cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
All-optical switching in silicon photonic crystal waveguides by use of the plasma dispersion effect

Silicon photonic crystals offer new ways of controlling the propagation of light as well as new tools for the realization of high-density optical integration on monolithic substrates. However, silicon does not possess the strong nonlinearities that are commonly used in the dynamic control of optical devices. Such dynamic control is nevertheless essential if silicon is to provide the higher levels of functionality that are required for optical integration. We demonstrate that the combination of the refractive index change caused by the presence of photoexcited carriers, or so-called plasma dispersion, and photonic crystal properties such as photonic bandgaps, constitutes a powerful tool for active control of light in silicon integrated devices. We show close to 100% modulation depth near the photonic crystal band edge.
Effects of intraluminal perfusion with serotonin on jejunal motility

Five dogs with chronic doubly cannulated proximal jejunal Thiry-Vella loops were studied to evaluate the role of luminal and circulating serotonin on intestinal intraluminal pressure quantitated using computer-assisted planimetry. Luminal perfusion with serotonin (50 μg/min) for 60 min resulted in a significant increase in luminal pressure. Upon cessation of infusion, intraluminal pressures rapidly returned to basal. While 4% lidocaine had no effect on basal intraluminal pressure, the drug almost abolished the pressure response to luminal serotonin. In contrast, atropine lowered mean baseline intraluminal pressures and also markedly inhibited the response to subsequent perfusion with serotonin. These data suggest that the motility response to intraluminal serotonin is neurally mediated. Intravenous serotonin infusion (3.3 μg/kg/min), which raised circulating levels of the amine to those noted after a standard meal, increased intraluminal pressures to a maximum similar to those noted after luminal perfusion; after cessation of infusion, pressures rapidly returned to basal. These observations support a physiologic role for serotonin in the modulation of intestinal motility.
Fast desensitization of tooth roots by topically applied SnF2 and SrCl2 in dogs

Summary Incisor and canine buccal root surfaces in each of 5 dogs were exposed, planed and monitored for electrically induced sensitivity. After the post-surgical recovery of sensitivity (2–5 days), the root surfaces of 4 dogs were pretreated (daily for 4–7 days) either with pumicing and etching, pumicing only or brushing only in each of three quadrants in each dog. After a 30 min interval, 30 min topical applications of 10 per cent SnF 2 (water solution) or 1 per cent SrCl 2 (Sensodyne toothpaste) followed for 4–7 days. Comparisons of sensitivity tests before each treatment and 30 min after the end of each treatment revealed that desensitization was statistically effective for SnF 2 after pumicing and etching as well as after pumicing. Scanning electron microscopy displayed open dentinal tubules after pumicing and etching, scratches but no tubule openings after pumicing and a smooth, bacteria-containing film after brushing. Elemental analysis with an electron microprobe revealed deeper penetration of Sr than of F into the dentine. These results indicate the dependance of root surface conditioning for penetration of desensitizers and some differences between SnF 2 and SrCl 2 .
Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram‐Positive Bacteria: The Myth of the MIC

Although much progress has occurred in the fight to treat infection, resistant bacteria increasingly are becoming problematic. The minimum inhibitory concentration is easily determined, yet its definition, clinical application, and relevance are confusing. In addition, errors can occur during in vitro susceptibility testing. The mechanism of resistance for different organisms is discussed as are the pitfalls of susceptibility testing and the prescription of antimicrobial agents.
Angle dependence of inelastic electron cross sections for parallel-oriented dipole scatterers

Abstract The azimuthal dependence of inelastic cross sections for dipole scatterers oriented parallel to a surface is presented. It is demonstrated that a careful choice of experimental parameters and a detailed analysis of data are necessary in order to obtain information about the direction of parallel polarization for a dipole on an ordered surface. Comparison with recent experiments on the Si(111)−2 × 1 surface is made to illustrate this point.
Right pulmonary aplasia, aberrant left pulmonary artery, and bronchopulmonary sequestration with an esophageal bronchus

Pulmonary aplasia and bronchopulmonary foregut malformations in which a patent communication between the foregut and the pulmonary system is present are rare congenital abnormalities. Pulmonary aplasia associated with a pulmonary sling is an even rarer abnormality. We report a unique case of right pulmonary aplasia, aberrant left pulmonary artery, and bronchopulmonary sequestration with an esophageal bronchus diagnosed by multidetector helical CT.
Interacting loop-current model of superconducting networks

We review our recent approximation scheme to calculate the normal-superconducting phase boundary, T c(H), of a superconducting wire network in a magnetic field in terms of interacting loop currents. The theory is based on the London approximation of the linearized Ginzburg-Landau equation. An approximate general formula is derived for any two-dimensional space-filling lattice comprising tiles of two shapes. We provide many examples illustrating the use of this method with a particular emphasis on the fluxoid distribution. In addition to periodic lattices, we also discuss quasiperiodic lattices and fractal Sierpinski gaskets.
Recent reactor anti-neutrino experiments

Abstract Many reactor neutrino experiments have been performed in the past fifty years, exploring a variety of baselines. I will briefly discuss the main reactor experiment results from the past few years, focusing primarily on the recent observation of neutrino oscillations by the KamLAND experiment.
Postnatal differentiation and growth of cat entopeduncular neurons. A transient spiny period associated with branch elongation

Abstract Qualitative and computer-assisted analyses were performed on Golgi-impregnated neurons which were serially reconstructed in 3 dimensions. Analysis of the temporal pattern of growth indicated that the initial outgrowth, formation of the adult number of dendrites and virtually all dendritic branching occurred in the prenatal period. About 40% of the total growth of the dendrites occurred in the postnatal period. Maturation was completed by 90–120 days. Analyses of the mode of dendritic growth and of the morphological changes associated with growth revealed two significant findings. First, the outward expansion of the dendritic tree was not due to the addition of new branches but resulted from the elongation of terminal and non-terminal branches. Thus, growth occurred between branch points as well as on terminal portions of dendrites. Second, a transient population of spines was found during the period of postnatal growth. These spines may play an integral role in synaptogenesis and dendritic branch elongation. We suggest that developing afferent fibers initially contact spines. As spines retract, axon terminals are brought to the shaft of the dendrites. Further, the dendrites elongated because membrane associated with spines is incorporated into the shafts of dendrites. Striopallidal projections and other afferents may provide an important trophic influence for the normal dendritic differentiation of pallidal neurons by inducing the elaboration or retraction of spines.
Calbindin-D28k Is Expressed in Osteoblastic Cells and Suppresses Their Apoptosis by Inhibiting Caspase-3 Activity

The rate of osteoblast apoptosis is a critical determinant of the rate of bone formation. Because the calcium-binding protein calbindin-D28k has anti-apoptotic properties in neuronal cells and lymphocytes, we searched for the presence of this protein in osteoblastic cells and investigated whether it can modify their response to proapoptotic signals. Calbindin-D28K was expressed at low levels in several osteoblastic cell lines and at high levels in primary cultures of murine osteoblastic cells. Transient transfection of rat calbindin-D28k cDNA blocked tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced apoptosis in osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, as determined by cell viability and nuclear morphology of cells cotransfected with the green fluorescent protein targeted to the nucleus, whereas transfection of the empty vector had no effect. Calbindin-D28k levels in several stably transfected MC3T3-E1 lines were directly related to protection from TNFα-induced apoptosis. Purified rat calbindin-D28k markedly reduced the activity of caspase-3, a critical molecule for the degradation phase of apoptosis, in a cell-free assay. In addition, cell extracts from MC3T3-E1 cells expressing high levels of calbindin-D28k decreased caspase-3 activity, compared with extracts from vector-transfected cells. This effect was apparently unrelated to the calcium binding properties of calbindin, as chelation of calcium by EGTA or addition of other calcium-binding proteins such as calbindin-D9k, S100, calmodulin, and osteocalcin, did not affect caspase-3 activity. Last, calbindin-D28k interacts with the active form of caspase-3 as demonstrated by a GST pull-down assay. These results demonstrate that calbindin-D28k is a biosynthetic product of osteoblasts with a role in the regulation of apoptosis. They also reveal that the antiapoptotic properties of calbindin-D28kmay result not only from calcium buffering but also from the ability of the protein to interact with and to inhibit caspase-3 activity, a property that is independent of its calcium binding capability.
The Pubertal Development Scale: A Rural and Suburban Comparison

The Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) is a noninvasive measure of pubertal development. The purpose of this study was to compare means and standard deviations on the PDS across samples of seventh gr...
Controlled oxygen partial pressure sintering of (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 ceramics

Transparent PLZT(7/60/40) ceramics with large piezoelectric coefficients were obtained using a two-step sintering process with controlled oxygen partial pressure. Specifically, low-oxygen-pressure and low-temperature sintering were used in the first step, followed by a high-oxygen-pressure, high-temperature sintering cycle. High-density ceramics with small grain sizes of about 3 µm were prepared. As a result, kp= 0.71, k33= 0.78, d33= 850 × 10-12 C/N, and a transparency of 15% (λ= 610 nm, thickness of 1 mm) have been achieved; 20% improvement of d33 was gained compared to conventional processed PLZT ceramics (d33= 710 × 10-12 C/N).
A case-control study of use of postmenopausal female hormone supplements in relation to the risk of large bowel cancer

Postmenopausal female hormone use has been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. We assessed the relation of use of these supplements to the risk of large bowel cancer. The data were collected in a case-control study of large bowel cancer conducted in Massachusetts. Control subjects were matched to incident cases of carcinoma of the colon or rectum on age, gender, and town precinct. The analysis was restricted to women who experienced a natural menopause or had had a hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries (292 colon cancer cases and 112 rectal cancer cases and their matched controls). Use of female hormone supplements was associated with a decreased risk of colon cancer among recent users (odds ratio, 0.6; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-1.0) and long duration (5+ years) of use (odds ratio, 0.5; 95% confidence interval, 0.3-0.9). The association with long duration of use appeared to be independent of recency of use and screening practices and was apparent for late-stage cancer. Hormone supplement use was not associated with a reduced risk of rectal cancer. Our results add to the evidence for a decreased risk of colon cancer associated with use of female hormone supplements.
Circulating levels of soluble MER in lupus reflect M2c activation of monocytes/macrophages, autoantibody specificities and disease activity

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is characterized by impaired efferocytosis and aberrant activation of innate immunity. We asked if shedding of MER receptor tyrosine kinase (MerTK) and AXL into soluble (s) ectodomains was related to immunological and clinical aspects of SLE. Levels of sMER and sAXL in the plasma of 107 SLE patients and 45 matched controls were measured by ELISA. In 40 consecutive SLE patients, we examined potential correlations between either sMER or sAXL and plasma levels of sCD163, a marker of M2 activation. All three soluble receptors were measured in supernatants of monocytes/macrophages cultured in various immunological conditions. Membrane expression of MerTK, AXL and CD163 was assessed by flow cytometry. Both sMER and sAXL were associated with anti-chromatin and anti-phospholipid autoantibodies, and with hematological and renal involvement. However, sMER and sAXL did not significantly correlate with each other; sAXL correlated with growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6), whereas sMER correlated with reduced free protein S (PROS) levels. Only sMER showed significant associations with lupus-specific anti-dsDNA, anti-Sm, anti-ribonucleoprotein (anti-RNP) and anti-Ro60 autoantibodies. Strong correlations with disease activity indices (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), complement reduction, titer of circulating anti-dsDNA) were found for sMER, not for sAXL. Patients with active SLEDAI, nephritis, anti-dsDNA and anti-Ro60 positivity showed higher levels of sMER compared to controls. Levels of sMER, not sAXL, correlated with sCD163 levels, and these correlated with SLEDAI. Production of sMER and sCD163 occurred under “M2c” polarizing conditions, whereas sAXL was released upon type-I IFN exposure. Alterations in homeostasis of anti-inflammatory and efferocytic “M2c” monocytes/macrophages may have a role in immunopathogenesis of SLE.
Factors Related to Susceptibility and Recruitment by Cults

Unprecedented escalation of secular and religious cults has necessitated further inquiry into more precise conditions under which individuals develop vulnerability and become converted by these groups. The present discussion focuses on a number of factors which seem to influence individuals' susceptibility and recruitment by cults. These variables include (a) generalized ego-weakness and emotional vulnerability, (b) propensities toward dissociative states, (c) tenuous, deteriorated, or nonexistent family relations and support systems, (d) inadequate means of dealing with exigencies of survival, (e) history of severe child abuse or neglect, (f) exposure to idiosyncratic or eccentric family patterns, (g) proclivities toward or abuse of controlled substances, (h) unmanageable and debilitating situational stress and crises, and (i) intolerable socioeconomic conditions. Also presented are methods utilized by cults, e.g., intimidation, coercion, and indoctrination, for systematically recruiting, initiating, and influencing inductees. More careful attention to these factors might help health care providers, educators, clergy, and concerned family and friends determine more precisely individuals at greater risk for recruitment into cults.
Automatic local beam steering systems for NSLS X-ray storage ring-design and implementation

The design, commissioning, and limitation aspects of local feedback program are discussed. The system design is explained by identifying major elements such as beam position detectors, signal processors, compensation amplifiers, ratio amplifiers, trim equalizers, and microprocessor feedback controllers. System commissioning involves steps such as matching trim compensation, determination of local orbit bumps, measurement of open-loop responses, and design of servo circuits. Several limitations of performance are discussed. >
Species differences in seed water status during seed maturation and germination

Maize (Zea mays L., cv. B73 × Mo17), wheat (Triticum aestivum L., cv. Clark), and soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill, cv. Elgin 87) were grown in the field and seed samples were collected at frequent intervals for the determination of seed fresh and dry weight and water potential of excised embryos (maize and wheat) and axes (soybean). Seed water concentration declined during seed development and the concentration at physiological maturity (PM, maximum seed dry weight) was highest in soybean (550–590 g kg−1 FW), lowest in maize (326–377 g kg−1) and intermediate in wheat (437 g kg−1). The embryo/axis water potential was relatively constant during much of seed filling before decreasing rapidly as the seeds approached PM and there was little variation among species (soybean −1.52 to −1.63 MPa, maize −1.61 to −1.99 MPa and wheat −1.66 MPa). Seed water concentration when 10% of the seeds germinated (radicle ≥3 mm) was highest in soybean (514 g kg−1), lowest in maize (332 g kg−1) and intermediate in wheat (345 g kg−1) while the water potential of the embryo/axis varied from −2.07 to −2.20 MPa across the three species. There was little variation in the water potential of the embryo/axis among species at the end of seed growth (PM) or at the beginning of germination. This similarity is consistent with the suggestion that the water status of critical seed structures may play a regulatory role in seed growth and germination.
Pregnancy outcomes following robot-assisted myomectomy

participants/material, setting, methods: Women of reproductive age with fibroids who wanted a minimally invasive treatment option and desired uterine preservation were recruited. We conducted a multicentre study with three centers, two in a private practice and one in an academic setting. Pregnancy outcomes and their relationship to myoma characteristics were analyzed. main results and role of chance: Mean+ SD age at myomectomy was 34.8+ 4.5 years and 57.4% [95% confidence interval (CI) 48.0, 66.3] of women were overweight or obese. The mean number of myomas removed was 3.9+ 3.2 with a mean size of 7.5+ 3.0 cm and mean weight of 191.7+ 144.8 g. Entry of the myoma into the endometrial cavity occurred in 20.6% (95% CI 15.0, 27.7) of patients. The mean time to conception was 12.9+ 11.5 months. Assisted reproduction techniques were employed in 39.4% (95% CI 32.6, 46.7) of these women. Seven twin pregnancies and two triplet pregnancies occurred, for a multiple pregnancy birth rate of 9.8% (95% CI 5.0, 17.8). Spontaneous abortions occurred in 18.9% (95% CI 13.0, 26.6). Preterm delivery prior to 35 weeks of gestational age occurred in 17.4% (95% CI 10.9, 26.5). One uterine rupture (1.1%; 95% CI 0.3, 4.7) was documented. Pelvic adhesions were discovered in 11.4% (95% CI 7.0, 18.0) of patients delivered by Cesarean section. Higher preterm delivery rates were significantly associated with a greater number of myomas removed and anterior location of the largest incision (compared with all other sites) in logistic regression analyses (P ¼ 0.01). None of the myoma characteristics were related to spontaneous abortion.
Hydrogen sulfide dilates rat mesenteric arteries by activating endothelial large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels and smooth muscle Ca2+ sparks

We have previously shown that hydrogen sulfide (H2S) reduces myogenic tone and causes relaxation of phenylephrine (PE)-constricted mesenteric arteries. This effect of H2S to cause vasodilation and ...
VELOCITY MEASUREMENT OF FREE-FALL SPT HAMMER

Field measurements of the velocity just before impact of a Borros AB Standard Penetration Test (SPT) automatic trip hammer indicate that the average delivered energy is 99% of the theoretical available, free-fall energy. It is expected that other trip hammers used in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan also give close to 100% of the theoretical energy during the performance of the SPT. In contrast, the delivered energy varies from 25% to 80% in U.S. practice where the cathead and rope system is used to 100% of that delivered when trip hammers are used. Since it has been shown theoretically and experimentally that the SPT blow count is inversely proportional to the delivered energy, it follows that for the same soil conditions, blow counts will vary where there are differences in delivered energy. Thus, engineers are cautioned in the interpretation of SPT data from countries where trip hammers are in use. Blow counts may differ by 200% or 300% from U.S. practice.
Effects of the selective EET antagonist, 14,15-EEZE, on cardioprotection produced by exogenous or endogenous EETs in the canine heart

Previously, we demonstrated (17) that 11,12- and 14,15-epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) produce marked reductions in myocardial infarct size. Although it is assumed that this cardioprotective effec...
NEO-FFI factor scores as predictors of clinical response to fluoxetine in depressed outpatients

Research in unipolar depression suggests that neuroticism is associated with poor long-term outcome and greater chronicity. The objective of this study was to determine whether baseline neuroticism scores predict response to treatment with fluoxetine in depressed outpatients. Seventy-six depressed outpatients participating in a clinical trial of fluoxetine (fixed/flexible dosing) completed the NEO-FFI (five factor inventory short form) at baseline. Clinical response was defined as a 50% or greater decrease in the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D-17) total score (final visit--baseline). Logistic regression evaluated NEO-FFI factor scores as predictors of treatment outcome within an intent-to-treat model. Scores on the neuroticism scale were not found to significantly predict treatment response as measured by the HAM-D-17. Strengths of this study include a standardized treatment protocol and use of structured interview instruments, while limitations include a modest sample size, lack of continuation data, state/trait effects, and lack of generalizability to other antidepressant treatments.
The refeeding syndrome and hypophosphatemia.

The refeeding syndrome is an underappreciated entity characterized by acute electrolyte derangements - notably hypophosphatemia - that occur during nutritional repletion of patients with significant suboptimal caloric intake. Adverse effects of hypophosphatemia include cardiac failure, muscle weakness, immune dysfunction, and death. Hypokalemia and hypomagnesemia commonly complicate refeeding syndrome as well; however, this report briefly reviews the clinical manifestations of refeeding-induced hypophosphatemia.
Impression creep behavior of SiC particle-MoSi2 composites

Using a cylindrical indenter (or punch), the impression creep behavior of MoSi2-SiC composites containing 0–40% SiC by volume, was characterized at 1000–1200 °C, 258–362 MPa punch pressure. Through finite element modeling, an equation that depends on the material stress exponent was derived that converts the stress distribution beneath the punch to an effective compressive stress. Using this relationship, direct comparisons were made between impression and compressive creep studies. Under certain conditions, compressive creep and impression creep measurements yield comparable results after correcting for effective stresses and strain rates beneath the punch. However, rate-controlling mechanisms may be quite different under the two stressing conditions, in which case impression creep data should not be used to predict compressive creep behavior. The addition of SiC affects the impression creep behavior of MoSi2 in a complex manner by pinning grain boundaries during pressing, thus leading to smaller MoSi2 grains and by obstructing or altering both dislocation motion and grain boundary sliding.
Obesity: Progress through genetic manipulation

Transgenic mice have been produced that either lack or overproduce neuroregulatory substances implicated in the control of food intake and body weight. Are such mice useful models for understanding the underlying etiology of obesity in humans?
Ultrasonic techniques for imaging and measurements in molten aluminum

In order to achieve net shape forming, processing of aluminum (Al) in the molten state is often necessary. However, few sensors and techniques have been reported in the literature due to difficulties associated with molten Al, such as high temperature, corrosiveness, and opaqueness. In this paper, development of ultrasonic techniques for imaging and measurements in molten Al using buffer rods operated at 10 MHz is presented. The probing end of the buffer rod, having a flat surface or an ultrasonic lens, was immersed into molten Al while the other end with an ultrasonic transducer was air-cooled to room temperature. An ultrasonic image of a character "N", engraved on a stainless steel plate immersed in molten Al, and its corrosion have been observed at 780/spl deg/C using the focused probe in ultrasonic pulse-echo mode. Because cleanliness of molten Al is crucial for part manufacturing and recycling in Al processing, inclusion detection experiments also were carried out using the nonfocused probe in pitch-catch and pulse-echo modes. Backscattered ultrasonic signals from manually added silicon carbide particles, with an average diameter of 50 /spl mu/m, in molten Al have been successfully observed at 780/spl deg/C. For optimal image quality, the spatial resolution of the focused probe was crucial, and the high signal-to-noise ratio of the nonfocused probe was the prime factor responsible for the inclusion detection sensitivity using backscattered ultrasonic signals. In addition, it was found that ultrasound could provide an alternative method for evaluating the degree of wetting between a solid material and a molten metal. Our experimental results showed that there was no ultrasonic coupling at the interface between an alumina rod and molten Al up to 1000/spl deg/C; therefore, no wetting existed at this interface. Also because ultrasonic velocity in alumina is temperature dependent, this rod proved to be able to be used as an in-line temperature monitoring sensor under 1000/spl deg/C in molten Al.
Contention and Democracy in Europe, 1650–2000

Contention and Democracy in Europe, 1650–2000. By Charles Tilly. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2004. 320p. $60.00 cloth, $22.00 paper. Charles Tilly's study of democracy and contention is itself highly contentious and deservedly so. After reading and writing social and political history for over five decades, its author is well positioned to judge which social scientific understandings of democracy hold up to historical scrutiny and which do not. In his search for the “mechanisms and processes that promote, inhibit or reverse democratization” (p. ix), Tilly identifies a number of false leads. One of his most contentious points is that the quest for democracy's “necessary and sufficient conditions” is futile (p. 39). Democracy, he insists, “does not have a single history … repeated in more or less the same conditions and sequences by each democratizing country” (p. 35). Searching for either uniform conditions or repeated sequences is, thus, a waste of time. In an equally contentious mode, he cautions “culturalists, phenomenologists, behaviorists and methodological individualists” not to “treat individual dispositions as the fundamental causes of social processes.” Democratization and de-democratization cannot be understood through the “reconstruction” and “aggregation” of individual dispositions just before their point of action (p. xi). Nor, he argues, can democratization be understood as a “product of age-old character traits or of short-term constitutional innovations” (p. 9).
On the Duality of Employment and Wages in the Garin-Lowry Model

Previously undiscovered properties of the Garin-Lowry model are identified by presenting the model as a simple linear program. The primal program seeks a spatial allocation of employment which minimizes import requirements while satisfying basic-employment demand. The dual program seeks a spatial allocation of employee remuneration which maximizes the imputed value of basic employment while insuring that employee wages are not exceeded by the import costs of employee support. Thus a duality between employment and wages is identified, and the role of imports in wage determination is defined.
PubChem3D: Conformer generation

PubChem, an open archive for the biological activities of small molecules, provides search and analysis tools to assist users in locating desired information. Many of these tools focus on the notion of chemical structure similarity at some level. PubChem3D enables similarity of chemical structure 3-D conformers to augment the existing similarity of 2-D chemical structure graphs. It is also desirable to relate theoretical 3-D descriptions of chemical structures to experimental biological activity. As such, it is important to be assured that the theoretical conformer models can reproduce experimentally determined bioactive conformations. In the present study, we investigate the effects of three primary conformer generation parameters (the fragment sampling rate, the energy window size, and force field variant) upon the accuracy of theoretical conformer models, and determined optimal settings for PubChem3D conformer model generation and conformer sampling. Using the software package OMEGA from OpenEye Scientific Software, Inc., theoretical 3-D conformer models were generated for 25,972 small-molecule ligands, whose 3-D structures were experimentally determined. Different values for primary conformer generation parameters were systematically tested to find optimal settings. Employing a greater fragment sampling rate than the default did not improve the accuracy of the theoretical conformer model ensembles. An ever increasing energy window did increase the overall average accuracy, with rapid convergence observed at 10 kcal/mol and 15 kcal/mol for model building and torsion search, respectively; however, subsequent study showed that an energy threshold of 25 kcal/mol for torsion search resulted in slightly improved results for larger and more flexible structures. Exclusion of coulomb terms from the 94s variant of the Merck molecular force field (MMFF94s) in the torsion search stage gave more accurate conformer models at lower energy windows. Overall average accuracy of reproduction of bioactive conformations was remarkably linear with respect to both non-hydrogen atom count ("size") and effective rotor count ("flexibility"). Using these as independent variables, a regression equation was developed to predict the RMSD accuracy of a theoretical ensemble to reproduce bioactive conformations. The equation was modified to give a minimum RMSD conformer sampling value to help ensure that 90% of the sampled theoretical models should contain at least one conformer within the RMSD sampling value to a "bioactive" conformation. Optimal parameters for conformer generation using OMEGA were explored and determined. An equation was developed that provides an RMSD sampling value to use that is based on the relative accuracy to reproduce bioactive conformations. The optimal conformer generation parameters and RMSD sampling values determined are used by the PubChem3D project to generate theoretical conformer models.
Thermochemistry and Kinetic Analysis of the Unimolecular Oxiranyl Radical Dissociation Reaction: A Theoretical Study.

Oxirane structures are important in organic synthesis, and they are important initial products in the oxidation reactions of alkyl radicals. The thermochemical properties (enthalpy of formation, entropy, and heat capacity) for the reaction steps of the unimolecular oxiranyl radical dissociation reaction are determined and compared with the available literature. The overall ring opening and subsequent steps involve four types of reactions: β-scission ring opening, intramolecular hydrogen transfer, β-scission hydrogen elimination, and β-scission methyl radical elimination. The enthalpies of formation of the transition states are determined and evaluated using six popular Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation methods (B3LYP, B2PLYP, M06, M06-2X, ωB97X, ωB97XD), each combined with three different basis sets. The DFT enthalpy values are compared with five composite calculation methods (G3, G4, CBS-QB3, CBS-APNO, W1U), and by CCSD(T)/aug-cc-pVTZ. Kinetic parameters are determined versus pressure and temperature for the unimolecular dissociation pathways of an oxiranyl radical, which include the chemical activation reactions of the ring-opened oxiranyl radical relative to the ring-opening barrier. Multifrequency quantum Rice Ramsperger Kassel (QRRK) analysis is used to determine k(E) with master equation analysis for falloff. The major overall reaction pathway at lower combustion temperatures is oxiranyl radical dissociation to a methyl radical and carbon monoxide. Oxiranyl radical dissociation to a ketene and hydrogen atom is the key reaction path above 700 K.
Study on Application of HNS to the Input and Output of Detonating Cord Assembly

In order to improve the safety of the detonating cord assembly, the heat-resistant HNS-Ⅰexplosive was adopted. The detonation transfer performance of the input and output of detonating cord assembly has been studied. Test result showed that the input with HNS-Ⅰexplosive(1.01~1.73g/cm3) reliably initiate Ag/HNS-Ⅱconfined detonating fuse(CDF) with small charge mass, the output with HNS-Ⅰexplosive can’t be reliable initiated by the CDF. The result can be reference for the design of heat-resistant detonating coad assembly.
Has Medicare been a 'bad deal' for rural hospitals?

Understanding the links between Medicare involvement and financial performance in rural hospitals is important for evaluating reimbursement policy under Medicare's prospective payment system (PPS). While simple comparisons between urban and rural hospitals suggest that the latter have lower PPS profit margins on average, there is little multivariate evidence on how Medicare involvement affects financial performance in rural hospitals and whether this relationship differs between rural and urban hospitals. Existing multivariate evidence suggests that Medicare involvement improves PPS profits in both rural and urban hospitals after controlling for other hospital- and market-specific factors. By contrast, the present analysis considers the relationship between Medicare involvement and broader measures of profitability than PPS profits. This provides insight into whether Medicare reimbursement is adequate relative to other forms of third-party payment. The results indicate that Medicare involvement has a markedly different effect on the profitability of rural versus urban hospitals. Greater Medicare involvement is associated with lower patient care profitability in rural hospitals but has a strong positive and significant effect on both patient care and overall (i.e., patient and nonpatient) profitability in urban ones. Medicare involvement is not significantly related to overall profitability in rural hospitals, however, suggesting that these hospitals may be able to mitigate patient care revenue shortfalls from greater Medicare involvement by increasing their nonpatient care revenue sources.
Landesmuseum, St. Pölten

Der vielgestaltige Gebaudekomplex zwischen Festspielhaus und ORF-Gebaude wurde als letzter Bau des Kulturbezirks errichtet. Von ausen gesehen erscheint die Anlage collageartig aus einem guten Dutzend einzelner Elemente agglomeriert. Sie sind dicht aneinander gestosen, so dass die Besucher von einem Raumtypus in einen nachsten wechseln. Der Gebaudeflugel im Westen verlangert die vom Festspielhaus vorgegebene stadtebauliche Kante. Uber einen Verbindungstrakt ist er an den alteren, ostlichen Flugel der „Shedhalle“ angeschlossen. Gemeinsam umfassen die drei Trakte den abgesenkten, nach Suden offenen Gartenhof. Zum ORF-Gebaude hin wird ein machtiger Trapezblechcontainer von einem massiven, rosa gefarbten Sockel leicht verkantet hochgestemmt. Er schliest den Komplex ab. Der Hauptzugang zur Foyerhalle im Verbindungstrakt, mit Kasse, Garderoben usw., befindet sich unter der Glaswelle am Schubertplatz. Alle Innenraume sind fur ihre Zwecke individuell und sorgfaltig konzipiert. Das Obergeschos des Westflugels enthalt zwei Ausstellungssale mit spatmittelalterlicher und barocker Kunst sowie Werke des 19. Jahrhunderts aus Niederosterreich. Ausgerustet mit flexiblen Wandelementen, ist die Auswahl und Prasentation der Sammlung leicht zu andern. Ein Verbindungsgang auf dem Dach des Foyers dient als Skulpturenhalle. Er fuhrt hinuber zur Shedhalle mit Werken niederosterreichischer Kunstler des 20. Jahrhunderts. Ein zweigeschosiger Einbau in Form einer begehbaren Raumskulptur stammt vom Architektenteam BEHF.
Circulatory dynamics of pregnancy: III. Interstitial fluid volume control☆

Abstract The change in plasma colloid osmotic pressure of pregnant and nonpregnant animals following repeated injections of isotonic saline was determined. There was a tendency for fluid to be retained in the circulatory system of the pregnant animals. An analogue model of the circulatory system was used to help gain insight into the mechanisms responsible for the observed changes.
Inhibition of rat liver mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation by sulfobromophthalein.

The observation by others of decreased bile flow and death following sulfobromophthalein (BSP) infusion in rats and other laboratory animals suggested that BSP was a possible metabolic toxin and led to studies of its effect on mitochondria respiration. Measurements of oxygen consumption showed that state 3 oxidation of pyruvate, glutamate, succinate, β-hydroxybutyrate, palmitoyl-L-carnitine, and hexanoate by rat liver mitochondria was inhibited at 3 µg of BSP per milligram of mitochondrial protein, inhibition increasing with increased BSP concentration up to 24 µg/mg. Rat heart mitochondrial oxidation of pyruvate was similarly inhibited by BSP. BSP also inhibited incorporation of 32P into ATP during state 3 respiration. Analysis of polarograph tracings indicated that BSP inhibited state 3 respiration without any consistent effect on state 4 or the ADP to oxygen ratio. Synthetic BSP-GSH conjugate did not inhibit mitochondrial oxygen consumption or prevent inhibition by unconjugated BSP. Adding defatted bovine albumin to the incubation medium decreased BSP inhibition of mitochondrial oxygen consumption. In addition, the introduction of albumin to the medium following inhibition by BSP caused a return to normal rates of oxygen consumption. The mechanism of the reversible inhibition of state 3 oxidation was investigated by studying the effect of BSP on some of the isolated steps of oxidative phosphorylation. BSP did not inhibit the succinate, glutamate, or β-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenases, or the succinate-cytochrome c reductase or NADH oxidase reactions. Succinate oxidase was inhibited in whole mitochondria but not in sonicated submitochondrial particles. This suggested that BSP may act at the mitochondrial inner membrane, possibly by interfering with mitochondrial uptake of the substrates necessary for coupled oxidative phosphorylation. The effect of BSP was therefore measured at various concentrations of the substrates of coupled oxidative phosphorylation. There was no change in inhibition over a 50-fold range of ADP concentration. However, BSP inhibition varied inversely with concentration of Pi in the medium. Similarly, inhibition by BSP varied inversely with the concentration of succinate but was not affected by changing the concentration of the other oxidizable substrates. Since the mitochondrial uptake of succinate has been shown to require Pi, the data are consistent with an effect of BSP on Pi transport across the mitochondrial inner membrane. These studies suggest that BSP is a potent inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation in vitro. There is no evidence at present, however, that BSP exerts a similar effect in vivo.
Modernism and the Reinvention of Decadence: The Cultivation of Decay and the Prerogatives of Modernism

In this inter-chapter, I want to recover a dialect in cultural history that has not found its place in the critical language we have used in representing the tradition of literary modernism. In this language, the ostensibly progressive methods and advanced attitudes of modern art and science are working in the service of an observably antithetical force. It is not primitivism, whose synergy with modernist aesthetics has been well researched. What I am looking at comes instead under a heading that combines the methodologies of modernity and its designated representatives in modernism, which are routinely represented as forward-oriented in outlook and value, with its backward-tracking opposite, which, as it is imagined and conceived, exerts a reverse fascination: in a word, with decadence. This term claims its use as a reference for the fundamental other of the modern, which is taken mainly as a synonym for advancement narratives, liberation fables, and progress mythologies. “Decadence” expresses not just a condition of being fallen from this increasingly mainstream value, as are the more unwitting representatives of the degeneration disclaimed in moralistic discourses of the later nineteenth century. “Decadence,” instead, represents an enriching debility of loss. It bespeaks an empowering economy of exhaustion, which preoccupies the most developed intelligences as a sometimes unexpected and so troubling but usually emboldening and powerfully attractive discovery. This is a motive interest sufficiently compelling to generate not only the conversation I am recapturing, but the coherence of an intellectual history that is also a cultural memory. It is, ultimately, the form of an artistic consciousness I will present as the sensibility of a profounder modernism. This lost conversation may be reconstituted from a broad resource, and its wider ground might be surveyed at first from above, as it were, in writings by three of its loftiest personages: Nietzsche, Freud, and Poe, who stand respectively in the middle and end and beginning of the history I am following.
25. Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, V, ii, 940-941

(1963). 25. Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor’s Lost, V, ii, 940-941. The Explicator: Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 53-55.
Reducing sexual risk behaviors: secondary analyses from a randomized controlled trial of a brief web-based alcohol intervention for underage, heavy episodic drinking college women.

Background: Alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors (SRBs) are significant problems on college campuses. College women are at particularly high risk for negative consequences associated with sexually...
Broken Promises: The French Expulsion of Emir Feisal and the Failed Struggle for Syrian Independence

For well over a century, global powers have sought to exert their influence over the peoples and the resources of the Middle East. This paper analyzes how Emir Feisal, son of the Sherif of Mecca and leader of the Arab Rebellion during World War I, failed to navigate either the demands of the Syrians who proclaimed him king in March 1920 or the political realities imposed by the Paris Peace Conference. Using primary and secondary source material in English, French, and Arabic, this paper argues that Feisal’s diplomatic, political, and military resistance to the French Mandate caused the French Government to evict him from the country in July 1920, terminating his brief rule as King of Syria. These sources detail the broken promises made by the Allies to supporters of Arab independence and the lost promise of an independent Syrian state after World War I.
A study of tantalum pentoxide Ta2O5 structures up to 28 GPa

Tantalum pentoxide Ta2O5 with the orthorhombic L-Ta2O5 structure has been experimentally studied up to 28.3 GPa (at ambient temperature) using synchrotron angle-dispersive powder X-ray diffraction (XRD). The ambient pressure phase remains stable up to 25 GPa where with increased pressure a crystalline to amorphous phase transition occurs. A detailed equation of state (EOS), including pressure dependent lattice parameters, is reported. The results of this study were compared with a previous high-pressure XRD study by Li et al. A clear discrepancy between the ambient-pressure crystal structures and, consequently, the reported EOSs between the two studies was revealed. The origin of this discrepancy is attributed to two different crystal structures used to index the XRD patterns.
Neuregulin 3 and its roles in schizophrenia risk and presentation.

Neuregulins, a four-member family of epidermal growth factor-like signaling molecules, have been studied for over two decades. They were first implicated in schizophrenia in 2002 with the detection of linkage and association at the NRG1 locus followed after a few years by NRG3. However, the associations with disease have not been very consistently observed. In contrast, association of NGR3 variants with disease presentation, specifically the presence of delusions, has been more consistent. This appears to be mediated by quantitative changes in the alternative splicing of the gene, which has also been consistently observed. Additional diseases and phenotypes, psychiatric or not, have also been connected with NRG3. These results demonstrate two important aspects of behavioral genetics research. The first is that if we only consider simple risk and fail to examine the details of each patient's individual phenotype, we will miss important insights on the disease biology. This is an important aspect of the goals of precision medicine. The second is that the functional consequences of variants are often more complex than simple alterations in levels of transcription of a particular gene, including, among others, regulation of alternative splicing. To accurately model and understand the biological consequences of phenotype—associated genetic variants, we need to study the biological consequences of each specific variant. Simply studying the consequences of a null allele of the orthologous gene in a model system, runs the risk of missing the many nuances of hypomorphic and/or gain of function variants in the genome of interest.
Matching Future Automotive Fuels and Engines for Optimum Energy Efficiency

In the future, if fuels from different sources (oil shale, coal, nuclear, biomass) are to be used in automobiles powered by current and alternative engines, we must be concerned with minimizing the overall energy expenditure for converting primary energy sources to power at the wheels. It is recognized, however, that many other factors, including environmental concerns, economics, and politics will have strong, and perhaps overriding influences on the final decision about which fuel-engine combinations should be and will be utilized.
Appia: automatic storage area network fabric design

Designing a storage area network (SAN) fabric requires devising a set of hubs, switches and links to connect hosts to their storage devices. The network must be capable of simultaneously meeting specified data flow requirements between multiple host-device pairs, and it must do so cost-effectively, since large-scale SAN fabrics can cost millions of dollars. Given that the number of data flows can easily number in the hundreds, simple overprovisioned manual designs are often not attractive: they can cost significantly more than they need to, may not meet the performance needs, may expend valuable resources in the wrong places, and are subject to the usual sources of human error. Producing SAN fabric designs automatically can address these difficulties, but it is a non-trivial problem: it extends the NP-hard minimum-cost fixed-charge multicommodity network flow problem to include degree constraints, node capacities, node costs, unsplittable flows, and other requirements. Nonetheless, we present here two efficient algorithms for automatic SAN design. We show that these produce cost-effective SAN designs in very reasonable running times, and explore how the two algorithms behave over a range of design problems.
A Nonparametric Test for Interactions of Any Order

A new procedure is presented for testing interactions of any order without requiring any elaborate assumptions about the shapes or variances of the sampled populations. Its principal limitations are that there must be equal numbers of observations per c..