cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ethics and the Environment: The value of nature

Biocentrism Many philosophers who endorse an environmental ethic are uneasy with the philosophies of Singer and Regan. They see the central focus on animals as not much better than traditional moralists' obsession with humans. These critics agree that an environmental ethic will require better treatment of animals, but this concern for animals follows from a larger concern for nature. The trouble with Singer and Regan is that they have it the other way around: whatever concern they have for nature comes from their concern about animals. The preeminent value of nature is still not at the center of the big screen where it belongs. According to the critics, Singer and Regan make the following mistake. They suppose that either sentience or being the subject of a life is a necessary condition for moral considerability (i.e., having intrinsic value in the second sense that we distinguished in 3.5). For biocentrists, sentience and being the subject of a life are only part of the story. The rest of the story is the value of life itself. The view that all life is morally considerable goes back to the extraordinary Nobel Prize-winning humanitarian, theologian, missionary, organist, and medical doctor, Albert Schweitzer. In his 1923 book, Philosophy of Civilisation , he wrote: “True philosophy must start from the most immediate and comprehensive fact of consciousness: ‘I am life that wants to live, in the midst of life that wants to live.’”
Baryon bootstrap inW3 symmetry

Using a Bethe-Salpeter bootstrap model, we show that the 1/2+ baryons and the 3/2+ meson-baryon resonances form a reciprocal bootstrap inW 3 symmetry. The 1/2+ baryons are assigned to a nine-dimensional representation ofW 3 which contains the usual octet and a singlet of theSU 3 subgroup. The 3/2+ resonances are assigned to a 45-dimensional representation which contains, in addition to the usual decuplet, an octet and a 27-plet. Coupling-constant ratios and the mass difference between the 1/2+ nonet and 3/2+ 45-plet are self-consistently determined. In a separate calculation, symmetry-breaking interactions are studied which lead to a parametrization of the masses of theSU 3 components of the nonet and 45-plet. The splitting of the ninth baryon from the octet is found to increase very rapidly asW 3 is broken, while the mass of the 27-plet of resonances increases much less rapidly than that of the resonance octet. Finally, decay rates of some possible candidates for the 27-plet of resonances are calculated and compared to experimental rates.
Generation of CD8 T Cell-Mediated Protective Immunity against Tumor Escapees

Introduction: Anti-idiotype antibodies against B cell lymphoma have shown remarkable success in causing tumor regression in the clinic. In addition to their known ability to mediate ADCC, anti-idiotype antibodies have also been shown to directly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by sending negative growth signals via the target idiotype. However, further studies to investigate this mechanism have been hindered by the failure of patient tumor cells to grow ex vivo . Methods and Results: In order to study this phenomenon further, we developed an antibody against the idiotype on an A20 mouse B lymphoma cell line. A radioactive thymidine incorporation assay showed decreased A20 cell proliferation in the presence of the anti-id antibody ex vivo. In vivo , when mice were treated intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 100 μg of antibody 3 hours post-tumor inoculation (1×10 6 A20 subcutaneously (s.c.)), tumor growth was delayed for greater than 40 days after which the tumor began to grow once again. Further analysis of these escaping tumor cells by flow cytometry showed that that the tumor cells escaped the antibody-mediated immune response by down-regulating expression of idiotype and IgG on their surfaces although the cells retained idiotype expression intracellularly. This down-regulation of surface idiotype rendered the tumor cells resistant to both ADCC and signaling-induced cell death. The addition of an immunostimulatory bacterial mimic (CpG-DNA; 100 μg × 5 intratumoral (i.t.) injections; Days 2, 3 4, 6 & 8) to antibody therapy (Day 0; 100 μg i.p.) cured large established tumors (Day 0 = 1 cm 2 ) and prevented the occurrence of tumor escapees (p + T cells demonstrated the critical role of CD8 + T cells in A20 tumor eradication (p 2 ; anti-idiotype antibody 100 μg Day 0; 100 μg CpG Days 2, 3, 4, 6 & 8), untreated tumors regressed just as well as CpG-treated tumors indicating a systemic anti-tumor immune response was generated. Conclusion: Anti-idiotype therapy, although effective in delaying tumor growth, frequently generates antigen-loss variants. However, we found that when anti-idiotype antibodies were combined with CpG, even large established tumors were cured due to systemic CD8+ T cell-dependent tumor immunity. Rather than simply mediating ADCC against a single tumor antigen, which requires the constant infusion of antibody to hamper tumor growth, we hypothesize a cytotoxic T-cell response against many tumor antigens was also generated. Such a diverse T-cell repertoire can prevent the emergence of tumor escapees and collectively provide long-lasting tumor protection. These pre-clinical results suggest that anti-tumor antibodies combined with CpG warrant further study in patients with B cell lymphoma.
Re: Time to Change NRP.

We commend the authors for this randomized controlled study and their finding that infants aged <28 weeks who received room air resuscitation had higher mortality than those given 100% oxygen. These results are similar to those of SUPPORT (Surfactant Positive Airway Pressure and Pulse Oximetry Trial), which found that infants … E-mail: lnoble613{at}yahoo.com
Effects of modifiable, non-modifiable and clinical process factors in ventral hernia repair surgical site infections: A retrospective study.

Abstract Background The hypothesis of this study is that non-modifiable factors are more important in ventral hernia repair (VHR) surgical site infection (SSI) than care process factors. Methods All VHR's which were reviewed retrospectively for both NSQIP-recorded data, and also: preoperative hospitalization, existing mesh, enterocutaneous fistula, open wound, case month, case day, case length, prophylactic antibiotics, skin preparation, other procedure performed, re-do operation, estimate blood loss, hernia size, repair approach, repair type, mesh used, skin closure, suture type, use of drains, and dressing. Results 7% of 223 VHR's had an SSI. Factors associated with SSI: presence of mesh (24% vs. 4%), recurrent VHR (15% vs. 3%), operation time >120 min (15% vs. 3%), hernia size >200 cm2 ( 200 cm2 11%), and EBL >100 ml (21% vs. 3%). Other factors did not affect SSI rates. Conclusion Factors associated with a more difficult operation were associated with SSI. Factors considered modifiable played limited roles. This has implications for choices of interventions made to reduce SSI rates.
Perfectionism in Religion and Psychotherapy or: on Discerning the Spirits:

Taking the Mormon prophet, Joseph Smith's controversial King Follett Sermon as an expression of endemic American perfectionist strivings, the author suggests that perfectionism may be the conscious...
The Potential Mechanisms of Exercise-induced Cognitive Protection: A Literature Review

Dementia has become a major health concern for the aging population of the United States. Studies indicate that participation in moderate exercise, with training, has been shown to have a beneficial impact on cognition. Thus, exercise and its effects on cognitive function has become an important area of research. This review summarizes the current literature on the potential mechanisms of the benefits of exercise for cognitive function.
Suicide Attempts in an Urban Community, 1955 and 1970

A comparison of in and outpatient hospital admissions for suicide attempts in an urban community in 1955 and 1970 revealed an 11 fold increase in attempts. The increase in suicide attempts exceeds the growth or changes in the structure of the population, the utilization of the emergency room by psychiatric or non-psychiatric patients and cannot be explained by changes in the health delivery during that time period. The suicide rate in the same community during that time period decreased slightly. The suicide rate in 1970 for the community studied was 7.3/100 000 and the crude suicide attempt rate was estimated at 183.4/100 000. — The characteristics of the attempts were examined. Most attempters were under 30 years of age, females outnumbered males 2∶1, most were single or divorced persons, social classes 1 and 2 were underrepresented reflecting the use of private doctors by this group. The racial distribution was representative of the area primarly served by the hospital. The majority of attempts were impulsive with little intent to kill oneself and by ingestion of pills. — A review of studies from Great Britain, Australia and Israel revealed remarkably similar findings as to the increase in attempts over the past decade and the characteristic of the attempters. These similarities suggest that the New Haven findings are representative of an urban trend. One population change noted which has an effect on the suicide attempt rate is the marked increase in-the high risk age group, persons 15–24, reflecting the rising birth rate following World War II. A rise in the suicide rate may occur as these young attempters mature and enter the age of risk for suicide. The current rate of suicide attempts in young persons, both in the United States and in other parts of the Western world, constitutes a significant public health problem.
EXPERIENCES WITH ACQUIRING HIGHLY REDUNDANT SPATIAL DATA TO SUPPORT DRIVERLESS VEHICLE TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract. As vehicle technology is moving towards higher autonomy, the demand for highly accurate geospatial data is rapidly increasing, as accurate maps have a huge potential of increasing safety. In particular, high definition 3D maps, including road topography and infrastructure, as well as city models along the transportation corridors represent the necessary support for driverless vehicles. In this effort, a vehicle equipped with high-, medium- and low-resolution active and passive cameras acquired data in a typical traffic environment, represented here by the OSU campus, where GPS/GNSS data are available along with other navigation sensor data streams. The data streams can be used for two purposes. First, high-definition 3D maps can be created by integrating all the sensory data, and Data Analytics/Big Data methods can be tested for automatic object space reconstruction. Second, the data streams can support algorithmic research for driverless vehicle technologies, including object avoidance, navigation/positioning, detecting pedestrians and bicyclists, etc. Crucial cross-performance analyses on map database resolution and accuracy with respect to sensor performance metrics to achieve economic solution for accurate driverless vehicle positioning can be derived. These, in turn, could provide essential information on optimizing the choice of geospatial map databases and sensors’ quality to support driverless vehicle technologies. The paper reviews the data acquisition and primary data processing challenges and performance results.
Market Informational Efficiency

This chapter studies market informational efficiency which is a key concept used in financial economics, introduced by Fama in the early 1970s. A rigorous definition of an efficient market is provided which is contrasted with the intuitive definition. It is shown that this rigorous definition requires only the existence, and not the characterization of an economic equilibrium. Such a rigorous definition allows new insights into the testing of an informationally efficient market, which are discussed as well.
Successful transplantation of Friend virus-induced preleukemia into stem cell-deficient fetal mice

The leukemias induced by the Friend polycythemia virus and other leukemogenic retroviruses have previously not been transplantable until weeks or months after virus inoculation. Because tumor-specific immune mechanisms persist in both irradiated and nude mice, it has not been possible to determine if this result is due to rejection of cells already immortalized by retrovirus infection, or reflects an inherent limitation in the proliferative capacity and malignancy of these “preleukemic” cells. To clarify these issues, we have transplanted virus-infected bone marrow into mouse fetuses that are immunologically immature and thus incapable of graft rejection. We report here that within days of virus inoculation, transplantable cells capable of disease progression in certain fetal hosts can be detected with this technique. These results demonstrate that cells with the capacity for extensive leukemic proliferation arise very early in Friend virus- induced disease. However, successful transplantation was seen only in genetically anemic recipients (Wx/Wv), which are deficient in hematopoietic stem cells, and not in their normal littermates. Thus, in accord with recent in vitro observations, this in vivo data suggests that normal hematopoietic cells, independent of immune mechanisms, can suppress the malignant progression of transformed cells.
Nonspecific enhancement of gene expression by compounds identified in high-throughput cell-based screening.

Negating False Positves High-throughput screening can slow down very quickly if artifacts begin obscuring the legitimate hits. Mindful of this concern, Cunningham et al. (p. 120) set about to ident...
Methods of Isolation and Identification of Neurophysin Proteins

According to the theory of neurosection proposed by Bargmann and Scharrer (1951), neurohypophyseal hormones are synthesized in hypothalamic nerve cell bodies and carried by axoplasmic transport to nerve terminals in the posterior pituitary, where they are stored and released. The hormones are found in association with higher molecular weight proteins, the neurophysins (Fig. 1).
Correlation of prognosis, 18F-FDG uptake and EGFR mutations in patients with lung cancer

1889 Objectives In patients with lung cancer, mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene had been identified as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment and good prognosis factor. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) is a functional imaging modality that can be used to measure tumor cell metabolism and another prognosis factor. Our purpose is to evaluate the relationship of prognosis with 18F-FDG uptake and EGFR mutations. Methods A total 82 patient with pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled. (47 males and 35 females; median age, 82 years) All patient were underwent genetic study of EGFR mutation and FDG PET scan. Survivals were evaluated according to stage of patients, standardized uptake value (SUV) and EGFR mutation. Results EGFR mutations were found in 43 patients (51.8%). The patients with EGFR mutation showed prolonged survival than the patients without EGFR mutation (P = 0.0007). In the group of patients with EGFR mutation, the patients with low SUVs (max SUV≤8) showed prolonged survivals than the patients with high SUVs (max SUV>8) (P = 0.0317). The range of SUVs was from 2.14 to 22.70 (median 11.08). Prolonged survival was observed in patient with low SUVs (max SUV≤8) compared with those with high SUVs (max SUV>8) without statistical significance ( P = 0.2673). All patients were stage III or IV, and stages did not affect survivals (p = 0.8323). Conclusions These results suggest that EGFR mutation can predict prognosis of lung cancer patients. And, SUV have addictive value for prediction prognosis
Tildrakizumab for Moderate-to-Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis: a Review of the Literature

To highlight the most recent findings regarding the efficacy and safety of tildrakizumab in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. Recent clinical trials have shown tildrakizumab to be more efficacious than placebo or etanercept. There are no head-to-head trials directly comparing tildrakizumab to any IL-23 p19, IL-17, or IL-17R inhibitor. Common adverse effects included headache, upper respiratory infection, nasopharyngitis, and cough. Since tildrakizumab is a new biologic, there is currently a paucity of available evidence evaluating tildrakizumab in a comparative manor with respect to other biologic therapies. Tildrakizumab may be a useful addition in the armamentarium of available therapies, especially for patients who have failed other agents. Additional head-to-head trials are needed to better assess the comparative efficacy of tildrakizumab in relation to other biologic therapies.
Rotavirus NSP1 localizes in the nucleus to disrupt PML nuclear bodies during infection

ABSTRACT The rotavirus nonstructural protein 1 (NSP1) antagonizes interferon (IFN) induction in infected host cells. The primary function of NSP1 is thought to be degradation of interferon regulatory factors (IRFs) and beta-transducin repeat-containing protein (β-TrCP) in the cytoplasm to inhibit IFN induction. Here, we report that NSP1 localizes to the cytoplasm and nucleus and disrupts promyelocytic (PML) nuclear bodies (NB) in the nucleus during infection. Nuclear localization of NSP1 did not require an intact C terminus, suggesting NSP1 has a novel function in the nucleus independent of degradation of IRFs or β-TrCP. NSP1 expression either led to a reduction in PML NB number or a change in PML NB morphology from sphere-shaped foci to oblong-shaped structures, depending on the virus strain. Additionally, infection was not affected when cells lack PML NB, suggesting that rotavirus does not require PML for replication in highly permissive cell types. PML was not essential for nuclear localization of NSP1, but PML was required for NSP1 nuclear focus formation. PML NBs play an important role in many cellular functions that include IFN induction and host stress responses. This is the first report that rotavirus, a cytoplasmically replicating virus, encodes a viral protein that localizes to the nucleus during infection, and may suggest a new function of NSP1 in the nucleus. IMPORTANCE Rotavirus causes severe gastroenteritis in young children and leads to over 200,000 deaths per year. Rotavirus is a cytoplasmically replicating virus, and must find ways to avoid or actively inhibit host antiviral responses to efficiently replicate. The nonstructural protein NSP1 is known to inhibit IFN induction by promoting degradation of host proteins in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Here, we demonstrate that NSP1 also localizes to the nucleus of infected cells, specifically to PML NB. NSP1 causes a disruption of PML NB, which may serve as an additional mechanism of IFN inhibition or interfere with other nuclear processes to promote viral replication. A detailed exploration of the manipulation of nuclear processes in cells infected with cytoplasmically replicating viruses will lead to new insights into viral evasion of host responses.
Direct Oxidation of Methane to Methanol Enabled by Electronic Atomic Monolayer–Metal Support Interaction

Direct, catalytic oxidation of methane to methanol (MTM) with molecular oxygen is a highly desirable process to valorize methane. We propose that Rh-doped graphene (GR) supported on Ni(111) can be ...
Elicited Finger and Wrist Extension Through Transcutaneous Radial Nerve Stimulation

Individuals with neurological disorders, such as stroke or spinal cord injury, often have weakness and/or spasticity in their hand and wrist muscles, which can lead to impaired ability to extend their fingers and wrists. Functional electrical stimulation can help to restore these motor functions. However, the conventional stimulation method can lead to fast muscle fatigue and limited movements due to a non-physiological recruitment of motor units and a limited recruitment of deep muscles. In this paper, we investigated the feasibility of eliciting various hand opening and wrist extension movement patterns through a transcutaneous electrical stimulation array, which targeted the proximal segment of the radial nerve bundle proximal to the elbow. The wrist and finger joint kinematics were used to classify the different movement patterns through a cluster analysis, and electromyogram signals from the wrist and finger extensors were recorded to investigate the muscle activation patterns. The results showed that the finger and wrist motions can be elicited both independently and in a coordinated manner, by changing the stimulation intensity and stimulation location. H-reflex activity was also observed, which demonstrated the potential of recruiting motor units in a physiological order. Our approach could be further developed into a rehabilitative/assistive tool for individuals with impaired hand opening and/or wrist extension.
Cryogenic electron microscopy for quantum science

Electron microscopy is uniquely suited for atomic-resolution imaging of heterogeneous and complex materials, where composition, physical, and electronic structure need to be analyzed simultaneously. Historically, the technique has demonstrated optimal performance at room temperature, since practical aspects such as vibration, drift, and contamination limit exploration at extreme temperature regimes. Conversely, quantum materials that exhibit exotic physical properties directly tied to the quantum mechanical nature of electrons are best studied (and often only exist) at extremely low temperatures. As a result, emergent phenomena, such as superconductivity, are typically studied using scanning probe-based techniques that can provide exquisite structural and electronic characterization, but are necessarily limited to surfaces. In this article, we focus not on the various methods that have been used to examine quantum materials at extremely low temperatures, but on what could be accomplished in the field of quantum materials if the power of electron microscopy to provide structural analysis at the atomic scale was extended to extremely low temperatures.
Electrical vehicles charging and discharging scheduling for the cloud-based energy management service

The electric vehicles (EVs) have been dramatically increased and popularized in recent years. The ability to export the power to the grid via the vehicle -to -grid (V2G) technology makes the EVs become the promising solutions for reducing the peak demand in the power grid but could also severely increase the fluctuated penetration if no scheduling mechanisms are deployed. Therefore, it is an essential task to provide the optimal EV charging and discharging scheduling. However, to practically reinforce the scheduling relies not only on the ability to offer it in the efficient, reliable and scalable approaches, but also on the willingness of the participation from EVs owners. The cloud -based energy management service (EMS) satisfies the needs to practically deploy the scheduling mechanisms for the heterogeneous EVs and provide the incentives for customers' participation. The cloud computing is introduced with its characteristics and is utilized for the design of an extensive cloud -based framework, which provides the energy management as a service (EMaaS) to suggest the optimal electricity usage and trading options for every participated customer. The framework and the procedure of the cloud -based EMS are illustrated, and the EVs charging and discharging scheduling for the cloud -based EMS is formulated and implemented. The scheduling results for both EVs with and without the V2G ability are discussed with various examples.
Biological control of soilborne diseases in organic potato production using hypovirulent strains of Rhizoctonia solani

Soilborne diseases are persistent problems in potato production and alternative management practices are needed, particularly in organic production, where control options are limited. Selected bioc...
Open Right Adrenalectomy

This is a case presentation of a large locally advanced adrenocortical carcinoma that is used to exhibit the step-by-step approach to open right adrenalectomy. The patient is a 65-year-old male who...
Mechanistic Investigation of the Formation of Isoindole N-Oxides in the Electron Transfer-Mediated Oxidative Cyclization of 2'-Alkynylacetophenone Oximes.

This paper describes a joint experiment–theory investigation of the formation and cyclization of 2′-alkynylacetophenone oxime radical cations using photoinduced electron transfer (PET) with DCA as ...
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Lived Experience of Diverse Older Adults Living Alone With Cognitive Impairment.

Author(s): Portacolone, Elena; Chodos, Anna; Halpern, Jodi; Covinsky, Kenneth E; Keiser, Sahru; Fung, Jennifer; Rivera, Elizabeth; Tran, Thi; Bykhovsky, Camilla; Johnson, Julene K | Abstract: Background and objectivesEven before the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults with cognitive impairment living alone (an estimated 4.3 million individuals in the United States) were at high risk for negative health outcomes. There is an urgent need to learn how this population is managing during the pandemic.Research design and methodsThis is a qualitative study of 24 adults aged 55 and older living alone with cognitive impairment from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds. Participants' lived experiences during the pandemic were elicited via 59 ethnographic interviews conducted over the phone either in English, Spanish, or Cantonese. Using a qualitative content analysis approach, interview transcripts were analyzed to identify codes and themes.ResultsQualitative analysis of transcripts revealed 5 themes: (a) fear generated by the pandemic, (b) distress stemming from feeling extremely isolated, (c) belief in misinformation, (d) strategies for coping during the pandemic, and (e) the importance of access to essential services.Discussion and implicationsThis pandemic put a spotlight on the precarity and unmet needs of older adults living alone with cognitive impairment. Findings underscore the need to expand access to home care aides and mental health services for this population.
The History of Sport

(1937). The History of Sport. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 8, No. 9, pp. 522-525.
Modification of induced-hue responses by means of forced matching.

Induced-hue matching responses are shown to be subject to a learning or conditioning effect. Munsell matches were made to a series of mixtures of red and tungsten light, viewed as test patches in a surround of the same two lights. Systematic forcing of the matches, during practice trials, produced modifications of the matching responses on test trials. Forcing consisted of restricting the Munsell hue ranges from among which the matches were made, but forcing was not extreme; it represented an abstract version of the responses of previous subjects to a similar set of stimuli. Six forced-match and six control subjects made 2592 matches, 864 from the critical pre- and post-forcing trials. In the forced-match group a strong blue or purple-blue component was added to nearly all hues. In each group, Munsell-value responses reflected the relative luminances of the stimuli, but tended to decrease slightly as a function of practice. Munsell-chroma responses were bimodally distributed and showed little change from early to late trials. Because of the experimental design, the hue shifts in the forced-match group are regarded as learning phenomena.
The role of anthropomorphism in Hume's critique of theism

Cet article met en lumiere la strategie employee par Hume (1711-1776) dans son attaque contre le theisme et la theologie naturelle. Cette strategie consiste a jouer de la tension inherente au theisme entre la necessite d'un certain anthropomorphisme, pour pouvoir dire quelque chose de Dieu, et le desir de mettre Dieu hors d'atteinte de l'imagination humaine. Hume met au defi le theiste de concilier ces deux tensions, ce qui se revele impossible.
Beyond Privacy, beyond Rights - Toward a Systems Theory of Information Governance

For decades, we have refined concepts of information privacy, as well as intellectual property, that are largely based on individual rights. Such an approach is undeniably appealing. It does not necessitate a large enforcement bureaucracy, ostensibly enhances human freedom and self-determination, and ensures efficient information allocation through robust markets. As this article explains, a rights-based approach may even lead us to a convergent and coherent concept of information governance on either side of the Atlantic. Such a convergent conception would, however, not be able to extend to both the United States and Europe. For that it may behoove us to take a serious look at the bidirectional information rights structures emerging in Europe. The problem with such rights based approaches is that they have largely failed in practice. In contrast, information privacy protection works when it rests on a rich and deep network of information governance intermediaries. This article concludes by suggesting that studying the system of information privacy and copyright in particular, and of information governance in general, and examining what mechanisms of governance are employed by the various intermediaries may yield a richer, more accurate, and more effective strategy for information governance than the current rights-based approach.
Elemental Subject Matter

A long line of United States Supreme Court cases have followed the methodology of Neilson v. Harford in requiring novelty, and also often non-obviousness, to come entirely from the parts of the claim that are statutory under what is now Section 101 of the 1952 Patent Act. This paper traces the development of subject matter law in the area of software patents, where loss of the Neilson test led to contradictory holdings and de facto legitimization of supposedly nonstatutory subject matter. It proposes to restore stability and substance to subject matter law with a return to the Neilson doctrine, in a modern form consistent with the 1952 Patent Act.
An Analysis of the Independent Influences Hypothesis Across Involvement Environments

Abstract Although suggested as a model in the literature, few studies have empirically tested the independent influences hypothesis (IIH), which holds that brand and ad attitudes are capable of separately predicting purchase intentions. Based on a segmentation design drawn from the involvement literature, this study produces significant results explaining the conditions under which the IIH materializes and why. Specifically, we show that attitude toward the ad predicts purchase intentions when consumer involvement with the general product form is weak and when emotional brand involvement is significantly stronger than functional brand involvement. Proposing a sequence of involvement environments, we encourage future studies designed to delineate advertising strategies for moving consumers from the early stages of product significance to latter states of involvement with correspondingly enhanced purchase intentions.
Chemoprevention trial of green tea polyphenols in high-risk population of liver cancer in southern Guangxi, China

4886 Green tea polyphenols (GTP) are highly effective chemopreventive agents in inhibition of a variety of carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis in in vitro bioassays and in vivo animal models for different target organ sites, including aflatoxin-induced liver tumors. On the basis of results of our phase II study, a randomized, double blinded, and placebo controlled chemoprevention trial has been carried out in residents of southern Guangxi, PRC since fall 1999. The study had screened 6,681 blood samples for hepatitis B virus (HBV) biomarkers and recruited 1,209 male residents who were HBsAg positive adults aged 25-54 with normal liver function test, serum alpha-fetoprotein negative, no personal history of cancer, and no use of prescribed medications. They were consented and randomly divided into two study groups and were asked to give their blood and urine samples for the background analysis. Participants were received two capsules daily, either contained GTP 500 mg (n= 608) or placebo (n= 601) that were identical in color and size. Follow-up visits were taken every month in the participant’s house to record possible side effect complaints and to examine the actually remaining numbers of capsule to assess adherence to the dose protocol. The term of the trial was 3 years. Follow-up visit was continued for additional two years. Ninety-one percent (1,101/1,209) participants completed the trial. Among them, 90.8% (494/544) in GTP-treated group and 89.4% (489/547) in placebo control group took capsules as instructed and compiled with the dose protocol. Gastrointestinal adverse effects were noticed in some participants, 3.8 % (23/609) in GTP-treated group and 3.5% (21/601) in placebo group. No statistical significance was found between these adverse effects (p = 0.87). Ten cases of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were recorded in GTP-treated group (5 in year 1, 3 in year 2, and 2 in year 3) and 18 HCC cases were recorded in placebo group (6 in year 1, 8 in year 2, and 4 in year 3). After excluding the first year HCC cases, the incidence of HCC in GTP treated group is 0.45% (5/1,112 person year) and 1.11% (12/1086 person year) with Χ2 = 3.269 and p = 0.0706. These results demonstrate relative long-term safety of GTP in human intervention and administration with GTP may have protective effect against human hepatocellular carcinogenesis. (Supported by the Chinese Natural Science Foundation and CA90997 from NCI)
Long distance truck drivers and the structural context of health: a culture-centered investigation of indian truckers' health narratives

Long-distance truck drivers (truckers) in India have been identified as a "high-risk" group for the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and are consequently the targets of prevention and education-based interventions. While such interventions have addressed risk at the level of individual behavior, little attention has been paid to the structural barriers to health for truckers. Research among truckers in India has ignored the economic, social, and cultural context of health. In this article, I employ the culture-centered approach (CCA) to health communication in documenting truckers' narratives of health, which are innately connected to social and institutional structures around their lives. The data included 36 narrative interviews that I conducted as part of my fieldwork with Indian truckers, in addition to field notes and a reflexive journal. Through a reflexive analysis of these narratives, I present three themes: (a) the everyday violence of trucking, (b) health as sacrifice, and (c) migration and HIV/AIDS. I discuss how communication interventions can attend to the relationship between trucker health and the structural barriers they encounter.
ARMAP-an energy conserving protocol for wireless multimedia communications

Adaptive reservation multiple access protocol (ARMAP) has been designed to provide explicit support for integrated services over wireless radio networks. It allows terminals to communicate with multiple traffic types, including data, voice, and digital video, providing quality of service (QoS) guarantees to video connections and a high priority to voice connections. The regularity in the video packet generation process is exploited in the protocol to provide timely and contention free channel access for dynamic reservations. An adaptive reservation-slot scheduling algorithm ensures near-optimum bandwidth usage and near-optimum power consumption by the radio terminal. Simulation with realistic parameters reveals that ARMAP achieves a promising combination of bandwidth efficiency, and quality of service for time bounded isochronous traffic.
Total and K conversion coefficient measurements in 54Cr, 65Cu and 88Sr for use as standards

Abstract Total and K-conversion coefficients were measured for the 835.0, 898.2 and 1115.6 keV transitions in 54 Cr, 88 Sr and 65 Cu, respectively ( α K × 10 6 = 224 ± 10, 301 ± 21, 166.4 ± 6.6, respectively). These isotopes provide useful α K calibration standards for decay scheme studies.
Long-range aircraft as an Arctic Oceanographic platform

Abstract Synoptic basin-wide measurements of Arctic Ocean temperature and salinity are now possible with the recent development of an expendable conductivity, temperature, and depth probe for deployment from aircraft (AXCTD). Both the P-3 Orion aircraft and the C-130 aircraft are capable of long-range, low-altitude flight and are ideal for Arctic research. Expendable profilers can be quickly deployed over vast regions from aircraft and in locations with limited ship access, but have the disadvantage of measuring only the top 1000 m and of being about an order of magnitude less accurate than a CTD cast, primarily because of noisy salinity measurements and depth-fall rate errors. We explore how to conduct an ACXTD measurement program in ice-covered seas and discuss a test of these methods conducted in the Arctic Ocean's Eurasian Basin. Long-range aircraft can significantly augment the present program of Arctic research by performing large-area surveys, continuing time series with repeat measurements, and by helping target locations for more detailed and accurate shipboard measurement.
Role of surface groups in affecting the chromatographic performance of certain types of fused-silica glass capillary columns. I

Abstract Heretofore, experience accumulated during the past two years on the utilization of fused-silica glass for the fabrication of capillary columns for gas chromatography has revealed certain advantages and disadvantages associated with this unique material. Surfaces relatively free of metal oxides, when appropriately coated with certain stationary phases provided excellent columns that were thermally stable and well deactivated. However, it was also noted that the precise chemical nature of the fused-silica glass surface, after drawing at 2100°C, was more complex than anticipated. This was reflected by our inability to coat columns with either very non-polar liquids, i.e. squalane, Apiezon L, C 87 hydrocarbon (Kovats) or the highly polar stationay phases (the cyanopropyl silicones). By carefully surmising the nature of certain of the reactions that may occur on the surface of this glass under different conditions, one is able to utilize this information to extend the number of stationary phases that can be coated on fused-silica glass capillary columns. Accordingly, it has been shown that the selective chemical bonding of the surface layer of the fused silica prior to specific coating provides one with flexibility and versatility in the successful application of many different liquid phases.
Obtaining high-fidelity spin-12 powder spectra in anisotropic media: Phase-cycled Hahn echo spectroscopy

Abstract In the spectroscopy of isolated spin-1 nuclei in anisotropic media, the spectral distortion resulting from the inability to record the initial part of the free-induction decay was eliminated by using the quadrupolar echo technique. Wideline spin - 1 2 spectroscopy is subject to the same problems associated with finite receiver recovery time as is spin-1 spectroscopy; however, these problems have been generally ignored in the past. Through the use of a very simple and well-known pulse sequence (90°-τ-180°) the chemical shift interaction, among others, can be refocused to generate a so-called Hahn echo. If magnetic dipolar interactions with like nuclei and fluctuating interactions with other nuclei may be neglected, then the refocusing of the magnetization will be complete and an undistorted spin - 1 2 powder spectrum can be obtained by Fourier transforming the signal starting at the peak of the echo. The practical aspects of implementing the Hahn echo technique are discussed. A phase-cycling scheme is proposed to prevent spectral distortion due to misset pulse lengths. The effects of finite pulse lengths are investigated, and the theoretical single pulse and echo distortion factors are demonstrated to differ from those which were determined for quadrupolar echo spectroscopy. Experimental verification of some of the theoretical predictions is provided.
Synthesis of an 18F‐fluorobenzoate idarubicin derivative as new potential PET radiotracer to predict chemotherapy resistance

Anthracyclines are among the most widely used antineoplastic agents in current clinical practice. Nevertheless, chemoresistance, which results in failure to eradicate the tumor, is often observed after administration of anthracyclines, and no assay system has yet been found to accurately predict tumor resistance to those antitumor agents. We sought to prepare an F-18 labeled derivative of idarubicin, a 4-demethoxy-daunorubicin analogue, to use in helping to assess physiologic resistance to anthracyclines in vivo. Two different synthetic pathways, which required the preparation of the key intermediate [18F]fluorobenzoic acid ([18F]FBA), are advanced to label idarubicin with F-18 on its primary amine. The first approach yielded the desired [18F]fluorobenzoate idarubicin derivative in two steps from [18F]FBA, while the second strategy consisted of a direct acylation of idarubicin by treatment with [18F]FBA in presence of diethyl cyanophosphonate. Although the first method led to fewer byproducts, it required more time to obtain the HPLC-purified radiopharmaceutical (100 min vs 90 min) and resulted in lower radiochemical yields (8–25% vs 25–39% decay corrected from starting fluoride). Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Size-dependent solute segregation and total solubility in ultrafine polycrystals: Ca in TiO2

Grain boundary segregation at ultrafine grain sizes has been studied. Using a STEM microanalysis technique to quantify the grain boundary coverage of calcium (0.34 mol%) in TiO2 ranging in grain size from 50 to 750 nm, it is found that below grain sizes of 150–350 nm, segregation deviates from conventional isotherms, exhibiting a clear size dependence. In this size regime the interfacial area to volume ratio is as important as temperature and composition in determining grain boundary coverage. In the present system, grain boundaries become saturated with calcium when the coverage reaches approximately one half of an equivalent monolayer. The experimental results can be modeled by a statistical thermodynamical treatment of segregation which takes into account the large density of grain boundary sites in this size range. We also find direct evidence of enhanced total solubility at very fine grain sizes due to grain boundary segregation.
Reactivity of mu-hydroxodizinc(II) centers in enzymatic catalysis through model studies.

The stable dinuclear complex [Zn2(BPAN)(μ-OH)(μ-O2PPh2)](ClO4)2, where BPAN = 2,7-bis[2-(2-pyridylethyl)aminomethyl]-1,8-naphthyridine, was chosen as a model to investigate the reactivity of (μ-hydroxo)dizinc(II) centers in metallohydrolases. Two reactions, the hydrolysis of phosphodiesters and the hydrolysis of β-lactams, were studied. These two processes are catalyzed in vivo by zinc(II)-containing enzymes: P1 nucleases and β-lactamases, respectively. The former catalyzes the hydrolysis of single-stranded DNA and RNA. β-Lactamases, expressed in many types of pathogenic bacteria, are responsible for the hydrolytic degradation of β-lactam antibiotic drugs. In the first step of phosphodiester hydrolysis promoted by the dinuclear model complex, the substrate replaces the bridging diphenylphosphinate. The bridging hydroxide serves as a general base to deprotonate water, which acts as a nucleophile in the ensuing hydrolysis. The dinuclear model complex is only 1.8 times more reactive in hydrolyzing phosphodi...
No Face-Down Positioning and Broad Internal Limiting Membrane Peeling in the Surgical Repair of Idiopathic Macular Holes

Objective To demonstrate the efficacy of broad internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling and 20% sulfur hexafluoride (SF 6 ) endotamponade with no face-down positioning in the surgical repair of idiopathic macular holes (MHs). Design Retrospective study. Participants Sixty-eight idiopathic MH cases in 68 eyes of 65 patients. Methods All idiopathic MH surgeries by 1 surgeon between March 2009 and December 2012, performed using broad ILM peeling, 20% SF 6 , and no face-down positioning, were reviewed. No cases were excluded. Surgeon method included 23-gauge or 25-gauge pars plana vitrectomy with induction of posterior vitreous detachment (if necessary). Indocyanine green dye (0.08 mg/ml in D5W) was injected slowly, allowed to stain for 60 seconds, and then removed. The ILM was broadly peeled to the vascular arcades (approximately 8000 μm in diameter), followed by 2 fluid–air exchanges, separated by 5 minutes, and an air–20% SF 6 exchange. Patients maintained reading position for 3 to 5 days and were followed up at least for 1 month. Exact binomial distributions were used to establish 95% confidence intervals, and the 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare preoperative and postoperative intraocular pressures (IOPs). Main Outcome Measures Single-procedure MH closure rate, mean postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), incidence of cataract, and IOP. Results Three patients (4.6%) had bilateral MH and 9 patients (13.8%) had recurrent MH (mean duration from previous surgery, 8.3±5.5 years; range, 1–16 years). Twenty-one MH (30.9%) were stage 2, 27 (39.7%) were stage 3, and 20 (29.4%) were stage 4. Five MH had a basal diameter of more than 1000 μm. Mean MH basal diameter was 609.6±226.2 μm. Mean preoperative BCVA was 0.68±0.29 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) units (Snellen equivalent, 20/95), and mean most recent postoperative BCVA was 0.28±0.18 logMAR units (Snellen equivalent, 20/38). The single-procedure MH closure rate was 100% (95% confidence interval, 95%–100%), and no complications were observed. Conclusions Macular hole surgery with broad ILM peeling, 20% SF 6 gas, and no face-down positioning is highly effective in the surgical treatment of idiopathic MH with efficacy comparable with methods that use longer-acting gas endotamponade, face-down positioning, or both. In our series, this method eliminated the morbidity associated with postoperative face-down positioning. Financial Disclosure(s) The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.
Myelination and long diffusion times alter diffusion-tensor-imaging contrast in myelin-deficient shiverer mice

Abstract Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) using variable diffusion times (tdiff) was performed to investigate wild-type (wt) mice, myelin-deficient shiverer (shi) mutant mice and shi mice transplanted with wt neural precursor cells that differentiate and function as oligodendrocytes. At tdiff = 30 ms, the diffusion anisotropy “volume ratio” (VR), diffusion perpendicular to the fibers (λ⊥), and mean apparent diffusion coefficient ( ) of the corpus callosum of shi mice were significantly higher than those of wt mice by 12 ± 2%, 13 ± 2%, and 10 ± 1%, respectively; fractional anisotropy (FA) and relative anisotropy (RA) were lower by 10 ± 1% and 11 ± 3%, respectively. Diffusion parallel to the fibers (λ//) was not statistically different between shi and wt mice. Normalized T2-weighted signal intensities showed obvious differences (27 ± 4%) between wt and shi mice in the corpus callosum but surprisingly did not detect transplant-derived myelination. In contrast, diffusion anisotropy maps detected transplant-derived myelination in the corpus callosum and its spatial distribution was consistent with the donor-derived myelination determined by immunohistochemical staining. Anisotropy indices (except λ//) in the corpus callosum showed strong tdiff dependence (30–280 ms), and the differences in λ⊥ and VR between wt and shi mice became significantly larger at longer tdiff, indicative of improved DTI sensitivity at long tdiff. In contrast, anisotropy indices in the hippocampus showed very weak tdiff dependence and were not significantly different between wt and shi mice across different tdiff. This study provides insights into the biological signal sources and measurement parameters influencing DTI contrast, which could lead to developing more sensitive techniques for detection of demyelinating diseases.