cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Taxonomy to Aid in the Design of Complex Physical Activities for Older Adults

Physical activity participation is a non-pharmaceutical intervention that can be utilized to maintain and improve cognitive function in aging adults. Although simple physical activities yield positive results in regards to cognitive function, cognitively and motorically complex physical activities may have an even greater benefit on neuroplasticity for older adults. Commercially available products such as physical activity apps or exergames offer this population a means to engage in regular physical activity on their own. However, a taxonomy is necessary to help distinguish simpler physical activities from more complex physical activities. The taxonomy proposed in this paper carefully considers the following characteristics: the stability or transport of the body, object manipulation, intertrial variability, the environmental context and the reaction or to others. The dimensions of the taxonomy are operationally defined and practical applications are provided.
Phase-Modulated Analog Photonic Link With a High-Power High-Linearity Photodiode

We investigate phase-modulated analog photonic link performance using interferometric detection with a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI) under different bias conditions and a high-power high-linearity modified unitraveling carrier (MUTC) photodiode (PD). Expressions for radio frequency (RF) small signal gain and the optimal MZI bias point for RF gain are derived, and noise figure (NF) and third-order spurious free dynamic range (SFDR3 ) are analyzed. Using a 28- μ m-diameter MUTC single PD with 23 dBm RF output power under 155-mA saturation current at 10 GHz, we measured a record-high link gain of 25 dB, 18 dB NF, and ${\text{114}}\;{\text{dB}} \cdot {\rm{H}}{{\rm{z}}^{{\text{2/3}}}}$ SFDR3 at 130 mA photocurrent with an optimally biased MZI. By using a 24- μ m-diameter balanced MUTC PD pair with 21 dBm RF output power at 108 mA at 10 GHz, we obtained a 16 dB link gain, 16 dB NF, and ${\text{118}}\;{\text{dB}} \cdot {\rm{H}}{{\rm{z}}^{{\text{2/3}}}}$ DR3 at 100 mA total dc photocurrent when the MZI was biased at quadrature. The RF gain at both MZI bias points is in good agreement with our calculations.
Drug delivery in cancer using liposomes

There are various types of liposomes used for cancer therapy, but these can all be placed into three distinct categories based on the surface charge of vesicles: neutral, anionic and cationic. This chapter describes the more rigorous and easy methods used for liposome manufacture, with references, to aid the reader in preparing these formulations in-house.
War, Law, and Precautionary Measures: Broadening the Perspective of This Vital Risk Mitigation Principle

Core principles of the law of armed conflict provide vital regulation to the conduct of hostilities, seeking to balance the necessity of employing lethal and highly destructive combat power with the humanitarian interest of mitigating the risk to civilians and the suffering they must endure as the result of hostilities. Precautionary measures play a vital role in this balancing of interests and accordant civilian risk mitigation. International legal and policy discourse has not, however, always elevated the concept of precautionary measures to the same status as the core substantive principles that define targeting legality: distinction and proportionality. This risks undervaluing the significance of precautions and an accordant distortion of the interrelationship between all of these humanitarian risk mitigation principles. This is because precautionary measures are indelibly linked with these core substantive principles, and understanding the symbiotic relationship between precautions and these principles will ultimately enhance the effective implementation of the law itself. This article argues that precautionary measures should collectively be considered a principle equal in stature and significance to distinction and proportionality. It also asserts the need to broaden the conception of precautionary measures to include all measures that enhance the likelihood of compliance with the law during combat operations and civilian risk mitigation when armed forces employ combat power. Thus, the 'precautions principle' should be understood to include not only the measures commonly associated with the concept of precautions in the attack (such as warnings, timing considerations, and weapons selection), but also the process of law implementation: preparing commanders, staff officers, and military lawyers to conduct combat operations in accordance with legal obligations, and the process of integrating legal compliance within the battle command framework. This expansive conception of precautionary measures will ideally produce an effort to identify 'best practices' for these oft overlooked aspects of civilian risk mitigation, and ideally lead to an overall enhancement in the implementation of humanitarian obligations.
Placental abruption and hemorrhage—review of imaging appearance

Placental and periplacental bleeding are common etiologies for antepartum bleeding. Placental abruption complicates approximately 1% of pregnancies and is associated with increased maternal, fetal, and neonatal morbidity and mortality. This article reviews the normal placental appearance on ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and then discusses the different morphological appearance of placental and periplacental hematomas along with their mimics. Hematomas are classified based on the location as retroplacental, marginal subchorionic, preplacental (subamniotic), or intraplacental. Placenta-related bleeding is a common finding during first trimester ultrasound and its detection can help triage the pregnant females into low- and high-risk groups. This article reviews placenta related bleeding in the setting of trauma. Trauma can complicate pregnancy with potential severe maternal and fetal outcomes. CT is usually performed as part of the trauma workup and it can be challenging for placental evaluation. MRI can characterize the age of the hematomas and can differentiate hematomas from tumors.
Conclusion: Conspiracy Theories and Political Decay

Although conspiracy theories can assume the characteristics that Hofstadter made notorious as the “paranoid style” in American politics, this meme has been abused, used as a way to impose self-discipline upon theories that stray outside the regime of truth, especially those that challenge the myth of American exceptionalism and that characterize American hegemony as imperialist. Conspiracy is a way of doing politics that needs to be studied and theorized much as any other form of political activity. Like other social scientific theories, conspiracy theories need to be entertained or rejected as good or bad theories. The ones that fit the paranoid style are not only bad theory, they should continue to be condemned for their association with scapegoating, repression, genocide, etc. But conspiracy theories can also be gateways to better understanding the causes and consequences of Donald Trump’s improbable rise to the presidency. Mainstream political science has been forced by the rise of Trump to confront the myth of American exceptionalism and to recognize that liberal democracy now seems threatened in its hegemonic home. We cannot allow “conspiracy theory” to be used to discipline investigation of how this has happened and not only to defend democracy but also to deepen and extend it.
Kinetics of Antimicrobial Drug Ion Transfer at a Water/Oil Interface Studied by Nanopipet Voltammetry

Effective delivery and accumulation of antimicrobial agents into the microbial organism is essential for the treatment of bacterial infections. Transports of hydrophilic drug molecules, however, encounter a robust barrier of hydrophobic double membrane cell envelope, thus, leading to drug-resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. Accordingly, a deeper understanding about a transit of charged molecules through a bacterial membrane is needed to remediate the antibacterial resistance. Herein, we apply a steady-state voltammetry using nanopipet-supported interfaces between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) to quantitatively study transport-kinetics of antimicrobial drug ions (quinolones and sulfonamides) at a water/oil interface. Importantly, ITIES can mimic a cellular membrane system, thus, being employed as insightful surrogates for the kinetic study of drug entry through bacterial cytoplasmic membranes. This approach enables us to voltammetrically and amperometrically detect redox-inactive drug ions...
Estimation with Fast Landmark Selection in Robot Visual Navigation.

We consider the visual feature selection to improve the estimation quality required for the accurate navigation of a robot. We build upon a key property that asserts: contributions of trackable features (landmarks) appear linearly in the information matrix of the corresponding estimation problem. We utilize standard models for motion and vision system using a camera to formulate the feature selection problem over moving finite time horizons. A scalable randomized sampling algorithm is proposed to select more informative features (and ignore the rest) to achieve a superior position estimation quality. We provide probabilistic performance guarantees for our method. The time-complexity of our feature selection algorithm is linear in the number of candidate features, which is practically plausible and outperforms existing greedy methods that scale quadratically with the number of candidates features. Our numerical simulations confirm that not only the execution time of our proposed method is comparably less than that of the greedy method, but also the resulting estimation quality is very close to the greedy method.
Responsibility in religiosity

Understanding ‘responsibility’ in its normal sense of freely fulfilling a role in a collaborative scheme, rather than as a basic agent integrity or prosocial disposition, I argue that the desirability of responsibility is one of the main supporting and constraining factors in the formation of religious thought and practice, with diversely typical manifestations. For those who are disposed to assume responsibility and to be religious, religious beliefs and practices offer a way of maximally enlarging one's responsibility, an intrinsically appealing prospect. The global relevance of religious responsibility is shown by comparing exemplars in a wide range of cultures. Aeneas, Kongzi, Dharmakara, and Miaoshan each embody maximal responsibility in a distinct way that motivates and sets standards for a religiosity.
Pandemic as Teacher - Forcing Clinicians to Inhabit the Experience of Serious Illness.

Pandemic as Teacher As a palliative care leader plans for a Covid surge, she sees that planning for the worst isn’t as simple as she imagined when she asked patients to do it. In many ways, the pan...
Geometric Uncertainty in Patient-Specific Cardiovascular Modeling with Convolutional Dropout Networks.

Abstract We propose a novel approach to generate samples from the conditional distribution of patient-specific cardiovascular models given a clinically acquired image volume. A convolutional neural network architecture with dropout layers is first trained for vessel lumen segmentation using a regression approach, to enable Bayesian estimation of vessel lumen surfaces. This network is then integrated into a path-planning patient-specific modeling pipeline to generate families of cardiovascular models. We demonstrate our approach by quantifying the effect of geometric uncertainty on the hemodynamics for three patient-specific anatomies, an aorto-iliac bifurcation, an abdominal aortic aneurysm and a sub-model of the left coronary arteries. A key innovation introduced in the proposed approach is the ability to learn geometric uncertainty directly from training data. The results show how geometric uncertainty produces coefficients of variation comparable to or larger than other sources of uncertainty for wall shear stress and velocity magnitude, but has limited impact on pressure. Specifically, this is true for anatomies characterized by small vessel sizes, and for local vessel lesions seen infrequently during network training.
Is giving better than receiving?: The effects of peer and teacher feedback on L2 pronunciation skills

Abstract This study investigated the effects of teacher and peer corrective feedback on pronunciation development, with a special focus on whether providing or receiving peer feedback on pronunciation is more beneficial for L2 production skills. Participants included 96 L2 learners of German. They were assigned to one of three experimental groups or a control group. After general pronunciation training on a segmental and a suprasegmental feature, the teacher group received feedback from a teacher, the provider group gave feedback to peers, and the receiver group listened to feedback from peers. The control group received neither pronunciation training nor feedback. Results from native speaker comprehensibility ratings of learners’ productions indicated that while all groups outperformed the control group, both the teacher and the provider group improved more than the receiver group. In addition, the provider group had a slight edge over the teacher group. Theoretical and pedagogical implications of these findings are discussed.
Public Administration, Public Choice and the Ostroms: The Achievement, the Failure, the Promise

It may be the case that the current incapacity of the Public Choice program to effectively move to the policy and applied stage may have something to do with the way the domain of public administration is perceived (or misperceived) and approached (or sidestepped). This paper is an attempt to deal with some of the challenges emerging from this observation and it has several main objectives: First, to briefly outline the nature of Public Administration as a field, with a view to better understand its inherent link with Public Choice and why in order to gain policy relevance, Public Choice needs to systematically engage it. Clarifying this point will give an enhanced sense of the meaning and context of the Ostroms’ work in this respect: An attempt to promote the Public Choice perspective in Public Administration, and the Public Administration perspective in Public Choice. Second, to take a closer look at the nature, significance and reception of Ostroms’ work in the field of Public Administration and to substantiate the claim that the Ostroms were the main advocates of Public Choice in Public Administration studies and that they were recognized as such by the field. The evidence is overwhelming and the fact that this essential side of their contribution seems to be largely neglected today requires some explanation. Third, to take note of the reception of the Ostroms’ Public Administration perspective in the context of Public Choice - or more precisely, of the fiasco of that. Last but not least, to look at what could be said about the limits of the standard Public Choice approach, when seen from the viewpoint of the Ostroms and what the insights gained that way may mean to us today.
Genetic Control of Immune Variation across the Human Population

A focus of our work is to develop systems-level approaches to dissect the innate immune response to pathogens in dendritic cells, focusing on the pathway from receptor engagement to gene expression...
Modeling Continuous Fiber Metal Matrix Composite as an Orthotropic Elastic-Plastic Material

An orthotropic plasticity model for describing the elastic-plastic behavior of metal-matrix composites is reviewed. This plasticity model is derived based on a plastic potential function which is a quadratic form in stresses. Simple uniaxial loading on off-axis specimens is used to determine the parameters in the model. A boron-aluminum composite is used in the experimental validation of the model.
16 – Defining Stereogenization/Destereogenization, Chirogenization/Dechirogenization, and Chirostereogenization/Dechirodesterogenization

This chapter defines and illustrates stereogenization/destereogenization (generation/loss of a stereogenic atom), chirogenization/dechirogenization (generation/loss of a chirotopic atom), and chirostereogenization/dechirodestereogenization (generation/loss of a chirostereogenic atom) in organic reactions Stereogenization is the generation of a new stereogenic atom 3 (type s or s * ) in the conjunctive state (transition state or product), from either an achiroastereogenic atom (type o), or a chiroastereogenic atom (type o * ) in the reactant molecule. It involves changes of the type o * →s, o→s, o * →s * , and o→s * . The sum total of such changes, for all atoms in a reactant molecule undergoing a given transformation, constitutes the basis for stereotopoprocesses and chirotopoprocesses used in the universal sterechemical classification of chemical transformations. The generation of a chirotopic atom (type o * or s * ) from a precursor achirotopic atom (type o or s) is termed as chirogenization. The conversion of a chirotopic atom (type o* or s*) to an achirotopic atom (type o or s) is known as dechirogenization. Such changes are observed in o * →o, o * →s, s * →o, and s * →s conversions.
Activation of CYP3A4-mediated letrozole metabolism by ketoconazole (LB593)

The objective was to investigate the effect of ketoconazole, an imidazole-containing inhibitor of CYP enzymes, on the metabolism of letrozole, a triazole-containing inhibitor of CYP19. The inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes by drugs that contain nitrogen heterocycles, for example, imidazole- and triazole-containing agents, is well documented and involves the ligation of the nitrogen heterocycle to the heme iron. Letrozole metabolism was evaluated in microsomal and recombinant systems by measuring the formation of 4,4'-hydroxymethylene-dibenzonitrile, the major metabolite. A 12.3% increase in the formation of 4,4'-hydroxymethylene-dibenzonitrile was observed in the presence of ketoconazole (1 µM), a well-known and potent inhibitor of CYP3A4 and CYP51, at letrozole concentrations within therapeutic plasma concentrations (e.g., 0.5 µM). In microsomal incubations the effect increased with ketoconazole concentration (0.005 µM to 10 µM) up to 26% and was observed in three different sources of human liver mic...
Reaggregation of sea urchin blastula cells. I. Intrinsic differences in the blastula cells.

Abstract The reaggregation process was studied in dissociated blastula cells from sea urchin embryos to characterize the degree of differentiation among them. During the reaggregation process at least four different cell types appear: (a) cells that remain round, do not reaggregate, and can differentiate into pigment cells; (b) epithelial cells that spread on the substratum and join together to form epithelial sheets, which then develop cilia and round up to form blastulalike structures; (c) spindle-shaped cells that send out protoplasmic extensions over long distances to make contact with other cells; (d) single polyfilamentous cells, their cytoplasm extending into filaments and forming a branched network. The polyfilamentous cells also form syncytia and can show regional differentiation into pigment. Partial success in separating the above types of cells has shown that some of them differ intrinsically. The differences are reflected in morphological differentiation in differential response to calcium, and in amount of hyalin produced.
An Automated Framework for Decomposing Memory Transactions to Exploit Partial Rollback

In this paper, we present a framework that automatically decomposes programmer-written flat transactions into closed-nested transactions. The framework relies on two key mechanisms for the decomposition. The first is a static tool that analyzes application source code and produces a compact representation of transactions' business logic. The second is a run-time monitor that captures the actual contention level of shared objects and, relying on the outcome of the static tool, triggers the optimal closed-nested configuration for the workload at hand. We implemented this framework atop QR-CN, an open source fault-tolerant DTM written in Java. Our experimental studies conducted using the TPC-C, Vacation and Bank benchmarks reveal that the framework yields better performance than flat nesting and manual closed nesting, especially when the workload changes.
Ethics and Epistemology: Giving Back in the Klamath

This research note is part of the thematic section, Giving Back Through Collaboration in Practice, in the special issue titled “Giving Back in Field Research,” published as Volume 10, Issue 2 in the Journal of Research Practice.
Low birth weight and neonatal mortality rate related to maternal smoking and socioeconomic status

Abstract Neonatal deaths occurring over a 10 year period among infants born to nonsmoking and smoking mothers enumerated in a nonofficial census of Washington County, Maryland, were compared with a sample of live births from the same population. In addition to maternal smoking, low birth weight, and neonatal mortality rate, a considerable number of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were studied. Smoking mothers consistently had a higher proportion of small babies regardless of almost all other characteristics. Neonatal mortality rate was approximately 40 per cent higher among infants born to smokers than among those born to nonsmokers. The excess among smokers was most marked among families who ranked low on socioeconomic characteristics. The hypothesis is advanced that hypoxia resulting from increased maternal and fetal carboxyhemoglobin levels is the factor responsible for both the decrease in birth weight and the increase in neonatal mortality rate among infants born to smoking mothers.
On Constitutionalism and Public Administration: Some Reflections on my Work with Larry Terry

Larry Terry was a creative scholar, an engaging and provocative writer, a gifted teacher, and a wonderfully warm and kind friend and colleague. His scholarship covered a broad variety of areas. Firstly, Larry was interested in public administration as an institution that car ries with it certain norms and traditions regarding the behavior and ac tions of public administrators (Terry, 2003; 2005). Secondly, Larry was worried about the tendency of our field to adopt metaphors, whether it is the public administrator as an entrepreneur, as a trustee, or as a hero, without thinking critically about the intellectual baggage these meta phors bring with them (Terry, 1993; 1994; 1997). Thirdly, Larry was in terested in the role that public administrators play, a role very much like that of judges, in interpreting and giving meaning to the statutes that they are called upon to administer (Spicer & Terry, 1996). What under-girded much of his work was a deeply held respect for our Con stitution and its founders.
ATRP Synthesis and Characterization of μ,αω-allyl-terminated Macromonomers as Precursors for End-linked Gels and Hydrogels

Synthesis of α,ω-allyl-terminated telechelic macromonomers based on poly(tert-butyl methacrylate) (poly(t-BMA)) and poly(methacrylic acid) (poly(MAA)) was studied with the aim of preparing end-linked gels and hydrogels. Low molecular weight α-allyl-terminated poly(t-BMA) macromonomers with narrow polydispersities (Mw/Mn = 1.16) were synthesized via controlled atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using a Cu(I)Br/N,N,N’,N’,N’,N’-hexamethyltriethylenetetraamine catalyst system in conjunction with an allyl-2-bromoisobutyrate as the functional initiator. The polymerizations exhibited a linear increase of molecular weight in direct proportion to the monomer conversion and first-order kinetics with respect to monomer concentration. No significant difference was found between using polar or non-polar solvents (tetrahydrofuran or benzene, respectively). Optimization of reaction conditions to obtain the highest degree of active terminal bromine is discussed. Quenching the ATRP reaction with allyltributyltin yielded α,ω-allyl-terminated poly(t-BMA) macromonomers by replacing the terminal bromine with ω-allyl functional group. Poly(MAA) macromonomers were prepared by deprotection of the tert-butyl group from α,ω-allyl-terminated poly(t-BMA) macromonomers using concentrated trifluoroacetic acid at room temperature. Successful synthetic steps were confirmed by 1H NMR, FT-IR and MALDI-TOF MS analyses. The α,ω-allyl-terminated macromonomers were proven to be candidates for further polymerization by forming end-linked, non-soluble gels.
Cashmere: A lux-story supply chain told by retailers to build a competitive sustainable advantage

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to validate that young American experiencers perceive cashmere as the most luxurious animal fiber, to investigate if because expensive it is perceived as more luxurious (Veblen theory), to learn how they know about its intrinsic values, lastly to explore if articulating the story behind luxury goods can enhance shopping experience, thus building a sustainable competitive advantage for retailers. Design/methodology/approach – This research was conducted using a survey to gather quantitative data followed by focus group. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a group of almost 200 young American experiencers. Findings – The results show that the subjects had a significant lack of knowledge about the provenance of cashmere (the fibre) and its intrinsic attributes. Once the subjects were told about the characteristics, the provenance and the whole process of the supply chain starting with the farmers combing the goats to the delivery of the end goods, it seems obvious that articulating the story behind luxury goods would enhance the shopping experience and provide a sustainable competitive advantage for retailers. Research limitations/implications – This survey was conducted on a sample of 196 respondents, from one specific geographic area. It would benefit from being extended to a wider scope of demographic and geographic including Europe and Asia. Originality/value – This study supports that time has come for retailers to shift from marketing visual images to the story telling.
Performance analysis of the multichannel astrometric photometer

It has been proposed that extrasolar planetary systems may be observed if perturbations in star position due to the orbit of Jupiter-type planets could be detected. To see this motion, high accuracy measurements of 0.01 milliarcsecond are required over a relatively large field of view. Techniques using a moving Ronchi grating have been proposed for this application and have been successful in ground-based lower resolution tests. The method may have application to other precision angular measurement problems. This paper explores the theoretical description of the method, considers certain of the error sources, and presents a preliminary calculation of the performance which may be achieved.
"Being bridges": Cleaver/Baldwin/Lorde and African-American sexism and sexuality.

In an attempt to place James Baldwin and his ideas within the context of a debate on black sexuality and sexism, this paper begins with a section on Eldridge Cleaver and his critique of Baldwin's position on sexuality and race. Cleaver's own homophobia and misreading of Baldwin's essays and published comments on Richard Wright contribute to his inability to grasp Baldwin's sophisticated analysis of race/sexuality/sexism within Western culture. The second section takes up Baldwin explicitly and attempts both to outline his position more fully and to suggest the breadth and depth of his analysis of sexuality and the work yet to be done to chart it. In the final section of the paper I turn to Audre Lorde in order to update the critique of Baldwin's position within the debate. Lorde, like many other contemporary writer-theorists, sees the terms of the discussion differently from Baldwin. She agrees with his hatred of racism, homophobia, and sexism, but she disagrees with his solution that acceptance and "brotherly" love are a solution to the real problems facing black (and gay) people today. She posits a belief in the necessity for delineating the particular subject position she holds: black, lesbian, female, Western, etc., and she is wary of any allegiances that might elide the clues to her oppression. The paper attempts to demonstrate that these differing positions are, nevertheless, linked in ways historical and otherwise.
Detection of MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity in vivo with a triple-helical peptide optical probe

We report a novel activatable NIR fluorescent probe for in vivo detection of cancer-related matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. The probe is based on a triple-helical peptide substrate (THP) with high specificity for MMP-2 and MMP-9 relative to other members of the MMP family. MMP-2 and MMP-9 (also known as gelatinases) are specifically associated with cancer cell invasion and cancer-related angiogenesis. At the center of each 5 kDa peptide strand is a gelatinase sensitive sequence flanked by 2 Lys residues conjugated with NIR fluorescent dyes. Upon self-assembly of the triple-helical structure, the 3 peptide chains intertwine, bringing the fluorophores into close proximity and reducing fluorescence via quenching. Upon enzymatic cleavage of the triple-helical peptide, 6 labeled peptide chains are released, resulting in an amplified fluorescent signal. The fluorescence yield of the probe increases 3.8-fold upon activation. Kinetic analysis showed a rate of LS276-THP hydrolysis by MMP-2 (k(cat)/K(M) = 30,000 s(-1) M(-1)) similar to that of MMP-2 catalysis of an analogous fluorogenic THP. Administration of LS276-THP to mice bearing a human fibrosarcoma xenografted tumor resulted in a tumor fluorescence signal more than 5-fold greater than that of muscle. This signal enhancement was reduced by treatment with the MMP inhibitor Ilomostat, indicating that the observed tumor fluorescence was indeed enzyme mediated. These results are the first to demonstrate that triple-helical peptides are suitable for highly specific in vivo detection of tumor-related MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity.
Kinetic studies of the reactions of the carbene complex W(CO)5[C(SCH3)2] with phosphines to form phosphorane complexes W(CO)5[(CH3S)2C-PR3] and the synthesis of some cyclic phosphorane complexes

Abstract The dithiocarbene complex W(CO)5[C(SCH3)2 reacts with tertiary phosphines, PPh2CH3, PPh(CH3)2, P(C2H5)3 and P(OCH3)3 to form the phosphorane complexes W(CO)5[CH3S)2C-PR3] and with HPPh2 to form the phosphine complex W(CO)5[PPh2[CH(SCH3)2]. Kinetic studies of both types of reactions show that their rates are first order each in W(CO)5[C(SCH3)2] and in the phosphorus ligand. A mechanism involving rate determining phosphorus attack at the carbene carbon followed by rapid rearrangement to the product is consistent with this rate law. Rate constants for the reactions increase with increasing nucleophilicities of the phosphines: P(OCH3)3 PPh2H > PPh2(CH3) > PPh(CH3)2 > P(C2H5)3) as the nucleophilicities of the phosphines increase. The ΔS values (≈-30 e.u.) remain essentially constant for all the reactions. The cyclic dithiorcarbenes W(CO)5[CS(CH2)nS], wheren- 3 or 4, react with PPh2(CH3) to form the cyclic phosphorane complexes, W(CO)5[S(CH2)nSC-PPh2(CH3)]. The 6- and 7- membered cyclic dithiocarbenes also react with PPh2H to form the phosphine complexes, W(CO)5 {PPh2- [CS(CH2)nS(H)]}.
Variational perturbation method and power-series approximation method

The power-series approximation method for solving regular perturbation problems is reexamined to show why the method works. As another way to approach these problems, the variational perturbation technique is described. Although the assumptions on which each method is based and the mechanism of deriving their differential equations are different, the system of differential equations developed by each method is identical.
Intermittent exposures to mixed atmospheres of nitrogen dioxide and sulfuric acid: effect on particle clearance from the respiratory region of rabbit lungs.

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4) are important constituents of the gas-particle complex in ambient air. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of combined exposures upon the clearance of insoluble tracer particles from the respiratory region of the lungs. Rabbits were the animal model, and were exposed for 2 h/day for 14 days to either 0.3 ppm NO2, 1 ppm NO2, or 500 μg/m3 H2SO4 alone, or to mixtures of the low and high NO2 concentrations with acid. Inhaled singly, both concentrations of NO2 accelerated clearance while H2SO4 retarded it, compared to control. Exposure to the combination of 0.3 ppm NO2 plus H2SO4 resulted in a response which was not different from that due to the acid alone. However, exposure to 1 ppm NO2 plus H2SO4 resulted in a clearance pattern which differed from that of both NO2 and H2SO4, but was more similar to that of the latter.
Can myocardial stunning contribute to myocardial infarction during coronary artery bypass surgery

Myocardial stunning commonly occurs after cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Myocardial stunning can be cardioprotective under some conditions, but in other situations may actually contribute to myocardial infarction (MI). Vascular endothelial stunning may be one of the mechanisms by which myocardial stunning can cause MI. It has been found that 15 minutes of reversible ischemia is enough to cause elevations in vascular resistance and impairment of vasodilator responsiveness. However, no correlation between contractile dysfunction and microvascular stunning has been observed. Transduction defects (increased oxygen extraction and consumption despite normal regional oxygen blood flow and delivery) may be another mechanism by which stunning predisposes to MI, indicating uncoupling of substrate utilization from energy production. In addition, abnormalities in wall motion, oxygen free radical toxicity, hypotension, use of inotropic agents (leading to increased oxygen consumption, high heart rates, and arrhythmias) increase the risk of cellular necrosis. Following CPB, flow limitations due to diffuse atherosclerosis in some areas may result in poor contractility, and newly grafted areas have a high probability of becoming ischemic and stunned. These areas are likely to contribute to MI.
Differential effects of acetylsalicylic acid and acetaminophen on sleep abnormalities in a rat chronic pain model

We studied the effects of two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics (NSAIAs), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and acetaminophen, on sleep patterns in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis. We found that in the normal rat both NSAIAs reduced non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. In arthritic rats ASA and acetaminophen had opposite effects on sleep. ASA increased wakefulness and decreased all sleep stages and acetaminophen decreased wakefulness and increased NREM sleep and paradoxical sleep during the light hours (the hours of maximal sleep in the normal rat). When the effects of severity of arthritis were factored out, both drugs still had large and significant effects on sleep and wakefulness. Thus, two prostaglandin synthetase inhibitors showed differential effects on sleep and wakefulness in the normal rat and in rats experiencing chronic pain. Although ASA is important in the treatment of pain in rheumatic diseases, it may contribute to abnormal sleep patterns.
Cognitive control of familiarity: Directed forgetting reduces proactive interference in working memory

Proactive interference (PI) occurs when previously learned information interferes with new learning. In a working memory task, PI induces longer response times and more errors to recent negative probes than to new probes, presumably because the recent probe's familiarity invites a "yes" response. Warnings, longer intertrial intervals, and the increased contextual salience of the probes can reduce but not eliminate PI, suggesting that cognitive control over PI is limited. Here we tested whether control exerted in the form of intentional forgetting performed during working memory can reduce the magnitude of PI. In two experiments, participants performed a working memory task with directed-forgetting instructions and the occasional presentation of recent probes. Surprise long-term memory testing indicated better memory for to-be-remembered than for to-be-forgotten items, documenting the classic directed-forgetting effect. Critically, in working memory, PI was virtually eliminated for recent probes from prior to-be-forgotten lists, as compared to recent probes from prior to-be-remembered lists. Thus cognitive control, when executed via directed forgetting, can reduce the adverse and otherwise persistent interference from familiarity, an effect that we attribute to attenuated memory representations of the to-be-forgotten items.
Tower Controllers' Response Behavior to Runway Safety Alerts

As decision support tools to improve runway safety are introduced into Airport Traffic Control Towers, it is critical to understand their impact on controller performance. A Tower Human-In-The-Loop (HITL) simulation was conducted to evaluate the behavior of Local controllers in the presence of tower-based runway safety alerts. The results of this study suggest controllers like to gather as much information about the situation, within a reasonable amount of time (usually less than 5 seconds), before they initiate the action of issuing instructions to the aircraft involved in the emergency. Language: en
Molecular weight of the gamma-subunit of mouse 7-S nerve growth factor.

Abstract The molecular weight of the γ-subunit of mouse 7-S nerve growth factor has been studied in the analytical ultracentrifuge at pH values of 4.0, 6.8 and 10.2. In all experiments, self association of the γ-protein was observed. The molecular weight of the γ-subunit extrapolated to zero concentration is about 18 000.
A novel, non-prostanoid EP2 receptor-selective prostaglandin E2 agonist stimulates local bone formation and enhances fracture healing.

CP-533,536, a newly discovered, non-prostanoid EP2 receptor-selective PGE2 agonist, stimulates local bone formation and enhances fracture healing in rat models. Introduction: There is a significant medical need for agents that can stimulate local bone formation and enhance fracture healing. We tested the effects of CP-533,536, a newly discovered, non-prostanoid EP2 receptor-selective prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) agonist, in stimulating local bone formation and enhancing fracture healing in rat models. Materials and Methods: In the first model, a single injection of CP-533,536 at doses of 0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg to the proximal tibial metaphysis of 6-week-old male rats was given on day 1, and the local bone anabolic effect was determined on day 7. We then tested the effects of this compound in inducing bone formation on rat periosteum of the femur. A single dose of 0.3 mg of CP-533,536 incorporated in a poly-(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGH) matrix was injected onto the periosteum of the femur in 3-week-old male rats, and local bone formation was determined on day 14. Finally, the ability of CP-533,536 in PLGH matrix in enhancing fracture healing was tested using the rat femoral fracture model. CP-533,536 in PLGH matrix at doses of 0.05, 0.5, or 5 mg was delivered to the local fracture site on the same day of fracture, and its efficacy was evaluated on day 21. Results and Conclusions: A single injection of CP-533,536 at doses of 0.3, 1, or 3 mg/kg to the proximal tibial metaphysis dose-dependently stimulated local lamellar bone formation on trabecular, endocortical, and periosteal surfaces, and thus increased bone mineral content and bone strength at the injected site. Similarly, a single injection of 0.3 mg of CP-533,536 incorporated in PLGH matrix onto the periosteum of the femur induced significantly local bone formation. In the rat femoral fracture model, CP-533,536 in PLGH matrix at doses of 0.05, 0.5, and 5 mg dose-dependently increased callus size, density, and strength compared with PLGH matrix alone. These results show that CP-533,536 stimulates new bone formation on trabecular, endocortical, and periosteal surfaces and enhances fracture healing. These data reveal that EP2 receptor-selective agonists provide therapeutic potential for local bone augmentation, bone repair, and bone healing in humans. J Bone Miner Res 2003;18:2033-2042
Ultrastructural characteristics of proliferative tissue in retinopathy of prematurity.

We examined the histologic and ultrastructural characteristics of 27 membranes (from 18 patients) removed during vitreous surgery for partial and total retinopathy of prematurity. In membranes removed anteriorly from a child with active disease, we found vessels that had characteristics of developing neovascularization. In the membranes from older infants with inactive disease (16 patients), glial cells were common and vessels, if present, had more mature characteristics. Retinal glial cells (presumably Muller cells) were seen fragmenting the internal limiting lamina and migrating into the overlying vitreous by projecting long microvilli into the vitreous cavity. Anterior membranes (13 patients), particularly in active disease, were likely to contain vessels, whereas posterior membranes (five patients) were more often avascular and were composed of glial cells.
Three-dimensional crystals of Ca2+-ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum: merging electron diffraction tilt series and imaging the (h, k, 0) projection.

Electron crystallography offers an increasingly viable alternative to X-ray crystallography for structure determination, especially for membrane proteins. The methodology has been developed and successfully applied to 2D crystals; however, well-ordered thin, 3D crystals are often produced during crystallization trials and generally discarded due to complexities in structure analysis. To cope with these complexities, we have developed a general method for determining unit cell geometry and for merging electron diffraction data from tilt series. We have applied this method to thin, monoclinic crystals of Ca 2a -ATPase from sarcoplasmic reticulum, thus characterizing the unit cell and generating a 3D set of
Deep Dark Deficits of the Adversary Evaluation Model

As a spectator attraction, competition is hard to beat. Whether it’s a courtroom drama or a sporting event, we thrill as the contest totters in favor of one side, then the other. Perhaps it’s the uncertainty of the outcome that fascinates us. But whatever the appeal, it’s quite clear that ancient folks, like present-day ones, got genuinely excited by competitive events. The athletic contests of antiquity, whether Greek, Roman, or Mayan, were capable of drawing standing-room-only audiences.
Irradiation exposure modulates central opioid functions

Exposure to low doses of gamma irradiation results in the modification of both the antinociceptive properties of morphine and the severity of naloxone-precipitated withdrawal in morphine-dependent rats. To better define the interactions between gamma irradiation and these opiate-mediated phenomena, dose-response studies were undertaken of the effect of irradiation on morphine-induced antinociception, and on the naloxone-precipitated withdrawal syndrome of morphine-dependent rats. In addition, electrophysiologic studies were conducted in rats after irradiation exposure and morphine treatment correlating with the behavioral studies. The observations obtained demonstrated that the antinociceptive effects of morphine as well as naloxone-precipitated withdrawal were modified in a dose-dependent manner by irradiation exposure. In addition, irradiation-induced changes in the evoked responses obtained from four different brain regions demonstrated transient alterations in both baseline and morphine-treated responses that may reflect the alterations observed in the behavioral paradigms. These results suggest that the effects of irradiation on opiate activities resulted from physiologic alterations of central endogenous opioid systems due to alterations manifested within peripheral targets.
Residual activity of oviposition-deterring pheromone inRhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) and female response to infested fruit.

Under dry conditions, oviposition-deterring pheromone (ODP) of the apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh) on host fruit proved deterrent to ovipositing females for at least three weeks, with a half-life of ca. 11 days. There was no difference in decline of residual activity under lab vs. field conditions or between fly-deposited ODP vs. an application of a water extract of ODP. A decline in pheromone activity resulted from exposure to both natural and simulated rainfall. For natural rainfall, greatest losses (50- 61%) in activity resulted from high-intensity rains, with substantially less activity lost (13-35%) following light or moderate intensity rains.R. pomonella females discriminated against fruit without ODP but with conspecific larvae. Discrimination against infested fruit was manifested within fewer days following infestation of small fruit (9 mm diam.) as compared to larger fruit (15 mm diam.).
Ionic and nonionic fluoride in plasma (or serum).

(1982). Ionic and Nonionic Fluoride in Plasma (Or Serum) CRC Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 111-140.
Street fighter IV: braggadocio off and on-line

In its heyday, the video arcade was a social scene to prove one's video gaming prowess. The introduction of a revolutionary head-to-head fighting game called "Street Fighter II" in 1991 ushered in an era of competitive video gaming with unparalleled complexity. An influx of copy-cat games and the arrival of consoles with capabilities rivaling coin-ops led to the arcade's demise. However, the release of "Street Fighter IV" (SF4) has brought about a revival. I report on the cultural practices of hardcore gaming that have revolved around SF4. SF4's release on both the console (which enables fighting others online) and the arcade has engendered a new set of challenges in constructing what it means to be competitive and legitimate in the world of head-to-head fighting games. I observe that the "enrolment" of an ecology of technological artifacts allows players to translate braggadocio from the arcade, a central phenomenon in competitive gaming.
Chemosterilization of Oncopeltus fasciatus . 2. Effect of Tretamine and Metepa on Adult Males and Females

Tretamine at 20 mg/kg caused a slight decrease in the longevity of unmated males and females Oncopeltus fasciatus (Dallas), but the delayed toxic effect was greater at 40 mg/kg and severe at 80 mg/kg (median lifespan decrease from 80 to 20 days). Mating activity and egg laying also shortened the lifespan; at 20 mg/kg tretamine might have prolonged life by causing a decline in the sexual activity, but at 40 mg/kg it shortened the lifespan of sexually active insects, At 20 mg/kg immature males were rendered sterile and immature females infecund for about 2 weeks, but then they partially recovered; at 40 mg/kg the sterilant effect was nearly total and permanent. Females mated with tretamine-sterilized males laid eggs that were mostly fertile but failed to hatch. Treatment of mature females did not interfere with maturation of large oocytes and laying of mature eggs, but maturation of new oocytes was either greatly delayed or permanently blocked. Metepa sterilized at dosages about 8 times greater than tretamine, and its action differed in some ways. There was little reduction in longevity even at dosages causing total and permanent sterility. However, eggs laid by females mated with treated males had an abnormally low percent fertilization, suggesting either a low level of sperm transfer or a high level of sperm inactivation.