cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparative Analysis of Procedures for Dual and Triple Closely Spaced Parallel Runways

This article provides a comparative analysis of 2 experiments on procedures to increase the capacity of closely spaced parallel runways under low-visibility conditions. The common goal for both studies was to achieve visual meteorological capacity under instrument meteorological conditions, when landing aircraft on parallel runways 750 ft apart. Using a high-fidelity flight deck simulator, both studies investigated procedures related to breakout maneuvers on final approach during off-nominal conditions. The first study investigated procedures for 2 parallel runways (involving a leading and trailing aircraft) and the second study examined 3 parallel runways separated by 750 ft, investigating procedures for 3 simultaneously arriving aircraft (leading, center, and right aircraft). In both studies, off-nominal events were introduced during the approach. In some cases the wake of the leading aircraft drifted too close to the aircraft behind. In others, the leading aircraft deviated off its course and blundered...
Trade liberalization and the dimensions of efficiency change in Mexican manufacturing industries

Abstract Did Mexico's recent trade liberalization generate productivity gains? We find that average costs fell in most industries, with tradeable goods producers registering the largest reductions. Among importables, these cost reductions trace partly to improvements in relative productivity. Among exportables, they are due to favorable changes in relative prices, probably because imported intermediate goods became cheaper. Gains due to scale economy exploitation were minor and were not correlated with increases in foreign competition. Hence the results cast some doubt on simulation studies of trade liberalization that stress scale effects as a major source of efficiency gain.
Randomly planar graphs

A graph G is randomly planar if every planar embedding of every connected subgraph of G can be extended to a planar embedding of G. We classify these graphs.
An underwater acoustic pulse compression system

This paper describes the signal processing scheme used in sources and receivers for the remote acoustic measurement of the oceanic sound velocity field. Ocean sound velocity varies in response to interior dynamic processes so that a continuous sound field measurement is expected to provide a unique view of physical oceanographic phenomena. The basic signal processing technique uses maximal length shift register sequences with frequency-domain (nonpower of 2 FFT) matched filtering.
LGM Summer Climate on the Southern Margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet: Wet or Dry?*

Abstract Regional climate simulations are conducted using the Polar fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University (PSU)–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) with a 60-km horizontal resolution domain over North America to explore the summer climate of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM: 21 000 calendar years ago), when much of the continent was covered by the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS). Output from a tailored NCAR Community Climate Model version 3 (CCM3) simulation of the LGM climate is used to provide the initial and lateral boundary conditions for Polar MM5. LGM boundary conditions include continental ice sheets, appropriate orbital forcing, reduced CO2 concentration, paleovegetation, modified sea surface temperatures, and lowered sea level. The simulated LGM summer climate is characterized by a pronounced low-level thermal gradient along the southern margin of the LIS resulting from the juxtaposition of the cold ice sheet and adjacent warm ice-free land surface. This sharp thermal gradient anchors the midtropospheric...
Palmitate attenuates osteoblast differentiation of fetal rat calvarial cells

Aging is associated with the accumulation of ectopic lipid resulting in the inhibition of normal organ function, a phenomenon known as lipotoxicity. Within the bone marrow microenvironment, elevation in fatty acid levels may produce an increase in osteoclast activity and a decrease in osteoblast number and function, thus contributing to age-related osteoporosis. However, little is known about lipotoxic mechanisms in intramembraneous bone. Previously we reported that the long chain saturated fatty acid palmitate inhibited the expression of the osteogenic markers RUNX2 and osteocalcin in fetal rat calvarial cell (FRC) cultures. Moreover, the acetyl CoA carboxylase inhibitor TOFA blocked the inhibitory effect of palmitate on expression of these two markers. In the current study we have extended these observations to show that palmitate inhibits spontaneous mineralized bone formation in FRC cultures in association with reduced mRNA expression of RUNX2, alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein and reduced alkaline phosphatase activity. The effects of palmitate on osteogenic marker expression were inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate also inhibited the mRNA expression of fatty acid synthase and PPARγ in FRC cultures, and as with osteogenic markers, this effect was inhibited by TOFA. Palmitate had no effect on FRC cell proliferation or apoptosis, but inhibited BMP-7-induced alkaline phosphatase activity. We conclude that palmitate accumulation may lead to lipotoxic effects on osteoblast differentiation and mineralization and that increases in fatty acid oxidation may help to prevent these lipotoxic effects.
ortho-toluidine blood protein adducts: HPLC analysis with fluorescence detection after a single dose in the adult male rat.

Abstract Hemoglobin (Hb) and albumin (Alb) adducts of the suspect human carcinogen ortho-toluidine (OT) were quantified in blood samples collected from rats after a single i.p. injection. Mild alkaline hydrolysis of Hb adducted with [14C]OT followed by extraction with ethyl acetate resulted in recovery of 63% of the bound radioactivity. HPLC analysis revealed a single radiolabeled peak which was identified as OT by GC-MS. In subsequent experiments Hb and Alb adduct levels were determined by HPLC analysis of this cleavage product using fluorescence detection. 4-Ethylaniline was used as internal standard. The detection limit for OT was approximately 450 pg/injection or 5 pmol/mg Hb. Mean adduct levels for Hb increased rapidly over the first 4 hr with the highest (ng/mg Hb ± SD) 3.7 ± 0.5 detected 24 hr after OT administration at 50 mg/kg body wt. In contrast, adduct levels for pooled Alb samples increased from 0.7 ng/mg Alb at 2 hr to 2.5 ng/mg Alb at 4 hr, but were not detectable 24 hr after dosing. Hb adducts showed a linear relationship for OT doses of 10, 20, 40, 50, and 100 mg/kg body wt. The Hb adduct t 1 2 (11 days) was determined after a single 100 mg/kg OT dose. Hb adduct levels were quantifiable (1.3 ± 0.2 ng/mg Hb) by HPLC/fluorescence 28 days after 100 mg/kg OT. Although Hb and Alb adducts differ in stability, a ratio of such OT adducts may be useful in long-term industrial biomonitoring for evaluation of OT exposure.
LOCUS OF CONTROL, TRUST, AND DECISION MAKING*

A theoretical connection was proposed between certain social personality variables, namely locus of control (Internal or External) and trust (High and Low) and the formal decision-making model of Subjective Expected Utility (SEU). Rather than adopting the traditional definition of these variables as “generalized expectancies” for behavior of self and others, locus of control and trust were reconceptualized as intrapersonal tendencies to favor, prefer, or otherwise bias the subjective probabilities entering into a decision computation. S's high in external control orientation did not differ from internals overall, but external males were more risk averse under certain choice conditions (female-sex-role appropriate dilemma, probability-estimate form). Low-trust S's were also more risk averse than high-trust S's, overall. Low-trust males generated maximally risk-averse choice solutions under the choice condition of feminine role problem appropriateness and probability estimation. In general, female S's made choices that were more consistent with SEU-predicted solutions than males.
Magneto-Optic-Based Fiber Switch for Optical Communications

In this paper, the use of the Faraday effect in a optical on-off switch is investigated for application in wide spread usage in fiber networks. This is the first reported magneto-optic switch for optical fiber networks. Light does not exit from the fiber except when propagating into the MO rotator, thus this is an all fiber switch. The extinction ratio was stabilized and faster switching was observed when the domain walls are pinned and only rotation occurred. Integrated magnetooptics is the final frontier for the improvement of the device characteristics as well as the commercialization of such a magneto-optic switch. Finally the issues of implementation and operation of the integrated magneto-optical switch and the techniques of growing high quality garnet thin films for this purpose are demonstrated.
An analysis of the effects of noisy training sets on the fault tolerance of neural networks

Preliminary results are presented of a study to determine the effect of noisy training sets on fault tolerance. Backpropagation was used to train three networks on 7*7 numeral patterns. One network was the control and used noiseless inputs and the other two used two different noisy cases. After learning was complete, the networks were tested for their fault tolerance to stuck-at-1 and stuck-at-0 element faults, as well as weight connection faults. The networks trained on noisy inputs had substantially better fault tolerance than the network trained on noiseless inputs. >
Detection of a Novel Unglycosylated Form of Hepatitis C Virus E2 Envelope Protein That Is Located in the Cytosol and Interacts with PKR

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope protein E2 has been shown to accumulate in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) as a properly folded glycoprotein as well as large aggregates of misfolded proteins. In the present study, we have identified an additional unglycosylated species, with an apparent molecular mass of 38 kDa (E2-p38). In contrast to the glycosylated E2, E2-p38 is significantly less stable and is degraded through the proteasome pathway. Correspondingly, E2-p38 is found to be ubiquitinated. E2-p38 is localized mostly in the cytosol, in contrast to the glycosylated form, which is exclusively membrane associated. Alpha interferon (IFN-α) treatment or overexpression of the double-stranded RNA-activated protein kinase (PKR) significantly increased the stability of E2-p38, consistent with a previous report (D. R. Taylor, S. T. Shi, P. R. Romano, G. N. Barber, and M. M. Lai, Science 285:107–110, 1999) that E2 interacts with PKR and inhibits its kinase activity. Direct interaction between PKR and E2-p38, but not the glycosylated form of E2, was also observed. These results show that E2-p38 is the form of E2 that interacts with PKR in the cytosol and may contribute to the resistance of HCV to IFN-α. Thus, an ER protein can exist in the cytosol as an unglycosylated species and impair cellular functions.
Obstetrics and gynecology

Basic science, clinical, and epidemiologic research is producing impressive advances in obstetrics and gynecology that will have a major effect on clinical practice. This review highlights research reported or published during 1999 about the demographics and educational experiences of residents, race as a prognostic factor in malignancy, hormone replacement therapy in women with malignancies, pregnancy and breast cancer, managed care, chemoprevention, and screening. The breadth, diversity, creativity, innovation, and controversy of these advances continue to characterize obstetrics and gynecology as a unique surgical specialty and reflect favorably on its vitality.
Observations of Real‐Time Captioning in the Elementary English Language Learner Classroom

This qualitative study reviews the effects of real-time captioning on vocabulary acquisition of a novice elementary English language learner (ELL). Triangulation of data was completed through review of teacher journaling, captioning transcripts, and student pretest and posttest assessments. Results illuminate improved retention and usage of English during the captioned class sessions. Findings are discussed through the lens of the Hawthorne effect and social development theory. The researcher explores implications for ELL teachers, school administrators, and institutions of higher education.
Exercise Testing and Nuclear Scanning

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. It usually results from the build-up of fatty deposits within the blood vessel wall, which leads to narrowing of the coronary vessels and a reduction in the blood supply to the heart muscle. This reduced blood supply may in turn result in impaired cardiac function and sometimes in a heart attack. An insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle often manifests itself as symptoms of chest pain and/or shortness of breath. However, these symptoms are not always indicative of heart disease. Exercise testing and nuclear scanning are common tools that are used to diagnose the presence of obstructions in the coronary vessels and to evaluate their severity. Nuclear scanning uses small amounts of radioactive substances (for example, thallium-201, Cardiolite [sestamibi; Bristol-Myers Squibb Medical Imaging, Inc], and Myoview [tetrofosmin; Amersham Health]) that are injected into a vein to produce images of the heart. These images are used to assess the blood supply to the heart muscle (myocardial perfusion) at rest and during exercise or medicine-induced stress. The most common nuclear test of the heart is known as a myocardial perfusion scan. Myocardial perfusion images are obtained while the patient is lying down under a special camera or scanner (known as single-photon emission computed tomography [SPECT] or positron emission tomography [PET]) that generates a picture of the radioactivity coming from the heart (Figure 1). When there is …
Data Visualization: Preference and Use of Two-Dimensional and Three-Dimensional Graphs:

This study considered the interplay of simple versus perspective graphical information on aesthetic preference, instructional effectiveness, and retention. Students in an introductory U.S. governme...
The earliest known record of California Indian numbers

Abstract The earliest written record of a numeral system for any California Indian tribe has been ascribed to Padre Jose Senan, O.F.M., missionary at Mission San Buenaventura. It is now known that the earliest is in The First Spanish Entry Into San Francisco Bay 1775, the diary of Fr. Vicente Maria, O.F.M., chaplain of a Spanish expedition. He recorded the Indian words for the numbers one to fourteen. The first eight of these correspond with the same numbers used by the Costanoans of Mission Santa Clara. The differences are credited to the influence of other tribes who visited Angel Island in San Francisco Bay where Padre Vicente made his record.
Discriminative Speaker Adaptation with Conditional Maximum Likelihood Linear Regression

We present a simplified derivation of the extended Baum-Welch procedure, which shows that it can be used for Maximum Mutual Information (MMI) of a large class of continuous emission density hidden Markov models (HMMs). We use the extended Baum-Welch procedure for discriminative estimation of MLLR-type speaker adaptation transformations. The resulting adaptation procedure, termed Conditional Maximum Likelihood Linear Regression (CMLLR), is used successfully for supervised and unsupervised adaptation tasks on the Switchboard corpus, yielding an improvement over MLLR. The interaction of unsupervised CMLLR with segmental minimum Bayes risk lattice voting procedures is also explored, showing that the two procedures are complimentary.
Wenckebach responsive to cephalosporins - it must be Lyme carditis

A 37-year-old female presented to the hospital with erythema migrans and fatigue developed hypotension and variable episodes of AV block, including both Mobitz I and complete AV block. She was treated with IV antibiotics and her arrhythmia resolved within 24 hours without any further intervention. Keywords: Lyme carditis; Wenckebach; Mobitz 1; AV block (Published: 17 December 2013) Citation: Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives 2013, 3-4 : 23013 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jchimp.v3i3-4.23013
Spatial attention evokes similar activation patterns for visual and auditory stimuli

Neuroimaging studies suggest that a fronto-parietal network is activated when we expect visual information to appear at a specific spatial location. Here we examined whether a similar network is involved for auditory stimuli. We used sparse fMRI to infer brain activation while participants performed analogous visual and auditory tasks. On some trials, participants were asked to discriminate the elevation of a peripheral target. On other trials, participants made a nonspatial judgment. We contrasted trials where the participants expected a peripheral spatial target to those where they were cued to expect a central target. Crucially, our statistical analyses were based on trials where stimuli were anticipated but not presented, allowing us to directly infer perceptual orienting independent of perceptual processing. This is the first neuroimaging study to use an orthogonal-cuing paradigm (with cues predicting azimuth and responses involving elevation discrimination). This aspect of our paradigm is important, as behavioral cueing effects in audition are classically only observed when participants are asked to make spatial judgments. We observed similar fronto-parietal activation for both vision and audition. In a second experiment that controlled for stimulus properties and task difficulty, participants made spatial and temporal discriminations about musical instruments. We found that the pattern of brain activation for spatial selection of auditory stimuli was remarkably similar to what we found in our first experiment. Collectively, these results suggest that the neural mechanisms supporting spatial attention are largely similar across both visual and auditory modalities.
Similarities in glycosylation and transport between the secreted and plasma membrane forms of the epidermal growth factor receptor in A-431 cells.

We have studied the synthesis and oligosaccharide processing of the 110,000 dalton form of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor that is secreted into the medium of A-431 cells. Its 90,000 dalton precursor is soluble within the lumen of intracellular membrane vesicles shortly after synthesis, indicating that it lacks a membrane anchor. Analysis of labeled glycopeptides reveals that the glycosylation of the 110,000 dalton, secreted receptor is very similar to that of the 170,000 dalton, plasma membrane receptor. Based on Concanavalin A-Sepharose elution profiles of its glycopeptides, the secreted receptor has both complex and high-mannose N-linked oligosaccharides. Also, like the plasma membrane receptor, the secreted receptor contains N-acetylgalactosamine residues in its complex chains. Not only are major features of oligosaccharide processing of the soluble and membrane-bound forms of the receptors similar, but the kinetics of transport to the cell exterior is the same for each. These data indicate that the glycosylation pattern and kinetics of cellular transport of the EGF receptor are determined by factors other than the sequence of its cytoplasmic and transmembrane domains.
Recql5 Plays an Important Role in DNA Replication and Cell Survival after Camptothecin Treatment

Disruption of replication can lead to loss of genome integrity and increase of cancer susceptibility in mammals. Thus, a replication impediment constitutes a formidable challenge to these organisms...
Design of a Variable Constraint Hip Mechanism for a Hybrid Neuroprosthesis to Restore Gait After Spinal Cord Injury

A variable constraint hip mechanism (VCHM) has been developed for a hybrid neuroprosthesis system (HNP) to provide postural stability and uninhibited sagittal hip rotation throughout the gait of individuals with paraplegia. This paper describes the design concepts used in the development of the VCHM. The VCHM utilizes a hydraulic system to reciprocally couple the hips or individually lock and/or free a hip to rotate in one or both sagittal directions. Bench testing results show the feasibility of utilizing a portable hydraulic system in controlling hip joint kinematics. The passive resistive torques of the VCHM against user hip rotation at hip angular velocities typical of gait does not exceed 10% of the achievable hip torque generated by functional neuromuscular stimulation of paralyzed muscle. With the state of the VCHM configured to reciprocally couple the hips, the normalized mechanical efficiency of the VCHM was determined to be 0.7. Since each hip will be independently driven by the FNS of muscle, high torque transfer efficiency between the hips is not essential for successful operation of the VCHM. Future work will focus on the development of a sensor-based feedback controller to modulate the hip constraints of the VCHM and validation of the VCHM as part of a HNP for paraplegic individuals implanted with FNS systems.
Robust optimization for multiobjective programming problems with imprecise information

A robust optimization approach is proposed for generating nondominated robust solutions for multiobjective linear programming problems with imprecise coefficients in the objective functions and constraints. Robust optimization is used in dealing with impreciseness while an interactive procedure is used in eliciting preference information from the decision maker and in making tradeoffs among the multiple objectives. Robust augmented weighted Tchebycheff programs are formulated from the multiobjective linear programming model using the concept of budget of uncertainty. A linear counterpart of the robust augmented weighted Tchebycheff program is derived. Robust nondominated solutions are generated by solving the linearized counterpart of the robust augmented weighted Tchebycheff programs.
Modified maximin algorithm for FH system under fading environments

The maximin algorithm of D. Torrieri and K. Bakhru, (see "The Maximin Algorithm for Adaptive Arrays and Frequency-Hopping Systems", ARL-TR-2026, 1999) is a blind adaptive-array algorithm that provides simultaneous interference suppression and beam forming in a frequency-hopping communication system. However, its performance can be severely degraded in the presence of MSK (minimum shift keying) modulated jamming signals in its present state of implementation. We propose a new implementation scheme for the maximin algorithm, which can provide improvements in the rate of convergence even in the presence of MSK modulated jamming signals. Computer simulation results also reveal the robustness of the proposed modification under fading environments. The issue of soft-limiter is also addressed, showing the validity of the proposed implementation.
Staphylococcus aureus endophthalmitis: antibiotic susceptibilities, methicillin resistance, and clinical outcomes.

Purpose To investigate the antibiotic susceptibility and clinical outcomes of endophthalmitis caused by methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) versus methicillin-resistant (MRSA) S. aureus. Design Retrospective, consecutive case series. Methods Charts of 32 patients with culture-proven S. aureus endophthalmitis seen at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute from January 1, 1995, through January 1, 2008, were reviewed. Antibiotic susceptibility profiles, identified using standard microbiologic protocols, and visual acuity at 1 and 3 months were the main outcome measures. Results MSSA was recovered from 19 (59%) of 32 patients and MRSA was recovered from 13 (41%) of 32 patients. Causes included cataract surgery in 18 (56%) of 32 patients, endogenous in 5 (16%) of 32 patients, bleb association in 4 (13%) of 32 patients, pars plana vitrectomy and ganciclovir implantation in 3 (9%) of 32 patients, and trauma in 2 (6%) of 32 patients. All isolates were sensitive to vancomycin. MSSA isolates were sensitive to all tested antibiotics, except one that exhibited fluoroquinolone resistance. In the MRSA group, frequent resistance occurred with the fourth-generation fluoroquinolones (moxifloxacin, 5 of 13 patients [38%]; gatifloxacin, 5 of 13 patients [38%]). The median presenting visual acuity was approximately hand movements for both MSSA and MRSA eyes. All eyes received intravitreal antibiotics. Pars plana vitrectomy was performed on 47% of MSSA and 61% of MRSA patients. A final visual acuity of 20/400 or better at 3 months was achieved in 59% of MSSA and 36% of MRSA patients ( P = .5). Conclusions Although all MSSA and MRSA isolates were sensitive to vancomycin, fewer than half of MRSA isolates were sensitive to the fourth-generation fluoroquinolones. Visual acuity outcomes between MRSA and MSSA eyes were not significantly different.
Embedding Security Functionality In Formal Specifications Of Requirements

The methodology in this paper will let designers specify the security properties defined through the functional families of the ISO/IEC 15408 Standard, graphic representations. This blueprint will allow both business and technical participants, to discuss and refine a common solution. It also serves as a roadmap, to guide the implementation process. We feel this can become a useful supporting methodology for the construction of effective security responses, because it ensures both the widest possible participation in the design process as well as the greatest degree of understanding. The fact that the advice of the world’s experts is readily available and easy to use as a result of this process might also serve to make the mission to protect America’s information assets a little more effective.
Synthesis, structure, and bonding of Lu7Z2Te2 (Z = Ni, Pd, Ru). Linking typical tricapped trigonal prisms in metal-rich compounds.

The syntheses and structures of and bonding in the title compounds are described and compared with those for the isostructural orthorhombic Er(7)Ni(2)Te(2) (Imm2) and other related phases. Single-crystal data are reported for Z = Ni, Pd. The condensation of tricapped trigonal prisms (TTP) into sheets and the bridging of these by separate Lu atoms into a 3D structure are described. The interlayer separation, the Lu-Lu bonding achieved, and the polar Lu-Te bonding therewith are all affected by the size and valence energies of Te. The two Te spacers also exist in capped centered Lu(6)Te trigonal prisms. In terms of extended Huckel band analyses, the overall bonding for both Lu-Ni and Lu-Te are optimized energetically, but not for Lu-Lu. The average Lu-Lu overlap populations about each Lu appropriately increase with a decrease in the number of its Te neighbors.
A 40 MFLOPS digital signal processor: The first supercomputer on a chip

The TMS320C30 is Texas Instruments' third generation member of a family of compatible Digital Signal Processors. With a computational rate of 40 MFLOPS (Million Floating-Point Operations per Second), the TMS320C30 far exceeds the performance of any programmable DSP available today. Total system peformance has been maximized through internal parallelism, more than twenty four thousand bytes of on-chip memory, single-cycle floating-point operations, and concurrent I/O. The total system cost is minimized with on-chip memory and on-chip peripherals such as timers and serial ports. Finally, the user's system design-time is dramatically reduced with the availability of the floating-point operations, general purpose instructions and features, and quality development tools.
Chemisorption of (CHx and C2Hy) Hydrocarbons on Pt(111) Clusters and Surfaces from DFT Studies

We used the B3LYP flavor of density functional theory (DFT) to study the chemisorption of all CHx and C2Hy intermediates on the Pt(111) surface. The surface was modeled with the 35 atom Pt14.13.8 c...
The use of tiagabine in pediatric spasticity management.

Tiagabine, developed as an anti-epileptic medication, has the potential to reduce spasticity. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effectiveness of tiagabine in decreasing spasticity and improving the functional abilities of children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Nine children (seven females, two males) with CP (six spastic quadriplegia, three moderate to severe spastic diplegia) were treated with tiagabine for a mean of 7.2 months. Median age was 4y 5mo (range 3y 2mo-10y). All children were non-ambulatory. According to the Gross Motor Function Classification System, six were Level IV and three were Level V. Only one child showed a median decrease ≥1.0 grade on the modified Ashworth scale in upper extremities, lower extremities, and overall. Another child had significant improvement in the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory Self-care score and improved feeding. None of the participants was found to have a significant improvement in motor function or a decrease in the number of motions (passive range of motion and muscle length test) that were limited. Reduction of nocturnal awakenings from painful spasms was reported in one child. Eight of the nine children experienced adverse side-effects during treatment. Although tiagabine was not found to be effective in decreasing children's spasticity or improving their function, its potential use in the relief of painful spasms associated with neurological conditions in the pediatric population warrants further investigation.
Series behavior of lanthanoid(III) complexes with the α-1-Wells-Dawson heteropolyoxoanion in acetonitrile: electrochemistry and Ln coordination

The tetra-n-butylammonium (TBA+) salts for a series of lanthanoid(III) (Ln = Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Yb, and Y) complexes with the α-1-isomer of the Wells-Dawson heteropolyoxoanion, α-1-[P2W17O61]10−, were prepared and characterized by voltammetry, controlled-potential bulk electrolysis, Eu L3-edge XANES spectroelectrochemistry, and Ln L3-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Aspects of the series behavior across the 4f period for the complex anions with nominal 1:1 Ln(III):α-1-[P2W17O61]10− stoichiometries are detailed. The voltammetric response of the α-1 ligand alone in dry acetonitrile (with 0.1 M (TBA)PF6 electrolyte) is concentration independent and remarkably well-defined with five waves attributable to W-based redox processes. The formation of heteropoly blue solutions upon electrochemical reduction results in chemical instabilities and isomerization. The deliberate addition of water turns an otherwise ideal response into a broad and poorly resolved one, wherein the first reduction process is shifted 150 mV to more positive electrode potentials. Upon its coordination with Ln(III) ions, the voltammetric response develops notable complexities with as many as ten concentration-dependent couples attributable to W-based redox processes of the Ln:α-1 complexes. The results from in situ Eu L3-edge XANES of the Eu(III):α-1 complex provide no evidence for the one-electron reduction of Eu(III) at controlled electrode potentials comparable to those that were previously found to form Eu(II) in the potassium salt of the corresponding Eu(III) complex upon reduction in an aqueous electrolyte. To explain the contrasting system behaviors, the Ln(III) coordination environments in the TBA5H2[(H2O)nLn(α-1-P2W17O61)] solid salts, including the extent of Ln hydration (n) upon their dissolution in acetonitrile, were determined through use of EXAFS, which demonstrates a structural uniformity among the salts and their acetonitrile solutions, wherein the average Ln-O interatomic distances and O coordination numbers reveal variations that are consistent with the effects of the lanthanoid contraction. The side-by-side comparison of the solid and solution data provides evidence that is consistent with a partial solvent (H2O–CH3CN) exchange upon dissolution in MeCN. Details of the Ln(III) coordination chemistry, wherein the decrease in the ionic radius from the large, light Nd(III) to the small, heavy Yb(III), are presented in the context of known structural and physical phenomena of acetonitrile solvates, aqua ions, and the corresponding water-soluble K7[(H2O)4Eu(α-1-P2W17O61)] complex.
The grana of starch-free chloroplasts of Nicotiana rustica.

The grana of chloroplasts of starch-free leaves of Nicotiana rustica are described in detail. Leaf sections were fixed in 2.5 per cent KMnO4 and embedded in mixtures of butyl and ethyl methacrylate. Chain length of the polymer was modified by use of a transfer agent. The grana are composed of compartments consisting of electron-scattering partitions and electron-transparent loculi. Compartments are not open to the stroma so that the grana are distinct subplastid organelles. Adjacent grana are connected by an anastomosing fretwork system composed of flexuous channels bordered by electron-scattering membranes. Ten different kinds of granum margins are described. These marginal variations depend upon grana-fretwork connections and internal marginal connections between adjacent loculi. A study of serial sections suggests, at least in some plastids, the occurrence of a possible orderly spiral arrangement of compartment-fretwork connections. Adjacent grana may have common compartments. Grana may branch. Variations in shape may depend upon the angle the section bears to the axis of the cylinder. This should also influence the relative thickness and sharpness of the partitions. Since all shapes and variations in partition thickness and sharpness cannot be accounted for on the basis of the orientation of the grana, such variations probably occur naturally. Grana vary in size, ranging from those few which have a single partition to those having 50 or more compartments which extend completely through the width of a plastid. Relationships between grana of different sizes and between compartments and frets indicate the possibility of growth of grana from union or extension of compartments and formation of compartments from the union of frets.
A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication

A protocol that supports the sharing of resources that exist in different packet switching networks is presented. The protocol provides for variation in individual network packet sizes, transmission failures, sequencing, flow control, end-to-end error checking, and the creation and destruction of logical process-to-process connections. Some implementation issues are considered, and problems such as internetwork routing, accounting, and timeouts are exposed.
Genetics of schizophrenia: What do we know?

Genetic factors play a major role in the etiology and development of schizophrenia. Genetic linkage studies and twin studies have estimated the heritability of schizophrenia to be 70% to 90%.1 Research on the genetic underpinnings of schizophrenia has accelerated since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2001, which opened the door to expanding our understanding of molecular mechanisms of human diseases. Experts have hailed the dawn of personalized medicine,2 hoping that we will be able to use knowledge of the human genome to tailor individual treatment. In this article we review some significant recent findings in genetics of schizophrenia. Gene names are italicized and proteins coded by genes are not. The names, functions, and locations of all genes included in this article appear in the Table (page 26). For a glossary of genetic terms, see this article at CurrentPsychiatry.com. Table 1 Select genes and their functions
Fabulachia: urban, black female experiences and higher education in Appalachia

AbstractThis article draws on focus group conversations with black female college students attending a small, liberal arts institution in Kentucky. Based primarily on group interviews and discussions, as well as observations and analysis – a theoretical domain (referred to throughout the article as ‘Fabulachia’) emerged as a site-specific outcome of events and ideas regarding race, gender and identity experienced by the research participants. Specifically, ‘Fabulachia’ functions as a theoretical hybrid space in which urban (e.g. ‘ghetto fabulous’) black college student-voices find a sense of empowerment as they construct their own narratives of leaving ‘the hood’ to attend college in rural Appalachia. This project revises and updates previous research on race and rural identity/ies in order to situate the urban black female experience into an Appalachian context. Drawing on hip hop feminism and urban education based theoretical paradigms, the Fabulachia study seeks to give voice to black females in contem...
Mining Hindi-English Transliteration Pairs from Online Hindi Lyrics

This paper describes a method to mine Hindi-English transliteration pairs from online Hindi song lyrics. The technique is based on the observations that lyrics are transliterated word-by-word, maintaining the precise word order. The mining task is nevertheless challenging because the Hindi lyrics and its transliterations are usually available from different, often unrelated, websites. Therefore, it is a non-trivial task to match the Hindi lyrics to their transliterated counterparts. Moreover, there are various types of noise in lyrics data that needs to be appropriately handled before songs can be aligned at word level. The mined data of 30823 unique Hindi-English transliteration pairs with an accuracy of more than 92% is available publicly. Although the present work reports mining of Hindi-English word pairs, the same technique can be easily adapted for other languages for which song lyrics are available online in native and Roman scripts.
Molecular biology of bovine viral diarrhea virus and its interactions with the host.

The contributions of pestivirus molecular biology research to our understanding of Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) biology and disease have been remarkable. Completion of nucleotide sequence information for genomes of NCP and CP-BVDV isolates was an important milestone. Subsequent work on the protein map of BVDV and polyprotein processing pathways paved the way for the interpretation of many other virologic and immunologic studies. Discovery of a correlation between genotype II and virulence (hemorrhagic syndrome) will help to clarify previously controversial data and to improve disease control. Description of multiple pathways of p80 expression in CP-BVDV offered insight into the pathogenesis of mucosal disease. Identification of gp53/E2 as the target of neutralizing antibodies and source of antigenic hypervariability helped us to understand immunity to BVDV. Collectively, the advances described contribute to the implementation of improved diagnostic and control strategies to reduce losses inflicted by the bovine pestivirus.
Cattle temperament influences metabolism: metabolic response to glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity tests in beef steers.

Abstract Cattle temperament, defined as the reactivity of cattle to humans or novel environments, can greatly influence several physiological systems in the body, including immunity, stress, and most recently discovered, metabolism. Greater circulating concentrations of nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs) found in temperamental cattle suggest that temperamental cattle are metabolically different than calm cattle. Further, elevated NEFA concentrations have been reported to influence insulin sensitivity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether cattle temperament would influence the metabolic response to a glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin sensitivity test (IST). Angus-cross steers (16 calm and 15 temperamental; 216 ± 6 kg BW) were selected based on temperament score measured at weaning. On day 1, steers were moved into indoor stanchions to allow measurement of individual ad libitum feed intake. On day 6, steers were fitted with indwelling rectal temperature probes and jugular catheters. At 9 AM on day 7, steers received the GTT (0.5-mL/kg BW of a 50% dextrose solution), and at 2 PM on day 7, steers received the IST (2.5 IU bovine insulin/kg BW). Blood samples were collected and serum isolated at −60, −45, −30, −15, 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min relative to each challenge. Serum was stored at −80°C until analyzed for cortisol, glucose, NEFA, and blood urea nitrogen concentrations. All variables changed over time ( P P P ≤ 0.01) serum blood urea nitrogen and insulin sensitivity (calculated using Revised Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index) compared with calm steers. During the GTT, temperamental steers had greater ( P P = 0.03) serum insulin and ( P P P
A benchmark for reaction coordinates in the transition path ensemble

The molecular mechanism of a reaction is embedded in its transition path ensemble, the complete collection of reactive trajectories. Utilizing the information in the transition path ensemble alone, we developed a novel metric, which we termed the emergent potential energy, for distinguishing reaction coordinates from the bath modes. The emergent potential energy can be understood as the average energy cost for making a displacement of a coordinate in the transition path ensemble. Where displacing a bath mode invokes essentially no cost, it costs significantly to move the reaction coordinate. Based on some general assumptions of the behaviors of reaction and bath coordinates in the transition path ensemble, we proved theoretically with statistical mechanics that the emergent potential energy could serve as a benchmark of reaction coordinates and demonstrated its effectiveness by applying it to a prototypical system of biomolecular dynamics. Using the emergent potential energy as guidance, we developed a committor-free and intuition-independent method for identifying reaction coordinates in complex systems. We expect this method to be applicable to a wide range of reaction processes in complex biomolecular systems.
Protective effects of estrogen on the cardiovascular system

The incidence of cardiovascular disease differs significantly between men and women, in part because of differences in risk factors and hormones.1 The incidence of atherosclerotic diseases is low in premenopausal women, rises in postmenopausal women, and is reduced to premenopausal levels in postmenopausal women who receive estrogen therapy.1–3 Until recently, the atheroprotective effects of estrogen were attributed principally to the hormone's effects on serum lipid concentrations. However, estrogen-induced alterations in serum lipids account for only approximately one third of the observed clinical benefits of estrogen.3–5 Reviews of the data suggest that the direct actions of estrogen on blood . . .
Single-Component Polymer Composites

Noncovalently bonded crystalline inclusion compounds (ICs) have been formed by threading host cyclic starches, cyclodextrins (CDs), onto guest nylon-6 (N-6) chains. N-6 was coalesced from N-6-α-CD-...
Compressive Myelopathy due to Intervertebral Disk Extrusion in a Llama (Lama Glama)

A 12-year-old intact female llama was euthanized following acute onset of spastic tetraparesis and recumbency with inability to rise. Postmortem examination revealed caudal cervical spinal cord compression due to a mass within the ventral spinal canal arising from the C6-C7 intervertebral disk space and attached to an irregularly thickened annulus fibrosis. On histopathologic examination, the mass was composed of amorphous acellular basophilic to amphophilic material admixed with irregularly arranged collagen bundles. The amorphous material was metachromatic and contained multiple small foci of markedly vacuolated round cells, characteristic of origin from the nucleus pulposus. Severe necrosis of all white matter tracts with astrocytic reaction was present in the overlying spinal cord segment. Ascending and descending Wallerian degeneration and dissecting interstitial astrogliosis were present within white matter tracts above and below the lesion, respectively. The diagnosis was compressive myelopathy due to chronic extrusion of the nucleus pulposus of the C6-C7 intervertebral disk. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of intervertebral disk disease in a camelid.
MPM and Application in Electronic Warfare

According to the development tendency of electronic jamming technique in electronic warfare, the paper introduced emphatic characteristics of Microwave Power Module, and emphatically discussed the feasibility of application in electronic warfare from system view.
Retrospective 2- to 7-Year Follow-Up Study of 20 Double Full-Arch Implant-Supported Monolithic Zirconia Fixed Prostheses: Measurements and Recommendations for Optimal Design.

Purpose To measure the extension of cantilever lengths, thicknesses, and heights of zirconia prostheses in the lingual and facial areas of the distal screw access openings, and to evaluate the clinical performance regarding chipping or fracture of the distal cantilevered sections of double full-arch CAD/CAM screw-retained, stained, monolithic zirconia, gingival-colored ceramic implant-supported fixed prostheses (MZ-FPs). Materials and Methods Ten edentulous patients were provided with a total of 20 CAD/CAM double full-arch MZ-FPs. The zirconia thicknesses around distal screw access openings at three different levels (crown height space, screw access opening lengths, and dimensions of the cantilevered segments) were measured in the resin prototypes. Patients were evaluated clinically (visually) without magnification, with intraoral digital photography, and radiologically by the author, approximately every 6 months. Ten patients with 20 MZ-FPs were evaluated. Twenty resin prototypes with 35 cantilevered segments (15 maxillary, 20 mandibular) were measured. The lingual and facial thicknesses of the resin frameworks and the crown height spaces of 35 distal access openings were measured. Results The average extension of the maxillary cantilever segments was 7.72 mm; the mandibular cantilever average was 13.72 mm. The average crown height space for maxillary prostheses was 13.27 mm, for the mandibular prostheses it was 11.89 mm. Zirconia thickness around distal screw access openings at the middle of the crowns, margins and middle of the gingival areas (buccal side of maxillary prostheses) was 4.29, 3.79, and 3.87 mm, respectively. On the lingual sides the thicknesses were 3.13, 2.85, and 3.15 mm, respectively. For mandibular prostheses the thicknesses were 3.56, 3.08, and 3.15 mm, respectively, on the buccal sides, and 2.07, 2.00, and 2.99 mm, respectively, on the lingual sides. No implant failure or changes in the occlusal surface, chipping of the cuspid or incisal edges, or prosthesis distal extension fractures were observed during follow-up periods ranging from 2 to 7 years. The survival rate was 100% for implants and prostheses. In one of the patients, chipping of the pink ceramic was noted in the maxillary prosthesis 36 months after placement. Conclusions The results of this study indicated that full-arch MZ-FPs without cutback, or with partial digital cutback and veneering ceramic, were a therapeutic option. Recommendations regarding the thickness of zirconia at the level of the distal screw access openings, the crown height spaces, and the lengths of the cantilever segments were recorded. Additional in vitro and clinical studies will be required for more scientific analysis of the criteria for design of this type of prosthesis to minimize prosthetic complications. Long-term and multicenter studies are needed to corroborate the findings discussed in this report.