cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of Vertical Stiffness Gradient on the Maximum Divergence Angle

Introduction During vocal fold vibration, the medial surface of both folds forms a convergent shape during opening and a divergent shape during closing. A greater maximum divergence angle is associated with greater closing forces which will increase the closing speed of the glottis. An increased closing speed results in a greater acoustic intensity and greater vocal efficiency. Indentation testing showed that as the strain increases, the inferior aspect of the folds becomes stiffer than the superior aspect, resulting in the vertical stiffness gradient (VSG). We hypothesize that a reduction of the vertical stiffness gradient will reduce the maximum divergence angle. Methods Four excised canine larynges were tested. Stress-strain curves of the superior and inferior aspects of the fold in the mid membranous plane of the baseline larynges were taken using the indentation method. Calcium hydroxylapatite (CaHA) crystals were then injected into the superior aspect of the fold. The stress-strain tests were repeated. Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) of the intraglottal velocity fields was performed in three larynges at different subglottal pressures in the mid coronal plane for the baseline and CaHA-injected larynges. Results CaHA injection reduced the inferior-superior stiffness gradient in all larynges. The maximal divergence angle was markedly reduced. In some cases, there was not a divergent angle. Discussion Marked reduction of the vertical stiffness gradient significantly reduces the maximum divergence angle. Clinical implications will be discussed. Level of evidence NA Laryngoscope, 131:E1934-E1940, 2021.
The Prokudin-Gorskii Collection of Early 20th Century Color Photographs of Russia at the Library of Congress: Unexpected Consequences of the Digitization of the Collection, 2000–2017

The article describes activities in Russia related to the Library of Congress’ Prokudin-Gorskii collection of early 20th century color photographs. The collection was digitized in 1999/2000 and is ...
Cu2O nanoparticle-catalyzed synthesis of diaryl tetrazolones and investigation of their solid-state properties

An efficient and versatile method for the synthesis of 1,4-diaryl tetrazolones 1 is reported which involves C–N coupling of aryl tetrazolones 2 with aryl boronic acids 3 in the presence of Cu2O nanoparticles under an oxygen atmosphere and DMSO as solvent. The reaction tolerates a variety of electron donating and electron withdrawing substituents on both substrates and produces the desired 1,4-diaryl tetrazolones 1 in moderate to good yields. In the crystal lattice, the molecules exhibit π⋯π stacking interactions between the adjacent layers as well as weak through-space electrostatic C–H⋯O interactions involving the pendant rings and tetrazolone carbonyl. 1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-4-(3-tolyl)-1,4-dihydro-5H-tetrazol-5-one 1bk and 1-(3-fluorophenyl)-4-(4-methoxyphenyl)-1,4-dihydro-5H-tetrazol-5-one 1be, differing only in the presence of one group (methyl or fluoro), exhibited an identical pattern of noncovalent interactions in the solid-state. Hirshfeld surface analyses have also been performed to visualize intermolecular interactions.
Efficiency of Cournot and Bertrand Equilibria with Non-cooperative and Cooperative R&D in Presence of Product Differentiation:

Strategic cooperative and non-cooperative R&D decisions are analysed in the presence of R&D spillover and product differentiation. Using a two-stage game it is shown that in both Cournot and Bertra...
Engineering Nearest Neighbor Coupling in Huygens Metasurfaces

Nearest neighbor coupling in antenna systems tends to reduce the overall optical efficiency of the system. Here, we compare arrays of disc and donut resonators that confine the impinging beam locally. Maximum optical efficiency of 70% for anomalous refraction is achieved.
Severity of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease and Associated Healthcare Resource Utilization, Cost, and Outcomes.

ABSTRACT Acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) contributes to poor outcomes and increased healthcare resource utilization (HRU) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). However, HRU and the economic burden of aGVHD based on severity of the disease is not well characterized. Our study cohort comprised 290 adults who underwent allogeneic HCT between 2010 and 2018. Costs, HRU, and all-cause mortality in the 100-day and 365-day periods after HCT were compared between patients with aGVHD and those without aGVHD. The impact of aGVHD severity and gastrointestinal (GI) involvement on mortality, HRU, and economic burden was also evaluated. Medical costs and total hospital length of stay (LOS) were retrieved from administrative data that allocate costs to services based on departmental input for resource use and were adjusted to 2018 dollars. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare the number of inpatient days and total costs. Multivariable linear regression was fitted on log-transformed costs. Compared with patients without aGVHD, those with aGVHD had a significantly greater median hospital LOS (28 days versus 22 days) and higher rates of intensive care unit (ICU) admission (13% versus 6%) and rehospitalization (59% versus 38%) during the first 100 days post-HCT. The presence of grade I-II aGVHD significantly prolonged the hospital LOS by a median of 3 days and increased the readmission rate by 18%, whereas grade III-IV aGVHD was associated with a nearly 30% increase in the readmission rate and a doubling of inpatient LOS, ICU admission rate, and mortality in the first 100 days post-HCT. Compared with the absence of aGVHD, lower GI involvement in aGVHD was also associated with increased risk of readmission (30%) and twice as many inpatient days, doubling the likelihood of ICU admission and mortality over the first 100 days. Similar findings were observed over days 101 to 365 post-HCT. The mean cost attributable to aGVHD regardless of grade was $60,923 in the first 100 days post-HCT. This cost varied by grade. The mean aGVHD- attributable costs were $18,071 for grade I, $36,115 for grade II and $120,929 for grade III/IV aGVHD and $114,668 for aGVHD involving the lower GI tract. In the 101- to 365-day period, the mean attributable aGVHD cost regardless of grade was $17,527. This cost also varied by grade. There were no additional aGVHD-attributable costs for grade I, but the mean aGVHD-attributable costs were $9743 for grade II, $62,220 for grade III/IV, and $55,724 for aGVHD with lower GI involvement compared with the controls without aGVHD. High-grade aGVHD and GI involvement in aGVHD, especially lower GI aGVHD, is associated with a considerably increased mortality and healthcare economic burden. Therefore, it is imperative that new therapeutic strategies be developed for this patient population.
It is the same headline, just not as believable: The role of expectancy violations in perceptions about news attributed to multiple sources:

Expectancy violations play important roles as heuristics in communication processes, yet prior research has focused more on incongruence between (news) sources and messages rather than assessing ex...
Morphological and phenological comparisons of two Hopi maize varieties conserved in situ and ex situ

Over the last twenty-five years, crop genetic resources (CGR) have been preserved in genebanks around the world for use by formal plant breeders. Recently conservation of folk crop varieties for direct use by the farmer-breeders of traditional agricultural communities has been suggested as another purpose for CGR conservation. While both in and ex situ CGR conservation programs have been proposed to meet the needs of formal plant breeders and farming communities, the needs and goals of the two groups are different. Formal breeders seek maximum allelic diversity while farmer-breeders are interested in both diversity and population structure that provide local adaptation. Based on the morphological and phenological data analyzed for this study of two Hopi maize varieties conserved in and ex situ, it appears that both genetic shift and genetic drift have occurred ex situ, and that populations conserved ex situ are different from those maintained in situ. These findings suggest that CGR conservation strategies must be re-evaluated in light of the specific conservation goals that are sought.
The Middle Yangtze region in China is one place where rice was domesticated: phytolith evidence from the Diaotonghuan Cave, Northern Jiangxi

Rice, Oryza sativa L., is one of the most important cereal crops in the world, and its emergence as a domesticated subsistence plant drives much of the interest and research in archaeology in South and East Asia. The homeland of domesticated rice has been proposed as: 1 a specific area, such as India (Vavilov 1926; Ramiah & Ghose 1951), South China (Ding 1957), Southeast Asia (Spencer 1963) and the Yangtze valley in China (Yan 1982; 1989) 2 a biogeographic region, such as the so-called ‘belt region’ with a great diversity of Oryza species (Chang 1976), or 3 an ecological zone, such as coastal swamp habitats (Higham 1995).
Infrared Observations and Interstellar Molecules

It has been common practice to separate the study of interstellar matter from that of stellar evolution. However, infrared astronomy deals mainly with observations of stars forming and stars dying. Interstellar matter represents a phase intermediate between these two stages, part of a cyclic process (Figure 1).
Regional patterns and proximal causes of the recent snowpack decline in the Rocky Mountains, U.S.

[1] We used a first-order, monthly snow model and observations to disentangle seasonal influences on 20th century,regional snowpack anomalies in the Rocky Mountains of western North America, where interannual variations in cool-season (November–March) temperatures are broadly synchronous, but precipitation is typically antiphased north to south and uncorrelated with temperature. Over the previous eight centuries, regional snowpack variability exhibits strong, decadally persistent north-south (N-S) antiphasing of snowpack anomalies. Contrary to the normal regional antiphasing, two intervals of spatially synchronized snow deficits were identified. Snow deficits shown during the 1930s were synchronized north-south by low cool-season precipitation, with spring warming (February–March) since the 1980s driving the majority of the recent synchronous snow declines, especially across the low to middle elevations. Spring warming strongly influenced low snowpacks in the north after 1958, but not in the south until after 1980. The post-1980, synchronous snow decline reduced snow cover at low to middle elevations by ~20% and partly explains earlier and reduced streamflow and both longer and more active fire seasons. Climatologies of Rocky Mountain snowpack are shown to be seasonally and regionally complex, with Pacific decadal variability positively reinforcing the anthropogenic warming trend.
Cross-presentation of peptides from intracellular pathogens by MHC class I molecules

Many prokaryotic and eukaryotic parasites multiply in specialized subcellular niches in the host cell. The invading microbes hijack key cellular functions to establish the intracellular niches but, unlike viruses, do not need the protein synthesis machinery of host cells to replicate. Circulating CD8+ T cells provide protective immunity by recognizing pathogen-derived peptide major histocompatibility complex class I molecules (pMHC I) expressed by infected cells. Here, we review studies on the complex and varied pathways that produce the appropriate pMHC I as ligands for the CD8+ T cells. We also discuss possible explanations for the curious observations that CD8+ T cells are specific for fewer pMHC I ligands in parasite infections compared to the diversity of pMHC I ligands in viral infections.
Prestressed Concrete: A Fundamental Approach

1. Basic Concepts 2. Materials and Systems for Prestressing 3. Partial Loss of Prestress 4. Flexural Design of Prestressed Concrete Elements 5. Shear and Torsional Strength Design 6. Indeterminate Prestressed Concrete Structures 7. Camber, Deflection, and Crack Control 8. Prestressed Compression and Tension Members 9. Two-Way Prestressed Concrete Floor Systems 10. Connections for Prestressed Concrete Elements 11. Prestressed Concrete Circular Storage Tanks and Steel Roofs 12. LRFD and Standard AASHTO Design of Concrete Bridges 13. Seismic Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures Appendix A: Unit Conversions, Design Information, Properties of Reinforcement Appendix B: Selected Typical Standard Precast Double Tees, Inverted Tees, Hollow Core Sections, and AASHTO Bridge Sections Index
A regulatory cis element and a specific binding factor involved in the mitogenic control of murine ribosomal protein L32 translation

The mRNA encoding ribosomal protein L32 redistributes from untranslated subribosomal particles into polysomes after mitogenic activation of quiescent T-lymphocytes and fibroblasts. To identify the regions of the L32 mRNA which are important in regulating its cytoplasmic location we constructed a plasmid containing the murine L32 cDNA under the control of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) long terminal repeat promoter and introduced this construct into murine 3T3 fibroblasts. The mRNA transcribed from the RSV-L32 construct redistributed from subribosomal particles into polysomes in response to mitogenic activation in a manner similar to endogenous L32 mRNA. A conserved polypyrimidine region present at the 5' terminus of all ribosomal protein mRNAs is required for translational regulation of L32 mRNA since deletion of this sequence resulted in a mRNA that was not sequestered in subribosomal particles in quiescent cells. A radioactive RNA probe containing the first 34 nucleotides of the L32 5'-untranslated region, including the polypyrimidine region, specifically interacted with a protein of about 56 kDa. This protein did not bind detectably to RNA probes lacking the polypyrimidine sequence. Binding activity was similar in protein extracts made from resting and activated cells, suggesting that binding of the 56-kDa protein as measured in this assay is not regulated. This protein is a member of what may be an emerging family of polyribopyrimidine-binding proteins with diverse biochemical functions.
Short Sales, Informed Trading, and Merger Announcements

Research argues that short sellers are informed investors as current short selling relates inversely with future returns. However, empirical results have yet to determine whether short sellers trade on private information before, say, an upcoming negative new. This paper takes a step in this direction by examining both shorting activity and the information contained in shorting activity around merger announcements. Results in this study do not show evidence of abnormal short selling in acquiring firms’ stocks prior the announcement of mergers. While we show a surge in shorting activity after the announcement, we find that the common negative relation between current shorting activity and future returns is weaker than normal during the post-announcement period. Further, we do not find evidence that the reaction to the announcement by short sellers is driven by factors that drive the post-announcement underperformance in acquiring firms. We are left to conclude that short sellers are neither privately informed nor superior in their ability to process information around merger announcements.
Thermally Triggered Degradation of Transient Electronic Devices

Thermally triggered transient electronics using wax-encapsulated acid, which enable rapid device destruction via acidic degradation of the metal electronic components are reported. Using a cyclic poly(phthalaldehyde) (cPPA) substrate affords a more rapid destruction of the device due to acidic depolymerization of cPPA.
An alternative interpretation of superconvergence

The superconvergent property of the discrete solution to certain one-dimensional problems is examined in the context of the weighted residual difference equations and their conservation properties. The difference equations are shown to satisfy the differential equation exactly at nodes and reproduce the derivatives at boundary nodes. The exact values for the first derivative at interior nodes follow from the conservation property when applied locally.
Cross-species axial signaling, with realignment of retinal axes, in embryonic Xenopus eyes.

Abstract The locus specificities which enable retinal ganglion cells to assemble a topographic retinotectal map are patterned about a pair of (anteroposterior and dorsoventral) retinal axes set down in the early eye bud. We have transplanted a Xenopus laevis eye bud, at stage 23 24 when the retinal field is still responsive to the axial signals from the surrounding tissues, into the enucleated eye socket of a comparable stage Ambystoma maculatum embryo. Three days later, when the Xenopus eye had reached early larval stages and was no longer responsive to extraocular signals, the eye was retransplanted into the socket of the Xenopus final carrier embryo. The pattern of retinotectal connections between the eye and the carrier's optic tectum was examined by electrophysiological analysis of the visuotectal projections. The results indicated that many of the retinae had patterned locus specificities about axes derived from the salamander intermediate host. We infer that axial signaling involves fundamental cellular processes which have been highly conserved during evolution.
Speech Discrimination in an Aging Population

The Rhyme Test of speech discrimination was used to study the relationship between speech discrimination scores and aging in 55 elderly adults. Test-retest reliability of the scores, the relationsh...
Visual Tracking and Eye-Hand Coordination in the Horizontal and Vertical Plane

A study of visual tracking was conducted to determine the influence of tracking direction and task type on the pattern of eye movements. The 3×4-factorial experiment with repeated measures showed that smooth eye movements were: (1) longer in the horizontal than vertical plane; (2) longer in the downward than upward direction; (3) influenced by the type of task. The results may be relevant for employee training and design of workstations in respect to electronic information display and hand coordination, visual inspection, and work under the microscope.
Information seeking and use by battered women: A “person-in-progressive-situations” approach

Abstract Although little research has specifically focused on the information behavior of battered women, many studies designed with other intentions reveal useful insights into the role of information in battered women's lives. Studying battered women's information behavior offers insights that can serve as a basis for developing strategies to meet their information needs. This article develops an expanded version of the person-in-situation model: a “person-in-progressive-situations” model. The proposed model creates a picture of the changes in information needs, seeking, and use at various stages in the progression of abuse. The expanded model also considers three categories of barriers that constrain the battered woman's information-seeking alternatives: personal, responsive, and situational. The model reveals many implications for librarians and other information providers seeking to address the information needs of battered women and implications for further research.
Measuring the costs of photovoltaics in an electric utility planning framework

Utility planning models evaluate alternative generating options using the revenue requirements method—an engineering-oriented, discounted cash-flow (DCF) methodology that has been widely used for over three decades. Discounted cash-flow techniques were conceived in the context of active expense-intensive technologies, such as conventional, fuel-intensive power generation. Photovoltaic (PV) technology, by contrast, is passive and capital intensive—attributes that are similar to those of other new process technolgies, such as computer-integrated manufacturing. Discounted cash-flow techniques have a dismal record for correctly valuing new technologies with these attributes, in part because their benefits cannot be easily measured using tradiational accounting concepts. This paper examines how these issues affect cost measurement in both conventional and PV-based electricity, and presents kWh-cost estimates for three technologies (coal, gas and PV) using risk-adjusted approaches, which suggest that PV costs are generally equivalent to the gas/combined cycle and about twice the cost of base-load coal (environmental externalities are ignored). Finally, the paper evaluates independent power purchases for a typical US utility and finds that in such a setting the cost of PV-based power is comparable to the firm's published avoided costs.
Lacrimal sac diverticulum due to Rhinosporidiosis

Rhinosporidiosis is a disease affecting primarily the mucosa of nose, conjunctiva and urethra. Larynx, trachea, skin and lungs are less frequently involved. It is endemic in some Asiatic regions, affecting people of any age and sex. Its manifestation is a polypoid mass growing inside the affected nasal cavity and the treatment is surgical excision, with adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Rhinosporidium seeberi is the aetiological agent. The lesion may recur and sometimes cause osteolytic bone lesions. A case of Rhinosporidiosis with an unusual feature of spread to the nasopharyngeal area and chronicity of 2 years is presented.
Histamine release from mast cells by terpenoid aldehydes isolated from glanded varieties of cotton.

In vivo and in vitro experiments have strongly indicated that mast cell degranulation, with its release of histamine and other pharmacoactive compounds, plays a major role in the acute respiratory response of humans following inhalation of cotton textile dust. Thirteen terpenoid aldehydes isolated from the glands of the two major Gossypium species used for cotton production, stimulated significant release of histamine from mast cells at concentrations of 1 µg/mL. Eleven of the thirteen compounds produce significant mast cell degranulation at concentrations well below the levels of free terpenoid aldehydes that could be expected to enter the lungs during an eight hour work day under the current permissible card room standards of 200 µg per cubic meter. Daily mast cell degranulation, stimulated by these terpenoid aldehydes, could account for many of the pathophysiological changes found in the chronic byssinotic.
Assessing the Reliability of Four Standard Health Measures in a Sample of Older, Urban Adults

Increasing attention is being paid to racial and ethnic differences in the structure and measurement of physical health and mental health constructs. The objective of this study was to examine the reliability of four measures of physical health and mental health in a sample of 400 older (50+ years) African Americans and Caucasians. These measures are the instrumental activities of daily living and activities of daily living scales of the National Chronic Care Consortium Health Risk Appraisal Survey, the SF-12, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale, and the John Henryism Active Coping Scale. The measures were tested by racial group. The results of factor analyses reveal that the overall reliability of each scale, as measured by Cronbach’s alpha, was near or above .70. However, the item-to-scale correlations of many of these scales were low. This finding indicates that the measurement of the constructs may be different for older African Americans and Caucasians.
Manganese and Sulfate Removal from a Synthetic Mine Drainage Through Pilot Scale Bioreactor Batch Experiments

Mine drainage is a significant problem in the Appalachian Plateau due to elevated metal and solute concentrations. Most metals may be removed by oxidation/precipitation or natural buffering, but Mn is more difficult to remove due to its higher solubility. Some mine drainages in southeastern Kentucky have average sulfate and Mn concentrations exceeding 1,300 and 30 mg L−1, respectively. Manganese does not readily form sulfidic minerals, and MnS precipitation following sulfate reduction has not proven to be a promising pathway for permanent Mn immobilization. Our study involved batch experiments with five different organic carbon sources in combination with five inorganic substrates to treat a simulated mine drainage with pH 6.2 and Mn and sulfate concentrations of 90 and 1,500 mg/L, respectively. The Mn removal capacity varied widely between treatment mixtures, from 80%. The most effective treatment was provided by the biosolids or wood mulch amendments in combination with the creek sediment. Sulfate reduction levels were not stoichiometrically matched with MnS formation, suggesting that the prevalent Mn removal mechanisms were sorption and precipitation as oxide, oxy-hydroxide and carbonate, rather than Mn-sulfide phases.
Resolution of pansclerotic morphea after treatment with antithymocyte globulin

Song and colleagues describe the diagnosis and treatment of a 50-year old man with pansclerotic morphea with immune-mediated bone-marrow failure and cytopenias. Although standard therapies for fibrotic skin disorders were ineffective, the patient responded to T-cell-targeted treatment with antithymocyte globulin. Background. A previously healthy 50-year-old man presented with thickening and hardening of the skin on his trunk, neck and upper extremities that had started after the appearance of a 5 cm web-like patch of blood vessels on his upper chest and progressed over 4 months. He also reported difficulties with swallowing and a 20 kg weight loss. Investigations. Physical examination, laboratory testing, including complete blood count, autoimmune serology for antiplatelet, antinuclear and extractable nuclear antibodies, direct antiglobulin test, incisional skin biopsy, bone-marrow biopsy, and MRI of the upper extremities. Diagnosis. Pansclerotic morphea associated with red cell aplasia and immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. Management. Treatment with prednisone 60 mg per day and methotrexate 15 mg per week was started, but symptoms worsened. Methotrexate was replaced by pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone (1 g daily for 3 days), followed by mycophenolate mofetil started at 1 g per day and titrated up over 4 weeks to 3 g per day. Severe bicytopenia developed that did not improve with an 8-week washout of immunosuppressive agents. His fibrotic skin and hematologic conditions dramatically responded to antithymocyte globulin 40 mg/kg daily for 4 days, plus 10 mg/kg ciclosporin and methylprednisolone 1 mg/kg per day.
Semifluorinated polymers: 1. Synthesis and characterization of side chain liquid crystalline polymers containing semifluorinated oligooxyethylene based flexible spacers

Abstract The synthesis and characterization of polymethacrylates, polyacrylates and polysiloxanes containing 4-methoxy-4′-hydroxybiphenyl (4-BP), 4-methoxy-4′-hydroxy-α-methylstilbene (4-MS) and 4-hydroxy-4′-methoxy-α-methylstilbene (4′-MS) mesogenic groups and a semifluorinated triad based on tetrafluorooxetane, hexafluoropropylene oxide and trifluoroethylene oxide is described. All polymers display a SA mesophase and side chain crystallization. In the case of polymers based on 4-MS and 4′-MS the highest degree of decoupling seems to be displayed by the polymethacrylates. This result is in contrast to the behaviour of the corresponding polymers containing aliphatic spacers. The polymethacrylate based on 4-BP displays an unusual ‘inverse’ monotropic SA·mesophase which to our knowledge was not previously encountered in any liquid crystal systems. The synthesis and characterization of copolymethacrylates and copolysiloxanes containing 4-methoxy-4′-hydroxy-α-methylstilbene and 4-hydroxy-4′-methoxy-α-methylstilbene constitutional isomers is also described.
Carpal tunnel syndrome in female nurse anesthetists versus operating room nurses: prevalence, laterality, and impact of handedness.

Nurse anesthesia may be a high-risk occupation for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the workplace. We designed a cross-sectional investigation to study the prevalence of CTS in nurse anesthetists (NAs) as compared with operating room nurses (ORNs). Two-hundred forty-four female operating room workers
Preclinical evaluation of targeting the Nrf2 pathway by triterpenoids (CDDO-Im and CDDO-Me) for protection from LPS-induced inflammatory response and reactive oxygen species in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and neutrophils

Sepsis is characterized by an inappropriate host immune-inflammatory response and sustained oxidative damage. Nrf2, a bZIP oxidant-responsive transcription factor, regulates a battery of cytoprotective genes including antioxidants and maintains cellular redox homeostasis. Mouse studies have demonstrated a critical role of Nrf2 in improving survival during sepsis. This preclinical ex vivo study using neutrophils and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as a surrogate cells evaluates the efficacy of CDDO-Im and CDDO-Me [imidazole and methyl ester derivative of 2-cyano-3,12-dioxooleana-1,9(11)-dien-28-oic acid (CDDO)] to activate the Nrf2 pathway and protect from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response in humans. CDDO-Im treatment significantly induced Nrf2–dependent antioxidative genes (HO-1, GCLC, GCLM, and NQO1) in PBMCs isolated from six normal subjects. CDDO-Im increased nuclear accumulation of Nrf2 protein. Pretreatment of PBMC by CDDO-Im significantly attenuated LPS-induced cytoki...
Local structure and vibrational spectra of vAs2O3

Abstract We discuss the atomic displacements of the optically active vibrational modes of vitreous (v-)As2O3 through comparisons of the infrared (ir) and Raman response with the corresponding spectra of the two crystalline polymorphs, claudetite, a layer crystal similar to orpiment, and arsenolite, a molecular crystal based on the As4O6 molecule. We conclude from these comparisons that the structure of the glass is composed of AsO 3 2 pyramidal units that are corner connected to form a continuous random network. The character of the strong ir and polarized Raman modes in the vitreous form, suggests that the interconnection of these pyramidal units cannot be described by a random distribution of dihedral angles, but rather has peaks at angles characteristic of the different ordering in two-dimensional macromolecular layer basis of claudetite, and the As4O6 molecule. The comparisons are extended to v-As2S3 and vAs2Se3 where we conclude the dihedral angle distributions characteristic of an As4O6-like local geometry are less prevalent.
Allelopathic activity in wheat-conventional and wheat-no-till soils: Development of soil extract bioassays

The primary objective of this research was to determine if soil extracts could be used directly in bioassays for the detection of allelopathic activity. Here we describe: (1) a way to estimate levels of allelopathic compounds in soil; (2) how pH, solute potential, and/or ion content of extracts may modify the action of allelopathic compounds on germination and radicle and hypocotyl length of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) and ivyleaved morning glory (Ipomoea hederacea L. Jacquin.); and (3) how biological activity of soil extracts may be determined. A water-autoclave extraction procedure was chosen over the immediate-water and 5-hr EDTA extraction procedures, because the autoclave procedure was effective in extracting solution and reversibly bound ferulic acid as well as phenolic acids from wheat debris. The resulting soil extracts were used directly in germination bioassays. A mixture of phenolic acids similar to that obtained from wheat-no-till soils did not affect germination of clover or morning glory and radicle and hypocotyl length of morning glory. The mixture did, however, reduce radicle and hypocotyl length of clover. Individual phenolic acids also did not inhibit germination, but did reduce radicle and hypocotyl length of both species. 6-MBOA (6-methoxy-2,3-benzoxazolinone), a conversion product of 2-o-glucosyl-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one, a hydroxamic acid in living wheat plants, inhibited germination and radicle and hypocotyl length of clover and morning glory. 6-MBOA, however, was not detected in wheat debris, stubble, or soil extracts. Total phenolic acids (FC) in extracts were determined with Folin and Ciocalteu's phenol reagent. Levels of FC in wheat-conventionaltill soil extracts were not related to germination or radicle and hypocotyl length of either species. Levels of FC in wheat-no-till soil extracts were also not related to germination of clover or morning glory, but were inversely related to radicle and hypocotyl length of clover and morning glory. FC values, solute potential, and acidity of wheat-no-till soil extracts appeared to be independent (additive) in action on clover radicle and hypocotyl length. Radicle and hypocotyl length of clover was inversely related to increasing FC and solute potential and directly related to decreasing acidity. Biological activity of extracts was determined best from slopes of radicle and hypocotyl length obtained from bioassays of extract dilutions. Thus, data derived from the water-autoclave extraction procedure, FC analysis, and slope analysis for extract activity in conjunction with data on extract pH and solute potential can be used to estimate allelopathic activity of wheat-no-till soils
Knowledge and conviction

Much philosophical effort has been exerted over problems having to do with the correct analysis and application of the concept of epistemic justification. While I do not wish to dispute the central place of this problem in contemporary epistemology, it seems to me that there is a general neglect of the belief condition for knowledge. In this paper I offer an analysis of ‘degrees of belief’ in terms of a quality I label ‘conviction’, go on to argue that one requires more conviction in a proposition in order to know it than to merely believe it, and conclude by suggesting that some current epistemological issues admit of new insight when we begin taking conviction seriously.
Spatial Distribution of Airborne Polychlorinated Biphenyls in Cleveland, Ohio and Chicago, Illinois†

Passive samplers were deployed across Cleveland, OH and Chicago, IL to evaluate the spatial variability of airborne PCBs in urban areas. We measured ΣPCB concentrations, the sum of 151 congeners or congener groups quantified using tandem mass spectrometry, spatial distributions, and congener profiles in two urban areas in the Great Lakes region. Mean ΣPCB concentrations were significantly different between Cleveland (1.73 ± 1.16 ng m−3) and Chicago (1.13 ± 0.58 ng m−3) during the August 2008 sampling period. Mean congener profiles were compared with commercial Aroclor mixtures and found to be similar to Aroclor 1242 in Cleveland and similar to a mixture of 1242 and 1254 in Chicago. We observed large spatial variation in concentrations and weak or no significant autocorrelation between sites in both cities. “Hot spots” of high ΣPCB concentrations were identified in both urban areas and the congener profiles at these locations were most strongly correlated to that of PCB Aroclor mixtures. Congener profiles ...
Developing Student Critical Thinking Skills through Teaching Psychology: An Interview with Claudio S. Hutz

Sherri McCarthy-Tucker is an associate professor of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Human Relations at Northern Arizona University. Her published research includes studies of critical thinking, adolescent development, and effective teaching strategies for psychology courses. She has also written two books: Coping With Special Needs Classmates addresses special education strategies and A Death in the Family summarizes techniques of grief and bereavement counseling. Her teaching interests are in general psychology, educational psychology, and adolescent development. McCarthy-Tucker's dissertation work in logical processes of adolescents allowed her to collaborate with Hutz. Claudio S. Hutz is dean of Instituto de Psicologia at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Porto Alegre, Brazil, where he has been teaching psychology courses since 1977. A scholar in critical thinking, he has collaborated with American scholars, including Robert Grinder, on this topic. His research has been published int...
Plaster: a bone substitute.

Abstract A review of the literature on the use of plaster of Paris in osseous regeneration has revealed that this simple, inexpensive substance offers many advantages as an implant for filling defects in bone. The material is stable, readily available, and can be easily sterilized. It is well tolerated by hard and soft tissues and can be used effectively in both endochondral and intermembranous bone defects. Its rapid rate of absorption, which coincides with the rate of new bone growth, makes it especially useful in repairing large defects. It does not stimulate foreign-body giant-cell activity and is useful in the treatment of infected osseous defects. In dentistry, plaster of Paris may be particularly useful as a vehicle to carry medicaments into infected areas where absorption may cause prolonged release of the medicament. Plaster can also be used effectively in extraction or cystic wounds and in surgical and osteomyelitic defects to facilitate restoration of normal morphologic contour and to rebuild resorbed alveolar ridges.
Second-hand exposure to aerosolized intravenous anesthetics propofol and fentanyl may cause sensitization and subsequent opiate addiction among anesthesiologists and surgeons

We hypothesize that aerosolization of anesthetics administered intravenously to patients in the operating room may be an unintended source of exposure to physicians. This may lead to inadvertent sensitization, which is associated with an increased risk for developing addiction. This may contribute to the over-representation of certain specialties among physicians with addiction. We retrospectively reviewed the de-identified demographic information of all licensed physicians treated for substance abuse in the State of Florida since 1980, to determine if medical specialty was associated with addiction in this group of individuals. Then, to identify the potential for exposure, two mass spectrometry assays were developed to detect two intravenously administered drugs, fentanyl and propofol, in air. Since 1980, 7.6% of licensed Florida physicians underwent treatment for addiction. Addiction in anesthesiologists was higher than expected. Opiate abuse was greater in anesthesiologists and surgeons compared to other specialties. Aerosolized fentanyl was detected in the air of the cardiothoracic operating room, in patients' expiratory circuits, and in the headspace above sharps boxes, but not in adjoining hallways. Aerosolized propofol was detected in the expirations of a patient undergoing transurethral prostatectomy. While access and stress may place anesthesiologists and surgeons at greater risk for substance abuse, an additional risk factor may be unintended occupational exposure to addictive drugs. This report provides preliminary evidence of detection of aerosolized intravenous anesthetics using two newly developed analytical methods. We conclude that the potential exists for chronic exposure to low levels of airborne intravenously administered drugs. Further studies are under way to determine the significance of this exposure.
From the “Streets” To “Normal Life”: Assessing the Role of Social Support in Release Planning for HIV-Positive and Substance-Involved Prisoners

In 2005, there were 20,888 prisoners in the U.S. prisons known to be HIV-positive, many substance-involved. The high reincarceration rate of substance-involved prisoners, coupled with the fact that substance-involved prisoners are more prone to HIV-risk behaviors in the community, necessitates attention to preventing substance use and HIV transmission risk behaviors of prisoners upon reentry to communities. We use a social support framework to explore the role of social support in HIV+ prisoners' expectations of release and postrelease plans. Interview data from 23 participants were collected from August 2005 to January 2006. Participants reported concerns about their ability to access needed formal and informal prosocial support upon release. Implications of these findings for release planning are discussed.
Field scale evaluation of volatile organic compound production inside biosecure swine mortality composts

Emergency mortality composting associated with a disease outbreak has special requirements to reduce the risks of pathogen survival and disease transmission. The most important requirements are to cover mortalities with biosecure barriers and avoid turning compost piles until the pathogens are inactivated. Temperature is the most commonly used parameter for assessing success of a biosecure composting process, but a decline in compost core temperature does not necessarily signify completion of the degradation process. In this study, gas concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced inside biosecure swine mortality composting units filled with six different cover/plant materials were monitored to test the state and completion of the process. Among the 55 compounds identified, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, and pyrimidine were found to be marker compounds of the process. Temperature at the end of eight weeks was not found as an indicator of swine carcass degradation. However, gas concentrations of the marker compounds at the end of eight weeks were found to be related to carcass degradation. The highest gas concentrations of the marker compounds were measured for the test units with the lowest degradation (highest respiration rates). Dimethyl disulfide was found to be the most robust marker compound as it was detected from all composting units in the eighth week of the trial. Concentration of dimethyl disulfide decreased from a range of 290-4340 ppmv to 6-160 ppbv. Dimethyl trisulfide concentrations decreased to a range of below detection limit to 430 ppbv while pyrimidine concentrations decreased to a range of below detection limit to 13 ppbv.
Public Reactions to Unusual Names

Abstract A sample of lower income Blacks, lower income Whites, higher income Blacks, and higher income Whites in the United States were asked about children's first names, the reasons the names were selected, and the identity of the persons who named the children. The most frequent reason for naming children in all four groups was “I/we just liked it.” The Whites were more likely than the Blacks to have named the child after a family member. Shoppers were then asked to rate the unusual names, along with a random sample of usual names, on six attributes: successful, moral, healthy, warm, cheerful, and gender appropriate. The shoppers were divided into eight groups in a two-income levels, two sexes, and two races design. The ratings were higher for usual names for all six attributes for all eight groups of raters. Although the unusual names had negative connotations for a wide variety of people in the community, name choices were usually the result of parents' current nonrational preferences.
Refracted Identity(ies) in Louis Chu's Eat a Bowl of Tea: Insularity as Impotence

Louis Chu's novel Eat a Bowl of Tea (1961) places the reader in the isolated, bachelor-dominated culture of New York's postWorld-War-II Chinatown. His exploration of the effects of exile on the most vital and cherished components of traditional culture is pervaded by wry irony and satire. His treatment of character, however, is not without pathos and a (somewhat ambiguous) prescription for cultural enervation and eventual transcendence of exile consciousness. These themes are perhaps more relevant today than at the time the novel was published since a larger segment of our current national population is undoubtedly better able now to empathize with certain tensions informing the migrant experience as Chu depicts it. After all, as it is often noted, following passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, the United States has experienced the heaviest influx of immigrants since the great European migrations of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with approximately forty-five percent of recent immigrants having come from the nations of Asia. As Judith M. Brown and Rosemary Foot point out in the introduction to their anthology of essays Migration: The Asian Experience, "By the last quarter of [the twentieth] century. . . over 30 million Chinese are to be found living outside their country of origin as a result of migration or
Ab initioMODPOT/VRDDO/MERGE calculations on energetic compounds. IV. Nitrocubanes: Mononitro to octanitro quantum chemical calculations and electrostatic molecular potential contour maps

Ab initioMODPOT/VRDDO/MERGE calculations have been carried out for all the different position isomers of nitrocubane from mononitrocubane through octanitrocubane for a perfect symmetrical cubic cubane skeleton and for mononitrocubane through septanitrocubane for the almost cubic experimentally determined cubane skeleton. These calculations were carried out with our own rapid efficient ab initio programs which also incorporate a number of desirable computational strategies for calculations on large molecules. The skeletal total overlap population of the cubane skeleton (a theoretical index we showed years ago to be sensitive and predictive of stability of energetic molecular frameworks) indicates that successive nitration seems to increase the stability of the cubane skeleton. Successive nitration also seems to increase the total overlap population of the CNO2 bond. There are subtle differences depending on the exact positional isomer for a constant number of nitro groups—but the overall trend is definite. We have also generated electrostatic molecular potential contour (EMPC) maps around these nitrocubanes. These maps are indicative of preferred positions of electrophilic and nucleophilic attack as a function of the number of nitro groups or their positions. These EMPC maps can also indicate, to a first approximation, a limit on how close these molecules may be able to approach each other in a crystal.