cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of strain and oxygen vacancies on the structure of 180 ferroelectric domain walls in PbTiO3

Abstract In this paper, we study the effect of normal and shear strains and oxygen vacancies on the structure of 180° ferroelectric domain walls in PbTiO3. It is known that oxygen vacancies move to the domain walls and pin them. Hence, we assume a periodic arrangement of oxygen vacancies on both Pb-centered and Ti-centered domain walls in PbTiO3. We use a semi-analytic anharmonic lattice statics method for obtaining the relaxed configurations using a shell potential. In agreement with recent ab initio calculations, we observe that a Pb-centered domain wall with oxygen vacancies is not stable even under strain. Our semi-analytic calculations for PbTiO3 show that oxygen vacancies affect the structure of 180° domain walls significantly but do not have a considerable effect on the thickness of domain walls; they broaden the domain walls by about 50%. We also study the effect of normal and shear strains on both perfect and defective 180° domain walls. We observe that normal and shear strains affect the structure but do not change the domain wall thickness.
Structure and Chemical Reaction Mechanism of LigU, an Enzyme that Catalyzes an Allylic Isomerization in the Bacterial Degradation of Lignin.

LigU from Novosphingobium sp. strain KA1 catalyzes the isomerization of (4E)-oxalomesaconate (OMA) to (3Z)-2-keto-4-carboxy-3-hexenedioate (KCH) as part of the protocatechuate (PCA) 4,5-cleavage pathway during the degradation of lignin. The three-dimensional structure of the apo form of the wild-type enzyme was determined by X-ray crystallography, and the structure of the K66M mutant enzyme was determined in the presence of the substrate OMA. LigU is a homodimer requiring no cofactors or metal ions with a diaminopimelate epimerase structural fold, consisting of two domains with similar topologies. Each domain has a central α-helix surrounded by a β-barrel composed of antiparallel β-strands. The active site is at the cleft of the two domains. 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy demonstrated that the enzyme catalyzes the exchange of the pro-S hydrogen at C5 of KCH with D2O during the isomerization reaction. Solvent-deuterium exchange experiments demonstrated that mutation of Lys-66 eliminated the isotope exchange at C5 and that mutation of C100 abolished exchange at C3. The positioning of these two residues in the active site of LigU is consistent with a reaction mechanism that is initiated by the abstraction of the pro-S hydrogen at C3 of OMA by the thiolate anion of Cys-100 and the donation of a proton at C5 of the proposed enolate anion intermediate by the side chain of Lys-66 to form the product KCH. The 1,3-proton transfer is suprafacial.
DETAILED BOW-FLOW DATA AND CFD FOR A SERIES 60 CB = 0.6 SHIP MODEL FOR FROUDE NUMBER 0.316

The bow flow of the Series 60 C B = 0.6 ship model is reinvestigated using both experiments and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). More detailed bow-flow data are obtained by taking measurements of the wave elevation with a point gauge very near the bow. In the CFD, the bow flow is resolved in more detail by using the real bow geometry instead of the simplified vertical zero-thickness bow used in previous studies, which requires a much finer grid in the bow region. The experiments and CFD are briefly described; results are presented; and discussions are made concerning comparisons of the new and old CFD solutions with the extended data regarding the wave profile and elevation at the bow, the thin film and beads (i.e. attached spray sheet and bow vortices), and the stagnation effects.
Relationships between the Elemental Composition of Electrolytes and the Supercapacitive Swing Adsorption of CO2

The adsorptive and energetic performances for supercapacitive swing adsorption of CO2 from 15% CO2/85% N2 gas mixtures in the presence of different 1.0 M aqueous electrolytes with variable cations ...
Risk Factors for Severe Opioid-Related Adverse Events in a National Cohort of Medical Hospitalizations.

Opioids are a leading cause of adverse drug events in the hospital. Guidelines recommend that physicians assess the risks of opioids and discuss them with patients when considering opioid use. There are no studies examining patient- and prescribing-related risk factors for opioid-related adverse drug events (ORADEs) in hospitalized medical patients. To identify independent risk factors for severe ORADEs in hospitalized medical patients. Retrospective cohort study. Medical patients hospitalized at US, non-federal, and acute care facilities, with at least one pharmacy charge for an opioid during hospitalization. We excluded patients with metastatic malignancy, hospice, or palliative care billing codes. We used Cox proportional hazards modeling to identify risk factors for severe ORADEs, defined by a pharmacy charge for naloxone. Candidate risk factors were chosen a priori, based on clinical grounds and prior literature. Among 731,208 hospitalizations (median age 60, 56.5% female), a severe ORADE occurred in 2727 (0.4%). Independent risk factors included patient characteristics (advanced age, female gender), comorbidities (congestive heart failure, opioid abuse/dependence, non-opioid drug abuse/dependence, psychosis, depression, obstructive sleep apnea), organ failures on admission (respiratory failure, shock/hypotension, renal failure, hepatic failure, acidosis, and neurologic failure), medication co-administrations (antipsychotics and short-acting benzodiazepines), and characteristics of the opioid prescriptions themselves (total dose for the day, parenteral route of administration, and receipt of multiple types of opioids in a day). Although a risk prediction model derived from these factors performed well on stratified k-fold cross-validation (average c-statistics 0.68–0.71), the low incidence of the outcome limited the positive predictive value of the risk score. In this national cohort of medical patients, we identified several risk factors for ORADEs that can be used to inform physician decision-making, conversations with patients about risk, and development and targeting of harm reduction strategies for at-risk populations.
Gibbs Sampler and Its Variants

The Gibbs sampler [9], first created by the Geman brothers Donald and Stewart, is an MCMC algorithm for obtaining samples from distributions that are difficult to sample.
Meteorological Surface Analysis Using Perspective Topographic Maps

A computer-generated, perspective topographic map was used for meteorological surface analysis to evaluate its advantage over traditional map backgrounds. A traditional and perspective map were compared for a precipitation case study that followed the passage of warm front in the northeastern U.S. Two precipitation data sets were analyzed against two different map backgrounds centered on Pennsylvania. Besides its immediate 3-dimensional "feel," the perspective map delineated the surface topographical features that were coupled with the prefrontal winds to produce the orographically-lifted precipitation patterns. The computer-generated map was judged superior to the traditional map used for surface analysis, especially in the case of the mesoscale data set.
X-RAY AND GAMMA-RAY FLASHES FROM TYPE Ia SUPERNOVAE?

We investigate two potential mechanisms that will produce X-ray and gamma-ray flashes from Type Ia supernovae (SN-Ia). The first mechanism is the breakout of the thermonuclear burning front as it reaches the surface of the white dwarf (WD). The second mechanism is the interaction of the rapidly expanding envelope with material within an accretion disk in the progenitor system. Our study is based on the delayed detonation scenario because this can account for the majority of light curves, spectra, and statistical properties of 'Branch-normal' SN-Ia. Based on detailed radiation-hydro calculations which include nuclear networks, we find that both mechanisms produce brief flashes of high-energy radiation with peak luminosities of 10{sup 48}-10{sup 50} erg s{sup -1}. The breakout from the WD surface produces flashes with a rapid exponential decay by 3-4 orders of magnitude on timescales of a few tenths of a second and with most of the radiation in the X-ray and soft gamma-ray range. The shocks produced in gases in and around the binary will produce flashes with a characteristic duration of a few seconds with most of the radiation coming out as X-rays and gamma-rays. In both mechanisms, we expect a fast rise and slow decline and, aftermore » the peak, an evolution from hard to softer radiation due to adiabatic expansion. In many cases, flashes from both mechanisms will be superposed. The X- and gamma-ray visibility of an SN-Ia will depend strongly on self-absorption within the progenitor system, specifically on the properties of the accretion disk and its orientation toward the observer. Such X-ray and gamma-ray flashes could be detected as triggered events by gamma-ray burst (GRB) detectors on satellites, with events in current GRB catalogs. We have searched through the GRB catalogs (for the BATSE, HETE, and Swift experiments) for GRBs that occur at the extrapolated time of explosion and in the correct direction for known Type Ia supernovae with radial velocity of less than 3000 km s{sup -1}. For the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) about 12.9 +- 3.6 nearby SNe Ia should have been detected, but only 0.8 +- 0.7 non-coincidental matches have been found. With the High Energy Transient Explorer (HETE) and Swift satellites, we expect to see 5.6 +- 1.3 SN-Ia flashes from known nearby SNe Ia but, yet, no SN-Ia flashes were detected. With the trigger thresholds for these experiments and the upper limits on the SN-Ia distances, we show that the bolometric peak luminosity of SN-Ia flashes must be less approx10{sup 46} erg s{sup -1}. Our observational limit is several orders-of-magnitude smaller than the peak luminosities predicted for both the early flashes. We attribute this difference to the absorption of the X- and gamma-rays by the accretion disk of large-scale height or common envelope that would be smothering the WD.« less
Exploring the factor structure of the child and youth resilience measure (CYRM-12) for young children in a disadvantaged community

Abstract Contemporary definitions of resilience recognize the multisystemic nature of adaptation in the face of stressors, encompassing individual, familial and community-level resources and skills that protect and promote resilience. While assessment in adolescent and adult samples has flourished, psychometrically sound measures are needed for assessing factors that promote and protect resilience in young children. The Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-12, child version) was administered upon children’s enrollment in a trauma-based intervention for K-8th graders (n = 239; 43.51% female, average age = 7.16 years). An Exploratory Factor Analysis was run based on previous studies’ mixed structure findings. Data suggest a single factor solution for the CYRM-12 fit the data well (χ2(54, n=239) = 40.24, RMSEA = 0.00(.00–.015), TLI = 1.0, CFI = 1.0). The results provide preliminary evidence that indicate the CYRM-12 is suitable to assess resilience in children as young as 5 years of age.
Salvage Therapy for the Treatment of Mucormycosis

We aim to discuss the evidence behind combination therapy as well as to describe the novel antifungals used in the treatment for mucormycosis. In patients with advanced or refractory invasive mucormycosis, limited data support the use of combination salvage therapy with a polyene backbone plus an echinocandin. Several new antifungal agents have also shown in vitro activity against Mucorales by acting through different mechanisms. VT1161 and VT-1598 are next-generation azoles, termed tetrazoles, that target the fungal cell membrane by inhibiting the CYP51 enzyme with minimal drug-drug interactions. Fosmanogepix (APX001) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol inhibitor with a broad spectrum of activity. Finally, MGCD290 is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that has shown synergistic effects with azoles and echinocandins. Mucormycosis is a life-threatening disease. Current guidelines recommend polyenes and certain azoles as first-line treatment along with surgical management and correction of specific host factors. For refractory mucormycosis, there are combination salvage therapy options with evidence from murine models and human case reports; however, there have been no prospective, randomized clinical trials to prove their efficacy. For those intolerant of polyenes and azoles, there are novel drug therapies that have shown in vitro activity against Mucorales, although further investigation is needed to determine if these agents should be used clinically as monotherapy or in combination with existing agents.
Entice With Procedures, Inspire With Primary Care: A Preclerkship Pipeline Course.

Background and objectives The growing demand for primary care clinicians in the United States continues to outstrip their dwindling supply. Many allopathic medical schools, including Stanford University School of Medicine, are not adequately meeting this shortage. We sought to develop a preclerkship elective to increase the visibility and desirability of primary care at our institution. Methods A novel 9-week preclerkship elective titled "Primary Care Defined: Perspectives and Procedures," was designed as a series of procedural workshops followed by interactive sessions with local primary care clinicians. A total of 36 medical and physician assistant students were enrolled. We administered a questionnaire pre- and postcourse to evaluate the impact of the elective on learner interest and attitudes toward primary care. Results Twenty-four enrolled and 10 nonenrolled learners completed the questionnaire both pre- and postcourse. A one-way analysis of covariance controlling for gender, program (medical doctor versus physician assistant), and precourse responses demonstrated that enrollees had a significantly increased interest in primary care compared to nonenrollees after the course (F 1,32=9.22, P=.005). Enrollees also more positively rated their attitudes toward compensation, scope of practice, and job fulfillment than nonenrollees. Both groups had high levels of agreement on statements concerning patient-physician interactions and the importance of primary care to the health care system. Conclusion The design and content of this elective offers a framework for other institutions looking to promote the value of primary care specialties, particularly family medicine. Creating opportunities for experiential learning and early student-faculty engagement may encourage preclerkship learners to consider a career in primary care.
Managing Humiliation

This paper reviews findings concerning ways that people have found to minimize or avoid humiliation. It concludes with a discussion of addressing the task of creating humiliation-free institutions.
Sexual Identity and Motivations for Prescription Drug Misuse Among U.S. Adults.

Purpose: Although we know that sexual minority populations, particularly bisexual individuals, tend to be at increased risk for substance use, less research has focused on prescription drug misuse ...
Fragmentation of metal rings by electromagnetic loading

A method is described for performing fragmentation studies on rapidly expanding metal rings. A fast-discharge capacitor system generates magnetic forces which accelerate the rings to maximum radial velocities of approximately 200 m/s corresponding to circumferential-strain rates of approximately 104/s at fragmentation. Streak-camera techniques are used to record the time-resolved motion of the rings. Fracture-strain and fragmentation experiments have been performed on samples of OFHC copper and 1100-0 aluminum.
Determinations of prostate volume at 3-Tesla using an external phased array coil: comparison to pathologic specimens.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives. To compare techniques for measuring in vivo prostate volumes using torso phased-array imaging at 3-Tesla. Methods. Eleven patients imaged at 3-Tesla with a torso-phased array coil using multiplanar fast spin echo (FSE) T2-weighted imaging who underwent radical prostatectomy comprised the study population. Surgical specimens were imaged. The pathologic specimen volume was compared with varieties of magnetic resonance volume determinations, the latter using ellipsoid and planimetric assessments. Three-dimensional images of the excised prostate were generated. Linear correlation coefficients were calculated comparing volume determinations from image data and pathologic data. Results. Correlation coefficient (r2) values from the ellipsoid formula among six different data sets ranging between 0.325 to 0.751; the highest in vivo r2 value was obtained by multiplying the anterior-posterior and the superior-inferior dimensions from the sagittal image by the right-left dimension from the axial image. The r2 values of the planimetric volume and specimen 3-dimensional volume rendering were 0.652 and 0.86, respectively. Conclusions. Surface coil prostate imaging at 3-Tesla provides undistorted images for volume assessment and in vivo volume determinations very close to ex vivo imaging volume determinations.
Party Politics and Economic Reform in Africa's Democracies

In Party Politics and Economic Reform in Africa's Democracies, M. Anne Pitcher offers an engaging new theory to explain the different trajectories of private sector development across contemporary Africa. Pitcher argues that the outcomes of economic reforms depend not only on the kinds of institutional arrangements adopted by states in order to create or expand their private sectors, but also on the nature of party system competition and the quality of democracy in particular countries. To illustrate her claim, Pitcher draws on several original data sets covering twenty-seven countries in Africa, and detailed case studies of the privatization process in Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa. This study underscores the importance of formal institutions and political context to the design and outcome of economic policies in developing countries.
Experiments on the automated selection of patients for clinical trials

When clinicians test a new treatment procedure, they need to identify and recruit patients with appropriate medical conditions. We have developed an expert system that helps clinicians select patients for experimental treatments, and to reduce the number and overall cost of related medical tests. We describe experiments on selecting patients for new treatments at the Moffitt Cancer Center. The experiments have shown that the system can increase the number of selected patients by a factor of three, and that it can also reduce the cost of the selection process.
On the scalability of parallel UCT

The parallelization of MCTS across multiple-machines has proven surprisingly difficult. The limitations of existing algorithms were evident in the 2009 Computer Olympiad where ZEN using a single fourcore machine defeated both Fuego with ten eight-core machines, and Mogo with twenty thirty-two core machines. This paper investigates the limits of parallel MCTS in order to understand why distributed parallelism has proven so difficult and to pave the way towards future distributed algorithms with better scaling. We first analyze the single-threaded scaling of Fuego and find that there is an upper bound on the play-quality improvements which can come from additional search. We then analyze the scaling of an idealized N-core shared memory machine to determine the maximum amount of parallelism supported by MCTS. We show that parallel speedup depends critically on how much time is given to each player. We use this relationship to predict parallel scaling for time scales beyond what can be empirically evaluated due to the immense computation required. Our results show that MCTS can scale nearly perfectly to at least 64 threads when combined with virtual loss, but without virtual loss scaling is limited to just eight threads. We also find that for competition time controls scaling to thousands of threads is impossible not necessarily due to MCTS not scaling, but because high levels of parallelism can start to bump up against the upper performance bound of FUEGO itself.
Occurrence and characteristics of a rapid exchange of phosphate oxygens catalyzed by sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles

Abstract Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles prepared from rabbit skeletal muscle catalyze a rapid Pi ⇄ HOH exchange in the presence of Mg2+ and absence of ATP and Ca2+. The capacity for oxygen exchange is about 14 times the potential capacity for ATP cleavage in the presence of Ca2+. No detectable exchange is found without added MgCl2. The exchange is unaffected by oligomycin, 2, 4-dinitrophenol, or ouabain, but strongly inhibited by low concentrations of Ca2+ in the medium. The Ca2+ ion concentration giving a half-maximum inhibition is 2.0 µm in the presence of 5 mm MgCl2. A Hill plot of the Ca2+ inhibition gives a straight line with a Hill coefficient of 1.8. The Ca2+ inhibition is competitively overcome by additional Mg2+. The Pi ⇄ HOH exchange is almost completely inhibited by the detergent Triton X-100 at low concentrations in which the ATPase activity is not disturbed. Sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles are phosphorylated by Pi in the presence of Mg2+ and absence of Ca2+ under conditions similar to those for the Pi ⇄ HOH exchange. The phosphorylation requires Mg2+ and is strongly inhibited by low concentrations of Ca2+. The response of the phosphorylation to Ca2+ is quite similar to that of the Pi ⇄ HOH exchange; the Ca2+ ion concentration giving a half-maximum inhibition is 2.0 µm in the presence of 5 mm MgCl2, and the Hill coefficient is about 2.0. The various properties of the exchange give strong support to the probability that it results from reversal of steps in the over-all process associated with Ca2+ transport driven by ATP cleavage.
Successful treatment of radiation-induced proctitis pain by blockade of the ganglion impar in an elderly patient with prostate cancer: a case report.

Objective Chronic rectal pain secondary to radiation-induced proctitis is fast-becoming a leading cause of chronic pain, especially for prostate cancer survivors. Currently, many elderly patients resort to increased opioid intake to alleviate the pain. However, this increase in opioid consumption often leads to constipation and further aggravates the anorectal pain, thus leading to a perpetual, vicious cycle. We reasoned that blocking the ganglion impar could attenuate this sympathetically maintained pain, which would lead to a reduction in the consumption of opioids, lessen constipation, and lead to an improvement in the patient's quality of life. Study Design Case report. Setting An academic tertiary pain management clinic. Results The authors report the case of a 73-year-old African American man with a history of prostate cancer who presented to the pain management clinic for evaluation and treatment of his chronic anorectal pain secondary to radiation-induced proctitis. The patient underwent a ganglion impar block, using the transcoccygeal technique, and consequently reported excellent pain relief with little or no use for opioid pain medications at a 2-month follow-up. Ultimately, this approach led to improved mobility and an increase in the patient's quality of life. Conclusions Based on this case's success, a prospective study or randomized control trial evaluating the efficacy of the ganglion impar block as a treatment option for chronic anorectal pain secondary to radiation-induced proctitis appears warranted.
Psychological responses to disasters: Conceptualization and identification of high-risk survivors: Psychological responses to disasters

Disasters are often categorized as being `natural' or `technological' in origin. Natural disasters are called `acts of God' and are not seen to be alterable by human actions, while ecological disasters represent a loss of control over technology that could have been avoided. These technological events represent a breach of an implicit social contract that individuals, companies or organizations have to protect human welfare or not to cause harm. Although these differing types of events have not been directly compared, and some events may represent a combination of types, the distinction regarding responsibility may have implications for mental health. A more recently studied type of disaster involving toxic exposure, such as a nuclear radiation leak, has additional characteristics that may have implications for recovery, such as that the initial stressor may be only information. The actual level of exposure may be unknown, and later consequences may be unknown as well. In addition to describing these types of disasters, the present paper presents a conceptual model of individual risk factors for negative outcomes following disaster events. Empirical findings for a number of these risk factors are reviewed, with a focus on the importance of studying interactions among risk factors as they contribute to mental health outcomes. Future research needs include the description and accounting for comorbid disorders, and studying the trauma history of survivors, for whom the disaster is unlikely to be their only traumatic event exposure.
Now You See Them, Now You Don't: The Legal Field and Newspaper Desegregation of Sex‐Segregated Help Wanted Ads 1965–75

We analyze the timing and extent to which major newspapers in the United States ceased publishing sex-segregated help wanted columns. We situate our study within a specific scholarly literature in organizational sociology and the sociology of law interested in patterns of organizational compliance with U.S. employment law. More specifically, this article is conceptually and theoretically organized around the concept of the “legal field,” defined as the dynamic and emergent interactions among formal law and legal rules, legal officials, self-interested organizations, and the broader political and cultural environment. Content analysis of major U.S. newspapers between 1966 and 1975 indicates that, for nearly five years (1966–70), newspapers collectively refused to desegregate their help wanted columns, despite clear legal rules prohibiting their use. Then, in a comparatively condensed period between 1971 and 1973, virtually all newspapers abruptly abandoned the traditional practice of sorting job ads explicitly by sex.
On gray-box program tracking for anomaly detection

Many host-based anomaly detection systems monitor a process ostensibly running a known program by observing the system calls the process makes. Numerous improvements to the precision of this approach have been proposed, such as tracking system call sequences, and various "gray-box" extensions such as examining the program counter or return addresses on the stack when system calls are made. In this paper, we perform the first systematic study of a wide spectrum of such methods. We show that prior approaches can be organized along three axes, revealing new possibilities for system-call-based program tracking. Through an empirical analysis of this design space, we shed light on the benefits and costs of various points in the space and identify new regions that appear to outperform prior approaches. In separate contributions, we demonstrate novel mimicry attacks on a recent proposal using return addresses for system-call-based program tracking, and then suggest randomization techniques to make such attacks more difficult.
In and around extragalactic sources at low frequencies

I was asked to talk about radio jets in the context of the Low Frequency Space Array. A few nearby sources (e.g., Cen A) or very large sources (e.g., NGC6251) may actually have jets that can be resolved in at least one dimension on scales ~i0" (see the review by Bridle and Perley 1987, for example). However, most extragalactic sources would not reveal much about their structures on those scales, even ignoring the effects of interstellar and interplanetary scattering. So for the most part, we must be content to look for interesting physics that can be derived from the integrated properties of the sources. To see what might be possible it is useful to start by establishing some guidelines. To be specific about what can be observed, I will use characteristics of the space array discussed by Weiler et al (1988). Then we can think in terms of sources that have fluxes >~i Jy around 30 MHz, and somewhat stronger at lower frequencies. Assuming a i0" resolution, we are thus limited to sources that have brightness temperatures in excess of ~I07 K. By comparison, the galactic synchrotron background has a brightness temperature at these frequencies ~I05 K. Thermal sources that might in principle satisfy this observability constraint would include hot plasma in a cluster (possibly heated by a passing high speed jet), and perhaps similarly hot gas in the nuclear regions of active galaxies. Much more likely to be observed, of course, are the relativistic electrons seen through synchrotron radiation. At these low
39-week toxicity and toxicokinetic study of ponezumab (PF-04360365) in cynomolgus monkeys with 12-week recovery period

Ponezumab (PF-04360365) is a novel humanized IgG2Δa monoclonal antibody that binds to amyloid-β (Aβ). It is designed to have reduced immune effector function compared to other passive immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Toxicity was evaluated in cynomolgus monkeys treated intravenously with vehicle or 10, 30, or 100 mg/kg of ponezumab every 10th day for up to 39 weeks, and after a 12-week recovery phase. The Aβ peptide sequence of monkeys is identical to that of humans. No substantial difference in test article exposure between sexes was observed, and mean plasma Cmax and AUC0-n were approximately dose-proportional. Ponezumab was detectable approximately 9 weeks after cessation of dosing. All animals, except two males given 10 mg/kg, maintained exposure to test article. One of these males tested positive for anti-ponezumab antibodies. Ponezumab was detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of animals given active treatment. The estimated CSF/plasma ponezumab concentration ratio was <0.008 after multiple doses. At the end of the dosing and recovery phases, plasma Aβ1-40 and Aβ1-x were increased in treated animals versus controls. No test article-related effects were seen after ophthalmogical, cardiovascular, physical examinations, and clinical and anatomic pathology evaluations. Plasma concentrations of ponezumab on day 261 at the no observed adverse effect level of 100 mg/kg were 22.4 and 5.3 times greater on a Cmax and AUC basis, respectively, than human exposures at the highest dose (10 mg/kg) in a single-dose Phase I trial. These data suggest an acceptable safety profile for ponezumab as an immunotherapy for AD.
Real-time assessment of α-ketoglutarate effect on organic anion secretion in perfused rabbit proximal tubules

To determine the quantitative roles of the basolateral and luminal Na+-dicarboxylate (Na-DC) cotransporters in establishing and maintaining the α-ketoglutarate (αKG) gradient required for renal tub...
Effect of GO phase in Zn(OH)2/GO composite on the extent of photocatalytic reactive adsorption of mustard gas surrogate

Abstract Composites of zinc hydroxide with various contents of graphite oxide (GO) were synthesized with a controlled precipitation rate. They were used at ambient conditions as adsorbents of a mustard gas surrogate, 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES). The samples’ surface features were characterized by various physical and chemical methods. The materials acted as photocatalysts upon light irradiation, degrading CEES to less- or no-toxic compounds. Exposure to visible light and the presence of GO in the composites improved the performance. The results indicated a paramount role of terminal OH groups as well as the porosity in the reactive adsorption process. The enhanced performance is linked to an increase in the degree of chemical and structural heterogeneity upon addition of GO. The surface characteristics strongly depend on the amount of the carbonaceous phase and 10 wt% was found as an optimal content. The CEES degraded mainly to ethyl vinyl sulfide by dehydrohalogenation and to hydroxyethyl ethyl sulfide via a hydrolysis pathway. The irradiation under visible light led to further transformation to vinyl vinyl sulfide and methyl vinyl sulfide through radical's reaction. The presence of GO promotes the electrons transfer and oxygen activation.
The determination of the diffusion coefficient of radon in a porous material by injecting radon and measuring the exhalation

Abstract A means of measuring the diffusion coefficient of radon in a porous medium has been developed and demonstrated. It is applicable whether or not the medium has a distributed radon source. Radon exhalation is measured from a pair of parallel, planar surfaces as a function of time after the sample has been externally impregnated with radon and, if a distributed source is present, after the sample has developed its own radon. The exhalation has been measured by means of grab samples taken with small, flow-through scintillation cells. The method is free of approximations within the limits of the model. The model includes the porosity of the medium, the adsorption of radon on the solid matrix, and the radon absorption on any pore moisture.
Hydrogen—deuterium exchange in water vapor: The mass spectrometric sensitivities and the equilibrium constant

Abstract The equilibrium constant, KHDO, for the reaction H2O + D2O ⇋ 2HDO can be expressed as an intensity ratio, I (measured mass spectrometrically), times a sensitivity ratio, S (determined in mass spectrometric calibration experiments). The latter is difficult to measure and previously has been assumed to be unity. The discrepancies between KHDO values from theoretical calculations and from direct mass spectrometric measurements might be resolved by use of another value of S. We report an indirect measurement of S using a pulsed-molecular-beam quadrupole mass filter that has a unique three-chamber, three-leak gas inlet system. The results show that the sensitivities are probably equal and therefore S = 1 and KHDO = 3.81 ± 0.09. However, systematic errors found in the procedure precluded an unambigous test of the theory.
Identity Style, Gender, and Social-Cognitive Reasoning

This study was undertaken to evaluate whether different styles of resolving identity questions can be differentiated along various social-cognitive dimensions and whether gender differences are evi...
Effect of prosthetic titanium wear debris on mitogen-induced monocyte and lymphoid activation.

Wear debris generated by joint implant components has been reported to activate inflammatory and immune cells. Particulate debris derived from prosthetic material induces monocytes/macrophages, lymphocytes, synoviocytes, and fibroblasts to secrete cellular products, such as cytokines, which mediate inflammation. It has been speculated that degradation products impair the ability of inflammatory and immune cells to mount a protective response against noxious agents and infectious organisms by interfering with cell activation. Recent in vitro studies suggest that soluble metal ions inhibit T and B cell activation, but it is not known whether insoluble metal particles generated by prosthetic wear in tissue have the same effect. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether titanium wear debris retrieved from periprosthetic tissues surrounding a failed knee prosthesis suppresses activation of human monocytic and lymphoid cells. Peripheral blood monocytes and lymphocytes were incubated with the nonspecific activator pokeweed mitogen (PWM) in the presence or absence of titanium particles. Cell proliferative capacity and production of interleukins IL-1beta and IL-2 were determined as measures of activation. Titanium wear debris induced monocyte secretion of IL-1beta at levels comparable to those induced by PWM alone. In combination with PWM, titanium wear debris stimulated monocytes to secrete higher concentrations of IL-1beta than is stimulated by titanium itself or by PWM alone. Titanium wear debris did not activate lymphocytes, as indicated by marginal changes in DNA synthesis and IL-2 secretion, nor did it suppress the PWM-induced stimulation of DNA synthesis and IL-2 secretion. Our study suggests that nonspecific mitogen activators in spite of exposure to titanium wear debris can stimulate monocytic and lymphoid cells.
FIELD TEST AND RATING OF ARLINGTON CURVED-STEEL BOX-GIRDER BRIDGE: JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA

A load capacity rating procedure and the results of field tests conducted on the Arlington curved-steel box-girder bridge are presented. Two Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) test trucks with a total weight of up to 117 tons provided the static loading. One FDOT test truck with a total weight of 52.7 tons applied the dynamic loading. The actual behavior of the bridge was ascertained by comparing the field test results with those obtained from three different theoretical mechanical models. Analysis demonstrates how the actual mechanical behavior and load capacity of a curved-steel box-girder bridge can be well predicted by a proper finite element method based on as-built bridge plans. Some important parameters, such as impact factors, the effective width of the concrete slab, and the structural effect of barriers, are discussed. Finally, the load rating factors for a variety of Florida's rating vehicles were determined on the basis of a finite element model generated from field test results and analytical modeling of the bridge. The current capacity ratings are approximately 17% to 27% higher than those determined in 1988 using a conventional analytical method. The capacity increase is due mostly to the conservativeness of traditional methods and codes. The research results are instructive and applicable to bridge design and bridge load rating.
Two-sample location-scale estimation from semiparametric random censorship models

When two survival functions belong to a location-scale family of distributions, and the available two-sample data are each right censored, the location and scale parameters can be estimated using a minimum distance criterion combined with Kaplan-Meier quantiles. In this paper, it is shown that using the estimated quantiles from a semiparametric random censorship framework produces improved parameter estimates. The semiparametric framework was originally proposed for the one-sample case (Dikta, 1998), and uses a model for the conditional probability that an observation is uncensored given the observed minimum. The extension to the two-sample setting assumes the availability of good fitting models for the group-specific conditional probabilities. When the models are correctly specified for each group, the new location and scale estimators are shown to be asymptotically as or more efficient than the estimators obtained using the Kaplan-Meier based quantiles. Individual and joint confidence intervals for the parameters are developed. Simulation studies show that the proposed method produces confidence intervals that have correct empirical coverage and that are more informative. The proposed method is illustrated using two real data sets.
Isolation and characterization of transferrin receptor from embryonic chicken red cell

Transferrin receptor is isolated from the plasma membrane of chicken embryo red cell by affinity chromatography on transferrin-Sepharose 4B matrix. The molecular weight of the protein is approximately 58,000. The purified antibody to this protein is capable of agglutinating chicken embryo red cells, and the purified Fab fragments derived from this antibody are capable of inhibiting the antibody-induced agglutination, as well as the complement-induced hemolysis of chicken embryo red cells. The Fab fragments also inhibit the transferrin-mediated uptake of iron by chicken embryo red cells.
Theory of resonance raman scattering by degenerate modes due to renner-teller interactionin porphyrins☆

Abstract Resonance Raman spectra and excitation profiles associated with Renner-Teller coupling in square molecules are analysed theoretically and an experiment is proposed to search for this effect in mettalloporphyrins.
High‐efficiency transfection of human endothelial cells mediated by cationic lipids

Cellular transfections provide powerful experimental tools to study gene regulation. However, endothelial cells are difficult to transfect. Therefore, the present studies were performed to optimize transfection techniques in human endothelial cells. To study transfection rates, endothelial cells were transfected with the pGL3 vector, containing the luciferase reporter gene, complexed with several currently available liposomes, such as different Perfect Lipid (pFx) mixtures, DMRIE-C, or lipofectin. The optimal transfection rate was achieved in cells transfected for 1.5 h with 5 mg/mL of DNA plasmid in the presence of 36 mg/mL of pFx-7. Transfections mediated by other liposomes were less efficient. Usefulness of the optimized transfection technique was confirmed in cells transfected with NF-kB or AP-1-responsive constructs. We conclude that among several currently available liposomes, pFx-7 appears to be the most suitable for transfections of cultured human endothelial cells. Acknowledgements: Supported by NIH; NS39254, MH63022, and AA013843.
Radiation damage in vitreous fused silica induced by MeV ion implantation

Abstract The nature of E′1 defects in vitreous fused silica induced by high energy (1–17 MeV) Cl and F ion implantation in terms of ion fluence, ion energy, saturation behavior and annealing feature, has been studied and compared with results obtained after 2 MeV proton and 0.633 MeV γ-ray irradiation using the electron spin resonance (ESR) method. The ESR spectra of E′1 defects created by γ-ray, proton, and MeV ion (at low ion fluence) irradiation are similar, with a mean g factor of 2.0005 ± 0.0004. For MeV heavy ion implantation the density of E′1 defects reaches a maximum at a deposited energy density of the order of 1021 keV cm, and the average yield of E′1 defects per unit energy increases with increasing ion mass and decreasing ion energy for a given ion fluence. The influence of ion flux on defect creation as seen in low-energy heavy ion implanted crystal GaAs was not observed. The E′1 defects caused by either γ-ray or MeV heavy ion irradiation anneal at a unique stage and bleach at temperatures above 450°C. The annealing feature is dependent on the ion fluence. For 2 MeV proton implantation, the E′1 defects decay more slowly and beaach at temperatures above 600°C. The surface cracking produced by MeV heavy-ion implantation has been observed. The crack density increases with ion fluence, reaches a maximum, and then declines. The cracks close up for subsequent higher ion fluences. No surface cracks were seen for 2 MeV proton implantation in the ion fluence range of 1 × 1014 to 2 × 1017 protons cm−2.
Number of instars of the rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae).

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, was determined to have four instars, based on measurements of head-capsule widths of field-collected larvae. The head-capsule widths of each instar were: 1st, 0.14 to 0.18 mm; 2nd, 0.20 to 0.26 mm; 3rd, 0.28 to 0.38 mm; and 4th, 0.40 to 0.60 mm. The existence of four instars is substantiated by Dyar's “Rule” and linear regression analysis.
Chemical synthesis of versatile adaptors for molecular cloning.

Abstract In this communication we report the chemical synthesis of two types of oligodeoxynucleotides to be used as adaptors in molecular cloning. The first type is used to create specific cohesive end sequences at the termini of a blunt-end DNA molecule without the use of restriction enzymes. The second type of adaptor is used to convert one kind of restriction-enzyme-generated specific cohesive end to another. This includes both the conversion of one type 5′-protruding end to another 5′-protruding end, and of a 3′- to a 5′-protruding end and vice versa.
Assessment Options for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The diagnosis of PTSD is frequently encountered in forensic contexts, especially in civil proceedings. The psychologist functioning as a consulting or expert witness must be familiar with convergent sources of data that will support the diagnosis or suggest alternative categories. The authors review a variety of assessment instruments including those that are broad-based and semi-structured, brief structured interviews for PTSD, self-report questionnaires, general psychological inventories, and projective markers. Consideration of pre-existing and co-morbid conditions is suggested for direct and cross-examination purposes along with deliberation about etiology.
XMM-Newton Observation of an X-Ray Trail between the Spiral Galaxy NGC 6872 and the Central Elliptical Galaxy NGC 6876 in the Pavo Group

We present XMM-Newton observations of a trail of enhanced X-ray emission extending along the full 87 × 4' region between the large spiral galaxy NGC 6872 and the dominant elliptical galaxy NGC 6876 in the Pavo group, the first known X-ray trail associated with a spiral galaxy in a poor galaxy group and, with a projected length of 90 kpc, one of the longest known X-ray trails. The X-ray surface brightness in the trail region is roughly constant beyond ~20 kpc of NGC 6876 in the direction of the spiral galaxy. The trail is hotter (~1 keV) than the undisturbed Pavo IGM (~0.5 keV) and has low metal abundances (0.2 Z☉). The 0.5-2 keV luminosity of the trail, measured using a 67 × 90 kpc rectangular region, is 6.6 × 1040 ergs s-1. We compare the properties of gas in the trail to the spectral properties of gas in the spiral galaxy NGC 6872 and in the elliptical galaxy NGC 6876 to constrain its origin. We suggest that the X-ray trail is either IGM gas gravitationally focused into a Bondi-Hoyle wake, a thermal mixture of ~60% Pavo IGM gas with ~40% galaxy gas that has been removed from the spiral galaxy NGC 6872 by turbulent viscous stripping, or both, due to the spiral galaxy's supersonic motion at angle ξ ~ 40° with respect to the plane of the sky, through the densest region of the Pavo IGM. Assuming ξ = 40° and a filling factor η in a cylindrical volume with radius 33 kpc and projected length 90 kpc, the mean electron density and total hot gas mass in the trail are 1 × 10-3η-1/2 cm-3 and 1.1 × 1010η1/2 M☉, respectively.
The neutral point on a Likert scale.

Abstract It was hypothesized that the exclusion of a neutral point will not significantly affect an individual's composite score on a Likert-type scale. A sample of 200 undergraduates at Memphis State University was drawn from upper division sociology courses. Four unique arrangements of the Comrey and Newmeyer Radicalism-Conservatism scale (both forms A and B) were administered randomly with four and five response alternatives. A comparison of each S's composite score on form A with his composite score on form B for the entire sample showed no significant difference, thus confirming the null hypothesis. However, when dependent comparisons were made, taking into consideration the different scale arrangements and the number of response alternatives, significant differences emerged. These findings were contradicted by the independent comparisons which were made by holding form and position of scale administration constant. These polarized findings raise questions concerning the issue of awareness and sensit...
A Perturbation Calculation of the I-V Characteristic of an Extended Josephson Junction

Abstract The running solutions and I-V characteristic of an extended Josephson junction in a state near the ohmic regime are calculated by a perturbation method. Both the voltage-driven and current-driven cases are considered and the convergence of the perturbation procedure is proved. An integral representation of the first correction, in the I-V curve, to the ohmic regime-as well as its dependence on the external magnetic field-is given and evaluated numerically for various values of the junction parameters.