cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Networks, the Internet, and Development

Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) are playing a significant role in economic, political and cultural development. The relationship between technologies supporting information processing and distribution, and the application of that knowledge for development purposes has only recently come into focus. The discovery, publication and application of new knowledge, the dissemination of information concerning best practices and the exchange of views and opinions are now considered essential elements of development work. These functions it is now increasingly recognized, are effectively facilitated by ICTs. In the area of economic development ICTs can create new jobs, new industry and service sector opportunities and a more educated work force. They make possible the cross-border flow of information, promote international trade, particularly high technology, bits rather than atoms, type trade and help to attract foreign direct investment. ICTs can also contribute to political development by fostering good governance and streamlining bureaucratic procedures through intra-governmental networking. The creative use of ICTs, particularly the Internet, in the areas of health care, education, environmental protection and in other developmentally important fields can substantially contribute to the advancement of developing societies. This paper identifies the causes and consequences for these trends and considers their implications for the further development of knowledge networks for development of the global Internet economy.
Intergeneric Relationships Among Macropodoidea (Metatheria: Diprotodontia) and The Chronicle of Kangaroo Evolution

The superfamily of kangaroos (Macropodoidea) is comprised of the subfamilies Propleopinae, Hypsiprymnodontinae, Paleopotoroinae, Potoroinae, Bulungamayinae, Balbarinae, Macropodinae, and Sthenurinae. Of these, Hypsiprymnodontinae, Potoroinae, and Macropodinae are extant. Competing phylogenetic hypotheses unite potoroines with either hypsiprymnodontines or macropodines, with most recent workers following a classificatory scheme that recognizes Hypsiprymnodontidae (hypsiprymnodontines) and Macropodidae (macropodines + potoroines). To address phylogenetic relationships among living macropodoids, we analyzed sequences from three mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, tRNA valine, 16S rRNA) and one nuclear gene (protamine P1). MtDNA and protamine P1 both support a basal split of Hypsiprymnodon from other macropodoids rather than an association of Hypsiprymnodon with potoroines. This suggests that bipedal hopping and a complex stomach evolved once among macropodids. Monophyly of the Macropodinae is supported. Among macropodines, there is support for a Dorcopsis-Dorcopsulus association. Potoroine monophyly is less clear, although among potoroines there is support for an association of Bettongia and Aepyprymnus. Divergence times were estimated using 12S rRNA, tRNA-valine, and 16S rRNA transversions and suggest that kangaroos separated from a possum-like ancestor approximately 38–44 million years ago. Hypsiprymnodon diverged from other macropodoids approximately 34 to 38 million years ago. In agreement with the fossil record, the diversification of potoroines predates the diversification of macropodines. The latter have radiated in association with the development of a more arid climate and emergent grasslands over the Australian continent.
Uniqueness and Nonuniqueness in Inverse Hyperbolic Problems and the Black Hole Phenomenon

We review recent results on inverse problems for the wave equation in an (n + 1)-dimensional space equipped with a pseudo-Riemannian met- ric with Lorentz signature and discuss conditions for the existence of black (white) holes for these wave equations. We prove energy type estimates on a finite time interval in the presence of black or white holes. These estimates are used to prove the nonuniqueness in inverse problems.
Relativistic multiple scattering theories

The conventional nonrelativistic nuclear many-body dynamics can be embedded in a Lorentz invariant dynamics with the same degrees of freedom. The qualitative features responsible for the agreement of such a theory with nucleon-nucleus scattering data are the same as for the nonrelativistic theory. Relativistic effects (i.e. the consequences of Lorentz invariance) can be investigated quantitatively. For medium-energy proton beams these relativistic effects are expected to be small. However the requirements of Lorentz invariance do not determine the nuclear dynamics, or even severely restrict its form. Dirac phenomenology, as well, is consistent with minimal requirements of relativistic quantum theory: (i) The existence of a Hilbert space of states on which Lorentz transformations and translations are implemented by unitary operators; (ii) Positivity of the energy spectrum. It is also compatible with the fact that nucleons are composites of quarks, and its success does not imply that antinucleon degrees of freedom play a prominent role in medium-energy nucleon-nucleus scattering.
Plasma ascorbic acid concentrations are related to cardiovascular risk factors in African-Americans

This study was undertaken to examine relationships among blood pressure, blood lipids, and plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid and malondialdehyde (MDA) equivalents (indicative of lipid peroxidation) in adult African-Americans. Subjects (n = 172, mean age = 48.0 y) were recruited from among the memberships of several Seventh-Day Adventist Churches. Plasma ascorbic acid and MDA equivalents were inversely correlated (r = -0.44, P < 0.0001). There were significant inverse correlations between plasma ascorbic acid levels and both systolic (r = -0.39, P < 0.0001) and diastolic blood pressure (r = -0.25, P < 0.03), and between plasma ascorbic acid and serum total cholesterol (r = -0.25, P < 0.03), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) (r = -0.33, P < 0.004), and the ratio of LDL-cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) (r = -0.32, P < 0.004). Serum HDL-cholesterol was positively related to plasma ascorbic acid (r = 0.22, P < 0.05). The correlations for MDA equivalents and the blood pressure and blood lipid variables were of similar magnitude to those of plasma ascorbic acid, but were in the opposite direction. Multiple regression analysis revealed ascorbic acid to be a significant independent contributor to the prediction of blood pressure and LDL-C concentration. These data suggest that plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid and MDA equivalents are related to several cardiovascular risk indicators in black Americans.
Problems in Pathologic Staging of Lung Cancer

Abstract Context.—Tumor stage is the most important prognostic and predictive factor for patients with lung cancer, the most lethal neoplasm in the United States. It is used by thoracic surgeons, radiation therapists, and oncologists to determine whether patients with these neoplasms will be treated surgically with curative intent or with palliative radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy. Objective.—To review the variety of practical problems that can arise during the assessment of the pathologic stage and other prognostic/predictive factors included in the College of American Pathologist checklist for evaluation of resected lung neoplasms. Data Sources.—Potential practical difficulties that can arise during the pathologic staging of lung cancer patients include the distinction between pT1, pT2, and pT3 lesions based on their location and the presence of visceral pleura and/or parietal pleura invasion; the differential diagnosis between multiple synchronous or metachronous primary lung neoplasms (pT1m) and...
Muscle molecular phenotype after stroke is associated with gait speed

The disability of patients after stroke is generally attributed to upper motor neuron defects, but secondary changes in paretic muscle may enhance the disability. We analyzed the molecular phenotype and metabolic profile of the paretic and nonparetic vastus lateralis (VL) and we measured the severity of gait deficit in 13 patients at least 6 months after ischemic stroke. The results showed a significant increase in the proportion of fast myosin heavy chain (MHC, 68 +/- 14%) in the paretic compared to the nonparetic VL (50 +/- 13%). The specific activity of citrate synthase and glyceraldehyde phosphodehydrogenase was not significantly different between the two sides. The proportion of fast MHC was inversely associated with severity of gait deficit indexed by self-selected walking speed in the paretic leg, but not the nonparetic leg. Our findings demonstrate significant and potentially modifiable secondary biologic changes in hemiparetic muscle phenotype that may contribute to the disability of stroke.
Adenosine and adenosine receptors.

In the last decade, there has been renewed interest in extracellular signaling by adenosine and adenine nucleotides. The potent cardiovascular effects of these agents were originally described by Drury and Szent-Gy6rgyi in 1929 (1). This report was followed by a flurry of interest in the use of adenosine as an antihypertensive agent, which subsided because of its rapid in vivo metabolism. In 1970, Sattin and RaIl provided evidence that adenosine caused accumulation of 3: 5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in brain slices via ligation of specific receptors (2), and "purinergic receptors" have subsequently been demonstrated on a variety of cell types. Fundamental to our current understanding of these receptors has been the delineation of receptor subtypes (3). P, receptors ("adenosine receptors") preferentially bind adenosine and adenosine monophosphate and are antagonized by methylxanthines and a variety of synthetic adenosine analogs. Most adenosine receptors are coupled to G proteins that regulate intracellular concentrations of cAMP. Pz receptors ("ATP receptors") bind adenosine diand tri-phosphate and often bind other nucleotides as well. There are no specific antagonists for these receptors at present. ATP receptors commonly raise cytosolic free calcium levels either directly via calcium channels or by generating inositol phosphates. Adenosine receptors are further subclassified as A, receptors or A z receptors, a distinction that was originally based on the differential effects of adenosine on cAMP levels. In cells that possess Al receptors, adenosine decreases intracellular cAMP by interacting with the G; regulatory protein; conversely, adenosine increases intracellular cAMP levels in cells bearing A2 adenosine receptors, which stimulate Gs• Thus adenosine applied to cells can have opposite effects depending on the distribution of receptors on a particular cell type. Adenosine mediates coronary vasodilation and systemic hypotension via A z receptors but constricts the renal artery via Al receptors. Al receptors are coupled to other signal transduction mechanisms as well and have been reported to affect guanylyl cyclase and phospholipase C in some cells.
Improved survival time trends for glioblastoma using the SEER 17 population-based registries

The EORTC/NCIC 22981/26981 study demonstrated an improvement in median overall survival (OS) from 12.1 to 14.6 months in patients with glioblastoma (GBM) who received temozolomide with post-operative radiotherapy (RT). The current study was performed to determine if those results translated into a survival benefit in a population-based cohort. Patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2006 with a GBM who underwent surgery and post-operative RT were selected from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database. Patients were grouped into time periods: 2000-2001, 2002-2003, 2004 and 2005-2006 (which represented those treated after the EORTC/NCIC trial presentation in 2004). Relative survival (RS) was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox multivariable regression modeling was used to estimate proportional hazard ratios (HR). Over time, there was improvement in the median and 2-year RS of 12 months and 15% for 2000-2001, 13 months and 19% for 2002-2003, 14 months and 24% for 2004, and 15 months and 26% for 2005-2006 (P < 0.0001 compared to 2000-2001 and 2002-2003; P = 0.07 compared to 2004). The estimated adjusted HR showed that patients diagnosed in 2005-2006 had significantly improved survival when compared to patients diagnosed in 2000-2001 (HR = 0.648, 95% CI 0.604-0.696). The median and 2 year RS of 15 months and 26% in 2005-2006 was similar to the median and 2 year OS of 14.6 months and 26% seen in the EORTC/NCIC phase III study. These results are encouraging and suggest that the current treatment of glioblastoma nationwide is now associated with an improved survival compared to previous time cohorts.
“Gender Trouble”: Investigating Gender and Economic Democracy in Worker Cooperatives in the United States

This paper explores the relationship between gender equality and economic democracy in worker cooperatives in the United States. A specific method for analyzing women’s status in worker cooperative...
Biocatalysis: Unmasked by stretching

The biocatalytic activity of enzyme-loaded responsive layer-by-layer films can be switched on and off by simple mechanical stretching. Soft materials could thus be used to trigger biochemical reactions under mechanical action, with potential therapeutic applications.
Semiconducting polymers based on charge-transfer complexes. III. Complexing and chemical stability of charge-transfer complexes in solution

10-Methylphenothiazine and p-(methylthio)anisole were compared to polymers which contained these donor molecules on the side chains of N-acyl-substituted polyethylenimines. Charge-transfer absorption spectra were compared for these donors with the acceptors: dichlorodicyanobenzoquinone, tetracyanoquinodimethane, tetracyanoethylene, and 2,4,5,7-tetranitrofluorenone. Benesi-Hildebrand plots show that the formation of the polymer complexes have 3 to 50 times higher equilibrium constants than those of the corresponding model complexes. This can be explained by complexing parallel to the polymer backbone. The polymer has the proper geometry for complexing (6.4 A, repeat distance in the polymer backbone), and an acceptor molecule can therefore be inserted between two adjacent donor molecules for increased stability. Shifts of the absorption maxima to longer wavelength for some of the polymer complexes can be rationalized by the probability that in the polymer, an acceptor is sandwiched between two donors and thus forms 2:1 complexes; the extra resonance energy may shift the absorption maximum to longer wavelength. A second possible explanation is based on solvation of the complex which reduces the energy of the excited state. Polymers absorb mainly in the complex form. Model compounds absorb mainly by contact charge transfer, which is nonsolvated and thus occurs at higher energy or shorter wavelength. Extinction coefficients are higher for the model complexes than for the polymer complexes. Contact charge transfer, which can contribute in greater proportion to the model than to the polymer complexes, explains this. The amount of contact charge transfer can be calculated simply from the probability of a donor being in the solvent shell of an acceptor. Complex decomposition rates were determined based on measuring changes in the intensities of the charge-transfer absorption spectra. Dichlorodicyanoquinone complexes were unstable, while the other complexes were stable.
Vitamin D: bone health and beyond.

The “sunshine vitamin” or vitamin D has long been known to play an important role in the promotion and maintenance of strong, healthy bones. Vitamin D status has generally not been a focus of publi...
Overview of foundational issues

Are community colleges as institutionally underprepared for underprepared students as these students are for college-level work? Learning to listen to underprepared students is a strategy community colleges must embrace and explore at the institution level if there are to be any significant shifts in student outcomes.
Pulmonary function assessment by whole-body plethysmography in restrained versus unrestrained mice.

Abstract Introduction: The evaluation of pulmonary physiological measurements in laboratory animals is an essential tool in many biomedical and toxicological research areas. Recently, an unrestrained single chambered whole-body plethysmograph that utilizes a barometric analysis technique to quantify pulmonary physiological values has gained widespread use. However, results generated with the single chamber plethysmograph have come under increased scrutiny because airflow in the lung is indirectly measured. The purpose of the present study was to use mice with known interstrain differences in pulmonary physiology (A/J, BALB/c, CD-1, and B6C3F1) and compare the physiological data generated with a single chamber plethysmograph to data obtained in the widely accepted double chamber noninvasive airway mechanics (NAM) plethysmograph in which the animals are restrained. Methods: Animals were placed into the plethysmographs and baseline physiological data acquired. The mice were then subjected to challenge with aerosols generated from isotonic saline (control) and methacholine solutions of increasing concentration (2.5–320 mg/ml) for 3 min for determination of the concentration of methacholine that induced a 200% increase in airway resistance (PC200R). Results: Repeated physiological measurements on the same animals in both the single and double chamber plethysmographs demonstrated that each instrument generated reproducible baseline physiological data. However, comparison of physiological data generated with the double-chambered instrument to that generated with the single chamber plethysmograph revealed several significant differences. While the single chamber plethysmograph appeared to give inaccurate measurements of tidal volume, it provided much better analysis of airway reactivity based on PC200R results. In contrast, the double chamber plethysmograph provided accurate physiological data such as tidal volume and respiratory rate, but provided inaccurate and irreproducible airway reactivity results based on PC200R. Discussion: Our results indicate that the choice of single or double chamber plethysmograph for physiological measurements should be linked to the study objectives and the type of data required.
Life-Course Pathways and the Psychosocial Adjustment of Young Adult Women.

We examined 7 life-course pathways from adolescence through the early adult years and their links with general health and psychosocial adjustment among 2,290 women from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Young women who followed a pathway involving college attendance to full-time employment with no family-formation transitions were functioning comparatively well with respect to general health, depression, and self-esteem. In contrast, young women who followed pathways involving early motherhood were functioning less well. Fixed-effects models suggested that the differences were due to selection factors. Young women who followed the pathway of college to full-time employment exhibited an increase in heavy drinking, whereas women who became married mothers exhibited a decrease in the same. Involvement in illegal behavior declined for all groups but least so for women who attended college.
High-temperature “in-situ” surface Raman spectroelectrochemistry in aqueous solutions

Etude, au moyen de ces methodes couplees, de la corrosion et de la passivation du plomb dans une solution de sulfate tres diluee, de 25 a 290°C et a 100 atm.
Black female career success: the importance of a career plan

Abstract A survey designed to assess the value of career planning and its impact upon Black female career mobility identified three elements of a career plan (hire status, organization type, and career enhancement strategies) as important to upward mobility. Findings suggest that the longer Black females remain in their organization, the more likely they were to have experienced career mobility as long as they had engaged in activities that enhanced their visibility. Employment in smaller organizations was associated with higher levels of self-efficacy while employment in larger organizations afforded greater career mobility.
Measuring the Process of Managerial Effectiveness

The development of an instrument to measure and evaluate managerial behavior that results in effective managerial performance is described. The instrument is designed to evaluate the performance of...
Medroxyprogesterone acetate impairs memory and alters the GABAergic system in aged surgically menopausal rats

In women, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is the most commonly used progestin component of hormone therapy (HT). In vitro, MPA negatively impacts markers of neuronal health and exacerbates experimentally-induced neurotoxicity. There is in vitro evidence that these factors are driven by GABAergic and neurotrophic systems. Whether these effects translate to a negative impact on brain function has not been tested in vivo, clinically or preclinically. Here we evaluate the mnemonic and neurobiological effects of MPA in the surgically menopausal rat. Aged ovariectomized (OVX) rats were given subcutaneous vehicle, natural progesterone, low-dose MPA or high-dose MPA. Multiple cognitive domains were analyzed via the water radial-arm maze (WRAM) and Morris maze (MM). Cognitive brain regions were assayed for changes in the GABAergic system by evaluating GAD protein, the synthesizing enzyme for GABA, and neurotrophins. On the WRAM, both progestin types impaired learning. Further, high-dose MPA impaired delayed memory retention on the WRAM, and exacerbated overnight forgetting on the MM. While neurotrophins were not affected by progesterone or MPA treatment, both progestin types altered GAD levels. MPA significantly and progesterone marginally decreased GAD levels in the hippocampus, and both MPA and progesterone significantly increased GAD levels in the entorhinal cortex. These findings suggest that MPA, the most commonly used progestin in HT, is detrimental to learning and two types of memory, and modulates the GABAergic system in cognitive brain regions, in aged surgically menopausal rats. These findings, combined with in vitro evidence that MPA is detrimental to neuronal health, indicates that MPA has negative effects for brain health and function.
Prenatal NAP+SAL prevents developmental delay in a mouse model of Down syndrome through effects on N-methyl-D-aspartic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid receptors

Objective Down syndrome (DS) affects 1/800 infants. Prenatal NAPVSIPQ (NAP) and SALLRSIPA (SAL) (NAP+SAL) prevent developmental delay in Ts65Dn mice, a mouse model of DS. We investigated whether this finding involves N-methyl-D-aspartic acid and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor subunits. Study Design Pregnant Ts65Dn mice were treated with placebo or NAP+SAL on gestational days 8-12. After developmental delay prevention was shown, 4 trisomic (Ts), 4 control, and 3 Ts+NAP+SAL adult offspring brains (from 3 litters) were collected. Calibrator-normalized real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed using primers for N-methyl-D-aspartic acid subunits NR2A and NR2B, and for GABA subunits GABA A α5 and GABA A β3 with glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase standardization. Statistics included analysis of variance and Fisher PLSD with P Results NR2A, NR2B, and GABA A β3 levels were decreased in Ts vs control (all P A β3 to levels similar to control (all P A α5 levels was not found. Conclusion Prenatal NAP+SAL increases NR2A, NR2B, and GABA A β3 expression in adult DS mice to levels similar to controls. This may explain how NAP+SAL improve developmental milestone achievement.
Flexible bones for the haptic prototyping of deformable objects

Accurate modelling of the compliance characteristics of solid models is an important rendering task for increasing the realism of virtual environments. The ability to feel the force and moment stress resultants that cause the bending, twisting, shearing and/or fracture of physically-based models is useful for a large number of application areas including medical training, CAD environments, computer animation and games. An important element of compliance rendering is the mechanics engine that solves the equations governing the deformations and stresses in solid models. The development of such engines has to carefully balance the needs for haptic (not just graphical) realism with the needs for real time processing at rates in the range of 500-1000 Hz. In this paper we describe methods and techniques we have developed for such an engine, and demonstrate their characteristics in a number of applications including design of compliant mechanisms, animation and solid modelling.
Daring to Marry: Marriage Equality Activism After Proposition 8 as Challenge to the Assimilationist/Radical Binary in Queer Studies

I analyze three case studies of marriage equality activism and marriage equality-based groups after the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Evaluating the JoinTheImpact protests of 2008, the LGBTQ rights group GetEQUAL, and the group One Struggle One Fight, I argue that these groups revise queer theoretical arguments about marriage equality activism as by definition assimilationist, homonormative, and single-issue. In contrast to such claims, the cases studied here provide a snapshot of heterogeneous, intersectional, and coalition-based social justice work in which creative methods of protest, including direct action and flash mobs, are deployed in militant ways for marriage rights and beyond.
The Multiple Sample Up-and-Down Method in Bioassay

Abstract The up-and-down method in bioassay using multiple samples in each trial is investigated. The bias and precision of the estimators for ED 50 applying the dose-averaging formula and probit analysis are computed and relatively efficient sampling schemes are discussed. The use of the method to estimate extreme percentage doses is developed. It is shown that the estimators from this method are generally more efficient than the non-sequential estimators and are as good as other comparable sequential estimators. Several numerical examples of the asymptotic distribution of the dose-levels from this sampling procedure are tabulated.
Influence of soil texture and cultivation on carbon and nitrogen levels in soils of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains.

Abstract The study was conducted to quantify the relationships between soil texture (silt + clay) and soil organic carbon (SOC) or total nitrogen (TN) under native forests and rice–wheat cropland in the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains. Soils were collected from 99 native ecosystem sites and 22 cultivated rice–wheat (RW) sites in Nepal and Bangladesh at 15 cm depth increments to a depth of 60 cm. Surface layer (0–15 cm) samples were collected from an additional 266 cultivated sites in Nepal and Bangladesh. Positive relationships between soil silt + clay and both SOC and TN were established for each depth increment. The data were best fit by exponential functions which, together with bulk density values, were used to estimate SOC and TN stocks as a function of depth and soil texture. The conversion of forests to rice–wheat cropland resulted in mean reductions in SOC stocks of 55%, 32%, 17%, and 10% in the 0–15, 15–30, 30–45, and 45–60 cm depths, respectively. It appeared that fertilizer N inputs had affected mean TN stocks, as N loss upon conversion to cropland was only found for the 0–15 cm depth, and there were significant N gains below 30 cm soil in the cultivated rice–wheat fields. Soil silt + clay content had a large effect on losses of SOC with cultivation, which were estimated to increase from 10 to 33 Mg ha − 1 for the 0–60 cm depth over the silt + clay range from 250 to 1000 g kg − 1 . The SOC losses on cultivation also represent the potential to sequester C in these soils, which is similarly dependent on soil texture. Between 76 and 87%, of the total (0–60 cm) C sequestration potential is estimated to occur in the top 30 cm of the soil profile over the range in silt + clay from 250 to 1000 g kg − 1 . For the mean texture of rice–wheat soils, the C-sequestration potential was estimated to be 22.2 Mg C ha − 1 for the 0–60 cm depth, with 86% of this potential occurring in the top 30 cm of the soil profile.
Evaluation of a New Diuretic, Diapamide, in Congestive Heart Failure

The diuretic response of patients with congestive heart failure to establish doses of diapamide (750 mg) and furosemide (80 mg) was compared in an open, crossover study. Peak urine output occurred in the first 6 hours after administration of furosemide but somewhat later (12 to 18 hours) with diapamide. Both agents produced active diuresis and natriuresis in most patients. Comparisons of drug effect during the first days of each treatment period and analysis of the entire first treatment period indicated that urine output with furosemide was significantly greater than with diapamide. Urinary sodium excretion on the first day of treatment was not significantly greater with furosemide than with diapamide, nor were the differences significant on subsequent days. The observed differences between drugs on urinary potassium and chloride excretion were not statistically significant. The most frequently occurring adverse reaction was mild to moderate nausea, which was reported by five patients receiving diapamide and two patients receiving furosemide. Diarrhea and vomiting were also more frequent with diapamide. Diapamide would appear to serve a role between the milder thiazide diuretics and the more effective furosemide.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Activity of a Difluoro-Substituted, Conformationally Rigid Vigabatrin Analogue as a Potent γ-Aminobutyric Acid Aminotransferase Inhibitor

Previously it was found that a conformationally rigid analogue (2) of the epilepsy drug vigabatrin (1) did not inactivate γ-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT). A cyclic compound with an exocyclic double bond (6) was synthesized and was found to inactivate GABA-AT, but only in the absence of 2-mercaptoethanol. The corresponding difluoro-substituted analogue (14) was synthesized and was shown to be a very potent time-dependent inhibitor, even in the presence of 2-mercaptoethanol.
Toughening mechanisms in epoxy–silica nanocomposites (ESNs)

Abstract Two types of nanosilica (NS) particles with different average particle sizes (20 nm and 80 nm in diameter, respectively) were used to fabricate epoxy–silica nanocomposites (ESNs) in this study. No significant differences in fracture behavior were observed between the epoxies filled with 20 nm NS particles and the epoxies filled with 80 nm NS particles. Interestingly, both types of NS particles were found to be more efficient in toughening epoxies than micron size glass spheres. As with micron size glass spheres, the fracture toughness of the ESNs were affected by the crosslink density of the epoxy matrix, i.e. a lower crosslinked matrix resulted in a tougher ESN. The increases in toughness in both types of ESNs were attributed to a zone shielding mechanism involving matrix plastic deformation. Moreover, the use of Irwin's formalized plastic zone model precisely described the relationship between the fracture toughness, yield strength and the corresponding plastic zone size of the various ESNs examined.
Delivering Minocycline into Brain Endothelial Cells with Liposome-Based Technology:

Minocycline has been proposed as a way to blunt neurovascular injury from matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) during stroke. However, recent clinical trials suggest that high levels of minocycline may have deleterious side-effects. Here, we showed that very high minocycline concentrations damage endothelial cells via calpain/caspase pathways. To alleviate this potential cytotoxicity, we encapsulated minocycline in liposomes. Low concentrations of minocycline could not reduce tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced MMP-9 release from endothelial cells. But low concentrations of minocycline-loaded liposomes significantly reduced TNFα-induced MMP-9 release. This study provides proof-of-concept that liposomes may be used to deliver lower levels of minocycline for targeting MMPs in cerebral endothelium.
Conversion of atrial fibrillation after levothyroxine in a dog with hypothyroidism and arterial thromboembolism.

A six-year-old female spayed mixed-breed dog was referred following a 3-week history of lameness and progressive neurological deficits in both hindlimbs, and a 1-week history of a cardiac arrhythmia. The dog was diagnosed with hypothyroidism, atrial fibrillation, myocardial dysfunction and arterial thromboembolism. Cardioversion occurred after 2 weeks of levothyroxine supplementation, with improved systolic function over time. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first case reported in the veterinary or human literature documenting hypothyroidism with persistent atrial fibrillation being converted to sinus rhythm with levothyroxine as sole therapy.
Identification of an antigenic protein recognized by anti-Sm autoantibody.

Abstract Serum from some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus contains Sm autoantibodies which recognize small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (snRNPs) particles. These snRNP particles contain U1, U2, U4, U5 or U6 RNA and several proteins ranging in molecular weight from 8000 to 94000 daltons. The Sm antibodies recognize one protein of 28000 daltons by “Western” transfer with an apparent isoelectric pH of 9.5 as estimated by non-equilibrium IEF.
Evaluational set and creativity.

To test Wallach and Kogan's hypothesis that low creativity is associated with fear of evaluation, a set of creativity tests with instructions meant to induce low, high, and neutral evaluational sets was administered to 147 fifth and sixth graders. No effect of evaluational set was found. Girls performed significantly better than boys on all measures of creativity. Reading skill was strongly correlated with creativity scores for our conditions of test administration. Subtests were significantly intercorrelated.
Inhibition of Formation of Protein-Bound Hydroxyproline by Free Hydroxyproline in Avena Coleoptiles

Free hydroxyproline inhibits the formation of protein-bound hydroxyproline from proline to a considerably greater extent than it does the incorporation of proline into protein of auxin-treated Avena coleoptiles. This inhibition is greater in the wall than in the cytoplasmic fraction. In the absence of auxin, free hydroxyproline exerts little or no inhibition of hydroxyproline formation. Furthermore free hydroxyproline has no effect on respiration, RNA synthesis or the incorporation of leucine into protein. Hydroxyproline is not a general inhibitor of metabolism or protein synthesis in Avena coleoptiles. These results suggest that free hydroxyproline may inhibit auxin-induced cell elongation by blocking the formation or utilization of a particular hydroxyproline-rich protein which must be incorporated into the cell wall during auxin-induced wall extension.
Must cardiology lose its heart

Regulations and restrictions imposed by external agencies are forcing cardiologists into an unnatural self-protective and defensive posture against their patients. The key to breaking the pattern of mutual skepticism and mistrust lies in returning the focus to its rightful place: the patients' needs. Thus, payment systems must be devised that reward cognitive skills, time spent with patients and continuity of care as they reward technologic interventions and procedures. In advocating necessary changes in the system, only physicians themselves can provide a convincing voice in the political arena. They must look beyond their own self-interest to recapture the moral and ethical high ground where the best care of their patients and their own professional satisfaction stand side by side.
Multiple excitons and the electron-phonon bottleneck in semiconductor quantum dots: An ab initio perspective

The article presents the current perspective on the nature of photoexcited states in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). The focus is on multiple excitons and photo-induced electron–phonon dynamics in PbSe and CdSe QDs, and the advocated view is rooted in the results of ab initio studies in both energy and time domains. As a new type of material, semiconductor QDs represent the borderline between chemistry and physics, exhibiting both molecular and bulk-like properties. Similar to atoms and molecules, the electronic spectra of QD show discrete bands. Just as bulk semiconductors, QDs comprise multiple copies of the elementary unit cell, and are characterized by valence and conduction bands. The electron–phonon coupling in QDs is weaker than in molecules, but stronger than in bulk semiconductors. Unlike either material, the QD properties can be tuned continuously by changing QD size and shape. The molecular and bulk points of view often lead to contradicting conclusions. For example, the molecular view suggests that the excitations in QDs should exhibit strong electron-correlation (excitonic) effects, and that the electron–phonon relaxation should be slow due to the discrete nature of the optical bands and the mismatch of the electronic energy gaps with vibrational frequencies. In contrast, a finite-size limit of bulk properties indicates that the kinetic energy of quantum confinement should be significantly greater than excitonic effects and that the electron–phonon relaxation inside the quasi-continuous bands should be efficient. Such qualitative differences have generated heated discussions in the literature. The great potential of QDs for a variety of applications, including photovoltaics, spintronics, lasers, light-emitting diodes, and field-effect transistors makes it crutual to settle the debates. By synthesizing different viewpoints and presenting a unified atomistic picture of the excited state processes, our ab initio analysis clarifies the controversies regarding the phonon bottleneck and the generation of multiple excitons in semiconductor QDs. Both the electron–hole and charge-phonon interactions are strong and, therefore, optical excitations can directly generate multiple excitons, while the electron–phonon relaxation exhibits no bottlenecks, except at low excitation energies and in very small QDs.
Interstitial Collagen Catabolism

Interstitial collagen mechanical and biological properties are altered by proteases that catalyze the hydrolysis of the collagen triple-helical structure. Collagenolysis is critical in development and homeostasis but also contributes to numerous pathologies. Mammalian collagenolytic enzymes include matrix metalloproteinases, cathepsin K, and neutrophil elastase, and a variety of invertebrates and pathogens possess collagenolytic enzymes. Components of the mechanism of action for the collagenolytic enzyme MMP-1 have been defined experimentally, and insights into other collagenolytic mechanisms have been provided. Ancillary biomolecules may modulate the action of collagenolytic enzymes.
Inhibition and recovery of cucumber roots given multiple treatments of ferulic acid in nutrient culture

Ferulic acid, a frequently cited allelopathic agent, inhibited photosynthesis, leaf expansion, and root elongation of cucumber seedlings grown in aerated nutrient cultures in a growth chamber. Other effects were a reduction in the proportion of radioactivity fixed by photosynthesis translocated to roots, a stimulation in secondary root initiation, and an increase in root-shoot ratios. Inhibition of leaf expansion and root elongation induced by multiple ferulic acid treatments was rapidly lost once ferulic acid was removed from the root environment. The changes in general root morphology, i.e., average root length and root number, associated with ferulic acid treatments, were partially reversed or not affected when ferulic acid was removed from the root environment.
Destination Visual Image and Expectation of Experiences

A unique experience is the essence of tourism sought by tourists. The most effective way to communicate the notion of a tourism experience at a destination is to provide visual cues that stimulate the imagination and connect with potential tourists in a personal way. This study aims at understanding how a visual image is relevant to the expectation of experiences by deconstructing images of a destination and interpreting visitors' perceptions of these images and the experiences associated with them. The results suggest that tourists with different understandings of desirable experiences found different contents and notions of images inspired them to visit a destination. Several managerial implications are discussed.
Selective excitation and sensitivity enhancement of 1H resonances by polarization transfer from low gamma quadrupolar nuclei

Separation de la sequence INEPT en transfert de polarisation et temps de reconcentration qui sont independamment ajustes et bases sur un spin I des spins reservoir et observe respectivement
Epi-perineurial anatomy, innervation, and axonal nociceptive mechanisms

Nerves are usually viewed as simple conduits of electrical signals to make muscles move and enable sensation. However, recent data have shown that the axons within nerves are capable of responding to their environment. Nerves have a very specialized anatomy and physiology, and are capable of mediating certain types of pain. This synopsis introduces the reader to these concepts, which can be incorporated into clinical decision-making.
Computer simulation and analysis of tryptophan metabolism via kynurenine pathway in liver.

Abstract Tryptophan metabolism via the kynurenine pathway has been studied through the simulation of a model system on an analog computer. Experiments pertaining to the coenzyme effect of pyridoxal on metabolite distribution were performed under a variety of conditions. The effects of regulatory feedback on some enzyme activities and metabolite concentrations were explored. Tryptophan-load experiments were performed. The conclusion is drawn that model systems established on currently available information on tryptophan metabolism in liver are not adequate to interpret various abnormal distribution patterns of metabolites under conditions of disease. Also, current clinical measurements on a variety of metabolic intermediates do not yield significant information on the mechanism of disease.
Genetic incorporation of an aliphatic keto-containing amino acid into proteins for their site-specific modifications

2-Amino-8-oxononanoic acid has been genetically incorporated into proteins in Escherichia coli by the use of an evolved pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase/pylT pair. The direct usage of the exclusive reactivity of the keto group in this amino acid with hydrazide- and alkoxyamine-bearing compounds to site-specifically label proteins under a mild condition close to physiological pH exhibited a very high efficiency.
A comparison of esmolol and labetalol for the treatment of perioperative hypertension in geriatric ambulatory surgical patients.

This is an open randomized study comparing the efficacy and safety of i.v. esmolol and labetalol in the treatment of perioperative hypertension in ambulatory surgery. Twenty-two elderly patients undergoing cataract surgery under local anaesthesia were studied. The main inclusion criteria were development of systolic blood pressure greater than 200 mmHg or diastolic greater than 100 mmHg. Esmolol was given as a bolus 500 micrograms.kg-1 i.v. followed by a maintenance infusion (150-300 micrograms.kg-1.min-1). Labetalol was given as a bolus of 5 mg i.v. followed by 5 mg increments as needed up to a maximum of 1 mg.kg-1. Esmolol and labetalol both produced reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (P less than 0.05) within ten minutes of administration which lasted for at least two hours. Reduction of blood pressure by esmolol was accompanied by a decrease in HR (P less than 0.05). Two patients developed extreme bradycardia (HR less than 50 beats.min-1) and esmolol had to be discontinued. Labetalol, in contrast, induced only a moderate decrease in HR. None of the patients treated with labetalol experienced any prolonged side effects such as orthostatic hypotension. In conclusion, esmolol may produce considerable bradycardia in elderly patients when hypertension is not accompanied by tachycardia. Labetalol was easier to administer in the ambulatory setting and one-tenth the cost of esmolol.
Cover-Free Families and Topology-Transparent Scheduling for MANETs

We examine the combinatorial requirements of topology-transparent transmission schedules in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET). Specifically, if each of the N nodes has at most D active neighbors, we require the schedule to guarantee a collision-free transmission to each neighbor. This requirement is met by a cover-free family. We show that existing constructions for topology-transparent schedules correspond to an orthogonal array. Moreover, we show that Steiner systems support the largest number of nodes for a given schedule length. Both of these combinatorial objects are special cases of cover-free families. Analytically and numerically, we examine slot guarantees, expected throughput, and normalized expected throughput for systems of small strength, exploring the sensitivity of the response to D. Expected throughput provides a better performance metric than the minimum throughput results obtained earlier. The impact of a more realistic model of acknowledgments is also examined. The extension of the schedule to multiple frames returns us to the orthogonal arrays. The very density of Steiner systems that afforded an improvement over orthogonal arrays in one frame impedes the best extension to more frames.
“Wild Man” Behavior in a New Guinea Highlands Community1

IZARRE behavior patterns, variously referred to as "running amuck," "going berserk," or "madness," have been reported for New Guinea societies. While the specific form the behavior takes varies from one area in New Guinea to another it is generally stated that there is standardization of the pattern within a given area and that it represents "abnormal" or "deviant" behavior. Interpretations of these patterns usually point out their highly aggressive character and seek understanding of them as a mechanism for the release of tensions induced in the individual through psychic or social conflicts. Field observation in a New Guinea Highlands community of one of these patterns suggests that interpretations of this behavior must also take into account the community within which the individual displays the behavior, the effect this display may have on community opinion of the person, and the ideological background against which the behavior is played out. These are important factors, for in addition to providing an outlet for aggressive impulses, such behavior also serves as a means whereby the individual can forcefully and dramatically cause the community to revise its image of him in a manner whereby social pressures will be withdrawn without drastic loss of social support. Such a pattern can thus be viewed as instrumental behavior redefining the social situation of the person displaying it and depending for its success on community acceptance of the portrayal. The particular pattern discussed here was observed among the Gururumba, a horticultural people living in the Upper Asaro valley in the Eastern Highlands of the Territory of New Guinea.2 They refer to it as ahaDe idzi Be, "being (a) wild pig." Since they intend by this phrase to draw an analogy between the actions of a "wild" pig and a pattern of human action, the phrase will be translated figuratively as "wild man." The meaning of the analogy is partly revealed in the fact that there are no pigs in this area of the Highlands that are wild in the sense of a group of nondomesticated animals roaming free in the forest or grassland unattended by humans. There are only pigs that have temporarily escaped their masters. The Gururumba do not pretend to know exactly what causes a pig to break away from the rather pampered life it leads in the company of man to run wildly about attacking people and other pigs, but they feel it is only a temporary lapse which will either run its course or will be corrected by capturing the pig and subjecting it to a reintegration ritual designed to curb any aggressive impulses that may be in the animal, thus making it again amenable to life under controlled conditions.