cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Chinese Ghost Story: A Hong Kong comedy film's cult following in Mainland China

This article aims to explain how and why a Hong Kong comedy film, A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), which did not have access to the movie theatres in mainland China, has generated a phenomenal cult fo...
Toward a New Model of Integrative Psychotherapy: Psychosynergy

The goal of resynthesizing that which has been disconnected in our field is what the author has designated as psychosynergy. This article seeks to advance our shared interest in the subject matter of psychotherapy. Particularly noted are efforts to reconnect the separate realms that give support to therapeutic practice, namely its undergirding scientific principles, its theoretically deduced personality and psychopathologic features, its classification format for organizing psychic pathology, its empirically grounded assessment instruments, and its integration of diverse therapeutic modalities. This overall goal stems from the author's belief that a synthesis of these components not only is possible, but will strengthen progress through mutual reinforcement and reciprocal enhancements.
Lipid-Mediated Signaling Between Fungi and Plants

Lipid-mediated inter-kingdom signaling in plant-fungal interactions is the exchange of molecules between plants and fungal pathogens and symbiotes. Recently these interactions were implicated in determining whether inter-organismal interactions result in parasitism, symbiosis or commencialism. Lipids constitute a very large group of structurally diverse molecules that have diverse functions in cell metabolism. One group of lipids, oxygenated lipids (oxylipins), is gaining increased interest as molecular signals that orchestrate a myriad of metabolic processes in both plants and fungi. Growing momentum implicates these metabolites as key players during the signal exchange between different interacting organisms. Recent studies have revealed oxylipins as key regulators of sporulation and secondary metabolite production while others have discovered their roles in manipulating plant metabolism and defense responses for the advantage of fungal and other pathogens. The focus of this chapter is to describe recent advances in our understanding of oxylipin-mediated signal communication between fungi and plants, highlighting pathogenic systems.
Spin Dynamics and Noncollinearity in Molecules and Crystals

In current paper we would like to review current status in the area of electronic structure calculations of the interaction parameters for the magnetic systems with arbitrary magnetic orderings and their dynamical properties. Due to recent advances in the area of temperature and time dependent first-principle calculations we will describe the connection between so called ‘ab-initio’ approaches and traditional model techniques. We discuss in details what kind of new effects such treatment brings in comparison with traditional classical local moment description.
Endogenous opioid analgesia in hemorrhagic shock.

Background: Hemorrhagic shock produces an immediate activation of the autonomic nervous system and endogenous opioid pathways. Our studies have demonstrated that endogenous opioid activation aggravates the hemodynamic and inflammatory responses to shock. However, it is unclear whether endogenous opioid activation is triggered by noxious stimuli and furthermore whether it produces analgesia. Methods: Experiments were conducted in chronically catheterized, conscious, unrestrained, nonheparinized, male, Sprague-Dawley rats subjected to fixed pressure hemorrhage. Blood samples were obtained for determinations of circulating β-endorphin and substance P. Analgesia was measured using the tail-flick response to a noxious stimulus before and during hemorrhage. The contribution of sensory neurons to eliciting the neuroendocrine, opioid, and inflammatory responses to hemorrhage was investigated in capsaicin-treated animals. Results: Hemorrhagic shock produced marked naltrexone-sensitive analgesia without significant modulation of substance P. Peripheral sensory denervation did not alter the hemodynamic, neuroendocrine, or inflammatory responses to shock. Conclusion: Endogenous opioid activation during shock produces analgesia. Sensory neuron activation appears to have limited effect on shock-induced hemodynamic and proinflammatory responses. Furthermore, these results suggest that the activation of neuroendocrine and opioid pathways during shock is not likely to be a response to noxious stimuli.
The Relationship between Anthropogenic Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone Trends in the Arctic Troposphere

Low solar insolation and low precipitation rates dramatically slow down the oxidation and removal of many anthropogenic pollutants in the Arctic, including hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides. These processes give rise to a seasonal pollutant accumulation in the Arctic often referred to as “Arctic Haze”, with a maximum in the winter-spring period. There is some evidence that the wintertime accumulation of these constituents occurs not only in the Arctic but also in other remote Northern Hemispheric locations as well. Penkett and Brice [1986] suggest that a hemispheric buildup of nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons contributes to the observed springtime maximum in ozone which is usually attributed to stratospheric exchange. Based on modeling studies, Isaksen et al. [1985] have found that the arctic reservoir of nitrogen oxides can play a significant role in ozone production in the spring.
Performance-based and questionnaire measures of executive function in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

The purpose of the current study was to examine executive function (EF) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes using both performance-based and questionnaire measures in relation to diabetes indicators. Adolescents age 13–17 completed performance-based measures of EF and measures of adherence. Adolescents’ parents reported on adolescents’ EF and adherence. HbA1c and frequency of blood glucose monitoring (glucometer data) were obtained from adolescents’ medical records. None of the performance-based measures of EF were significantly associated with adherence or with HbA1c. Parent-reported problems with EF were associated with poorer adherence, and adolescents who scored in the impaired range of the Behavioral Regulation Index of EF had significantly poorer adherence (both parent-reported adherence and frequency of blood glucose monitoring) and higher HbA1c than those in the normal range. Our findings suggest that parent-reported measures of EF may be more strongly linked to diabetes indicators than performance-based measures.
Microwave-assisted Diels–Alder reactions between Danishefsky's diene and derivatives of ethyl α-(hydroxymethyl)acrylate. Synthetic approach toward a biotinylated anti-inflammatory monocyclic cyanoenone

The microwave heating drastically accelerates Diels–Alder cycloadditions between Danishefsky's diene and derivatives of ethyl α-(hydroxymethyl)acrylate whose hydroxyl group is protected with various protective groups to give previously unknown adducts, which are necessary as intermediates for the synthesis of a biotin conjugate of a monocyclic cyanoenone with high anti-inflammatory activity. The reaction time is only 1 h and the average yield is approximately 80%. Compared to the traditional thermal conditions this method requires 1/48th to 1/14th of the time and the yields are 2–7 times more.
Distinct but Intertwined Evolutionary Histories of Multiple Salmonella enterica Subspecies.

ABSTRACT Salmonella is responsible for many nontyphoidal foodborne infections and enteric (typhoid) fever in humans. Of the two Salmonella species, Salmonella enterica is highly diverse and includes 10 known subspecies and approximately 2,600 serotypes. Understanding the evolutionary processes that generate the tremendous diversity in Salmonella is important in reducing and controlling the incidence of disease outbreaks and the emergence of virulent strains. In this study, we aim to elucidate the impact of homologous recombination in the diversification of S. enterica subspecies. Using a data set of previously published 926 Salmonella genomes representing the 10 S. enterica subspecies and Salmonella bongori, we calculated a genus-wide pan-genome composed of 84,041 genes and the S. enterica pan-genome of 81,371 genes. The size of the accessory genomes varies between 12,429 genes in S. enterica subsp. arizonae (subsp. IIIa) to 33,257 genes in S. enterica subsp. enterica (subsp. I). A total of 12,136 genes in the Salmonella pan-genome show evidence of recombination, representing 14.44% of the pan-genome. We identified genomic hot spots of recombination that include genes associated with flagellin and the synthesis of methionine and thiamine pyrophosphate, which are known to influence host adaptation and virulence. Last, we uncovered within-species heterogeneity in rates of recombination and preferential genetic exchange between certain donor and recipient strains. Frequent but biased recombination within a bacterial species may suggest that lineages vary in their response to environmental selection pressure. Certain lineages, such as the more uncommon non-enterica subspecies (non-S. enterica subsp. enterica), may also act as a major reservoir of genetic diversity for the wider population. IMPORTANCES. enterica is a major foodborne pathogen, which can be transmitted via several distinct routes from animals and environmental sources to human hosts. Multiple subspecies and serotypes of S. enterica exhibit considerable differences in virulence, host specificity, and colonization. This study provides detailed insights into the dynamics of recombination and its contributions to S. enterica subspecies evolution. Widespread recombination within the species means that new adaptations arising in one lineage can be rapidly transferred to another lineage. We therefore predict that recombination has been an important factor in the emergence of several major disease-causing strains from diverse genomic backgrounds and their ability to adapt to disparate environments.
Hindsight Is 2019-the Year in Clinical Microbiology

Much changed in clinical microbiology in 2019, and, like the organisms, we, as clinical microbiologists, are responsible to detect, characterize, and teach others about our discipline. Also, it is important for us to adapt to changes in the field. In this review, I highlight some of the papers, practices, and regulatory issues that defined 2019 for our field, from my perspective.
Ultrastructural and molecular features of excitatory and glutamatergic synapses. The auditory nerve synapses.

Abstract Glutamatergic synapses mediate fast synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. New developments highlight the importance of the synapse structural and molecular remodeling during development, aging and in neurological disorders. This chapter summarizes key structural and molecular aspects of the presynaptic and postsynaptic components of glutamatergic synapses in the brain. In addition, this chapter describes how the structure of the postsynaptic density and ionotropic glutamate content contribute to the function of auditory nerve synapses in the lower auditory brainstem.
Bayesian Models of Conceptual Development: Learning as Building Models of the World

A Bayesian framework helps address, in computational terms, what knowledge children start with and how they construct and adapt models of the world during childhood. Within this framework, inferenc...
Does the Multistate Bar Exam Validly Measure Attorney Competence

2020 brought many challenges, which included administering the bar exam. States jumped through numerous obstacles to continue administering the current form of the exam. However, the current bar exam has never been proven to be a valid measure of attorney competence. This article offers evidence the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE), is invalid. The exam, in other words, does not measure the knowledge and skills that lawyers use in practice. On the contrary, it is an artificial barrier to practice—one that harms the public by failing to screen for the knowledge and skills that clients need from their attorneys.
Perceptions of Self-Efficacy in Mixed Reality Simulations

The purpose of this multiple case study was to gain insight into the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service teachers participating in a teacher education curriculum that used mixed reality simulation...
Desmoid fibromatosis presenting as lateral hip pain in an outpatient physical therapy clinic: A case report.

Case description A 21-year-old healthy female presented with severe left lateral hip pain beginning suddenly two weeks prior. Physical examination revealed zero degrees of left hip external rotation passive range of motion with a firm end feel and pain severity and irritability out of proportion to an expected musculoskeletal presentation. She was referred to her physician with a recommendation for imaging to determine the source of pain and appropriateness of physical therapy. Outcome Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a foreign mass in her left gluteus medius muscle which biopsy revealed to be a desmoid fibromatosis. Conclusion This case demonstrates a thorough differential diagnostic process leading to medical imaging referral in a patient with a non-musculoskeletal source of pain. Physical therapists must be diligent in their differential diagnostic process to ensure appropriateness of their treatments or the need for referral.
LA SHARÍA EN EL ESTADO SECULAR: UNA PARADOJA DE SEPARACIÓN Y FUSIÓN

The author examines the nature of Shari`a and its relationship to modern legal systems in order to consider how it might continue to operate in the context of the modern secular state under which all Muslims live today. Shari`a is very influential among Muslims, regardless of its formal legal status in the country. However, the notion of an Islamic state is conceptually incoherent and historically false, and any Shari`a principle that is enforced through the coercive authority of the state ceases to be part of the normative system of Islam and becomes an expression of the political will of the state.The author proposes that the rationale of all public policy and legislation must always be based on what might be called ‘public reason’, whereby Muslims and other believers should be able to propose policy and legislative initiatives emanating from their religious beliefs, provided they can support them in public, free and open debate by reasons that are accessible and convincing to the generality of citizens, regardless of their religion or other beliefs. But since such decisions will in practice be made by majority vote in accordance with democratic principles, all state action must also conform to basic constitutional and human rights safeguards against the tyranny of the majority.
Liquid phase structure within an unsaturated fracture network beneath a surface infiltration event: Field experiment

[1] We conducted a simple field experiment to elucidate structure (i.e., geometry) of the liquid phase (water) resulting from ponded infiltration into a pervasive fracture network that dissected a nearly impermeable rock matrix. Over a 46 min period, dyed water was infiltrated from a surface pond while electrical resistance tomography (ERT) was employed to monitor the rapid invasion of the initially dry fracture network and subsequent drainage. We then excavated the rock mass to a depth of ∼5 m, mapping the fracture network and extent of dye staining over a series of horizontal pavements located directly beneath the pond. Near the infiltration surface, flow was dominated by viscous forces, and the fracture network was fully stained. With increasing depth, flow transitioned to unsaturated conditions, and the phase structure became complicated, exhibiting evidence of fragmentation, preferential flow, fingers, irregular wetting patterns, and varied behavior at fracture intersections. ERT images demonstrate that water spanned the instrumented network rapidly on ponding and also rapidly drained after ponding was terminated. Estimates suggest that our excavation captured from ∼15 to 1% or less of the rock volume interrogated by our infiltration slug, and thus the penetration depth from our short ponding event could have been quite large.
Identifying Multi-ID Users in Open Forums

We describe a model for real-time communication exchange in public forums, such as newsgroups and chatrooms, and use this model to develop an efficient algorithm which identifies the users that post their messages under different IDs, multi-ID users. Our simulations show that, under the model’s assumptions, the identification of multi-ID users is highly effective, with false positive and false negative rates of about 0.1% in the worst case.
Impact of RTN on stochastic BTI degradation in scaled metal gate/high-k CMOS technologies

A new methodology utilizing time resolved stress-and-diagnostic-sense characterization is introduced to assess the impact of RTN on stochastic BTI in scaled CMOS devices. The observed RTN can be modeled using normal distributions and it is found that BTI stress does not result in an increase of RTN. Furthermore, the impact of RTN on stochastic BTI modeling is studied by MC simulations and it is shown that for small BTI degradation RTN leads to a significant skew of the ΔV T distributions at high percentile while for larger BTI degradation RTN becomes a negligible factor.
Coupled Models of Photochemistry and Dynamics in the Mesosphere and Lower Thermosphere

Techniques to model coupled photochemistry and dynamics with both fast and slowly varying timescales of transport are described in the context of a chemical solver used in the JHU/APL two-dimensional model and tidal model. A one-dimensional photochemical-diffusive-advective model is formulated to explicitly include the coupling between the diurnally forced photochemistry and the transport by tidal waves in the middle atmosphere. The coupling between the photochemistry and the slowly varying transport is examined systematically and illustrated by several examples of modeling techniques.
Rapid Onset of Retinal Toxicity From High-Dose Hydroxychloroquine Given for Cancer Therapy

Purpose To report rapid onset of retinal toxicity in a series of patients followed on high-dose (1000 mg daily) hydroxychloroquine during an oncologic clinical trial studying hydroxychloroquine with erlotinib for non–small cell lung cancer. Design Retrospective observational case series. Methods Ophthalmic surveillance was performed on patients in a multicenter clinical trial testing high-dose (1000 mg daily) hydroxychloroquine for advanced non–small cell lung cancer. The US Food & Drug Administration–recommended screening protocol included only visual acuity testing, dilated fundus examination, Amsler grid testing, and color vision testing. In patients seen at Stanford, additional sensitive screening procedures were added at the discretion of the retinal physician: high-resolution spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), fundus autofluorescence (FAF) imaging, Humphrey visual field (HVF) testing, and multifocal electroretinography (mfERG). Results Out of the 7 patients having exposure of at least 6 months, 2 developed retinal toxicity (at 11 and 17 months of exposure). Damage was identified by OCT imaging, mfERG testing, and, in 1 case, visual field testing. Fundus autofluorescence imaging remained normal. Neither patient had symptomatic visual acuity loss. Conclusions These cases show that high doses of hydroxychloroquine can initiate the development of retinal toxicity within 1–2 years. Although synergy with erlotinib is theoretically possible, there are no prior reports of erlotinib-associated retinal toxicity despite over a decade of use in oncology. These results also suggest that sensitive retinal screening tests should be added to ongoing and future clinical trials involving high-dose hydroxychloroquine to improve safety monitoring and preservation of vision.
Synaptic remodeling revealed by repeated in vivo observations and electron microscopy of identified frog neuromuscular junctions

This work aimed to examine the mechanism of synaptic remodeling using repeated in vivo observations, followed by electron microscopy, of identified frog neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Our previous light microscopic studies suggested that extension of synaptic extracellular matrix (ECM) precedes, and may play a role in, nerve terminal (NT) growth during synaptic remodeling. To test this hypothesis, sartorius muscles were double labeled with a fluorescent dye, 4-(4-diethylamino- styryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide, for NTs and rhodamine-conjugated peanut agglutinin for synaptic ECM. The double-labeled NMJs were observed in vivo with video-enhanced fluorescence microscopy. Two to three months after nerve sprouting was induced by a nerve graft, the same NMJs were restained and reexamined. After the final in vivo observations, the same NMJs were examined with semiserial thin section electron microscopy. Light microscopic observation of NMJs that showed synaptic ECM longer than the NT was confirmed with electron microscopy. At junctional branches where synaptic ECM extended beyond the NT, a Schwann cell process longer than the NT was observed in one example, whereas a Schwann cell with the same length as the NT was seen in other examples. In both cases, junctional folds were absent at the extended ECM region. In contrast, junctional folds were observed at the region vacated by a retracted NT. These results suggest that extension of synaptic ECM and Schwann cell processes may lead, and play a role in, the NT growth during the remodeling of adult synaptic connections.
Marwan M. Kraidy, Communication and Power in the Global Era: Orders and Borders

Scholarly research on the variegated, shape-shifting, and ideologically ambivalent global media environment has become, itself, variegated, shape-shifting, and ideologically ambivalent. This is one conclusion drawn from Marwan Kraidy’s illuminating new edited volume, Communication and Power in the Global Era. That the field of global communication studies has become as knotty and disjunctive as the object of its inquiry is neither a necessary corollary nor, to this reader, a sufficient state of analytical affairs for the kind of ongoing academic endeavor that deserves the designation “discipline.”
The eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic: an interdisciplinary model of care for children and adolescents with sex chromosome aneuploidy.

Purpose: Individuals with sex chromosome aneuploidies (SCAs) are born with an atypical number of X and/or Y chromosomes, and present with a range of medical, developmental, educational, behavioral, and psychological concerns. Rates of SCA diagnoses in infants and children are increasing, and there is a need for specialized interdisciplinary care to address associated risks. The eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic was established to provide comprehensive and experienced care for children and adolescents with SCA, with an interdisciplinary team composed of developmental–behavioral pediatrics, endocrinology, genetic counseling, child psychology, pediatric neuropsychology, speech–language pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, and social work. The clinic model includes an interdisciplinary approach to care, where assessment results by each discipline are integrated to develop unified diagnostic impressions and treatment plans individualized for each patient. Additional objectives of the eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic program include prenatal genetic counseling, research, education, family support, and advocacy. Methods: Satisfaction surveys were distributed to 496 patients, and responses were received from 168 unique patients. Results: Satisfaction with the overall clinic visit was ranked as “very satisfied” in 85%, and as “satisfied” in another 9.8%. Results further demonstrate specific benefits from the clinic experience, the importance of a knowledgeable clinic coordinator, and support the need for similar clinics across the country. Three case examples of the interdisciplinary approach to assessment and treatment are included.
A pilot study of functional electrical stimulation cycling in progressive multiple sclerosis.

Background Functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling is used by spinal cord injury patients to facilitate neurologic recovery and may also be useful for progressive MS patients. Objective To evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of home FES cycling in progressive MS and to explore how it changes cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytokine levels. Methods Five patients with primary or secondary progressive MS were given an FES cycle for six months. Main outcome measures were: Two Minute Walk Test, Timed 25-foot Walk, Timed Up and Go Test, leg strength, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score, and Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite (MSFC) score. Quality-of-life was measured using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Cytokines and growth factors were measured in the CSF before and after FES cycling. Results Improvements were seen in the Two Minute Walk Test, Timed 25-foot Walk, and Timed Up and Go tests. Strength improved in muscles stimulated by the FES cycle, but not in other muscles. No change was seen in the EDSS score, but the MSFC score improved. The physical and mental health subscores and the total SF-36 score improved. Conclusions FES cycling was reasonably well tolerated by progressive MS patients and encouraging improvements were seen in walking and quality-of-life. Larger studies of FES cycling in progressive MS are indicated.
Toward a Determination of Adolescent Age-Graded Differences in Predictors of Cigarette Initiation

The study provided a systematic appraisal of predictors of cigarette initiation among American youth, in an effort to identify age-specific differences in factors emanating from the five ecological domains of influence. Using a rigorous inclusion criteria and standardized analytic techniques, investigated were 200 directional effects culled from 19 studies published between 1970 and 2007. Cigarette initiation during early adolescence has been investigated most often, as have familial-related, social learning constructs. Clear evidence was obtained for the age-specific effects of seven predictors: poor school performance, step-parent family, peer pro-cigarette norms, depression, low cigarette refusal self-efficacy, and frequent alcohol use. Suggestions for future research are indicated. Keywords: predictors; cigarette initiation; inclusion criteria; standardized analytic techniques
Long-term follow-up of giant nodular posterior scleritis simulating choroidal melanoma.

A 41-year-old asymptomatic woman was referred for enucleation of a 7.5-mm-thick intraocular tumor suspected to be choroidal melanoma. The clinical findings combined with imaging studies suggested instead a diagnosis of giant nodular posterior scleritis. A scleral biopsy was performed to confirm the diagnosis. After 12 years of observation, the lesion has remained stable and visual acuity has been preserved. Nodular posterior scleritis can present with no symptoms of pain, redness, or visual disturbance and can remain quiet for many years. It must be clinically differentiated from choroidal melanoma.
Aerosol Generation from the Sanding, Cutting, and Breaking of Floor Tiles

Various types of floor tile were tested in a controlled and isolated environment to determine quantitatively the wear rate and size characteristics of material generated from floor tile during operations of sanding, cutting, and breaking. Size characteristics were determined for the aerosolized fractions as well as the settled material worn from the tile surface. In addition to the vinyl composition tile, tests were also conducted with floor tile containing various amounts of glass fiber and sodium phosphate fibers. The tests were conducted in a specially designed glove box which allowed complete sampling and fractionization of the generated aerosol. Due to good measurement repeatability, aerosol generation differences from the various flooring types were determinable. A Frick-Taber accelerated wear machine was employed to establish comparative wear rates of the different flooring materials. Test results were repeatable and measured relative wear rates correlate well with published measurements. Results indicate that the presence of up to 13% glass fibers or phosphate fibers in the tile does not improve the tile's wear characteristics or significantly alter the size distribution of the generated material. Although asbestos-containing floor tile was not tested in this study, results from the simulant fiber tile tests may enable prediction of the behavior of vinyl-asbestos tile under the influence of similar wear mechanisms.
Frequency-dependent seismic attenuation in the inner core 1. A viscoelastic interpretation

[1] Using reference source time functions, broadband velocity waveforms of PKIKP in the distance range 150–180° are inverted for a viscoelastic model of inner core attenuation. A mean Qα at 1 Hz of 307 ± 90 is determined from 345 available PKIKP ray paths. Both global and regional results find a depth-dependent attenuation in the deep inner core, with anisotropic attenuation resolved in regional results. Attenuation is much stronger in the upper 300 km of the inner core. The preferred model of viscoelastic attenuation is frequency dependent, with very weak velocity dispersion. Our data do not resolve any hemispherical differences of attenuation in the deep inner core.
Tuned emission from organic light emitting devices based upon divalent osmium complexes.

Abstract Electrophosphorescence tuned from the green to red (522 nm  650 nm) was achieved from double-layer light emitting devices using osmium (Os) complexes doped blend of either poly(vinylcarbazole) and 2-tert-butylphenyl-5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PVK:PBD), or poly(vinyl naphthalene) and 2-tert-butylphenyl-5-biphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PVN:PBD) as the emitting layer. Blending PVN with PBD greatly suppresses the electromer emission of PVN. The PVN:PBD blend emanates a short wavelength EL emission peaking at around 375 nm, which well overlaps with the absorption spectra of the Os complexes and ensures very effi cient energy transfer to the Os complex dopants. PVK:PBD has an EL emission around 450 nm which does not overlap the absorption bands of the osmium complexes and also produces devices of lower efficiency, but PVK is a better transport layer and therefore produces brighter devices. The best external quantum efficiency of the double-layer devices was 2.2%, with a photometric efficiency of 1.9 cd/A. The brightest device achieved was 1,600 cd/m
Compleximetric determination of calcium in impure calcium carbonate and limestone

Abstract Calcium is determined in impure calcium carbonate and limestone samples by titrating with 0.01 M disodium EGTA at pH 12 in the presence of at least 0.6 mg of magnesium and a maximum of 500 μg of iron(III), using a pH 12.5 sodium hydroxide-potassium cyanide-sodium sulfide buffer and Calcon indicator. The results of such titrations are compared with those obtained by titrating at pH 10 the calcium perchlorate solutions derived from calcium oxalate, and with those of a modified LEWIS AND MELNICK method. The results for magnesium (% MgO) obtained by difference are in fair agreement. Magnesium can be titrated compleximetrically as magnesium perchlorate, but the reagent blank must be determined.
Ontogeny and localization of gamma-crystallins in Rana temporaria, Ambystoma mexicanum and Pleurodeles waltlii normal lens development

Rana pipiens lens γ-crystallin antibodies were used in the indirect immunofluorescence staining method to investigate the role of γ-crystallins in the normal lens development of the amphibians Rana temporaria, Ambystoma mexicanum and Pleurodeles waltlii Michah. In each case, the fluorescence was first localized in a number of cells in the inner wall of the lens, which was in the vesicle stage. With further differentiation, the intensity of immunofluorescence gradually increased and was restricted only to the fibre cells. These results support the concept that, though the γ-crystallins of different amphibian species studied so far show different numbers of protein components by thin layer isoelectric focusing on polyacrylamide gel, they all have similar immunological properties, and are specific for the lens fibre differentiation.
Mapping Hawking into Unruh thermal properties

By globally embedding curved spaces into higher dimensional flat ones, we show that Hawking thermal properties map into their Unruh equivalents: The relevant curved space detectors become Rindler ones, whose temperature and entropy reproduce the originals. Specific illustrations include Schwarzschild, Schwarzschild–(anti-)de Sitter, Reissner-Nordstrom, and Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli spaces.
Rate constant measurements for the reaction Cl + CH2O yields HCl + CHO Implications regarding the removal of stratospheric chlorine

The flash photolysis resonance fluorescence technique was employed to investigate the rate constant for the reaction Cl + CH2O yields HCl + CHO from 223 to 323 K. An Arrhenius fit of the data gives a rate constant equal to (1.09 + or - 0.40) x 10 to the -10th exp/-(131 + or - 98)/T/ in units of cu cm/molecule per sec. The results are compared to two very recent kinetic studies and are assessed in view of the reaction's role in disrupting the Cl-ClO stratospheric ozone depletion chain.
Diabetes reduces right atrial β-adrenergic signaling but not agonist stimulation of heart rate in swine

This study assessed the effects of streptozotocin diabetes in swine on the heart rate response to beta-adrenergic stimulation the adenylyl cyclase signal transduction pathway. Diabetic animals (n = 9) were hyperglycemic compared to the control group (n = 10) (12.6 +/- 1.0 vs. 3.53 +/- 0.29 mM). There were no significant differences between the diabetic and nondiabetic groups in the heart rate response to isoproterenol, however, there was a significant reduction (14%) in beta-adrenergic receptor density in the right atrium in the diabetic (61 +/- 3 fmol/mg protein) versus the nondiabetic group (71 +/- 3) (P < 0.05). The content of guanosine triphosphate binding regulatory proteins (Gs and Gi) in the right atrium was not affected by diabetes, nor was adenylyl cyclase activity under unstimulated conditions or with receptor-dependent stimulation with isoproterenol. On the other hand, adenylyl cyclase activity was 34% lower when directly stimulated with forskolin, and it was reduced by 23% when stimulated through Gs with Gpp(NH)p. In conclusion, beta-adrenergic stimulation of heart rate with isoproteronol and the receptor-dependent signal transduction pathway remained intact in the right atrium of diabetic swine despite reduced beta-adrenergic receptor density, G-protein content, and direct stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity.
Preoperative localization of insulinomas is not necessary.

Abstract Background: Insulinomas are infrequent but are important to recognize and surgically remove. Several diagnostic tests have been used to increase the chances of operative success. The value of preoperative testing for insulinomas is the subject of this review. Study Design: All patients treated at the Cleveland Clinic for insulinoma between 1985 and 1995 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had biochemical evidence of primary hyperinsulinemia. Results: There were 21 patients, 10 men and 11 women, with a median age of 58 years. Eighteen patients (85%) had a single insulinoma, two patients (10%) had multiple insulinomas, and one patient (5%) had nesidioblastosis. In addition, two patients (10%) had malignant insulinoma. A total of 13 patients (62%) had successful preoperative localization of their tumors, and all of these were found during exploration either by the surgeon (12 patients) or by intraoperative ultrasonography (1 patient). The remaining eight patients (38%) did not have their lesion localized by preoperative tests. In seven patients these tumors were found at operation, three by the surgeon and four by intraoperative ultrasonography. One patient failed preoperative and intraoperative localization and was later diagnosed with nesidioblastosis. Enucleation was performed in 13 patients and distal pancreatectomy in 7; the patient with nesidioblastosis had a negative laparotomy and a subsequent distal pancreatectomy. The mortality and morbidity rates were 0% and 14%, respectively. Only two patients, including the patient with nesidioblastosis, remained symptomatic after operation. Conclusions: The diagnosis of an insulinoma does not require extensive localization studies before operation. The combination of surgical exploration and intraoperative ultrasonography identified more than 90% of insulinomas. When technically feasible, enucleation is curative and can be accomplished with low morbidity.
A Facet Analysis Approach to Content and Construct Validity

The major purpose of the study was to demonstrate the utility of Guttman's facet analysis in serving as a methodological approach for instrument development and validation. A Likert-type survey for measuring college students' attitudes toward alcohol was the vehicle for the demonstration. Guttman's facet analysis was used to construct items according to a carefully designed mapping sentence which specified the basic attitude components of interest to the study. Namely, four basic facets were hypothesized to underlie students' attitudes toward alcohol use. Likert-type survey items were written to match all combinations of the elements of the hypothesized facets in an attempt to sample the content domain representatively. These efforts, as well as an interjudge agreement process, were undertaken to address issues of content and construct validity during instrument construction. The survey was administered to a sample of college students (n = 1049). The coefficient alpha reliability estimate was found to be ...
Quantitation of intracellular concentration of a delivered morpholino oligomer by capillary electrophoresis-laser- induced fluorescence: correlation with upregulation of luciferase gene expression.

Antisense oligonucleotides have shown great promise over the past several years as viable drugs to combat various forms of cancer and viral diseases. However, quantitative detection to monitor cellular association is difficult using conventional methods such as radiolabeling of the oligonucleotide or fluorescence confocal microscopy. In this paper quantitation of intracellular concentration of the morpholino oligonucleotide is investigated using capillary electrophoresis coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). HeLa cells, which produce luciferase as the antisense oligomer enters the cell, were scrape-loaded with varying concentrations of the morpholino antisense. The intracellular antisense concentration measured by CE-LIF was found to correlate with those obtained with the cellular functional assay based on upregulation of luciferase. Intracellular concentrations of the antisense were found to be in the range of 6 to 29 nmol/g total cell protein, depending on the amounts that were scrape-loaded. To our best knowledge, this is the first reported quantitative correlation between delivered antisense concentration in a cell extract and the subsequent antisense upregulation of gene expression.
Milankovitch Cycles in electrical resistivity logs from the Toa Baja Scientific Drillhole, Puerto Rico

Milankovitch cycles in the upper part of the Toa Baja drillhole, detected by geophysical logs, are used to estimate sedimentation rates, and to localize the depths at which sedimentation rate changes occur. The log-derived age information is then combined with reference dates from palaeontological data and the “Vail” global sea-level curve to build a detailed record of the chronology of the upper stratigraphic sequence in the well.
Generalized F Test and Generalized Deviance Test in Two-Way ANOVA Models for Randomized Trials

We consider the problem of detecting treatment effects in a randomized trial in the presence of an additional covariate. By reexpressing a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) model in a logistic regression framework, we derive generalized F tests and generalized deviance tests, which provide better power in detecting common location-scale changes of treatment outcomes than the classical F test. The null distributions of the test statistics are independent of the nuisance parameters in the models, so the critical values can be easily determined by Monte Carlo methods. We use simulation studies to demonstrate how the proposed tests perform compared with the classical F test. We also use data from a clinical study to illustrate possible savings in sample sizes.
Synaptic Plasticity, a Symphony in GEF

Dendritic spines are the postsynaptic sites for the majority of excitatory synapses in the mammalian forebrain. While many spines display great stability, others change shape in a matter of seconds to minutes. These rapid alterations in dendritic spine number and size require tight control of the actin cytoskeleton, the main structural component of dendritic spines. The ability of neurons to alter spine number and size is essential for the expression of neuronal plasticity. Within spines, guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) act as critical regulators of the actin cytoskeleton by controlling the activity of Rho-GTPases. In this review, we focus on the Rho-GEFs expressed in the nucleus accumbens and localized to the postsynaptic density and, thus, positioned to effect rapid alterations in the structure of dendritic spines. We review literature that ties these GEFs to different receptor systems and intracellular signaling cascades and discuss the effects these interactions are likely to have on synapt...
Fokker-Planck theory of spin-torque switching: effective energy and transition-state rate theory

A number of devices have been proposed and synthesized that exploit the spin torque effect. These systems are most straightforward to analyze in the absence of thermal effects. However, thermal effects are very important for the understanding of many experimental results, and for the design of devices. In spin torque MRAM, for example, although the very high-current behavior can be modeled without including thermal fluctuations, switching with currents low enough to be practical has a strong thermal component. Another example is the spin torque oscillator, whose usefulness in devices depends on its linewidth, which is strongly affected by thermal fluctuations. The statistical theory of spin torque systems has previously been worked out 1 using the Fokker- Planck equation, which describes the time evolution of the probability density ρ(M). In this paper we formulate the theory in terms of an effective energy, which has the advantage that the exact solution for the probability density has the familiar form exp(-VE eff / k Β Τ ) in terms of the effective energy. We also generalize Eyring's 1935 transition state theory of rates to the spin torque case; it appears that in many practical cases this is a very good approximation.
Structural and oxidative enzyme characteristics of the diaphragm.

During exercise, the horse can achieve oxygen uptakes and ventilations in excess of 200 ml/kg/min and 1800 l/min, respectively. Whether the diaphragm has the capacity to contribute substantially to inspiratory effort in the exercising horse is not known. To investigate the potential for the horse diaphragm to generate tension, lung displacement and sustain ventilatory function, we measured diaphragm thickness, muscle length and oxidative enzyme activity (citrate synthase) within the ventral, medial and dorsal costal and crural diaphragm. In the diaphragms of 6 mature horses (5 Thoroughbreds, one Quarter Horse; body mass (mean +/- s.e.) 475 +/- 14 kg, age 4 +/- 1 years), the mass of the freshly-excised diaphragm was 4.54 +/- 0.19 kg of which 79% was the costal diaphragm, 17% the crural diaphragm and 4% the central tendon. The medial costal region (2.1 +/- 0.1 cm) was significantly thicker (P 3.2 +/- 0.3 cm, P<0.05) than any costal diaphragm region. With respect to the costal diaphragm, excised muscle length was greatest (P<0.05) in the medial costal (17.2 +/- 1.0 cm) than either the ventral costal (<12.6 +/- 1.5 cm) or dorsal costal (<13.9 +/- 1.8 cm) regions and therefore the medial region would be expected to exhibit the greatest absolute length change on inspiration. Citrate synthase activity was high throughout the diaphragm (40.8 +/- 113 to 55.3 +/- 9.7 micromol/g/min), but was not significantly different among regions. These structural characteristics and the oxidative potential of the horse diaphragm are consistent with the diaphragm providing a significant and substantial contribution to the inspiratory effort during exercise in the horse. Consequently, clinical and physiological investigations of exercise performance should not ignore the potentially crucial importance of the diaphragm.
Rapid Quantitation from Inhomogeneously Broadened EPR Spectra by a Fast Convolution Algorithm

Abstract An inhomogeneous lineshape model based on a convolution of Gaussian and Lorentzian functions is very common in EPR spectroscopy. For convenience, the convolution integral often is approximated by a sum of Gaussian and Lorentzian functions. A more accurate and general approach to linewidth simulation and fitting by use of a fast convolution algorithm is described. A Levenberg-Marquardt method is applied in the multidimensional optimization of simulation parameters. The partial-derivative matrix required for the Levenberg-Marquardt procedure is calculated without digital differentiation. To account for a microwave shift observed in 94 and 1.1 GHz EPR experiments, a dispersion parameter is included in the fitting function. All fitting parameters, including Lorentzian and Gaussian components to the linewidth, microwave phase shift, resonance position, and intensity, are extracted from experimental spectra directly. A fixed and/or variable superhyperfine pattern (or envelope function) may be included in the fitting procedure without a significant increase in computational time. Three examples of this technique are shown: extraction of Lorentzian broadening for a nitroxide EPR spectrum at various oxygen concentrations, penetration of a 1.1 GHz microwave field into a lossy dielectric sample, and processing of a mixed absorption-dispersion nitroxide 94 GHz EPR spectrum in the fast-motion limit.