cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Inertia in value-driven attention

Previously reward-associated stimuli persistently capture attention. We attempted to extinguish this attentional bias through a reversal learning procedure where the high-value color changed unexpectedly. Attentional priority shifted during training in favor of the currently high-value color, although a residual bias toward the original high-value color was still evident. Importantly, during a subsequent test phase, attention was initially more strongly biased toward the original high-value color, counter to the attentional priorities evident at the end of training. Our results show that value-based attentional biases do not quickly update with new learning and lag behind the reshaping of strategic attentional priorities by reward.
Bioinspired antibacterial surface for orthopedic and dental implants

Bacterial infections still present a significant concern in orthopedic and dental implant failure. Previous investigations have focused on modifying the surface texture, roughness, or coating implants with antibiotics to provide enhanced anti-bacterial properties. However, they have demonstrated limited success. In this study, we attempted to engineer the titanium (Ti) alloy surface biomimetically at the nano level using alkaline hydrothermal treatment (AHT) inspired by cicada's wing structure. Two modified surfaces of Ti plates were developed using 4 and 8-hr AHT at 230°C. We found that the control plates showed a relatively smooth surface, with little artifacts on the surface. In contrast, 4-hr AHT and 8-hr AHT plates showed nano-spikes of heights around 250-350 and 100-1,250 nm, respectively, that were distributed randomly all over the surface. We found a statistically significant (p < 0.05) number of non-viable cells for both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa bacterial strains when incubated for 1 hr in a dynamic environment when compared with the control group. The 8-hr AHT groups killed 38.97% more S. aureus in static culture and 11.27% in a dynamic environment than the 4-hr AHT. Overall, the findings indicate that the nanostructures generated on titanium by the AHT showed significant bactericidal properties. We, therefore, recommend conducting alkaline hydrothermal treatment on the surfaces for future orthopedic and dental metallic implants.
Association of Stress-Health Factors among Parkinson's Disease Patient/Caregiving-Partner Dyads.

Author(s): Phillips, Kala M; Siwik, Chelsea; Rodgers, Allison; Salmon, Paul; Litvan, Irene; Jablonski, Megan E; Filoteo, J Vincent; Cash, Elizabeth; Sephton, Sandra E | Abstract: ObjectiveFew studies have explored the shared effects of Parkinson's disease (PD) within patient/caregiver dyads. To fill this gap, we compared stress-health outcomes of patients with those of caregiving-partners, examined individual stress-health associations, and explored stress-health associations within dyads.MethodA total of 18 PD patient/caregiving-partner dyads (Nn=n36) reported on disease-specific distress, anxiety, quality of life (QOL), and provided saliva samples for cortisol assessment. This cross-sectional, secondary analysis of a prospective pilot study used Actor-Partner Interdependence Models to test aims.ResultsPatients reported greater anxiety, poorer QOL, and demonstrated flatter cortisol slopes and higher mean bedtime cortisol compared to caregiving-partners. Both patients and caregiving-partners with greater anxiety had elevated bedtime cortisol and poorer QOL. Greater disease-specific distress in an individual was associated with higher diurnal mean cortisol in their partner.ConclusionsFindings highlight the potential for psychosocial interventions at the dyadic level to reduce shared burden and promote coping among PD patient/caregiving-partner dyads.
The Disruption of Sentence Production: A Case of Selective Deficit to Positional Level Processing

Sentence production is an extremely complex process involving the construction of several types of linguistic representations by a number of independent processing mechanisms. Damage to this system will undoubtedly result in varied forms of sentence production deficits depending on the “locus” and type of damage to the system. Thus, we expect one pattern of impairment in the case where brain damage were to affect lexical processing mechanisms, another pattern were the damage to affect sentence planning mechanisms, yet another were the damage to affect working memory mechanisms, and so forth. The variety of expected patterns of sentence production impairment is, then, a function of the complexity of the normal processing system and the possible forms of damage to that system. On this uncontroversial view, and assuming 1) that the structure of the sentence production system is at least as complex as the model proposed by Garrett (1980; 1982) and 2) that the components comprising the system may be damaged differentially, we expect sentence production impairments to be of many different forms. And, yet, until very recently the only forms of sentence production impairment discussed in the aphasia literature were the classical clinical syndromes of agrammatism and paragrammatism; that is, impairments of sentence production were studied within the narrow confines of these latter clinical syndromes.
Divergence dynamic modification as a function of initial position.

The ability to change or adapt is critical in the survival of a species. Research has shown that the dynamics of disparity vergence eye movements, the inward (convergence) or outward (divergence) turning of the eyes, are malleable and depend to some extent on the amplitude of preceding stimuli. Divergence eye movements are dependent on initial stimulus position where responses that occur closer to the subject are faster compared to responses that occur farther from the subject. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the modification of divergence eye movements was also a function of initial stimulus position. An experimental trial consisted of three phases: baseline, modification, and recovery. The baseline and recovery phases used only 4° test stimuli. The modification phase consisted of a 4° test randomly intermixed with an 8° step presented in a 1:5 ratio. Two experiments were conducted, one with an initial vergence angle of 8o (far) and the other with an initial position of 20o or 18o (near). Two subjects participated. The dynamic characteristics of the responses to test stimuli were quantified by measuring the magnitude of the peak velocity. Preliminary results suggest the amount of change in peak velocity was greater when the stimuli were closer to the subject. Data suggest that the peak velocity of divergence observed during baseline conditions maybe correlated to the ability to change the dynamics of the disparity vergence system.
Controlled biomineralization by and applications of magnetotactic bacteria.

Publisher Summary The magnetotactic bacteria represent a morphologically, physiologically, and phylogenetically diverse assemblage of motile, mostly aquatic prokaryotes that passively align along geomagnetic field lines as they swim. Magnetotactic bacteria are fastidious with regard to their growth requirements and are difficult to isolate in pure culture and cultivate in the laboratory. Because of this, research in this area has been painfully slow at times. Magnetosomes are defined as intracellular crystals of a magnetic mineral surrounded by a lipid bilayer membrane. Despite their differences, the magnetotactic bacteria share several features: (1) they are Gram-negative prokaryotes phylogenetically associated with the domain bacteria, (2) they are motile by means of flagella, (3) grow only microaerophilically with oxygen or anaerobically or both, (4) with one exception possess a solely respiratory form of metabolism, (5) display nitrogenase activity and so are able to fix atmospheric dinitrogen, (6) are mesophilic with respect to growth temperatures, and (7) all possess magnetosomes.
Robert W. Cahn (1924-2007) and David Turnbull (1915-2007)

This is in remembrance of two major figures in the development of modern materials science.
Factors Associated With Pain Experience Outcome in Knee Osteoarthritis

Objective. Few strategies to improve pain outcome in knee osteoarthritis (OA) exist in part because how best to evaluate pain over the long term is unclear. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of a good pain experience outcome based on previously formulated OA pain stages and test the hypothesis that less depression and pain catastrophizing and greater self-efficacy and social support are each associated with greater likelihood of a good outcome. Methods. Study participants, all with knee OA, reported pain stage at baseline and 2 years. Baseline assessments utilized the Geriatric Depression Scale, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Arthritis Self-Efficacy Scale, and Medical Outcomes Study social support survey. Using pain experience stages, good outcome was defined as persistence in or movement to no pain or stage 1 (predictable pain, known trigger) at 2 years. A multivariable logistic regression model was developed to identify independent predictors of a good outcome. Results. Of 212 participants, 136 (64%) had a good pain outcome and 76 (36%) a poor pain outcome. In multivariable analysis, higher self-efficacy was associated with a significantly higher likelihood of good outcome (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.14 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.04 –1.24]); higher pain catastrophizing was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of good outcome (adjusted OR 0.88 [95% CI 0.83– 0.94]). Conclusion. This stage-based measure provides a meaningful and interpretable means to assess pain outcome in knee OA. The odds of a good 2-year outcome in knee OA were lower in persons with greater pain catastrophizing and higher in persons with greater self-efficacy. Targeting these factors may help to improve pain outcome in knee OA.
Oxygenation during chest physiotherapy of very-low-birth-weight infants: relations among fraction of inspired oxygen levels, number of hand ventilations, and transcutaneous oxygen pressure.

Abstract Chest physiotherapy (CPT) to clear the airway of infants requiring assisted ventilation is a routine procedure in neonatal intensive care units. This study was done to describe the relationships between fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO 2 ) levels and the number of hand ventilations (independent variables) and variations of transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO 2 ) from baseline among intubated very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) infants receiving CPT. The study consisted of 30 observations of 13 intubated VLBW infants receiving CPT. Data were obtained by observations during routine CPT procedures performed by the nurses in charge of the infants. Stepwise multiple regression showed that hand ventilations and FiO 2 levels significantly accounted for the variability in TcPO 2 levels during CPT. Pearson correlation analysis showed that there was a negative correlation between FiO 2 and TcPO 2 and between the number of hand ventilations and TcPO 2 .
Physics issues for high-power free-electron laser amplifiers

Light from a high-gain single-pass FEL amplifier is expected, from theoretical and numerical analysis, to be of very high optical quality The light is also anticipated to be guided by the electron beam in the FEL, permitting operation of amplifiers with wigglers that are many Rayleigh ranges long, removal of a restriction to 2 or 3 Rayleigh ranges makes possible much higher extraction efficiencies in the FEL. Neither good optical beam quality nor guiding has been experimentally verified but represents critical uncertainties in the physics of FEL amplifiers.
Child Maltreatment and Neural Systems Underlying Emotion Regulation

Objective The strong associations between child maltreatment and psychopathology have generated interest in identifying neurodevelopmental processes that are disrupted following maltreatment. Previous research has focused largely on neural response to negative facial emotion. We determined whether child maltreatment was associated with neural responses during passive viewing of negative and positive emotional stimuli and effortful attempts to regulate emotional responses. Method A total of 42 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years, half with exposure to physical and/or sexual abuse, participated. Blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) response was measured during passive viewing of negative and positive emotional stimuli and attempts to modulate emotional responses using cognitive reappraisal. Results Maltreated adolescents exhibited heightened response in multiple nodes of the salience network, including amygdala, putamen, and anterior insula, to negative relative to neutral stimuli. During attempts to decrease responses to negative stimuli relative to passive viewing, maltreatment was associated with greater recruitment of superior frontal gyrus, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and frontal pole; adolescents with and without maltreatment down-regulated amygdala response to a similar degree. No associations were observed between maltreatment and neural response to positive emotional stimuli during passive viewing or effortful regulation. Conclusion Child maltreatment heightens the salience of negative emotional stimuli. Although maltreated adolescents modulate amygdala responses to negative cues to a degree similar to that of non-maltreated youths, they use regions involved in effortful control to a greater degree to do so, potentially because greater effort is required to modulate heightened amygdala responses. These findings are promising, given the centrality of cognitive restructuring in trauma-focused treatments for children.
The Legal Implications of HIPAA Privacy and Public Health Reporting for Correctional Facilities

Inmates in cramped living quarters, a situation common to correctional facilities, are especially vulnerable to disease. Cramped living conditions, coupled with above-average rates of HIV, tubercul...
Reduction of short chain alkynes by a nitrogenase α-70Ala-substituted MoFe protein

The Mo-dependent nitrogenase comprises two component proteins, called the Fe protein and MoFe protein, which together catalyze the nucleotide-dependent reduction of N2 to NH3. Nitrogenase also catalyzes the reduction of a variety of other multiply bonded substrates including the short chain alkyne acetylene. Substrate reduction is known to occur at an Fe7S9Mo : homocitrate cluster, designated FeMo-cofactor. Despite 40 years of intensive research and knowledge of the macromolecular structures of the nitrogenase component proteins from several different sources, the mechanism for the binding, activation and reduction of N2 is still unclear. Based on amino acid substitution studies for those residues that provide the first shell of non-covalent interactions with FeMo-cofactor we previously targeted a specific 4Fe-4S face of FeMo-cofactor approached by the MoFe protein α-subunit residues α-70Val and α-96Arg as providing the substrate binding and reduction site. In the present work, support for this hypothesis was obtained by showing that substitution of the α-70Val residue by α-70Ala relaxes constraints within the substrate-binding pocket so that effective reduction of the short chain alkynes, propargyl alcohol and propyne, which are not effectively reduced by the wild type enzyme, is now permitted.
Azetidine-2-carboxylic Acid and Lily Pollen Tube Elongation

Azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (AZC), which occurs naturally in Liliaceous plants, is reported to be a proline (pro) analogue Plant cell walls contain ‘extensin’, which is rich in hydroxyproline (hyp). Peptidyl hyp arises through hydroxylation of peptidyl pro followed by glycosylation (arabinose attachment) of hyp Because AZC replaces peptidyl prolyl residues, it may be a useful tool for evaluating the significance of hyp-o-arabinose linkages in cell elongation. Therefore, we determined the effect of AZC on [14C]pro uptake, incorporation and conversion to wall-bound [14C]hyp in relation to elongation of lily pollen tubes whose walls consist, in part, of hyp-containing glycopeptides The AZC suppressed pollen germination 9–42 per cent (1–10 mM) and subsequent tube elongation 40–54 per cent (0·1–1 mM without affecting respiration In contrast, similar hyp concentrations were without effect on tube elongation Whereas uptake of [14C]pro was 16·5–6·2 per cent of the control at 0·1–1 mM AZC, [14C]leucine uptake was 85–25 per cent of the control. Light microscope radioautography revealed fewer silver grains over tubes elongated in 0·1–1 mM AZC than in its absence. Incorporation of [14C]pro into tnchloroacetic acid (TCA)-precipitable cytoplasm was reduced by only 10 per cent at 0·01–1 mM but 43 per cent at 10 mM AZC Gel filtration of cytoplasm from pollen germinated without AZC but with [14C]pro resulted in labelled void volume (V) and three retarded peaks (RI–III) Incorporation into V and RI was inhibited at both 0·01 and 1 mM AZC These AZC concentrations reduced conversion of [14C]pro to wall-bound hyp by ∼ 20 per cent However, total incorporation of [14C]pro into salt-water-purified wall fractions was suppressed 47–53 per cent (0·1–1 mM AZC).
THE INFINITE-STATE POTTS MODEL AND SOLID PARTITIONS OF AN INTEGER

It has been established that the infinite-state Potts model in d dimensions generates restricted partitions of integers in d-1 dimensions, the latter a well-known intractable problem in number theory for d>3. Here we consider the d=4 problem. We consider a Potts model on an L × M × N × P hypercubic lattice whose partition function GLMNP(t) generates restricted solid partitions on an L × M × N lattice with each part no greater than P. Closed-form expressions are obtained for G222P(t) and we evaluated its zeroes in the complex t plane for different values of P. On the basis of our numerical results we conjecture that all zeroes of the enumeration generating function GLMNP(t) lie on the unit circle |t|=1 in the limit that any of the indices L, M, N, P becomes infinite.
Factors influencing respiratory control in brain mitochondria.

— A simple technique was described for isolation of the mitochondrial fraction from central nervous tissue of the rat. The fraction so prepared satisfied structural and functional criteria of intactness and relative homogeneity. Oxidation of various substrates and the influences of inhibitors and experimental conditions were examined. The refractoriness of brain mitochondria to thyroxine was confirmed. Oxidation of glutamate was characterized by a very high degree of respiratory control. There was a pronounced Mg requirement by mitochondria in the aerobic active state, but not in the controlled state. Reverse acceptor control was manifest during succinate oxidation by Mg deficient mitochondria.
The detection of sonar echoes in reverberation and noise

A method is presented for calculating the frequency spectrum of reverberation in a shipborne pulse sonar and hence its effect in masking an echo which exhibits doppler. Signal processing is considered, as affecting the masking due to reverberation and noise combined. This enables the relative merits of sonars, or of proposed modifications, to be assessed more realistically than by considering noise alone.
Implementing contrast echocardiography in the laboratory.

The implementation of contrast within the echocardiography laboratory is a challenge in the modern health care era. The practical aspects lie within the realm of the sonographer, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the physician. A diverse team that consists of a sonographer, physician, and an individual to insert intravenous lines and administer the agent is needed to implement contrast. Effective communication within the team is essential, and the sonographer is the point person. Other factors must also be considered, including proper machine settings, agent delivery, patient selection, avoidance of artifacts, reimbursement issues, and the future of contrast in the clinical echocardiography laboratory.
Proliferative activity of Echinacea angustifolia root extracts on cancer cells : Interference with doxorubicin cytotoxicity

Doxorubicin is an anticancer drug that causes apoptosis in cells, but cardiotoxicity limits the cumulative dose that can remain in the blood. Echinacea extracts have been prescribed to supplement cancer chemotherapy. In a recent study, it was reported that Echinacea purpurea extracts protected noncancerous cells from apoptosis. Our study aimed to determine interference with doxorubicin chemotherapy, and if fractions and compounds from Echinacea angustifolia roots protected the cells. Cervical and breast cancer cells were treated with the Echinacea samples and doxorubicin. At 0.05 and 0.5 microM doxorubicin concentration, cynarine increased HeLa cell growth by 48-125% and 29-101%, respectively (p<0.01). At 0.05 microM doxorubicin concentration, chicoric acid increased cell growth by 23-100% (p<0.01). When MCF-7 cells were treated with Echinacea and doxorubicin, the ethyl acetate fraction increased cell growth by 20-25%, and chicoric acid increased cell growth by 10-15%. Cynarine showed proliferative activity on HeLa cells, but showed antiproliferative activity on MCF-7 cells. Results indicate that phenolic compounds are responsible for proliferative activity. Studies with individual compounds show that chicoric acid and cynarine interfered with cells treated with 0.5 microM doxorubicin. The results of this study show that Echinacea herbal medicines affect cell proliferation despite cancer treatment, and that herbal medicines require further study with respect to anticancer drugs.
Tear production, intraocular pressure, and conjunctival bacterial flora in a group of captive black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus).

Objective To report ocular diagnostic test parameters and normal conjunctival bacterial flora in captive black-tailed prairie dogs. Animals studied Seventeen black-tailed prairie dogs, ranging in age from approximately 4–6 months to 4.5 years. Eleven males came from a zoo collection and 6 females from a wildlife rehabilitation center. Procedures Complete ocular examination was performed under isoflurane anesthesia. Tear and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements were performed on both (n = 34) eyes of 17 prairie dogs. Phenol red thread test (PRTT) was performed first, and a modified Schirmer tear test I (mSTTI) was performed 10 min later. Indirect rebound tonometry was performed using the TonoVet®. Attempts to obtain intraocular pressure measurements using an applanation tonometry instrument were unsuccessful. Conjunctival swab samples (n = 17) were taken from both eyes of each prairie dog and pooled. Results The most common ocular abnormality was acquired eyelid margin defects, present in seven eyes of six prairie dogs (35.3%). Mean ± SD tear production was 13.6 ± 7.8 mm/15 s (range, 3–30) for PRTT and 1.2 ± 0.9 mm/min (range, 0–4) for mSTTI. Mean ± SD IOP was 7.7 ± 2.2 mmHg (range, 3–11.4). A Staphylococcus xylosus (7/17; 41.2%) organism and a hemolytic Staphylococcus species (5/17; 29.4%) were most commonly isolated from the prairie dog conjunctival sac. Conclusions There was a moderate prevalence of acquired peri-ocular lesions in this group of captive black-tailed prairie dogs. While widely variable, results of tear test and intraocular pressure measurements are reported. Staphylococcus was the most commonly isolated bacterial genus.
Necrotizing enterocolitis prevention: art or science?

It just won’t go away! In spite of concerted efforts by researchers and clinicians everywhere, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) continues to be a devastating neonatal illness worldwide. Its sudden onset, rapid progression, and ultimate toll on human life are daunting; equally challenging is the lack of any major breakthrough in preventing this ailment. Clinicians treating tiny premature infants live in its fear, jumping at every sign of feeding intolerance and rounding of the abdomen. Clinicians also deal every day with the many stubborn complications of NEC: strictures, short gut syndrome, stunted growth, and poor neurodevelopmental outcomes, to name just a few. For parents, it is perhaps the most disheartening event; after weeks of slow but steady recovery from early complications of prematurity, many or all of the painstaking gains are washed away by a mysterious illness that has no easy cure. This depressing report card notwithstanding, there have been gains in our understanding of the pathophysiology of NEC. In this issue of the Clinics in Perinatology, Drs Maheshwari and Denning have assembled an impressive array of articles highlighting many of these gains; they also point out the gaps in our understanding. The multifactorial etiology of NEC and its varied presentations create a rather complex entity to investigate. The search for better answers continues and we are indebted to this loyal band of investigators and for their persistence. Yet, there is another aspect of the disease that deserves renewed focus. Why is it that simple measures that can significantly reduce the incidence and severity of disease continue to be ignored? For example, neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) with exclusive use of breast milk for preterm infants report a strikingly lower incidence of NEC. A recent quality improvement project in California to increase breast milk use in very low birth weight infants resulted in a reduction of NEC from 7% to 2.4%.
Granisetron vs dolasetron for acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) in high and moderately high emetogenic chemotherapy: an open-label pilot study

SUMMARYObjective: Comparative studies examining the use of oral serotonin type 3 (5-HT3) receptor antagonists for the management of acute chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) are limited. Therefore, we performed an experiential open-label pilot study at Stony Brook Hospital to allow clinicians to make informed formulary decisions at our institution and to stimulate further study. Specifically, the objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of oral granisetron versus oral dolasetron for prophylaxis of acute CINV.Research Design and Methods: The study was conducted during the period of 1 February 2001 to 31 March 2001. Patients (n = 26) with lymphoma or malignancies of the lungs, larynx, or uterus undergoing moderately high and highly emetogenic chemotherapy were studied. Patients admitted during February (n = 13) were administered a single oral dose of 100 mg of dolasetron; those admitted in March (n = 13) received a single oral dose of 2 mg of granisetron. All patients were admini...
Rapsyn Variants in Ciliary Ganglia and Their Possible Effects on Clustering of Nicotinic Receptors

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) containing the alpha7 gene product can influence a range of cellular events in neurons, depending on receptor location. On chick ciliary neurons, the receptors are concentrated on somatic spines, but little is known about mechanisms responsible for sequestering them there. Rapsyn is a 43-kDa protein essential for clustering nicotinic receptors at the vertebrate neuromuscular junction. RT-PCR confirmed previous studies showing that the chick ciliary ganglion expresses rapsyn transcripts, including several splice variants lacking part or all of exon 2. Heterologous expression of rapsyn constructs, together with nicotinic receptor constructs, shows that chicken full-length rapsyn can induce clustering of both muscle and neuronal nicotinic receptors. Splice variants lacking one or both leucine zipper motifs of exon 2 are unable to cluster the receptors, though, like full-length rapsyn, they cluster themselves. Immunological analysis demonstrates the presence of full-length rapsyn in chick muscle extracts but fails to detect either full-length or splice-variant versions of rapsyn at significant levels in ganglion extracts. The results suggest that rapsyn does not cluster alpha7-nAChRs on ciliary neurons in any way similar to that of receptors at the neuromuscular junction where rapsyn and the receptors are present in approximately equimolar amounts.
Maple syrup urine disease 1954 to 1993.

The clinical, molecular genetic and other biochemical aspects of branched-chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenase defects are reviewed.
Health care delay of farmers 50 years and older in Kentucky and South Carolina.

ABSTRACT This article describes the prevalence of avoiding/delaying medical or dental care because of cost and the factors associated with whether or not farmers aged 50 and older avoid or delay seeking medical or dental care for financial reasons. Data from 957 respondents aged 50 and over who resided in farm households in 2 southern states in the United States completed either a telephone or mailed survey. Participants indicated that they had avoided or delayed seeking health care (7%) or dental care (9%) because of cost. Significant predictors of delay in medical care included age, income, self-rated health, number of health conditions, and having private insurance as the primary policy. Younger individuals, with lower annual income, poorer self-rated health, more current medical conditions, and without private medical insurance as their primary health policy were more likely to delay. Significant predictors of delay in dental care were income, having an off-farm job, taking prescription medication dai...
Hydrogenation of butanal over silica-supported Shvo’s catalyst and its use for the gas-phase conversion of propene to butanol via tandem hydroformylation and hydrogenation

Abstract The objective of the present study was to develop a heterogeneous catalyst for the hydrogenation of butanal that could function in the presence of CO and propene and, hence, could be used in a tandem reactor to enable the gas-phase conversion of propene and synthesis gas to butanol. To this end, we investigated the activity of silica-supported Shvo’s catalyst (Shvo/SiO 2 ) for the gas-phase hydrogenation of butanal. Experiments were performed to determine the kinetics of n - and iso-butanal hydrogenation. The apparent activation energies and the apparent partial pressure dependencies of n- and iso-butanal, H 2 , and CO on the rates of n- and iso-butanol formation were determined. A mechanism for butanal hydrogenation was proposed to rationalize the observed kinetics and some of the reaction intermediates were observed by in situ infrared and 31 P MAS NMR spectroscopy. It was found that Shvo/SiO 2 was inhibited by SX (SX = sulfoxanthphos) and CO, and is inactive for alkene hydrogenation. The tandem catalytic conversion of propene and synthesis gas to butanol was then carried out using a SX-Rh supported ionic liquid phase (SILP) catalyst to promote the hydroformylation of propene to butanal and Shvo/SiO 2 to promote the hydrogenation of butanal to butanol. The rate expressions describing the kinetics of each of the catalysts were then used to predict operating conditions required to achieve high conversion of propene to butanol. Under the most favorable conditions examined (H 2 /CO = 10), an overall yield of 13% to butanol was achieved with 15% propene conversion and 90% aldehyde conversion at a temperature of 413 K.
Transcription Factor NF-κB Regulates Inducible Oct-2 Gene Expression in Precursor B Lymphocytes

Abstract The POU transcription factors Oct-1 and Oct-2 regulate the activity of octamer-dependent promoters, including those that direct transcription from rearranged immunoglobulin genes. Unlike Oct-1, which is constitutively expressed in many cell types, Oct-2 expression is restricted primarily to B lymphocytes and can be induced in precursor B cells by stimulation with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). However, the precise factors that mediate this induction mechanism remain unknown. In the present study, we monitored Oct-2 expression in cells arrested for the activation of NF-κB, an LPS-responsive member of the Rel transcription factor family. Despite stimulation with LPS, disruption of the NF-κB signaling pathway in precursor B cells led to the loss of inducible Oct-2 DNA binding activity in vitro and the suppression of Oct-2-directed transcription in vivo. This biochemical defect correlated with a specific block to Oct-2 gene expression at the level of transcription, whereas the expression of Oct-1 was unaffected. The finding that Oct-2 is under NF-κB control highlights an important cross-talk mechanism involving two distinct transcription factor families that regulate B lymphocyte function.
Direct Correlation Between DNA Repair Capacity and Metastatic Potential of K-1735 Murine Melanoma Cells

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the ability of K-1735 murine melanoma cells to repair DNA damage correlates with their metastatic potential. Three nonmetastatic clones, four metastatic clones and three somatic-cell hybrids between metastatic and nonmetastatic clones were exposed to incident ultraviolet (UV) light (254 nm). Cell survival was determined by the microculture tetrazolium assay, which measures cell metabolic activity. DNA repair capacity was determined with a host-cell reactivation assay, which measures the activities of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase encoded by the reporter gene in both UV-damaged and undamaged plasmid (control) pCMV cat 40h after transfection. No discernible differences in transfection efficiencies were found between K-1735 clones with low and high metastatic potential or between cells transfected with UV-damaged and control plasmids. DNA repair capacity directly correlated with cell survival (p
Forward-Backward Quantum Dynamics for Time Correlation Functions

A novel quantum mechanical formulation of time correlation functions is derived, based on Bohmian trajectories integrated along a forward−backward time contour. The derived expression involves a sm...
Fabrication and Characterization of 4H-SiC 6kV Gate Turn-Off Thyristor

In this paper, we report a 0.1cm2 4H-SiC gate-turn-off (GTO) thyristor with 6 kV blocking voltage fabricated on a structure with a 60µm blocking layer. A relatively large area, high voltage 4H-SiC GTO that exhibits encouraging characteristic at the on- and off-states, and a low leakage current with 63% devices blocking 3kV or higher. Initial pulse testing result shows that the fabricated GTOs are capable of both high current density and high turn-off speed.
Intake of Key Pregnancy Nutrients in Midwest Adolescents of Childbearing Potential Vitamin D, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, and Folate

Background. Nutrient intake in the preconception period can have profound effects on pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancy during adolescence is often unplanned and associated with lower rates of prenatal care. Poor baseline nutrition status could contribute to poor pregnancy outcomes. Design A secondary analysis of data obtained from 2 randomized controlled trials conducted from 1997 to 2007 was performed with the objective of quantifying intakes of folate, vitamin D, and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)—nutrients potentially affecting pregnancy outcomes in adolescent girls of childbearing age. Participants. Two cohorts of girls living in a metropolitan area were analyzed. The first group, a sample of 64 healthy 9-year-old girls, was followed for 10 years. The second, a similar cohort of 134 healthy girls, was followed for 8 years. Information about nutrient intake from food sources was collected and analyzed during the times the participants were 14 to 19 years old, considered years of potential pregnancy. S...
Insights into the problem of alarm fatigue with physiologic monitor devices: a comprehensive observational study of consecutive intensive care unit patients.

Author(s): Drew, Barbara J; Harris, Patricia; Zegre-Hemsey, Jessica K; Mammone, Tina; Schindler, Daniel; Salas-Boni, Rebeca; Bai, Yong; Tinoco, Adelita; Ding, Quan; Hu, Xiao | Abstract: PURPOSE:Physiologic monitors are plagued with alarms that create a cacophony of sounds and visual alerts causing "alarm fatigue" which creates an unsafe patient environment because a life-threatening event may be missed in this milieu of sensory overload. Using a state-of-the-art technology acquisition infrastructure, all monitor data including 7 ECG leads, all pressure, SpO(2), and respiration waveforms as well as user settings and alarms were stored on 461 adults treated in intensive care units. Using a well-defined alarm annotation protocol, nurse scientists with 95% inter-rater reliability annotated 12,671 arrhythmia alarms. RESULTS:A total of 2,558,760 unique alarms occurred in the 31-day study period: arrhythmia, 1,154,201; parameter, 612,927; technical, 791,632. There were 381,560 audible alarms for an audible alarm burden of 187/bed/day. 88.8% of the 12,671 annotated arrhythmia alarms were false positives. Conditions causing excessive alarms included inappropriate alarm settings, persistent atrial fibrillation, and non-actionable events such as PVC's and brief spikes in ST segments. Low amplitude QRS complexes in some, but not all available ECG leads caused undercounting and false arrhythmia alarms. Wide QRS complexes due to bundle branch block or ventricular pacemaker rhythm caused false alarms. 93% of the 168 true ventricular tachycardia alarms were not sustained long enough to warrant treatment. DISCUSSION:The excessive number of physiologic monitor alarms is a complex interplay of inappropriate user settings, patient conditions, and algorithm deficiencies. Device solutions should focus on use of all available ECG leads to identify non-artifact leads and leads with adequate QRS amplitude. Devices should provide prompts to aide in more appropriate tailoring of alarm settings to individual patients. Atrial fibrillation alarms should be limited to new onset and termination of the arrhythmia and delays for ST-segment and other parameter alarms should be configurable. Because computer devices are more reliable than humans, an opportunity exists to improve physiologic monitoring and reduce alarm fatigue.
A Class of Practically Nowhere Differentiable Functions on the Complex Plane.

This note could find classroom use in an introductory course on complex analysis. Using some of the most significant theorems from complex analysis, the main result provides a simple method for transforming many elementary functions (defined on the complex plane) into everywhere continuous functions that are differentiable only on a nowhere dense set. Accordingly, such continuous functions are termed ‘practically nowhere differentiable’. The twofold pedagogical value of this method is that (1) students can readily generate examples of everywhere continuous, practically nowhere differentiable functions that do not require any direct appeal to infinite series, and (2) the often dynamical difference between the behaviour of functions of a complex variable and functions of a real variable is showcased.
Twenty-Five Years of Hub Location Research

Last year was the 25th anniversary of two seminal transportation hub location publications, which appeared in 1986 in Transportation Science and Geographical Analysis. Though there are related hub location and network design articles that predate these works, the 1986 publications provided a key impetus for the growth of hub location as a distinct research area. This paper is not intended as a comprehensive review of hub location literature; rather, our goal is to reflect on the origins of hub location research, especially in transportation, and provide some commentary on the present status of the field. We provide insight into early motivations for analyzing hub location problems and describe linkages to problems in location analysis and network design. We also highlight some of the most recent research, discuss some shortcomings of hub location research and suggest promising directions for future effort.
Forecasting the Vote: A Theoretical Comparison of Election Markets and Public Opinion Polls

The dominant methodology for short-term forecasting of electoral outcomes uses trial-heat polls, where respondents report their current electoral preferences (not their election-day predictions). Election markets, where self-selected participants trade shares of candidates at prices predictive of election-day results, provide an alternative method that often produces more accurate forecasts. Consequently, increasing attention is being paid to this methodology. However, it is poorly understood and lacks theoretical justification. Surprisingly, the rationale for forecasting using trial-heat polls has not been completely developed either. We develop the justification for using both election markets and public opinion polls to forecast electoral outcomes, giving conditions under which each method performs ideally. For the ideal case, we prove (under the reasonable assumption that market participants are aware of the poll results) that the mean square prediction error for the market forecast is smaller than that of any forecast based on one or more polls. The case in which the assumptions supporting each method fail is also considered. It is often reasonable to expect that the best case results hold approximately, in which case the market forecast should also beat any poll-based forecast. We also compare the bias and variance of market and poll-based forecasts; our results suggest the utility of using the series of market prices to study the course of campaigns.
Reality check: A bridge between systems thinking and system dynamics

System dynamics models are suppose to be more robust than other kinds of simulation models. However, tests of robustness are usually underused and underdocumented. To allow the extensive use of robustness tests, we have included in the Vensim software a language for defining qualitative and quantitative tests, and a facility for automatically executing the tests on a simulation model. Such automatic tests are called Reality Check tests. These tests provide an explicit indication of model quality and an effective way of comparing models.
Synthetic river valleys: Creating prescribed topography for form–process inquiry and river rehabilitation design

Abstract The synthesis of artificial landforms is complementary to geomorphic analysis because it affords a reflection on both the characteristics and intrinsic formative processes of real world conditions. Moreover, the applied terminus of geomorphic theory is commonly manifested in the engineering and rehabilitation of riverine landforms where the goal is to create specific processes associated with specific morphology. To date, the synthesis of river topography has been explored outside of geomorphology through artistic renderings, computer science applications, and river rehabilitation design; while within geomorphology it has been explored using morphodynamic modeling, such as one-dimensional simulation of river reach profiles, two-dimensional simulation of river networks, and three-dimensional simulation of subreach scale river morphology. To date, no approach allows geomorphologists, engineers, or river rehabilitation practitioners to create landforms of prescribed conditions. In this paper a method for creating topography of synthetic river valleys is introduced that utilizes a theoretical framework that draws from fluvial geomorphology, computer science, and geometric modeling. Such a method would be valuable to geomorphologists in understanding form–process linkages as well as to engineers and river rehabilitation practitioners in developing design surfaces that can be rapidly iterated. The method introduced herein relies on the discretization of river valley topography into geometric elements associated with overlapping and orthogonal two-dimensional planes such as the planform, profile, and cross section that are represented by mathematical functions, termed geometric element equations. Topographic surfaces can be parameterized independently or dependently using a geomorphic covariance structure between the spatial series of geometric element equations. To illustrate the approach and overall model flexibility examples are provided that are associated with mountain, lowland, and hybrid synthetic river valleys. To conclude, recommended advances such as multithread channels are discussed along with potential applications.
Climatological correlates of screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) abundance in Texas, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT. The causes of screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) outbreaks in North America are not well understood, but the literature suggests that climate was historically important. Screwworm case incidence in each of seven climatological divisions of Texas was examined for the years 1962-83, the period when sterile-male releases were made. Weak but statistically significant correlations were found between winter and summer cases and mean winter and summer rainfall and temperature when the independent variables were examined one at a time. Multiple regression of log case incidence on previous quarterly cases and current rainfall and temperatures showed a significant, negative effect of temperature on summer cases. Lagged screwworm cases accounted for most of the variation in quarterly cases. No climatic effects were detected in the other seasons. Rainfall was statistically unrelated to screwworm abundance in any season even in an arid region. The analysis does not support a climatic genesis of screwworm outbreaks or eradication. The sterile-male method is a credible explanation for screwworm disappearance.
Dimensional Adjectives: Factors Affecting Children's Ability to Compare Objects Using Novel Words

Abstract A series of 3 studies tested the hypothesis that children's difficulty acquiring dimensional adjectives, such as big, little, tall, and short, is a consequence of how these words are used by adults. Three- and 4-year-olds were asked to compare pairs of objects drawn from a novel stimulus series using real dimension words (taller and shorter; Study 1) and novel dimension words (maller and borger; Studies 1–3). Characteristics of testing, including the presence or absence of a categorization task, were manipulated. Findings indicated that children easily acquired novel dimension words when they were used in a strictly comparative fashion but had difficulty when also exposed to the categorical form of usage. It is concluded that having to learn both categorical and comparative meanings at once may impede acquisition of dimensional adjectives.
Long-term culture of integumental explants from premolt blue crabs,Callinectes sapidus

A technique is described for the contamination-free maintenance of blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) premolt hypodermis in vitro for up to 36 days. Pre-exuvial integument is collected by sterile dissection from the animal after copious washing of the dorsal carapace with Betadyne solution and 70% ethanol. The tissue is cut into 3- to 5-mm2 pieces while immersed in medium, then placed in culture dishes for 3 days in medium containing a broad range of antibiotic and antimycotic agents. After 3 days, the tissue is incubated with medium containing low antimicrobial chemical concentrations. This in vitro method will allow for the study of factors which influence the molt cycle.
Associations among Attachment Style, Maintenance Strategies, and Relational Quality across Cultures

Previous research has suggested that attachment style is an indicator of relationship behavior and perception universally across cultures; however, research comparing the effect of attachment style on relational maintenance in culturally distinct societies is still non-existent. The present study investigated the effect of the secure or insecure attachment style on commonly used relational maintenance strategies and desired relational features in three geographically distant cultures: the US mainland, Hawaii, and South Korea. Results indicated that as predicted, regardless of culture, secure attachment style was associated with higher ratings of relationship quality (trust, commitment, liking, control mutuality, and satisfaction) and the self- and partner-perceived uses of Stafford and Canary's (1991) relationship maintenance strategies. Culture did not change the effect of attachment style on the dependent factors; however, culture, as an independent factor, contributed to the variance in the self-/partn...