cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Thin self-resonant structures with a high-Q for wireless power transfer

The range, efficiency, and size of resonant coils in an inductive wireless charging system is determined by the quality factor Q of the resonant coils. The multi-layer self-resonant structure is a new resonant coil technology that has been demonstrated to have a Q 6× larger than conventional coils. However, to date, implementations of this structure have been thick, which limits their practical applications. In this paper, we explore the relationship between the thickness of a self-resonant structure and its performance. A computationally efficient 2-D optimization algorithm is proposed to design thin resonant structures and illustrate the trade-offs in the design. A new magnetic core shape is proposed which shapes the magnetic field lines to be parallel to the conductive layers and reduces current crowding. Finally, a prototype 3.5 mm thick self-resonant structure is constructed, which has a measured quality factor of 560 despite having a diameter of only 6.6 cm; this provides a 3.03× improvement over the state-of-the-art wireless power transfer coils in the literature.
Integrating R with Other Phylogenetic and Functional Trait Analytical Software

The objectives of this chapter are to quickly cover how to use R to interface with analytical software that is written in other programming languages. The chapter will focus primarily on integrating R commands with the software Phylocom written in C [14]. I have chosen to focus on this program because it carries out many of the types of analyses covered in this book. Although I have focused on this particular program, the general principles of how to call other programs from R and integrate them into your R-based analyses remain the same.
Why the world is a quantum world

Einstein here takes sides in the perennial dispute about induction or deduction as the principal method of science, argued from Aristotle via Francis Bacon and Descartes to Karl Popper, with examples from Newton to Einstein. One may perhaps illustrate the latter’s method by a scientist secluded in his study who, when informed of the results of his experimental and theoretical colleagues, is able to say to them: “I could have told you so in advance” (exemplified by the content of this article), or much better, whose abstract construction came first and is confirmed a posteriori (like Einstein’s E = mc 2, thereby saving us a long road of trial and error.
Nonorganic failure to thrive

Inadequate growth of children, or failure to thrive, can stem from organic or nonorganic causes. Factors involved in nonorganic failure to thrive include poor parental interaction with the child and inadequate caloric intake. Diagnosis of nonorganic failure to thrive requires a thorough history, physical examination, developmental assessment and careful dietary history, with less emphasis on laboratory testing. Therapeutic intervention consists of correcting the nutritional status and addressing the psychosocial issues.
The Sociopolitical Context of LCFF: Resource Allocation and Minoritized Communities in Silicon Valley

ABSTRACTThe goals of this article are to provide a critical policy analysis and conceptual examination of California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Accountability (LCAP) systems in the ...
Proteomics and Cr(VI) exposure: exploring new biomarkers in humans

2207 Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] is present as one of the major contaminants at numerous Superfund toxic waste dump sites and is a well established human carcinogen. In the present study, 10 exposed and 10 unexposed male subjects were recruited from a Chinese occupational population for proteomic analyses using SELDI ProteinChip® technology to determine if there are proteins in plasma that can be used to distinguish between exposed and unexposed subjects. In the meantime, a number of biomarkers for Cr(VI) exposure and biological effects, including Cr levels in red blood cells (RBC), DNA protein cross link (DPC), comet assay in lymphocytes, and urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), were also determined. The mean personal exposure levels of Cr(VI) were 0.09 μg/m3 and 265.9 μg/m3 in unexposed and exposed subjects, respectively. DPC was found significantly higher in exposed than in unexposed subjects (p
Application of fractional order operators to the simulation of ducts with acoustic black hole terminations

Abstract We investigate the potential of fractional order operators to develop accurate and efficient models for acoustic black hole (ABH) terminations in ducts. While previous research has successfully developed methodologies to estimate the reflection coefficient of ABH terminations, the integration of ABH elements in larger structural components and assemblies often results in computationally intensive models. The size of the model is typically driven by spatial discretization requirements necessary to capture the power-law geometric variation required to achieve the ABH effect. In an effort to explore modeling approaches that could lead to effective simulations of structures with large numbers of embedded ABHs, we develop one-dimensional fractional order models capable of emulating the absorbing behavior of an ABH termination in an acoustic duct. Two modeling approaches will be discussed based either on a fractional-order boundary condition or on a fractional-order acoustic domain of an ABH termination. In its most general form, our methodology synthesizes integro-differential models based on operators having complex-valued, fractional, and frequency-dependent order. The role and implications of these models for simulating structures with ABH elements are investigated and compared with the results from traditional modeling techniques in order to assess the viability of fractional order modeling for ABH systems.
A high-diversity/IPM cropping system fosters beneficial arthropod populations, limits invertebrate pests, and produces competitive maize yields

Abstract In the United States, current crop production often favors simplified rotations of maize and soybeans in conjunction with a heavy reliance on synthetic inputs that consequently degrade environmental health and increase production costs, without necessarily improving yields. While often stigmatized as underperforming compared to conventional systems, “sustainable intensification” of cropping systems offers an alternative that relies on crop rotation diversity, continuous crop cover, and integrated pest management to combat pests. Within a long-term no-till systems experiment, our main goal was to determine if a high diversity-IPM system (HiDiv-IPM) could compete with a low diversity-preemptive pest management system (LoDiv-PP) in terms of invertebrate pest management, biological control, and maize establishment and yield. Our results suggest that early-season pests, particularly caterpillars, reduced maize establishment by 10 % in the HiDiv-IPM system compared to the LoDiv-PP system. Both our simple and more diverse rotations suffered from slug damage that reduced crop establishment, however, overall slug abundance and damage tended to be equal. Despite lower seedling establishment and greater caterpillar damage, maize in the HiDiv-IPM rotation yielded similarly to the LoDiv-PP rotation, suggesting that other factors, such as higher levels of predation evident in the more diverse rotation or possible nutrient- and soil quality-related issues, contributed to productivity. These results support the notion that a HiDiv-IPM system can compete with a LoDiv-PP system and, contrary to the most common approach for controlling insects in maize production in the U.S., aggressive, preemptive pest management was not necessary to achieve competitive yields.
Microfluidic Tools for Single-Cell Wound Repair Studies

Wound healing is an essential biological process for maintaining homeostasis and, ultimately, for survival. Cells, such as skeletal muscles, are wounded regularly under physiological conditions. Understanding wound response at the single-cell level is critical for determining fundamental cellular functions needed for cell repair and survival, and ultimately, how wound-induced diseases such as muscular dystrophies develop. Key barriers to answering these questions are the lack of a tool that can introduce wounds reproducibly to a large number of cells and a quantitative assay to measure healing efficiency. We aim to develop a microfluidic platform to investigate the mechanisms underlying single-cell wound healing using Stentor coeruleus as a model organism.
Tackling Another COVID-19 Pandemic Disparity: Distance from Major Academic Medical Centers Encumbers Emergency and Critical Care Physician Surge Capacity.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a number of deficiencies in our US health care system, most notably the disproportionately poor health care outcomes in Latinx and African-American populations.1-3 My experiences over the past two months have shed light on another disparity - the enormous differential in emergency and critical care physician surge capacity between cities with robust medical academic institutions and communities that are situated far away from large medical schools.
Performance of Analog Beamforming Systems With Optimized Phase Noise Compensation

Millimeter-wave and Terahertz frequencies, while promising high throughput and abundant spectrum, are highly susceptible to hardware non-idealities like phase-noise, which degrade the system performance and make transceiver implementation difficult. While several phase-noise compensation techniques have been proposed, there are limited results on the post-compensation system performance. Consequently, in this paper, a generalized reference-signal (RS) aided low-complexity phase-noise compensation technique is proposed for high-frequency, multi-carrier systems. The technique generalizes several existing solutions and involves an RS that is transmitted in each symbol, occupies adjacent sub-carriers, and is separated from the data by null sub-carriers. A detailed theoretical analysis of the post-phase-noise compensation performance is presented for an analog beamforming receiver under an arbitrary phase-noise model. Using this analysis, the performance-impact of several system parameters is examined and the throughput-optimal designs for the RS sequence, RS bandwidth, power allocation, number of null sub-carriers, and the number of estimated phase-noise spectral components are also derived. Simulations performed under 3GPP compliant settings suggest that the proposed scheme is robust to phase-noise modeling errors and can, with the optimized parameters, achieve better performance than several existing solutions.
Improved inter-yarn friction and ballistic impact performance of zinc oxide nanowire coated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)

Abstract Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) woven fabrics have been shown to possess a high strength-to-weight ratio, low density, high-energy absorption, and abrasion-resistant properties. When subjected to dynamic impact, the primary failure mode of UHMWPE woven fabric is yarn pullout, which results from poor inter-yarn friction between the weft and warp yarns. This work investigates the potential use of zinc oxide nanowires (ZnO NWs), which are grown on plasma functionalized UHMWPE woven fabric, to improve the inter-yarn friction, energy absorption, and impact response of the fabric. Yarn pullout testing is used to evaluate the inter-yarn friction of ZnO NW coated UHMWPE fabric that was treated with oxygen plasma for 30 s. This testing demonstrates a 663.5% increase in friction, while the pullout energy increased by 822.9%, relative to neat UHMWPE fabric. The improved inter-yarn friction results in a 59.13% higher V50 ballistic limit, while the energy absorbed during impact increased by 227%, relative to neat fabric. This work demonstrates a new approach to yield-improved ballistic performance of woven UHMWPE fabrics, which can further the fabric's utilization in the creation of soft body armor.
Basic Transesophageal Echocardiography Education for Senior Anesthesiology Residents-Institutional Experience.

Objective The use of basic transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in critically ill and older surgical patients can change patient management and improve outcomes after noncardiac surgery. The authors hypothesized that educating the future generation on basic TEE skills by an intense two-month rotation will help them achieve basic TEE certification by the National Board of Echocardiography (NBE) and facilitate good use of their skills for patient care during their practice. Design This is a descriptive report of graduating anesthesiology residents who completed two months basic TEE rotation at the authors’ residency program between 2013 and 2019. The authors report the clinical training goals, NBE testamur and certification status, and a survey report on the use of basic TEE skills in their practice Settings University medical center. Participants Residents who completed two months basic TEE rotation during their Clinical Anesthesia (CA)-3 year. Interventions None. Measurements and Main Results Of a total of 115 residents, 67 (58%) elected basic TEE rotation. The NBE basic TEE certification and testamur status were achieved by 12 (21%) and 14 (24%) eligible residents, respectively. Residents (n = 43) personally performed 73 ± 21 (mean ± standard deviation) and reviewed 72 ± 28 (mean ± standard deviation basic TEE studies before graduation. The survey indicated that 63.4% of residents trained in basic TEE did not use their skills in their practice. Conclusions Two months’ basic TEE rotation was able to fulfill its educational goals (testamur status and clinical training) but fell short on achieving NBE certification rate and its ultimate impact on practice and patient care.
Documenting ICE: Appraising Records of U.S Immigration Detention

On July 14th, 2017, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) posted a notice in the Federal Register that U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was seeking permission to destroy eleven types of records related to people detained by ICE. These include records of sexual abuse and assault, escapes, deaths, solitary confinement, and complaints made to a hotline by those in ICE custody. ICE requested timelines for the destruction of these records ranging from three to twenty years and in late August 2017, NARA granted preliminary approval of this request. This perspective essay seeks to shed light on the vast array of arguments asserting the value of these records to the people in ICE detention. Moreover, it attempts to weigh the evidence of ICE’s recordkeeping practices, the preponderance of which points to ICE’s inability and aversion to accurate, truthful and accessible documentation surrounding its operation. This exploration ultimately considers this historical moment as one in which archives can show their value as resources for government accountability, historical research and communities of migrants and refugees to argue that it is incumbent upon archivists to seize the opportunity.
Compositionality As Supervenience

Le principe de compositionnalite constitue l'un des principes fondamentaux de la semantique qui se laisse definir traditionnellement comme suit : la signification de l'expression complexe est determinee par la signification de chacune des ses parties constitutives et de sa structure. Pourtant, a travers les debats entre partisans et opposants, il apparait que ce principe n'est pas unitaire mais fait l'objet de multiples interpretations et reformulations selon ses divers utilisateurs. Au lieu de proposer une reformulation de plus, l'A. part ici de l'idee selon laquelle on aurait des intuitions sur le fait qu'une langue specifique est compositionnelle ou non, puis il exploite ces intuitions pour comprendre ce que la compositionnalite signifie reellement
Identifying Theories Used in North American IS Research: A Bottom-Up, Computational Approach

In an effort to shed light on the current stage of disciplinary evolution in the IS field, this study sought to systematically and objectively identify and document the theories that have been used in North American IS research, as well as to identify trends regarding the adoption of new theories and the rate of theory turnover. To this end, we used computational techniques to search more than 10 million Wikipedia article titles for candidate theory names, and contrasted the resulting list with the complete text of every research article published in three leading North American IS journals over a 24-year period. This process resulted in the identification of more than 300 unique theories that have verifiably appeared in these journals since 1990, along with their respective frequencies of appearance. Analyzing these frequency data revealed a strong upward trend in the number of unique theories appearing in North American IS research, as well as a significant, and likely unsustainable increase in theory turnover.
Unified Model of Local Bond between Deformed Steel Rebar and Concrete: Indentation Analogy Theory and Validation

AbstractTwo distinct groups of bond models were developed on the basis of dominant concrete splitting and rebar–concrete interfacial failures, respectively. Their accuracy highly depended on the specific test data sets selected in analysis and validation. In this study, a unified model of local bond is proposed and developed on the basis of the indentation analogy at the rib front of the deformed rebar and on the concrete plastic deformation around the rebar. Unlike existing models, the unified model is completely validated with all sets of test data available in the literature. It can accurately predict the transition mechanism of failure modes from concrete splitting to rebar pullout. The predicted bond strength is in excellent agreement with experimental results as the rib spacing-to-height ratio changes in practical range.
Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopic characterization of the nitrogen profile of shallow gate oxynitride thermally grown on a silicon substrate

Silicon oxynitride has been used as a shallow gate oxide material for microelectronics and its thickness has been reduced over the years to only a few tens of angstroms due to device size scaling. The nitride distribution and density characteristic in the gate oxide thus becomes imperative for the devices. The shallow depth profiling capability using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) has huge potential for the nitrogen characterization of the shallow gate oxide film. In this article, both positive and negative spectra of TOF-SIMS on silicon oxynitride have been extensively studied and it was found that the silicon nitride clusters SixN− (x = 1–4) are able to represent the nitrogen profiles because their ion yields are high enough, especially for the low-level nitride doping in the oxide, which is formed by the annealing of nitric oxide on SiO2/Si. The gate oxide thickness measured by the TOF-SIMS profiling method using 18O or CsO profile calibration was found to correlate very well with transmission electron microscope measurement. The nitrogen concentration in the gate oxide measured using the TOF-SIMS method was consistent with the results obtained using the dynamic SIMS method, which is currently applied to relatively thicker oxynitride films. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavioural variation in 172 small-scale societies indicates that social learning is the main mode of human adaptation

The behavioural variation among human societies is vast and unmatched in the animal world. It is unclear whether this variation is due to variation in the ecological environment or to differences in cultural traditions. Underlying this debate is a more fundamental question: is the richness of humans’ behavioural repertoire due to non-cultural mechanisms, such as causal reasoning, inventiveness, reaction norms, trial-and-error learning and evoked culture, or is it due to the population-level dynamics of cultural transmission? Here, we measure the relative contribution of environment and cultural history in explaining the behavioural variation of 172 Native American tribes at the time of European contact. We find that the effect of cultural history is typically larger than that of environment. Behaviours also persist over millennia within cultural lineages. This indicates that human behaviour is not predominantly determined by single-generation adaptive responses, contra theories that emphasize non-cultural mechanisms as determinants of human behaviour. Rather, the main mode of human adaptation is social learning mechanisms that operate over multiple generations.
Transgenerational epigenetic programming via sperm microRNA recapitulates effects of paternal stress

Epigenetic signatures in germ cells, capable of both responding to the parental environment and shaping offspring neurodevelopment, are uniquely positioned to mediate transgenerational outcomes. However, molecular mechanisms by which these marks may communicate experience-dependent information across generations are currently unknown. In our model of chronic paternal stress, we previously identified nine microRNAs (miRs) that were increased in the sperm of stressed sires and associated with reduced hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress axis reactivity in offspring. In the current study, we rigorously examine the hypothesis that these sperm miRs function postfertilization to alter offspring stress responsivity and, using zygote microinjection of the nine specific miRs, demonstrated a remarkable recapitulation of the offspring stress dysregulation phenotype. Further, we associated long-term reprogramming of the hypothalamic transcriptome with HPA axis dysfunction, noting a marked decreased in the expression of extracellular matrix and collagen gene sets that may reflect an underlying change in blood-brain barrier permeability. We conclude by investigating the developmental impact of sperm miRs in early zygotes with single-cell amplification technology, identifying the targeted degradation of stored maternal mRNA transcripts including sirtuin 1 and ubiquitin protein ligase E3a, two genes with established function in chromatin remodeling, and this potent regulatory function of miRs postfertilization likely initiates a cascade of molecular events that eventually alters stress reactivity. Overall, these findings demonstrate a clear mechanistic role for sperm miRs in the transgenerational transmission of paternal lifetime experiences.
INCLUSIVE WEAK RADIATIVE AND SEMILETPTONIC B DECAY

Inclusive weak radiative and semileptonic B decays play a very important role. They are used to determine the weak mixing angles Vcb, and Vub. Furthermore the weak radiative decays provide an important constraint on extensions of the standard model, in particular low energy supersymmetry. I review the theoretical understanding of these processes with particular emphasis on the seminal work of Patrick O'Donnell.
Role of prostaglandin, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system on the L-NAME-induced pressor responses in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract We tested the hypothesis that in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) NO produced centrally influences the resting arterial blood pressure by attenuating mechanisms involving prostaglandins, angiotensin II, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system. l -NAME (200 μg/5 μl), an inhibitor of NO synthase, administered intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) to awake and freely moving rats increased mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) in a biphasic pattern: an early transient increase within 1 min and a late prolonged response starting at 45 min and persisting for the duration of experiment (180 min). The two pressor responses involve different neurochemical mechanisms and, based on their latencies, they appear to reflect different anatomical sites of action of l -NAME. The late, but not the early pressor response, was prevented by pretreatment with chlorisondamine (2.5 mg/kg, i.v.), a ganglionic blocker, indicating its dependence on the sympathetic nervous system. Both pressor responses were abolished by i.c.v. pretreatment with indomethacin (200 μg/5 μl, i.c.v.), an inhibitor of cyclo-oxygenase, showing that they are mediated by prostaglandin(s). In contrast, losartan (25 μg/5 μl), an angiotensin II AT 1 receptor antagonist, had no effect. The initial pressor response was also attenuated by pretreatment with the endothelin ET A /ET B receptor antagonist, PD 145065 (48 μg/2 μl, i.c.v.). Intravenous pretreatment with another ET A /ET B receptor antagonist, L-754,142 (15 mg/kg as a bolus+15 mg/kg/h for 180 min), however, attenuated both responses to l -NAME. It is possible that L-754,142 crossed the blood–brain barrier and blocked, in addition, central ET A /ET B receptors. These studies show that NO synthesized in the brain attenuates pressor mechanisms involving prostaglandin, endothelin and sympathetic nervous system, but not angiotensin II, to modulate resting arterial blood pressure.
Morphological and surface analysis of titanosilicate ETS-4 synthesized hydrothermally with organic precursors

Abstract Morphological and surface analysis was performed on titanosilicate ETS-4 crystals using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and field emission scanning electron microscopy. Crystals were synthesized hydrothermally at 175 °C in Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclaves using organic precursors. Rectangular and plate shaped crystals were formed with the largest crystals being 2 × 20 × 5 μm and 2 × 10 × 10 μm, respectively. EDX analysis revealed a disparity between the Si/Ti ratio in crystals characterized by different morphologies (2.5 for rectangular vs. 2.8 for plates). Growth occurred on the slowest growing and the largest crystal via a layer mechanism. Spiral hillocks were found on {1 0 0} surfaces of rectangular shaped crystals and on the largest faces of intergrown plate crystallites. Steps on these surfaces were observed to emanate from spiral hillocks and had a step height of 1.10 ± 0.15 nm. The crystallographic d-spacing of the (2 0 0) plane, as measured by powder X-ray diffraction, correlated with the AFM measured step height.
Two Fibonacci P-code based image scrambling algorithms

Image scrambling is used to make images visually unrecognizable such that unauthorized users have difficulty decoding the scrambled image to access the original image. This article presents two new image scrambling algorithms based on Fibonacci p-code, a parametric sequence. The first algorithm works in spatial domain and the second in frequency domain (including JPEG domain). A parameter, p, is used as a security-key and has many possible choices to guarantee the high security of the scrambled images. The presented algorithms can be implemented for encoding/decoding both in full and partial image scrambling, and can be used in real-time applications, such as image data hiding and encryption. Examples of image scrambling are provided. Computer simulations are shown to demonstrate that the presented methods also have good performance in common image attacks such as cutting (data loss), compression and noise. The new scrambling methods can be implemented on grey level images and 3-color components in color images. A new Lucas p-code is also introduced. The scrambling images based on Fibonacci p-code are also compared to the scrambling results of classic Fibonacci number and Lucas p-code. This will demonstrate that the classical Fibonacci number is a special sequence of Fibonacci p-code and show the different scrambling results of Fibonacci p-code and Lucas p-code.
An approximation of the second dissociation constant for H2S

Abstract Poor resolution ΔG ƒ 0 forS2− affects hydrothermal complexing arguments, evaluation of sulfide solubility products, and calculation of aqueous sulfur speciation. The second dissociation constant for H2S (logKHS−) if well known could be used to determine this free-energy. The logKHS− has been evaluated here by extrapolating the thermodynamic data for the dissociation of polysulfides (H2Sn) as a function of the reciprocal chain length ( 1 n ). The extrapolation method is supported by standard weak acid theory. The extrapolation is further based on flocculation experiments which determined the equilibrium constant for the protonation of a colloidal sulfur surface, which is a reaction analog for the protonation of an infinite sulfur chain, H2S∞. The derived log KHS− value, −18.51 ± 0.56 (20°C), implies that S2− is never a dominant aqueous species. This new value has been used to derive alternative solubility products of some metal sulfides.
Geometric modeling for computer vision

Computer vision faces the challenge of exploiting the CAD models available for many manufactured objects. Recently, a variety of new algorithms have been developed that rely on symbolic object representations for recognizing curved three-dimensional objects from images. This paper presents a modeling system for constructing these representations from parametric and implicit algebraic surface specifications. A combination of homotopy continuation and curve tracing is used to compute set operations. Specifically, an algorithm for tracing curves defined implicitly in IRn+1 by n polynomial equations in n + 1 variables is presented that correctly characterizes the topology of the intersection curves and respects singular points. The curve tracing algorithm is also used to render line drawings for which parametric representations of occluding contours are unavailable. Hidden lines are easily removed by explicitly constructing an image structure graph of the smooth curve branches and singular points; it is then sufficient to trace a ray at a single point on each curve branch. A preliminary parallel implementation, distributed over a network of SPARC stations, appears promising. For objects modeled by this system algorithms for constructing their aspect graph, computing their stable poses, and recognizing them in different types of images have been developed.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transmission electron microscopy and stereo ultrastructure of the T system in frog skeletal muscle.

Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence of T tubules near the sarcolemma in the extensor longus digiti IV muscle of the frog. Due to the complicated termination of the T tubules, their continuity with the extracellular space was never clearly evident. With scanning electron microscopy, however, highly organized parallel rows of openings or apertures corresponding to the level of the T system were seen on the muscle surface of air-dried specimens. The apertures varied from 1000 to 2000 A in diameter, and were always found at the level of the I band in the vicinity of the Z disk. The significance of the apertures, and their relation to previous studies is discussed.
The soul's silent dialogue a non-aporetic reading of the Theaetetus

Our situation with respect to Plato is paradoxical. Here is a philosopher who emphatically insisted on truth and repudiated persuasion. And yet the community of Plato's admirers finds itself in the predicament that persuasion (or plausibility) seems all it can get: there is not nor was there nor will there be one way to read Plato. There are only temporary agreements among a number of scholars who share certain basic assumptions. And it does not look as if there is anything one can really do about this situation, not for any deconstructionist reasons, but because Plato's dialogues themselves seem so elusive that one cannot help thinking that he intentionally left us with puzzles without the necessary clues that would guide us to a decisive final picture. So we always go on puzzling anew ….
The dileucine-based sorting motif in HIV-1 Nef is not required for down-regulation of class I MHC.

A dileucine-based protein sorting motif has recently been identified within the C-terminal, solvent-exposed loop of HIV-1 Nef and has been shown to be required for Nef-mediated down-regulation of CD4 and for optimal viral infectivity. Here, we report that mutation of the dileucine motif has no effect on Nef-mediated down-regulation of class I MHC heavy chain. Instead, deletion of an acidic domain just N-terminal of the polyproline helix of the SH3-binding domain significantly impairs this function. These data indicate that down-regulation of class I MHC and CD4 are mechanistically distinct processes. The data also suggest that protein interactions mediated by the acidic domain, rather than by the dileucine motif, may contribute to this function of Nef.
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Water Mobility in Bread during Storage

The mobility of water in bread stored at 5 and 22 °C was studied using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation techniques. A multi-component model was used to analyse the proton relaxation curves, from which water in the bread crumb samples was classified into three categories, each of which had a distinct relaxation time (T2) or molecular mobility. The changes in crumb firmness, T2and proton intensity (A) of the three categories of water in the crumb were monitored during storage. It was found that several NMR parameters correlated with the firming process in the bread crumb (1), and could be related to macroscopic and microscopic migration of water during staling.
A Large Cohort Study of Aspirin and Other Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Prostate Cancer Incidence

Background: Use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinfl ammatory drugs (NSAIDs) has consistently been associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Recent epidemiologic studies have suggested that the use of NSAIDs, particularly aspirin, may also be associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, but the evidence remains limited. Methods: We examined the association between NSAID use and prostate cancer incidence among 70 144 men in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort. Information on NSAID use was obtained from a questionnaire completed at study enrollment in 1992 – 1993 and was updated using follow-up questionnaires in 1997 and 1999. We calculated rate ratios (RRs) and 95% confi dence intervals (CIs) for prostate cancer incidence associated with NSAID use, adjusting for age and potential prostate cancer risk factors. Results: During follow-up from 1992 – 1993 through August 31, 2001, 4853 cases of incident prostate cancer were identifi ed. Neither current aspirin use nor current use of NSAIDs (aspirin and other NSAIDs combined) was associated with prostate cancer risk, even at the highest usage level (60 or more pills per month). However, long-duration regular use (30 or more pills per month for 5 or more years) of NSAIDs was associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (RR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71 to 0.94). Longduration regular use of aspirin was also associated with reduced risk of prostate cancer (RR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.73 to 0.99). The absolute rate of prostate cancer (standardized to the age distribution of study participants using 5-year age categories) was 1013 per 100 000 person-years among men who had never reported NSAID use, and 847 per 100 000 person-years among long duration regular NSAID users. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that long duration regular NSAID use is associated with modestly reduced risk of prostate cancer. [J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97:975 – 80]
A Biomechanical Comparison of 2 Femoral Fixation Techniques for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Skeletally Immature Patients: Over-the-Top Fixation Versus Transphyseal Technique

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare knee kinematics and in situ forces of the graft between 2 femoral fixation techniques of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction: the over-the-top (OTT) fixation and transphyseal (TP) techniques. Methods ACL reconstruction in skeletally immature patients is a challenging procedure. Regarding the femoral fixation techniques, 2 methods are commonly used: the OTT fixation and TP techniques. Ten cadaveric knees (mean age, 57 years; range, 48 to 65 years) were tested with the robotic/universal force-moment sensor system by use of (1) an 89-N anterior tibial load at full extension and 15°, 30°, 60°, and 90° of knee flexion and (2) a combined 7-Nm valgus torque and 5-Nm internal tibial rotation torque at 15° and 30° of knee flexion. Results Both OTT and TP ACL reconstruction techniques closely restored the intact knee kinematics and had a significant reduction in anterior tibial translation under an anterior tibial load and in coupled anterior tibial translation under a combined rotatory load when compared with an ACL-deficient knee. When both ACL reconstruction techniques were compared, the only difference found was that the in situ force of the ACL graft reconstructed with the OTT technique in response to a combined rotatory load at 30° of flexion was significantly lower than the ACL graft reconstructed with the TP technique (5.3 ± 3.3 N and 10.7 ± 6.0 N, respectively; P = .013). Conclusions This time 0 testing showed that both ACL reconstruction techniques, OTT and TP, can reproduce the kinematics of the intact knee in response to an anterior tibial load and a combined rotatory load. Clinical Relevance Both femoral fixation techniques exhibited comparable time 0 kinematics when subjected to simulated clinical examination loading conditions.
Melanoma in African-Americans: trends in biological behavior and clinical characteristics over two decades.

Background: The incidence of melanoma in the United States is increasing. Data on this disease in African-Americans is sparse. Methods: Chart review of patients diagnozed with melanoma from 1975 to 1997 at Charity Hospital New Orleans (CHNO). Age, gender, anatomic distribution, histology, presenting stage, survival, and race were evaluated. Results: Forty-four of 198 patients were African-American, of whom the majority developed cutaneous melanoma on the acral surface of the foot. African-American males were four times more likely to present with a cutaneous lesion than were African-American females. The median survival time for African-American with cutaneous lesions was 45 months, compared to 135 months for caucasians who were 3.6 times more likely to present with early disease (P < 0.05). TNM stage at presentation, and ulceration were significant, independent factors associated with a worse outcome in African-Americans. Conclusion: Overall survival time for African-Americans with cutaneous melanoma is significantly shorter than for caucasians with this disease. This trend may be attributable to the fact that African-Americans present with advanced disease. An increased level of awareness among both patients and health-care providers is necessary to identify African-Americans with melanoma at earlier stages of disease and to improve survival.
Adult age differences in visual word identification: functional neuroanatomy by positron emission tomography.

Abstract Adult age differences in the neural systems mediating semantic (context-independent) memory were investigated using positron emission tomography (PET). Younger (20–29 years) and older (62–70 years) participants performed lexical decision (word/nonword discrimination) and nonsemantic (simple visual search) baseline tasks during PET scanning. Within the lexical decision task, display duration and presentation rate were varied across scans. The behavioral data suggested that although an age-related slowing was evident in visual feature and response processing, the retrieval of semantic/lexical information was similar for younger and older adults. For both age groups, lexical-related activation occurred in inferior prefrontal and occipitotemporal regions of the left hemisphere. Differential activation, as a function of age group, was observed in the left occipitotemporal pathway as a result of older adults' maintaining higher levels of neural activity in striate cortex (during visual search) and in inferior temporal cortex (during lexical decision). The prefrontal activation was similar for the two age groups. Thus, although this form of semantic memory retrieval does not undergo significant age-related decline, an age-related change in the associated pattern of neural activation is evident. These findings differ from previous neuroimaging studies of episodic (context-dependent) memory retrieval, which have suggested that age-related compensatory mechanisms are expressed primarily by greater activation of prefrontal regions for older adults than for younger adults.
A rapid Hg2+ sensor based on aza-15-crown-5 ether functionalized 1,8-naphthalimide

Abstract A new 1,8-naphthalimide derivative bearing an aza-15-crown-5 macrocycle (1) has been synthesized as a chemosensor for Hg2+ by a two-step reaction. The sensor shows selectivity to Hg2+ over 11 other metal cations in aqueous media. Upon addition of Hg2+, the fluorescence emission of the sensor at 537 nm is significantly quenched along with 22 nm blue-shift that makes this compound a useful sensor for Hg2+ measurement.
PS1-7: An Automated Metadata-driven Extract, Transformation and Load (ETL) Process: Using Code and Data to Generate Code

Background/Aims A stable, automated ETL environment is essential to maintain a consistent virtual data warehouse (VDW) refresh schedule. This stability is threatened at each refresh cycle because VDW source table schemas can vary over time, causing extract programs to fail when they encounter a schema that is different from what is expected. Such a failure requires manual intervention to change the extract program to conform to the new schema, disrupting the refresh schedule.
Logic of Analysis of Variance in Relation to Predictions and Evaluations of Interaction Means

The customary confounding of row and column effects with their interaction is discussed in terms of cell means purported to represent the interaction. Row, column and over-all mean corrections for cell means are outlined that clarify the relation between the mean and variance components of an interaction. Implications of this methodology for graphic and tabular representations of and interpretations of relationships among the means involved in an interaction are discussed.
Religion as a source of variation in the experience of positive and negative emotions

In a series of three studies, we examined the ways in which religion informs the individual experience and valuation of emotions. In Study 1, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish participants (N = 7231) in 49 nations reported the frequency with which they experienced nine discrete emotions. Results indicate group level differences in the frequency with which different emotions are experienced. Study 2 examined whether the patterns of emotional experiences found in Study 1 replicated in the valuation of those emotions by the adherents of those different religious traditions. Study 3 experimentally manipulated the salience of religious identity to examine the effect of religion on the current experience of emotions. Across the studies, findings provide evidence that religion (e.g., Christianity, Buddhism, etc) is related to the experience of, and beliefs about, emotional states. Implications for the study of happiness and positive psychology are discussed in light of the findings.
Analysis of the protective effect of different sunscreens on ultraviolet radiation-induced local and systemic suppression of contact hypersensitivity and inflammatory responses in mice.

We investigated the capacity of three sunscreen compounds to protect mice from the inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The sunscreen preparations contained 7.5% 2-ethylhexyl-p-methoxycinnamate, 8% octyl-N-dimethyl-p-aminobenzoate, or 6% benzophenone-3 in an oil-in-water emulsion. Skin swelling was used as the measure of their effect on UVR-induced inflammation, and immunosuppression was assessed by contact sensitization with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene applied to UV-irradiated skin (local suppression) or a distant site (systemic suppression). The sunscreens were applied to the shaved dorsal skin of C3H mice, which were then given a single dose of UVR ranging from 2 to 32 kJ/m2 within the UVB (280–320 nm) region. All three sunscreens gave complete protection against local suppression of contact hypersensitivity caused by a dose of 2 kJ/m2 UVB. They also protected against both inflammation and systemic immunosuppression caused by UVR; however, protection was highly dependent on the UVR dose. Furthermore, the sunscreens were less effective in protecting against systemic immunosuppression than against inflammation. These results indicate that immunosuppression is less sensitive to the protective effects of the sunscreens than inflammation and that protection against UVR-induced inflammation does not necessarily imply prevention of immunologic alterations. In addition, these studies suggest that UVR-induced immunosuppression and inflammation may involve different mechanisms.
Intergranular impurity segregation and embrittlement in neutron- irradiated iron alloys

Abstract Intergranular solute segregation and embrittlement induced during neutron irradiation (9.4 × 1022n/m2 at 668 K) in iron alloys doped with copper (Cu), phosphorus (P) and/or carbon (C) have been investigated using small punch (SP) test techniques and scanning Auger microscopy (SAM). It was found that Cu and/or P containing alloys exhibited a greater effect of irradiation on hardening than C-containing alloys. The neutron irradiation increased more greatly the ductile-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) in the Cu-doped alloy compared with the other alloys. Intergranular and transgranular fracture occurred in the alloys without and with C, respectively. The neutron irradiation did not change the fracture mode. Fracture surface SAM analyses demonstrated that while the neutron irradiation enhanced S-segregation in the Cu-doped alloy without P-segregation, it decreased S-segregation and increased P-segregation in the P-containing alloys. The relationship of neutron irradiation-induced intergranular solute segregation to embrittlement is discussed.
Polymorphism in the SCN9A Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel Gene Associated With Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome

Objective To determine whether an association exists between interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism in the SCN9A voltage-gated sodium channel gene previously associated with other chronic pain syndromes. Materials and Methods Germline deoxyribonucleic acid was sampled from archived bladder biopsy specimens from patients with a documented diagnosis of IC/BPS. Deoxyribonucleic acid from hysterectomy specimens was obtained as a control population. The genotype of single nucleotide polymorphism rs6746030 was determined by deoxyribonucleic acid sequencing after polymerase chain reaction amplification. Contingency analysis of genotypes was performed using Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. Results Polymerase chain reaction product was obtained from 26 of 31 control specimens and from 53 of 57 IC/BPS biopsy specimens. Of the 26 control subjects, 3 (11.5%) were genotype AG and 23 were GG. In contrast, AA or AG genotypes were present in 21 of 53 (39.6%) patients with IC/BPS, a statistically significant difference compared with the controls (Pearson's chi-square, P = .036). Similarly, the A allele was at a greater frequency in the IC/BPS group using Fisher's exact test ( P = .009). Conclusion These data strongly suggest that pain perception in at least a subset of patients with IC/BPS is influenced by this polymorphism in the SCN9A voltage-gated sodium channel.