cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Markov model for measuring vaccine efficacy for both susceptibility to infection and reduction in infectiousness for prophylactic HIV vaccines

We use a discrete-time non-homogeneous Markov chain to model data from augmented human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trials. For this design, the study population consists of primary participants some of whom have steady sexual partners who are also enrolled to augment the trial. The state space consists of the infection status of primary participants without steady partners and the infection status of both persons in the steady partnerships. The transition probabilities are functions of the two parameters: vaccine efficacy for susceptibility (VES) and infectiousness (VEI). We use likelihood methods to estimate VES and VEI from time-to-event data. We then use stochastic simulations to explore the bias and precision of the estimators under various plausible conditions for HIV vaccine trials. We show that both the VES and VEI are estimable with reasonable precision for the conditions that may exist for planned HIV vaccine trials. We show that exams conducted every six months will likely provide sufficient information to estimate the VE parameters accurately, and that there is little gain in precision for more frequent exams. Finally, we show that joint estimation of the VES and VEI will likely be feasible in a currently planned HIV vaccine trial among injecting drug users in Bangkok, Thailand, if one augments the information about the primary participants in the trial with information about their steady sexual partners.
Pollen grain size, stigma depth, and style length: the relationships revisited

I examine data and review information in the literature to test hypotheses proposed by Delpino and Darwin to explain the source of nutrients utilized by pollen tubes. In 1867, Delpino, in his discussion of distyly, suggested that the positive relationship between pollen grain size and style length was based on the pollen grains containing sufficient nutrients to sustain the growth of their pollen tubes through their respective styles. Darwin (The different forms of flowers on plants of the same species, 2nd edn. J. Murray, London, 1884) rejected Delpino’s suggestion based on his examination of distylous species whose morphs produced pollen grains whose sizes were not proportionate to the lengths of their respective styles. Darwin then proposed that pollen tubes first grow autotrophically, i.e., through the stigma, then heterotrophically in the style. This should result in a positive relationship between pollen grain size and stigma depth, if pollen tubes grow autotrophically through the stigma. I examined 15 species in Fabaceae and 20 species in Proteaceae to test the two hypotheses. Pollen grain size was correlated with stigma depth among the Fabaceae, i.e., consistent with Darwin’s hypothesis, and was not correlated with style length in either family, i.e., inconsistent with Delpino’s proposal. Comparisons of related species, in general, were consistent with Darwin’s hypothesis. In addition, information in the literature provided no evidence that pollen tubes obtain resources on or in the stigma, i.e., pollen tube growth from the stigmatic surface to the style was autotrophic. In contrast, pollen tubes obtain an array of resources from the transmission tissue, thus there is little reason for pollen grains to contain those resources. In addition, I suggest that positive correlations between pollen grain size and style/pistil length may be a result of both being correlated with stigma depth.
The marital relationship and health in women with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome: Views of wives and husbands.

The purpose of this study was to describe the association between the marital relationship and the health of the wife with chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS). The convenience sample of 131 wives with CFIDS and their spouses reported their marital relationships similarly, but the wives reported higher CFIDS symptom scores. Marital adjustment scores, wives' conflict scores, and husbands' self-empathy scores were associated with wives' CFIDS symptom scores. Hierarchical multiple regression models showed wives with higher education, lengthier marriages, dyads with higher marital adjustment, and wives with less conflict and less support were predictive of lower problematic CFIDS symptoms.
Functional Expression of Rat Renal Cortex Taurine Transporter in Xenopus laevis Oocytes: Adaptive Regulation by Dietary Manipulation

Renal brush border taurine transport adapts to changes in the dietary intake of sulfur amino acids with increased rates after dietary restriction and reduced transport after dietary surplus. The Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system was used to define the renal adaptive response to dietary manipulation. Injection of poly(A)+ RNA isolated from rat kidney cortex resulted in a time- and dose-dependent increase in NaCl-taurine cotransport in oocytes. The Km of the expressed taurine transporter was 22.5 μM. In oocytes, injection of 40 ng of poly(A)+ RNA from kidneys of low taurine diet (LTD)-fed rats elicited 2-fold the taurine uptake of normal taurine diet (NTD)-fed rats and >3-fold the uptake of high taurine diet (HTD)-fed rats. Northern blots of rat kidneys using a riboprobe derived from an rB16a (rat brain taurine transporter) subclone revealed 6.2- and 2.4-kb transcripts, the abundance of which were increased or decreased in LTD- or HTD-fed rats, respectively, as compared with NTD-fed rats. A ≈70-kD protein was detected by Western blot using an antibody derived from a synthetic peptide corresponding to a conserved intracellular segment of rB16a. The abundance of the ≈70-kD protein was increased or decreased in LTD- or HTD-fed rats, respectively, as compared with NTD-fed rats. In conclusion, expression of the rat renal taurine transporter is regulated by dietary taurine at the level of mRNA accumulation and protein synthesis.
Uniqueness of the tunneling wave function of the Universe

The ''tunneling'' approach to quantum cosmology is applied to a perturbative superspace model in which the inhomogeneous modes of the gravitational and scalar fields are treated as linear perturbations. It is shown that in this approach the wave function of the Universe is uniquely determined by the boundary conditions. It describes a universe nucleating as a de Sitter space with quantum fields in de Sitter-invariant vacuum states.
Glycosyl Phosphites as Glycosylation Reagents: Scope and Mechanism

The glycosylation reactions with glycosyl phosphites in the presence of catalytic amounts of TMSOTf at low temperature have been studied with different donors and acceptors for the synthesis of several glycosides, including O-glycosides, S-glycosides, C-glycosides, and glycopeptides. Mechanistic investigations of the reactions indicate that the glycosyl phosphite is activated by either TfOH or TMSOTf, depending on how the substrates are mixed. When the acceptor is treated with TMSOTf first, the glycosyl phosphite is activated by the resulting TfOH. The glycosyl phosphite can also be activated by TMSOTf directly. The best result is, however, to mix the acceptor and TMSOTf first, followed by addition of the glycosyl phosphite
Variational and diffusion Monte Carlo studies of (H2)N clusters

Abstract We present ground-state results for (H2)N clusters, N = 6, 7, 13, and 33, obtained by variational and diffusion Monte Carlo. Optimized trial wavefunctions are used which fully incorporate Bose statistics. Included are kinetic, potential, and total energies, as well as structural data with radial distribution functions, density profiles, and moment-of-inertia distributions. Trial-function quality is excellent for the smaller clusters and still quite good at N = 33. The DMC results clearly demonstrate the lqiuid nature of the clusters although at N = 33, an increase in rigidity is observed. Because all clusters are liquid-like, superfluid behavior may be possible. Despite the dominance of quantum effects, the importance of five-fold symmetry is also evident and shows the mark of classical packing considerations.
Theoretical and Experimental Studies of the Isomeric Protonation in Solution for a Prototype Aliphatic Ring Containing Two Nitrogens

Theoretical calculations were carried out for studying the tautomeric protonation of N-methylpiperazine as a prototype six-member aliphatic ring containing a secondary and a tertiary nitrogen atom. The protonation was investigated in three solvents, water, acetonitrile, and dichloromethane. Calculations were performed up to the B3LYP/aug-cc-pvtz and QCISD(T)/CBS levels by applying the IEF-PCM polarizable continuum dielectric solvent model. Relative solvation free energies also were calculated upon explicit solvent models by utilizing the free-energy perturbation theory as implemented in Monte Carlo simulations. The relative free energy for the N-methylpiperazine tautomer protonated at the secondary (NMps) rather than at the tertiary (NMpt) nitrogen was calculated at a ratio of 47/53 in infinitely dilute aqueous solution. The ratio further decreased in lower-polarity solvents. In contrast, NMR experiments suggested that the protonation takes place primarily at the secondary nitrogen in 0.37 molar aqueous s...
G2 Calculations of Weak Molecular Complexes: H2O-NO

A variety of complexes between NO and H2O molecules were studied using ab initio G2 theory. Calculations showed that both H-bonded and O-bonded complexes with NO were slightly stable with respect to free H2O and NO at 0 K, but at 298 K the free molecules were slightly stabler than all of the four possible complexes studied. Implications for atmospheric and biochemical systems will be introduced.
Poster: Issues in functional characterization and clustering of genes by literature mining

We consider a collection of MEDLINE1 abstracts that are associated with a gene, as identified by the occurrence of the gene name (or its synonyms) in the title of the document and then contrast the frequency of occurrence of specific words with their frequency in a broader background set of abstracts. Words that occur relatively more frequently in the document collection associated with a gene compared to the background set may be viewed as characterizing the function of the gene.
The crystal structure of a macrocycle containing pyridine and piperazine subunits, and of a Cu(I) complex of its diprotonated cation

The 2:2 macrocycle C22H30N6, containing pyridine and piperazine subunits, crystallizes in monoclinic space group C2c with a = 17.614(3), b = 9.696(2), c = 12.662(2) A, β = 111.65(2)°, V = 2010(1) A3, Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.036 for 1863 observed reflections. The molecule lies on an inversion center, and the piperazine subunits have the chair conformation. Surprisingly, this macrocycle becomes diprotonated, and the Cu(II) is reduced to Cu(I) upon reaction with CuCl2 in methanol. The resulting Cu(I) complex of the diprotonated macrocyclic dication, [CUCl(C22H32N6)]Cl2·2H2O, crystallizes in monoclinic space group P21n with a = 10.745(1), b = 13.728(2), c = 17.774(2) A , β = 98.08(1)°, V = 2596(1) A3, Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.058 for 3989 observed reflections. The Cu atom coordinates approximately linearly to one of the pyridine N atoms and a chloro ligand with CuN distance 1.947(3) A, CuCl distance 2.133(1) A, and NCuCl angle 164.5(1)°. While the piperazine subunits maintain their chair conformations, one N of each is protonated and turned outward. The unprotonated piperazine N atoms form long interactions of 2.488(4) and 2.508(4) A, distance to the Cu atom.
Isothermal Crystallization of Nylon-6/Montmorillonite Nanocomposites

The isothermal crystallization of in-situ-polymerized and melt-processed nylon-6/montmorillonite nanocomposites was studied by simultaneous small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering using synchrotron radiation. The isothermal crystallization rates, in the nucleation-controlled regime, for the nanocomposites are significantly faster than that for the pristine nylon-6 and suggest that the layered silicates act as nucleating centers. Within the experimental resolution, the initial crystal phase formed between 185 and 205 °C in the presence of the layered silicate is the metastable γ-phase, whereas the α-phase develops in the pristine nylon-6 at comparable temperatures. Additionally, the strong silicate−polymer interactions present in the in-situ-polymerized nanocomposites alter the crystallization process, creating a much weaker temperature dependence for the crystallization kinetics. Finally, the presence of well-dispersed layered silicates significantly disrupts the development of lamellar structure but does ...
Role of phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitors in attenuating apoptosis of the corneal epithelial cells and mitigation of Acanthamoeba keratitis

The aim of this study is to determine if the mannose-induced protein (MIP-133) from Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites induces apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells through a cytosolic phospholipase A2α (cPLA2α)-mediated pathway. The efficacy of cPLA2α inhibitors to provide protection against Acanthamoeba keratitis was examined in vivo. Chinese hamster corneal epithelial (HCORN) cells were incubated with or without MIP-133. MIP-133 induces significant increase in cPLA2α and macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2/CXCL2) levels from corneal cells. Moreover, cPLA2α inhibitors, MAFP (Methyl-arachidonyl fluorophosphonate) and AACOCF3 (Arachidonyl trifluoromethyl ketone), significantly reduce cPLA2α and CXCL2 from these cells (P < 0.05). Additionally, cPLA2α inhibitors significantly inhibit MIP-133-induced apoptosis in HCORN cells (P < 0.05). Subconjunctival injection of purified MIP-133 in Chinese hamster eyes induced cytopathic effects resulting in corneal ulceration. Animals infected with A. castellanii-laden contact lenses and treated with AACOCF3 and CAY10650, showed significantly less severe keratitis as compared with control animals. Collectively, the results indicate that cPLA2α is involved in MIP-133 induced apoptosis of corneal epithelial cells, polymorphonuclear neutrophil infiltration, and production of CXCL2. Moreover, cPLA2α inhibitors can be used as a therapeutic target in Acanthamoeba keratitis.
Interaction of MutS Protein with the Major and Minor Grooves of a Heteroduplex DNA

Thermus aquaticus MutS protein is a DNA mismatch repair protein that recognizes and binds to heteroduplex DNAs containing mispaired or unpaired bases. Using enzymatic and chemical probe methods, we have examined the binding of TaqMutS protein to a heteroduplex DNA having a single unpaired thymidine residue. DNase I footprinting identifies a symmetrical region of protection 24–28 nucleotides long centered on the unpaired base. Methylation protection and interference studies establish thatTaq MutS protein makes contacts with the major groove of the heteroduplex in the immediate vicinity of the unpaired base. Hydroxyl radical and 1,10-phenanthroline-copper footprinting experiments indicate that MutS also interacts with the minor groove near the unpaired base. Together with the identification of key phosphate groups detected by ethylation interference, these data reveal critical contact points residing in the major and minor grooves of the heteroduplex DNA.
Investigation of Drag-Modulated Supersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerators for Sounding Rocket Payloads

The goal of this investigation is to understand the sizing and performance of supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerators for Earth-based sounding rocket applications. The recovery system under examination is composed of a supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator and a guided parafoil system to achieve sub-100 m miss distances. Three supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator configurations (tension cone, attached isotensoid, and trailing isotensoid) are examined using the metrics of decelerator mass, aerodynamic performance, and vehicle integration. In terms of aerodynamic performance, the tension cone is the preferred choice for the sizes investigated. The attached isotensoid was shown to be the most mass efficient decelerator, whereas the trailing isotensoid was found to be the more ideal decelerator for vehicle integration. A three-degree-of-freedom trajectory simulation is used in conjunction with Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis to assess the landed accuracy capability of the proposed arc...
Generalized Valence Bond Description of Chalcogen-Nitrogen Compounds. II. NO, F(NO), and H(NO)

The electronic structures of the ground states (X2Π) of NS and those (X1A′) of F(NS) and H(NS), where X(NS) collectively refers to the XNS and NSX isomers, were analyzed within the framework of generalized valence bond theory. The ground state of NS has a recoupled pair π bond, which has a profound effect on its reactivity. For example, the lowest-energy isomer of F(NS) is NSF, which has a recoupled pair bond dyad with N–SF and NS–F bonds lengths and strengths similar to their covalent counterparts in NS and SF. The ground state of NSH, on the other hand, is only weakly bound with a NS–H bond energy 40.20 kcal/mol smaller than that in SH and a N–SH bond energy 40.20 kcal/mol less than that in NS. At its equilibrium geometry, the NSH molecule is best viewed as derived from the N(2D) + SH(X2Π) separated fragments, with the weak NS–H bond resulting from unfavorable interactions between the SH bond pair and the nitrogen lone pair. Addition of F/H atoms to the nitrogen atom in NS disrupts the NS recoupled pair...
Estimation of the efficiency of nonideal explosives

Abstract Cylinder test energies of nonideal explosives are calculated on the basis of the following two assumptions: (a) that the detonation products of the overbalanced and underbalanced explosives have equilibrated completely to form the free energy-minimized detonation product composition at 7 volumes expansion; and (b) that each component has gone to its own detonation products, with no mixing or equilibration of the detonation species. From these calculations and the experimental cylinder test energy, the extent of interreaction is estimated. For the most efficient of the nonideal explosives tested, interreaction efficiencies approach 70%.
Tree-Based Local Mesh Refinement for Compressible Multiphase Flows

Shock waves interacting with multi-material interfaces in compressible flows result in complex shock diffraction patterns involving total or partial reflection, refraction and transmission of the impinging shock wave. To simulate such complicated interfacial dynamics problems, a fixed Cartesian grid approach in conjunction with level set interface tracking is attractive. In this regard, a unified Riemann solver based Ghost Fluid Method (GFM) was developed to accurately resolve and represent the embedded solid and fluid object(s) in high speed compressible multiphase flows. While the GFM-based Cartesian grid approach significantly alleviates the complexity associated with mesh management, the method lacks flexibility in effective grid point placement in regions with rich structures in the flow field. Thus for higher-order and highly accurate sharp interface Cartesian grid based calculations with optimal computational effort, it is imperative to supplement the solution with adaptive mesh refinement technique. Hence in this work, a simple procedure is presented to complement the Riemann solver based GFM approach with quadtree (octree in three dimensions) based Local Mesh Refinement (LMR) technique for efficient and high fidelity computations involving strong shock interactions in multiphase compressible flows. The paper reports on a simple, conservative formulation for accurate calculation of ENO-based numerical fluxes at the fine-coarse mesh boundary. The numerical examples displayed in this paper clearly demonstrate that the methodology is consistent in generating satisfactory solutions, and effectively capturing fine structures in the flow.
Grain growth kinetics of an iron aluminide alloy

The recent development of ductile iron aluminides has necessitated research into the practicality of processing these materials using conventional means. Welding is being investigated because it represents an important means of constructing engineering structures. In welding, microstructural stability during the thermal cycles is very important. Ash et al. found that the microstructure of the iron aluminide FA-129 was not stable during thermal cycling. The reasons for this were considered to be related to the thermomechanical history of the material. The understanding of the grain growth kinetics of these materials and how they relate to the prior processing history has been limited to date. The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of an initial grain growth study conducted on alloy FA-129 (Ht [number sign]D5-3966-1) and a follow-on study of a special heat of the same alloy (a heat number was not assigned to this material).
Internal time, general internal variable, and multi-yield-surface theories of plasticity and creep: A unification of concepts

Abstract In this paper, certain unifying concepts underlying the internal-time (endochronic), general internal variable, and multi-yield surface theories of plasticity and creep, are presented. Rate-forms of evolution equations for stress, back stress, and other variables, based on an internal-time theory, are presented for plasticity and creep. It is shown that by an appropriate choice of kernels in the present internal time theory, the so-called “nonlinear-kinematic-hardening” rules of Chaboche, Mroz., th the multi-surface-yield theories of Mroz, Krieg, Defalias et al. , and the linear kinematic hardening theories of Prager, etc., may be deduced as special cases.
Cost-Effectiveness of Social Work Services in Aging: An Updated Systematic Review

Objectives:This study examines the impact of social work interventions in aging on quality of life (QOL) and cost outcomes in four categories (health, mental health, geriatric evaluation and management, and caregiving).Methods:Systematic review methods are employed. Databases were searched for articles published in English between 2004 and 2012 that report outcomes of social work interventions for aging individuals (age ≥ 50) and/or their caregivers/families. Of the 464 identified articles, 45 representing 42 studies met inclusion criteria.Results:Seventy-one percent of the studies report significant QOL outcomes. Twenty-one studies include cost outcomes, with 15 (71.4%) documenting significant cost savings. Twelve (80%) of the studies reporting significant cost outcomes examine social work interventions in health, including care coordination and end-of-life/palliative care.Conclusion:The findings suggest that social work interventions in aging have a positive and significant impact on QOL and cost outcom...
Fast and sensitive laser-based enzymatic detection of the lactose operon in microorganisms.

Abstract This work investigates the ability of laser-based, time-resolved fluorometry to detect the lactose operon genetic marker in microorganisms and to study protein-DNA interactions. In the first study, rapid detection of the Escherichia coli lacZY operon inserted in two strains of Pseudomonas proposed as fungal biological control organisms was achieved. Optimization of incubation time, immobilization apparatus size, and reagent volumes, along with the laser-based instrumentation, yielded an assay capable of detecting 104 immobilized lac+Pseudomonas fluorescens cells within a 30-min incubation time. In the second study, the synthesis of E. coli β-galactosidase was monitored in "realtime" with observable enzymatic activity beginning 4 to 5 min after induction with isopropyithiogalactoside.
DIFFUSION AND INDEPENDENT INVENTION: A CRITIQUE OF LOGIC

THERE exists a large proportion of anthropological data which admits of no clear-cut methodology but is usually handled according to inference and common sense logic. While this method may be soundly rational, the possibility of an enormous subjective element and fallacious logic is ever present and is demonstrated by the existence of the diffusion controversy. This controversy is made possible not only by the personal bias of the investigator but also by a confusion of the principles upon which the solution is based.
Gastrolith growth and calcium shifts in the freshwater crayfish, Orconectes virilis.

1. 1. An X-ray study of crayfish (Osrconetes virilis) induced to molt in the non-molting season demonstrated that calcium deposition in the form of gastrolith is evident 48–72 hr after the opration in the majority of animals. The subsequent growth of the gastrolith continues to the time of actual sheding of the exoskeleton. 2. 2. The time of molt can be estimated by use of a gastrolith-to-carapace relationship which reaches a value of 0.18 to 0.22 at the time of ecdysis for smalla or large animals. 3. 3. Unbound calcium in normal crayfish blood did not change markedly from intermolt to premolt though there is some evidence of a small decrease in this component. Eyestalk removal, which induces gastrolith formation, resulted in a significant decrease in the unbound blood calcium levels of intermolt crayfish with a concomitant increase in the protein-bound fraction. 4. 4. Eyestalk removal from crayfish during the non-molting period results in an increase in blood protein to 65 per cent over the normal intermolt value. The increase in protein plus the increase in calcium bound per milligram of protein accounts for more than a fourfold increase in blood calcium at the onset of premolt. 5. 5. Injection of extracts of premolt eyestalks depressed the blood level of unbound calcium while central nervous system extracts induced a significant increase in this component. These responses are interpreted as evidence for two antagonistic principles with respect to molt regulation, and thus calcium metabolism, in crayfish. 6. 6. Measurement of environmental calcium demonstrated that a population of crayfish studied between the two normal molting seasong undergoes a constant change in calcium release and uptake with, however, a net gain of approximately 2.5 mg/animal in 20 days. Animals in the premolt condition released substantial quantities of calcium to the environment despite its storage in the gastrolith at this time. The loss per animal was approximately 3.5–4.0 mg in 20 days.
Time-place learning in the eight-arm radial maze

Rats (n=4) searched for food on an eight-arm radial maze. Daily 56-min sessions were divided into eight 7-min time zones, during each of which a different location provided food; locations were randomized across subjects before training. The rats obtained multiple pellets within each time zone by leaving and returning to the correct location. Evidence that the rats had knowledge about the temporal and spatial features of the task includes the following. The rats anticipated locations before they became active and anticipated the end of the currently active locations. The rats discriminated currently active locations from earlier and forthcoming active locations in the absence of food transition cues. After the rats had left the previously active location, they visited the next correct location more often than would be expected by chance in the absence of food transition cues. The rats used handling or opening doors as a cue to visit the first location and timed successive 7-min intervals to get to subsequent locations.
Welcome song to a newborn.

What I know about birth: It's a leap of faith. it's the ultimate let-go— or is that death? You move through the narrow passageway. Resistance creates tone. Pressure defines your body: squeeze – release Breathing the waters that will become your life-blood: Squeeze – release. Heartbeat ripples the liquid you float in the liquid flowing through you pulsing the rhythms of life on land. Your mother's heartbeat grounds you in this body. Your mother's heartbeat tethers you to the planet. You will not float away. At home you are born at home you are conceived at home, you are always at home. And you are birthed human. Not snake, rat, pelican or spider. Your mother's heartbeat sings: Welcome to this world Welcome to your fantastic body Welcome to fingers, tongue, eyes and nostrils Ears, skin Welcome to tears, laughter, anger, love Every nuance of feeling you can explore, express. Life beat, life breath, you can return to center pulse at any moment you can return home. You are home You are the joy that lives in the nucleus of each cell in your body You are the joy that birthed this world. ©Monnie Reba Efross, January 2007
Noble metal-catalyzed homogeneous and heterogeneous processes in treating simulated nuclear waste media with formic acid

Abstract Simulants for the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant feed containing the major non-radioactive components Al, Cd, Fe, Mn, Nd, Ni, Si, Zr, Na, CO32−, NO3−, and NO2− were used to study reactions of formic acid at 90°C catalyzed by the noble metals Ru, Rh, and/or Pd found in significant quantities in uranium fission products. Such reactions were monitored using gas chromatography to analyze the CO2, H2, NO, and N2O in the gas phase and a microammonia electrode to analyze the NH 4 + NH 3 in the liquid phase as a function of time. The following reactions have been studied in these systems since they are undesirable side reactions in nuclear waste processing: (1) Decomposition of formic acid to CO2 + H2 is undesirable because of the potential fire and explosion hazard of H2. Rhodium, which was introduced as soluble RhCl3 · 3H2O, was found to be the most active catalyst for H2 generation from formic acid above ∼ 80°C in the presence of nitrite ion. The H2 production rate has an approximate pseudo first-order dependence on the Rh concentration. (2) Generation of NH3 from the formic acid reduction of nitrate and/or nitrite is undesirable because of a possible explosion hazard from NH4NO3 accumulation in a waste processing plant off-gas system. The Rh-catalyzed reduction of nitrogen-oxygen compounds to ammonia by formic acid was found to exhibit the following features: (a) Nitrate rather than nitrite is the principal source of NH3. (b) Ammonia production occurs at the expense of hydrogen production. (c) Supported rhodium metal catalysts are more active than rhodium in any other form, suggesting that ammonia production involves heterogeneous rather than homogeneous catalysis.
Synthesen mit α‐Amino‐alkyl‐phosphonsäureestern, I

Es wird eine einfache Synthese von aromatisch substituierten Enaminen und Amidinen beschrieben. Sie beruht auf der Umsetzung der tieffarbigen Anionen von α-Amino-alkyl-phosphonsaureestern mit Aldehyden. Die Hydrolyse der Enamine fuhrt zu den erwarteten Desoxybenzoinen. Die neue Methode zeichnet sich durch apparative Einfachheit aus. Sie ist besonders bemerkenswert dadurch, das man, je nach der Reihenfolge in der die Reaktionspartner eingefuhrt werden, das eine oder das andere der isomeren Enamine bzw. Desoxybenzoine, d. h. entweder R CO CH2 R′ oder R CH2 CO R′, erhalten kann.
Treatment of patent ductus arteriosus with low-dose indomethacin in very low birth weight neonates with impairment of renal function: report of three cases

Traitement de la persistance du canal arteriel avec une faible dose d'indometacine chez les nouveau-nes de poids extremement bas a la naissance presentant une alteration de la fonction renale: relation de trois cas La presente etude est consacree a une etude de trois cas de prematures de poids extremement bas presentant une alteration de la fonction renale et, simultanement, une persistance du canal arteriel (PDA). La PDA a ete traitee efficacement avec de faibles doses d'indomethacine, sans aucun effet indesirable. Un sujet seulement a presente une recurrence de la PDA et, dans ce cas, il a ete possible de traiter avec la meme dose, sand aucun probleme. L'un des deux autres sujets est decede un mois plus tard d'une enterocolite necrosante. Le profil clinique de l'autre cas n'a presente ensuite aucune irregularite. Nous considerons que l'indometacine peut etre utilisee avec succes a faible dose dans des cas qui sont consideres jusqu'a maintenant comme une contre-indication a l'indometacine, par exemple une insuffisance renale.
Fibroblastic Subpopulations in Uninjured and Wounded Rabbit Oral Mucosa

Fibroblast cultures derived from uninjured and reparative rabbit buccal mucosa were compared in terms of extracellular glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content and cellular response to interleukin-1 (IL-1). Under identical growth conditions, proliferation of both cell lines was the same. Both lines incorporated [3H]-glucosamine into GAG in cellular, pericellular, and medium fractions, with the majority of incorporated label residing in the medium. Dermatan sulfate (DS) was the predominant GAG in the medium fraction of both normal and wound fibroblast cultures; however, the two cell lines differed in the identity of the medium fraction's secondary GAG: chondroitin sulfate (CS) for normal fibroblasts and hyaluronic acid (HA) for wound-derived cells. The GAG content of the pericellular matrix for all cultures was the same regardless of the tissue of origin: heparan sulfate (HS) accompanied by a very small amount of CS. Exposure to IL-1 produced limited but highly specific effects: It was not mitogenic for either cell...
Deficient Complement Fixation by Aggregated Gamma Globulin from Hypogammaglobulinemic Patients

We found that several normal samples of aggregated gamma globulin consistently fixed essentially equal amounts of guinea pig complement, while samples of gamma globulin from three of four hypogammaglobulinemic patients were markedly deficient in this biologic function. Thus, the previously observed limited heterogeneity of gamma globulin in patients with hypogammaglobulinemia is also associated with inefficiency in at least one biological function.
Increased emigration of the amphipod Rhepoxyniusabronius (Barnard) and the polychaete Nephtys caeca (Fabricius) in the presence of invertebrate predators

Abstract Laboratory experiments tested whether the emigration of two infaunal organisms, the amphipod Rhepoxynius abronius (Barnard) and the polychaete Nephtys caeca (Fabricius) increased in the presence of potential predators. Significantly more Rhepoxynius abronius migrated into the water column in the presence of an epibenthic predator, the dungeness crab Cancer magister Dana, and two infaunal predatory polychaetes Glycera convoluta Keferstein and Nephtys caeca, than in their absence. Emigration of small N. caeca was greater in the presence of Glycera convoluta than in the presence of large Nephtys caeca or in the control. These results demonstrate that avoidance of predators may sometimes explain the occurrence of benthic organisms in the water column and indicate that reductions of infauna by predators in predator inclusion experiments may be due to prey emigration as well as direct predation.
Synaptic Mitochondria Are More Susceptible to Ca2+Overload than Nonsynaptic Mitochondria

Mitochondria in nerve terminals are subjected to extensive Ca2+fluxes and high energy demands, but the extent to which the synaptic mitochondria buffer Ca2+ is unclear. In this study, we identified a difference in the Ca2+ clearance ability of nonsynaptic versus synaptic mitochondrial populations enriched from rat cerebral cortex. Mitochondria were isolated using Percoll discontinuous gradients in combination with high pressure nitrogen cell disruption. Mitochondria in the nonsynaptic fraction originate from neurons and other cell types including glia, whereas mitochondria enriched from a synaptosomal fraction are predominantly neuronal and presynaptic in origin. There were no differences in respiration or initial Ca2+ loads between nonsynaptic and synaptic mitochondrial populations. Following both bolus and infusion Ca2+ addition, nonsynaptic mitochondria were able to accumulate significantly more exogenously added Ca 2+ than the synaptic mitochondria before undergoing mitochondrial permeability transition, observed as a loss in mitochondrial membrane potential and decreased Ca2+ uptake. The limited ability of synaptic mitochondria to accumulate Ca2+ could result from several factors including a primary function of ATP production to support the high energy demand of presynaptic terminals, their relative isolation in comparison with the threads or clusters of mitochondria found in the soma of neurons and glia, or the older age and increased exposure to oxidative damage of synaptic versus nonsynaptic mitochondria. By more readily undergoing permeability transition, synaptic mitochondria may initiate neuron death in response to insults that elevate synaptic levels of intracellular Ca2+, consistent with the early degeneration of distal axon segments in neurodegenerative disorders.
High precision electrical resistivity measurements on potassium

Abstract We present new, ultra-high precision (0.1ppm) measurements of the resistivity of potassium from 4K to 0.5K. In this temperature range the data are consistent with a combination of electron-phonon and simple electron-electron scattering.
Dynamic microlending under adverse selection: Can it rival group lending?

We derive an optimal lending contract in a two-period adverse selection model with limited commitment on the borrower side. The contract involves “penalty” interest rates after default, and favorable rates after success. Under some conditions, it also charges first-time borrowers higher rates than repeat borrowers, as in “relationship lending”, because the lender is constrained to keep borrowing attractive while using revealed information to price for risk. We compare the efficiency of a group lending contract (of the kind popularized by the microcredit movement) to the dynamic, individual contract. Both types of contracts reveal the same information, but the contracts face different constraints on using the information to improve risk-pricing. As a result, either type of contract can lead to greater efficiency depending on specifics of the environment – opening the possibility that dynamic lending has played a role comparable to that of group lending in the success of microcredit. We also characterize the optimal dynamic group contract when both lending techniques are feasible, and find that it combines both approaches, but with varying emphases. A recurrent theme is that in more marginal environments, dynamic lending performs relatively better than, and is prioritized over, group lending. We also discuss a number of extensions, including (spatially and serially) correlated risk and the effect of competition.
Analysis for Stereoisomers of Beta‐Carotene in Fermentation Preparations

SUMMARY The potential vitamin A activity of a carotene-containing preparation obtained from mated cultures of Blakeslea trispora was investigated by determining the stereoisomers of the β-carotene fraction. The β-carotene extracted from some fresh mycelia contained about 94% of the all-trans isomer, the remainder being about 3.5% of neo-β-carotene B and 2.5% of neo+β+ carotene U. β-Carotene from stored dried preparations showed about 91% of all-trans, 7.570 of neo-β-carotene B, and 1.5% of neo-β-carotene U.
“At a moment, you could collapse”: Raising children with autism in the West Bank

Abstract The current qualitative study examined knowledge, attitudes, burdens and coping strategies related to caring for a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the West Bank. Based on a sample of 24 Palestinian parents, the study found that parents struggled with financial stressors, child behavioral and medical challenges, and depression. Few parents were aware of ASDs prior to their children's diagnoses. Furthermore, discrimination and stigma from extended family members and the larger community intensified parents' feelings of shame and experiences of social isolation. While some parents coped by withdrawing from the community or denying the diagnosis, others aimed to increase social interactions and access information. Religious coping was found to be partly adaptive for some of the participants. The study underscored the vital need to increase community awareness of ASDs and increase social support for parents in the West Bank.
Estimation of structural system parameters from stationary and non-stationary ambient vibrations: An exploratory-confirmatory analysis

Abstract The natural frequency and damping parameters of a building structure are estimated from a long ambient vibration record that shows considerable non-stationarity. The long record is segmented into 57 approximately independent one minute duration stationary time series segments. Each segment is low pass filtered to reject unwanted higher frequency modes and is analyzed by a 2SLS (two stage least squares) time domain parametric model procedure. The scatter diagrams of the estimates of the natural frequency and damping parameters exhibit considerable variability. Estimates of the natural frequency and damping parameters and coefficient of variation expressions of their reliability are obtained by an exploratory-confirmatory data analysis of those 57 vibration time series. A procedure that can obtain the structural parameter estimates with the reliability that is available from stationary analysis from a long and not necessarily stationary record is indicated.
Genders of patients and clinicians and their effect on shared decision making: a participant-level meta-analysis.

Gender differences in communication styles between clinicians and patients have been postulated to impact patient care, but the extent to which the gender dyad structure impacts outcomes in shared decision making remains unclear. Participant-level meta-analysis of 775 clinical encounters within 7 randomized trials where decision aids, shared decision making tools, were used at the point of care. Outcomes analysed include decisional conflict scale scores, satisfaction with the clinical encounter, concordance between stated decision and action taken, and degree of patient engagement by the clinician using the OPTION scale. An estimated minimal important difference was used to determine if nonsignificant results could be explained by low power. We did not find a statistically significant interaction between clinician/patient gender mix and arm for decisional conflict, satisfaction with the clinical encounter or patient engagement. A borderline significant interaction (p = 0.05) was observed for one outcome: concordance between stated decision and action taken, where encounters with female clinician/male patient showed increased concordance in the decision aid arm compared to control (8% more concordant encounters). All other gender dyads showed decreased concordance with decision aid use (6% fewer concordant encounters for same-gender, 16% fewer concordant encounters for male clinician/female patient). In this participant-level meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials, decision aids used at the point of care demonstrated comparable efficacy across gender dyads. Purported barriers to shared decision making based on gender were not detected when tested for a minimum detected difference. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00888537 , NCT01077037 , NCT01029288 , NCT00388050 , NCT00578981 , NCT00949611 , NCT00217061 .
Crash- and Injury-Outcome Multipliers

In 1992 the University of Hawaii was one of six institutions to receive a Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, NHTSA. As part of the Hawaii CODES Project, police crash data, emergency medical services (EMS) data, and hospital data were linked using a probabilistic linkage software known as Automatch. An advantage of linked data is the ability to determine injury outcomes for various types of crashes. A simple technique—crash and injury outcome multipliers for examining the relative safety of various types of crashes—is presented. Using the crash as the unit of analysis, a measure is derived that indicates the number of fatalities, incapacitating injuries, nonserious injuries, EMS transports, and hospitalizations produced over a period of time by those particular crash types. In addition to comparing vehicle-to-vehicle crashes, various crash types such as head-on, rollover, sideswipe, broadside, and fixed-object collisions are also examined. The relative cr...
A Fruitful Marriage: Interdisciplinary Approaches to International Relations and International Law

Interdisciplinary Perspectives on International Law and International Relations: The State of the Art. Edited By Jeffrey L. Dunoff, Mark A. Pollack. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2013. 672 pp., $38.81 paperback (ISBN-13: 978-1-10768-402-7). For the past two or three decades, the marriage between international relations (IR) and international law (IL) has been a fruitful one. This interdisciplinary agenda has generated many research programs—legalization in world politics, rational design of international institutions, research on compliance with IL—just to name a few. IR and IL seem to be natural partners. International politics operates within the international legal and normative environment; IL is enmeshed with international power politics and the changing landscape of world politics. As a stock-taking book that also provides a way forward, Interdisciplinary Perspectives is a welcome addition to this literature. The contributors to the edited volume are well known to both fields; each has generated new collaborative research programs that have advanced the field. Researchers and students in both IR and IL will benefit greatly from this book, both as a reference and as food for further thought. The book starts with the big-picture debates that have defined the field: realism, liberalism, constructivism, and institutionalism. The contributors provide a good survey of each tradition without losing sight of the possibility of dialogue between different “isms.” Very appropriately, the book also questions the utility of an interdisciplinary approach. Did we get it right when IR and IL scholars started talking to each other in …
Magnetoelectric microwave attenuator

An electric field tunable yttrium iron garnet (YIG) lead magnesium niobate lead titanate (PMN-PT) attenuator operating at 7.2 GHz has been designed and characterised. The device is based on ferromagnetic resonance in YIG. Electric field (E) tuning of the attenuation has been accomplished through magnetoelectric interactions in the YIG/PMN-PT bilayer. Theoretical estimates of attenuation against E are in very good agreement with data.
The Effect of Local Area Unemployment on Compensating Wage Differentials for Injury Risk

Compensating wage differential (CWD) theory assumes that workers can always find a job without undesired characteristics, which forces firms with disamenities to pay a CWD. However, a simple theoretical variation of standard CWD theory shows that if there is a probability of job loss due to involuntary unemployment, the CWD is lower. When this probability is proxied by local unemployment rates, we find a downward bias in typical estimated CWDs using cross-sectional data that span many local labor markets. Estimates from the Current Population Survey data show that the bias can be quite large, which in turn impacts the implicit value of injury estimates.