cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
3. The Search to Be Human in Dangling Man

Bellow’s first novel, Dangling Man (1944), is about a man named Joseph who does not know how to integrate himself in American life without losing the spiritual value of his isolation from society. Influenced by the current milieu of the time of modernism and existentialism, Bellow presents an alienated hero who seeks to find meaning in a hostile environment. 1 Written as a diary, the novel’s principal audience is himself as he details the life of a young man who believes that spiritual enlightenment can be obtained by isolating himself from society in order to study the thinkers of the Enlightenment. As the months pass, Joseph erupts into anti-social behavior, quarrels with his friends and relatives, and succumbs to outbursts of paranoia and violent behavior. At the end of the novel he admits that his experiment has been a failure and that his search for meaning cannot be conducted in this manner. Reduced to the same common physical, social, and historical denominator as everyone else, Joseph joins the Army to live a life of regular hours and regimentation. Initial reviews of the novel were positive and focused on the theme of Joseph’s alienation from society: a “dangling hero” who faces the disillusionment of his age. 2 Subsequent criticisms have explored Joseph representing an alternate set of values for the modern age with his attempts to subvert the idea of an objective reality subscribed by collective assent. 3 Other critics have looked at how the work is a continuation of the European form of the novel or how it is a metaphor of America recovering from the Great Depression and World War II. 4 However, I want to focus on a theme that Joseph Baim raises in his criticism where he argues that Dangling Man should be conceived as a struggle between reason and nihilism with neither succeeding when the protagonist has an ultimate breakthrough in intuitive experience. 5 Continuing this theme of Baim’s, I will argue that Joseph’s search for spiritual fulfillment, to be “human” in the present age, unfortunately fails because, although he finally understands the gratuitous nature of life, he remains trapped within his own rationality and ultimately cannot escape from it – a legacy from his studies of the Enlightenment. The theme of the novel is recorded in the two interviews that Joseph has with his alter ego, whom he calls Tu As Raison Aussi. In these sessions, Joseph denies it is impossible to be “human” in the present age, although the present is not as bad as it has been made out to be: “It’s too easy to abjure it or detest it. Too narrow. Too cowardly.” 6 However, the “ideal constructions” of the past, noble characters like “the Humanistic full man, the courtly lover, the knight, the ecclesiastic,” can no longer serve as useful archetypes to guide people like Joseph in the present age (102). Ideal constructions are a product of belief and are sustainable only with the conviction that it is part of an enduring reality. To lose such a belief is to ask “what of the gap between the ideal construction and the real world, the truth?” (102). No answer is provided to Joseph. The
Mechanisms of question intonation in mandarin

This study investigates mechanisms of question intonation in Mandarin Chinese. Three mechanisms of question intonation have been proposed: an overall higher phrase curve, higher strengths of sentence final tones, and a tone-dependent mechanism that flattens the falling slope of the final falling tone and steepens the rising slope of the final rising tone. The phrase curve and strength mechanisms were revealed by a computational modeling study and verified by the acoustic analyses as well as the perception experiments. The tone-dependent mechanism was suggested by a result from the perceptual study: question intonation is easier to identify if the sentence-final tone is falling whereas it is harder to identify if the sentence-final tone is rising, and was revealed by the acoustic analyses on the final Tone2 and Tone4.
The Two Forms of the Imidazole Hemochrome of Heme a A NEW MODEL FOR CYTOCHROME a

Abstract Two forms of the imidazole hemochrome of heme a have been found. One of these, referred to as the weakly interacting form, has typical hemochrome spectra and properties, but the other, the strongly interacting form, is abnormal. The latter form does not react with sodium borohydride or carbon monoxide, but these reactivities may be restored by treatment with sodium dodecyl sulfate. The two forms exist as a mixture, and are interconvertible under the proper conditions. Complete conversion to the weakly interacting form can be attained, but not complete conversion to the other form. Heme-heme interaction is held to be responsible for these unusual properties. The ferrous absorption bands of the weakly interacting form are at 591, 513, and 437 mµ, while those of the strongly interacting form are at 594, 513, and 453 mµ. The strongly interacting form is proposed as a new model for cytochrome a.
Potential seasonal predictability: Comparison between empirical and dynamical model estimates

[1] Methods for estimating potential seasonal predictability from a single realization of daily data are validated against an ensemble of simulations from an atmospheric model driven by observed sea surface temperature, sea ice extent, and greenhouse gas concentration. The methods give surprisingly good estimates of potential predictability of seasonal precipitation despite the fact that the methods assume Gaussian distributions. For temperature, the methods systematically underestimate weather noise variance over land, often by a factor of 2 or more. This bias can be reduced by taking account of precipitation-induced variability. These conclusions may be model dependent, and hence, confirmation in other models would be of interest. Nevertheless, for the state-of-the-art atmospheric model used in this study, the results strongly support the validity of the single time series approach to estimating potential predictability and enhances our confidence in previous estimates of potential predictability based on observations alone.
Anti-tumor activity of the heterocyclic hydrazones (HCHs), A new class of experimental antitumor agent

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4732 Heterocyclic hydrazone derivatives reported hereby are structurally derives from alpha-(N)-heteroaromatic thiosemicarbazones (TSC). This new class of experimental antitumor agent was proven to be potent cytotoxic agents against murine and human tumor cell lines. In the present study, we have investigated 13 analogues from three series of HCHs (EPH52, EPH116, EPH135, EPH136, EPH278, EPH279, EPH280, EPH286, EPH289, EPH349, EPH350, EPH351, EPH369) by measuring in vitro anti-proliferative activity and in vivo antitumor efficacies. In vitro, these compounds showed excellent activity against a panel of murine and human tumor cell lines, including H460 human lung carcinoma, HT29 human colon carcinoma, and L1210 murine leukemia. The IC50 values of these compounds were less than 1.0 μM. These compounds also significantly inhibited the growth of H460, HT29, C8161 human melanoma, DLD-human colon carcinoma, and B16-F10 murine melanoma implanted in mice. The inhibitory effects on the growth of solid tumors varied from compound to compound, ranging from 40% to 80% over doses of 10 mg/kg to 60 mg/kg. In order to understand the mechanisms of action, three compounds (EPH278, EPH349, and EPH369) selected from three series were investigated more extensively with cellular and biochemical assays. Although the target has not been fully identified, it is possible that EPH278, EPH349, and EPH369 inhibit cell proliferation by blocking cell growth in the G0/G1 growth phase and leading to cell death by apoptosis. Our results also show that HCH compounds cause a reduction in CDK4 expression, leading to a G1 arrest in cell-cycle progression.
One-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Publisher Summary Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) is an excellent method to identify and monitor proteins during purification and to assess the homogeneity of purified fractions. The movements of the particles are retarded by interactions with the surrounding gel matrix, which acts as a molecular sieve. The opposing interactions of the electrical force and molecular sieving result in differential migration rates for the constituent proteins of a sample. SDS–PAGE overcomes the limitations of native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) by imposing uniform hydrodynamic and charge characteristics on all the proteins in a sample mixture. During sample preparation, proteins are treated with hot sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The anionic detergent binds tightly to most proteins at about 1.4 mg of SDS/mg of protein, imparting a negative charge to the resultant complexes. Most electrophoresis is done in vertical chambers in gel slabs formed between two glass plates. The slab format provides uniformity, so that different samples can be directly compared in the same gel.
Deficiency of Actinin-Associated LIM Protein Alters Regional Right Ventricular Function and Hypertrophic Remodeling

Targeted deletion of actinin-associated LIM protein (ALP) in mice leads to right ventricular (RV) dysplasia and a mild RV cardiomyopathy. Although the phenotype has been thoroughly characterized, the mechanisms leading from the cytoskeletal defect to the disease are unclear. We hypothesized that ALP deficiency may be associated with (1) changes in regional systolic dysfunction and (2) regional dysregulation of hypertrophic growth, in accordance with the restricted expression of ALP in the outflow tract of the RV. We examined RV regional epicardial systolic strains with respect to end-diastole in ALP knockout (ALPKO) mice and wild-type controls using an open-chest preparation. Strain components were consistently lower in the ALPKO mice than wild-type controls (second principal strain E2: p = 0.05). RV pressure was slightly but not significantly lower in ALPKO mice as well. To assess regional growth, geometric remodeling was analyzed in ALPKO and wild-type mice after 4 weeks of chronic hypoxia (11% oxygen). The average amount of RV wall thickening in response to hypoxia was reduced to 11% in the ALPKO mice compared with 44% in the wild-type controls. In summary, the results are consistent with the view that disruption of ALP is associated with diminished RV contractile function as well as altered hypertrophic remodeling.
Neighborhood Environmental Satisfaction, Victimization, and Social Participation as Determinants of Perceived Neighborhood Safety

This research examines the effect of overall neighborhood satisfac-tion, victimization, and social participation on perceived neighborhood safety. It systematically tests the relative importance of...
Swords to plowshares: Shock wave applications to advanced lithography

Abstract E xtreme U ltra V iolet L ithography (EUVL) seeks to apply radiation in a wavelength region centered near 13 nm to produce microcircuits having feature sizes 0.1 micron or less. A critical requirement for the commercial application of this technology is the development of an economical, compact source of this radiation which is suitable for lithographic applications. A good candidate is a laser-plasma source, which is generated by the interaction of an intermediate intensity laser pulse (up to 1012 W/cm2) with a metallic target. While such a source has radiative characteristics which satisfy the needs of an EUVL source, the debris generated during the laser-target interaction strikes at the economy of the source. Here, we review the use of concepts and computer modeling, originally developed for hypervelocity impact analysis, to study this problem.
Effect of native and exotic leaf litter on macroinvertebrate communities and decomposition in a western Montana stream.

Invasion by exotic trees into riparian areas has the potential to impact terrestrial and aquatic systems. To test the effect of different streamside tree species on the aquatic food web in a stream in Montana, we compared decomposition rates of leaf litter and invertebrate assemblages associated with the leaf litter of the exotic Acer platanoides and the dominant native Populus trichocarpa trees. Macroinvertebrate family richness, evenness, and diversity increased with days of aquatic processing; however, there was no effect of leaf species. Leaves of the A. platanoides were associated with 70% greater density of macroinvertebrates of the family Nemouridae. This family consists primarily of detritivores and had the greatest overall density and frequency of occurrence relative to other macroinvertebrate families. The density of a family of predatory macroinvertebrates (Rhyacophilidae) was also generally (73%) greater in association with A. platanoides than P. trichocarpa leaves. The density of Ephemerellidae and Rhyacophilidae increased over time. In contrast to studies comparing leaves of exotic vs. native trees, we observed no difference in leaf decomposition rates; however, the amount of leaf inputs are likely to differ between native and invaded forests. The results indicate that replacement of native riparian trees with exotics affected the most common family of macroinvertebrates and possibly a common family of predatory macroinvertebrates (Rhyacophilidae), which may affect the detrital food web.
Infants’ and Toddlers’ Television Viewing and Language Outcomes

Viewing data were reported every 3 months beginning at 6 months of age by the parents of 51 infants and toddlers. Viewing logs were coded for program, content, and intended audience. Using hierarch...
Collisional excitation of rotation for a three-dimensional diatomic oscillator☆

S-matrix elements for rotational excitation have been calculated in a close coupling scheme which includes excited vibrational states. It is found that the rigid rotor approximation is not entirely justified and that only near rotational states need be included.
Public Art: Thinking Museums Differently

Chapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 1. The Experiential Museum Chapter 3 2. The Private, the Non-private, and the Public Chapter 4 3. Public Art: History and Meaning Chapter 5 4. Innovation in Public Art Chapter 6 5. Fitting Old Museums to a New Paradigm Chapter 7 6. Why a New Paradigm? Chapter 8 7. Conclusion
A biphasic response of platelets to serotonin.

Serotonin is a powerful inducer of platelet aggregation and is known to be capable of triggering the release of endogenous platelet ADP, serotonin and catecholamines. A second wave of clumping inevitably develops after platelet release is stimulated by exogenous ADP, thrombin and epinephrine, but a biphasic reaction consistent with release has not been observed in previous nephalometric studies of serotonin induced aggregation. The present study indicates that serotonin does produce a biphasic response in some samples of normal C-PRP. A double wave was observed in plasmas from five adult females, one adult male, and one child out of thirty-three individuals studied. Electron microscopic evaluation of samples obtained from the serotonin induced first and second waves revealed changes consistent with aggregometer tracings and with sequential alterations observed during the biphasic response of platelets to other aggregating agents.
Rapid Expansion of Supercritical Solution with Solid Cosolvent (RESS−SC) Process: Formation of Griseofulvin Nanoparticles

In the conventional RESS process, a supercritical solution is rapidly expanded through a nozzle to precipitate the solute as microparticles. The modeling of RESS has shown that the precipitated par...
Strategies for Identifying Research Topic in Educational Measurement

How might a novice researcher go about setting a research agenda? What are the most productive avenues for generating research questions? What areas of educational measurement currently seem most promising?
Osteogenesis imperfecta: effect of magnesium administration on pyrophosphate metabolism.

The bone collagen of human osteogenesis imperfecta is a potent inhibitor ofin vitro calcification. The inhibition was removed by treatment of the collagen with pyrophosphate in the presence of magnesium ions. Elevated levels of serum and urinary inorganic pyrophosphate were found in 28 patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. Oral administration of magnesium oxide or magnesium sulfate to four of these patients significantly reduced their serum and urinary levels of pyrophosphate.
Effect of Sizing Wax on Tensile Properties, Abrasion Resistance, and Weaving Performance of Polyester/Cotton Yarn Sized with Polyvinyl Alcohol

A comparison is made of tensile and abrasive properties and weaving performance of polyester/cotton yams sized with polyvinyl alcohol with and without wax in the size formulation. Waxy lubricants are usually present in size formulations for spun yams. Wax enhances size application by reducing the tendency of the size to stick to drying cylinders, lowering the force necessary to split the yams at the lease rods, and defoaming the formulation. Wax is often difficult and costly to remove from fabrics in finishing, however, which raises manufacturing costs and lowers fabric quality. Wax also reduces the strength of the size film, adhesion of the size to the fibers and, con sequently, the resistance to abrasion of the yam. Since sized yam must have at least a minimum level of abrasion resistance in order to be woven successfully, a higher size add-on level is necessary when wax is present in the size formulation.
The accelerator mass spectrometry facility at the University of Washington: Current status and an application to the 14C profile of a tree ring

The University of Washington accelerator mass spectrometry system, based upon a Model FN tandem accelerator, is described. Preliminary data on 14C in thin sequential sections of a single Sitka spruce annual ring (1963) are presented; the 14C profile reflects the dramatic nuclear-weapons-induced changes in atmospheric 14C observed for 1963.
Newtonian flow over a stationary body in unsteady flow.

The equations governing either two-dimensional or axisymmetric, unsteady hypersonic flow over a stationary body are developed on the hypothesis of a thin shock layer. These approximate equations are integrated to obtain a formal generalization of the NewtonBusemann formula for the pressure on the body. It is found that, just as in steady flow, tangential velocity, mass flux, and entropy are conserved by fluid particles within the shock layer; however, retarded-time effects render specific applications more complicated.
Effect of 3D grain structure representation in polycrystal simulations

Simulation results from finite element models using two types of 3D polycrystal geometric representations, one with a voxel representation and stair-stepped grain boundaries and the other with smooth grain boundaries, are compared. Both models start with a periodic grain structure representation, which is in the form of a regular, rectangular 3D array of points, where each point is assigned an orientation. The voxel representation is obtained by simply sampling the array of grid points on a coarser regular grid with a prescribed resolution and forming a voxel centered at each grid point, which is assigned the grain orientation from the sampled grid point. The voxel representation may be meshed directly by decomposing each voxel into finite elements. In the second case, a method is presented that extracts geometric topology information for a grain structure with smooth, flat grain boundaries from the discrete grain structure representation. From the geometric topology information, a finite element mesh is created. The two representations are then subjected to large strain deformations, and the simulation results and efficiencies are compared. The macroscopic behavior, overall texture evolution, and statistical distribution of stress and slip are found to be nearly identical for both models. However, noticeable differences are observed in the misorientation distribution within grains and the smoothness of the stress field. The voxel representation is found to be more efficient because of the uniform finite element mesh.
Electronic structure and local atomic configurations of flat and stepped (111) surfaces of Ni and Cu

Results of self-consistent linear-combination-of-atomic-orbitals calculations for ideal and stepped (111) surfaces of Ni and Cu are presented. They are related to catalytic activity by a simple physical picture. The d band is decomposed into a ''local'' d band at each site. The width, position, and occupancy of this local d band show simple trends as a function of site coordination. For Ni (and similarly, for Pt) sites of highest coordination tend to be the most active sites on a surface, provided they are accessible to adsorbate molecules. Copper shows little activity, regardless of site coordination.
Modeling the effects of changing issue salience in two-party competition

For a given distribution of voter ideal points, candidates may compete, not only by changing their policy platforms, but also by seeking to persuade voters to place more weight on one of the given dimensions. We do not examine persuasion mechanisms, per se, but, rather, investigate how change of the salience weights can lead to alternation of majorities for the candidates, even though candidate positions remain fixed. Thus, competition over the salience of issue dimensions can, under certain circumstances, be crucial for determining election outcomes. We illustrate potential non-monotonicities in priming effects in terms of the Fourier series decomposition of the distribution of voter preferences, showing that the existence of higher-level harmonics leads to greater uncertainty about election outcomes and about best heresthetic strategies. We then demonstrate the empirical relevance of our results with data on two issue dimensions of political competition in the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
Infection Control Rate of Irrigation and Débridement for Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Background Irrigation and debridement with retention of prosthesis is commonly performed for periprosthetic joint infection. Infection control is reportedly dependent on timing of irrigation and debridement relative to the index procedure.
Consequences of smoking and caffeine consumption during pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes

Objective: To test the hypothesis that, in women with type 1 diabetes, prenatal smoking and caffeine consumption during pregnancy are associated with an increased risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes.Methods: A secondary analysis of data on pregnant women with type 1 diabetes from an interdisciplinary program of Diabetes in Pregnancy. Women were interviewed monthly, by a trained non-medical member of the research team, using a standardized questionnaire, to ascertain daily smoking habits and caffeine consumption.Results: Smoking and caffeine information were available on 191 pregnancies, 168 progressing beyond 20 weeks of gestation. Early pregnancy smoking (OR 3.3, 95% CI 1.2, 8.7) and caffeine consumption (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.2, 16.8) were associated with increased risk of spontaneous abortion when controlling for age, years since diagnosis of diabetes, previous spontaneous abortion, nephropathy and retinopathy. Smoking throughout pregnancy was significantly associated with decreased birth weight...
Response To Miller On Industrial Sociology

(1984). Response To Miller On Industrial Sociology. The Sociological Quarterly: Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 267-271.
Crystal structure of the heterotrimer core of Saccharomyces cerevisiae AMPK homologue SNF1.

AMP-activated protein kinase is a central regulator of energy homeostasis in mammals, and the Saccharomyces cerevisiae homologue SNF1 is essential for responses to nutrient starvation. This structure reveals features such as the ligand-binding site in the γ-subunit, the carbohydrate-binding domain in the β-subunit and a regulatory sequence in the α-subunit. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a central regulator of energy homeostasis in mammals and is an attractive target for drug discovery against diabetes, obesity and other diseases1,2,3,4,5. The AMPK homologue in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known as SNF1, is essential for responses to glucose starvation as well as for other cellular processes, although SNF1 seems to be activated by a ligand other than AMP1,6,7,8. Here we report the crystal structure at 2.6 A resolution of the heterotrimer core of SNF1. The ligand-binding site in the γ-subunit (Snf4) has clear structural differences from that of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe enzyme9, although our crystallographic data indicate that AMP can also bind to Snf4. The glycogen-binding domain in the β-subunit (Sip2) interacts with Snf4 in the heterotrimer but should still be able to bind carbohydrates10,11,12,13. Our structure is supported by a large body of biochemical and genetic data on this complex1,6,7,8,14,15,16,17,18. Most significantly, the structure reveals that part of the regulatory sequence in the α-subunit (Snf1)15,16,18,19 is sequestered by Snf4, demonstrating a direct interaction between the α- and γ-subunits and indicating that our structure may represent the heterotrimer core of SNF1 in its activated state.
Teaching medication compliance to psychiatric residents: placing an orphan topic into a training curriculum.

Medication compliance is an orphan topic. Training in the understanding and management of noncompliance does not neatly fall within the domain of psychopharmacology, nor does it clearly fit into other core curricula areas, such as clinical interviewing or psychotherapy training. The objective of this article is to increase awareness about this vagueness among academic psychiatrists and to offer a suggested curriculum to facilitate implementation. The authors present a curriculum covering major aspects of the theory and practice of compliance. The proposed curriculum is divided into five core components that can be used together or separately. These components are: 1) definition of compliance and noncompliance; 2) understanding how compliance depends on efficacy; 3) assessment of compliance and noncompliance; 4) the importance of the therapeutic alliance; and 5) pharmacological and psychosocial strategies to improve compliance. These five sections can be modified into specific lectures that are added to ongoing psychopharmacology, psychiatric interviewing or psychotherapy courses. A careful review of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN) core curriculum found no mention of medication compliance/adherence as a specific training goal, and our residency program like many others did not have a specific course that focused on this issue. To address this omission, the authors designed and taught a five-session course for PGY-III and PGY-IV psychiatry residents that specifically addressed assessment and management of noncompliance. It was piloted in the 2003–2004 academic year. The course was very well received and formed the basis of this material presented in this review and discussion. The principles of understanding, assessing, and managing medication compliance should be a part of the core curriculum for every psychiatric residency training program.
Evidence for the synthesis of tubulin on membrane-bound and free ribosomes from rat forebrain.

Abstract Evidence is presented that tubulin is synthesized in cell-free systems derived from rat forebrain containing either membrane-bound or free ribosomes. Both systems were supplemented with saturating amounts of messenger RNA (from either membrane-bound or free ribosomes) and soluble enzyme and initiation factors from whole forebrain. Synthesized products were characterized by two biochemical purification methods for brain tubulin isolation. These methods of tubulin analysis indicated that both cell free systems synthesized the same relative amounts of tubulin.
Abstract 2480: Ubiquitination of p53 by Trim39

Trim39 is a RING domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligase able to directly inhibit the anaphase promoting complex (APC/C). Through analysis of Trim39 function in p53-positive and p53-negative cells we have found, surprisingly, that p53-positive cells lacking Trim39 could not traverse the G1/S transition. This effect did not result from dis-inhibition of the APC/C. Moreover, while Trim39 loss inhibited etoposide-induced apoptosis in p53-negative cells, apoptosis was enhanced by Trim39 knock-down in p53-positive cells. Furthermore, we show here that the Trim39 can directly bind and ubiquitylate p53 in vitro and in vivo, leading to p53 degradation. Depletion of Trim39 significantly increased p53 protein levels and cell growth retardation in multiple cell lines. We found that the relative importance of Trim39 and the well-characterized p53-directed E3 ligase, MDM2, varied between cell types. In cells that were relatively insensitive to the MDM2 inhibitor, nutlin-3a, apoptosis could be markedly enhanced by siRNA directed against Trim39. As such, Trim39 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in tumors with wild type p53 when MDM2 inhibition is insufficient to elevate p53 levels and apoptosis. Citation Format: Liguo Zhang, Chen Chen, Naijia Huang, Wanli Tang, Sally Kornbluth. Ubiquitination of p53 by Trim39. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 2480. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-2480
Thermal shutdown characteristics of insulating materials used in lithium ion batteries

The lithium ion (Li-ion) battery market has undergone tremendous growth since its conception in 1990. Projections have indicated that the Li-ion battery market in the United States will top $9 billion in the next 3 years. Several factors including technical innovation, increased use of sophisticated consumer electronic gadgets and surge in high efficiency power sources for industrial applications have been the key in propelling the market demand for these products. Despite the positive trends, safety concerns related to the use of Li-ion batteries remain and may impact the market growth in future. Product recalls due to rechargeable batteries overheating and thereby posing a fire hazard to consumers have occurred as recently as April 2010. Research efforts have been undertaken to develop new separator materials with increased dimensional and thermal stability at high temperatures to make the Li-ion batteries safer for use. The separator is an electrically insulating polymer material that is engineered to have pores that allow lithium ions to shuttle back and forth between the battery's electrodes during the charge and discharge cycles. This paper presents an introduction to separator materials used in commercially available Li-ion batteries and a discussion of their thermal shutdown characteristics.
Infrainguinal vein graft surveillance: The criteria for intervention*

In most patients, infrainguinal vein grafts are commonly performed for limb-threatening ischemia. Once limb salvage has been achieved, most clinicians agree that regular appointments with the vascular team are important to monitor graft patency. However, the timing of these appointments and what defines an adequate examination remains debatable. The following cases illustrate the natural history and interventions performed in 2 such patients. A review of the literature and a commentary on surveillance strategies is provided to elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of currently available vascular laboratory testing. Recommendations also are made for the appropriate timing of intervention to revise these grafts.
Hospital administrators' views on barriers and opportunities to delivering palliative care in the emergency department.

Study objective We identify hospital-level factors from the administrative perspective that affect the availability and delivery of palliative care services in the emergency department (ED). Methods Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 key informants, including hospital executives, ED directors, and palliative care directors at a tertiary care center, a public hospital, and a community hospital. The discussions were digitally recorded and transcribed to conduct a thematic analysis using grounded theory. A coding scheme was iteratively developed to subsequently identify themes and subthemes that emerged from the interviews. Results Barriers to integrating palliative care and emergency medicine from the administrative perspective include the ED culture of aggressive care, limited knowledge, palliative care staffing, and medicolegal concerns. Incentives to the delivery of palliative care in the ED from these key informants' perspective include improved patient and family satisfaction, opportunities to provide meaningful care to patients, decreased costs of care for admitted patients, and avoidance of unnecessary admissions to more intensive hospital settings, such as the ICU, for patients who have little likelihood of benefit. Conclusion Though hospital administration at 3 urban hospitals on the East coast has great interest in integrating palliative care and emergency medicine to improve quality of care, patient and family satisfaction, and decrease length of stay for admitted patients, palliative care staffing, medicolegal concerns, and logistic issues need to be addressed.
Steady Poiseuille flows for a Giesekus fluid

Abstract We determine weak and classical solutions for steady Poiseuille flows of a Giesekus fluid with zero and non-zero solvent viscosity. A one-dimensional stability analysis and considerations based upon the molecular description of the model help us to determine the physically meaningful solution among multiple solutions. These solutions should prove useful in investigating some interesting phenomena such as “spurt”.
Time-Resolved Long-Lived Infrared Emission from Bacteriorhodopsin during its Photocycle

The infrared emission observed below 2000 cm(-1) upon exciting retinal in bacteriorhodopsin (bR) is found to have a rise time in the submicrosecond time regime and to relax with two exponential components on the submillisecond to millisecond time scale. These time scales, together with the assignment of this emission to hot vibrations from the all-trans retinal (in bR) and the 13-cis retinal (in the K intermediate), support the recent assignment of the J-intermediate as an electronically excited species (Atkinson et al., J. Phys. Chem. A. 104:4130-4139, 2000) rather than a vibrationally hot K intermediate. A discussion of these time scales of the observed infrared emission is given in terms of the competition between radiative and nonradiative relaxation processes of the vibrational states involved.
Enhancement of superoxide production in vitro by the diphenyl ether herbicide nitrofen

Abstract Light-dependent reduction of p -nitro blue tetrazolium chloride (NBT) and 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol (DCPIP) was stimulated by nitrofen (2,4-dichlorophenyl p -nitrophenyl ether) in the presence or absence of the photosensitizer riboflavin. Enhancement of NBT reduction occurred at a concentration as low as 17 μ M nitrofen. Nitrofen had no effect on dark reduction of NBT by dithionite, ascorbate, or reduced phenazine methosulfate. NBT reduction proceeded in solution saturated with either air or nitrogen. Stimulation by nitrofen in the presence or absence of riboflavin also occurred independently of oxygen. Superoxide dismutase (superoxide:superoxide oxidoreductase; EC 1.15.1.1) inhibited light-dependent, aerobic reduction of NBT and DCPIP with and without riboflavin. The nitrogen-stimulated component was also eliminated. Thus, it appears nitrofen can effect reduction of NBT (and DCPIP) anaerobically by transferring electrons directly to NBT (and DCPIP) through an oxygen-independent mechanism or aerobically via superoxide radicals.
Each canine tooth projects to all brain stem trigeminal nuclei in cat

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine in cats the precise sites of representation in the brain stem for specific teeth and their periodontal structures. Horseradish peroxidase was implanted in the pulpal chambers of either maxillary or mandibular canines and its transganglionic transport to the brain stem was studied light microscopically in tetramethyl benzidine preparations. The findings showed some differences between projections of maxillary and of mandibular canines, but a much more extensive ipsilateral central representation than previously reported for the individual teeth. The results are discussed in relation to previous anatomic and physiologic studies.
Protein synthesis and wall extensibility in the Avena coleoptile.

The inhibitors cycloheximide and puromycin have been used to examine the relationship between protein synthesis and wall extensibility, as measured with an Instron, in Avena coleoptile segments. Cycloheximide at 4 μg/ml almost totally inhibits both auxin-induced cell elongation and protein synthesis with only a slight lag. Wall extensibility is unaffected by the inhibitor if auxin is absent. If added prior to auxin, cycloheximide prevents auxin-induced wall loosening while if added after auxin it causes a substantial decline in the wall extensibility. With puromycin there is a 2–4 hr lag before growth and wall loosening are inhibited. These results support the conclusions that the proteins needed for wall loosening are unstable, and that continued protein synthesis is necessary to maintain the wall loosening process.
Nonspecific mediatinal lymphadenitis associated with compression of the middle third of the esophagus

This case illustrates the obvious difficulty in distinguishing between lesions extrinsic to the esophagus and intramural lesions. Adenopathy whether benign or malignant should be considered in the diagnostic approach to extramucosal lesions of the middle third of the esophagus. If there is strong suspicion that the lesion is totally extrinsic to the esophagus, further diagnostic evaluations such as mediastinal tomography may aid in the surgical approach.
Age differences in the effects of conceptual integration training on resource allocation in sentence processing.

This research examined age differences in the accommodation of reading strategies as a consequence of explicit instruction in conceptual integration. In Experiment 1, young, middle-aged, and older adults read sentences for delayed recall using a moving-window method. Readers in an experimental group received instruction in making conceptual links during reading while readers in a control group were simply encouraged to allocate effort. Regression analysis to decompose word-by-word reading times in each condition isolated the time allocated to conceptual processing at the point in the text at which new concepts were introduced, as well as at clause and sentence boundaries. While younger adults responded to instructions by differentially allocating effort to sentence wrap-up, older adults allocated effort to intrasentence wrap-up and on new concepts as they were introduced, suggesting that older readers optimized their allocation of effort to linguistic computations for textbase construction within their pr...
WE-C(SAM)-BRC-01: Quality Management Systems in Radiotherapy: Making Treatments Safer

Though all medical physicists appreciate the need for safe high‐quality radiation treatments, most have no formal training in quality management or error proofing. This educational course will explore two quality improvement tools that are considered standard in other industries: incident learning and prospective hazard analysis. The focus will be on practical methods that can be employed across a variety of clinics. With slight variations, these same tools can also be applied to the diagnostic setting. In other areas of medicine the systematic use of such tools has brought about measureable improvements in patient safety and treatment quality, and it is expected that radiation oncology can benefit in a similar fashion. The learning objectives of this educational SAMS course are: understand the benefit of incident learning and the pitfalls associated with it, understand the principles of how to construct an effective incident reporting system, understand the tools available for prospective hazard analysis and how to streamline their use.
Immunoprofile of mucoepidermoid carcinomas of minor salivary glands

Because the data on the antigenic phenotype of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) are incomplete and somewhat disparate, 45 MECs were evaluated immunohistochemically for low- and high-molecular-weight keratins, vimentin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, smooth muscle actin, and S-100 protein. Tumors stained uniformly for keratins and, on occasion, focally for vimentin. Tumors were nonreactive with antibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein and, with few exceptions, to muscle-specific actins and S-100 protein. Clear cell and papillary histologic variants were seen as potential diagnostic pitfalls. If used with hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained sections, limited potential is seen for this antibody panel in surgical pathology. Myoepithelial cell-associated antigens are expressed to a very limited extent in MECs.
Prostaglandin E2 Inhibits α-Smooth Muscle Actin Transcription during Myofibroblast Differentiation via Distinct Mechanisms of Modulation of Serum Response Factor and Myocardin-related Transcription Factor-A

Differentiation of lung fibroblasts into contractile protein-expressing myofibroblasts by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is a critical event in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. Transcription of the contractile protein α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) is mediated by the transcription factor serum-response factor (SRF) along with its co-activator, myocardin-related transcription factor-A (MRTF-A). The endogenous lipid mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) exerts anti-fibrotic effects, including the inhibition of myofibroblast differentiation. However, the mechanism by which PGE2 inhibits α-SMA expression is incompletely understood. Here, we show in normal lung fibroblasts that PGE2 reduced the nuclear accumulation of MRTF-A·SRF complexes and consequently inhibited α-SMA promoter activation. It did so both by independently inhibiting SRF gene expression and nuclear import of MRTF-A. We identified that p38 MAPK is critical for TGF-β1-induced SRF gene expression and that PGE2 inhibition of SRF expression is associated with its ability to inhibit p38 activation. Its inhibition of MRTF-A import occurs via activation of cofilin 1 and inactivation of vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein. Similar effects of PGE2 on SRF gene expression were observed in fibroblasts from the lungs of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, PGE2 is the first substance described to prevent myofibroblast differentiation by disrupting, via distinct mechanisms, the actions of both SRF and MRTF-A.
Resistance of Ni-Cr-Al alloys to cyclic oxidation at 1100 and 1200 C

A series of Ni-rich alloys in the Ni-Cr-Al system were cyclically oxidized in still air for 500 1 -hr heating cycles at 1100°C and 200 1 -hr heating cycles at 1200° C. The specific sample weight-change data for each sample were then used to determine both a scaling constant k1 and a spalling constant k2 for each alloy, using the regression equation Δw/A=k 1 1/2 t1/2 − k2t±σ.These in turn were combined to form an oxidation attack parameter Ka,where Ka= (k 1 1/2 + 10 k2).Log Ka was then fitted to a fourth-order regression equation as a function of the Cr and Al content at the two test temperatures. The derived estimating equations for log Ka were presented graphically as iso-attack contour lines on ternary phase diagrams at each temperature. At 1100°C compositions estimated to have the best cyclic oxidation resistance were Ni-45 at. % Al and Ni-30 at. % Cr-20 at. % Al, while at 1200°C compositions estimated to have the best cyclic oxidation resistance were Ni-45 at. % Al and Ni-35 at. % Cr-15 at. % Al. In general, good cyclic oxidation resistance is associated with Al2O3 and/or NiAl2O4 formation. The analysis also indicated that alloys prepared by zirconia crucible melting, compared to other types of melting, had tramp Zr pickup, which significantly improved the cyclic oxidation resistance. The nature of the improvement in oxidation due to tramp Zr pickup, however, is not yet understood.
Estimating exposure to volatile organic compounds from municipal water-supply systems : Use of a better computational model

Abstract The Southington, Connecticut, water-supply system is characterized by a distribution network that contains more than 1 700 pipeline segments of varying diameters and construction materials, more than 186 mi (299 km) of pipe, 9 groundwater extraction wells capable of pumping more than 4 700 gal/min (0.2965 m3/s), and 3 municipal reservoirs. Volatile organic compounds, which contaminated the underlying groundwater reservoir during the 1970s, contaminated the water-supply system and exposed the town's residents to volatile organic chemicals. We applied a computational model to the water-supply system to characterize and quantify the distribution of volatile organic compounds in the pipelines, from which we estimated the demographic distribution of potential exposure to the town's residents. Based on results from modeling analyses, we concluded the following: (a) exposure to volatile organic compound contamination may vary significantly from one census block to another, even when these census blocks ...
Methoxychlor stimulates estrogen-responsive messenger ribonucleic acids in mouse uterus through a non-estrogen receptor (non-ER) alpha and non-ER beta mechanism.

This study examined the effects of the xenoestrogen methoxychlor (Mxc) on messenger RNA (mRNA) concentrations of two estrogen-responsive uterine genes, lactoferrin (LF) and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). Ovariectomized wild-type (WT) and estrogen receptor (ER)α-knockout (ERαKO) mice were treated with Mxc or estradiol-17β (E2) to determine whether Mxc acts via pathways that involve ERα. In WT mice, both E2 and Mxc stimulated increases in uterine LF and G6PD mRNA concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Competitive pretreatment with the pure antiestrogen ICI 182,780 dramatically reduced E2-stimulated increases in mRNA concentrations but had no effect on Mxc-induced effects. Competitive pretreatment with E2 had only a partially inhibitory effect on Mxc-induced responses. In the ERαKO mouse, E2 had little effect on uterine LF or G6PD mRNA concentrations, whereas Mxc stimulated marked increases in both LF and G6PD mRNAs. The Mxc-induced increases in LF and G6PD mRNAs in the ERαKO mouse were not su...