cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PDFPhantom: Exploiting PDF Attacks Against Academic Conferences' Paper Submission Process with Counterattack

First launched nearly three decades ago, PDF, which stands for Portable Document Format, has become one of the most common formats for text documents. Nowadays, PDF is widely used by individuals, companies, and organizations. At most notable academic conferences, including IEEEs, papers are required to be submitted in PDF format. Along with its increasing popularity in recent times, PDF has been a target for many attacks, some of which are called content-masking attacks. Content-masking attacks are based on the idea of causing underlying text, which is extracted by text-mining softwares and read by machines, to be displayed differently to humans. Inspired by the same idea but is designed and implemented differently, our proposed attack is against the paper submission process at large academic conferences, which consists of two subprocesses: plagiarism detection and automatic assignment of reviewers to papers. Our attack overcomes many weaknesses of previous attacks. In addition, we introduce a method to avoid content masking attacks against the automatic reviewers' assignment process by preventing attackers from getting true topic information from PDF documents.
Doctoring in the Time of COVID-19

I have always known that I have exceptional residents. I have had the privilege of working with the emergency medicine (EM) residents at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit since 2015, first as their Associate Program Director and now as their Vice Chair of Education. Detroit is a tough city and of the four academic emergency departments (EDs) in Detroit, of which I have worked at three, Sinai-Grace is arguably the toughest. Underlying general health in the communities surrounding Sinai-Grace is poor, access to primary healthcare is difficult, violence is high. The average life expectancy in some of the neighborhoods surrounding Sinai-Grace is sixteen years less than the state average for Michigan. 1You don’t choose to do a residency at Sinai-Grace if you’re looking for a cakewalk. Our residents knowingly sign up for a difficult residency that will make them exceptional attending physicians.
Neutrality, nature, and intergenerational justice

Suppose the present generation leaves future ones with a world depleted of all the natural resources required for many valuable human pursuits. Has the present generation acted unjustly? According ...
Increasing Social Work Students’ Participation in Macro Specializations: The Impossible Dream?

Much effort has been made to increase the number of social work students in macro practice specializations in graduate school. Despite the development of pedagogical techniques which have shown to increase interest in and appreciation for macro practice, the proportion of macro students has stayed low and stable over time. Using survey data collected from 474 Master of Social Work students and graduates, this exploratory study identified both structural and attitudinal barriers which impede specialization in macro practice. Data reveals that despite exposure to these methods, those whose original motivation to enter the profession was based on a desire to do clinical work are unlikely to concentrate on macro practice. Structural barriers such as the lack of availability of macro programs also prevented increased specialization in macro practice. Social workers who are Black/African American are more likely to concentrate in macro practice, perhaps due to a recognition of the need for systems change in the United States to promote equal opportunities and rights for those who have historically been marginalized. Findings indicate that current efforts to increase the number of graduates with macro specializations may not be effective. Treatment of macro methods as a specialization, rather than integral to social work education, should be revisited if the profession wants to ensure enough graduates are able to make system-level changes to rectify current societal inequities.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Back Injury Among U.S. Army Personnel.

Introduction Physical and medical readiness have emerged as a top priority in the army over the last decade. With this emphasis on deployment readiness, it is important to understand key risk factors attributed to common medical problems that arise in our soldiers, including low back pain. The purpose of this study is to elucidate demographic and lifestyle risk factors which would result in seeking medical care for musculoskeletal low back pain among active duty army personnel. Materials and methods A cross-sectional retrospective study investigating all active duty soldiers between October 1, 2016 and September 30, 2018 was performed using the existing Military Health System Data Repository to retrospectively review administrative claims data. Our study queried 39 unique International Classification of Disease codes, 10th Revision codes for low back pain to determine a positive case. We compared those with and without back pain across all variables using a chi-square analysis in SAS. Multivariate logistic analysis was performed to adjust for confounding within any single proposed risk factor and the six other proposed risk factors. Results Six hundred fifty seven thousand and six thirty soldiers met inclusion criteria; 228,184 of whom had a medical encounter for low back pain (34.7%). All of the proposed risk factors included statistically significant unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with age conferring the greatest risk in soldiers aged 50-59 with an OR of 2.89 (2.73-3.05) compared to those aged 20-29. Obesity-adjusted OR was 1.77 (1.74-1.80) compared to those who were normal weight. Senior Enlisted status-adjusted OR was 1.34 (1.32-1.36). Females were 66% more likely to have low back pain compared to males with an OR of 1.66 (1.63-1.68). Conclusion Disease burden for low back pain tends to be high in the U.S. Army with 34.7% of service members experiencing low back pain. Older age, obesity, and being an enlisted, female service member are risk factors for these musculoskeletal injuries, which is in agreement with previously reported literature on the topic. To mitigate the burden of low back pain, policies and incentives to encourage healthy body mass index and lifestyle are needed. The results of this work inform future studies aimed at further delineating the risk factors found in this study.
Effects of Litigation Risk on Board Oversight and CEO Incentive Pay

Various commentators have praised the WorldCom and Enron settlements for holding outside directors personally liable, arguing that heightened director liability will induce greater board oversight. This paper shows that the connection between director liability and board behavior is more subtle, because directors have multiple means to respond to an increase in liability exposure: They can increase oversight to prevent accounting manipulation and/or reduce performance-based CEO pay to mitigate the CEO's ex ante incentive to engage in manipulation. These two decisions are interrelated, implying that the effects of director liability on board oversight and CEO incentive pay are ambiguous. In particular, the model predicts that, for firms in which board oversight is difficult and costly (e.g., large firms with complex business operations), a stricter legal environment for directors leads to a lower level of board oversight, lower CEO incentive pay, and lower shareholder value.
The patient protection and Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion: improved survival among women with ovarian cancer

Objectives: The 2014 Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has been associated with gains in insurance access among women with gynecologic cancer, but its association with mortality remains unknown. This study aims to determine whether Medicaid expansion is associated with improved one-year survival among women with ovarian cancer. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we identified women in the National Cancer Database (NCDB) with newly diagnosed ovarian cancer from 2010-2013 (pre-Medicaid expansion) and 2014-2016 (post-Medicaid expansion). We created a difference-in-difference model to assess the impact of living in a Medicaid expansion state on one-year survival. We excluded women aged Results: Our sample included 49,791 women: 31,446 in expansion states and 18,345 in non-expansion states. Post-Medicaid expansion, there was a statistically significant 2.2% increase in 1-year survival among patients in expansion states compared to non-expansion states (95% confidence interval, 0.5 - 3.8). There was also a significant reduction in uninsurance (-0.1%; 95% confidence interval, -1.8 to -0.1). There was no significant change in early-stage diagnosis (0.0%; 95% confidence interval -1.8 - 1.9) or treatment within 30 days of diagnosis (-0.2%; 95% confidence interval, -2.4 - 2.0). Gains were most notable among mid-lower income women with one-year survival increase of 3.8% (95% confidence interval, 0.3 - 7.2) and uninsurance decrease by 2.4% (95% confidence interval, -4.6 to -0.3). Gains in insurance and survival were seen for Black and White women. Conclusions: Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was significantly associated with improved 1-year survival and insurance access among women with ovarian cancer. Continued insurance expansion efforts in non-expansion states and to higher-income levels may potentially improve survival for women with ovarian cancer.
Self-Derived Happiness, Defamiliarized: Ambiguity and Agency in Nella Larsen’s Passing

In Nella Larsen’s Passing, Clare Kendry plays a dangerous game. Only a little over half a century removed from the end of the American Civil War, in a time when white supremacy still defined the nation’s social, economic, and political life, Clare Kendry has agency. Though free from the confines of slavery, American white supremacy maintained that Black independence and narratives of Black happiness be dictated and authored solely by whites. Passing as a white woman, Clare derives her own happiness and builds her identity, marriage and livelihood on the basis of her deception. When her trickery is uncovered, Clare suffers an ambiguous fate and an untimely death. In writing an ambiguous end for Kendry, Larsen provides Clare an even greater sense of agency by forbidding traditions of white-authored narratives of a self-derived Black happiness from determining her fate. Critical condemnations of Passing’s conclusion establish that Larsen successfully defamiliarizes the Black psychological fiction novel and rejects southern antebellum models of white supremacy and Black self-determination.
Influence of Synchronous Generator Excitation Parameters on Power System Transient Voltage Stability

The comprehensive influence of synchronous generator excitation parameters on power system transient voltage stability was studied and analyzed. Firstly, based on the principle of trajectory sensitivity analysis, a quantitative method was proposed to evaluate the influence of single excitation parameter of synchronous generator on transient voltage stability of power system. The influence degree of single excitation parameter of synchronous generator on transient voltage stability of power system was determined by this method. Furthermore, under the constraint of maintaining the transient voltage stability of power system, the optimal values of excitation parameters and the change trend of transient voltage stability caused by the different values of excitation parameters were determined. Finally, based on the influence degree of excitation parameters on the transient voltage stability and their optimal values under the constraint of transient voltage stability, a quantitative index which can comprehensively evaluate the transient voltage control performance of synchronous generator excitation system was proposed. Extensive simulation results of a large power grid show that the proposed method and index can effectively evaluate the influence of generator excitation parameters on the transient voltage stability of power system.
Functional analysis of the emerging roles for the KISS1/KISS1R signaling pathway in cancer metastasis

Cancer metastasis, a process that primary tumor cells disseminate to secondary organs, is the most lethal and least effectively treated characteristic of human cancers. Kisspeptins are proteins encoded by the KISS1 gene that was originally described as a melanoma metastasis suppressor gene. Then, Kisspeptins were discovered as the natural ligands of the G-protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54) that is also called KISS1R. The KISS1/KISS1R signaling is essential to control GnRH secretion during puberty and to establish mammalian reproductive function through the hypothalamicpituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Although KISS1 primarily plays a suppressive role in the metastasis progression in several cancer types, emerging evidence indicates that the physiological effect of KISS1/KISS1R in cancer metastasis is tissue context-dependent and still controversial. Here, we will discuss the epigenetic mechanism regulation of KISS1 gene expression, the context-dependent role of KISS1/KISS1R, pro-/antimetastasis signaling pathways of KISS1/KISS1R, and the perspective anti-cancer therapeutics via targeting KISS1/KISS1R.
A quick dip at the iceberg's tip: rapid immersion approaches to understanding emerging markets

Remote research' enables the rapid gathering of activity-oriented data using structured data collection frameworks and disposable camera studies to gain a broad understanding of users and their contexts. This photographic data when used for Rapid Immersion workshops acts as a shared visual reference to enable multiple stakeholders with differing viewpoints to work together. Issues get addressed from multiple standpoints leading to rich concept generation, thus creating the potential for a win-win situation, for businesses and their customers.
Projection Methods for Solving Nonlinear Systems of Equations

This paper describes several nonlinear projection methods based on Krylov subspaces and analyzes their convergence. The prototype of these methods is a technique that generalizes the conjugate direction method by minimizing the norm of the function F over some subspace. The emphasis of this paper is on nonlinear least squares problems which can also be handled by this general approach.
Enzymatic preparation of adenosine 5′-O-(3-[35S]thiotriphosphate) by thiophosphorylation of adenosine diphosphate

Abstract The very useful radiolabeled ATP analog, adenosine 5-O-(3-[ 35 S]thiotriphosphate ) or [35S] ATPγS, has been prepared by a technique based on the thiophosphorylation of ADP that results in much higher yields of [35S] ATPγS than does a thiophosphate exchange method [1].
Characterization of P-glycoprotein Mediated Transport of K02, a Novel Vinylsulfone Peptidomimetic Cysteine Protease Inhibitor, Across MDR1-MDCK and Caco-2 Cell Monolayers

Purpose. Here we characterized the transport properties of morpholine-urea-phenylalanine- homophenylalanine-vinylsulfone-phenyl (K02), a newly developed peptidomimetic cysteine protease inhibitor, across monolayers of P-gp-expressed MDR1 transfected MDCK cells (MDR1-MDCK) and Caco-2 cells.
Writing to Learn the Reformation: Or, Who Was Ulrich Zwingli And Why Should I Care?

This article describes the use of “Writing to Learn” assignments in a course on the Theology of the Protestant and Catholic Reformations. These short, informal assignments promote active learning by focusing on writing as a process for critical thinking and as a way to learn the content of the course. They help students creatively engage with the texts, thoughtfully reflect on them, and critically assess their significance. This article describes the theory behind these assignments, provides examples of different types of assignments as well as excerpts from student papers, and concludes with an evaluation of their effectiveness. The students in the course found the assignments helpful in learning the content of the course and their attitude toward writing in this course significantly improved.
Dialog Convergence and Learning

In this paper we examine whether the student-to-tutor convergence of lexical and speech features is a useful predictor of learning in a corpus of spoken tutorial dialogs. This possibility is raised by the Interactive Alignment Theory, which suggests a connection between convergence of speech features and the amount of semantic alignment between partners in a dialog. A number of studies have shown that users converge their speech productions toward dialog systems. If, as we hypothesize, semantic alignment between a student and a tutor (or tutoring system) is associated with learning, then this convergence may be correlated with learning gains. We present evidence that both lexical convergence and convergence of an acoustic/prosodic feature are useful features for predicting learning in our corpora. We also find that our measure of lexical convergence provides a stronger correlation with learning in a human/computer corpus than did a previous measure of lexical cohesion.
An analysis of chemical reactor stability and control—I: The possibility of local control, with perfect or imperfect control mechanisms

Abstract To design rationally a chemical reactor with its associated control equipment, it is necessary to study the transient behaviour of the system. In this series of papers a well-agitated continuous reactor either of the liquid or fluidized variety is considered under various types of control and criteria are derived enabling one to determine under what conditions different modes of control are successful. This first part, after an introduction to the whole subject, introduces the method of linear approximation and goes on to discuss the possibility of controlling a naturally unstable steady state by various systems of perfect and imperfect control.
Religion Naturalized: The New Establishment

This essay is a draft chapter for inclusion in Courtney Bender and Pamela Klassen, eds., After Pluralism (forthcoming Columbia 2009). The chapter explores the idea that a new naturalization of religion is present in U.S. legal contexts. Using recent decisions in FFRF v. Nicholson and Hein v. FFRF, the chapter argues that there is an increasingly distinct move away from the high separationism of the mid-twentieth century toward what we might call a post-pluralistic acknowledgment of religion as natural or universal. While this move is seen as establishmentarian by some, by others it is seen as a benignly so, permissible because no longer tainted by religious bigotry. A legal division between the church and the state, or between persons of faith and persons not of faith, ontologically speaking, on which separation law depends, no longer makes sense, descriptively, if it ever did. Such a division can only be made on a doctrinal basis by established religious or legal authorities who define insiders and outsiders. Such authorities no longer exist in the U.S. Virtually all Americans, however orthodox their asserted religious identities, Protestant or Catholic or Jewish or Muslim, or, claim the right to associate themselves with religious communities and practices associations at will, and to mix and match religious traditions. That right is understood to be authorized by political, legal, and theological narratives and texts. There are no churches left to establish or to disestablish. In their place, the human, every human, is now imagined by law as being in need of spiritual care.
Electron-spin-lattice relaxation in Yb3+-doped silicate glass.

Relaxation rates of ${\mathrm{Yb}}^{3+}$ ions incorporated in low concentrations into a host silicate glass have been measured using a pulse saturation and recovery technique at 9.5 GHz over the temperature range 1.5--7.0 K. Compared with similar measurements made on crystalline material, the temperature dependence of the recovery rates for the two-phonon Raman process is anomalously weak (${\mathit{T}}^{6}$ instead of ${\mathit{T}}^{9}$). This anomaly suggests the need to modify the Debye density of states. Fractal models have been suggested for the thermal properties of glasses and for similarly anomalous spin-relaxation behavior in proteins. This model is discussed as well as other models of phonon localization in glasses. An estimate for the localization frequency or crossover frequency between extended and localized phonon regimes can be extracted from fits of the data from the sample with the lowest Yb concentration.
Optical phase conjugation with gain in a bulk semiconductor

ABSTRACT We experimentally demonstrate a method of high-speed optical amplification using degenerate four-wavemixing in a bulk semiconductor, CdTe. In our experiment, both transmitted probe and phase-conjugate beamsare amplified in accordance with theory. We propose that this approach, which performs optical splitting withgain, can be used with multiple input signals, leading to potential applications including image amplification,information distribution and optical computing. Keywords: optical amplification, four-wave mixing, FWM, phase-conjugation, semiconductor, nonlinear optics. 1 INTRODUCTION Four-wave mixing (FWM) is a nonlinear optical process that has been used extensively in applications suchas optical amplification,"2 frequency conversion,3'4 and the generation of non-classical light.5'6 As a source of phase-conjugated or time-reversed waves,7 FWM can be used to correct for spatial aberrations8 through wavefront inversion, and temporal aberrations such as dispersion by parametric amplification9 or spectral inver-sion.1o,u These properties have also been applied to areas such as optical signal processing and computing,'2image transmission,13'14 and adaptive optics.8Until recently, FWM has been performed predominantly in fibers with weak nonlinearities over long interactionlengths, in highly nonlinear vapors such as Na or K'5 which are difficult to use in a non-laboratory environment,or in photorefractive materials which have very slow (msec) response times. Our FWM experiments are performedin compact readily available semiconductors which feature large nonlinearities, fast (nsec) response times, andease of fabrication, processing, and integration into working systems.In Section 2 we review the plane-wave theory of degenerate FWM (DFWM) and then extend the existinganalytical solutions for reflected conjugate and transmitted probe beams to account for the Gaussian nature of
A Conversation with Parvis Emad on the Question of Translation in Heidegger

In the unique style of a “dialogue,” the author engages Parvis Emad in regard to the decisions involved in rendering the meanings of specific key terms in Contributions to Philosophy, including Ereignis as “enowning” and Abgrund as “abground.” To appreciate the import of these responses, it is necessary to place them within the larger context of the ongoing debate over rendering the key terms of Beitrage and the criticism over using “neologisms” in the English translation. The “setting into opposition” (Auseinandersetzung) of the sides of this debate does not merely seek the finality and closure of a “polemical” resolution, but instead directs us to the frontier of a new arrival and onset of Heidegger’s thinking.
Specific albumin binding to microvascular endothelium in culture

The specific binding of rat serum albumin (RSA) to confluent microvascular endothelial cells in culture derived from the vasculature of the rat epididymal fat pad was studied at 4 degrees C by radioassay and immunocytochemistry. Radioiodinated RSA (125I-RSA) binding to the cells reached equilibrium at approximately 20 min incubation. Albumin binding was a slowly saturating function over concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 50 mg/ml. Specific RSA binding with a moderate apparent affinity constant of 1.0 mg/ml and with a maximum binding concentration of 90 ng/cm2 was immunolocalized with anti-RSA antibody to the outer (free) side of the endothelium. Scatchard analysis of the binding yielded a nonlinear binding curve with a concave-upward shape. Dissociation rate analysis supports negative cooperativity of albumin binding, but multiple binding sites may also be present. Albumin binding fulfilled many requirements for ligand specificity including saturability, reversibility, competibility, and dependence on both cell type and cell number. The results are discussed in terms of past in situ investigations on the localization of albumin binding to vascular endothelium and its effect on transendothelial molecular transport.
Interpretation of Transcript Profiling

To the Editor: We found the recent report by Liu et al1 using transcript profiling to examine genes regulated by insulin growth factor-1 interesting because of the biological and technological issues it raises. We applaud the efforts of the investigators to begin to address critically important and often neglected areas of microarray technology such as specificity and reproducibility. However, we take issue …
Molecular Mechanisms of Right Ventricular Failure

An abundance of data has provided insight into the mechanisms underlying the development of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and its progression to LV failure. In contrast, there is minimal data on the adaptation of the right ventricle (RV) to pressure and volume overload and the transition to RV failure. This is a critical clinical question, because the RV is uniquely at risk in many patients with repaired or palliated congenital heart disease and in those with pulmonary hypertension. Standard heart failure therapies have failed to improve function or survival in these patients, suggesting a divergence in the molecular mechanisms of RV versus LV failure. Although, on the cellular level, the remodeling responses of the RV and LV to pressure overload are largely similar, there are several key differences: the stressed RV is more susceptible to oxidative stress, has a reduced angiogenic response, and is more likely to activate cell death pathways than the stressed LV. Together, these differences could explain the more rapid progression of the RV to failure versus the LV. This review will highlight known molecular differences between the RV and LV responses to hemodynamic stress, the unique stressors on the RV associated with congenital heart disease, and the need to better understand these molecular mechanisms if we are to develop RV-specific heart failure therapeutics.
The availability of hydroxyl groups in native and mercerized cotton celluloses

The accessibilities of the hydroxyl groups of the D-glucopyranosyl units of slack mercerized grey yarn and of the same yarn restretched to its original length are compared with those of the original grey yarn, a purified printcloth, and a hydrocellulose. The study involved reactions of the celluloses with N,N-diethylaziridinium chloride under conditions which ensure minimum conversion of the reagent by hydrolysis to 2-hydroxyethyldiethylamine. Amylose was taken as a reference material in which the hydroxyl groups are assumed to be completely accessible. Selective accessibilities of the hydroxyl groups at C-6 and C-3 relative to those at C-2 were determined with the same reagent by a method whose development has been described earlier. The results of this study are expressed as fractions of the hydroxyl groups at C-2, C-3, and C-6 that are accessible to the reagent.
Probing a hidden world of molecular self-assembly: concentration-dependent, three-dimensional supramolecular interconversions.

A terpyridine-based, concentration-dependent, facile self-assembly process is reported, resulting in two three-dimensional metallosupramolecular architectures, a bis-rhombus and a tetrahedron, which are formed using a two-dimensional, planar, tris-terpyridine ligand. The interconversion between these two structures is concentration-dependent: at a concentration higher than 12 mg mL–1, only a bis-rhombus, composed of eight ligands and 12 Cd2+ ions, is formed; whereas a self-assembled tetrahedron, composed of four ligands and six Cd2+ ions, appears upon sufficient dilution of the tris-terpyridine-metal solution. At concentrations less than 0.5 mg mL–1, only the tetrahedron possessing an S4 symmetry axis is detected; upon attempted isolation, it quantitatively reverts to the bis-rhombus. This observation opens an unexpected door to unusual chemical pathways under high dilution conditions.
Interaction of the Quinone Analogue, DBMIB, with the Photosynthetic Rieske Iron-Sulfur Center

Addition of the plastoquinone analogue, DBMIB, to chloroplasts results in the appearance of an EPR signal at g = 1.94 which is observed at cryogenic temperatures. Studies with subchloroplast fragments which either contain or lack the Rieske iron-sulfur center indicate the presence of this electron carrier is required for the DBMIB-induced EPR signal. A correlation between the disappearance of the Rieske center signal at g = 1.89 and the appearance of the DBMIB-induced signal at g = 1.94 suggests DBMIB alters the Rieske center to produce the new signal. Similar effects were observed in photosynthetic membrane fragments from a blue-green alga and a photosynthetic bacterium. It has been possible to use the DBMIB-induced signal to test for interaction of other inhibitors in the region of the Rieske center. These results are considered in terms of models in which quinone and the Rieske center function as a donor-acceptor pair during physiological electron transport.
Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide regulates dynamic changes in astrocyte morphometry: impact on gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons.

Recent studies suggest that astrocytes modulate the GnRH-induced LH surge. In particular, we have shown that the surface area of astrocytes that ensheath GnRH neurons exhibits diurnal rhythms. Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) influences numerous aspects of astrocyte function in multiple brain regions and is a neurotransmitter in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) that affects GnRH neurons. The goals of this study were to: 1) assess whether astrocytes that surround GnRH neurons express VIP receptors, 2) determine the effects VIP suppression in the SCN on the morphometry of astrocytes surrounding GnRH neurons, and 3) assess whether this effect mimics aging-like changes in surface area of astrocytes. Young rats were ovariectomized (d 0), implanted with cannulae into the SCN (d 5), injected with VIP antisense (antioligo) or random sequence oligonucleotides, implanted with capsules containing 17β-estradiol dissolved in oil (d 7), and perfused at 0300, 1400, and 1800 h (d 9). Brains were processed for imm...
Alterations in Ventilatory Pattern and Ratio of Dead-Space to Tidal Volume

The effects of alterations in ventilatory pattern on the simultaneously measured physiologic and anatomic dead-spaces (V d phys and V d an, respectively) and the dead-space to tidal volume ratio (V d -V t ) were studied in 17 healthy normal subjects (13 men, four women, ages 21 to 36 years). There were no significant changes in V d an with increases in respiratory frequency (f) or tidal volume (V t ). The V d phys increased (mean change + 0.153 L, p t (mean increase +0.84 L, p t . Increase in V t significantly reduced V d /V t (mean change –10.4 percent, p t , did not significantly alter V d /V t . These results indicate that in normal subjects, increase in V t alters ventilation/perfusion matching in the lungs, whereas an increase in f, at constant V t , has no effect on ventilation/perfusion matching. Increases in V d /V t cannot, therefore, be ascribed to alterations in ventilatory pattern where either V t , or f, or both are increased.
Louis Lavelle : la philosophie, chemin de sagesse

Pour Louis Lavelle qui voulait ecrire De la sagesse comme un couronnement de son oeuvre, la question de la sagesse se trouve au centre meme de la philosophie. Le sage s’interroge sur le sens de l’existence. Par la sagesse, l’homme, etre libre et temporel, choisit les possibles qui le rapprochent de l’Etre. La sagesse lavellienne est une sagesse de l’amour, de l’esprit et de l’etre. L’ami de la sagesse, homme de raison et d’interiorite, decouvre dans l’amour la cime et l’essence des valeurs. La pensee lavellienne de la sagesse, gravitant autour de la notion d’esprit, unit des sources bibliques, spirituelles, mystiques a des sources purement philosophiques. A la fois theorique et pratique, cultivant un ideal grec de moderation et de mesure, la sagesse aspire a la lumiere de la presence.
Commentary on: An innovative procedure for the treatment of primary and recurrent capsular contracture (CC) following breast augmentation.

The mechanism and management of periprosthetic capsular contracture (CC) following breast augmentation have been the subject of debate for more than half a century, and Costagliola et al,1 authors of “An Innovative Procedure for the Treatment of Primary and Recurrent Capsular Contracture (CC) Following Breast Augmentation,” have continued the discussion. The surgical implantation of a prosthesis in every patient incites an inflammatory response that results in a well-ordered process of cellular events culminating in the deposition of collagen around the prosthesis. This can be viewed as the body's attempt to exclude the prosthesis from the immune system. It consists of the laminar deposition of a collagen envelope around the prosthesis. The cellular makeup of this envelope influences the degree of “constriction” around the prosthesis and, in the case of a breast implant, the softness or firmness of the overlying tissue. Inflammation is the initial stimulus for this process. Ongoing inflammation has been posited as the primary mechanism for continued cellular activity within the periprosthetic capsule. The 2 main hypotheses for the factors involved in the production of CC are a “hypertrophic scar induction” and continued inflammation based on a “subclinical infection.” There has been much focus during the past decade on addressing the latter for its potential as an inciting stimulus. Specific attention has been given to identifying bacterial organisms cultured from periprosthetic capsular fluid and formulating antibiotic irrigation solutions2 effective in suppressing or eliminating these bacteria in the periprosthetic capsular space. Data on the efficacy of this approach remain forthcoming. Most recently, the science of biofilms and their role in the process of bacteria-induced inflammation has been highlighted as an area for study.3 The hypertrophic scar hypothesis has many proponents, and authors have tried approaches for modulating the inflammatory stimulus thought to be an important inducing …
Characterization of the motor activity of mammalian myosin VIIA

Abstract Myosin VIIA was cloned from rat kidney, and the construct (M7IQ5) containing the motor domain, IQ domain, and the coiled-coil domain as well as the full-length myosin VIIA (M7full) was expressed. The M7IQ5 contained five calmodulins. Based upon native gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, it was found that M7IQ5 was single-headed, whereas M7full was two-headed, suggesting that the tail domain contributes to form the two-headed structure. M7IQ5 had Mg2+-ATPase activity that was markedly activated by actin with K actin of 33 μm andV max of 0.53 s−1head−1. Myosin VIIA required an extremely high ATP concentration for ATPase activity, ATP-induced dissociation from actin, and in vitro actin-translocating activity. ADP markedly inhibited the actin-activated ATPase activity. ADP also significantly inhibited the ATP-induced dissociation of myosin VIIA from actin. Consistently, ADP decreased K actin of the actin-activated ATPase. ADP decreased the actin gliding velocity, although ADP did not stop the actin gliding even at high concentration. These results suggest that myosin VIIA has slow ATP binding or low affinity for ATP and relatively high affinity for ADP. The directionality of myosin VIIA was determined by using the polarity-marked dual fluorescence-labeled actin filaments. It was found that myosin VIIA is a plus-directed motor.
CO Oxidation Over Au/TiO2 Catalyst: Pretreatment Effects, Catalyst Deactivation, and Carbonates Production

A commercially available Au/TiO2 catalyst was subjected to a variety of thermal treatments in order to understand how variations in catalyst pretreatment procedures might affect CO oxidation catalysis. Catalytic activity was found to be inversely correlated to the temperature of the pretreatment. Infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed CO experiments, followed by a Temkin analysis of the data, indicated that the thermal treatments caused essentially no changes to the electronics of the Au particles; this, and a series of catalysis control experiments, and previous transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies ruled out particle growth as a contributing factor to the activity loss. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy showed that pretreating the catalyst results in water desorption from the surface, but the observable water loss was similar for all the treatments and could not be correlated with catalytic activity. A Michaelis–Menten kinetic treatment indicated that the main reason for deactivation is a loss in the number of active sites with little changes in their intrinsic activity. In situ FTIR experiments during CO oxidation showed extensive buildup of carbonate-like surface species when the pretreated catalysts were contacted with the feed gas. A semi-quantitative infrared spectroscopy method was developed for comparing the amount of carbonates present on each catalyst; results from these experiments showed a strong correlation between the steady-state catalytic activity and amount of surface carbonates generated during the initial moments of catalysis. Further, this experimental protocol was used to show that the carbonates reside on the titania support rather than on the Au, as there was no evidence that they poison Au–CO binding sites. The role of the carbonates in the reaction scheme, their potential role in catalyst deactivation, and the role of surface hydroxyls and water are discussed.
THERMODYNAMIC AND KINETIC STUDIES ON CARBON-COBALT BOND HOMOLYSIS BY RIBONUCLEOSIDE TRIPHOSPHATE REDUCTASE : THE IMPORTANCE OF ENTROPY IN CATALYSIS

In the catalytic mechanism of nucleotide reduction, ribonucleoside triphosphate reductase (RTPR) from Lactobacillus leichmannii catalyzes the homolytic cleavage of the carbon-cobalt bond of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl) at a rate approximately 10(11)-fold faster than the uncatalyzed reaction. Model systems have suggested hypotheses for the thermodynamic basis of this reaction, but relevant measurements of the enzymatic reaction have been lacking. To address this question in a system for which the microscopic rate constants can be measured as a function of temperature, we examined the RTPR-catalyzed exchange reaction. RTPR, in the presence of allosteric effector dGTP and in the absence of substrate, catalyzes carbon-cobalt bond homolysis and formation of a thiyl radical from an active-site cysteine in a concerted fashion [Licht, S., Booker, S. , Stubbe, J. (1999) Biochemistry 38, 1221-1233]. Both the kinetics of cob(II)alamin formation and the amounts of cob(II)alamin formed have been studied as a function of AdoCbl concentration and temperature. Analysis of these data has allowed calculation of a DeltaH of 20 kcal/mol, a DeltaS of 70 cal mol-1 K-1, a DeltaH of 46 kcal/mol, and a DeltaS of 96 cal mol-1 K-1 for carbon-cobalt bond homolysis/thiyl radical formation. The results further show that the enzyme perturbs the equilibrium between the reactant (AdoCbl-bound) state and the product (cob(II)alamin/5'-deoxyadenosine (5'-dA)/thiyl radical state, making them approximately equal in energy. The thermodynamic perturbation, in addition to transition-state stabilization, is required for the large rate acceleration observed. Entropic, rather than enthalpic, factors make the largest contribution in both cases.
Personality characteristics of the female serial murderer

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and compare information obtained for four female serial murder perpetrators, exploring possible personality features that make the female serial killer unique. As this is the first project to explore the personalities of female serial murderers through data collected from the offenders themselves, it is primarily an exploratory study. Design/methodology/approach – The data presented were collected as part of a larger project, which solicited participation from incarcerated, suspected serial murderers. Upon agreeing to participate, each potential participant's background was searched to ensure they met the definition of a serial murderer. The participants were sent a survey packet containing measures related to demographics, psychopathology, psychopathy, and personality features. These packets were sent to participants at their respective prisons, with a return envelope provided. Upon return, surveys were scored and analyzed to create a comprehensive profile...
Preparticipation orthopedic screening evaluation.

Objective:To review evidence-based support for the preparticipation orthopedic evaluation.Data Sources/Methods:Articles were reviewed that dealt with the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of the components of the standardized preparticipation orthopedic evaluation. In addition, studies
Enthalpy relaxation of rigid poly(vinyl chloride)

The changes which take place on annealing rigid PVC in the vicinity of the glass transition have been followed by differential scanning calorimetry. The changes appear as an increase in the glass-transition temperature and a decrease in the enthalpy with time of annealing. For annealing at 75°C, the enthalpy after 50–100 hr approaches the value characteristic of the equilibrium liquid state. The results obtained for annealing at 65°C and 75°C are in accord with those expected for the relaxation of an amorphous material, and are at variance with those expected on the basis of crystallization taking place on annealing. The enthalpy relaxation process is characterized by a distribution of activation energies centered about 18.8 kcal mole−1, and seems to reflect a multiplicity of molecular processes.
PTSD in former prisoners of war: Prewar, wartime, and postwar factors

We investigated relationships among prewar, wartime, and postwar factors and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) severity in a community sample of 160 former prisoners of war (POWs). Data were collected from structured clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires, and military service records. POW camp trauma was most predictive of PTSD severity, followed by a refined postwar Social Support variable: Interpersonal Connection. Prewar conduct disorder behavior was positively predictive of PTSD and negatively predictive of Interpersonal Connection. Combat exposure and age at capture were also predictive of PTSD. Prewar family closeness was not a significant predictor of PTSD but was predictive of postwar Interpersonal Connection. This study provides further empirical evidence that trauma, when sufficiently severe, is the most significant predictor of PTSD severity.
Pulse X-Ray Contact Microradiography And Real-Time X-Ray Projection Micrography

X-ray contact microradiography using a laser-produced plasma pulsed x-ray source provides several advantages for imaging dynamic biological systems. We have applied such an x-ray system in the study of silica deposition in living leaf blades of Zia and the developmental morphology of maize inflorescence. Such a study provides a means for the selection of high silica varieties in crop plants, which has been correlated with high resistance to insects and fungi. Real-time x-ray imaging may be obtained using a shadow projection method. For this purpose, a shadow projection microscope was constructed by modifying a scanning electron microscope for real-time imaging. Preliminary results in the study of floral development in maize will be presented. In addition, implementation of this real-time imaging system to the laser plasma x-ray system will be discussed.
Structural Changes to the Calcium–Silicate–Hydrate Gel Phase of Hydrated Cement with Age, Drying, and Resaturation

The effects of drying to various relative humidity (RH) levels on the internal structure of hydrated cement paste were investigated using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Specimens of young and mature portland cement paste were analyzed in the initial saturated state, in the dried state, and then again after resaturation, allowing reversible and irreversible effects to be separated. While the observed changes on drying are mainly physical in nature, the ability of the microstructure to resist permanent structural rearrangement increased over time as the hydration and aging reactions progressed. Permanent changes to the nanometer-to-micrometer scale microstructure induced by drying were quantified by applying a fractal model to the SANS data for resaturated pastes. At RH levels above ≈54%, capillary stresses compact the nanometer-level pore structure of the calcium–silicate–hydrate (C–S–H) gel phase, increasing the gel density by a mechanism related to that governing the classical “constant rate period” for pure gels. Owing to the restraining effects of the other solid phases in cement paste, this decrease in the volume of the C–S–H gel also increases the intensity of surface fractal scattering that arises from the deposition of hydration product onto the surface of the reacting cement particles. At all RH levels, but particularly below 54%, drying decreases the measured total internal surface area of the specimens. This is attributed to a loss of surface area at particle contacts as the average separation distance between adjacent C–S–H gel nanoparticles decreases on drying.
Automated quantification of muscle and fat in the thigh from water-, fat-, and nonsuppressed MR images

Purpose To introduce and validate an unsupervised muscle and fat quantification algorithm based on joint analysis of water-suppressed (WS), fat-suppressed (FS) and water-and-fat (non-suppressed) volumetric MR images of the mid-thigh region.
Relative Roles for List Paired Exchange, Live Donor Paired Exchange and Desensitization

The New England Organ Bank has successfully imple-mented a kidney paired donation program, which offersboth live donor and list exchange options to patients withincompatible donors. Through each modality, a live donorwho would otherwise be ineligible is given an opportunityto facilitate a kidney transplant for a loved one. One mustcommend any program that increases access to donatedorgans.As Dr. Morrissey and colleagues discovered, small co-horts of incompatible pairs are likely to beneﬁt more fromlist exchange because of the difﬁculty of ﬁnding compat-ible live donor matches. We have conﬁrmed this ﬁndingthrough mathematical simulations, even if the types of ex-changes that Dr. Ross and colleagues ﬁnd objectionable(O recipients with non-O donors) are eliminated (1). How-ever, through a list exchange a patient with an incompati-blelivedonorreceivesadeceaseddonorkidney,whichhasbeen shown to have a shorter half life than a live donor or-gan (2). We have further shown that cohorts of increasingsize will beneﬁt more from live donor than list exchanges,with the added beneﬁt that each patient will ultimately re-ceive a live donor kidney. However, even in a large-cohortlive donor match, approximately half of the patients re-main unmatched (3), primarily O recipients with non-Odonors (1,4). There is subsequently little additional beneﬁtto placing difﬁcult-to-match patients into a list exchangeprogram (1).We feel that many of these unmatched patients with ABOincompatible donors would beneﬁt from desensitization.Whereas it was previously felt that splenectomy was re-quired for ABO incompatible transplants, even high-titerbarriers have now been crossed without splenectomy (5)or long-term B-cell ablative therapy (6). Recent experiencesuggests that long-term graft survival after ABO incompat-ible live donor transplantation exceeds that of compatibledeceased donor organs, with 9-year patient and graft sur-vival of 84% and 59% in a study of 441 ABO incompatiblelive donor recipients (7) when compared with 10-year pa-tient and graft survival of 58% and 36% in deceased donorrecipientsasreportedbyUNOS(8).Ratherthanreceivingacompatible deceased donor kidney through list exchange,patients with ABO incompatible donors who cannot matchthrough live donor exchange may be better served by de-sensitization.