cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disruption in neuropeptide Y and leptin signaling in obese ventromedial hypothalamic-lesioned rats

Electrolytic lesions placed in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of rats induce instant hyperphagia and excessive weight gain. Since neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent hypothalamic orexigenic signal, and leptin secreted by adipocytes regulates NPY output, we tested the hypothesis that altered NPYergic-leptin signaling may underlie hyperphagia in VMH-lesioned rats. VMH-lesioned rats exhibiting hyperphagia and excessive weight gain in a time-related fashion were sacrificed on days 2, 7, and 21 post-surgery. Quite unexpectedly, NPY concentrations in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a major site of NPY release for stimulation of feeding, and in other sites, such as the dorsomedial nucleus, lateral hypothalamic area and median eminence-arcuate nucleus decreased, with the earliest diminution occurring on day 2 in the PVN only. In vitro basal and K+-evoked NPY release from the PVN of VMH-lesioned rats was significantly lower than that of controls. Analysis of hypothalamic NPY gene expression showed that although the daily decrease in NPY mRNA from 0800 to 2200 h occurred as in control rats, NPY mRNA concentrations were markedly reduced at these times in the hypothalami of VMH-lesioned rats. Leptin synthesis in adipocytes as indicated by leptin mRNA levels was also profoundly altered in VMH-lesioned rats. The daily pattern of increase in adipocyte leptin mRNA at 2200 h from 0800 h seen in controls was abolished, higher levels of leptin gene expression at 2200 h were maintained at 0800 h. The pattern of increase in serum leptin and insulin levels diverged in VMH-lesioned rats. Serum insulin concentration increased to maximal on day 2 and remained at that level on day 21-post-lesion; serum leptin levels on the other hand, increased slowly in a time-related fashion during this period. These results demonstrate that hyperphagia and excessive weight gain in VMH-lesioned rats are associated with an overall decrease in hypothalamic NPY and augmented leptin signaling to the hypothalamus. The divergent time course of increases in serum leptin and insulin levels suggest independent mechanisms responsible for their augmented secretion, and neither these hormones nor VMH lesions altered the daily rhythm in NPY gene expression. These observations underscore the existence of an independent mechanism controlling the daily rhythm in hypothalamic NPY gene expression and suggest that leptin feedback action requires an intact VMH.
Bargaining Strength and Property Class in Office Markets

This paper examines the influence of bargaining power and property class on the prices of heterogeneous goods. Specifically, it explores the impact of buyer and seller characteristics on the transaction prices of office properties. The empirical model is based on the work of Harding, Rosenthal, and Sirmans (2003), which developed a method to distinguish between the impact of buyer and seller attributes on bargaining power and the choice of otherwise unidentified price effects (i.e., property class) in the context of hedonic price models. The data set contains information on transaction prices of office properties in Cook, DuPage, and Lake Counties, Illinois from 1995 to 1997. The results reveal systematic differences in bargaining power and property class for certain groups of buyers and sellers contained within the sample.
Assessing the Validity of Selected Surrogate Measures of Human Resource Value — a field study

Although there has been a great deal of interest in the idea of accounting for human resources and considerable theoretical discussion of the problems of measuring human resource value and cost, there has been virtually no empirical research on the validity of proposed methods and models. This paper reports some preliminary evidence on the validity of selected surrogates of a person's value to an organization. It describes a field study conducted to determine the convergent and discriminant validity of three possible surrogates of a person's value to an organization: replacement cost, compensation, and a performance measure.
HEALTH CARE SPECIAL REPORT: THE HEALTH CARE QUANDARY

Health care in the UK is under intense scrutiny as its government tries to balance rising demands and spiralling costs. Beverly Goldberg, after reviewing the state of health care in other developing nations, says that while the health care profession is fraught with many problems, there are numerous possible solutions.
Some Physical and Chemical Changes in the Vitelline Membrane of the Hen's Egg During Storage

SUMMARY Physical and chemical observations were made on the loss of strength and substance by the vitelline membrane of the hen's egg during changes in ambient pH. It was found that the vitelline membrane of the freshly laid egg contains a network of fibers on its surface which tends to dissipate as the pH of the albumen rises. In conjunction with the physical deterioration of the fibrous structure on the vitelline membrane, there are significant changes in weight, protein, and hexosamine content of this membrane. Hypotheses are presented concerning the mode of action of the physiochemical changes in the vitelline membrane.
Mitochondria and redox homoeostasis as chemotherapeutic targets

Characteristics of cancer cells include a more oxidized redox environment, metabolic reprogramming and apoptosis resistance. Our studies with a lymphoma model have explored connections between the cellular redox environment and cancer cell phenotypes. Alterations seen in lymphoma cells made resistant to oxidative stress include: a more oxidized redox environment despite increased expression of antioxidant enzymes, enhanced net tumour growth, metabolic changes involving the mitochondria and resistance to the mitochondrial pathway to apoptosis. Of particular importance, the cells show cross-resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic agents used to treat aggressive lymphomas. Analyses of clinical and tumour data reveal the worst prognosis when patients’ lymphomas have gene expression patterns consistent with the most oxidized redox environment. Lymphomas from patients with the worst survival outcomes express increased levels of proteins involved in oxidative phosphorylation, including cytochrome c . This is consistent with these cells functioning as metabolic opportunists. Using lymphoma cell models and primary lymphoma cultures, we observed enhanced killing using genetic and drug approaches which further oxidize the cellular redox environment. These approaches include increased expression of SOD2 (superoxide dismutase 2), treatment with a manganoporphyrin that oxidizes the glutathione redox couple, or treatment with a copper chelator that inhibits SOD1 and leads to peroxynitrite-dependent cell death. The latter approach effectively kills lymphoma cells that overexpress the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2. Given the central role of mitochondria in redox homoeostasis, metabolism and the intrinsic pathway to apoptosis, our studies support the development of new anti-cancer drugs to target this organelle. Abbreviations: DLBCL, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma; ETC, electron transport chain; MnTE-2-PyP5+, Mn(III) meso-tetrakis(N-ethylpyridinium-2-yl)porphyrin; NF-κB, nuclear factor κB; OXPHOS, oxidative phosphorylation; RNS, reactive nitrogen species; ROS, reactive oxygen species; SOD, superoxide dismutase; TCA, tricarboxylic acid
104 Effect of Connective Tissue Growth Factor on Protein Kinase Expression and Activity in Human Corneal Fibroblasts

Purpose: To evaluate expression patterns of protein kinases and protein kinase activities in human corneal fibroblasts treated with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Methods: Human corneal fibroblast cultures were grown to confluence and treated with CTGF for 0, 5, and 15 minutes. Cytoplasmic protein extracts were obtained; protein kinase expression and activity arrays were performed using Kinetworks™ analysis (screening for expression of 75 different protein kinases and 31 different phosphoproteins). Further studies using extended time courses of CTGF exposure in corneal fibroblasts (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 30, and 60 minutes) were performed using immunoblot analysis to detect expression of protein kinase A catalytic subunit (PKA-cat), and focal adhesion kinase (FAK). All results and were normalized by comparison to beta-actin. Results: After 5 minutes of exposure to CTGF, levels of active proteins increased for 21 of the 75 kinases analyzed. Some notable protein kinases that were induced include: death-associated kinase 1, focal adhesion kinase (FAK), G-protein coupled receptor kinase 2, protein kinase A catalytic subunit (PKA-cat), protein kinase B alpha, and protein kinase C (e, μ, and ζ, subunits). Extended time course analysis of PKA-cat and FAK showed statistically significant increases in expression following CTGF stimulation within 15 minutes. Conclusion: CTGF increased the levels of active protein kinases in human corneal fibroblast cultures, including PKA-cat and FAK after 5 minutes of exposure. These results further our understanding of the signal transduction mechanism activated by CTGF in corneal fibroblasts. This suggests that CTGF mediates the effects of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) on protein kinase expression and phosphorylation of second messengers in processes such as cell proliferation and collagen synthesis. Acknowledgments: Funding source: NEI 05587
Impact of Culture on Health Outcomes

The diagnosis of cancer creates anticipatory grief and fear for the patient and the family, and the x cancer care experience is fraught with physical, emotional and spiritual challenges. The palliative care literature in Europe and North American is rapidly growing, but such literature is sparse in other parts of the world. Translating the findings from the West however, may be problematic in non-Western, and particularly, non-Christian cultures, for many of the assumptions that underlie the approach to suffering and death in the West are culturally based in the values and beliefs of western European society. Therefore this paper provides a means to explore how such translation across cultures might occur by: (1) providing a definition of culture so that the context for the subsequent discussion is framed, (2) describing how culture impacts the cancer experience, (3) how culture affects communication to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for patients and families. The paper closes with 8 recommended steps to improve communication cross-culturally to provide effective quality palliative care for patients and families from diverse backgrounds.
21-Telluraporphyrins. 1. Impact of 21,23-Heteroatom Interactions on Electrochemical Redox Potentials, 125Te NMR Spectra, and Absorption Spectra

meso-Tetraphenyl-21-chalcogenaporphyrins 4−6 (S, Se, and Te as 21-chalcogen atoms, respectively) and meso-tetraphenyl-21,23-dichalcogenaporphyrins 7−10 [(S,S), (Se,S), (Se,Se), and (Te,S) combinations as 21,23-chalcogen atoms, respectively] were prepared by condensation of the appropriate 2,5-bis(phenylhydroxymethyl)chalcogenophene 11 with (1) benzaldehyde, pyrrole, tetrachlorobenzoquinone (TCBQ), and boron trifluoride etherate for the preparation of 4−6 or (2) the appropriate 2,5-bis(1-phenyl-1-pyrrolomethyl)chalcogenophene 13, TCBQ, and boron trifluoride etherate for the preparation of 7−10. Electrochemical oxidation and reduction potentials were measured by cyclic voltammetry for 4−10 and indicated that oxidation of 21-telluraporphyrins 6 and 10 was more facile (more cathodic) than for the other analogues in the series and 10 was more readily oxidized than 6. The band I absorption maxima of 21-telluraporphyrins 6 and 10 were at shorter wavelengths than those of the corresponding analogues containing on...
Amino Acid Transport Pathways in the Small Intestine of the Neonatal Rat

Extract: The activity of amino acid transport pathways in the small intestine of the 2-day-old rat was investigated. Transport was determined by measuring the uptake of 1 mM concentrations of various amino acids by intestinal segments after a 5- or 10-min incubation and it was expressed as intracellular accumulation. The neutral amino acid transport pathway was well developed with intracellular accumulation values for leucine, isoleucine, valine, methionine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and alanine ranging from 3.9–5.6 mM/5 min. The intracellular accumulation of the hydroxy-containing neutral amino acids threonine (essential) and serine (nonessential) were 2.7 mM/5 min, a value significantly lower than those of the other neutral amino acids. The accumulation of histidine was also well below the level for the other neutral amino acids (1.9 mM/5 min). The basic amino acid transport pathway was also operational with accumulation values for lysine, arginine and ornithine ranging from 1.7–2.0 mM/5 min. Accumulation of the essential amino acid lysine was not statistically different from that of nonessential ornithine. Accumulation of aspartic and glutamic acid was only 0.24–0.28 mM/5 min indicating a very low activity of the acidic amino acid transport pathway. Accumulation of sarcosine and betaine was about 0.5 mM/5 min, which indicates a low activity for the imino acid-glycine pathway. The presence of 1 mM alanine significantly (P < 0.01) increased the accumulation of lysine by 28.5%, which suggests the presence of an exchange transport system. These results show that by operation of the neutral and basic amino acid transport systems, the neonatal rat can effectively absorb all the essential amino acids; however, accumulation of individual amino acids appears to be governed by structural rather than nutritional considerations. Speculation: The data presented demonstrate the differential ability of the neonatal rat to absorb various ammo acids. This finding is of potential importance in the formulation and evaluation of synthetic protein diets.
A note on complete rings of quotients and McCoy rings

If a (commutative unital) ring \(A\) is reduced and coincides with its total quotient ring, then \(A\) satisfies Property A (that is, \(A\) is a McCoy ring) if and only if the inclusion of \(A\) in its complete ring of quotients \(C(A)\) is a survival extension. The “if” assertion fails if one deletes the hypothesis that \(A\) is reduced. This is shown by using the idealization construction to construct a suitable ring \(A\) and then identifying its complete ring of quotients (which turns out to be a related idealization). Related characterizations of von Neumann regular rings are also given with the aid of the going-down property GD of ring extensions. For instance, a ring \(A\) is von Neumann regular if and only if \(A\) is a reduced McCoy ring that coincides with its total quotient ring such that \(A \subseteq C(A)\) satisfies GD.
The role of neuroenteric hormones in intestinal infectious diseases.

It is now well established that communication among the enteric nerves, hormones, and neuropeptides plays a role in the pathogenesis of infectious gastrointestinal conditions. The results of several studies suggest that enteric nerves and hormones modulate important gastrointestinal functions such a
PoliSeer: A Tool for Managing Complex Security Policies

Complex software-security policies are difficult to specify, understand, and update. The same is true for complex software in general, but while many tools and techniques exist for decomposing complex general software into simpler reusable modules (packages, classes, functions, aspects, etc.), few tools exist for decomposing complex security policies into simpler reusable modules. The tools that do exist for modularizing policies either encapsulate entire policies as atomic modules that cannot be decomposed or allow fine-grained policy modularization but require expertise to use correctly. This paper presents PoliSeer, a GUI-based tool designed to enable users who are not expert policy engineers to flexibly specify, visualize, modify, and enforce complex runtime policies on untrusted software. PoliSeer users rely on expert policy engineers to specify universally composable policy modules; PoliSeer users then build complex policies by composing those expert-written modules. This paper describes the design and implementation of PoliSeer and a case study in which we have used PoliSeer to specify and enforce a policy on PoliSeer itself.
Estimation of skeletal calcium in humans by exhaled 37Ar measurement— Evaluation of the fast neutron dose requirement

Abstract A low dose method for measuring the calcium content of a human subject in vivo is described. This method is pertinent to the diagnosis and monitoring during treatment of patients with metabolic bone disease. The sensitivity of fast neutron activation analysis by the 40 Ca( n , a) 37 Ar reaction has been investigated. A normal male human subject was irradiated using a 238 PuBe neutron source. Exhaled breath samples were taken over a three hour collection period following the start of a one-half hour irradiation. Whole-body radiation dose was limited to 0.6 mrad. Calculations based upon the results of this experiment demonstrate that a 1 % counting error assay can be carried out with as little as 10 mrad radiation exposure and a one day activity analysis.
Conscious awareness in PVS and MCS: The borderlands of neurology

Throughout the final month of Theresa Schiavo's life, her parents insisted she was in a minimally conscious state (MCS),1 not in a persistent vegetative state (PVS).2 Based on reliable expert medical testimony, Judge Greer ruled that Schiavo was in a PVS and beyond hope of significant improvement. Her postmortem examination revealed profound and widespread cortical, subcortical, and thalamic damage consistent with a PVS,3 but even these findings did not conclusively settle the dispute. How can neurologists prove that a brain-damaged patient utterly lacks conscious awareness and has no hope of meaningful recovery? There is a biologic limitation to what any person can know about the quantity and quality of another person's awareness. No one can directly experience the conscious life of another person, so our clinical knowledge is inferential. A neurologist can apply auditory, visual, somesthetic, noxious, or olfactory stimuli and on the basis of the quality of the patient's responses make a reasoned judgment as to that person's level of awareness. Although an experienced and skillful neurologist usually will be correct, there exists a possibility that, despite the absence of clinically apparent evidence of conscious awareness, the patient remains aware at a level that cannot be adequately assessed clinically.4 The difference between a severely brain-damaged person who retains awareness and one who does not is the essential difference …
Analysis of the match probabilities for the iTrust information network with message forwarding

The iTrust system is a completely distributed and decentralized information publication, search and retrieval system, that is designed to defend against censorship of information in the Internet. In this paper, we investigate the iTrust system with message forwarding, which spreads the responsibility of message distribution more widely across the nodes in the network. We present an analysis of the match probabilities of the iTrust system with message forwarding, in terms of the forwarding fanout, the number of levels of forwarding, and the forwarding probability. We show that, with a forwarding probability of 1.0, relatively small values of the forwarding fanout and the number of levels of forwarding suffice to achieve a high match probability and a reasonable message cost.
Numerical simulation of diffusion-controlled droplet growth: Dynamical correlation effects.

Diffusion-controlled coarsening (Ostwald ripening) of precipitated solutions is studied by numerical simulation. An algorithm is devised which exploits the screening of solute concentration fields, thereby removing the restriction to small systems of previous work. Simulation of the coarsening of 5000 droplets at 10-percent volume fraction reveals long-ranged dynamical correlations which broaden the droplet size-distribution function and increase the coarsening-rate coefficient.
Mechanisms of verbal memory impairment in four neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract Profiles of verbal learning and memory performance were compared for typically developing children and for four developmental disorders characterized by different patterns of language functioning: specific language impairment, early focal brain damage, Williams Syndrome, and Down Syndrome. A list-learning task was used that allowed a detailed examination of the process of verbal learning, recall, and recognition (California Verbal Learning Test—Children’s Version). Distinct patterns of performance characterized the four disorders. These patterns were consistent with the language deficits typically seen in the disorders, with the exception of a dissociation seen in Williams Syndrome.
Calculation of the total energy of a metal

Abstract The calculation of the total energy of a metal is considered in the local density approximation, in the context of an energy band calculation employing a basis of localized orbitals. General formulas are derived. Application is made to metallic lithium.
Mediated glucose biosensor based on polyvinylferrocene

Polyvinylferrocene (PVF) was electrochemically deposited on platinum and carbon electrodes to form a stable and resilient film. During cyclic voltammetry in phosphate buffer, the PVF film deposited on carbon electrodes exhibited anodic and cathodic peaks at 214 and 68 mV, respectively. Both types of electrodes, bearing electrodeposited PVF and crosslinked glucose oxidase, were responsive to glucose, but the carbon electrode appeared to provide a faster response and could determine glucose between 0.1 and 8 mM.
Space-based FPGA radio receiver design, debug, and development of a radiation-tolerant computing system

Los Alamos has recently completed the latest in a series of Reconfigurable Software Radios, which incorporates several key innovations in both hardware design and algorithms. Due to our focus on satellite applications, each design must extract the best size, weight, and power performance possible from the ensemble of Commodity Off-the-Shelf (COTS) parts available at the time of design. A large component of our work lies in determining if a given part will survive in space and how it will fail under various space radiation conditions. Using two Xilinx Virtex 4 FPGAs, we have achieved 1 TeraOps/second signal processing on a 1920 Megabit/second datastream. This processing capability enables very advanced algorithms such as our wideband RF compression scheme to operate at the source, allowing bandwidth-constrained applications to deliver previously unattainable performance. This paper will discuss the design of the payload, making electronics survivable in the radiation of space, and techniques for debug.
Latinus' Genealogy and the Palace of Picus ( Aeneid 7, 45–9, 170–91)

In Aeneid 7. 1–285 Vergil colours his picture of early Latium with a religious atmosphere which can be fully appreciated only if these verses are read with an attentive awareness of Roman religious beliefs and practices. A detailed exegesis of all 285 verses would hardly be possible here, and I will limit myself to two major points, the account of Latinus' ancestry (45–9) and the description of the royal palace (170–91), both because these passages are interesting in themselves for the way they apparently contradict each other, and because they are good illustrations of how Vergil draws on the data of Roman religion, both its folklore and its cult, to fix in his reader's mind certain definite impressions about Latinus and the Latins.
Distributions for Z0→e+e−γ

Abstract Simple analytical expressions are derived for Z0→e+e−γ and q q →Z 0 →e + e − γ at the Z0 peak. The integrated decay rate is computed in a configuration where one of the leptons has a momentum much larger than the other. The probability of such an internal bremsstrahlung is found to be between 1–2% depending on the experimental cuts.
Yields and Half-Lives in the Mass-99 Fission-Product Chain

Half-lives, fission yields, and genetic relationships of Zr, Nb, and Mo members of the mass-99 fissionproduct chain were studied by radiochemical methods. Evidence was obtained for a ${\mathrm{Nb}}^{99}$ isomer of half-life 10\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}2 sec, which decays directly to ${\mathrm{Mo}}^{99}$ in at least 52% of its disintegrations. Attempts to observe gamma radiation from this isomer in rapidly separated niobium fission products were not successful. A half-life of 2.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 min was obtained for a known isomer of ${\mathrm{Nb}}^{99}$, in good agreement with reported values. The fraction of the mass-99 fission product chain which passes through the longer-lived isomer was found to be \ensuremath{\le} 0.36. The cumulative fractional chain yield of both isomers was determined to be 0.94\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.11, consistent with the predicted value of \ensuremath{\sim}0.99. Although this result is not sufficiently precise to be a stringent test of the proposed preference in low-energy uranium fission for a 50-42 proton split, it does indicate that the maximum effect would be sufficient to distort the "normal" charge-distribution curve by an amount equivalent to approximately one charge unit. No evidence was found for 35-sec ${\mathrm{Zr}}^{99}$, previously reported to be a fission product. If it occurs in fission, its cumulative fractional chain yield is \ensuremath{\le} 0.03, in contrast to the expected value of \ensuremath{\sim} 0.80. An upper limit of 1.6 sec was estimated for the half-life of ${\mathrm{Zr}}^{99}$.
Lecturas de “La otra” de Gabriela Mistral

Este articulo revisa tres interpretaciones anteriores, mayormente divergentes, del poema “La otra” de Gabriela Mistral—poema inicial de “Locas mujeres”, seccion que abre Lagar, 1954— y propone una nueva lectura que no coincide enteramente con ninguna de las propuestas anteriores. Se postula una division del poema en cuatro partes, las tres primeras centradas en el tema del doble explicitado en el titulo del poema y la ultima, en la que se anotan ciertas incongruencias semanticas, vista como una defensa del ‘crimen’ revelado en el poema
Investigations of new materials, CTGS and CNGS, for SAW applications

Recently, SAW material parameters have been reported for CNGS, CTGS, SNGS and STGS. These materials are in the same family as LGS, LGN and LGT but have a lower density, differing coupling coefficients, higher velocity, and differing temperature coefficients. As compared with quartz, these materials have a higher density, lower velocity, higher electromechanical coupling coefficient, and higher temperature of operation without degradation of piezoelectric properties. Initial efforts have been made on investigating the various SAW parameters of CNGS and CTGS. Very little material is available, but very interesting properties have been found while investigating the Y-cut CNGS and CTGS substrates. It has been observed that there is a temperature compensated propagation angle near room temperature which is both promising in itself, as well as suggesting other compensated cuts may be possible at differing cut angles. Electromechanical coupling, velocity, temperature coefficient of frequency, power flow angle, and fractional frequency curvature results are provided and compared with those of quartz. In addition, a comparison of previously published results for CNGS, CTGS, SNGS, and STGS Y-cut substrates are given. These results include coupling coefficient, velocity, capacitance, and reflectivity measurements for various propagation angles. These results are also compared with previously reported measurement for LGT and LGN and a discussion is provided. Based on reflectivity measurements and parameter extraction, a COM model is used to predict SAW resonator performance and fabricated SAW resonator results are provided and compared with the COM model.
The effect of olive leaves and their harvest time on radical scavenging activity and oxidative stability of refined olive oil

The antioxidant role of olive leaves obtained from Adana Topagi, Adana Yerli, Domat and Gemlik cultivars during olive ripening were investigated and compared to commercial olive leaf extract (OLE) as well as butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyl aniline (BHA) as synthetic antioxidants. The results showed that total phenol contents of OLEs reduced 44 to 63% during ripening. OLEs, irrespective of cultivar and harvest date were found to be good sources of radical scavengers (P<0.05). The radical scavenging activity of OLEs at 100 or 200 μg/g were higher than BHT (P<0.05) and similar or lower than BHA (P≥0.05). The addition of Domat and Adana Topagi OLEs at 100 or 200 μg/g to refined olive oil increased oxidative stability and caused to extracts to show better activity than commercial OLE but lower or similar activity than that of BHT and BHA (P≤0.05) during different harvest times. BHA and BHT were the most effective antioxidants employed to delay the bulk oil oxidation but Domat and Adana ...
Mixed quantum/classical investigation of the photodissociation of NH3(Ã) and a practical method for maintaining zero-point energy in classical trajectories

The photodissociation dynamics of ammonia upon excitation of the out-of-plane bending mode mode 2 with n 2 =0, ... ,6 quanta of vibration in the A electronic state is investigated by means of several mixed quantum/classical methods, and the calculated final-state properties are compared to experiments. Five mixed quantum/classical methods are tested: one mean-field approach the coherent switching with decay of mixing method, two surface-hopping methods the fewest switches with time uncertainty FSTU and FSTU with stochastic decay FSTU/SD methods, and two surface-hopping methods with zero-point energy ZPE maintenance the FSTU/SD +trajectory projection onto ZPE orbit TRAPZ and FSTU/SD+minimal TRAPZ mTRAPZ methods. We found a qualitative difference between final NH2 internal energy distributions obtained for n2=0 and n21, as observed in experiments. Distributions obtained for n2=1 present an intermediate behavior between distributions obtained for smaller and larger n2 values. The dynamics is found to be highly electronically nonadiabatic with all these methods. NH2 internal energy distributions may have a negative energy tail when the ZPE is not maintained throughout the dynamics. The original TRAPZ method was designed to maintain ZPE in classical trajectories, but we find that it leads to unphysically high internal vibrational energies. The mTRAPZ method, which is new in this work and provides a general method for maintaining ZPE in either single-surface or multisurface trajectories, does not lead to unphysical results and is much less time consuming. The effect of maintaining ZPE in mixed quantum/classical dynamics is discussed in terms of agreement with experimental findings. The dynamics for n2=0 and n2=6 are also analyzed to reveal details not available from experiment, in particular, the time required for quenching of electronic excitation and the adiabatic energy gap and geometry at the time of quenching. © 2008 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2943213
Cultural and Psychosocial Determinants of Weight Concerns

Several sociocultural and psychological factors underlie Western society's intense preoccupation with the body. These factors include the social value of attractiveness, the strong correlation betw...
Peroxyl free radicals: potential mediators of tumor initiation and promotion

In recent years, there has been an explosion of interest in the involvement of free radicals in carcinogenesis (1 -4) . This seems a natural outgrowth of the long overdue realization that free radicals are formed in biological systems and that they contribute significantly to physiological and pathological processes. Much of the emphasis of research linking free radicals and cancer has focused on intermediates of oxygen reduction such as superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical (2). There is another family of oxygencentered free radicals that have received less attention but may be just as important biologically as reduced oxygen intermediates. This Commentary is intended to familiarize the reader with some of the properties of peroxyl radicals and to explain how these species participate in reactions that are relevant to tumor initiation and promotion. Experimental data are presented that are intended to be provocative rather than definitive because this area of investigation is just beginning to evolve.
A fictitious domain method for simulating viscous flow in a constricted elastic tube subject to a uniform external pressure

Stenosis of vascular type is an abnormal narrowing in a blood vessel. It is a common cause of some cardiovascular illnesses, such as stroke. A nonlinear mathematical model with a free moving boundary is used to model axisymmetric elastic tube with constriction subjected to a uniform external pressure and a prescribed pressure drop. A distributed Lagrange multiplier based fictitious domain method combined with operator splitting techniques and finite element method has been developed to simulate viscous incompressible flow in the above channel. The motion of the free moving tube wall is obtained by a prediction–relaxation technique. Numerical results and convergence studies are presented in this paper. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of nipple aspirate fluid for diagnosis of breast cancer: an alternative to invasive biopsy

Over 40,000 women in the USA will die this year of breast cancer. Current generally accepted techniques to detect breast cancer are limited to breast examination and mammography. Abnormalities found by these techniques require an invasive needle or surgical biopsy to determine if cancer is present. The author’s ultimate goal is to determine if a woman has breast cancer without the need for invasive biopsies, and do this before the abnormality is detectable by standard screening techniques. Herein, the technology is reviewed as it was, as it is today, and its future potential is discussed.
Intracranial stenting for intracranial atherosclerotic disease: still much to learn

The recently published Stenting versus Aggressive Medical Management for Preventing Recurrent stroke in Intracranial Stenosis (SAMMPRIS) study1 has provided seminal information on the treatment of symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). However, with some perceived study design flaws and patient group exclusions, this study is only one of the first steps in understanding how best to manage patients with symptomatic ICAD medically and with endovascular therapy. To believe the editorial and media commentary that this is the definitive word on management of this complex problem would be naive. As with nearly every new vascular device, the first-generation device involves a learning curve. Early coronary and carotid stents demonstrated poor clinical results,2 3 but now these are staples in our management of vascular disease. Doubtless, stenting for ICAD will be similar once the correct adjunctive medical regimen and patient selection criteria are established. ICAD is complex and may cause symptomatic stroke or transient ischemic attacks (TIA) in various ways. First, severe atherosclerotic disease may exhibit irregular or ruptured plaque which may lead to emboli distal to the stenosis. Second, severe ICAD in a relatively isolated vascular territory may lead to ischemic hypoperfusion in that territory. Finally, a feature that is distinct from coronary atherosclerotic disease, ICAD may lead to perforator strokes due to plaque occlusion of side perforator arteries. Based on these presentations, it would be reasonable to speculate that medical therapy may be best in some presentations and stenting better in others (in fact, stenting may be relatively contraindicated in the third group due to the possibility of the ‘snow plow’ effect worsening perforator occlusion). Unfortunately, all three of these patient groups were combined in the SAMMPRIS study, making analysis difficult. Patients with the second type of presentation are often hemodynamically unstable with regard to cerebral blood flow, sometimes …
National Toxicology Program Nomenclature for Hepatoproliferative Lesions of Rats

Diagnostic criteria for hepatoproliferative lesions of Fischer 344 rats are presented to permit more complete categorization of the spectrum of lesions observed in two-year chemical carcinogenicity studies. A nomenclature recently adopted by the National Toxicology Program differs from previous classification schemes in that hepatocellular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma are to be used for lesions which were previously combined under the diagnosis of neoplastic nodule. The term hyperplasia is reserved for proliferative lesions that are perceived to be secondary, nonneoplastic responses to degenerative changes in the liver. Foci of cellular alteration, hepatocellular adenoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma are believed to represent a spectrum of changes that comprise the natural history of neoplasia. This change in nomenclature was made subsequent to a peer review of representative hepatoproliferative lesions from two-year carcinogenicity studies. The revised nomenclature is consistent with traditional pathologic diagnoses for proliferative lesions in other epithelial tissues and should facilitate the interpretation of conventional toxicity and carcinogenicity studies in rats. Morphologic features of other selected rat liver lesions are also presented.
Simple Model Representation of Atmosphere-Ocean GCMs and Estimation of the Time Scale of C02-Induced Climate Change

Abstract A simple atmosphere-Ocean model is developed to represent the 20-year 1 × C02 and 2 × C02 simulations obtained with a coupled atmosphere-ocean general circulation model for the purpose of obtaining a new estimate of the characteristic response time of the climate system that accounts for oceanic upwelling. The simple atmosphere-generalized ocean model consists of a zonally averaged energy balance climate model and a zonally averaged multilayer ocean model. The high latitudes of both hemispheres are combined into a single polar region, and the low and middle latitudes into a single nonpolar region. The atmosphere is treated as a single layer and the ocean as an arbitrary number of layers. The simple model includes the meridional transport of heat between the nonpolar and polar regions for both the atmosphere and each ocean layer. The ocean model includes the vertical advective heat transfer by the vertical velocity, the latter of which is prescribed and can vary with depth in both the polar and no...
HOPE VI relocation: Moving to new neighborhoods and building new ties

Abstract Severely distressed public housing developments are being torn down and redeveloped through the HOPE (Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere) VI initiative in cities across the United States. This article examines how families from one HOPE VI site decided where to move and how they fared in building social ties with their new neighbors. Semistructured interviews from a random sample of 41 families with children were analyzed. Families that chose to move into public housing expressed concern about the unreliability of the Section 8 program and their own ability to pay the extra utility costs involved. Those who used Section 8 vouchers to relocate had more education on average and made this choice to improve the neighborhood for their families. Over the past two years, regardless of what kind of neighborhood they moved into, families have not rebuilt the close ties most of them had in their former neighborhood.
Mentoring: why it matters even after training.

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” —Benjamin Franklin [(1)][1] Mentoring is a time-proven strategy that can help young physicians and healthcare workers of all circumstances achieve their fullest potential. Although there is ample opportunity to
So Much More than Money: How Pursuit of Happiness and Blessings of Liberty Enable and Connect Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy

The article contends that entrepreneurship and philanthropy have much more in common than money. Entrepreneurship and certain approaches to philanthropy share perspectives on opportunity recognition and risk taking. More importantly, however, America’s entrepreneurial and philanthropic experiences are both made possible by and exemplars or demonstrations of core principles of “pursuit of happiness” and “blessings of liberty” from America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution. The article also explores how considering charitable assets as “public money” is inconsistent with those principles and undermines both entrepreneurship and philanthropy, not just the latter. The author contends that, by adhering to and advancing these core American principles, we can expand on centuries-old traditions of hard work, innovation, and creativity that have contributed so greatly to economic growth, individual opportunity, quality of life, and human welfare.
The General Hydrologic System Model

The general Hydrologic System (GHS) model is considered. It is found that there are inconsistencies in equations for the instantaneous unit hydrograph (IUH) which were derived using the GHS Model. The existence of these inconsistencies is supported by an analysis of the data reported in the literature dealing with watershed runoff modeling and flood routing in open channels. It is shown that if simple, yet realistic, initial conditions are assumed then the GHS model becomes considerably simpler, and the above inconsistencies no longer remain. The reported data supports this assumption.
The Los Alamos National Laboratory Spallation Neutron Sources

Two neutron sources used for nuclear physics research at Los Alamos National Laboratory are described. Both are driven by the 800-MeV proton beam from the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility. The Los...
The Evaluative Consequences of Experiencing Unexpected Favorable Events

The authors examine the effects of a sweepstakes on evaluation of a prize. Participants were entered in a sweepstakes with a high or low probability of winning a prize (a product), which they subse...
Determining the rate of follow-up after hospital emergency department visits for dental conditions

BACKGROUND Emergency department (ED) visits for dental reasons continue to impact EDs nationwide. This investigation determined the rate of follow-up in an emergency dental clinic (EDC) after hospital ED visits for nontraumatic dental conditions. METHODS This prospective investigation reports the number of patients who presented to an ED for nontraumatic dental conditions and the rate of follow-up at an EDC. Upon ED discharge, patients were provided instructions to follow-up for low-cost care at the EDC. Telephone contact was attempted following failed referrals. Descriptive statistics were reported for comparing referral sources and demographic trends. RESULTS Two hundred and forty-seven referrals were made and 31% followed up for definitive treatment at the EDC. More referrals were made on weekends than on weekdays. Failed referrals were unreachable by telephone in 75% of cases. Tooth extraction was the most common treatment rendered in the EDC. Of the ED patients who accessed EDC care, 14% became comprehensive patients in the EDC's regular dental clinic. CONCLUSION Less than one-third of ED referrals to the EDC followed up for definitive care when provided an opportunity to do so, and 75% of referrals were unreachable by telephone in the week following the ED dental visit.
Ca2+ stores in smooth muscle cells: Ca2+ buffering and coupling to AVP-evoked inositol phosphate synthesis

Cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]cyt) and [3H]inositol phosphates ([3H]InsP) were correlated while decreasing the Ca2+ content of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) stores in cultured A7r5 cells at re...
Classification of Objects and Human Cognition

Shows how classification starts at a very young age of a child and during its learning periods. How cognition helps in classification and as a person grows up how he learns the intricacies of classification. The abilities of classifying objects helps in professional growth. Deals with how our sensory perceptions help in classification.
Evolution of the WMD Control Regime

A historical perspective is necessary for understanding the importance of verification as an indispensable element of any disarmament process, especially with respect to weapons of mass destruction. Verification is the process of gathering, analyzing and evaluating information to determine whether a State is complying with its obligations under a treaty or another type of agreement.1 The concept of verified disarmament is an integral part of the broader concept of arms control, which includes the regulation of armaments, the limitation of armed forces and the various measures to ensure transparency and build mutual confidence. Arms control was first defined in the 1960s as including ‘all the forms of military cooperation between potential enemies in the interest of reducing the likelihood of war, its scope and violence if it occurs, and the political and economic costs of being prepared for it’.2 A more concise recent definition broadens the concept to apply it to the century-old process by stressing security enhancement as a goal of all States: it presents arms control as ‘measures directly related to military forces, adopted by governments to contain the costs and harmful consequences of the continued existence of arms, within the overall objective of sustaining or enhancing their security’.3
Comparative Study of Ultrasonication-Induced and Naturally Self-Assembled Silk Fibroin-Wool Keratin Hydrogel Biomaterials.

This study reports the formation of biocompatible hydrogels using protein polymers from natural silk cocoon fibroins and sheep wool keratins. Silk fibroin protein contains β-sheet secondary structures, allowing for the formation of physical cross-linkers in the hydrogels. Comparative studies were performed on two groups of samples. In the first group, ultrasonication was used to induce a quick gelation of a protein aqueous solution, enhancing the ability of Bombyx mori silk fibroin chains to quickly entrap the wool keratin protein molecules homogenously. In the second group, silk/keratin mixtures were left at room temperature for days, resulting in naturally-assembled gelled solutions. It was found that silk/wool blended solutions can form hydrogels at different mixing ratios, with perfectly interconnected gel structure when the wool content was less than 30 weight percent (wt %) for the first group (ultrasonication), and 10 wt % for the second group (natural gel). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and temperature modulated DSC (TMDSC) were used to confirm that the fibroin/keratin hydrogel system was well-blended without phase separation. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate the secondary structures of blended protein gels. It was found that intermolecular β-sheet contents significantly increase as the system contains more silk for both groups of samples, resulting in stable crystalline cross-linkers in the blended hydrogel structures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to analyze the samples’ characteristic morphology on both micro- and nanoscales, which showed that ultrasonic waves can significantly enhance the cross-linker formation and avoid phase separation between silk and keratin molecules in the blended systems. With the ability to form cross-linkages non-chemically, these silk/wool hydrogels may be economically useful for various biomedical applications, thanks to the good biocompatibility of protein molecules and the various characteristics of hydrogel systems.