cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron-Ion Recombination Rate Coefficients and Photoionization Cross Sections for Astrophysically Abundant Elements. IX. Ni XXVI and Ni XXVII for UV and X-ray modeling

The inverse processes of photoionization and electron-ion recombination of (hnu + Ni XXVI --> Ni XXVII + e and (hnu + Ni XXVII --> Ni XXVIII + e) are studied using the unified method for the total recombination. The method subsumes both the radiative and di-electronic recombination processes and enables self-consistent sets of results for photoionization and electron-ion recombination by using the same wavefunction expansion. Photoionization cross sections (sigma_PI), recombination cross sections (sigma_{RC}), recombination collision strengths (Omega_{RC}), and recombination rate coefficients (alpha_{RC}) are obtained for ionization balance and spectral analysis of UV and X-ray lines. Level-specific photoionization cross sections and recombination rates are presented to enable accurate computation of recombination-cascade matrices for all fine structure levels n(SLJ) up to n <= 10: 98 bound fine structure levels of Ni XXVI with 0 <= l <= 9, 0 <= L <= 11, 1/2 <= J <= 17/2, and 198 levels of Ni XXVII with 0 <= l <= 9, 0 <= L <= 14, 0 <= J <= 10. Total alpha_{RC} for Ni XXVI and Ni XXVII are compared with the existing values with very good agreement. Total recombination rate coefficients for the hydrogen-like recombined ion, Ni XXVIII, are also presented. The calculations are carried out in relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) approximation with inclusion of radiation damping of resonances. With consideration of all details of the processes, the results, which include the level specific sigma_{PI} and alpha_{R} calculated for the first time, should be the most accurate for these ions.
Dual TGF-β and AURKA targeting enhances chemosensitivity in triple-negative breast cancer.

e13106Background: Chemotherapy resistance remains a significant barrier in the effective treatment of patients with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TGF-β signaling is a well characterized onc...
Combining Kinetics and Operando Spectroscopy to Interrogate the Mechanism and Active Site Requirements of NOx Selective Catalytic Reduction with NH3 on Cu-Zeolites.

NOx selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with NH3 on Cu-zeolites is a commercial emissions control technology for diesel and lean-burn engines. Mitigating low-temperature emissions remains an outsta...
In MRSA bacteremia, adding a β-lactam to usual care did not improve a composite outcome at 90 days

SOURCE CITATION Tong SY, Lye DC, Yahav D, et al. Effect of vancomycin or daptomycin with vs without an antistaphylococcal β-lactam on mortality, bacteremia, relapse, or treatment failure in patients with MRSA bacteremia: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2020;323:527-37. 32044943.
Automatic Design Space Exploration for an Error Tolerant Application

Creating optimized hardware for error tolerant applications presents significant challenges as well as opportunities. Many algorithms in computer graphics & vision are error tolerant, as their application level correctness ultimately rests on human perception. This error tolerance can be exploited in reducing hardware implementation cost. The challenge is how to explore the space of application level correct designs to determine the optimized hardware architecture. This paper puts forward an approach to automatically explore the space which maximally exploits the acceptable error to minimize hardware cost for a particular graphics algorithm - Level-Of-Detail. Results, so far, have shown a 26% hardware area improvement.
Impact of Extended-Interval Versus Standard Dosing of Zoledronic Acid on Skeletal Events in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients With Bone Metastases

Background:Zoledronic acid every 4 weeks (Q4wk) reduces the incidence of skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with metastatic lung cancer. Lung cancer patients were excluded from extended-int...
Greenhouse gas emissions from an irrigated cropping rotation with dairy manure utilization in a semiarid climate

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from irrigated cropping systems utilizing dairy manure are needed in semiarid western regions. The objectives of this field study were to (i) determine the effect of synthetic N fertilizer (urea), enhanced-efficiency synthetic fertilizer (SuperU), composted dairy manure, dairy manure applications (fall and spring applied), and a control (no fertilizer or manure) on GHG losses over the growing season and overall global warming potential (GWP) and (ii) evaluate the influence of irrigation and field/crop management practices on GHG fluxes. The treatments were not applied to alfalfa (2017) but were applied to corn (2018; except SuperU) and barley (2019). Cumulative N2O-N losses over the 3-year rotation ranged from 2.8 to 5.2 kg/ha, with the fall and spring manure losing the greatest amounts of N2O-N. Emission factors indicated that -1.5 to 0.79% of the total N applied was lost as N2O-N during the growing seasons. Cumulative losses of CO2-C and CH4-C over the rotation were on average 12,170 and -0.77 kg/ha, respectively, with no significant differences among the treatments. Major N2O-N pulses were associated with early-season irrigation events and incorporation of fertilizer and manure, but overall fluxes tended to increase during the summer months when soil temperatures were highest. When accounting for increases in soil organic carbon (SOC) over the three growing seasons, the net GWPs were determined to be negative for the compost (-35.4), fall manure (-130.4), and spring manure (-48.9) treatments. As a result, these manure treatments should be considered as an alternative to synthetic N fertilizer use in southern Idaho due to their ability to increase SOC and help reduce agricultural climate impacts, while maintaining high crop yields.
Association of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Indicators with Heart Failure

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) occurs when the airway is repeatedly blocked during sleep, resulting in frequent brief awakenings throughout the night. OSA has been found to increase the risk of many cardiovascular diseases, especially heart failure (HF). HF with reduced, preserved, and borderline ejection fraction (HFrEF, HFpEF, and HFbEF) are three subtypes common in OSA patients. The aim of this study is to further explore the relationship between OSA and HF and the influence of specific OSA measures. Methods: Electronic medical data was collected from health histories, echocardiograms, and polysomnography studies. Observations were sorted into three categories based on left ventricular ejection fraction: HFpEF (n=334), HFrEF (n=77), and HFbEF (n=37). Multinomial logistic regression was then conducted to determine the relative risk of HFpEF and HFrEF from each variable as compared to the baseline HFbEF. Results: Pacemaker presence, previous stroke, BMI, and a measure of left ventricular dysfunction (LVD), called relative wall thickness, all raised the risk of HFpEF compared to HFbEF, while another LVD measure, left ventricular end-systolic dimension, reduced it. These factors also increased risk for HFrEF, except for previous stroke and pacemaker presence, which were not significant. Relevant OSA metrices included average blood oxygen saturation and three measures of sleep apnea severity, named central apnea index, hypopnea index per hour, and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). These all decreased relative HFpEF risk, other than ESS, which raised it. Conclusions: As was expected, several standard HF predictors increased the risk of both types of HF. Surprisingly, few OSA indices had the same effect. This suggests that targeting specific OSA markers may not be effective in treating patients with any of these HF types. Future work could involve the influence of OSA and its indices on mortality, or the responses of these indicators to treatment, both topics with limited previous findings.
Discrete element analysis of earthquake surface fault rupture through layered media

Abstract The influence of soil inhomogeneity on earthquake surface fault rupture is analyzed using the discrete element method (DEM). Particle assemblages are produced with layers having contrasting relative density. Similar to that observed in homogenous soil simulations, loose layers tend to absorb the localized shear deformation from underlying dense layers and disperse it over a broader area. However, the rupture can re-localize as it moves into an overlying dense layer. The ground surface deformations produced by fault rupture through layered soils are bounded by the ground surface deformation produced in homogeneous soil. The presence of a thin layer does not significantly alter the path of fault rupture propagation of a steeply dipping dip-slip fault. Conversely, a loose thin layer within dense soil can divert the path of fault rupture propagation during shallow reverse fault rupture by providing a kinematically compatible path of low shear resistance. Stresses are homogenized within the simulations to highlight the capability of DEM to capture the response of granular materials in scenarios that are difficult to achieve physically in the laboratory.
The activity metric for low resource, on-line character recognition

This work presents an algorithm for on-line character recognition that is fast, portable, and consumes very little memory for code or data. The algorithm is alphabet-independent, and does not require training beyond entering the alphabet once. This algorithm uses a novel, parameter-based method of feature extraction, activity, to achieve high recognition accuracy. Recognition accuracy is shown to be improvable dynamically without further input from the user. The algorithm brings the capability to do character recognition to classes of devices that heretofore have not possessed that capability because of limited computing resources, including mobile handsets, PDAs, pagers, toys, and other small devices. It achieves recognition speeds of 16.8 characters per second on a 20MHz, 8-bit microcontroller without floating-point. The alphabet-independent nature of the algorithm combined with its inherent resistance to regular noise interference may allow it to enhance the capability of persons with impaired motor or nervous systems to communicate with devices by writing or gesturing commands. Additionally, two human studies demonstrate the effectiveness of a simple, activity-based recognizer for users of the stylized Graffiti alphabet and for non-stylized variants of the English alphabet. A final experiment shows how recognition accuracy can be improved per user by modifying the parameters of the activity metric over samples collected in the non-stylized study.
Role of protein tyrosine kinase seven in human recent thymic emigrant cell survival (111.50)

Recent thymic emigrants (RTEs) are antigenically naive T cells that have recently completed intrathymic maturation and emigrated from the thymus to the periphery. Our lab has shown that PTK7 is a novel marker for human RTEs of the MHC class II-restricted CD4+CD8- T-cell lineage and is highly expressed during human and murine intrathymic development. PTK7, a ‘pseudokinase’, is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase family previously implicated in the planar cell polarity pathway of neuroepithelium. While viable CD4+ RTEs can be identified based on PTK7 surface staining to define the phenotype of RTEs in humans, the function of PTK7 in human T-cell development remains unclear. To decipher a functional role of PTK7 in RTEs, we performed lentiviral small hairpin sh RNA or small interfering si RNA-mediated gene silencing in T and non-T lineage cell lines, primary human adult and neonatal peripheral T cells and thymocytes. In all these cellular contexts RNAi-mediated knockdown of PTK7 consistently decreased cell survival alongside caspase 3 activation. Also, T cells with reduced PTK7 levels showed increased susceptibility to apoptosis inducing agents, such as camptothecin and staurosporin, with apoptosis dependent on caspase 3. Survival that was dependent on AKT phosphorylation downstream of PTK7 was also reduced by PTK7 RNAi knockdown. Together, these observations suggest an essential role for PTK7 in survival of RTEs, and most likely, in developing thymocytes.
The Coexistence of Regulation, State Ownership and Competition in Infrastructure Industries

In many countries, infrastructure liberalization progressed faster than the privatization of former state monopolies. Regulatory agencies, established to oversee the transition and safeguard the preconditions for competition, therefore monitor state-owned firms in addition to privately owned firms. Prior accounts of similar arrangements have generated contradictory claims. The paper studies two propositions of this literature theoretically and empirically for the European telecommunications sector. It examines, firstly, whether the dual role of the state as owner and regulator distorts competition. Secondly, it probes whether the combination of government ownership and regulation helps overcome some of the shortcomings of the regulation of private firms. Although we find hints of tensions between state ownership and government regulation, we do not find a systematic bias. We do not find compelling evidence that state ownership is used to pursue public interest goals that could not be achieved by private regulated firms.
Purification and characterization of a new DNA-dependent ATPase with helicase activity from Escherichia coli.

Abstract A previously unreported single-stranded DNA-dependent nucleoside 5'-triphosphatase with DNA unwinding activity has been purified from extracts of Escherichia coli lacking the F factor. Fractions of the purified enzyme contain a major polypeptide of Mr = 75,000 which contains the active site(s) for both ATP hydrolysis and helicase activity. This is consistent with the results of gel filtration chromatography which indicate a native molecular mass of 75 kDa. The 75-kDa helicase has a preference for ATP (dATP) as a substrate in the hydrolysis reaction and requires the presence of a single-stranded DNA cofactor. The helicase reaction catalyzed by the enzyme has been characterized using an in vitro strand displacement assay. The 75-kDa helicase displaces a 71-nucleotide DNA fragment in an enzyme concentration-dependent and time-dependent reaction. The helicase reaction depends on the presence of a hydrolyzable nucleoside 5'-triphosphate (NTP) suggesting that NTP hydrolysis is required for the unwinding activity. In addition, the enzyme can displace a 343-nucleotide DNA fragment albeit less efficiently. The direction of the unwinding reaction is 3' to 5' with respect to the strand of DNA on which the enzyme is bound. The molecular size of this helicase and the direction of the unwinding reaction are similar to both helicase II and Rep protein. However, the 75-kDa helicase has been shown to be distinct from both helicase II and Rep protein using immunological, physical, and genetic criteria. The discovery of a new helicase brings the total number of helicases found in E. coli cell extracts (lacking F factor) to five.
TIMELY ROOTKIT DETECTION DURING LIVE RESPONSE

This paper describes a non-intrusive rootkit detection tool designed to support forensic investigations that involve the live analysis of computer systems. The tool, which does not require pre-installation, correlates outputs from multiple system data gathering utilities. Test results indicate that the tool successfully detects several well-known rootkits, including Hacker Defender, AFX, Vanquish, FU and FUto.
Major Cardiac Events and the Value of Echocardiographic Evaluation in Patients Receiving Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy.

Anthracyclines are an important component of cancer treatments; however, their use is limited by the occurrence of cardiotoxicity. There are limited data on the occurrence of heart failure and the value of baseline and follow-up measurements of left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) in the current era. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were twofold: (1) to characterize the occurrence of and risk factors for major adverse cardiac events (MACEs: symptomatic heart failure and cardiac death) in a large contemporaneous population of adult patients treated with anthracyclines and (2) to test the value of LVEF and LV dimensions obtained using echocardiography in the prediction of MACE. Five thousand fifty-seven patients were studied, of whom 124 (2.4%) developed MACE. Of the total cohort, 2,285 patients had an available echocardiogram pre-chemotherapy. Patients with MACE were older (p
The prediction of KIc from tensile data

Abstract A theory of fracture toughness is developed which is based on the Dugdale crack model. Work hardening is considered. By using the stress-strain curves as input data, K Ic values are predicted for a wide range of materials including uranium alloys, beryllium, aluminum, a nickel-cobalt alloy, and a titanium alloy. The calculated values agree exceptionally well with the experimental values. Plastic-zone size (including a qualitative estimate of shape) and stress and strain in the plastic zone are also predicted.
JDBC API and JDBC Drivers

This chapter contains sections titled: What Are JDBC and JDBC API? JDBC Components and Architecture How Does JDBC Work? JDBC Driver and Driver Types JDBC Standard Extension API Chapter Summary Homework
The persuasive effect of volunteering negative information in advertising

A controlled field experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of one-sided versus two-sided advertising messages for changing attitudes and purchase intentions, and to test how the nature of the product advertised influences this effect. A two-group, multivariate analysis of variance design was used, with message type (one-sided or two-sided) as the independent variable. Those people exposed to the one-sided ads formed one group, those exposed to the two-sided ads formed the other group. Product type (high or low involvement) was studied in the two groups. Results indicated that, for the high-involvement product, only the two-sided ad produced significant, positive attitude change, while neither the one-sided nor the two-sided ads significantly changed purchase intention. For the low-involvement product, mean attitude shift was strongly positive for both two-sided and one-sided ads, but neither type of ad produced significant change in purchase intentions.
Vulnerability to the affective consequences of the stigma of overweight.

Publisher Summary Being overweight is often a cause of embarrassment and at times extreme emotional distress. Compared to other stigmatized individuals, who are not held personally responsible for the condition, overweight people who are mostly considered responsible for their condition are openly subjected to prejudice and dislike. It should, however, be noted that some overweight people are vulnerable to these negative feelings while some are not, and this completely depends upon individual differences and specific contexts. In studying individual vulnerability factors, it is seen that for overweight people, repeated failures in attempts of dieting and disliking other obese individuals may transcend into self-dislike. This chapter also illustrates that conservative ideological belief, like the Protestant work ethics, may also bring about negative thoughts in overweight people. Though most of the studies on overweight stigma have been conducted on women, the fact that men too face this condition cannot be ruled out. Understanding and comparison of various vulnerability factors, however, determine that people who feel overweight may not be passive victims of stigma but active people working hard to get the feel-good factor.
Abstract 614: 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D Enhances Vegf-stimulated Porcine Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Toward the Endothelial Phenotype Involving Wnt/β-catenin Pathway

Background: Cell-based therapy using adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) is an attractive option for re-endothelialization post-angioplasty procedures. Vitamin D levels in circulating blood may regulate AMSC-based re-endothelialization of injured arteries. To our knowledge, the role of vitamin D and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the differentiation of adipose-derived AMSCs into endothelial cells (ECs) has not been examined. In this study, we investigated the effect of vitamin D on VEGF-induced differentiation of MSCs into ECs. Methods and Results: MSCs isolated from porcine adipose tissue were CD11b-CD34-CD44+CD73+CD90+ and showed characteristics of MSCs. The MSCs were stimulated and differentiated into ECs with endothelial growth media (EGM+50ng/ml of VEGF) and EGM media containing 10nM of calcitriol (EGM+50ng/ml of VEGF +10nM calcitriol) for 10 days. The EC differentiation was assessed by mRNA expression by qPCR and protein expression by flow cytometry for endothelial cell mark...
Radiolabeled phenethylguanidines : Novel imaging agents for cardiac sympathetic neurons and adrenergic tumors

The norepinephrine transporter (NET) substrates [ 123 I]-m-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) and [ 11 C]-m-hydroxyephedrine (HED) are used as markers of cardiac sympathetic neurons and adrenergic tumors (pheochromocytoma, neuroblastoma). However, their rapid NET transport rates limit their ability to provide accurate measurements of cardiac nerve density. [ 11 C]Phenethylguanidine ([ 11 C]1 a ) and 12 analogues ([ 11 C]-1b-m) were synthesized and evaluated as radiotracers with improved kinetics for quantifying cardiac nerve density. In isolated rat hearts, neuronal uptake rates of [ 11 C]1a-m ranged from 0.24 to 1.96 mL min -1 (g wet wt) -1 , and six compounds had extremely long neuronal retention times (clearance T 1/2 > 20 h) due to efficient vesicular storage. Positron emission tomography (PET) studies in nonhuman primates with [ 11 C]-1e, N-[ 11 C]guanyl-m-octopamine, which has a slow NET transport rate, showed improved myocardial kinetics compared to HED. Compound [ 11 C]1c, [ 11 C]-p-hydroxyphenethylguanidine, which has a rapid NET transport rate, avidly accumulated into rat pheochromocytoma xenograft tumors in mice. These encouraging findings demonstrate that radiolabeled phenethylguanidines deserve further investigation as radiotracers of cardiac sympathetic innervation and adrenergic tumors.
Stressing HbF synthesis: role of translation?

In this issue of Blood , Hahn and Lowrey have identified phosphorylation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) as a novel mechanism for the post-transcriptional induction of fetal hemoglobin (HbF). Furthermore, they demonstrate that this eIF2αP-mediated pathway works
The Case for Multiple, Authentic, Evidence-based Dance Assessments

(2012). The Case for Multiple, Authentic, Evidence-based Dance Assessments. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 83, No. 1, pp. 5-56.
Effects of constrained choice on memory: The extension of the multiple‐cue hypothesis to the self‐choice effect

The self-choice effect is the phenomenon whereby self-chosen items are remembered better than experimenter-assigned items. This study examined whether the effect occurs when the choice is constrained by cuing, and whether the effect also occurs for unchosen items. In the experiment, 33 participants chose (choice condition) or were assigned (force condition) a target from three alternatives that were followed by a cue sentence as a criterion for the choice. Cue sentences corresponded to any of the three alternatives (free cuing) or to only one (constrained cuing). Participants then engaged in free recall of targets and subsequent recognition of all alternatives (chosen and unchosen items). Memory performance was enhanced by choice regardless of the constraints, but was also enhanced for unchosen items. These results indicate that “free choice” is not always critical for the self-choice effect, and that multiple cuing involving unchosen items is a plausible account for the retention advantage of choice procedures.
Electron spin resonance studies of the interaction of oxidoreductases with 2,6-dimethoxy-p-quinone and semiquinone

Previous electron spin resonance studies have demonstrated that the decay of ascorbyl plus semiquinone radicals, produced in an aqueous mixture of ascorbate and 2,6-dimethoxy-p-quinone, is accelerated by ascites cells. This effect was concluded to involve a sulfhydryl-containing NAD(P)H-enzyme, and work on cultured cell lines showed that on neoplastic transformation the activity against the radicals was increased. We show here that at least three disulfide-oxidoreductases are able to quench the radicals in a similar way to that of viable cells. Glutathione reductase (EC 1.6.4.2) in the presence of NADPH and oxidised glutathione, and dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (EC 1.8.1.4) with NADH and lipoamide, are found to accelerate the radical decay by reducing the quinone or semiquinone. DT-diaphorase (EC 1.6.99.2) in the presence of NAD(P)H can also achieve this by reducing the quinone directly. Lipoamide dehydrogenase and glutathione reductase are also capable of reducing nitroxide spin labels, a finding considered of relevance to the reported reduction of such spin labels by neuroblastoma cells.
Theology and University Teaching

(1959). Theology and University Teaching. Religious Education: Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 115-117.
The adhesion of malaria merozoite proteins to erythrocytes: a reflection of function?

The merozoites of malaria parasites are shortlived in the extracellular environment of the host and once they have burst from the infected erythrocyte, must quickly find a new red blood cell to invade. The invasion of a susceptible erythrocyte by a merozoite involves the completion of a number of rapid events before the parasite can safely reside again within a new host cell. The interaction with and entry into erythrocytes by malaria merozoites is a crucial, yet potentially vulnerable, event for parasite survival. However, since it is evident that malaria parasitism is highly successful in the hostile environment of its hosts, mechanisms to lessen this juncture of vulnerability have evolved during the establishment of the relationship between host and parasite. Through the definition of the molecular basis of invasion it may be possible, though, to discover and exploit weaknesses in the "defense strategy" of the parasite.
Solvatothermal chemistry of organically-templated vanadium fluorides and oxyfluorides

Abstract The solvatothermal reactions of V2O5, the appropriate organoamine and HF in the temperature range 100–180 °C yielded a series of vanadium fluorides and oxyfluorides. The compounds [NH4][H3N(CH2)2NH3][VF6] (1) and [H3N(CH2)2NH3][VF5(H2O)] (2) contain mononuclear V(III) anions, while [H3N(CH2)2NH2(CH2)2NH3]2 [VF5(H2O)]2[VOF4(H2O)] (3) exhibits both V(IV) and V(III) mononuclear anions. Both compound 4, [H3NCH2(C6H4)CH2NH3][VOF4]·H2O (4·H2O) and compound 5, [HN(C2H4)3NH][V2O2F6 (H2O)2] (5) contain binuclear anions constructed from edge-sharing V(IV) octahedra. In contrast, [H3N(CH2)2NH2(CH2)2NH3]2[V4O4F14(H2O)2], (6) exhibits a tetranuclear unit of edge- and corner-sharing V(IV) octahedra. Compound 7, [H3N(CH2)2NH2][VF5], contains chains of corner-sharing {VIVF6} octahedra, while [H2N(C2H4)2NH2]3[V4F17O]·1.5H2O (8·1.5H2O) is two-dimensional with a layer of V(III) and V(IV) octahedra in an edge- and corner-sharing arrangement. In the case of [H3N(CH2)2NH3][V2O6] (9), there was no fluoride incorporation, and the { V 2 O 6 } n 2 n - anion is a one-dimensional chain of corner-sharing V(V) tetrahedra.
Calcium-mediated neurotoxicity: relationship to specific channel types and role in ischemic damage.

Abstract An influx of extracellular Ca 2+ , with subsequent cellular Ca 2+ overload, can clearly cause certain types of cell death, and has been hypothesized to be a primary etiological event in hypoxic-ischemic neuronal injury. Recently, this hypothesis has acquired new specificity, as hypoxic-ischemic neuronal injury has been linked to the excessive activation of postsynaptic glutamate receptors, and glutamate neurotoxicity itself has been linked to a lethal influx of extracellular Ca 2+ through cell membrane channels. Available data suggest that channels gated by the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) subclass of glutamate receptors may be the predominant route of glutamate- or hypoxia-induced lethal Ca 2+ entry; however, other routes, including L- and N-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channels, the Na + /Ca 2+ exchanger, and non-specific membrane leak, may also participate. Current efforts to develop an effective therapy for hypoxic-ischemic neuronal injury are appropriately focused on NMDA antagonists; however, it is possible that additional benefit might be gained by combining NMDA antagonists with pharmacological manipulations designed to attenuate Ca 2+ entry through these other routes.
Outcome of Vaportrode Transurethral Vaporization of the Prostate Using Pressure-Flow Urodynamic Criteria

Objectives. To use pressure-flow urodynamic parameters to evaluate the outcome of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) who were treated with transurethral vaporization of the prostate (TUVP) using the Vaportrode. Methods. Forty consecutive patients (mean age 71.7 years) undergoing TUVP for treatment of symptomatic obstructive BPH or urinary retention were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with American Urological Association (AUA) Symptom Score, uroflowmetry, and pressure-flow multichannel urodynamic studies. Results. Twenty-nine patients were voiding preoperatively. Eleven patients presented with urinary retention and were analyzed separately. At 3-month mean follow-up, the AUA Symptom Score decreased from 20.7 to 7.2 (n = 26). Peak uroflow rate (Qmax) increased from 8.2 to 15.5 mL/s (n = 27), whereas detrusor pressure at maximal flow (Pdet) decreased from 95.0 to 44.7 cm H2O (n = 24), indicating relief of obstruction. Postvoid residual urine volume decreased from 181.8 to 37.3 mL (n = 27). At 1-year mean follow-up, the AUA Symptom Score was 5.6 (n = 15) and Qmax was 14.3 mL/s (n = 19). The overall complication rate was 17.5% and included meatal stenosis (n = 1), bulbar urethral stricture (n = 1), refractory detrusor hyperreflexia (n = 1), dystrophic bladder neck calcification (n = 1), prostatic synechial formation requiring revision (n = 2), and residual prostatic tissue requiring revision (n = 1). Conclusions. This study provides objective evidence that TUVP is effective in providing prompt relief of bladder outlet obstruction with durable improvement in symptoms and flow rate with no acute morbidity. Accordingly, TUVP should continue to be considered as a minimally invasive surgical alternative to transurethral resection of the prostate.
Spirituality: What We Can Teach and How We Can Teach It

In the new millennium, spirituality has been accepted as an integral part of social work practice, enabling a holistic and strength‐based approach to individuals, groups, and communities. This acceptance has been encouraged by the current interest in both religious and spiritual issues. The rationale for such inclusion is grounded in a review of the historical relationship between spirituality and social work, in the ethical mandates that underlie both the NASW Code of Ethics and the Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work, and in the evolving definitions of social work areas of practice as biopsychosociocultural‐spiritual. Thus, it must be viewed as an essential component of social work education. Because of the nature of spirituality and spiritual experiences and the potential for wide divergence in views, definitions, experiences, and understanding, spirituality is especially challenging to teach. Research indicates that students also identify spirituality as an essential component of social w...
A spiritual person.

When asked in a questionnaire to describe a spiritual person, William James named one instead: Phillips Brooks. This article focuses on Brooks—his life, his sermons, and his poem “O Little Town of Bethlehem”—to make the case that he exemplified James’ view of spirituality as “a susceptibility to ideals, but with a certain freedom to indulge in imagination about them.” It also supports Belzen’s (Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 12:205–222, 2009) view that there is no spirituality in general but only individual manifestations of it, a point that James’ nomination of Brooks implicitly supports.
Excellence in Engineering Education: Views of Undergraduate Engineering Students

The purpose of this study was to understand the views and perceptions of engineering undergraduate students on engineering education. The method of content analysis was used to analyze the language used by engineering undergraduate students, and to extract the underlying common factors or perceived characteristics of “Excellence in Engineering Education.” These common factors were then used to identify and compare the similarities and differences in views between engineering students and perspectives from three types of stakeholders in the field. Forty-seven undergraduate engineering students (17 females and 30 males) participated voluntarily in this study to answer four individual questions and ten group questions. The results showed that students strongly emphasized the importance of their own roles in the educational system and the value of instructional technology and real work examples in enhancing the quality of engineering education. The implications of the research results on excellence in engineering education are discussed.
A technique for calibrating carbon resistor thermometers below 2 K

Abstract The usual method of calibrating carbon resistor thermometers against the vapour pressure of He 3 and He 4 is often inconvenient due to the nature of the experimental apparatus. Culbert and Sungaila have proposed a heat capacity technique in which the resistance-temperature relation is deduced by comparing the calculated internal energy-temperature function of a known sample to the measured internal-resistance function for the same sample. An improvement on their method utilizing holmium metal as a thermometric device is presented. The advantages, disadvantages, and reliability of this technique are discussed and a new carbon resistor thermometry equation of the form R = A + B/T + C/T 2 is proposed.
Extended Green’s Solution for the Stresses in an Infinite Plate With Two Equal or Unequal Circular Holes

The distribution of stress in an isotropic and infinitely large plate perforated by circular holes has long attracted attention from both mathematical and engineering standpoints. Unfortunately, almost all existing solutions are only applicable to stress-free conditions at the boundary of the holes, which is not always the case in engineering applications. In an attempt to cover a wider range of applications, this paper presents the exact explicit solution for the stress distribution in an infinite plate containing two equal/unequal circular holes subjected to general in-plane stresses at infinity and internal pressures inside the holes, following the approach proposed by Green (1940, “General Bi-Harmonic Analysis for a Plate Containing Circular Holes ,” Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A, 176(964), pp. 121–139). The newly derived general solution has been verified not only with published solutions for special cases but also qualitatively with a comparable experimental testing program. In addition, some numerical examples are also provided to offer insight into the complexity of the interplay of parameters.
Mutagenesis of tGCN5 core region reveals two critical surface residues F90 and R140.

Abstract Tetrahymena General Control Non-Derepressor 5 (tGCN5) is a critical regulator of gene transcription via acetylation of histones. Since the acetylation ability has been attributed to the “core region”, we perform mutagenesis of residues within the tGCN5 “core region” in order to identify those critical for function and stability. Residues that do not participate in catalysis are identified, mutated and characterized for activity, structure and thermodynamic stability. Variants I107V, Q114L, A121T and A130S maintain the acetylation function relative to wild-type tGCN5, while variants F90Y, F112R and R140H completely abolish function. Of the three non-functional variants, since F112 is mutated into a non-homologous charged residue, a loss in function is expected. However, the remaining two variants are mutated into homologous residues, suggesting that F90 and R140 are critical for the activity of tGCN5. While mutation to homologous residue maintains acetylation of histone H3 for the majority of the variants, the two surface-exposed residues, F90 and R140, appear to be essential for tGCN5 function, structure or stability.
Impact of Food Chain Procurement Policies on the Fluid Milk Processing Industry

The growth of the food chains and the adoption of centralized milk programs, including the use of private‐label brands and their own processing facilities, has improved the bargaining position of food chains relative to fluid milk processors. Food retailer groups and milk processors were surveyed to determine the impact of changes in the retailing industry on the fluid milk processing industry. This article provides substantial groundwork for more detailed analysis of the performance aspects of both the food retailing and fluid milk processing industries that have resulted from the increasing vertical integration on the part of food retailers.
Principles of Occupational Therapy Group Outcome Assessment in Mental Health

In today's penurious health care climate, occupational therapists must scrutinize their practice and substantiate their interventions in order to remain viable service providers. This article proposes a method of occupational therapy outcomes assessment in mental health care that is rooted in client-centered functional outcomes. Since little consensus exists on which instruments are most effective, this article begins with an outline of broadly accepted principles for assessment of patient outcomes in mental health. Next, we describe a practical method for selecting outcomes measures in interdisciplinary settings. Finally, we offer pragmatic solutions to address barriers to outcome assessment.
Redefining Civil Rights in Municipal Government: The Political Economy of Institutional Reform

This paper analyzes the preconditions for institutional reform in urban government. Using a political economy framework, it is argued that citizens obtain from their charter a set of civil rights in local government. But these rights change de facto under the influence of population migration and other exogenous forces in the environment of the municipality. This induces change, de jure, in the charier and in the institutions it describes. After outlining the theory, the history of the Reform Government Movement in urban America is briefly examined, and lessons both for those who are currently promoting reform and for scholars who study it are extracted. Hypotheses about the timing and extent of reform are derived from the theory and the most appropriate way to measure and evaluate it is examined. The goal is to be more precise in predicting when urban areas will experience reform.
Transgenic labeling of the zebrafish pronephric duct and tubules using a promoter from the enpep gene

In recent years the zebrafish has become a popular model system to study organ development and disease. To facilitate these studies, genetic tools are required which allow to modify and manipulate gene expression in organs of interest. Here we describe a zebrafish 2kb glutamyl aminopeptidase (enpep) promoter fragment, and show that it can drive gene expression specifically in the kidney during early and late development. We established a stable transgenic line using this promoter fragment that has specific GFP expression in pronephric ducts and tubules starting at 20h post-fertilization.
The Use of Lasers to Simulate Radiation-Induced Transients in Semiconductor Devices and Circuits

High levels of ionization can be created in semiconductor devices by irradiating the devices with short pulses of light. If the light frequency is properly selected, sufficient and relatively uniform energy deposition is obtained which results in ionization rates orders of magnitude above those presently attainable from other sources. It is shown that a pulsed-infrared laser can be used as a relatively simple, inexpensive, and effective means of simulating the effects caused by intense gamma ray sources on semiconductors. Experimental results are presented which show that the transients induced in various types of silicon transistors when exposed to a neodymium laser are essentially identical to those obtained when the transistors are exposed to pulses of 25 MeV electrons from a linear accelerator and 600 kvp flash X-ray machine. Good agreement exists between the peak photocurrents obtained using these three sources over a dose range of 10-1 to 104 rads. Calculations based upon published as well as experimental absorption data for silicon show that energy deposition is very nearly uniform for the wavelength of light obtained from neodymium lasers (1. 06 microns - 1. 17 ev photons). By defocusing the laser light beam, dose rates in excess of 10R12 rads/ sec (silicon) in 40 x 1-99 seconds over an area of 50 cm2 have been obtained from a Q-switched 10 megawatt neodymium laser. This greatly exceeds the maximum dose rate of 1011< rads/ sec silicon) over approximately 1 c2m attainable from linear accelerators.
The flavor of mandarin hybrids with different coatings

Abstract Mandarin hybrids were treated with wax and resin coatings having differing oxygen permeabilities. After storage for 7 days at 21 °C, fruit with coatings having O 2 permeability ≤1.1×10 −16 mol m s −1 m −2 Pa −1 were rated by a sensory panel as markedly less fresh than fruit with higher permeability coatings. These low-permeability coatings were those composed mainly of shellac and wood resin. The flavor changed most for fruit having mean internal O 2 2 >14% at 21 °C and juice ethanol content >1500 ppm after 7 days storage at that temperature. All coatings seemed suitable for storage of specialty citrus fruit for 7 days at 5 °C. It is recommended that for mandarin hybrids, the most suitable are those composed mainly of waxes rather than shellac or wood resin.
A Supply-Noise Sensitivity Tracking PLL in 32 nm SOI Featuring a Deep Trench Capacitor Based Loop Filter

An adaptive PLL that maximizes the timing compensation between clock and data, commonly referred to as the clock data compensation effect, is demonstrated in 32 nm SOI. A number of previous adaptive PLL designs have successfully proven that processor operating speed can be improved by modulating the clock path delay or the PLL output clock period using the resonant supply noise. In this work, we take the adaptive PLL concept one step further by achieving optimal clock data compensation across a wide range of PVT and operating conditions. This was accomplished by an automated supply-noise sensitivity tracking loop which constantly monitors any timing errors occurring in a critical path replica circuit. Compared to a conventional PLL, the proposed design achieves up to a 15.6% improvement in processor Fmax or a 9.8% reduced dynamic power consumption under an iso-operating frequency for a realistic supply noise. Additionally, a 92.1% reduction in PLL area was achieved by employing ultra-high density deep trench capacitors in the loop filter.
Optimal design of sandwich beams

Abstract Minimum weight design of sandwich beams is considered in this paper. A small deflection theory is presented for determining the stresses and deformations in variable thickness elastic sandwich beams that are symmetric about their axes. The face sheets are treated as membranes; the core is assumed to carry only transverse shear. The contribution of the face sheet membrane forces (by virtue of their slopes) to the transverse shear is accounted for in this analysis. A deflection constraint as well as stress constraints are considered. The formulated optimal design problem is solved by the optimization system IDESIGN3 which is based on the Recursive Quadratic Programming Algorithm.
Identification of regions of positive selection using Shared Genomic Segment analysis

We applied a shared genomic segment (SGS) analysis, incorporating an error model, to identify complete, or near complete, selective sweeps in the HapMap phase II data sets. This method is based on detecting heterozygous sharing across all individuals within a population, to identify regions of sharing with at least one allele in common. We identified multiple interesting regions, many of which are concordant with positive selection regions detected by previous population genetic tests. Others are suggested to be novel regions. Our finding illustrates the utility of SGS as a method for identifying regions of selection, and some of these regions have been proposed to be candidate regions for harboring disease genes.
Solubility and spectroscopic studies of the interaction of palladium with simple carboxylic acids and fulvic acid at low temperature

Abstract The interaction of Pd with some O-donor organic acid anions has been investigated using solubility measurements and a variety of spectroscopic techniques (UV-visible, Raman, FTIR, 13C NMR). Some of the ligands investigated (acetate, oxalate and fulvic acid) occur naturally in relatively high concentrations, whereas others (phthalate and salicylate) serve as models of potential binding sites on humic and fulvic acids. Solubility measurements show that the presence of acetate, phthalate, salicylate and fulvic acid (oxalate was not studied via solubility methods) can increase the mobility of Pd over various pH ranges, depending on the organic ligand. In the case of acetate, UV-visible and Raman spectroscopy (13C NMR results were inconclusive) provide strong evidence for the formation of electrostatically bound, possibly outer-sphere palladium acetate complexes. Oxalate was confirmed by UV-visible and FTIR spectroscopy to compete favorably with chloride (0.56 M NaCl) for Pd even at oxalate concentrations as low as 1 mM at pH = 6–7. Available data from the literature suggest that oxalate may have an influence on Pd mobility at free oxalate concentrations as low as 10−8–10−9 M. UV-visible spectroscopy provides evidence of an initially rapid, followed by a slower, reaction between PdCl42− and o-phthalate ion. Our findings lend support to the idea that similar binding sites on fulvic acid may be capable of complexing and solubilizing Pd in the natural environment. Although thermodynamic data are required to fully quantify the extent, it is concluded that simple carboxylic acid anions and/or fulvic and humic acids should be capable of significantly enhancing Pd transport in the surficial environment by forming truly dissolved complexes. On the other hand, flocculation of fulvic/humic acids, owing to changing ionic strengths or pH, or adsorption of these acids onto mineral surfaces, may also provide effective means of immobilizing Pd. These results have applications in exploration geochemistry and disposal of radioactive waste containing 107Pd.
Ultraviolet spectrum and probable chemical composition of the high-excitation planetary nebula M1-1.

Abstract One of the highest excitation planetary nebulae known, M1-1, was studied with the image-tube scanner on the Shane 3-m telescope at Lick Observatory and with the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Large fractions of abundant elements such as C, N, O, S, and Ar exist in unobservable stages of ionization. Hence, it is difficult to establish the chemical composition of this nebula. The logarithmic abundance values of various elements compared with those of the Sun appear to be as follows: [Table: see text] Here log N(H) = 12. In contrast to NGC 6537, the composition of M1-1 does not appear to differ markedly from that of the Sun. N may be enhanced but there is no enhancement of He or C. In spite of its high excitation and its presumed origin from a relatively massive star, M1-1 shows no evidence for pronounced nuclear processing.