cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Soluble Aβ Oligomers on Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's Disease

Abstract The neurodegenerative process that defines Alzheimer''s disease (AD) is initially characterized by synaptic alterations followed by synapse loss and ultimately cell death. Decreased synaptic density that precedes neuronal death is the strongest pathological correlate of cognitive deficits observed in AD. Substantial synapse and neuron loss occur early in disease progression in the entorhinal cortex (EC) and the CA1 region of the hippocampus, when memory deficits become clinically detectable. Mounting evidence suggests that soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers trigger synapse dysfunction both in vitro and in vivo. However, the neurodegenerative effect of Aβ species observed on neuronal culture or organotypic brain slice culture has been more challenging to mimic in animal models. While most of the transgenic mice that overexpress Aβ show abundant amyloid plaque pathology and early synaptic alterations, these models have been less successful in recapitulating the spatiotemporal pattern of cell loss observed in AD. Recently we developed a novel animal model that revealed the neurodegenerative effect of soluble low-molecular-weight Aβ oligomers in vivo. This new approach may now serve to determine the molecular and cellular mechanisms linking soluble Aβ species to neurodegeneration in animals. In light of the low efficiency of AD therapies based on the amyloid cascade hypothesis, a novel framework, the aging factor cascade hypothesis, is proposed in an attempt to integrate the new data and concepts that emerged from recent research to develop disease modifying therapies.
Nonlinear Array detection strategies for optical beams in long range fee-space optics channels

In this study, we examine the problem of array detectors for free-space optical (FSO) communication systems when the optical field is detected using an array of detectors in the presence of large background noise and non-negligible pointing error. It is assumed that the spatial pointing errors are due to beam tilt and/or platform vibration. We propose and study a nonlinear detection mechanism for processing the outputs of the photodetectors (PD). The proposed strategy performs photodetector array combining that favors the PDs with non-negligible signal strengths, which are proportional to the spatial characteristics of the beam. Provided that the spatial profiles of the optical beams in single and multiple-spatial-mode scenarios are non-uniform, uniform aperture detector arrays will provide only a suboptimal performance. That is, the spatial feature of the detector is assumed to match the spatial feature of the received beam. This principle mirrors the concept of matched filtering in time domain for the detection of signals buried in additive white Gaussian noise. Performance in this paper is established in terms of the overall bit error rate for direct-detection receivers. It is shown that the proposed detection strategy results in a sizeable gain in performance in terms of reducing the bit error rate by an order of magnitude for all conditions, including when the pointing error is substantial.
Jeffrey Meets Kolmogorov

Jeffrey conditionalization is a rule for updating degrees of belief in light of uncertain evidence. It is usually assumed that the partitions involved in Jeffrey conditionalization are finite and only contain positive-credence elements. But there are interesting examples, involving continuous quantities, in which this is not the case. Q1 Can Jeffrey conditionalization be generalized to accommodate continuous cases? Meanwhile, several authors, such as Kenny Easwaran and Michael Rescorla, have been interested in Kolmogorov’s theory of regular conditional distributions (rcds) as a possible framework for conditional probability which handles probability-zero events. However the theory faces a major shortcoming: it seems messy and ad hoc. Q2 Is there some axiomatic theory which would justify and constrain the use of rcds, thus serving as a possible foundation for conditional probability? These two questions appear unrelated, but they are not, and this paper answers both. We show that when one appropriately generalizes Jeffrey conditionalization as in Q1, one obtains a framework which necessitates the use of rcds. It is then a short step to develop a general theory which addresses Q2, which we call the theory of extensions. The theory is a formal model of conditioning which recovers Bayesian conditionalization, Jeffrey conditionalization, and conditionalization via rcds as special cases.
CuH-Catalyzed Olefin Functionalization: From Hydroamination to Carbonyl Addition

In organic synthesis, ligand-modified copper(I) hydride (CuH) complexes have become well-known reagents and catalysts for selective reduction, particularly toward Michael acceptors and carbonyl compounds. Recently, our group and others have found that these hydride complexes undergo migratory insertion (hydrocupration) with relatively unactivated and electronically unpolarized olefins, producing alkylcopper intermediates that can be leveraged to forge a variety of useful bonds. The resulting formal hydrofunctionalization reactions have formed the basis for a resurgence of research in CuH catalysis. This Account chronicles the development of this concept in our research group, highlighting its origin in the context of asymmetric hydroamination, evolution to more general C-X bond-forming reactions, and applications in the addition of olefin-derived nucleophiles to carbonyl derivatives.Hydroamination, the formal insertion of an olefin into the N-H bond of an amine, is a process of significant academic and industrial interest, due to its potential to transform widely available alkenes and alkynes into valuable complex amines. We developed a polarity-reversed strategy for catalytic enantioselective hydroamination relying on the reaction of olefins with CuH to generate chiral organocopper intermediates, which are intercepted by electrophilic amine reagents. By engineering the auxiliary ligand, amine electrophile, and reaction conditions, the scope of this method has since been extended to include many types of olefins, including challenging internal olefins. Further, the scope of amine reagents has been expanded to enable the synthesis of primary, secondary, and tertiary amines as well as amides, N-alkylated heterocycles, and anilines. All of these reactions exhibit high regio- and stereoselectivity and, due to the mild conditions required, excellent tolerance for heterocycles and polar functional groups.Though the generation of alkylcopper species from olefins was originally devised as a means to solve the hydroamination problem, we soon found that these intermediates could react efficiently with an unexpectedly broad range of electrophiles, including alkyl halides, silicon reagents, arylpalladium species, heterocycles, and carbonyl derivatives. The general ability of olefins to function as precursors for nucleophilic intermediates has proved particularly advantageous in carbonyl addition reactions because it overcomes many of the disadvantages associated with traditional organometallic reagents. By removing the need for pregeneration of the nucleophile in a separate operation, CuH-catalyzed addition reactions of olefin-derived nucleophiles feature improved step economy, enhanced functional group tolerance, and the potential for catalyst control over regio- and stereoselectivity. Following this paradigm, feedstock olefins such as allene, butadiene, and styrene have been employed as reagents for asymmetric alkylation of ketones, imines, and aldehydes.
COVID-19 pandemic; transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) inhibitors as potential drugs.

Ongoing search for treatment to ease COVID-19 pandemic concentrate on development of a vaccine or medication to prevent and treat this disease. One of the possibilities is developing new antiviral drugs that are aiming at both a virus replication or the host factor(s) that are critical to virus’s replication. Serine proteases, which activate the viral spike glycoproteins and facilitate virus-cell membrane fusions for host cell entry, its replication and spread, are proposed as the potential targets for antiviral drug design. Existing literature is already providing evidence that transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) is one of the promising targets. When inhibited it can slow or stop replication of viruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). One of the convincing evidences of the critical role of TMPRSS2 in the coronavirus’s replication was provided by animal study. The replication of influenza viruses was inhibited in TMPRSS2(-/-) knockout mice in comparison to wild type (WT) mice, which developed high mortality rate. Existing inhibitors of TMPRSS2 can be divided into two groups. The first include drugs already approved by FDA or other organizations for treatment of different diseases. That include: Camostat (from Japan, produced by Ono Pharmaceutical), aprotinin (Trasylol, produced by Nordic Group Pharmaceuticals) and rimantadine (Flumadine, produced by Forest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). Existing in vitro, in vivo and some limited human studies show that this type of drugs limit reproduction of coronaviruses and/or prevented the development of viral pneumonia. One study indicated that combined treatment by aprotinin and rimantadine prevented the development of fatal hemorrhagic viral pneumonia, and protected about 75% animals, when the separate administration of aprotinin or rimantadine induced less protection. The second group includes potential drugs not approved for the human use yet. That include plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) and recently developed small molecular inhibitors. PAI-1 is a serine protease inhibitor that regulates physiological breakdown of blood clots by inhibiting of tissue (tPA) and urokinase (uPA) plasminogen activators. But PAI-1 is also an effective inhibitor of various membrane-anchored serine proteases including TMPRSS2. It was reported that PAI-1 inhibited trypsin- and TMPRSS2-mediated cleavage of hemagglutinin and suppressed influenza virus in animals. PAI-1 is human in origin and engineered forms with extended half-life were developed and could be an attractive addition to the existing TMPRSS2 inhibitors. And finally, derivatives of sulfonylated 3-amindinophenylalanylamide were found to inhibit TMPRSS2 with a high affinity and efficiently block the influenza virus propagation in human cells. This paper is intended to provide review on possible or hypothetical beneficial effects of (TMPRSS2) inhibitors as one of options to fight infection with Covid-19.
Aberrant sexualities: Others under the gaze of transnational documentary:

This article examines the discourse of non-normative sexuality and gender variance in Pakistan produced through commissioned transnational documentaries. While the documentary apparatus is mobilize...
Twenty Years Baby-Friendly: Personal Reflections on Change

Background: Boston Medical Center (BMC) is an inner-city hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1995, like many maternity hospitals in the United States, BMC had policies that routinely sepa...
Short-Term Effect of Fesoterodine on Physical Function Relevant to Fall Risk in Older Women With Overactive Bladder.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to measure the effect of treatment with fesoterodine on physical function relevant to fall risk in older women with overactive bladder. MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a prospective cohort study of women aged 65 years or older with overactive bladder. Urinary symptoms and physical function were measured at baseline and 8 weeks after treatment with fesoterodine. Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured subjectively using questionnaires and objectively using an accelerometer. Physical function was measured using the Short Physical Performance Battery test. RESULTS We enrolled 75 women with a median age of 76 years. At baseline, bothersome urgency urinary incontinence and nocturia were reported by 55% and 81%, respectively. At baseline, participants were highly sedentary with a median of 2,118 steps daily. After treatment, urinary symptom severity and health-related quality of life subscale scores of the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire improved significantly (-22.3±24 and 17.5±19.7, respectively; P < 0.0001). The proportion of participants who self-reported a moderate-to-high level of physical activity increased from 27% to 35% after treatment (P = 0.86). However, daily steps decreased significantly (-420.2±949, P < 0.001), whereas daily sedentary time increased by 36.6±88 minutes (P < 0.001). There was no significant change in the Short Physical Performance Battery score (-0.3±2.3, P = 0.6). CONCLUSIONS In older women with overactive bladder, short-term treatment with fesoterodine decreased objectively measured physical activity with no significant change in physical function. Treatment with anticholinergics may need to be supplemented with other therapies to address fall risk in older women with overactive bladder.
Differential Survival of Non-O157 Shiga Toxigenic Escherichia coli in Simulated Cattle Feedlot Runoff

Environmental survival time is important when evaluating adverse health outcomes from foodborne pathogens. Although outbreaks associated with manure-impacted irrigation or runoff water are relative...
Abstract P216: Cholinergic-mediated Salt-Sensitive Hypertension In A Genetic Model Of Essential Hypertension

Inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. High dietary sodium intake has been associated with inflammation in patients suffering from high blood pressure & atherosclerosis....
Transition State Stabilization Depends on Solvent Identity, Pore Size, and Hydrophilicity for Epoxidations in Zeolites

Abstract Ti-silicates activate H2O2 to form Ti-hydroperoxo and Ti-peroxo intermediates that can react with alkenes to form epoxide products. Comparisons of kinetics for 1-octene epoxidation with H2O2 on Ti-BEA and Ti-MFI catalysts with different hydrophilicities in methanol (CH3OH) or acetonitrile (CH3CN) solvents show the significance of the solvent for stabilizing catalytically-relevant species and the complex interdependencies between solvent, catalyst topology, and hydrophilicity. Epoxidation turnover rates are higher in CH3CN than CH3OH for Ti-BEA, but the opposite trend is observed for Ti-MFI. Ti-silicates with greater silanol densities, however, give greater epoxidation turnover rates than their hydrophobic counterparts in both solvents. Kinetic, spectroscopic, and thermodynamic analyses show that differences in turnover rates mainly arise from changes in the stabilization of reactive surface species by solvent mediated interactions, because the mechanism of the reaction and stability of the fluid-phase reactants remain similar in CH3CN and CH3OH. Specifically, apparent activation free energy values ( Δ G App ‡ ) indicate that surface intermediates responsible for alkene epoxidation are stabilized to a greater extent in CH3CN on Ti-BEA and in CH3OH on Ti-MFI. Hydrophilic Ti-silicates present lower Δ G App ‡ values regardless of solvent identity, which suggests that these differences correspond to the number of hydrogen-bonding solvent molecules found near reactive species bound to Ti active sites. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the role of solvent molecules in allowing reactive intermediates to recognize the properties of active sites beyond the length-scale of covalent bonds, which carry implications for epoxidation but also other reactions within solvent-filled pores of microporous materials.
Innovation, Market Structure, and Welfare: A Stackelberg Model

A Stackelberg model of production with process innovations is introduced. The leader invests in RD followers conduct no R&D but are able to benefit from the leader's research. It is found that the leader invests less in R&D as the fringe expands or as spillovers from research increase. The output and R&D of the Stackelberg industry fall short of the social optimum. When the Stackelberg leader is more efficient than the fringe, a few firms generate more social welfare than a large number of firms under high technological opportunity. As the technological opportunity diminishes, the welfare differences between market structures are reduced. The findings of this article lend support to the Schumpeterian hypothesis.
Altered expression of retinal occludin and glial fibrillary acidic protein in experimental diabetes. The Penn State Retina Research Group.

Purpose To investigate how diabetes alters vascular endothelial cell tight junction protein and glial cell morphology at the blood-retinal barrier (BRB). Methods The distribution of the glial marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and the endothelial cell tight junction protein occludin were explored by immunofluorescence histochemistry in flatmounted retinas of streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic and age-matched control rats, and in BB/Wor diabetes-prone and age-matched diabetes-resistant rats. Results GFAP immunoreactivity was limited to astrocytes in control retinas. Two months of STZ-diabetes reduced GFAP immunoreactivity in astrocytes and increased GFAP immunoreactivity in small groups of Muller cells. After 4 months of STZ-induced diabetes, all Muller cells had intense GFAP immunoreactivity, whereas there was virtually none in the astrocytes. BB/Wor diabetic rats had similar changes in GFAP immunoreactivity. Occludin immunoreactivity in normal rats was greatest in the capillary bed of the outer plexiform layer and arterioles of the inner retina but much less intense in the postcapillary venules. Diabetes reduced occludin immunoreactivity in the capillaries and induced redistribution from continuous cell border to interrupted, punctate immunoreactivity in the arterioles. Forty-eight hours of insulin treatment reversed the pattern of GFAP and occludin immunoreactivity in the STZ-diabetic rats. Conclusions Diabetes alters GFAP expression in retinal glial cells, accompanied by reduction and redistribution of occludin in endothelial cells. These changes are consistent with the concept that altered glial-endothelial cell interactions at the BRB contribute to diabetic retinopathy.
Arthur S. Elstein, Ph.D.: skeptic, scholar, teacher and mentor.

Arthur S. Elstein, Ph.D. has said that he has been motivated to address two research questions throughout this career: How do physicians make decisions? and How can we help them make better ones? He has addressed these questions using the tools of a psychologist but the results of his research in medical cognition, medical reasoning, and judgement have had a lasting impact on medical education and how future physicians are prepared. Further, through teaching and mentoring, he has produced a second generation of medical education researchers and leaders; and perhaps most importantly, through his role modeling of skepticism and scholarship, he has taught what a professional educator must do to succeed in medical education. His distinguished thirty-eight year career was primarily at the Office of Medical Education Research and Development at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine (1968-1994) and, after his retirement there, in the Department of Medical Education and the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. During his career he authored or edited four books, wrote 22 book chapters, published 99 articles, and made more than 900 presentations. He received many prestigious awards. This article gives an overview of Elstein's career and accomplishments and his perspectives on significant innovations in medical education, the role of professional medical educators, the major lessons he has learned during his career.
Rules and ontologies in f-logic

F-logic is a formalism that integrates logic with object-oriented programming in a clean and declarative fashion. It has been successfully used for information integration, ontology modeling, agent-based systems, software engineering, and more. This paper gives a brief overview of F-logic and discusses its features from the point of view of an ontology language.
Kramers‐Kronig analysis of leaf refractive index with the PROSPECT leaf optical property model

[1] Kramers-Kronig dispersion relations are the inherent cross-constraints on the real and imaginary parts of the complex refractive index of dielectric materials. These relations are utilized in this study for estimating leaf refractive index from leaf absorption spectra. A mixing model is developed for calculating the leaf refractive index with respect to the variation of leaf mass compositions and absorptive properties. The model is based on the variational function fitting method of Kramers-Kronig analysis. The validity of the model is analyzed with pure liquid water measurements and well-established leaf optical measurements. It is found that the model has a very good performance in modeling the spectral details of leaf refractive index and provides an efficient physical framework for improving and extending the leaf-level optical property model.
γδ T Cells Are Required for M2 Macrophage Polarization and Resolution of Ozone-Induced Pulmonary Inflammation in Mice

We examined the role of γδ T cells in the induction of alternatively activated M2 macrophages and the resolution of inflammation after ozone exposure. Wildtype (WT) mice and mice deficient in γδ T cells (TCRδ-/- mice) were exposed to air or to ozone (0.3 ppm for up to 72h) and euthanized immediately or 1, 3, or 5 days after cessation of exposure. In WT mice, M2 macrophages accumulated in the lungs over the course of ozone exposure. Pulmonary mRNA abundance of the M2 genes, Arg1, Retnla, and Clec10a, also increased after ozone. In contrast, no evidence of M2 polarization was observed in TCRδ-/- mice. WT but not TCRδ-/- mice expressed the M2c polarizing cytokine, IL-17A, after ozone exposure and WT mice treated with an IL-17A neutralizing antibody exhibited attenuated ozone-induced M2 gene expression. In WT mice, ozone-induced increases in bronchoalveolar lavage neutrophils and macrophages resolved quickly after cessation of ozone exposure returning to air exposed levels within 3 days. However, lack of M2 macrophages in TCRδ-/- mice was associated with delayed clearance of inflammatory cells after cessation of ozone and increased accumulation of apoptotic macrophages in the lungs. Delayed restoration of normal lung architecture was also observed in TCRδ-/- mice. In summary, our data indicate that γδ T cells are required for the resolution of ozone-induced inflammation, likely because γδ T cells, through their secretion of IL-17A, contribute to changes in macrophage polarization that promote clearance of apoptotic cells.
Low voltage In-lens secondary electron imaging in device failure analysis

With the increasing importance in understanding surface structures and in obtaining high resolution images at very low accelerating voltages, the recent developments in most of the detection systems are geared towards the use of In-lens secondary electron imaging. The In-lens detector collects only secondary electrons generated from the upper range of the interaction volume allowing to reveal more detailed surface information and to emphasize material differences in specimens. In-lens secondary electron imaging is, therefore, used to reveal surface features, film contaminants, and slight material contrasts in specimens that are not seen by common SE imaging. This paper will demonstrate the detection principle along with specific case studies where In-lens SE imaging facilitated in the resolution of device failure mechanisms.
Texture recognition and localization in amorphous robotic skin

We present a soft robotic skin that can recognize and localize texture using a distributed set of sensors and computational elements that are inspired by the Pacinian corpuscle, the fast adapting, uniformly spaced mechanoreceptor with a wide receptive field, which is responsive to vibrations due to rubbing or slip on the skin. Tactile sensing and texture recognition is important for controlled manipulation of objects and navigating in one's environment. Yet, providing robotic systems or prosthetic devices with such capability at high density and bandwidth remains challenging. Each sensor node in the presented skin is created by collocating computational elements with individual microphones. These nodes are networked in a lattice and embedded in EcoFlex rubber, forming an amorphous medium. Unlike existing skins consisting of passive sensor arrays that feed into a central computer, our approach allows for detecting, conditioning and processing of tactile signals in-skin, facilitating the use of high-bandwidth signals, such as vibration, and allowing nodes to respond only to signals of interest. Communication between nodes allows the skin to localize the source of a stimulus, such as rubbing or slip, in a decentralized manner. Signal processing by individual nodes allows the skin to estimate the material touched. Combining these two capabilities, the skin is able to convert high-bandwidth, spatiotemporal information into low-bandwidth, event-driven information. Unlike taxel-based sensing arrays, this amorphous approach greatly reduces the computational load on the central robotic system. We describe the design, analysis, construction, instrumentation and programming of the robotic skin. We demonstrate that a 2.8 square meter skin with 10 sensing nodes is capable of localizing stimulus to within 2 centimeters, and that an individual sensing node can identify 15 textures with an accuracy of 71%. Finally, we discuss how such a skin could be used for full-body sensing in existing robots, augment existing sensing modalities, and how this material may be useful in robotic grasping tasks.
The Interaction of Vinculin with Actin

Vinculin can interact with F-actin both in recruitment of actin filaments to the growing focal adhesions and also in capping of actin filaments to regulate actin dynamics. Using molecular dynamics, both interactions are simulated using different vinculin conformations. Vinculin is simulated either with only its vinculin tail domain (Vt), with all residues in its closed conformation, with all residues in an open I conformation, and with all residues in an open II conformation. The open I conformation results from movement of domain 1 away from Vt; the open II conformation results from complete dissociation of Vt from the vinculin head domains. Simulation of vinculin binding along the actin filament showed that Vt alone can bind along the actin filaments, that vinculin in its closed conformation cannot bind along the actin filaments, and that vinculin in its open I conformation can bind along the actin filaments. The simulations confirm that movement of domain 1 away from Vt in formation of vinculin 1 is sufficient for allowing Vt to bind along the actin filament. Simulation of Vt capping actin filaments probe six possible bound structures and suggest that vinculin would cap actin filaments by interacting with both S1 and S3 of the barbed-end, using the surface of Vt normally occluded by D4 and nearby vinculin head domain residues. Simulation of D4 separation from Vt after D1 separation formed the open II conformation. Binding of open II vinculin to the barbed-end suggests this conformation allows for vinculin capping. Three binding sites on F-actin are suggested as regions that could link to vinculin. Vinculin is suggested to function as a variable switch at the focal adhesions. The conformation of vinculin and the precise F-actin binding conformation is dependent on the level of mechanical load on the focal adhesion.
Evaluation of a Novel Fine Coal Dry Cleaning Process at Greenfields Coal Company

Coal mining and processing operations have in the past and continue to create large tonnages of fine coal and waste particles. While technological advances in wet processing has made it possible to efficiently recover coal fines, difficulties associated with dewatering make these fine particles unattractive economically for most coal markets. A novel system has been developed for cleaning fine raw coal utilizing a multistage dry classification process that removes the clay particles that are typically much smaller than the majority of the clean coal particles and that reduces the product surface moisture to as low as 1%. In this article, the novel dry coal-cleaning process under license to Greenfields Coal Company was evaluated. The classification process offers a viable alternative to traditional wet processing and dewatering of the fine particles, especially for operations recovering abandoned impoundments where a sufficient water source and/or a waste slurry disposal site are unavailable. This article ...
The geological occurrence of lithic material and stone tool production strategies

This study shows how the occurrence of lithic raw-materials articulate with hunter gatherer technological organization. Three archaeological data sets representing 109 different sites and one ethnographic data set from Australia are examined to show that lithic raw-material size, shape, quality, and availability play a major role in hunter gatherer decisions to make various kinds of stone tools. These characteristics of lithic material occurrence are used to help explain why expedient technologies such as bipolar tool production are sometimes used, and why formalized technologies such as bifacial production may be selected as a tool production strategy. Stone tool morphological variability and technological variability are shown to be directly related to the geological occurrence of stone tool raw materials. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Midtrimester abortion with intramuscular injection of 15-methyl-prostaglandin E2☆

Abstract An intramuscular injection of 250 μ g of 15-methyl-PGF 2α was given to fifty patients every two hours until the fetus was expelled or for a maximum of twelve injections. Within 27 hours, 90% aborted with a mean injection-abortion time of 13.5 hours. All patients received prophylactic antiemetic and antidiarrheal medication. The side effects consisted of vomiting in 33 patients, diarrhea in 38 patients, flushing in 6 patients, and chills in 2 patients. Three patients had a blood loss ≥ 500 ml but did not require a blood transfusion. The intramuscular route offers the early midtrimester patient an effective and rapid means of abortion.
Outcomes of a Program to Enhance Exercise Self-Efficacy and Improve Fitness in Black and Hispanic College-Age Women

A quasi-experimental design was used to test the outcomes of an exercise program directed towards Black and Hispanic college-age women. Forty-four women (36 Black, 7 Hispanic, and 1 Black/Hispanic) attended exercise classes three times per week for 16 weeks. At program completion, women were classified as either high attendees (n = 26) or low attendees (n = 18). Compared to low attendees, the high attendees had significantly higher exercise self-efficacy (p < .001), perceived benefits and barriers (p = .004), aerobic fitness, flexibility, muscle strength, and percentage of body fat (all p < .001). Daily activity levels improved significantly in the high attendance group following the program (p < .001) and at 8 weeks post-program completion (p = .01). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 27:357–369, 2004
Increased submucosal factor XII la‐positive dendrocytes in oral lichen planus

Factor XIIIa+ "dendrocytes", normal residents of the submucosa and dermis, are a morphologically and phenotypically distinctive subset of the monocyte-macrophage system. Because these cells are believed to participate in the regulation of immune responses, we postulated that they may play a role in the pathogenesis of lichen planus, a condition of immune dysregulation. Tissue sections of oral lichen planus were evaluated immunohistochemically for evidence of differences in dendrocyte populations in lesional and non-lesional areas from the same patient. In addition to factor XIIIa, sections were stained for antigens (CD68, S-100 protein, CD36) that may be expressed by other cells that occasionally exhibit dendritic profiles. CD18 (found on leukocytes and dendrocytes) and its ligand ICAM-1 (intercellular adhesion molecule) were also identified in sections to determine if these antigens are operative in lichen planus. Results showed that XIIIa+ dendrocytes were significantly increased in number (and size) in lichen planus. The mean number of dendrocytes in connective tissue subjacent to basement membrane (0.064 mm2) was 27 in lichen planus as compared to 10 in adjacent unaffected tissue. Similar increases were also evident in connective tissue deep to this zone (mean of 20 dendrocytes vs. mean of 8). CD68+ macrophages were also abundant in the lichen planus infiltrate, and S-100+ connective tissue cells were frequently seen. CD36+ dendritic cells were seen in relatively small numbers in the same sites where dendrocytes were found. ICAM-1+ connective tissue dendritic cells of undetermined lineage were also evident in the diseased areas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Research on the Composition and Property of Boron Mud

The composition and property of the boron mud is investigated by X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermal analysis (DTA) and fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FITR). The mineral components of the boron mud are magnesite (MgCO3)、forsterite (Mg2SiO4)、hematite (Fe2O3)、dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) and a small amount of magnesium sulfate and lizardite((Mg,Al)3[(Si,Fe)2O5](OH)4)). The decomposition reaction of the boron mud can be carried on at 400~600°C, and silicate of the boron mud can reaction with NaOH with the increase of temperature to about 1000°C.
Tarski's System of Geometry

This paper is an edited form of a letter written by the two authors (in the name of Tarski) to Wolfram Schwabhauser around 1978. It contains extended remarks about Tarski's system of foundations for Euclidean geometry, in particular its distinctive features, its historical evolution, the history of specific axioms, the questions of independence of axioms and primitive notions, and versions of the system suitable for the development of 1-dimensional geometry.
Perceived Discrimination and Substance Use in African American Parents and Their Children: A Panel Study.

The relation between perceived racial discrimination and substance use was examined in a panel of 684 African American families, using the prototype-willingness model of adolescent health risk (F. X. Gibbons, M. Gerrard, & D. Lane, 2003). Discrimination was concurrently and prospectively related to use in the parents and the children (mean age = 10.5 years at Wave 1). The discrimination → use relation in the parents was mediated by distress (anxiety and depression). Among the children, the relation was mediated by distress as well as their risk cognitions (favorability of their risk images and their willingness to use) and the extent to which they reported affiliating with friends who were using substances. Each of these relations with discrimination was positive. In contrast, effective parenting was associated with less willingness and intention to use. Theoretical and applied implications of the results are discussed.
Spinal cord ischemia after abdominal aortic procedures: Is previous colectomy a risk factor?

Pelvic ischemia is a potential cause of spinal cord infarction after abdominal aortic surgery. Although postoperative cord ischemia is often unpredictable, certain patient subgroups may be at greater risk and identified as such before surgery. The case of a 64-year-old man who became paraplegic after an infrarenal aortoiliac aneurysm repair is reported. He had lost his mesenteric arcade as a result of a prior colectomy. Aortoiliac reconstruction required the interruption of antegrade hypogastric blood flow. Restoring circulation to at least one hypogastric artery is a tenet of modern aortic surgery. However, the loss of both internal iliac arteries and the occlusion of the inferior mesenteric artery at its origin are occasionally well tolerated because of a mesenteric collateral pathway. Colectomy eliminates the mesenteric arcade and further increases the risk of spinal ischemia when attempts at pelvic revascularization have failed.
Geostationary atmospheric infrared sounder: trace gases sensitivity

The NASA sponsored Advanced Geosynchronous Studies (AGS) program is to conduct intensive studies to demonstrate the use of advanced new technologies and instruments on geosynchronous satellites to improve our current capabilities of monitoring the global weather, climate, and chemistry. The Geostationary Atmospheric Sounder (GAS), to be developed under AGS, is intended to demonstrate a new space-based infrared imaging interferometer that is well suited for achieving the high temporal and spatial global coverage of cloud motion, water vapor transport, thermal and moisture vertical profiles, land and ocean surface temperature, and trace gas concentrations. The AGS technology demonstrations will show the capabilities of passive infrared observations from future NOAA geostationary operational sounders. The focus of this presentation is to provide quantitative assessments of a few design configurations for the trace gases sounding feasibility from geostationary orbit. Trade-off studies of spectral, temporal, and spatial resolution are to be emphasized. Preliminary conclusions for the design of an operational geo sounder for chemistry applications will be made.
Changes in the collagenolytic activity released by primary VX-2 carcinoma cultures as a function of tumor growth

Serum-free media of minced tissue cultures of VX-2 rabbit carcinoma contained a specific collagenolytic activity capable of releasing soluble radioactive peptides from [14C]-labeled collagen fibrils. It was also capable of reducing the viscosity of acid-soluble collagen solutions by cleaving the tropocollagen (TC) molecules primarily at one site to TCA (75%) and TCB (25%) fragments. Three chromatographic fractions were separated by gel filtration: F1, (MW 85-110,000) present in larger amounts in early cultures of younger tumor tissue; F2, (MW 35-40,000) the major component with maximum production in the day 3 media of younger and advanced tumor tissues; F3, (MW 18-22,000) the minor component. Early cultures of younger tumor tissue contained a latent collagenase and were subject to trypsin activation suggesting the presence of inactive enzyme precursors or an enzyme-inhibitor complex.
COMPREHENSION MONITORING IN GOOD AND POOR READERS: EVIDENCE FROM VERBAL AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES

The present study examined the ability of second grade good and poor readers to monitor their comprehension of inconsistent texts. Comprehension monitoring was assessed by both a performance measure (underlining inconsistencies) as well as verbal measures (ratings of passage comprehensibility and liking). Because poor readers equate adequate comprehension with accurate decoding, while good reader equate adequate comprehension with accurately deriving the meaning of a text, it was expected that performance and verbal measures of comprehension monitoring would be related for good but not for poor readers. As predicted, self‐reports of comprehension and liking were highly related to the performance measure of error detection for good readers but not for poor readers. The implications of these results for assessing comprehension monitoring ability are discussed.
Effect of alignment and tolerances on reverse raytrace calibration

There are several sources of error in interferometry to consider when testing surfaces in a non-null configuration. A model of the interferometer is typically used to calibrate these errors, but the model differs from the actual interferometer due to the alignment and tolerance of individual components. Reverse raytrace calibration using a model that differs from the real system corrects some errors but introduces others. Reverse optimization using measurements from known test configurations or configuration changes can produce a model that better reflects the real system. This paper addresses the tolerances required to obtain calibration precision from reverse ray tracing. The sources of error can be separated in a way that allows the amount of correction to be compared to the generated errors from misalignment. These errors can be expressed in a generic way that can be applied to any arbitrary interferometer architecture or test surface shape. The simulation results of a standard interferometer with standard tolerances shows that errors corrected by reverse ray tracing can be on the same order as the errors generated by reverse ray tracing an incorrect model. The efficacy of the calibration method resides in correction of other errors such as distortion and ray intercept coordinate error. These corrections are much larger than misalignment errors for surfaces with large departures. This method can be used to determine the level of interferometer component alignment required to accurately measure large departure surfaces with reverse ray tracing.
Section 13 SEC reporting by advisers and brokers and Section 16 SEC reporting by “insiders” of public companies

Purpose – To explain reporting requirements under Section 13 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) that must be followed by advisers and brokers who exercise investment discretion over accounts that hold exchange‐traded equity securities, and to describe reporting requirements under Section 16 of the Exchange Act on certain persons considered “insiders” of a company that has a class of equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.Design/methodology/approach – Describes the required reporting of significant acquisition and ownership positions on Schedules 13G and 13D, including the obligations of exempt investors, passive investors, and firms and their control persons; describes the required reporting of equity positions in managed portfolios of more than $100 million on Form 13F; and describes the reporting obligations of “insiders” (directors, officers, and principal stockholders) under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, including the content of Form 3 – Initial St...
Causes and Prognosis in 4,278 Cases of Paralysis of the Oculomotor, Trochlear, and Abducens Cranial Nerves

We collected data from a large series of patients with ocular palsies and compared them with data in previous series from the Mayo Clinic. The largest group of patients among 4,278 cases was that in which the cause was undetermined for a long period of follow-up. The abducens nerve was most commonly affected. The probability of establishing a diagnosis was higher in patients younger than 50 years and among those with associated neurologic findings or multiple ocular palsies. The prognosis for recovery was best in the vascular group but was better than 50% for all groups except those with tumors. Investigation may be tailored to each patient according to clinical findings and probabilities of finding a cause, and judicious clinical judgment should be exercised.
Probing Ground‐state Hole Transfer Between Equivalent, Electrochemically Inaccessible States in Multiporphyrin Arrays Using Time‐resolved Optical Spectroscopy

A new strategy is described and implemented for determining the rates of hole-transfer between equivalent porphyrins in multiporphyrin architectures. The approach allows access to these rates between sites that are not the most easily oxidized components of the array. The specific architectures investigated with this new strategy are triads consisting of one zinc porphyrin (Zn) and two free base porphyrins (Fb). The triads employ a diphenylethyne linker (ZnFbFbU) and a phenylene linker (ZnFbFbPhi). The zinc porphyrin is selectively oxidized to produce Zn(+)FbFb, the free base porphyrins are excited to produce the excited-state mixture Zn(+)Fb*Fb and Zn(+)FbFb*, and the subsequent dynamics are monitored by ultrafast absorption spectroscopy. The system evolves by a combination of energy- and hole-transfer processes involving (adjacent and nonadjacent) zinc and free base porphyrin constituents that are complete within 100 ps of excitation; the rate constants of many of these processes are derived from prior studies of the oxidized forms of the benchmark dyads (ZnFbU and ZnFbPhi). One of the excited-state decay channels produces the metastable state ZnFbFb(+) that decays to a second metastable state ZnFb(+)Fb by the target hole-transfer process, followed by rapid hole transfer to produce the Zn(+)FbFb thermodynamic ground state of the system. The rate constant for hole transfer between the free base porphyrins in the oxidized ZnFbFb triads is found to be (0.5 ns)(-1) and (0.6 ns)(-1) across phenylene and diphenylethyne linkers, respectively. These rate constants are comparable to those recently measured, using a related but distinct strategy, for ground-state hole transfer between zinc porphyrins in oxidized ZnZnFb triads. The two complementary strategies provide unique approaches for probing hole transfer between equivalent sites in multiporphyrin arrays, with the choice of method being guided by the particular target process and the ease of synthesis of the necessary architectures.
Shear Resistance of Transversely Stiffened Steel I-Girders

This paper evaluates the accuracy and ease of use of 12 of the most promising models for the shear resistance of transversely stiffened steel I-girders. Several models that are well established in civil engineering practice as well as a number of other recently proposed models are considered. As the model developed in Basler's seminal research is the method of choice in current American practice, the paper focuses on the merits and limitations of the alternative models relative to Basler's. Statistical analyses are conducted on the predictions by the various models using an updated data set from 129 experimental shear tests, including 30 hybrid and 11 horizontally curved I-girders. The results support the conclusion that the form of Basler's model implemented in 2004 AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications and 2005 AISC Specification for Structural Steel Buildings gives the best combination of accuracy and simplicity for calculation of the shear resistance of transversely stiffened steel I-girders.
Influence of the excitation frequency in the electromechanical impedance method for SHM applications

Electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique is receiving increasing attention in the area of structural health monitoring (SHM). In this technique, piezoelectric transducer (PZT) is either surface bonded to or embedded inside the host structure to be monitored. The PZT actuates harmonically in the presence of electric field to produce a structural response over a wide range of frequency, which is known as 'admittance signature'. These signatures serve as indicator to predict the health of the structure, any change in the signature is indication of presence of damage or other degradation in the structure. Sometimes the raw data associated with the applied frequency range is in excess of necessary data. In the present paper, an EMI based experimental study was conducted on steel, aluminum and concrete specimens to monitor load, crack and curing respectively for various frequency ranges. Admittance signatures of specimens were acquired for a wide frequency range of excitation. Later, statistical index was adopted to measure and compare the sensitivities for various narrower ranges within the wide frequency range. Additionally a novel signature gradient was used to characterize signatures at each frequency. Thus in this study an evaluation of sensitivity of EMI technique for various frequency bands to monitor load, crack and curing process was carried out in order to find out necessary frequency band suitable form wide frequency range. It is demonstrated that this approach can be applied to real structures and an initial assessment can be made to eliminate unnecessary data acquisition.