cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vibration-translation energy transfer in anharmonic diatomic molecules. II - The vibrational quantum-number dependence

A semiclassical model of the inelastic collision between a vibrationally excited anharmonic oscillator and a structureless atom is used to predict the variation of thermally averaged V–T rate coefficients with temperature and initial‐state quantum number. Multiple oscillator states are included in a numerical solution for collinear encounters. The results are compared with CO–He experimental values for both ground and excited initial states using several simplified forms of the interaction potential. The numerical model is also used as a basis for evaluating several less complete but analytic models. Two computationally simple analytic approximations are found that successfully reproduce the numercial rate coefficients for a wide range of molecular properties and collision partners. Their limitations are also identified. Finally, the relative rates of multiple‐quantum transitions from excited states are evaluated for several molecular types.
Tea consumption and risk of cancer of the colon and rectum.

The association between tea consumption and risk of colon and rectal cancers was investigated in a population-based case-control study conducted in Iowa (United States). Colon (n = 685) and rectal (n = 655) cancer cases age 40-85 yr were identified through the Iowa Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Cancer Registry (86% response rate); controls (n = 2,434) were frequency matched by sex and 5-yr age group (80% response rate). The usual adult consumption of tea (hot and iced), along with other information including dietary data, was self-reported using a mailed questionnaire. Total tea consumption (cups/day) was categorized as none (reference category), low ( 5.0), with cut points for tea consumers based on the 75th and 90th percentiles of use among controls. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals. There was no association between total tea consumption and colon cancer (ORs = 1.0, 1.1, 1.3, and 0.7) or rectal cancer (ORs = 1.0, 0.9, 1.4, and 1.0) after adjustment for age, sex, education, physical activity, smoking history, and intake of coffee, fiber, and fruits and vegetables. Results were similar when hot tea and iced tea were evaluated individually. Further adjustment for other colorectal cancer risk factors did not alter these results. There was no association with proximal or distal colon cancer. There was also no interaction between tea consumption and any of the dietary variables or total fluid on risk of colon or rectal cancer, with the exception of a suggestive positive association between an increasing frequency of tea consumption and colon cancer risk among current smokers (multivariate ORs = 1.0, 1.4, 2.0, and 1.8; P for trend = 0.1), but not among never smokers (multivariate ORs = 1.0, 1.0, 1.1, and 0.4; P for trend = 0.3). These data do not support an overall association, either positive or negative, between tea consumption and risk of colon or rectal cancer in this Mid-western US population.
Safety-Net Burden Hospitals and Likelihood of Curative-Intent Surgery for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background Black patients are less likely to undergo surgery for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with white patients, and are more likely to undergo resection at low-volume hospitals. However, little is known about the relationship between hospital safety-net burden and the likelihood of curative-intent surgery for black and white patients. This study analyzes whether hospital safety-net burden is associated with curative-intent surgery among adult early-stage NSCLC patients treated at facilities accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Study Design Adult patients diagnosed with invasive initial primary early-stage (TNM I–II) NSCLC during 2003-2005 were obtained from the National Cancer Data Base. Curative-intent surgery included anatomic resection, wedge resection, and segmentectomy. Hospital safety-net burden was defined as the percent of cancer patients per facility that were Medicaid-insured or uninsured. Generalized estimating equations and linear mixed models were used to control for clustering by facility. Results Of 52,853 evaluable patients, those treated at high safety-net burden facilities were significantly less likely (unadjusted p Conclusions Both black and white adult patients treated for early-stage NSCLC at high safety-net burden facilities are less likely to undergo curative-intent surgery than those treated at low safety-net burden facilities. Innovative solutions are needed to ensure quality cancer care at high safety-net burden facilities.
Interest level improves learning but does not moderate the effects of interruptions: An experiment using simultaneous multitasking

Abstract It has become common practice for people to multitask with electronic devices in everyday situations. We examined the effects of interrupting participants with instant messages while they watched a video presentation in a situation that resembled commonplace events such as a business meeting, a training presentation, or a classroom lecture. We compared them to participants who were not interrupted. We also investigated how interest in the topics presented affected learning. Results showed that interruptions reduced learning, by a small but statistically significant margin, which is consistent with the findings of similar studies. Importantly, interest level was as strong a predictor of learning as being interrupted, although interest did not moderate the effect of interruptions. Results showed that interruptions are disruptive but perhaps not as much as is commonly believed. The results also highlight the importance of studying individual difference factors, such as interest levels, in conjunction with experimental manipulations, when assessing the effects of multitasking.
ROLE OF THE HYPOTHALAMIC PARAVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS IN CARDIOVASCULAR REGULATION

SUMMARY 1. The paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVH) is a complex structure with both neuroendocrine and autonomic functions. It is a major source of vasopressin and the primary source of corticotropin-releasing factor. In addition, parvicellular PVH neurons have reciprocal connections with brain-stem autonomic centres and directly innervate sympathetic preganglionic neurons. Evidence is reviewed which indicates that in conscious rats PVH activation increases blood pressure, heart rate, renal nerve activity and plasma renin activity. 2. In conscious rats, a non-hypotensive haemorrhage (13 mL/kg blood loss over 24 min) results in increased numbers of Fos-immunoreactive cell nuclei within both magnocellular and parvicellular PVH neurons, including the ventral medial parvicellular regions known to contain neuronal projections to brainstem autonomic centres and spinal cord sympathetic preganglionic neurons. 3. Cell-selective ibotenate lesions of the parvicellular PVH significantly blunt the corticosterone response but do not alter blood pressure, heart rate or plasma renin concentration response to non-hypotensive or hypotensive haemorrhage. This and earlier studies indicate that, while the PVH is necessary for the corticosterone response and contributes to increased vasopressin release during blood loss, it does not play an important role in the sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin responses to hypovolaemia and hypotension. 4. There is evidence to indicate that the parvicellular PVH serves as a necessary relay for cardiovascular and renin responses to certain behavioural stressors. We propose that cardiovascular information relayed to parvicellular PVH autonomic regions may be used to modulate behavioural, rather than homeostatic, effects on haemodynamics and renin release.
Unwitting Performances of Transparency Monitoring the travelling public, managing airport affect

These days, airports are nervous spaces. They have a physical effect on the bodies that work in and move through them. Tense. These spaces are tense with the pressure to perform. Passengers feel pr...
Device closure of muscular ventricular septal defects in infants less than one year of age using the Amplatzer devices: Feasibility and outcome

Objectives: In this study, we evaluated the feasibility, safety, and outcome of device closure of muscular ventricular septal defects (mVSD) in infants less than 1 year of age using the Amplatzer devices. Background: Closure of mVSDs continues to represent a surgical challenge with significant morbidity. Hence, device closure is becoming an attractive and reliable alternative. However, little is known about the feasibility of this procedure in small infants. Methods: Between July 1999 and September 2006, device closure of mVSD was attempted in 20 infants ranging in age from 3 days to 12 months (median ± SD; 4.6 ± 3.8) and in weight from 3.2 to 8.9 kg (4.6 ± 1.9) under TEE guidance by percutaneous or hybrid (perventricular) techniques. The size of the VSD as assessed by TEE ranged from 3 to 11 mm (6.0 ± 2.2) and the Qp:Qs ratio ranged from 0.7 to 8.8 (2.8 ± 2.3). Results: The device was successfully placed in 19/20 infants and it ranged in size from 4 to 14 mm (8.0 ± 2.6). It was percutaneously deployed in 11/19 and by the hybrid approach in 8/19. There were 30 devices placed in 19 infants with multiple devices placed in 5/19 infants. Fluoroscopy times ranged from 11 to 136 min (41 ± 28) and procedure times ranged from 57 to 291 min (178 ± 68). The success rate as defined by complete closure or a trivial shunt was 84% immediately and 100% at 1-year follow-up. Major complications occurred in 4/20 patients: wire perforation and hemopericardium (n = 1), device migration (n = 1), transient electromechanical dissociation (n = 1), and mediastinitis (n = 1). At a median follow-up of 3.8 years, all patients improved and had no hemodynamically significant VSDs. No major complications were encountered in patients with multiple devices. Conclusion: In infants less than 1 year of age, percutaneous and perventricular device closure of mVSDs is technically feasible and highly effective with low morbidity. Long term safety and efficacy needs to be assessed. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Bioethics as Methodological Case Resolution: Specification, Specified Principlism and Casuistry

Bioethical decision-making depends on presuppositions about the function and goal of bioethics. The authors in this issue of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy share the assumption that bioethics is about resolving cases, not about moral theory, and that the best method of bioethical decision-making is that which produces useful answers. Because we have no universally agreed upon background moral theory which can serve as the basis for bioethical decision-making, they try to move bioethics away from theory. For them, a good method of bioethical decision-making is one which resolves cases in ways that are justifiable to the parties involved, not necessarily in ways that bring us "close" to the right and the true. The authors consider how the move away from theory and toward actual cases is best accomplished. In particular, the debate in this issue is about specification, specified principlism, and casuistry.
Preclinical Carotid Atherosclerosis in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to cardiovascular disease. In this matched, cross-sectional study, patients with rheumatoid arthritis had a somewhat mo...
Tositumomab and Iodine-131 Tositumomab Produces Durable Complete Remissions in a Subset of Heavily Pretreated Patients With Low-Grade and Transformed Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphomas

Purpose This study is an integrated efficacy analysis of the five clinical trials of tositumomab and iodine-131 tositumomab in patients with relapsed or refractory low-grade, follicular, or transformed low-grade non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) that resulted in the regulatory approval of the iodine-131 tositumomab by the US Food and Drug Administration. Patients and Methods This integrated analysis included 250 patients. Patients received a single course of iodine-131 tositumomab. Responses were assessed by an independent panel of radiologists and oncologists. Results Response rates in the five trials ranged from 47% to 68%; complete response rates ranged from 20% to 38%. With a median follow-up of 5.3 years, the 5-year progression-free survival was 17%. Eighty-one (32%) of 250 patients had a time to progression of ≥ 1 year (termed durable response population). For the durable response population, 44% had not progressed at ≥ 2.5 to ≥ 9.5 years and had a median duration of response of 45.8 months. The median d...
The Habitus of Dancing Notes on the Swing Dance Revival in New York City

This article uses Bourdieu’s cultural framework to analyze the social determinants and internal logic of a swing dance field in New York City. Using habitus, field, hexis, and cultural capital, the...
Programming of Rate Responsive Pacemakers

Rate adaptive pacing adds a new dimension to pacemaker therapy. The possibility of near physiological pacing utilizing the piezoelectric sensor is now offered to a broad range of patients with varied clinical problems. Improved cardiac output during exercise increases exercise capabilities and patient satisfaction. Single-chamber rate adaptive pacing has been demonstrated to improve cardiac performance. The expansion of this technology into a dual-chamber pacing unit achieves the combined benefit of AV synchrony with synthesized chronotropic competence. The challenge in clinical practice is to construct an appropriate rate responsive regimen and then to confirm the adequacy and safety of the programmed parameters. Considerable experience with single- and dual-chamber rate adaptive pacemakers led us to develop a protocol for initial pacemaker selection, subsequent programming of these units, and confirmation of optimal function. A practical method for evaluation of rate adaptive pacemaker patients is outlined with programming guidelines.
Dielectrophoretic cell patterning within tissue engineering scaffolds

Microfabrication tools have been extensively utilized to define and quantify the role of the cellular microenvironment on cell fate and function on two-dimensional surfaces. Exploring structure/function relationships in three-dimensional (3D) tissues will similarly require tools to control cellular organization in 3D. Our aim was to develop a versatile 3D patterning tool compatible with many biomaterials and cell types. Here, we present the development and characterization of a model system that utilizes dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces to rapidly organize a variety of cells within solid hydrogel slabs. Our data indicate that embedded cells remain largely viable and maintain differentiated function over long periods of time. DEP patterning is also compatible with next-generation biomaterials, and may become a useful and versatile tool for investigating structure/function relationships in tissue engineering.
Waveform estimation with jitter noise using stochastic up and down method

Jitter noise exists, especially, when sampling high-frequency waveforms. This paper aims to address this problem through a stochastic method. By studying the stochastic up and down method in detail, we propose a "ratio indicator", which can supplement the basic stochastic up and down method. Simulation results show that the proposed method gives good estimates with known error bounds. >
Localization, conjugation, and function of salicylic acid in tobacco during the hypersensitive reaction to tobacco mosaic virus.

Abstract Salicylic acid (SA) is hypothesized to be a natural signal that triggers the systemic induction of pathogenesis-related proteins and disease resistance in tobacco. When Xanthi-nc (NN genotype) tobacco was inoculated with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) there was an increase in endogenous SA in both inoculated and virus-free leaves. The highest levels of SA were detected in and around necrotic lesions that formed in response to TMV. Chemical and enzymatic hydrolysis of extracts from TMV-inoculated leaves demonstrated the presence of a SA conjugate tentatively identified as O-beta-D-glucosyl-SA. The SA conjugate was detected only in leaves that contained necrotic lesions and was not detected in phloem exudates or uninoculated leaves of TMV-inoculated Xanthi-nc tobacco. When exogenous SA was fed to excised tobacco leaves, it was metabolized within 10 hr. However, this reduction in free SA did not prevent the subsequent accumulation of the PR-1 family of pathogenesis-related proteins. The absence of SA accumulation in TMV-inoculated tobacco plants incubated at 32 degrees C was not a result of the glucosylation of SA. The addition of SA to the medium elevated levels of SA in the leaves of virus-free tobacco grown hydroponically. Increasing the endogenous level of SA in leaves to those naturally observed during systemic acquired resistance resulted in increased resistance to TMV, expressed as a reduction in lesion area. These data further support the hypothesis that SA is a likely natural inducer of pathogenesis-related proteins and systemic acquired resistance in TMV-inoculated Xanthi-nc tobacco.
Determining marketing costs and returns in alternative marketing channels

Direct marketing is a popular marketing practice among smaller producers in the United States. We conducted detailed case studies of three organic farming operations of different sizes and compared their marketing costs and profitability in alternative marketing channels. We classified marketing-related activities into three categories: packing and storage, transportation, and selling and administration. By measuring the costs for labor, purchased goods and services, and capital assets associated with these marketing activities, we determined that there are significant variations in marketing costs across marketing channels. For each of our three case-study farms, marketing costs per dollar of revenue were lowest in the wholesale channel and highest in the farmers' market channel. Significant labor costs for the selling activity and transportation expenses offset the higher prices and minimal packaging costs associated with farmers' markets. Profitability can also be significantly affected by marketing factors, such as packing and grading standards, and product that is used for sampling and consumer premiums. Our research demonstrates that the higher prices that producers earn from direct marketing rather than wholesaling are not pure profit; the price premiums are compensation for the costs they incur when direct marketing their produce. Direct marketing channels, such as farmers' markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), can enable smaller farmers to build financially viable operations, by gaining access to markets, growing their farming operations and reducing their marketing risk. However, to achieve this success, farmers must manage their marketing costs as well as their production costs.
Ethnic Group Differences in Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Markers of Anxiety

Ethnic group differences in affective, behavioral, and cognitive measures of anxiety were examined to better characterize the unique triggers and modes of anxious responding across different groups. Using an ethnically diverse sample (N = 112; 39 African Americans, 34 Asian Americans, and 39 European Americans), the study examined differences in anxious responding following three anxiety provocations (physical, social interpersonal, and social performance), each hypothesized to be a primary anxiety trigger for one of the groups. African Americans and European Americans demonstrated greater behavioral avoidance during a physical provocation designed to elicit shortness of breath sensations relative to Asian Americans. Asian Americans reported a higher number of anxious cognitions than African Americans during a social provocation designed to trigger performance concerns. These findings suggest ethnicity should be carefully considered when assessing the predominant triggers of anxiety and modes of anxious r...
Protective CD8+ T cells against Plasmodium liver stages: immunobiology of an ‘unnatural’ immune response

SUMMARY Immunization with high doses of irradiated sporozoites delivered by the bites of infected mosquitoes has been shown to induce protective responses against malaria, mediated in part by CD8(+) T cells. In contrast, natural transmission involving low exposure to live sporozoite antigen fails to elicit strong immunity. In this review, we examine how irradiated sporozoite immunization breaks the natural host-parasite interaction and induces protective CD8(+) T cells. Upon biting, the malaria-infected mosquitoes deposit parasites in the skin, many of which eventually exit to the bloodstream and infect hepatocytes. However, certain antigens, including the circumsporozoite (CS) protein, remain in the skin and are presented in the draining lymph node. These antigens prime specific CD8(+) T cells, which migrate to the liver where they eliminate parasitized hepatocytes. We discuss the relevance of the different tissue compartments involved in the induction and effector phases of this response, as well as the cellular requirements for priming and memory development of CD8(+) T cells, which include a complete dependence on dendritic cells and a near absolute need for CD4(+) T-cell help. Finally, we discuss the impact of the immunodominant CS protein on this protection and the implications of these findings for vaccine design.
Decision analysis in pediatric cardiology outcomes research

Abstract Selection of clinical strategies to manage heart disease in infants, children, and adolescents is central to the pediatric cardiologist's job. Decision analysis is a mathematically rigorous approach to understanding the outcomes of a medical choice, and so has a role in the application of outcomes research in pediatric cardiology. Decision analysis models a clinical decision as the proverbial ‘fork in the road,' and evaluates comprehensively the potential consequences of a decision in terms of probabilities of specific end results, and values which may be attached to those results. Research into outcomes in pediatric cardiology is fueled by the high level of interest of its three constituencies — physicians who wish to provide good outcomes, patients who wish to enjoy them, and payers who demand a return of good outcomes for their investment. Despite the observation that the decision analytical construct for handling outcomes data has shortcomings for each of the three constituencies, decision analysis is beginning to flourish. It has been applied to define optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies, to expose hidden issues relevant to improving outcomes, to divide patient populations into subsets for which the ideal management differs, to guide outcomes researchers toward fruitful fields of investigation, and to identify ways in which changes in health care delivery would improve outcome. As outcomes research defines the survival and functional status of children with heart disease with greater precision and scope, decision analysis may assume a prominent role in pediatric cardiology as a mechanism through which the data are understood and applied.
2-D discrete orthogonal transforms by means of 2-D LMS adaptive algorithms

The least mean square (LMS) algorithm has been utilized to compute the continuous-flow discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of an input signal. This was described as the LMS spectrum analyzer. The DFT has wide applications in several areas of signal processing. For example, this method of computing the DFT has been applied in transform-domain LMS adaptive filtering. This paper establishes a general relation between the two-dimensional least mean square (2-D LMS) algorithm and 2-D discrete orthogonal transforms. It is shown that the 2-D LMS algorithm can be used do compute the forward as well as the inverse 2-D orthogonal orthogonal transforms in general for any input by suitable choice of the adaptation speed. Simulations are presented to verify the general relationship results. >
Cardiac axis shift within the cardiac cycle of normal fetuses and fetuses with congenital heart defect.

Objectives To investigate changes in the cardiac axis (CAx) within the cardiac cycle of normal fetuses and fetuses with congenital heart defects (CHD). Methods This was a retrospective case–control study in which stored videoclips of four-chamber views from 527 prenatal ultrasound examinations performed at 18 + 0 to 36 + 6 weeks of gestation were reviewed. Among the ultrasound scans included, 287 were of normal fetuses (controls) and 240 were of fetuses with CHD. In each case, the CAx was measured at end systole (just before the atrioventricular (AV) valve opened) and at end diastole (just before the AV valve closed). CAx measurements of fetuses with CHD were compared to those of controls. Results The mean CAx in the control group was 45.9 ± 8.5° at end systole and 38.3 ± 8.4° at end diastole (P < 0.001), resulting in an average difference of 7.6 ± 3.2°. The mean CAx in fetuses with CHD was 53.4 ± 17.8° at end systole and 47.5 ± 17.3° at end diastole (P < 0.001), resulting in an average difference of 5.9 ± 6.3°. However, in some forms of CHD, such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome and L-transposition of the great arteries, the CAx was greater at end diastole than at end systole, with a difference of more than 5°. In 21.3% of control fetuses, there was a CAx shift within the cardiac cycle of ≥ 10°. Abnormal CAx measured at end systole was strongly associated with CHD. Conclusions Measurement of the CAx at end systole provides values that differ from those when measured at end diastole, in both normal fetuses and those with CHD. We recommend that the CAx be measured at end systole as a greater proportion of fetuses with CHD and fewer normal fetuses have an abnormal CAx at this stage compared to at end diastole. The occurrence of an abnormal CAx and the CAx shift within the fetal cardiac cycle depend on the type of CHD. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Yes, Safety is in Danger

In an essay recently published in this journal (“Is Safety in Danger?”), Fernando Broncano-Berrocal defends the safety condition on knowledge from a counterexample proposed by Tomas Bogardus (Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2012). In this paper, we will define the safety condition, briefly explain the proposed counterexample, and outline Broncano-Berrocal’s defense of the safety condition. We will then raise four objections to Broncano-Berrocal’s defense, four implausible implications of his central claim. In the end, we conclude that Broncano-Berrocal’s defense of the safety condition is unsuccessful, and that the safety condition on knowledge should be rejected.
Parent—adolescent relationship qualities, internal working models, and attachment styles as predictors of adolescents’ interactions with friends

This study examined how parent—adolescent relationship qualities and adolescents’ representations of relationships with parents were related to interactions in 200 adolescent—close friend dyads. Adolescents and friends were observed discussing problems during a series of structured tasks. Negative interactions with mothers were significantly related to adolescents’ greater conflict with friends, poorer focus on tasks, and poorer communication skills. Security of working models (as assessed by interview) was significantly associated with qualities of friendship interactions, whereas security of attachment styles (as assessed by questionnaire) was not. More dismissing (versus secure) working models were associated with poorer focus on problem discussions and weaker communication skills with friends, even after accounting for gender differences and current parent—adolescent relationship qualities.
Cathinone: An Investigation of Several N -Alkyl and Methylenedioxy-Substituted Analogs

DAL CASON, T. A., R. YOUNG AND R. A. GLENNON. Cathinone: An investigation of several N-alkyl and methylenedioxy-substituted analogs. PHARMACOL BIOCHEM BEHAV 58(4) 1109–1116, 1997.—Structurally, methcathinone is to cathinone what methamphetamine is to amphetamine. Due to increased interest in the abuse of such agents we wished to determine if certain derivatives of cathinone would behave in a manner consistent with what is known about their amphetamine counterparts; that is, can amphetamine structure–activity relationships be extrapolated to cathinone analogs? As expected on the basis of known structure–activity relationships for amphetaminergic agents, both N-monoethylcathinone and N-mono-n-propylcathinone (N-Et CAT and N-Pr CAT; ED50 = 0.77 and 2.03 mg/kg, respectively) produced amphetamine-like stimulus effects in rats trained to discriminate 1 mg/kg of (+)amphetamine from vehicle and were somewhat less potent than racemic methcathinone. In contrast, (−)N,N-dimethylcathinone or (−)Di Me CAT (ED50 = 0.44 mg/kg) was more potent than expected; although (+)N,N-dimethylamphetamine is sevenfold less potent than (+)methamphetamine, (−)Di Me CAT is only about 1.6-fold less potent than (−)methcathinone, and is essentially equipotent with (−)cathinone. In addition, although it has been previously demonstrated that 1-(3,4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-2-aminopropane (MDA) results in stimulus generalization in rats trained to discriminate (+)amphetamine or DOM from vehicle, the cathinone counterpart of MDA (i.e., MDC) resulted in partial (maximum: 58%) generalization in (+)amphetamine-trained animals, and failed to produce >7% DOM-appropriate responding in rats trained to discriminate DOM from vehicle. On the other hand, the N-methyl analog of MDC (i.e., MDMC) behaved in a manner similar to that of the N-methyl analog of MDA (i.e., MDMA); that is, a (+)amphetamine stimulus (MDMC: ED50 = 2.36 mg/kg) but not a DOM stimulus generalized to MDMC. In MDMA-trained rats, stimulus generalization occured both to MDC and MDMC (ED50 = 1.64 and 1.60 mg/kg, respectively). Although this and previous studies have demonstrated that significant parallelisms exist between the structure–activity relationships of amphetamine analogs and cathinone analogs, we now report several unexpected qualitative and/or quantitative differences. It is suggested that caution be used in attempting to draw conclusions or make predictions about the activity and potency of novel cathinone analogs by analogy to the structure–activity relationships derived from amphetamine-related agents; it would appear that each new cathinone analog will require individual investigation.
Organization of noradrenergic efferents to arousal-related basal forebrain structures.

Norepinephrine acts within select basal forebrain regions to modulate behavioral state and/or state-dependent processes, including the general regions encompassing the medial septal area, the medial preoptic area, and the substantia innominata. The present study examined the origin and organization of noradrenergic efferents to these basal forebrain regions by using combined immunohistochemical identification of noradrenergic neurons with retrograde tracing. Results indicate that the locus coeruleus provides the majority of noradrenergic input to these regions. Lesser, although at times substantial, contributions from the A1/C1 and A2/C2 adrenergic cell groups were also observed, particularly in the case of the medial preoptic region. Given the prominent state-modulating actions of the locus coeruleus, additional studies examined: 1) lateralization of locus coeruleus efferents to these regions; 2) the topographical organization of basal forebrain-projecting locus coeruleus neurons; and 3) the degree of collateralization of individual locus coeruleus neurons across these regions. Approximately 80–85% of locus coeruleus efferents to these regions project ipsilaterally. In general, basal forebrain-projecting neurons were distributed throughout the entire dorsoventral and rostrocaudal extent of the locus coeruleus. Additionally, a large proportion of locus coeruleus neurons project simultaneously to these basal forebrain terminal fields. Combined, these observations indicate coordinated actions of locus coeruleus neurons across these basal forebrain regions implicated in the regulation of behavioral state and/or state-dependent processes. J. Comp. Neurol. 496:668–683, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Haptoglobins: Hemoglobin Binding

Certain proteins appear in the plasma in increased amounts during inflammatory reactions. These are often referred to as the acute phase reactants.(1) See Section 5.7. Generally, these proteins are glycoproteins synthesized in the parenchymal cells of the liver which contain substantial amounts of carbohydrate attached to the protein molecule. They are precipitable by adding about 150 times the volume of 95% ethanol to serum.(2) The C-reactive protein of serum is a typical example (see Section 5.7.1).
Constitutional Theory and the Faces of Power

Constitutional theory has been decisively shaped by the image of the conflict between the Supreme Court and the political branches during the New Deal. Constitutional scholars have focused their attention on the ways in which the Constitution acts as a higher law constraining political actors and the pros and cons of a countermajoritarian Court armed with judicial veto. Like political scientists who studied the "first face of power," constitutional scholars have been most interested in explicit decisions that block others from exercising their political will. Constitutions shape political outcomes by other means, however, and constitutional scholars need to examine these other faces of constitutionalism. Notably, constitutions also help structure how political preferences are expressed and help constitute political preferences.
Banks Grass Mite, Oligonychus pratensis, on Dates in California

The Banks grass mite, Oligonychus pratensis (Banks), according to published reports, has been found on many varieties of grain and grasses. It has a wide distribution area extending from Washington to California eastward to Kansas and Texas. In Florida it has been collected on sugar cane. These mites are the most recurrent pests of Deglet Noor dates in the Coachella and Imperial Valleys of California; large populations cause serious losses by lowering fruit quality. Although sulfur dust when applied correctly reduces mite injury, carbophenothion, tetradifon, and Kelthane® (1,1-bis ( p -chlorophenyl) -2,2,2-trichloroethanol) used as dusts or sprays gave comparable results. Sulfur used as a spray on dates had some advantages over conventional sulfur dusting. Sprays are more readily applied to date bunches high on the tree, and wettable sulfur sprays are less irritating to the eyes.
Ab initio thermal rate calculations of HO + HO = O(3P) + H2O reaction and isotopologues.

The forward and reverse reactions, HO + HO ⇌ O(3P) + H2O, which play roles in both combustion and laboratory studies, were theoretically characterized with a master equation approach to compute thermal reaction rate constants at both the low and high pressure limits. Our ab initio k(T) results for the title reaction and two isotopic variants agree very well with experiments (within 15%) over a wide temperature range. The calculated reaction rate shows a distinctly non-Arrhenius behavior and a strong curvature consistent with the experiment. This characteristic behavior is due to effects of positive barrier height and quantum mechanical tunneling. Tunneling is very important and contributes more than 70% of total reaction rate at room temperature. A prereactive complex is also important in the overall reaction scheme.
CSF-PCR in Diagnosis of Lyme Meningitis

The sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of a Lyme CSF-PCR assay were evaluated in children from a Lyme-endemic region admitted to the Alfred I duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, for suspected Lyme meningitis.
Structure-Dependent Interactions between Alkali Feldspars and Organic Compounds: Implications for Reactions in Geologic Carbon Sequestration

Organic compounds in deep saline aquifers may change supercritical CO2 (scCO2)-induced geochemical processes by attacking specific components in a mineral’s crystal structure. Here we investigate effects of acetate and oxalate on alkali feldspar–brine interactions in a simulated geologic carbon sequestration (GCS) environment at 100 atm of CO2 and 90 °C. We show that both organics enhance the net extent of feldspar’s dissolution, with oxalate showing a more prominent effect than acetate. Further, we demonstrate that the increased reactivity of Al–O–Si linkages due to the presence of oxalate results in the promotion of both Al and Si release from feldspars. As a consequence, the degree of Al–Si order may affect the effect of oxalate on feldspar dissolution: a promotion of ∼500% in terms of cumulative Si concentration was observed after 75 h of dissolution for sanidine (a highly disordered feldspar) owing to oxalate, while the corresponding increase for albite (a highly ordered feldspar) was ∼90%. These res...
Parámetros de calidad durante la cosecha de durazno (Prunus persica L. Batsch cv. “Rubidoux”)

El durazno es una fruta de importancia agricola como parte de los cultivos caducifolios producidos en Colombia; su calidad y aceptacion comercial, asi como el momento de la cosecha, estan definidos en funcion de sus caracteristicas fisicoquimicas. Esta investigacion tuvo como proposito caracterizar algunos parametros de calidad de durazno variedad Rubidoux durante el periodo de cosecha, a partir de la seleccion hecha por operarios en campo, de acuerdo al color de la piel como indicador de madurez. Durante seis semanas de la cosecha se evaluaron muestras de frutos, considerando aspectos como peso fresco, contenido de solidos solubles (oBrix), categoria comercial de acuerdo al diametro ecuatorial y color del fruto. Se registro un peso fresco promedio de 130,7 g por fruto, con un contenido de solidos solubles promedio de 11,8 oBrix, parametro que incremento progresivamente de la semana uno a la cinco. La clasificacion visual por el color de la piel permitio definir siete categorias, tres predominaron durante la cosecha (pinton, pinton-maduro y maduro), estos se correspondieron con el contenido de solidos solubles; es asi como el analisis de varianza mostro diferencias estadisticas entre oBrix y el color de piel. Durante el periodo evaluado, se cosecharon con mayor frecuencia duraznos pintones y frutos con diametro entre 60 mm a 70 mm.
High-Throughput Approaches for miRNA Expression Analysis

miRNAs have emerged as key regulators of gene expression in both plants and animals. These small (generally 21-22 nt) RNA molecules, originated from primary "hairpin" transcripts, can induce translational suppression or direct mRNA cleavage. Similar to regular mRNAs, the expression of miRNAs is highly regulated. Their expression pattern could provide critical clues to understanding miRNA functions. However, many previously identified miRNA families have multiple paralogous loci. Within each family, different members are often closely related and sometimes give rise to identical miRNAs. This poses critical challenges in the analysis of individual miRNA genes. This chapter describes several methods that are commonly used for miRNA expression analysis, including high-throughput sequencing, microarrays, and briefly discusses qRT-PCR, northern blotting, and other approaches used for data validation.
Carcinoma of the gallbladder.

Because primary carcinoma of the gallbladder is asymptomatic in its early, potentially curable stages, three-fourths of patients have unresectable disease at the time of surgical evaluation; for the others, the lesion is found most often incidentally during operations for calculus disease. Thus, reported 5-year survival rates of less than 5 per cent chiefly reflect the results of surgical experience with two groups of patients – the untreated and the undertreated.
Cell Biological Approaches to Investigate Polyglutamine-Expanded AR Metabolism

Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the androgen receptor (AR). In vivo and in vitro studies have suggested that some steps of normal AR function and metabolism, such as hormone binding and nuclear translocation of the AR, are necessary for toxicity and aggregation of the mutant protein. Mutation of discreet functional domains of the AR and sites of posttranslational modification enable the detailed analysis of the role of AR function and metabolism in toxicity and aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded AR. This analysis could potentially lead to the development of targeted therapy for the treatment of SBMA. We have developed a stably transfected, tetracycline-inducible, cell model that replicates many of the hallmarks of disease, including ligand-dependent aggregation and toxicity, and provides a relatively quick system for the reliable expression and analysis of the mutated polyglutamine-expanded AR. Multiple cell lines, each expressing the androgen receptor with a distinct functional mutation, can be created and the dose of tetracycline modulated to produce equal protein expression across lines in order to evaluate the structural and functional requirements of AR toxicity and aggregation. Results from these studies can then be validated in a disease-relevant cell type, spinal motor neurons, using viral delivery of the gene of interest into dissociated spinal cord cultures. Utilization of these cell models provides a relatively rapid, cost-effective experimental pathway to analyze the role of distinct steps in AR metabolism in disease pathogenesis using in vitro systems.
A Material Explanation of Agency

The definition of action adopted in this study stipulates that actions are intentional bodily movements, understood as exertions. The last chapter indicated that, due to the intrinsic antinomy of action, action explanation can be accounted for by neither a normative nor an expressive model of explanation, due to their insufficient reference to the material and modal constraints on action. This chapter will explore how an existential analysis can account for at least one material constraint on action: the conditions that physical movement imposes on action. The next chapter will consider the modal constraint.
SUEZ: a distributed safe execution environment for system administration trials

In this paper, we address the problem of safely and conveniently performing "trial" experiments in system administration tasks. System administrators often perform such trial executions that involve installing new software or experimenting with features of existing software. Often such trials require testing of software that run on multiple hosts. For instance, experimenting with a typical client-server application requires understanding the effect of the actions of the client program on the server. We propose a distributed safe execution environment (DSEE) where such tasks can be performed safely and conveniently. A DSEE performs one-way isolation of the tasks run inside it: the effects of the client and the server are prevented from escaping outside the DSEE, and therefore are prevented from interfering with the processes running outside the DSEE. At the end of the trial execution, a DSEE allows clear inspection of the effects of running the task on all the hosts that are involved in the task execution. Also, a DSEE allows the changes to the "committed," in which case the actions become visible outside the DSEE. Otherwise, they can be "aborted" without affecting the system in any way. A DSEE is an ideal platform through which a system administrator can perform such trials without the fear of damaging the system in any manner. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a tool called SUEZ that allows a system administrator to create and use distributed safe execution environments. We have experimented with several client-server applications using our tool. By performing these trials in a DSEE, we have found configuration vulnerabilities in our trials that involve some commonly used client-server applications.
Engineering Biological C–H Functionalization Leads to Allele-Specific Regulation of Histone Demethylases

Oxidative C–H hydroxylation of methyl groups, followed by their removal from DNA, RNA, or histones, is an epigenetic process critical to transcriptional reprogramming and cell fate determination. This reaction is catalyzed by Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases using the essential metabolite 2-ketoglutarate (2KG) as a cofactor. Given that the human genome encodes for more than 60 2KG-dependent dioxygenases, assigning their individual functions remains a significant challenge. Here we describe a protein–ligand interface engineering approach to break the biochemical degeneracy of these enzymes. Using histone lysine demethylase 4 as a proof-of-concept, we show that the enzyme active site can be expanded to employ bulky 2KG analogues that do not sensitize wild-type demethylases. We establish the orthogonality, substrate specificity, and catalytic competency of the engineered demethylation apparatus in biochemical assays. We further demonstrate demethylation of cognate substrates in physiologically relevant settings...
The Dynamite Novel and The Secret Agent

Conrad wrote The Secret Agent noting that his mind ran much on “popularity,” and he joins a crowd of other novelists in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries who write on the subject. In a review of the various kinds of anarchist fiction—the dynamite novels of the age—various key elements of the genre are examined with particular examples from some of the notable successes and failures of the genre. In particular, an examination of the role of the emigre Pole is considered for its implications in Conrad’s own foray into the popular novel.
Sequence analysis of the first C2 subgenogroup strain of enterovirus 71 isolated in Korea

Abstract Background Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is an important causative agent of hand-foot-and-mouth disease with severe neurological complications, which may lead to death in children. Large outbreaks caused by EV71 have frequently occurred in Asia-Pacific region. Objectives In Korea, the outbreaks have been caused by EV71 subgenogroups C3, and C4. Only genogroup C, especially subgenogroup C1, C3, C4, and C5, has been detected by the national enterovirus surveillance system in Korea. This study reports the first isolation of EV71 A1451 strain, which belongs to subgenogroup C2. Study design EV71 was isolated from a Korean patient with meningoencephalitis. Complete genome analysis and phylogenetic analysis was performed to identify the characteristics of the strain. Results Comparative genome analysis of the A1451 strain indicated that this novel C2 strain is associated with the Taiwan strains, which are recombinant virus combined with subgenogroup C2 and B3. Conclusions Because the subgenogroup B3 was not previously detected in Korea, the A1451 strain is regarded as an imported recombinant virus. Periodic surveillance of EV71 is required to control the spread of this disease and its introduction from overseas.
A joint sparse clustering and classification approach with applications to hospitalization prediction

We develop a new method for a particular type of a classification problem, where the positive class is a mixture of multiple clusters and the negative class is drawn from a single cluster. The new method employs an alternating optimization approach, which jointly discovers the clusters in the positive class, and at the same time, optimizes the classifiers that separate each positive cluster from the negative samples. The classifiers are designed under the Support Vector Machines (SVM) framework with double regularizations, and the whole alternating process is shown to converge. We compare this new method to the conventional SVM with a linear kernel or an RBF kernel and two other hierarchical classifiers which first cluster once and then classify. Experimental results with both simulated data and actual data demonstrate better prediction accuracy, as well as, successful cluster detection.