cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast abscess due to Actinomyces in a 14-year-old girl: First reported pediatric case

Abstract A healthy 14-year-old girl presented to the emergency department with left breast pain and erythema. Ultrasound revealed a 1.8 cm complex fluid collection deep to the areola. The patient was admitted to hospital for a trial of intravenous cefazolin and warm compresses. The erythema improved and the collection drained spontaneously through the nipple-areolar complex. The drainage fluid grew Actinomyces radingae, and anaerobic Gram-positive cocci not further identified. The antibiotic regimen was changed to a four-month course of high-dose amoxicillin. Treatment was complicated by Clostridioides difficile colitis, which was treated with oral vancomycin on an outpatient basis. The patient otherwise recovered well with no significant scarring to the breast.
Conventional Gel Electrophoresis and TaqMan Probes Enable Rapid Confirmation of Thousand Cankers Disease From Diagnostic Samples.

Thousand cankers disease (TCD) is caused by the fungal pathogen Geosmithia morbida and vectored by the walnut twig beetle Pityophthorus juglandis. In infected walnut and butternut (Juglans spp.) ho...
An enhanced test generator for capacitance induced crosstalk delay faults

Capacitive crosstalk can give rise to slowdown of signals that can propagate to a circuit output and create a functional error. A test generation methodology, called XGEN, was developed to generate tests for such failures. Two drawbacks of XGEN are: (i) it is not complete because of restricted propagation conditions, and (ii) a constrained logic value system is used. In this paper, we relax the propagation conditions to increase the solution space. This increases the likelihood of finding a test. We also present a nine-valued algebra that distinguishes between hazardous values and non-hazardous values. Finally, we use the relation between arrival time and required time ranges to selectively turn off the timing computation procedure which is computationally expensive. Other drawbacks of previous versions of XGEN are: (i) a simplified pin-to-pin delay model was used, and (ii) crosstalk computation could not handle timing ranges. We have addressed both of those issues.
Pediatric electromyography

This review has pointed out the morphologic differences in the pediatric population and the special subset of disorders of this group that are important for EMG studies and diagnosis of muscle disorders in this population. The size of the patient coupled with the process of myelination means that normative values must be available for each age group. The disorders discussed are generally encountered first in the pediatric population. The electromyographer who sees pediatric cases, must be aware of these disorders. The most commonly observed disorders have been described briefly and the most important signs have been presented differentiating the various pediatric neuromuscular disorders.
Decision making: An analogue implementation of a drift-diffusion computation in the Drosophila mushroom body.

A new study combines electrophysiology, optogenetics, and behavior to investigate a decision-making circuit in the fly brain, revealing all the major features predicted by drift-diffusion models. Strikingly, much of this computation takes place subthreshold, independent of action potentials.
Islamic Liberation Theology : Resisting the Empire

Introduction 1. Resisting the Empire 2. The End of Islamic Ideology 3. Blindness and Insight 4. Islam and Globalization 5. The Shi'i Passion Play 6. Liberation Theodicy 7. Malcolm X as A Muslim Revolutionary Conclusion
The Comparison of Black Polyvinylchloride (PVC) Tapes by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography

Pyrolysis capillary gas chromatography (Py-GC) was used to compare thirty black polyvinylchloride (PVC) tapes. A 0.5-mm square of tape (about 25 μg) was found to be an adequate sample size. Tests of within-roll homogeneity showed sufficiently consistent pyrogram patterns throughout to allow correct matches to be made. Twenty-six of the tapes gave pyrograms which were easily distinguishable from all the others. Fragments of tape recovered after the detonation of four improvised explosive devises were matched to the appropriate tape standards by Py-GC even when the fragments were partially burned.
Extensive Eosinophil Degranulation and Peroxidase-Mediated Oxidation of Airway Proteins Do Not Occur in a Mouse Ovalbumin-Challenge Model of Pulmonary Inflammation

Paradigms of eosinophil effector function in the lungs of asthma patients invariably depend on activities mediated by cationic proteins released from secondary granules during a process collectively referred to as degranulation. In this study, we generated knockout mice deficient for eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) to assess the role(s) of this abundant secondary granule protein in an OVA-challenge model. The loss of EPO had no effect on the development of OVA-induced pathologies in the mouse. The absence of phenotypic consequences in these knockout animals extended beyond pulmonary histopathologies and airway changes, as EPO-deficient animals also displayed OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness after provocation with methacholine. In addition, EPO-mediated oxidative damage of proteins (e.g., bromination of tyrosine residues) recovered in bronchoalveolar lavage from OVA-treated wild-type mice was <10% of the levels observed in bronchoalveolar lavage recovered from asthma patients. These data demonstrate that EPO activities are inconsequential to the development of allergic pulmonary pathologies in the mouse and suggest that degranulation of eosinophils recruited to the lung in this model does not occur at levels comparable to those observed in humans with asthma.
Reliability and Validity of a Steadiness Score

Objectives: To determine the internal consistency and construct and predictive validity of three survey questions regarding steadiness in a sample of community-dwelling lower-income older adults. Design: A 6-month prospective cohort study. Setting: Community-based. Participants: Three hundred fifty-seven older adults who completed a baseline and 6-month follow-up interviewer-administered survey. These older adults received care at a single, public health system and were judged by insurance status to be of low income. Measurements: Self-report measures of steadiness while walking and transferring; difficulty in mobility, activities of daily living (ADLs), and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); chronic illness; falls; hospitalization; and sociodemographic characteristics. Results: The three steadiness questions showed good internal consistency (0.88); construct validity in Pearson correlations with mobility (0.57), ADL (0.53), and IADL scores (0.41); and predictive validity. With regard to predictive validity, steadiness was predictive of falls, hospitalization, and decline in ADL and IADL function over a subsequent 6-month period. Conclusion: Steadiness questions are a potentially valuable addition to survey research and clinical screening to identify persons with current impairment status and falls and disability risk.
Retaining Wall Field Condition Inspection, Rating Analysis, and Condition Assessment

In the past, highway retaining walls were assets that were often excluded from inventory programs and were regarded as noncritical or lost assets. With the recognition that wall failures may be detrimental to the roadway and the surroundings and may pose potential hazards to the safety of the public, several highway agencies have begun to incorporate retaining walls into their inventory and inspection programs. Work in this paper addresses the development of a system for the inventory and condition assessment of retaining walls serving various functions within the highway infrastructure. Critical elements of data collection are identified and a retaining wall information collection and assessment system (WICAS) is proposed. WICAS is designed such that data can be readily collected in the field. A condition assessment model is also proposed and is used to define a retaining wall rating metric. The rating system is designed so that those elements of a wall that are deemed to be in critical distress conditions are readily identified and not overlooked through the presentation of an overall average rating for the entire wall.
Preliminary Safety Assessment for an IFE Target Fabrication Facility

We estimate possible ranges of tritium inventories for an inertial fusion energy (IFE) target fabrication facility producing various types of targets and using various production technologies. Target fill is the key subtask in determining the overall tritium inventory for the plant. By segmenting the inventory into multiple, parallel production lines--each with its own fill canister--and including an expansion tank to limit releases, we are able to ensure that a target fabrication facility would meet the accident dose goals of 10 mSv (1 rem) set forth in the Department of Energy's Fusion Safety Standards. For indirect-drive targets, we calculate release fractions for elements from lithium to bismuth and show that nearly all elements meet the dose goal. Our work suggests directions for future R&D that will help reduce total tritium inventories and increase the flexibility of target fabrication facilities.
Effect of carbon dioxide elevation on renal blood flow in the fetal lamb in utero

Abstract The effect of elevations of arterial carbon dioxide tension on renal blood flow has been evaluated with the use of a semichronic fetal lamb preparation and the radioactive microsphere method. Hypercapnia caused a decrease in renal blood flow and an increase in renal vascular resistance. The renal perfusion pressure remained stable throughout the experiment.
A Comparison of the Monte Carlo and the Flux Gradient Method for Atmospheric Diffusion

In order to model the dispersal of atmospheric pollutants in the planetary boundary layer, various methods of parameterizing turbulent diffusion have been employed. These approaches differ greatly in sophistication and complexity (Monin and Yaglom, 1971). Historically, the Gaussian plume models were the first dispersion models. The Gaussian formula is based on statistical theory and empirical observation of the horizontal and vertical standard deviation of the wind speed σ y and σ y . In K-theory, the Eulerian diffusion-advection equation closure problem is circumvented by assuming a gradient transport paramaterization and the postulation of the turbulent diffusivity parameter K, which must be provided empirically. The stochastic Markov chain (Monte Carlo) method employs generally the Langevin equation to model dispersion with the use of very many particles. The approach needs the empirical prescription of the wind velocity variances σ u and the Lagrangian integral time scales T L. All three methods have two things in common: they rely on some mathematical scheme and they need empirically derived diffusion parameters. (Higher order closure models are not part of this discussion.)
On the Symmetry Constraints of CP Violations in QCD

Three symmetry constraints on the CP violations in QCD are discussed in this paper. In order to generate CP violating observables from QCD, these constraints require: (1) spontaneous chiral symmetry breaking, (2) explicit chiral symmetry breaking, e.g., finite quark masses, (3) $U_A(1)$ anomaly, in addition to a nonzero $\thetabar$ parameter. A pictorial illustration is used to unify and elucidate these constraints and indicate a dual relation between quark mass and the quark condensate. Based on the symmetry constraints, a dynamical suppression scenario to solve the strong CP problem within QCD is examined. We conclude that a solution of the strong CP problem has to involve physics beyond the standard model.
Examination of Foods for Extraneous Materials

Extraneous materials are any foreign substances in foods that are associated with objectionable conditions or practices in production, storage, or distribution of foods. Extraneous materials include: (a) filth or objectionable matter contributed by animal contamination (rodent, insect, or bird matter) or unsanitary conditions; (b) decomposed material or decayed tissues due to parasitic or nonparasitic causes; and (c) miscellaneous matter (sand, soil, glass, rust, or other foreign substances). Bacterial contamination is excluded from these substances.
A Review of Forward-Modeling Requirements

A reviewis provided of forward modeling capabilities and requirements in connection with remote sensing of the environment. Emphasis is placed on the formulation of the problem and on discussion of recent developments. The planeparallel radiative transfer model is used as a specific example of a forward model that is simple yet very useful. A solution to this forward model is outlined by using the discrete ordinate method. A linearized version of this discrete ordinate solution that provides analytic weighting functions or Jacobians in addition to radiances is also briefly discussed. This provides a framework for a discussion of computational resource and accuracy requirements.
Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida's Magical Waters Rick Kilby. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.

Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de Leon and Florida's Magical Waters Rick Kilby. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2013.Beginning in 2013, celebrations like Vive Florida 500 commemorated the arrival of Ponce de Leon and other milestones in Florida history. As part of this observance, the University Press of Florida has designated this book as part of the Florida Quincentennial Books series. The author, a graphic designer living in Orlando, Florida, has undertaken what is a very personal project. He has pulled together in one volume what he designates as "Ponceabilia," the reproductions of eye-catching postcards, vintage advertisements and photos, comic books, and other visual materials, many from his own collection. These visual images are reminders of the period when the explorer's image was used to promote Florida.According to the author, Florida has been transformed into a veritable Fountain of Youth, a playground of rejuvenating springs and beautiful underwater creatures in sites such as Silver Springs, known for crystal-clear underwater photographs and glass-bottomed boats. Kilby notes that he first found this "fountain of youth" during a Thanksgiving trip he made to St. Augustine several years ago and discovered what became an actual Fountain of Youth attraction, with mannequins in period garb, a small "spring," a planetarium of the explorer's discovery using only stars, and displays of recent archaeological finds at the site. The author then ties together different themes which he explores through a series of interesting chapters.The introduction begins with the story of Ponce de Leon, the explorer who searched for the "fountain of youth" and reached the shores of Florida on April 2, 1513. He was actually looking for wealth, titles, power, and prestige. Historians have long since debunked the myth that the explorer found any "fountain of youth," but the story has remained part of the fascinating lore of the Sunshine State.Chapter One, "Ponce de Leon and the Myth of the Fountain of Youth," recounts what most historians consider to be the real facts about the Spanish explorer who is remembered for something he did find but is forgotten for his real discoveries, such as discovery of the Florida Current, or the Gulf Stream, a significant find for which Ponce de Leon is not remembered. Why is this? Most likely, the romanticism of a "fountain of youth" had more appeal than a geographical discovery which proved useful to later explorers on their future return trips to Europe.The next chapter, "Magic in the Waters: The Fantasy of Florida Beckons Newcomers," focuses on the various issues that arise when a state has the largest concentration of springs in the world. These are now estimated at more than seven hundred. The State of Florida as a land of eternal health was a theme that some of its earliest promoters used to boost tourism as health spas and springs were developed in the late nineteenth century, with alleged cures for everything from consumption and jaundice to rheumatism and syphilis. …
Developing a high efficiency means of propulsion for underwater vehicles

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's Engineering Division has developed and patented a highly efficient ring thruster for underwater vehicle propulsion. This brushless electric propulsion device has no seals or motor pressure housings, simplifying maintenance under operating conditions. Light weight and reliability are other design criteria for Harbor Branch's manned submersibles, ROVs and AUVs. Design, performance and applications are described as well as the results of testing for thrust, efficiency, bearing life, and flow patterns with several propeller blade configurations. A counter-rotating unit is under development.
On using the national research and education network for the transmission of health care information data

The judicious application of information technology in health care systems promises substantial reduction in administration costs, however, widespread implementation requires the installation of a computer networking infrastructure of national scope. The use of the national research and education network (NREN) for the transmission of health care data has been modeled and studied with simulation experiments. The results have shown that three increasingly demanding Service Classes for the transmission of health care data for (1) text only, (2) text and graphics, and (3) text, graphics and still imagery, are supported in turn by network capacities of 45 Mbits/s, 155 Mbits/s, and 620 Mbits/s, the planned milestones in the evolution of NREN. >
Implementation of fast radix-4 division with operands scaling

A radix-4 divider can potentially achieve a speedup of two with respect to a radix-2 implementation by halving the number of steps. However, the complicated quotient-digit selection function increases the critical path and almost eliminates the speedup. The authors present an implementation of a scheme that scales the divisor close to unity, making the quotient-selection function independent of the divisor. They show a gate-array implementation that achieves a speedup of 1.5 with respect to the radix-2 case, doubling the number of gates. The speedup achieved is still considerably lower than the theoretical maximum of twice. >
Using contradictions to explore the conventions of theorizing

Featherman is using an error in reasoning to appraise Kelley's model; but errors in reasoning can be put to a second purpose. They provide us with an opportunity to discover the actual conventions required by theoriesmore generally they provide us with an opportunity to discover the conventions actually required by reasoning. In order to pursue this second purpose we must, instead of questioning the value of contradictions, ask a different question: how is it possible to make the charge that something is an error in reasoning? More precisely, what conventions are required in order to charge that a text contains a contradiction? I will be guided here by the second question; contradictions in the exchange on occupational careers will be used to explore the conventions required by actual reasoning.
Van Hove model of pseudogaps and stripes in the uederdoped cuprates

Recent photoemission and thermodynamic experiments on underdoped cuprates strikingly confirm the prediction that the pseudogap is driven by a splitting of the degeneracy of the Van Hove singularity. The doping dependence of the pseudogap can be understood in terms of a crossover from magnetic to charge-dominated behavior (including strong electron-phonon coupling). The crossover is accompanied by a nanoscale phase separation (striped phase), which is shown to be driven by Van Hove nesting.
Continuous electrochemically modulated complexation separations process

A continuous electrochemically modulated complexation (EMC) process was devised to extract and concentrate a class of heterocyclic nitrogen compounds. This design is composed of flow-through electrolysis cells for redox modulation and cycling of the complexing agent and hollow-fiber membrane modules for phase contacting. The extent of both extraction and concentration was found to depend mainly on the magnitude of the distribution coefficients for both steps. Experimental results and modeling of this continuous EMC process are reported, as well as potential applications for this process for other separations.
Takotsubo-like cardiomyopathy in pheochromocytoma.

Abstract Background Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (TTC) is commonly triggered by acute illness, physical or emotional stress and has been associated with elevated catecholamine levels. TTC has also been associated with pheochromocytoma (TTC-pheo). Methods We performed a computer assisted search of the electronic databases Medline, Scopus and Google Scholar from 1965 to January 2011. All case reports with reported TTC-pheo were selected and compared to a recent review by Gianni et al. which examined primary TTC (TTC-primary). Statistics Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 18. Chi-square test of Fisher's exact test was used as appropriate to compare categorical data. Results 38 cases of TTC-pheo were retrieved from literature and compared to 254 cases of TTC-p. Chest pain was the most common presentation in both groups. The TTC-pheo patients were on average 18years younger than patients with TTC-p (p Conclusions Although rare, pheochromocytoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of TTC especially in younger patients presenting without antecedent stressors and a high complication rate. The similarities in the clinical features and outcomes in patients with TTC-p and TTC-pheo point to a similar underlying cardiac pathophysiologic process at the time of the acute presentation.
Endometrial echo complex thickness in postmenopausal endometrial cancer

Abstract Objective To determine the preoperative pelvic ultrasonographic characteristics of postmenopausal women diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC) at our institution. Methods Postmenopausal women with EC who underwent preoperative transvaginal pelvic ultrasound from 1999–2009 were identified from our institutional database. The histologic diagnosis was based on pathologic findings in the hysterectomy specimen. Endometrial echo complex (EEC) thickness was abstracted from ultrasound reports. In all instances, ultrasound preceded the biopsy by a maximum of 3months. Means with standard deviations were calculated for all categorical data. Differences between type 1 and type 2 ECs were determined using Mann–Whitney U tests and Chi squared/Fisher's exact tests, as appropriate. A p-value of Results Among 250 patients with postmenopausal EC, 156 had type 1 EC while 94 had type 2 EC. Thirty-six percent of the cohort had an EEC ≤4mm, including 37% of patients with type 1 EC and 34% of patients with type 2 EC (p=0.63). There were no significant differences between type 1 and type 2 ECs in any demographic characteristic, other than likelihood of postmenopausal bleeding. Conclusions Current expert opinion recommends no further diagnostic procedure in a woman with postmenopausal bleeding and an EEC ≤4mm. These results indicate that a sizable proportion of women with EC have EECs ≤4mm during their initial evaluation. An EEC ≤4mm does not completely rule out endometrial cancer and cannot supplant histologic evaluation.
Cooperativity of cytochrome P450 1A2: interactions of 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide and 1-isopropoxy-4-nitrobenzene.

Abstract Homotropic cooperativity of 1-alkoxy-4-nitrobenzene substrates and also their heterotropic cooperative binding interactions with the iron ligand 1,4-phenylene diisocyanide (Ph(NC) 2 ) had been demonstrated previously with rabbit cytochrome P450 (P450) 1A2 [G.P. Miller, F.P. Guengerich, Biochemistry 40 (2001) 7262–7272]. Multiphasic kinetics were observed for the binding of Ph(NC) 2 to both ferric and ferrous P450 1A2, including relatively slow steps. Ph(NC) 2 induced an apparently rapid change in the circular dichroism spectrum, consistent with a structural change, but had no effect on tryptophan fluorescence. Ph(NC) 2 binds the P450 iron in both the ferric and ferrous forms; ferric P450 1A2 was reduced rapidly in the absence of added ligands, and the rate was attenuated when Ph(NC) 2 was bound. No oxidation products of Ph(NC) 2 were detected. Docking studies with a rabbit P450 1A2 homology model based on the published structure of a human P450 1A2·α-naphthoflavone (αNF) complex indicated adequate room for a complex with either two 1-isopropoxy-4-nitrobenzene molecules or a combination of one 1-isopropoxy-4-nitrobenzene and one Ph(NC) 2 ; in the case of αNF no space for an extra ligand was available. The patterns of homotropic cooperativity seen with 1-alkoxy-4-nitrobenzenes (biphasic plots of v vs . S) differ from those seen with polycyclic hydrocarbons (positive cooperativity), suggesting that only with the latter does the ligand interaction produce improved catalysis. Consistent with this view, Ph(NC) 2 inhibited the oxidation of 1-isopropoxy-4-nitrobenzene and other substrates.
Sickle red cell adhesion: many issues and some answers.

Parmi les multiples manifestations pathologiques associees a la drepanocytose, les interactions entre globules rouges drepanocytaires et l'endothelium representent un mecanisme potentiel d'initiation des evenements vaso-occlusifs caracteristiques de cette maladie. Une vaste litterature est consacree a divers aspects de l'adherence des globules rouges drepanocytaires, mais de nombreuses questions restent sans reponse, particulierement celles liees au role de l'heterogeneite des cellules drepanocytaires, au role relatif des multiples mecanismes d'adherence et aux cibles de therapie antiadhesive. Cette revue se propose d'analyser brievement ces questions.
Cooperativity in oxidation reactions catalyzed by cytochrome P450 1A2: highly cooperative pyrene hydroxylation and multiphasic kinetics of ligand binding.

Rabbit liver cytochrome P450 (P450) 1A2 was found to catalyze the 5,6-epoxidation of α-naphthoflavone (αNF), 1-hydroxylation of pyrene, and the subsequent 6-, 8-, and other hydroxylations of 1-hydroxy (OH) pyrene. Plots of steady-state rates of product formation versus substrate concentration were hyperbolic for αNF epoxidation but highly cooperative (Hill n coefficients of 2-4) for pyrene and 1-OH pyrene hydroxylation. When any of the three substrates (αNF, pyrene, 1-OH pyrene) were mixed with ferric P450 1A2 using stopped-flow methods, the changes in the heme Soret spectra were relatively slow and multiphasic. Changes in the fluorescence of all of the substrates were much faster, consistent with rapid initial binding to P450 1A2 in a manner that does not change the heme spectrum. For binding of pyrene to ferrous P450 1A2, the course of the spectra revealed sequential changes in opposite directions, consistent with P450 1A2 being involved in a series of transitions to explain the kinetic multiphasicity as opposed to multiple, slowly interconverting populations of enzyme undergoing the same event at different rates. Models of rabbit P450 1A2 based on a published crystal structure of a human P450 1A2-αNF complex show active site space for only one αNF or for two pyrenes. The spectral changes observed for binding and hydroxylation of pyrene and 1-OH pyrene could be fit to a kinetic model in which hydroxylation occurs only when two substrates are bound. Elements of this mechanism may be relevant to other cases of P450 cooperativity.
Oocyte CD9 is enriched on the microvillar membrane and required for normal microvillar shape and distribution

Microvilli are found on the surface of many cell types, including the mammalian oocyte, where they are thought to act in initial contact of sperm and oocyte plasma membranes. CD9 is currently the only oocyte protein known to be required for sperm-oocyte fusion. We found CD9 is localized to the oocyte microvillar membrane using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that CD9 null oocytes, which are unable to fuse with sperm, have an altered length, thickness and density of their microvilli. One aspect of this change in morphology was quantified using TEM by measuring the radius of curvature at the microvillar tips. A small radius of curvature is thought to promote fusibility and the radius of curvature of microvillar tips on CD9 wild-type oocytes was found to be half that of the CD9 null oocytes. We found that oocyte CD9 co-immunoprecipitates with two Ig superfamily cis partners, EWI-2 and EWI-F, which could have a role in linking CD9 to the oocyte microvillar actin core. We also examined latrunculin B-treated oocytes, which are known to have reduced fusion ability, and found altered microvillar morphology by SEM and TEM. Our data suggest that microvilli may participate in sperm-oocyte fusion. Microvilli could act as a platform to concentrate adhesion/fusion proteins and/or provide a membrane protrusion with a low radius of curvature. They may also have a dynamic interaction with the sperm that serves to capture the sperm cell and bring it into close contact with the oocyte plasma membrane.
Age and Perceptions of Usability on Telephone Menu Systems

The objectives of this study were to determine if older adults encounter difficulty using real-world telephone menu system applications and to gather data on the usability features of these systems. Six real-world telephone menu systems, which varied in complexity and function, were examined. The sample included 32 community dwelling adults ranging in age from 18–80 years. Participants interacted with the menu systems to perform a sample set of tasks. They were also asked to rate the usability features of the system in terms of their goodness and their relative importance. The data indicated that in addition to taking longer, the older adults tended to have more difficulty performing the tasks. The findings also indicated that memorability was an important usability feature, and that the ratings of overall usability and overall satisfaction were significantly worse for the older adults.
Photochemistry of phenyladamantyl ketone in homogeneous organic and in micellar solution.

Abstract The photolysis of 1-phenyladamantyl ketone in benzene and in micellar solution has been investigated and compared.
Risk Perception and News Coverage Across Nations

Studies reported here explicate “quantity of coverage theory” (QCT), which explains how The New York Times and other US mass media are influential but not all powerful in setting the world's environmental risk agenda. Beginning in 1987, the Times and its news sources brought an array of global environmental problems – ozone depletion, greenhouse warming, rain forest destruction, and biodiversity – to American attention, and these concerns quickly spread to other nations. However, by 1991 journalists were turning to other news, and the “endangered earth” lost their importance as a public problem. News media of each nation pay most attention to their own problems. Beyond that natural consideration, it appears from a variety of data that foreign journalists attend more to risks regarded important in the US, than American journalists attend to risks regarded important elsewhere. This is well illustrated by the deep concern of Europeans and the European press about genetically modified food, an issue to which the US press and public remain largely indifferent. Sixteen nations, all participants in the International Social Survey Programme, measured risk perceptions in surveys given in 1993 and repeated in 2000. Between these years, changes in risk perception varied considerably from one nation to another. Filipinos, especially, but also the Spanish, Israelis, Russians, and Japanese considerably increased their ratings of danger for nearly all hazards. Conversely, Germans, Bulgarians, and the Irish saw the same hazards as less dangerous in 2000 than they did in 1993. Were changing risk perceptions the result of changes in media coverage within each nation? For ten of the 16 nations, trends in news coverage of “environment” could be obtained from computer databases. Except Ireland, the nations with rising news coverage were those with increasing perceptions of environmental danger, while nations with falling news coverage showed decreasing perceptions of environmental danger. These results support QCT. The implication of QCT for risk managers is inescapably simple: public concern about an alleged hazard waxes with increasing news coverage and wanes with diminishing coverage. The specific content of the news is not particularly relevant as long as it suggests the possibility of danger or simply of uncertainty.
An investigation of the weathering behaviour of coal-derived pyrite surfaces by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract The effects of relative humidity and oxygen partial pressure on the relative rates of surface oxidation of pyrites derived from various coal seams have been measured using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The surface oxidation rate of the coal-derived pyrites was influenced to a greater extent by relative huumidity than by oxygen partial pressure. Pyrites derived from separate coal seams were found to oxidize at different rates and ultimately to different extents under the same weathering conditions. The observed differences in oxidation rates may partly be related to the level of impurities in the pyrites.
Arming a replicating adenovirus with osteoprotegerin reduces the tumor burden in a murine model of osteolytic bone metastases of breast cancer

Most patients with advanced breast cancer develop osteolytic bone metastases, which have numerous complications. Because current therapies are not curative, new treatments are needed. Conditionally replicating adenoviruses (CRAds) are anticancer agents designed to infect and lyse tumor cells. However, in spite of their promise as selective cancer therapeutics, replicating adenoviruses have shown limited efficacy in the clinical setting. We hypothesized that a CRAd armed with osteoprotegerin (OPG) would eradicate bone metastases of breast cancer both directly, by oncolysis, and indirectly, by inhibiting osteoclastic bone resorption, and thus reducing the tumor burden. We constructed an armed CRAd (Ad5-Δ24-sOPG-Fc-RGD) by replacing viral E3B genes with a fusion of the ligand-binding domains of OPG and the Fc portion of human IgG1. Conditional replication was conferred by a 24-base pair deletion within E1A (Δ24), which prevents the binding of E1A to the retinoblastoma tumor suppressor/cell cycle regulator protein and limits replication in normal cells. Enhanced infection of cells expressing low levels of the primary Ad5 receptor was conferred by incorporating an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) peptide sequence into the fiber knob to mediate binding to α(v) integrins. After characterization of the armed CRAd, we demonstrated that infection of breast cancer cells by Ad5-Δ24-sOPG-Fc-RGD both killed the infected cells by oncolysis and inhibited the formation of osteoclasts in an in vitro co-culture model. In a murine model of osteolytic bone metastases of breast cancer, the CRAd armed with shortened OPG (sOPG)-Fc reduced tumor burden in the bone and inhibited osteoclast formation more effectively than an unarmed CRAd.
Noniterative inclusion of the triply and quadruply excited clusters: The locally renormalized perspective

Abstract Noniterative inclusion of the higher-order clusters has been a subject of intensive studies aimed at developing a well balanced description of individual many-body contributions for entire ground-state potential energy surfaces. In traditional approaches, the connected quadruples are estimated directly based on perturbative arguments, which leads to excellent agreement with full CI results near the equilibrium geometry and increasingly worse energies for larger internuclear stretches. As a possible improvement to this situation, two techniques are considered as especially promising: perturbative approaches based on the similarity transformed Hamiltonians and renormalization schemes both in global and local formulations. Following the latter strategy we adopted the recently introduced numerator–denominator connected expansion (NDC) [K. Kowalski, P. Piecuch, J. Chem. Phys. 122 (2005) 074107] as an effective tool for designing new forms of noniterative corrections accounting for the joint effect of triples and quadruples. The performance of the ensuing locally renormalized CCSD(TQ) approaches (LR-CCSD(TQ)) is illustrated on several examples that require either going beyond the triples approximation or describing very subtle effects encountered in van der Waals complexes. Comparisons with other noniterative approaches are also made and some issues regarding the size-extensivity of the locally renormalized methods are addressed.
Covalent bonding of alkene and alkyne reagents to graphitic carbon surfaces.

Various aromatic and aliphatic alkynes and one alkene were covalently bonded to sp2-hybridized carbon surfaces by heat treatment in an argon atmosphere. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman, and FTIR spectra of the modified surfaces showed that the molecules were intact after the 400 °C heat treatment but that the alkyne group had reacted with the surface to form a covalent bond. Alkynes with ferrocene and porphyrin centers exhibited chemically reversible voltammetric waves that could be cycled many times. Atomic force microscopy of the modified surfaces indicated a thickness of the molecular layer consistent with monolayer coverage, and surface coverage determined by voltammetry was also in the monolayer range. Raman spectroscopy of the porphyrin monolayers formed from a porphyrin alkyne showed no evidence for dimer formation, although multilayer formation may occur at undetected levels. FTIR spectra of the porphyrin-modified carbon surfaces were well-defined, similar to the parent molecule, and indic...
Load transfer and surface wave propagation in fiber reinforced composite materials

Abstract A system of linear elastic equations recently obtained for fiber reinforced composite materials is applied to some simple problems concerning the transfer of load from the reinforcement to the matrix. The same equations are applied to surface waves propagating in the direction of the fiber reinforcement. Since the defined constants occurring in the above-mentioned linear equations for a two-constituent composite material have never been measured, calculations cannot be performed. When the model is simplified sufficiently, the effective constants in the description can be partially estimated from the known elastic constants of the individual constituents in the composite. With the reduced equations calculations are performed for surface waves propagating both in and normal to the direction of the fiber reinforcement. The calculations indicate the existence of a high (optical type) as well as a low (acoustic type) surface wave mode, both of which are dispersive. We believe the optical type mode is an analytical consequence of the simplified model and does not actually exist. The dispersion of the acoustic type surface wave mode could provide a means of non-destructively evaluating the integrity of a fiber reinforced composite material.
Risk based decision tool for space exploration missions

This paper presents an approach and corresponding tool to assess and analyze the risks involved in a mission during the pre-phase A design process. This approach is based on creating a risk template for each subsystem expert involved in the mission design process and defining appropriate interactions between the templates.
Brain cholesterol metabolism and neurologic disease

ABC= : ATP binding cassette; ABCA1= : ABC transporter protein family member A1; AD= : Alzheimer disease; apoE= : apolipoprotein E; APP= : amyloid precursor protein; ATP= : adenosine triphosphate; CoA= : coenzyme A; CYP= : cytochrome P; 7-DHC= : 7-dehydrocholesterol; ER= : endoplasmic reticulum; HD= : Huntington disease; HDL= : high-density lipoprotein; HMG-CoA= : 3-hydroxy-3-methyglutaryl-CoA; HMGR= : HMG-CoA reductase; LDLR= : low-density lipoprotein receptors; LTP= : long-term potentiation; LXR= : liver X-activated receptor; NMDA= : N-methyl-d-aspartate; NPC= : Niemann-Pick type C; 24-OHC= : 24-hydroxy cholesterol; SHH= : sonic hedgehog; SRE-1= : sterol-regulated element-1; SREBP= : sterol-regulated element binding protein. The human brain accounts for 2% of the whole body mass, yet it contains approximately 25% of the total cholesterol of the body. Cholesterol is a major lipid constituent of the myelin sheath and the membrane lipid rafts in neurons and astrocytes. It has an important role in brain development and neuronal function by regulating cell signaling pathways, gene transcription, and availability of bioactive steroids.1–4 Cholesterol synthesis and metabolism in the brain involve complex interactions between astrocytes and neurons.1–4 Abnormalities in cholesterol metabolism in the CNS occur in several neurologic disorders, including Niemann-Pick type C5 and Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.6 Prominent neurologic manifestations also occur in disorders of peripheral cholesterol metabolism, such as cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis7 and Tangier disease.8 Brain cholesterol has also been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease (AD)2,3,9–11 and Huntington disease.12 The metabolism of cholesterol in the brain and its implications for neurologic disease have been extensively reviewed.1–4,10–12 Cholesterol is a crucial component of mammalian membranes. Most brain cholesterol is unesterified and primarily localized in myelin sheaths. Cholesterol is also concentrated in plasma membrane domains called lipid rafts13,14 in neurons and astrocytes. The cholesterol content of the CNS is largely independent of dietary uptake or hepatic synthesis, as circulating cholesterol does not cross the blood–brain barrier. Brain cholesterol turnover is extremely slow, with a half-life estimated in years in humans.1,4 ### Synthesis and recycling. Neurons need to maintain the large membrane surface of their dendritic processes and axonal projections. In addition, cholesterol concentration at the lipid rafts critically regulates ion channel permeability, signal transduction, synaptogenesis, and synaptic vesicle dynamics.13,14 Thus a tight control of cholesterol homeostasis is critical for neuronal function. Although neurons can synthesize cholesterol, astrocytes are the main source of cholesterol for neurons1,4 (figure). The first steps of …
Trustworthy Service Selection Using Long-Term Monitoring of Trust Contracts

Composing a distributed software system out of independently developed and publically hosted services leads to savings in effort, time, and cost. Such an approach requires a careful selection of a set of services for realizing a particular distributed software system. Hence, identifying and quantifying the trust of such publically available services becomes a prerequisite for composing distributed software systems. The quantification of the trust associated with a service is a challenging task due to the subjective nature of trust, lack of standards, and associated uncertainty. Moreover, the trust of a service is not a static value and should be updated periodically. To achieve a proper quantification of a trust associated with a service, there is a need to periodically collect, monitor, and aggregate various evidences available about that service. This paper augments previously defined quantification of the trust by monitoring and aggregating various available evidences. This enhanced approach is used to improve the service selection process. Publically available mobile app services from the Android marketplace are utilized, as the dataset, to empirically validate this approach.
The effect of hypophysectomy on acupuncture analgesia in the mouse

Acupuncture analgesia was quantitated in the phenylquinone induced writhing test in mice. Both manual acupuncture and electroacupuncture significantly reduced the number of writhes, i.e. 47% and 51% reduction respectively. Naloxone (2 mg/kg) pretreatment abolished this antinocicpetive effect suggesting that an endogenous opiate-like substance was involved. Hypophysectomy did not alter the electroacupuncture induced inhibition of writhing. These results confirm previous reports that acupuncture causes the release of an endogenous substance(s) with opioid activity, but disagree with previous reports in that our data show that the hypophysis is not involved in the release of this endogenous opiate or in any other mechanism of acupuncture analgesia in the mouse.
Adenoviral vectors – new insights: Response

TRENDS IN MICROBIOLOGY 393 VOL. 8 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2000 0966-842X/00/$ see front matter © 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. PII: S0966-842X(00)01820-5 Our paper in Science 1 was the first to demonstrate that the fibers of the coxsackie–adenovirus receptor (CAR) recognizing adenovirus (Ad) serotypes Ad5, Ad9 and Ad41 (the long fiber) do so with a more or less conserved binding site that maps to the side of the threefold symmetrical fiber protein1. This was independently confirmed by the mutagenesis and structural analysis study of the Ad5 fiber by Kirby et al.2 Additionally, Bewley et al. identified the CAR-binding site by co-crystallizing the Ad12 fiber with the amino-terminal D1 domain of the CAR protein3. Structural analysis of the Ad2 fiber has resulted in the identification of a putative, similar binding site on the side of the Ad2 fiber4. Mutations that ablate CAR binding are not limited to the AB loop per se. Indeed, we and others have shown that replacement mutations as well as deletions in structures such as the B-b sheet, the DE and the FG loops (also referred to as the DG loop) can result in ablation of CAR binding1–3,5. As was noted in our paper, mutagenesis of critical residues in the Ad5 fiber AB loop does not consistently result in complete ablation of gene transfer by Ad5. Indeed, in a typical assay, the fiber-mutated Ad vector will transduce 1–2% of cells. We have determined that this transduction results from the interaction of the Ad vector penton base protein with cellular av integrins, which have been shown to be the Ad internalization receptors6. This is not surprising, as integrins have previously been shown to function Adenoviral vectors – new insights: Response
Genetic Tools from Nature and the Nature of Genetic Tools

The opportunity to apply genetics to the improvement of crops is greater now than any time in history. Agricultural advancements will depend even more on genetics in the future as we try to produce more food, while being in harmony with the environment. The genetic tools available today and those to be developed will increase the precision of plant breeding and-at least in many instances-reduce the time required to respond to an ever-changing environment, both natural and social. A brief synopsis of some of the major events in genetics that led to the formation of the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) C-7 Division is presented along with many of the questions in crop science yet to be answered.