the inverse linear and non-linear transformation matrices, the atlas, a brain parcellation map with 130 segmented ROI objects, was warped to the individual data space for each subject. ROIs in the left anterior corona radiata (ACR) and striatum were then defined by ROIeditor [3]. We focused on the number of fibers for the fiber bundle between striatum and left ACR, and compared within-group changes before and after 2-wk training. We found increased number of fibers penetrating both striatum and left ACR after 2-wk IBMT (P=0.000).
Face-saving following experimentally induced embarrassment

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to determine whether an earlier conceptualization of face-saving in an interpersonal bargaining context could be extended to another source of public embarrassment. Face-saving was defined as sacrificing tangible rewards to avoid public humiliation. In Experiment I subjects performed either an embarrassing or nonembarrassing task. They then chose between (1) maximizing their monetary payoffs by describing their reactions publicly, and (2) accepting smaller payoffs to avoid public exposure. Half of the subjects believed that their potential payoffs were announced to an audience, half believed they would remain unannounced. Sacrifice was pronounced when subjects performed the embarrassing task and believed the audience was ignorant of their costs. Experiment II explored the effects of audience role and identity on face-saving. Half of the subjects believed the audience had an “evaluative” role, half believed it would be “nonevaluative” while they described their reactions to the embarrassing task. Also, half of the subjects (males only) had a male audience, half had a female audience. Face-saving was greatest in the evaluative condition. The results of both experiments are discussed in terms of the costliness of attempts to avoid looking foolish in public.
Enhanced Antibody Responses to Epstein-Barr Virus in HIV-Infected Homosexual Men

We investigated the association between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections in 593 homosexual men. The status of EBV infection in this group was evaluated based on serological evidence of EBV-specific antibody responses. The geometric mean titers (GMT) of antibody to EBV capsid antigen (EBV-VCA) (1:154) and EBV early antigen (EA) (1:16) in 141 HIV-seropositive men were significantly higher than respective titers in 452 HIV seronegative men (1:95 and 1:12). Antibody titers to EBV were higher in HIV-infected men with lymphadenopathy than in asymptomatic HIV-seropositive men. However, these correlation were less evident in patients with AIDS-related complex. Elevated antibody titers to EBV were found to be independent of levels of total serum IgG. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) antibody titers were also found to be significantly increased among HIV-seropositive men, independent of total IgG. Antibody titers to EBV were not correlated with those to CMV in either HIV-seronegative or HIV-seropositive men. Subjects without evidence of HIV infection, but who had high antibody titers to EBV-VCA and EBV-EA, had elevated mean numbers of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells, and lower levels of CD4+/CD8+ cell ratios compared to subjects with low EBV-antibody titers. This study suggests that the elevated levels of circulating antibodies against EBV in homosexual men are associated with loss of control of latent EBV due to HIV infection.
How does zero forward-scattering in magnetodielectric nanoparticles comply with the optical theorem?

A few decades ago, Kerker et al. [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 73, 765-767 (1983)] theoretically pointed out the interesting possibility of conceiving small magnetodielectric spheres that may provide zero scattering in the forward direction, despite significantly larger scattering in any other direction. Recent experimental and theoretical papers on the topic have further discussed this possibility in more realistic scenarios. Inspecting some of their analyses, it seems indeed possible to conceive nanoparticles characterized by a scattering pattern with a sharp minimum, although not zero, in the forward direction. From a theoretical standpoint, however, it is well known that the total scattered power from any object has to be proportional to a portion of the scattered field in the forward direction, implying that very small or zero forward scattering should be synonymous to even smaller or zero total scattering, regardless of the nature of the object and of its design. Using analytical theory and an accurate scattering formulation, we clarify the nature of this apparent paradox and the limitations of this anomalous phenomenon in terms of particle size. In this way, we shed some new light on theoretical and experimental papers on the topic, identifying relevant missteps in some of their physical interpretation, and considering the general possibility of verifying these effects. This discussion may also be relevant to some cloaking applications using exotic artificial materials.
Recombinant larvicidal bacteria with markedly improved efficacy against culex vectors of west nile virus.

An urgent need exists for new agents to control mosquito vectors of disease. Mosquito larvicides based on the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (Bti) or B. sphaericus (Bs) are effective in many habitats, but use is limited by their high cost. Moreover, mosquito resistance evolves rapidly to Bs where it is used intensively. The efficacy of these bacteria is due to a binary protein (BsB) in Bs and four proteins (Cry4A, Cry4B, Cry11A, and Cyt1A) in Bti. Here we report the use of cyt1A promoters and a 5 mRNA stabilizing sequence to synthesize high levels of Bs2362 binary toxin in Bti strains. The recombinant BtiIPS-82/BsB showed high potency against fourth instars of Culex quin- quefasciatus, a vector of West Nile virus, being 21-fold as potent as BtiIPS-82, and 32-fold as potent as Bs2362. Similar improved efficacy was obtained against larvae of Cx. tarsalis. Moreover, BtiIPS-82/BsB suppressed resistance to Bs2362 in Cx. quinquefasciatus.
A Comparison of Techniques for 90Y PET/CT Image-Based Dosimetry Following Radioembolization with Resin Microspheres

90Y PET/CT following radioembolization has recently been established as a viable diagnostic tool, capable of producing images that are both quantitative and have superior image quality than alternative 90Y imaging modalities. Because radioembolization is assumed to be a permanent implant, it is possible to convert quantitative 90Y PET image sets into data representative of spatial committed absorbed-dose. Multiple authors have performed this transformation using dose-point kernel (DPK) convolution to account for the transport of the high-energy 90Y β- particles. This article explores a technique called the Local Deposition Method (LDM), an alternative to DPK convolution for 90Y image-based dosimetry. The LDM assumes that the kinetic energy from each 90Y β- particle is deposited locally, within the voxel where the decay occurred. Using the combined analysis of phantoms scanned using 90Y PET/CT and ideal mathematical phantoms, an accuracy comparison of DPK convolution and the LDM has been performed. Based on the presented analysis, DPK convolution provides no detectible accuracy benefit over the LDM for 90Y PET-based dosimetry. For PET systems with 90Y resolution poorer than 3.25 mm at full-width and half-max using a small voxel size, the LDM may produce a dosimetric solution that is more accurate than DPK convolution under ideal conditions; however, image noise can obscure some of the perceived benefit. As voxel size increases and resolution decreases, differences between the LDM and DPK convolution are reduced. The LDM method of post-radioembolization dosimetry has the advantage of not requiring additional post-processing. The provided conversion factors can be used to determine committed absorbed-dose using conventional PET image analysis tools. The LDM is a recommended option for routine post-radioembolization 90Y dosimetry based on PET/CT imaging.
Punitive Action or Gentle Persuasion: Exploring Police Officers’ Justifications for Using Dual Arrest in Domestic Violence Cases

Mandatory and preferred arrest policies may be resulting in a backlash for victims who are arrested along with their batterers. Little prior research has explored why officers engage in dual arrests. The current study examines the rationales employed by officers to justify dual arrests in a preferred arrest jurisdiction. Content analysis of thought protocols of police officers (n=24) who reported they would arrest both parties was undertaken. Officers justified arrest of both parties, citing that such was required by law and the desire to force both parties to obtain counseling for their relationship. Implications for policy development are examined.