cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Second Harmonic Generation in Periodically Modulated Media

Many interesting phenomena associated with the propagation of electromagnetic waves in spatially periodic nonlinear media have recently been studied. Beginning with Delyon et al. 1, followed by Mills and Trullinger2, as well as Grabowski and Hawrylak3, these investigations led to fairly complete understanding of the regular (periodic), localized (solitons), and chaotic behavior of monochromatic waves in one-dimensional geometries. However, the full picture of spatio-temporal nonlinear phenomena is still missing.
Plasmonic Electricity: Fluorophore-Induced Plasmonic Current

Fluorophore-induced plasmonic current is generated when an excited fluorophore in close proximity to a metal nanoparticle film nonradiatively transfers energy to the metal, resulting in an electrical current across the film. Although a growing literature reports the use of surface plasmons for fluorescence enhancement as well as plasmons for current generation, little has been published hitherto regarding the electrical current generation via the fluorophore excitation of plasmons. Our “plasmon to current” technique utilizes electron transport between closely spaced metal nanoparticles, generating a measurable electrical signal upon excitation of a proximal fluorophore. This induced electrical signal is found to be strongly dependent on the magnitude of the fluorophore extinction coefficient. In other words the electrical signal contains photophysical information pertaining to the fluorophore, potentially leading to the direct detection of fluorescence without the need for traditional detectors such as ph...
Computer aided parametric-planning (CAPP)

Today's cliallenge of fast technological advances and global competition requires a shift in our planning paradigm. The "same old way" simply does not bring about the necessary results. Our paradigm must change to reflect this. Continuous improvement of the planning process is essential to achieve success. Research indicates that the key to project success is to invest quality time in systematic planning at an early stage. Yet, we have relied upon mostly unstructured and manual formation of plans. Existing scientific planning techniques (i.e. Critical Path Method) are scheduling tools for analysis rather than plan generation. They manipulate data provided by planners not the knowledge used in generating project plans. Unlike estimating, where past project data are frequently utilized in formation of quick estimates, planning data from previous jobs are rarely documented or used as a reference. This study introduces a systematic planning model to guide the end user to conceptualize the planning process and prepare quick and reliable conceptual plans based on similar projects completed in the past. The study provides a framework to capture historical data, synthesize it, and identify the parameters, milestones, and major activities that affect timing, sequencing, and overall planned duration of a project. This framework will serve as the basis for an inference
Room temperature and atmospheric pressure aqueous partial oxidation of ethane to oxygenates over AuPd catalysts

New modes of chemical manufacturing based on small-scale, distributed facilities have been proposed to supplement many existing production operations in the chemical industry, including the synthesis of value-added products from light alkanes. Motivated by this prospect, herein the aqueous partial oxidation of ethane over unsupported AuPd nanoparticle catalysts is investigated, with emphasis on outcomes for reactions occurring at 21 °C and 1 bar ethane. When H2O2 is used as an oxidant, the system generates numerous C2 oxygenates, including ethyl hydroperoxide/ethanol, acetaldehyde, and acetic acid. Ethyl hydroperoxide is found to be the primary product resulting from the direct oxidation of ethane: it is produced with 100% selectivity in batch reactions with short durations and with low initial H2O2 concentrations. At longer times or in more oxidizing conditions, deeper product oxidations expectedly occur. In batch experiments, the maximum observed yield of oxygenates is 7707 μmol gAuPd−1 h−1. Product distributions differ when H2O2 is replaced by H2 and O2 in the headspace. Additionally, to simulate a scenario wherein H2O2 is produced on-site and to study ethane oxidation in steady, low H2O2 concentrations over 50 h, a semi-batch configuration facilitating continuous injection of dilute H2O2 was implemented. These efforts showed that H2O2 can serve as an oxygenate-selective oxidant of ethane when its concentration is kept low during reaction. These and other experimental results, as well as initial computational results using density functional theory, suggest that paths forward for aqueous ethane conversion exist, and systems should be engineered to emphasize product stabilization.
Constructing the Millennial “Other” in United States Press Coverage of the Green New Deal

Through a critical discourse analysis, this study finds that both The New York Times and Wall Street Journal portray the Green New Deal as a dangerous policy proposed by a cohort of extremist Mille...
Synthetic Lethal Metabolic Targeting of Androgen-Deprived Prostate Cancer Cells with Metformin.

The initiation of androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) induces susceptibilities in prostate cancer cells that make them vulnerable to synergistic treatment and enhanced cell death. Senescence results in cell-cycle arrest, but cells remain viable. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms by which prostate cancer cells undergo senescence in response to ADT, and determined whether an FDA-approved antidiabetic drug metformin has a synergistic effect with ADT in prostate cancer both in vitro and in vivo. Our results show that longer term exposure to ADT induced senescence associated with p16INK4a and/or p27kip2 induction. The activation of PI3K/AKT and inactivation of AMPK in senescent cells resulted in mTORC1 activation. In addition, the antiapoptotic protein XIAP expression was increased in response to ADT. The addition of metformin following ADT induced apoptosis, attenuated mTOR activation, reduced senescent cell number in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in prostate cancer patient-derived xenograft models. This study suggests that combining ADT and metformin may be a feasible therapeutic approach to remove persistent prostate cancer cells after ADT.
Identification of an inhibitory neuron subtype, the l-stellate cell of the cochlear nucleus

Auditory processing depends upon inhibitory signaling by interneurons, even at its earliest stages in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). Remarkably, to date only a single subtype of inhibitory neuron has been documented in the VCN, a projection neuron termed the D-stellate cell. With the use of a transgenic mouse line, optical clearing, and imaging techniques, combined with electrophysiological tools, we revealed a population of glycinergic cells in the VCN distinct from the D-stellate cell. These multipolar glycinergic cells were smaller in soma size and dendritic area, but over ten-fold more numerous than D-stellate cells. They were activated by auditory nerve and T-stellate cells, and made local inhibitory synaptic contacts on principal cells of the VCN. Given their abundance, combined with their narrow dendritic fields and axonal projections, it is likely that these neurons, here termed L-stellate cells, play a significant role in frequency-specific processing of acoustic signals.
Weak Robust Dispatch Model of Power System Considering Load Shedding of Centralized Renewable Energy Plants

Under the current environment, the intermittent and fluctuating of centralized renewable energy plants (CREPs) power output is large. The requirement of full consumption of CREPs brings great challenges to the adjustment of power grid operation modes and the spinning reserve of thermal power units. Considering CREPs participates in auxiliary frequency regulation and reserve considering load shedding of CREPs, this way will reduce the reserve pressure and the operation cost, and is an effective way to ensure the safety and stability of the system and the efficient consumption of renewable energy. To improve the problem that the results of the traditional robust model are too conservative after considering the uncertainty of renewable energy output, this paper proposes a weak robust scheduling model considering the CREP’s participation in system reserve and the uncertainty of CREP’s power prediction, and establishes the reserve constraints of CREPs and thermal units. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model is verified by the IEEE-39 bus test case with several CREPs.
Macrophage engulfment of a cell or nanoparticle is regulated by unavoidable opsonization, a species-specific ‘Marker of Self’ CD47, and target physical properties

Professional phagocytes of the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), especially ubiquitous macrophages, are commonly thought to engulf or not a target based strictly on ‘eat me’ molecules such as Antibodies. The target might be a viable ‘self’ cell or a drug-delivering nanoparticle, or it might be a cancer cell or a microbe. ‘Marker of Self’ CD47 signals into a macrophage to inhibit the acto-myosin cytoskeleton that makes engulfment efficient. In adhesion of any cell, the same machinery is generally activated by rigidity of target surfaces, and recent results confirm phagocytosis is likewise driven by the rigidity typical of microbes and many synthetics. Basic insights are already being applied in order to make macrophages eat cancer or to delay nanoparticle clearance for better drug delivery and imaging.
Mental Self-Management as Attempted Negligence: Trying and Succeeding

‘Attempted negligence’ is a category of criminal offense that many jurists and philosophers have law have deemed conceptually incoherent. In his Attempts: In the Philosophy of Action and the Criminal Law, Gideon Yaffe challenges this dismissal, anchoring his argument in cases of what he calls ‘mental self-management’ in which agents plan to bring about that they perform unintentional actions at a later time. He plausibly argues that mental self-management-type attempted negligence is possible. However, his account raises the question whether such attempts can be successful: whether, in other words, attempts to perform unintentional actions at a later time could issue in actions that are, indeed, unintentional. Intuitively, at least, it would seem that we should answer in the affirmative. However, that answer poses problems for a plausible and widely-held account of intentional action. Al Mele, responding to Yaffe’s account, has pointed out this problem without, I think, providing a satisfactory resolution. I propose another way of vindicating the possibility of successful attempted negligence with small, if significant, revision to the standard view of intentional action. In these cases, I argue, agents fail to act intentionally because they render themselves, through their acts of self-management, unaware that they are successfully executing their intentions. Moreover, I argue that these agents’ intentions to bring about that they perform unintentional actions do not commit them to acting intentionally because of the nature of intentions to bring about actions. I offer an account of the intention to bring about that one A’s and defend it against some objections.
Framework and Schema for Semantic Web Knowledge Bases

There is a growing need for scalable semantic web repositories which support inference and provide efficient queries. There is also a growing interest in representing uncertain knowledge in semantic web datasets and ontologies. In this paper, I present a bit vector schema specifically designed for RDF (Resource Description Framework) datasets. I propose a system for materializing and storing inferred knowledge using this schema. I show experimental results that demonstrate that this solution simplifies inference queries and drastically improves results. I also propose and describe a solution for materializing and persisting uncertain information and probabilities. Thresholds and bit vectors are used to provide efficient query access to this uncertain knowledge. My goal is to provide a semantic web repository that supports knowledge inference, uncertainty reasoning, and Bayesian networks, without sacrificing performance or scalability.
CALCULATION OF FLOW FIELDS ABOUT BLUNT BODIES OF REVOLUTION TRAVELING AT ESCAPE VELOCITY

Inviscid supersonic flow around a hemisphere- cylinder at escape velocity is analyzed throughout the shock layer, with reference to reentry aerodynamics
Differences in anatomical within cleat toe dorsiflexion compared to footwear measured toe dorsiflexion during football movements

First metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) sprain (turf toe) is commonly caused by extreme MTPJ dorsiflexion and results in significant loss of participation in American football (Frimenko et al., 2012...
De-novo collateral formation following acute myocardial infarction: Dependence on CCR2+ bone marrow cells

Wide variation exists in the extent (number and diameter) of native pre-existing collaterals in tissues of different strains of mice, with supportive indirect evidence recently appearing for humans. This variation is a major determinant of the wide variation in severity of tissue injury in occlusive vascular disease. Whether such genetic-dependent variation also exists in the heart is unknown because no model exists for study of mouse coronary collaterals. Also owing to methodological limitations, it is not known if ischemia can induce new coronary collaterals to form ("neo-collaterals") versus remodeling of pre-existing ones. The present study sought to develop a model to study coronary collaterals in mice, determine whether neo-collateral formation occurs, and investigate the responsible mechanisms. Four strains with known rank-ordered differences in collateral extent in brain and skeletal muscle were studied: C57BLKS>C57BL/6>A/J>BALB/c. Unexpectedly, these and 5 additional strains lacked native coronary collaterals. However after ligation, neo-collaterals formed rapidly within 1-to-2 days, reaching their maximum extent in ≤7 days. Rank-order for neo-collateral formation differed from the above: C57BL/6>BALB/c>C57BLKS>A/J. Collateral network conductance, infarct volume(-1), and contractile function followed this same rank-order. Neo-collateral formation and collateral conductance were reduced and infarct volume increased in MCP1(-/-) and CCR2(-/-) mice. Bone-marrow transplant rescued collateral formation in CCR2(-/-) mice. Involvement of fractalkine➔CX3CR1 signaling and endothelial cell proliferation were also identified. This study introduces a model for investigating the coronary collateral circulation in mice, demonstrates that neo-collaterals form rapidly after coronary occlusion, and finds that MCP➔CCR2-mediated recruitment of myeloid cells is required for this process.
Platelet progenitors: the hidden drug target

This editorial refers to ‘Impact of immature platelets on platelet response to ticagrelor and prasugrel in patients with acute coronary syndrome’, by I. Bernlochner et al ., doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehv326. Platelets are central players in haemostasis and atherothrombosis.1 Their nucleated progenitors, the megakaryocytes (MKs), reside in the bone marrow and have unique features. During differentiation, MKs first undergo a series of endomitoses, accumulating DNA up to 64–128n in a single cell; thus, mature MKs are the largest bone marrow cells, with a characteristic hyperthrophic nucleus and oversized cytoplasm ( Figure 1 ).2 Once endomitoses are completed, MKs proceed to their final, ‘suicidal’ maturation, whereby all the cytoplasm is progressively converted into pro-platelets, through pseudopod formation, elongation into the bone marrow sinusoids, and pro-platelet packaging2 ( Figure 1 ). Pre-platelets are then released as large, round, anucleated MK fragments which undergo a final binary division to discoid, mature platelets. The newly formed platelets that enter the peripheral blood have peculiar morphological and functional features: they represent the largest platelets, rich in RNA [therefore also designated ‘reticulated platelets’ (RPs)]2 and display a maximal pro-haemostatic capacity.2 Figure 1 The differential effects of antiplatelet drugs may be explained by differences in pharmacokinetics of the active moiety, and the mechanism of inactivation and variable renewal rate of the drug target. ( A ) The 24-h plasma concentrations of ticagrelor after a loading dose of 180 mg (upper panel: redrawn from Husted et al. 8), prasugrel active metabolite after a loading dose of 60 mg (middle panel: redrawn from Jakubowski et al. 7), and acetylsalicylic acid after the first dose of enteric-coated aspirin 100 mg (lower panel: redrawn from Patrignani et al. 6). The vertical black …
Vocational training for students with learning disabilities: a qualitative investigation

Abstract The plight of students with disabilities has been in the spotlight for several years now. Recent legislation has made vocational training, including students with disabilities, a mainstay in most secondary schools. While there are studies that prove that training in a vocational setting does have a positive influence on students with learning disabilities, there are still ways in which the results are less impressive. With the increased number of students with learning disabilities not being able to maintain adequate time on the job, concerned parents and educators seek answers to unending questions. Some questions that come to the minds of many are such as (a) when a student with a learning disability cannot find a job or keep a job, what does he/she do with their time, and (b) how does this affect their life (i.e. physically or mentally) ? In as much as the effort to overcome disability is actively sought for by many, the effects of learning disabilities on young peoples’ lives are unlikely to ...
Not to Worry: Solar Magnetic Activity for Cycle 24 Is Increasing

Several academic sources have noted that the current sunspot minimum seems to be unusually long. Indeed, sunspot counts are at a 50-year low. As of 27 September, the Sun has had no visible sunspots for 200 days this year, the most of any year since 1954. Unfortunately, this has been interpreted in some media sources as showing that there is something wrong with the Sun. Some reports have even suggested that we should prepare for a widespread cooling due to a lack of sunspots and even that a new mini ice age is on the way (see “Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh,” by P. Chapman, at http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23583376-5013480,00.html).
B11 nuclear magnetic resonance studies of Li2OB2O3 glasses of high Li2O content

Abstract A B 11 NMR study has been made of lithium borate glasses spanning the composition region from 37.5–65 mol% Li 2 O. Values were obtained as a function of R = mol% Li 2 O/mol% B 2 O 3 for the fraction of boron in BO 4 units ( N 4 ), the fraction of symmetric BO 3 units ( N 3S ) which have either zero or three non-bridging oxygens (NBO's), and the fractions of BO 3 units with one ( N 3A1 ) NBO's. A structural model is presented for the region 1 ⩽ R ⩽ 2.13 which involves the destruction of metaborate and loose BO 4 units as Li 2 O is added. This extends an earlier model for the region 0.5 ⩽ R ⩽ 1 involving the destruction of diborate units to form metaborate and loose BO 4 units. The data are in generally good agreement with model predictions in the entire range (0 ⩽ R ⩽ 1.86) for which glasses can be made.
Cytoskeletal F-Actin Polymerization from Cytosolic G-Actin Occurs in the Phagocytosing Immunocytes of Arthropods (Limulus polyphemusandGromphadorhina portentosa): Does [cAMP]iPlay Any Role?

Abstract Phagocytosis is a major defense reaction in arthropods and is accomplished by two blood cells (hemocytes), the granulocyte (GRs) and plasmatocytes (PLs), collectively called immunocytes. Immunocytes (principally the GRs) from two arthropods,Limulus polyphemus(horseshoe crab) andGromphadorhina portentosa(Madagascar hissing cockroach) effectively phagocytose fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated fluoresbrite microspheres (FITC-FM) and chicken (Gallus domesticus) erythrocytes within 1 hr of incubation. Although actin polymerization and changes in intracellular cAMP ([cAMP]i) levels occur during the early stages of phagocytosis in vertebrates, these two phenomena have not been studied in arthropod immunocytes. Using the DNase I inhibition assay, we found a decrease in cytosolic G-actin and an increase in the cytoskeletal F-actin in the phagocytosing immunocytes; the total actin in both resting and phagocytosing immunocytes remained constant. These results showed an 86% increase in F-actin inG. portentosaimmunocytes and a 29% increase in those ofL. polyphemusafter 1 hr of initial incubation with FITC-FM. As in some vertebrates, the role of [cAMP]iin the early stages of phagocytosis in these two animals—and perhaps in arthropods in general—is variable; although we detected some negligible amounts of [cAMP]i(0.10–0.80 pmol/cell at different time intervals) inL. polyphemusimmunocytes, it was inconclusive whether those inG. portentosaalso contained [cAMP]i. Even inL. polyphemus,the difference in the amounts of [cAMP]iin resting and phagocytosing cells was insignificant (P > 0.05). It was also inconclusive whether [Ca2+]iand/or [Mg2+]iplay any roles in the early stages of phagocytosis in the two arthropods in this study. These results suggest that the two phenomena (F-actin polymerization and levels of [cAMP]iin arthropods) are basically similar to those in vertebrate neutrophils and macrophages, which suggests that certain immunological mechanisms are conserved in nature.
Diffraction from a Natural Grain Boundary in a Magnetite Bicrystal

The structure of a natural small-angle boundary in a magnetite bicrystal was investigated by X-ray diffraction. This boundary was a “general” type with a mixed twist and tilt character. The grain-boundary reflections observed around an 040 matrix reflection were in good agreement with those predicted by Boll-mann's O-lattice theory. These extra reflections appear to arise from a predominantly planar dislocation network. The structural width of the boundary, determined from the length of the relrods of the grain-boundary reflections, was of the order of four unit cells, close to the average spacing of the expected dislocation network.
Molecular shape in homogeneous flows: predictions of the rouse model

Abstract An analysis of the Rouse model is used to predict the shape of flexible, free-draining polymers in homogeneous flows. The derivation is based on the Lodge-Wu/Booij-Van Wiechen solutions [1,2] for the configurational distribution function of a Rouse chain, which consists of a free-draining string of beads connected by Hookean springs. Much of the theoretical development parallels the one used by Saab et al. [3,4] to predict link orientations for the same molecular model; rather than solving for link orientation, however, we solve for bead location. The function P v ( U , t ), which describes the spatial distribution of bead v about the chain center of mass in the presence of hydrodynamic forces, is a key development of this contribution. Various averages evaluated from this function can be employed to study details of a deformed molecule's configuration. The model predicts that spatial distortion in flow is a highly nonuniform function of location in the chain; hydrodynamic forces have a greater influence on the beads near the ends of the chain than on those near the center.
The Covenanters of Damascus; A Hitherto Unknown Jewish Sect

Among the Hebrew manuscripts recovered in 1896 from the Genizah of an old synagogue at Fostat, near Cairo, and now in the Cambridge University Library, England, were found eight leaves of a Hebrew manuscript which proved to be fragments of a book containing the teaching of a peculiar Jewish sect; a single leaf of a second manuscript, in part parallel to the first, in part supplementing it, was also discovered. These texts Professor Schechter has now published, with a translation and commentary, in the first volume of his Documents of Jewish Sectaries. The longer and older of the manuscripts (A) is, in the opinion of the editor, probably of the tenth century; the other (B), of the eleventh or twelfth.
Are antioxidant levels measured immediately postoperatively an indicator of magnitude of injury

Abstract Background: Little is known about the changes that occur in antioxidant levels in response to surgical trauma. The antioxidant system may influence recovery and healing after operation. Miller et al described a reliable assay for total antioxidant capacity of serum. We studied changes in antioxidant levels secondary to operation using this assay. Methods: Twenty-seven patients were studied: 14 abdominal and 13 breast cancer operations. Initial blood samples were obtained when starting the preoperative intravenous line, the second in the recovery room, and every 6 hours thereafter. Results: Levels did not correlate with diagnosis, extent of operation, age, body mass index, or complications. Differences between preoperative and postoperative values in the down and up groups were significant at P = 0.002 and P = 0.023, respectively. Differences in initial levels between the down and up groups were significant at P = 0.005. Levels 12 hours after operation were stable. Conclusions: Rapid return to a baseline of approximately 1 μmole/L, regardless of the direction of initial response, supports the concept of a set point for regulation of serum’s antioxidant capacity.
Perturbation theory within the variation method

Some of Moccia's formulas (Int. J. Quant. Chem. 8, 293 (1974)) for corrections to “not completely optimized variational parameters” are compared with those resulting from a perturbation theory analysis. It is not possible to choose the zero-order Hamiltonian (at least not in any simple way) so as to get exact agreement, but one choice does come close.
Correlated gaussian designs for compressive imaging

Statistical correlations among wavelet transform coefficients of images are commonly represented using graphical models. But in linear inverse problems like compressed sensing, the sensing matrix linearly mixes up these dependencies, making recovery of the transform coefficients difficult. Past work has involved using greedy methods to recover images in a compressed sensing framework. Recently, message passing and group lasso based methods have been shown to perform at least as well as traditional approaches. Group lasso based methods are especially viable, since they provide the guarantees that come along with solving a convex program. Standard sensing matrices are well-suited to the recovery of unstructured sparse signals, but the sparsity patterns of natural images are highly structured. In this paper, we look to exploit the intra-group dependencies among coefficients to design sensing matrices that are better matched to image structure than conventional compressed sensing matrices. We show that the new sensing matrices based on structural prior knowledge yield considerably better results compared to standard sensing matrices.
Cooperative Estimation for Coordinated Target Tracking in a Cluttered Environment

The purpose of the work in this paper is to gain insight into several fundamental questions that arise whenever a distributed multiple-vehicle control system is endowed with communication capabilities. These fundamental questions include: what data should each vehicle share?, how frequently should communication take place?, and what benefit does communication provide? These questions are evaluated with respect to a target tracking task in which multiple pursuit vehicles estimate the state of a target vehicle. This task has three main components: communication, estimation, and control. Communication takes place on a broadcast network, estimation is achieved with an Unscented Kalman Filters, and the controller is behavior-based. Simulation results show that communication always improves distributed estimate results. Which information to transmit depends on available bandwidth, and more frequent communication generally yields better estimates. Simulation results also show how coordinated control can be beneficial to target tracking in a cluttered environment.
Correlation of Papilla to Crestal Bone Levels Around Single Tooth Implants in Immediate or Delayed Crown Protocols

Purpose The purposes of this study are to determine if there is a difference in the papilla fill between implant and teeth comparing immediate provisionalized and delayed single tooth implant restorations, and to determine the relationships between the vertical and horizontal bone levels to papilla filling the inter-dental region with single implant restorations. Patients and Methods Two groups of patients treated with single tooth implant restorations were prospectively followed. One group had immediate provisionalization of their implants, and the second group a delayed approach. Serial radiographs and photographs were used to collect bone level measurements for the vertical distance between contact point to bone level on the adjacent tooth, implant, and the midcrestal region. The horizontal distances were also recorded. Papilla morphology was scored 1 through 4. Univariate analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between bone levels and papilla morphology. Results There were no differences between papilla or bone levels comparing immediate provisionalization to delayed approaches. There were significant (P Conclusion As the distance from the contact point to the implant increased, there was a significant chance of loss of papilla. There was no difference between delayed or immediate provisionalization and papilla scores. The horizontal distance from adjacent tooth bone level did not correlate to papilla score within the range of clinically relevant distances.
Is the cough-stress test necessary when placing the tension-free vaginal tape?

In this study, patients who underwent tension-free vaginal tape placement (TVT) under general anesthesia, when no cough-stress test was done, were compared with those who underwent the procedure with local anesthesia in which the cough-stress test was used to aid in adjusting the sling placement. The data from a cohort of 170 women, which was established for a previous investigation, were used to retrospectively examine patient outcomes according to the method of anesthesia. Sandvik's Incontinence Severity Index (ISI), the short form of the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), and the short form of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) were used for outcome evaluation. These 3 questionnaires had been mailed to all subjects before their initial surgery. For this study, patients were contacted and asked to complete the forms once again to gain subjective information about surgical outcomes. The Stress Symptoms subscale of the UDI was considered the primary outcome measure. Of the 170 original patients, 11 had received regional anesthesia and were not included. One hundred four of the remaining women could be contacted and completed both sets of questionnaires. Seventy-four (46.5%) of these patients underwent TVT with general anesthesia and 85 (53.5%) had local anesthesia. The Obstructive/Discomfort Symptoms subscale of the UDI was the only individual measurement that did not show significant improvement from the preoperative score. Significant improvement in all other areas was reported by both groups. However, on some measures, women who had local anesthesia showed significantly greater improvement than those who had general anesthesia. In the UDI-Stress Symptoms subscale, improvement in the mean score was 16.6 points higher for women who had local anesthesia compared with the general anesthesia group (P = .02 for difference). The results of the ISI demonstrated greater improvement in the severity of incontinence symptoms for patients who had local versus those who had general anesthesia (P = .02). In the postoperative evaluation, patients were asked if they had undergone any corrective surgery to loosen or "take down" a tight TVT tape. No patient reported any such surgery, although investigators knew of 2 women who had a "takedown" while under their care.
Three Pieces of the Puzzle: Wide-area Hypermedia, Information Agents and On-line Reference Works

William Gardner's (1990) provocative essay combines an idealistic vision of the future of electronic scientific publishing with a realistic approach to incrementally attaining that vision. His emphasis on an integrated, shared-information environment for a scientific community highlights one of the major themes for electronic publishing in the 1990s: scaling up from book-size collections of electronic information to archive or librarysize collections. While a number of features described in Gardner's scenarios
The role of basis set expansions in the relative performance of the schwinger and the Newton variation principles

Abstract The role of the functional form of trial functions used in the Schwinger (SVP) and the Newton (NVP) variational principles are examined. The minimum number of variational parameters required for convergence in each case is compared to the results from a recently developed #S# matrix version of the Kohn variational principle (KVP).
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES WITH PRESTONAL, A NEW SHORT-ACTING MUSCLE RELAXANT

The effects of Prestonal on the tidal volume of 51 patients were investigated. The duration of action of Prestonal was found to be between those of suxamethonium and decamethonium. 0.75 mg/kg Prestonal caused apnoea lasting about 3 minutes in most subjects. The duration of respiratory depression after this dose was about 7 minutes. 1.5 mg/kg Prestonal caused apnoea of 5 minutes and respiratory depression of about 12 minutes duration. Prestonal was found to have relatively little cumulative effect. A transient fall of blood pressure and flushing of the skin were occasionally seen following intravenous administration of 1.5 mg/kg Prestonal. The respiratory effects of Prestonal were markedly potentiated by the subsequent intravenous administration of 0.3 mg/kg edropho-nium. The potentiating effects of neostigmine and pyridostigmine were less marked. The effect of edrophonium, pyridostigmine and neostigmine on the myoneural effects of Prestonal indicated that this compound produced a depolarization block in man.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Self-Efficacy, and Depression in Persons with Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a complex and often disabling condition compounded by depression and poor self-efficacy. The purpose of this evidence-based project was to explore the relationship of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-focused groups with self-efficacy and depression in persons with chronic pain at an intensive interdisciplinary 3-week pain rehabilitation center (PRC). The project sample consisted of 138 persons admitted to a PRC and scoring ≥27 on the Center for Epidemiological Study Depression Scale (CES-D) and then completing the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ). After completing the PRC program, including CBT-focused groups, discharge CES-D and PSEQ scores were analyzed. A comparison group of CES-D scores from 134 persons admitted to the PRC from a 9-month time period preceding the addition of the CBT-focused groups was also examined. There was a significant increase in self-efficacy after participation in the intensive pain rehabilitation program including CBT-focused groups. Patient groups both before and after introduction of CBT-focused groups showed the same rate of improvement on the depression scores, suggesting that persons who participated in CBT-focused groups improved equally compared with persons who did not participate in these groups. Ninety-three percent of the participants expressed satisfaction with the CBT groups. This evidence-based practice is well supported in the literature and can be implemented with knowledgeable staff and engaged stakeholders.
TERNARY EXTRACTION MODELING USING THE REDLICH-KISTER EXPANSION

Mathematical models for liquid-liquid extraction processes are not widely available. The correlation of liquid-liquid equilibrium for such a model is often difficult. One correlation, based upon the Redlich-Kister expansion for the molar excess Gibb's free energy, has been shown to accurately represent ternary liquid-liquid equilibrium systems used in liquid-liquid extraction operations. The use of this correlation in an extraction model was investigated and found to be suitable for a ternary liquid-liquid extraction model with only minor limitations. A successful ternary liquid-liquid extraction model was developed using this equilibrium correlation.
Spatial interactions of taste stimuli on the human tongue

Two nearby loci on the human tongue were stimulated with solutions representing the four basic taste qualities. The recognition threshold for each test stimulus was measured when a strong concentration of one of the four qualities or water was placed nearby. Decreased sensitivity for the test stimulus resulted when both stimuli were the same quality, with the exception of an enhancement of bitter sensitivity by QHCl. The only effect across qualities was a suppression of citric acid by NaC1. In contrast, classical studies reported across-quality enhancement. Stimulation of two loci on the same half of the tongue and the use of modern psychophysical techniques may explain the differences between these and earlier results.
Effects of temperature and size on oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion by walleye

There is a lack of information on the physiology of walleye (Stizostedion vitreum) and, in particular, of its metabolic or excretory rate. In this study, oxygen consumption and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) excretion of walleye, 75–251 mm total length (4–133 g), were measured at water temperatures of 20 ° and 25 °C. The mean weight-specific rate of oxygen consumption at 25 °C (277 mg kg−1 h−1) was significantly higher than the rate (231 mg kg−1 h−1) at 20 °C (P < 0.001). The mean rate of ammonia excretion (19 mg kg−1 h−1) at 25 °C was higher than that (17 kg kg−1 h−1) at 20 °C (P < 0.05). With increasing fish sizes, the weight-specific rate decreased significantly from 259 to 204 mg kg−1 h−1 at 20 °C and 340 to 228 mg kg−1 h−1 at 25 °C for oxygen consumption (P < 0.05), and from 22 to 12 mg kg−1 h−1 at 20 °C and 29 to 9 mg kg−1 h−1 at 25 °C for ammonia excretion. The mass effect on metabolic rate can be expressed by the power of 0.82 for oxygen consumption and the power of 0.74 for ammonia nitrogen excretion. The metabolic rate of fish starved for 153 h at 20 °C was 76 mg O2 kg−1 h−1 and endogenous excretion was 0.9 mg NH3-N kg−1 h−1, which were 56 and 93% reductions from rates of feeding fish.
RAPD and AFLP tagging and mapping of Beta (B) and Beta modifier (MoB), two genes which influence β-carotene accumulation in fruit of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

The Beta (B) locus in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) increases fruit β-carotene content at the expense of lycopene, resulting in orange-pigmented fruit. Expression of B is influenced by the beta-modifier (Mo B ) gene which segregates independently of B. RAPD and AFLP analyses were performed using near isogenic lines (NILs) unique for B and bulked segregant analysis (BSA) of a L. esculentum×L. cheesmanii-derived F2 population segregating for B. Using 1018 random primers for RAPD analysis and 64 primer pairs for AFLP analysis, we identified polymorphic products which distinguished the NILs and the two bulked DNA samples constructed for BSA. A single 100 bp AFLP amplification product (E-ACA/M-CTG100) which distinguished the NILs cosegregated with Mo B and was demonstrated to be tightly linked to the locus. E-ACA/M-CTG100 exhibited a recombination frequency of 1.7% in the F2 progeny derived from an initial cross between the isolines. The Mo B locus was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 6. Two RAPD products (OPAR181100 and UBC792830) of 1100 bp and 830 bp, respectively, were polymorphic between orange- and red-fruited bulks constructed from F2 individuals in the L. esculentum and L. cheesmanii mating series. OPAR181100 and UBC792830 displayed recombination frequencies of 4.2% and 7.6%, respectively, in F2 progeny. The B-linked OPAR181100 marker was also mapped to the long arm of chromosome 6, proximal to Mo B , and revealed linkage between B and Mo B .
Synthesis of a diniobium tetraphosphorus complex by a 2(3−1) process

Dimer [P2Nb(ODipp)3]2 (Dipp = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) has been obtained via a novel “2(3−1)” synthetic strategy. The mononuclear diphosphorus complex P2Nb(ODipp)3 targeted for generation by formal P− abstraction from previously reported [Na(THF)3][P3Nb(ODipp)3] ostensibly undergoes irreversible dimerization to form the [P2Nb(ODipp)3]2 complex, and is alternatively trapped reversibly by 1,3-cyclohexadiene with in situ formation of C6H8P2Nb(ODipp)3. The molecular structure of [P2Nb(ODipp)3]2 has been determined by X-ray crystallography. Computational studies provide further insights into the bonding and reactivity of P2Nb(ODipp)3, [P2Nb(ODipp)3]2, and C6H8P2Nb(ODipp)3.
New onset diabetes: can it be delayed?

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing internationally at astounding rates. It is estimated that the number of adults living with diabetes in the world will double from 150 million in 1995 to 300 million people by the year 2025. India, China and the United States have been identified as countries with the highest level of diabetes.1 With the alarming worldwide growing rates of diabetes and the associated cardiovascular complications, numerous efforts have been made to identify potential predictors of developing type 2 diabetes.
Coordination and binding of ions in Ca2+- and Ba2+-containing methanol dehydrogenase and interactions with methanol

Abstract Models representing the active sites of Ca2+- and Ba2+-containing methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) enzymes and their interaction with methanol are investigated using density functional theory methods and a continuum solvation model (PCM). Information on structure and energetics of such models in gas phase and implicit water solvent environments are obtained at the B3PW91/6-311+G** theory levels. Solvent binding energy calculations of the ions indicate that Ca2+ binding to the rest of the MDH active site model under consideration is 0.2–1.0 eV more stable than that of Ba2+. Also the nature of the ion modifies the orientation and binding of the methanol to the MDH model. The hydroxyl oxygen (O16) of methanol is better coordinated with Ba2+ than Ca2+ in MDH models, which may make the initial proton abstraction during the methanol oxidation by MDH in Ba2+-containing enzymes easier than that in Ca2+-containing MDH enzymes.
Technology in an Online Graduate Mathematics Education Program

This article describes the range of technology applications employed as part of an online graduate mathematics education program and the ways in which technology is used to maximize student participation and promote active construction of knowledge. The authors discuss how conveyance technologies, such as course management systems, and mathematical action technologies, such as dynamic geometry software, are used to promote student learning that is research-based, engaging, and effective.
Reducing grid dependency in droplet collision modeling

Droplet collision models have been criticized for creating large mesh dependency in spray calculations. These numerical errors are very troublesome; they behave erratically and interfere with the predictive ability of physical models. The collision method used in KIVA can cause mesh dependent changes in average drop size of over 40 microns. In order to reduce mesh dependency a new method has been developed for calculating the incidence of collision. The solution is to create a special collision mesh that is optimized for accuracy. The mesh is created automatically during the spray calculation. Additionally, a different stochastic collision sampling technique is also used. The new method, called the NTC algorithm, was incorporated into KIVA and found to be much faster than older algorithms. Calculations with 60,000 parcels required only a few CPU minutes. With the new NTC method and collision mesh, the mesh dependence of the drop size is only nine microns. This remaining mesh dependency is found to be due to the drag calculations and is not the fault of the collision algorithm.
Buffering the Negative Impact of Poverty on Youth: The Power of Purpose in Life

Adolescent poverty is associated with increased antisocial and decreased prosocial behaviors. Attenuating these negative effects is relevant for both individual and societal well-being. Research exploring how youth in poverty can escape antisocial behaviors and move toward prosocial behaviors has been limited primarily to risk factors. From a strengths perspective, we sought to understand how a potential resiliency factor—purpose in life—could protect youngsters from the deleterious effects of poverty. We conceptualized purpose in life as a central, future-oriented, goal-organizing framework that provides adolescents reasons to resist antisocial behavior and engage in prosocial behaviors. In moderation analyses, purpose in life mitigated the effects of poverty on antisocial behavior (i.e., disobedience and bullying), but failed to boost prosocial traits and behaviors for youth in poverty. We emphasize the importance of developing a sense of purpose in economically disadvantaged youth for bettering their lives and communities.
Determination of Diffusion Coefficients of Sodium p-aminosalicylate in Sheep Nasal Mucosae and Dialysis Membranes by Fourier Transform Infrared Horizontal Attenuated Total Reflectance Spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared horizontal attentuated total reflectance (FT-IR-H-ATR) spectroscopy was employed to determine the diffusion coefficients of sodium p-aminosalicylate (PAS) in sheep nasal mucosae and dialysis membranes. The system configuration, which comprises a closed system with an aqueous layer and a membrane layer, represents diffusion from a solution of limited volume. Data analysis involved fitting a truncated (seven term) Fourier series to the total mass transport into the membrane as a function of time. Comparison of diffusion coefficients of PAS in dialysis membranes obtained by this technique to those obtained by a standard steady-state permeation method showed excellent agreement. Apparent diffusion coefficients were ∼4.33 (±0.38)× 10−7 and ∼9.62 (±5.30) ×10−7 cm2/s for dialysis membranes and sheep nasal mucosae, respectively. These values are substantially smaller than the diffusion coefficient of PAS in aqueous solution, indicating that the rate-limiting step was diffusion in the membrane. The effect of purified gastric mucin solution (concentration up to ∼6% w/v) on the apparent diffusion coefficient of PAS in the membranes was also investigated. The results showed no statistically significant change in the apparent diffusion coefficient in the presence of mucin for either sheep nasal mucosae or dialysis membranes. Although it was reported that mucin in solution retards the diffusion of PAS as compared to buffer alone, the mass transport within the membrane was the rate-limiting step for this hydrophilic compound.
Self‐Knowledge, Responsibility, and the Third Person

Richard Moran's Authority and Estrangement offers a subtle and tantalizing exploration of asymmetries that arise between first-person and third-person self-knowledge. According to Moran's central claim, the distinction of first-person self-knowledge is to engage the responsibility of the person. I will focus my remarks on this issue. I wish to raise some questions about the nature of the third-person perspective, and about how assuming it affects the responsibility of the person. In this connection, I examine in some detail Moran's main examples of third-person loss of responsibility. Moran's discussions are rich and provocative, and the questions I sketch out all too briefly here are primarily pleas for clarification.