cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of a combined electrostatic and magnetostatic configuration for active space-radiation shielding

Abstract Developing successful and optimal solutions to mitigating the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is critical for the success of deep-space explorations. A recent report ( Tripathi et al., 2008 ) had explored the feasibility of using electrostatic shielding. Here, we continue to extend the electrostatic shielding strategy and examine a hybrid configuration that utilizes both electrostatic and magnetostatic fields. The main advantages of this system are shown to be: (i) a much better shielding and repulsion of incident ions from both solar particle events (SPE) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR), (ii) reductions in the power requirement for re-charging the electrostatic sub-system, and (iii) low requirements of the magnetic fields that are well below the thresholds set for health and safety for long-term exposures. Furthermore, our results show transmission levels reduced to levels as low as 30% for energies around 1000 MeV, and near total elimination of SPE radiation by these hybrid configurations. It is also shown that the power needed to replenish the electrostatic charges due to particle hits from the GCR and SPE radiation is minimal.
Fabrication of 3D aligned nanofibrous tubes by direct electrospinning

Electrospinning has become a mainstream technology for production of nanofibers. Despite its popularity, production of aligned nanofibrous constructs in a tubular form by electrospinning remains a challenge. Here, we present a simple electrospinning approach that can produce nanofibrous tubes with either randomly oriented or aligned nanofibers. We examined the forces and key experimental factors that govern the formation and structural properties of produced nanofibrous constructs. We successfully demonstrated the production of these tubular constructs with one natural and two synthetic polymers (chitosan, polycaprolactone and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)). These polymers have demonstrated their broad applicability in medicine and various engineering fields. We further demonstrated in a model bio-application that muscle cells cultured on the inner surface of an aligned nanofibrous tubular scaffold enabled the formation of aligned and densely populated myotubes organized as in native muscle tissues.
Ab initio vibrational transition dipole moments and intensities of formaldehyde

Vibrational transition dipole moments and absorption band intensities for the ground state of formaldehyde, including the deuterated isotopic forms, are calculated. The analysis is based on ab initio SCF and CI potential energy and dipole moment surfaces. The formalism derives from second-order perturbation theory and involves the expansion of the dipole moment in terms of normal coordinates, as well as the incorporation of point group symmetry in the selection of the dipole moment components for the allowed transitions. Dipole moment expansion coefficients for the three molecule-fixed Cartesian coordinates of formaldehyde are calculated for internal and normal coordinate representations. Transition dipole moments and absorption band intensities of the fundamental, first overtone, combination, and second overtone transitions are reported. The calculated intensities and dipole moment derivatives are compared to experiment and discussed in the context of molecular orbital and bond polarization theory.
Structure of diamond nanoparticles grown by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract We studied the structure of diamond nanoparticles grown by chemical vapor deposition. SEM images show that the material contains cubic, hexagonal, and possibly icosahedral structures ranging in size from 10 to 200 nm. Raman spectroscopy shows bands, which are characteristic of crystalline diamond, E 2 g mode of hexagonal diamond, a- C, and graphite.
Certain influences in teachers college standardization

In tracing the history and present status of Teachers College Standardization, an attempt will be made to pick up the early traces of tendencies toward interest in accrediting normal schools and bring these up to date by showing what some of the large professional organizations have tried to accomplish in the direction of higher standards for teacher training institutions. It will be impossible to submit any tables showing the statistical growth in the number of accredited institutions of different kinds and classes, since it has been only in recent years that teacher training schools have been classified. Also it will be impossible to submit summaries of investigations on the increased efficiency of teachers colleges and normal schools since higher standards have been adopted. If there has been such an increase, there is no scientific evidence to substantiate it. In a few instances, studies have been made to find current policies among the institutions to serve as a guide toward standards, and summaries of these investigations will be incorporated.
Assessing Climate Change: Temperatures, Solar Radiation and Heat Balance

The science of climate change is being investigated by thousands of scientists, is constantly in the news, and is discussed in the political arena worldwide. My Internet search on the words “climate change” produced about 40,600,000 hits. The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to former U.S. vice president Al Gore and the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Of course, the subject goes beyond the science. The debate on what, if anything, should be done about humankind's influence on climate is the subject of U.S. and international political debate.
Observations consistent with autocrine stimulation of hybridoma cell growth and implications for large-scale antibody production

Existence of autocrine growth factors (aGFs) may influence the serum requirement for growth of hybridoma cells and thus significantly influence process economics. For the murine hybridoma cell line S3H5/γ2bA2, critical inoculum density (cID) and serum requirement for growth were inversely related for cultivation in both T flasks and spinner flasks. In spinner flasks, an inoculum density of 106 cells/ml was necessary for the cells to grow in RPMI 1640 medium without serum supplement, and an inoculum density of 103 cell/ml was necessary in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% serum. In T flasks, where the local cell density is higher than in spinner flasks, an inoculum density of 106 cells/ml was necessary for the cells to grow in RPMI 1640 medium without serum supplement, and an inoculum density of 1 cell/ml was also necessary in RPMI 1640 medium with 10% serum. Further, immobilized cells at high local cell density could grow under conditions where cells in T flasks at corresponding overall cell density could not grow. The cells at high inoculum density were less sensitive to shear induced by mechanical agitation than the cells at low inoculum density. Taken together these observations support the existence of secreted aGF(s) by the hybridoma cell line used. Since the specific MAb production rate was independent of cultivation method and inoculum density, the existence of autocrine growth factors would suggest that the use of immobilized cells should improve the economics of MAb production.
The role of the institutional environment in determining firm orientations towards entrepreneurial behavior

This research suggests that an entrepreneurial orientation may be to an important extent a strategic response to institutional forces. Small to medium-sized firms are assumed to be more likely to adopt an entrepreneurial orientation when it is seen as a legitimate response and aligned with the normative, regulative and cognitive aspects of the institutions that make up the environment of the firm. This assumption is first supported by a review of the prescriptions of institutional theory regarding strategic choices available to firms and then tested through the analysis of a survey of 1621 firms from seven countries and multiple manufacturing and service industries. The findings of the research indicate that the choice of an entrepreneurial orientation may be significantly motivated by drives for legitimacy through alignment with the normative, regulative and cognitive forces in the institutional environment of the firm.
Frame Brokerage in the Pure Food Movement, 1879- 1906

The US campaign for ‘pure food’ from the 1880s through 1906 featured a diverse coalition of groups with quite different ways of defining the problem, identifying the relevant actors, and balancing political and consumerist tactics. This paper examines how these differences in framing, rather than undermining cooperation or impeding success, helped to broaden the coalition for pure food and to win passage of the 1906 Food and Drug Act. It pays particular attention to the ways in which women's groups acted as frame brokers, translating pure food issues into a maternalist language and, in so doing, contributing both new support and new tactics to the campaign. The case study is used to address more general issues in the relationship between framing and (1) coalition-building and (2) tactical repertoires.
Total Synthesis and Proof of Structure of Mycothiol Bimane

Mycothiol is a low-molecular weight thiol produced by actinomycetes that serves to protect these organisms from oxidative stress and alkylating agents. We report the total synthesis of mycothiol bimane (1) which is a commonly isolated derivative of mycothiol. The synthesis confirms the original structure assignment and unambiguously establishes the absolute stereochemistry of mycothiol to be 1-d-myo-inosityl 2-deoxy-2-(N-acetamido-l-cysteinamido)-α-d-glucopyranoside.
Laser damage tests on InSb photodiodes at 1.064 μm and 0.532 μm

InSb photodiodes were examined for performance degradation after pulsed laser illumination at 0.532 micron and 1.064 micron. Incident laser powers ranged from 6 x 10 exp-18 micron-watts to 16 micron-watts in a 50 pm diameter spot. Dark current and spectral response were both measured before and after illumination. Dark current measurements were taken with the diode blanked off and viewing only 77 K surfaces. Long term stability tests demonstrated that the blackbody did not exhibit long term drifts. Other tests showed that room temperature variations did not affect the diode signal chain or the digitization electronics used in data acquisition. Results of the experiment show that the diodes did not exhibit changes in dark current or spectral response performance as a result of the laser illumination. A typical change in diode spectral response (before/after laser exposure) was about 0.2 percent +/- 0.2 percent.
THE OPIN PROCEDURE: A PERFORMANCE‐BASED ASSESSMENT OF READER‐AUTHOR PROXIMITY

We present an alternative performance‐based assessment of reading comprehension and readability called the Opin procedure. The Opin procedure is a macroclosure procedure in which sentence endings instead of single words are deleted from a passage. Because of the open nature of the sentences, readers must develop their own opinions about the messages intended by the writers. Readers’ responses to the deletions are rated on a continuum from low to high proximity with the author's intentions. Ratings can be tallied to obtain a total reader‐author proximity score, or the reader's responses can be categorized according to the dominant pattern or comprehension strategy (fragmented, pro‐jective, or interactive) he or she used. Successful reading comprehension is defined in terms of a model‐based, communication view of the reading process.
Optimal and Sustainable Exchange Rate Regimes: A Two-Country Game-Theoretic Approach

This paper attempts to identify optimal and sustainable exchange rate regimes in a world economy comprising two countries. By developing a Barro-Gordon two-country macroeconomic model, noncooperative equilibria are obtained under different assumptions of monetary policy commitments and different exchange rate regimes. Then, using a three-stage game approach to the strategic choice of monetary policy instruments, optimal and sustainable exchange rate regimes are identified. Determining such regimes depends fundamentally on the authorities' ability to make monetary policy commitments. The results indicate that international coordination of regime choice may be necessary to ensure optimal outcomes.
Moment Theory of Ion Motion in Traps and Similar Devices: IV. Molecular Theories

This paper extends to molecules the moment theory of ion traps and similar devices where the electric fields vary with both position and time. It is based on the Wang Chang–Uhlenbeck–de Boer equation and a series of successive approximations based on the Maxwell model and the assumption that all other moments of the ion distribution function vary much less rapidly with position and time than does the ion number density. Two versions of the theory are presented: a simpler one, based on spherical-polar basis functions, and a more comprehensive one, based on Cartesian functions.
Otherwise Destined for Eloise: Dread, Contentment, and the Public Alternative to Private ‘Relief’ in Old Age

The horror of the poorhouse “cast a wide shadow” in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. Almost everyone was afraid of ending his or her life in an institution that was ostensibly designed for public relief, but which occasioned fear since colonial times, never more so than in the beginning of the Great Depression. We build a case that the specter of the Wayne County, Michigan poorhouse, popularly known as “Eloise,” influenced Luella Hannan Memorial Home (LHMH) administrative decisions and the life courses of its aged applicants and clients, primarily women, in a number of crucial ways that relate to broader national issues concerning aging.
Margins of Poetry: The Character of Character in Melville's "The Temeraire"

ALA 2006–San Francisco Who Speaks in Melville’s Poems? CHAIR: FAITH BARRETT, LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY F rom Battle-Pieces, to Clarel, to John Marr, to Timoleon, Melville works with an extraordinary range of poetic speakers and stances, exploring the generic limits of the lyric and the narrative poem and building both dialogue and personae into his poetic texts. Who are these speakers, and what is at stake for Melville the poet in his exploration of these stances? How do Melville’s poetic voices represent tensions between self and other, North and South, East and West, faith and doubt, past and future? How do Melville’s poetic texts signal transitions or developments in nineteenth-century American poetry? How are we to understand the connections or disconnections between Melville’s speakers and those of his poetic contemporaries? How do Melville’s speakers engage with the commitments of romantic, Victorian, realist, or modernist poetics? These are some of the questions this panel explored through readings of Battle-Pieces, Clarel, and John Marr and Other Sailors. Margins of Poetry: The Character of Character in Melville’s “The Temeraire” Dan Fineman Occidental College A lthough Battle-Pieces otherwise concerns itself directly with the Civil War, “The Temeraire” presents the reader with thoughts “supposed to have been suggested to an Englishman of the old order by the fight of the Monitor and Merrimac.” This intruding consciousness may be a paradigmatic instance of the book’s underlying transgressive modality, one that suggests that poetry arises out of catastrophic historical alteration. The work’s titular topic, the final disposal of the second line ship from Nelson’s Battle of Trafalgar, engages the reader in intersecting arenas of consideration: the end C © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation C © 2006 The Melville Society and Blackwell Publishing Inc L E V I A T H A N A J O U R N A L O F M E L V I L L E S T U D I E S 83
Lesions Originating Within the Retrorectal Space: A Diverse Group Requiring Individualized Evaluation and Surgery

Tumors occurring within the retrorectal space are rare and their low incidence has led to a paucity of literature regarding them. Adult patients with retrorectal tumors managed at this institution from 1981–2011 were identified. A retrospective chart review was conducted to obtain relevant data. Retrorectal tumors were identified in 87 patients (67 female) with median age at diagnosis of 44 years (19–88), and median follow-up 8 months (0.1–225). Of the 25 different histologic tumors diagnosed, hamartomas were most common (32 %; n = 28) followed by epidermal cysts (11 %; n = 10), and teratomas (10 %; n = 9). Twenty-six percent (23/87) of all tumors were malignant. CT scans were obtained in 84 % (73/87) of patients, MRI in 59 % (51/87), and TRUS in 16 % (14/87). While 74 % (64/87) of tumors were at or below the S4 level, operative approach was strictly posterior in 73 % (46/63) of these tumors. Twenty-eight percent (24/87) of patients underwent diagnostic biopsy with no reported biopsy site recurrence. Thirty percent (7/23) of resected malignant (all recurrences: distant) and eleven percent (7/64) of benign tumors (all recurrences: local) recurred. Survival was 70 % (16/23) for malignant tumors and 98 % (63/64) for benign tumors. Retrorectal tumors remain heterogeneous and a diagnostic challenge. Pre-operative imaging may help guide surgeons; however, malignancy portends worse outcomes. Despite preoperative biopsy site recurrence concerns, no patient in this study had biopsy site recurrence. As their natural history remains unclear, more studies are necessary to further characterize their behavior.
Excitation of cesium atoms by electron impact

Calculations are preented for the optical oscillator strengths, generalized oscillator strengths and integrated cross sections from threshold up to 5 keV for the electron impact excitation of cesium. The excitation studied is from the ground 65(2S) state to the four excited states 6P, 7P, 8P, and 9P (2P).
EVEN MORE IDEAS ABOUT METHODOLOGIES FOR DETERMINING JOB DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

McIntyre and Farr (1979), Hanser, Mendel, and Wolins (1979), and Lissitz, Mendoza, Huberty, and Markos (1979) comment on the repeated measures Analysis of Variance design suggested by Arvey and Mossholder (1977) to detect job differences and similarities. These authors propose alternative procedures to determine job differences. We, in turn, point out here that the problems specified by these critics may not be as severe as they indicate, and that some problems are even nonexistent. Moreover, the alternative solutions they suggest also have their own limitations. Finally, we propose an additional procedure–a multivariate approach to repeated measures data–which might be useful in the context of detecting job differences. It appears as if there are assumptions and limitations to both the univariate and multivariate approaches to the problem; these assumptions and limitations are delineated more precisely in the present paper.
The closure and the rings: when a physician disregards a patient's wish.

SUMMARY. Recent reports document that many physicians do not know their patients' preferences for life-sustaining interventions as part of end-of-life care, or fail to carry out those expressed preferences. This report describes a patient with cystic fibrosis who deteriorated unexpectedly; the physician chose to disregard his patient's preference not to be intubated. As an unintended result, the patient's family was able to achieve closure and find meaning in the apparent final phase of the patient's life. Thus, this report illustrates the delicate balance that must be struck between a physician's respect for a patient's wishes, his assessment of unexpected circumstances which arise as part of clinical care, and his responsibility to acknowledge and allow time for the family to psychosocially and spiritually prepare for a patient's impending death.
APL2—a very superior Fortran

Properly written programs in APL2 exceed the corresponding APL programs in brevity and clarity by as large a margin as APL programs exceed those written in FORTRAN. This paper takes a topic from the area of finance and uses it to illustrate this contention.
Situated Identities: Power and Positioning in the Work of a Literacy Coach.

A literacy coach's work is about far more than a knowledge base in how teaching and learning works in literacy classrooms. It is also about deep understandings of situational enactments and how one's position will impact what happens in a particular context. This article has significant implications for the preparation and ongoing professional development opportunities for literacy coaches that includes work around issues of power and positioning and begins to support coaches in learning to “read” situations to help them to be responsive in the way they position themselves.
Hypnotic effects on hypermnesia.

Abstract The effects of hypnotic suggestions for improved memory were explored using procedures known to produce hypermnesia in the normal waking state. In Experiment 1, 64 trait adjectives were randomly assigned to orthographic, phonemic, semantic, and self-referent orienting tasks in an incidental learning paradigm. These were presented to 40 Ss classified as low, medium, high, or very high in hypnotizability, followed by a series of 3 recall trials: immediately after the study phase, following a hypnotic suggestion for enhanced memory, and after termination of hypnosis. There were significant effects of both encoding condition and repeated trials on incidental recall. However, the hypermnesia effect observed in other experiments was not obtained, and there were no memory effects attributable to hypnosis. In Experiment 2, 60 line drawings of common objects were presented to an overlapping sample of 40 Ss, followed by the same recall procedure employed in Experiment 1. There was a significant hypermnesia...
Influence of embedding strategies on security of steganographic methods in the JPEG domain

In this paper, we study how specific design principles and elements of steganographic schemes for the JPEG format influence their security. Our goal is to shed some light on how the choice of the embedding operation and domain, adaptive selection channels, and syndrome coding influence statistical detectability. In the experimental part of this paper, the detectability is evaluated using a state-of-the-art blind steganalyzer and the results are contrasted with several adhoc detectability measures, such as the embedding distortion. We also report the first results of our steganalysis of the recently proposed YASS algorithm and compare its security to other steganographic methods for the JPEG format.
The comparative uptake of Ba2+ and other alkaline earth metals by plant mitochondria.

Abstract 1. The transport of Ba 2+ by mung bean ( Phaseolus aureus L) mitochondria is examined and its uptake properties compared with the accumulation of other alkaline earth metals by plant mitochondria. Uptake is supported by oxidizable substrates but not by ATP under the conditions examined. Ba 2+ uptake shows an absolute requirement for P i , whereas AsO 4 , acetate and oxalate do not replace P i . ATP synthesis inhibits Ba 2+ uptake 50% and both 2,4-dinitrophenol and valinomycin plus K + inhibit uptake over 80%. 2. The relative capacity to transport a series of alkaline earth metals showed a preferred order of: Sr 2+ > Ca 2+ > Ba 2+ ⪢ Mg 2+ . Mitochondria isolated from three plant sources showed net levels of Mg 2+ uptake 7% or less than the observed Sr 2+ uptake values. The same relative order of alkaline earth metal supported uptake of P i was observed with bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L) mitochondria. It is suggested that salt transport in plant mitochondria involves a carrier complex which binds both divalent cations and P i .
Albite dissolution kinetics as a function of distance from equilibrium: Implications for natural feldspar weathering

Abstract Determining the kinetics of many geologic and engineering processes involving solid/fluid interactions requires a fundamental understanding of the Gibbs free energy dependency of the system. Currently, significant discrepancies seem to exist between kinetic datasets measured to determine the relationship between dissolution rate and Gibbs free energy. To identify the causes of these discrepancies, we have combined vertical scanning interferometry, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy techniques to identify dissolution mechanisms and quantify dissolution rates of albite single crystals over a range of Gibbs free energy (−61.1
Improving the performance of the multivariate exponentially weighted moving average control chart

Multivariate statistical process control (SPC) procedures are useful in cases where several process variables are monitored simultaneously. A significant disadvantage of these techniques is that the time required to detect a process shift increases with the number of variables being monitored. We show how the shift detection capability of one popular multivariate SPC scheme, the multivariate analogue of the exponentially weighted moving average control chart, can be significantly improved by transforming the original process variables to a lower-dimensional subspace through the use of a U-transformation.
Fragile bones and macrocranium.

Summary A child is described with multiple fractures beginning in the first year of life, bowing of all four extremities, and a large head. Roentgen studies revealed greatly thickened frontal, parietal, and occipital bones with deepened diploic spaces, generalized osteoporosis, healing and healed fractures with bowing and angulation of all the long bones, and widening of the medullary cavities in the unfractured bones.
Structure of the earth's crust in the continents.

In 1910 A. Mohorovicic published the first paper in which arrival times of elastic waves from a near-by earthquake were used to calculate the velocity of earthquake waves in the earth's crust, He found for longitudinal waves a velocity of 5.4 km/ sec in the upper 50 km and a velocity of about 7.8 km/sec below that. Earthquake records from other regions furnished similar results and indicated one or more intermediate layers. Later, when artificial explosions were recorded, it was found that the velocity in the uppermost layers is appreciably higher than that found from earthquake records. Data are available now for parts of Europe and the United States. They indicate a velocity of about 6 km/sec immediately below the sedimentary layers, increasing (in some regions) to as much as 61 km/sec at a depth of about 10 km. The Mohorovicic discontinuity is found in general at a depth between 30 and 40 km, and the velocity below it is between 8.1 and 8.2 km/sec. The discrepancy between the results from earthquake waves and those from artificial explosions is beyond the limits of error. This new interpretation is suggested to explain all observations.
Excitation-Contraction Coupling in a Barnacle Muscle Fiber As Examined with Voltage Clamp Technique

Relations between the membrane potential and the tension associated with changes in membrane potential were analyzed in barnacle giant muscle fibers by using voltage clamp techniques. With a step change in membrane potential the tension reaches its final level with a time course which is expressed by the difference of two exponential functions. The time constants τ1 (0.2–0.4 sec at 23°C) and τ2 (0.07–0.12 sec at 23°C) are independent of the new membrane potential at least for a relatively small membrane potential change while the final level of tension is a function of the potential. Decreasing the temperature increases both τ1 and τ2 (Q10 = -2 to -3) and the increase of the tonicity of the external medium increases τ1 but not τ2. The final level of tension is related by an S-shaped curve to the membrane potential. The slope of the final tension-membrane potential curve increases with increasing external Ca concentration and is reduced when a small amount of transition metal ions is added to the medium. This suggests that the influx of Ca ions through the membrane is an important factor in the development of tension.
THE EFFECT OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AND OF CARBOHYDRATES ON THE FORMATION OF STREPTOLYSIN

1. Ribonucleic acid of yeast causes the formation of a potent hemolysin in broth cultures of Streptococcus pyogenes. 2. The hemolysin whose formation is induced by yeast ribonucleic acid appears to be identical with streptolysin S. 3. Desoxyribonucleic acid, products of acid or alkaline hydrolysis of ribonucleic acid, or many other substances tested, fail to produce a similar effect. 4. Digestion by ribonuclease increases markedly the streptolysin-inducing activity of certain preparations of ribonucleic acid. 5. A fraction (AF) of yeast nucleic acid has been isolated which possesses approximately 100 times the streptolysin-inducing capacity of the starting material. Some of the properties which distinguish AF, a polynucleotide, from ordinary yeast nucleic acid are described. AF is associated with the ribonuclease-resistant fraction of yeast nucleic acid. 6. Ribonucleic acid prepared from streptococci, wheat germ, and mammalian liver, and subsequently treated with ribonuclease, is about as active in causing streptolysin formation as ribonuclease-treated yeast nucleic acid. 7. Ribonucleic acid of tobacco mosaic virus, tested under comparable conditions, was found to be inactive. 8. Ribonucleic acid prepared from streptococci, wheat germ, and tobacco mosaic virus resembles yeast nucleic acid in possessing a ribonuclease-resistant fraction. 9. In addition to AF, a factor (or factors), present in meat infusion and in peptone, was found to be required for the formation of streptolysin. 10. The factor can be partially replaced by any one of several carbohydrates, the most active being maltose, glucosamine, and trehalose, in that order. 11. When appropriate concentrations of AF, maltose, and glucose are used, the nucleic acid-induced streptolysin can be produced in a medium whose chemical composition is essentially defined.
Digital Filtering and Edge Detection Algorithms for Nuclear Medicine Images

Several edge detection algorithms were compared. The nearest neighbor algorithm (NNA) was shown to be superior to the other methods. The NNA was then used to evaluate the effects of nine common digital filters. It was shown that high pass filters improve relative constrast at the expense of edge definition. Furthermore, low pass filters only improve edge detection in the limit of low signal to noise ratios. Finally, all filters tested significantly distorted area relationships and perimeter contours.
Thrombin-inhibiting nanoparticles rapidly constitute versatile and detectable anticlotting surfaces

Restoring an antithrombotic surface to suppress ongoing thrombosis is an appealing strategy for treatment of acute cardiovascular disorders such as erosion of atherosclerotic plaque. An antithrombotic surface would present an alternative to systemic anticoagulation with attendant risks of bleeding. We have designed thrombin-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) that bind to sites of active clotting to extinguish local thrombin activity and inhibit platelet deposition while exhibiting only transient systemic anticoagulant effects. Perfluorocarbon nanoparticles (PFC NP) were functionalized with thrombin inhibitors (either D-phenylalanyl-L-prolyl-L-arginyl-chloromethyl ketone or bivalirudin) by covalent attachment of more than 15 000 inhibitors to each PFC NP. Fibrinopeptide A (FPA) ELISA demonstrated that thrombin-inhibiting NPs prevented cleavage of fibrinogen by both free and clot-bound thrombin. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed that a layer of thrombin-inhibiting NPs prevented growth of clots in vitro. Thrombin-inhibiting NPs were administered in vivo to C57BL6 mice subjected to laser injury of the carotid artery. NPs significantly delayed thrombotic occlusion of the artery, whereas an equivalent bolus of free inhibitor was ineffective. For thrombin-inhibiting NPs, only a short-lived (∼10 min) systemic effect on bleeding time was observed, despite prolonged clot inhibition. Imaging and quantification of in vivo antithrombotic NP layers was demonstrated by MRI of the PFC NP. (19)F MRI confirmed colocalization of particles with arterial thrombi, and quantitative (19)F spectroscopy demonstrated specific binding and retention of thrombin-inhibiting NPs in injured arteries. The ability to rapidly form and image a new antithrombotic surface in acute vascular syndromes while minimizing risks of bleeding would permit a safer method of passivating active lesions than current systemic anticoagulant regimes.
Psychometric properties of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) original and short forms in an African American community sample

Background The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) has been widely used as a self-report measure of affect in community and clinical contexts. However, evaluations of the psychometric properties of PANAS scores have been limited in diverse ethnic groups. Several short forms of the PANAS have also been proposed, but very little is known about the psychometric properties of these versions.
Metal segregation in supported bimetallic catalysts: γ-Al2O3-supported CO hydrogenation catalysts prepared from RhOs3, Rh4, and FeOs3 clusters

Al2O3-supported metals were prepared from [H2RhOs3(CO)10(acetylacetonate)], [Rh4(CO)12], and [H2FeOs3(CO)13]. The samples were characterized by infrared spectroscopy after reaction with CO + H2 and tested as catalysts for conversion of CO + H2 in a flow reactor at 200 and 270 °C and 10 atm. Used catalysts were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The catalyst lost Os during operation, presumably as a result of formation of volatile carbonyls. The catalytic reaction products were a nearly Schulz-Flory-Anderson distribution of hydrocarbons with small yields of dimethyl ether (formed from methanol). The performance of the catalyst prepared from the RhOs3 cluster was closely similar to that of the catalyst prepared from the Rh4 cluster. Characterization of the samples after treatment in CO + H2 and after catalysis demonstrated that the RhOs3 clusters broke apart, first giving triosmium clusters and mononuclear Rh complexes and then, at higher temperatures, giving Rh crystallites and mononuclear Os complexes. The catalytic activity for hydrocarbon synthesis is attributed to the Rh metal; the activity for methanol synthesis is tentatively associated with ionic Rh complexes. The FeOs3 catalyst was two orders of magnitude less active than the Rh Os3 catalyst, apparently consisting of small iron oxide particles and mononuclear Os complexes. The selectivity of this catalyst for dimethyl ether formation increased markedly with time onstream in the flow reactor; after 55 h, 36 mol% of the organic product was ether.
A 1.9 Å Crystal Structure of the HDV Ribozyme Precleavage Suggests both Lewis Acid and General Acid Mechanisms Contribute to Phosphodiester Cleavage

The hepatitis delta virus (HDV) ribozyme and HDV-like ribozymes are self-cleaving RNAs found throughout all kingdoms of life. These RNAs fold into a double-nested pseudoknot structure and cleave RNA, yielding 2′,3′-cyclic phosphate and 5′-hydroxyl termini. The active site nucleotide C75 has a pKa shifted >2 pH units toward neutrality and has been implicated as a general acid/base in the cleavage reaction. An active site Mg2+ ion that helps activate the 2′-hydroxyl for nucleophilic attack has been characterized biochemically; however, this ion has not been visualized in any previous structures. To create a snapshot of the ribozyme in a state poised for catalysis, we have crystallized and determined the structure of the HDV ribozyme bound to an inhibitor RNA containing a deoxynucleotide at the cleavage site. This structure includes the wild-type C75 nucleotide and Mg2+ ions, both of which are required for maximal ribozyme activity. This structure suggests that the position of C75 does not change during the ...
Lysine Versus Arginine: RNA Editing In The Eag Potassium Channel

Four RNA editing sites in eag, a Drosophila voltage-gated potassium channel, result in point mutations. One of these mutations, K467R, involves a highly conserved basic residue at the top of the S6 segment. We characterized wild-type and mutant channels using two-microelectrode voltage clamp and patch clamp in Xenopus oocytes. The homologous mutation is lethal in Shaker and hERG. Position 467 plays an important role in inactivation; the K467R mutation causes a 54% decrease in the fraction of inactivated current at +80 mV. The fraction of inactivated current is reduced at higher (10 mM) extracellular Mg+2 concentrations; constructs with a lysine at 467 are more sensitive to changes in extracellular Mg+2 than those with an arginine. Mutating position 467 to alanine, glutamine or cysteine resulted in intermediate inactivation phenotypes and a leftward shift of the peak current-voltage relationship, normalized at +80 mV. Using instantaneous IV measurements from cell-attached oocyte patches, we constructed normalized Po curves for 467Q, 467R and 467K. The Po-V curves for these mutations are superimposable, suggesting little effect on activation gating. However, 467Q and 467R produce inward rectification in instantaneous IV measurements, suggesting a change in ion permeation. Single channel current amplitudes at +40 mV, estimated from non-stationary noise analysis, are comparable for these mutants, which affect instantaneous rectification at more depolarized potentials. Preliminary experiments show no change in rectification between cell-attached and inside-out patches suggesting the permeation change is not due to block by cytoplasmic cations. Intracellular TBA (tetrabutylammonium) blocks 467R significantly better than 467K. Block by intracellular, but not extracellular, TEA (tetraethylammonium) interferes with inactivation. These results show that even a minor residue change can have a dramatic impact on channel biophysics.
Observation of an oxygen resonance in reflectivity from weakly absorbing thin silicon layers

A bulk polariton has been discovered in silicon films deposited by silane vapor deposition on substrates of highly reflecting silver. From reflectivity measurements, resonances at 8.3 and 10 \ensuremath{\mu}m are examined using a simple model. Properties of the observed transitions, due to impurity oxygen in silicon, have been determined by an analysis of our spectra for semiconductor layers of increasing thickness between 1.5 and 6 \ensuremath{\mu}m.
Usefulness of self-reported periodontal disease to identify individuals with elevated inflammatory markers at risk of cardiovascular disease.

Periodontal disease has been associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), and inflammation may represent a common pathophysiology. Oral health screening in the context of CVD risk assessment represents a potential opportunity to identify individuals at risk for CVD. The purposes of this study were to determine if self-reported oral health status is independently associated with inflammatory markers and if oral health assessment as part of CVD risk screening can identify at-risk individuals without traditional CVD risk factors. A baseline analysis was conducted among participants in the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Family Intervention Trial for Heart Health (FIT Heart; n = 421, mean age 48 ± 13.5 years, 36% nonwhite) without CVD or diabetes who underwent standardized assessment of oral health, lifestyle, CVD risk factors, and the inflammatory markers high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2. Statistical associations between oral health, risk factors, and inflammatory markers were assessed, and logistic regression was used to adjust for effects of lifestyle and potential confounders. Periodontal disease was independently associated with being in the top quartile of lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 compared with the lower 3 quartiles (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.2) after adjustment for lifestyle and risk factors. Histories of periodontal disease were reported by 24% of nonoverweight, nonhypertensive, nonhypercholesterolemic participants, and of these participants, 37% had elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (≥3 mg/L) or lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (≥215 ng/ml) levels. In conclusion, self-reported periodontal disease is independently associated with inflammation and common in individuals without traditional CVD risk factors.
Nonlinear barotropic tides and bores in estuaries

The propagation of tides from the coastal ocean into shallow estuarine waters often produces characteristic nonlinearly induced asymmetries of velocity and water level in time series. Until recently (Aubrey and Speer, 1985) a sound physical understanding of related phenomena has been difficult to obtain as flow field data are rare. Numerical studies usually model a single estuary only; the modeled parameter space is often limited. From the vertically averaged governing equations that include nonlinear terms and bottom friction, we deduce that three dimensionless parameters set the character of the barotropic tidal response for channel shaped estuaries. We then develop a time-dependent numerical model based on the method of Lax and Wendroff. We use the model to explore the response over a wide range of the three parameters. Tidal responses include damped waves, hydraulic regimes, and tidal wave breaking or bore development. Where field data are available in the case of the Conwy Estuary, UK, water level and velocity compare favourably with model prediction. DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0870.1991.t01-2-00007.x
Memory Interventions and Quality of Life for Older Adults with Dementia

ABSTRACT In this article we focus on memory remediation activities for older adults with cognitive impairment. Memory interventions that promote retention of simple information, such as a caregiver name, may have important emotional consequences for affected individuals and their families. The inclusion of memory activities in long-term care facilities offers a new and creative direction for programming with potential benefits for clients, staff, and families. We describe recent studies that demonstrate the efficacy of the spaced retrieval technique for improving memory for simple associations in older adults with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD). We present data that address quality-of-life issues for persons who participate in a spaced retrieval memory training program. These data strongly suggest that memory remediation activities should be included as a component of current best practices for memory-impaired older adults in long-term care settings.
Effect of Test Sensitization and Knowledge about Self-Actualization on Taking the Personal Orientation Inventory

One hundred and thirty-two American college students were employed in a Solomon 4 group design to assess the susceptibility of scores on the Personal Orientation Inventory (POI) to knowledge about self-actualization (SA) and to possible test sensitization effects. Results indicated that POI scores were increased only by the main effect of knowledge about SA. These results were discussed in terms of previous research dealing with these two non-therapy factors.
An Empirical Investigation of Factors Influencing Information Security Behavior

AbstractThe topic of information security has been studied mostly in the context of organizational and enterprise security. Today, organizational employees who are also home users of computing technology are vulnerable to security breaches unless they abide by company policy to use safeguards such as firewalls and antivirus programs. It is important to understand factors that influence Work Related Home Computing (WRHC) users to maintain information security. This study uses Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior to investigate factors related to WRHC users’ information security awareness. Demographic characteristics, attitudes, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control that affect behavioral intention were studied to identify determinants of information security behavior. It was found that intention to maintain information security behavior was predicted mostly by exogenous variables of attitude and confidence of participants in the study.
Free-space beam steering in two dimensions using a silicon optical phased array

We report an independently tuned 16-channel optical phased array fabricated in silicon for 2D free-space beam steering. The phased array was composed of silicon-on-insulator waveguide surface gratings integrated with thermo-optic phase tuners and was operated both using a control algorithm together with automated real-time far field image analysis to target and shape the beam, and using a lookup table without real-time feedback. The device exhibited 1.6° × 0.6° beam width and 10 dB background suppression in the far field across a 20° × 14° field of view. We show that by increasing the waveguide width from 1 μm to 3 μm we can suppress the side-lobe peaks by a factor of 2.
Parapharyngeal space pleomorphic adenoma: a 30-year review.

Objectives/Hypothesis: To evaluate the treatment results of pleomorphic adenoma (PA) of the parapharyngeal space at a single institution during a 30-year period. Study Design: A retrospective review. Methods: This study was performed by examining the records and reviewing the pathology of 44 patients with PA of the parapharyngeal space treated at a single medical center from January 1975 to November 2005. Results: Of the 44 patients with PA, 35 patients underwent 38 excisions. Eleven men and 27 women were treated surgically. Follow-up varied from 24 months to 180 months. There were three recurrences in two patients. Recurrence rates at 5 and 10 years were equal at 7.9%. Gender, age, tumor volume, surgical approach, pathologic surgical margin status, and prior resections were evaluated for significant prognostic factors. Advanced age proved a poor prognostic indicator (P < .05). History of prior resection (P < .01) was significant for recurrence. Positive surgical margins (P = .69) proved a negative association. Conclusions: We report low recurrence rates in this patient population with two important prognostic indicators. History of prior resection is significant to predict recurrence. Interestingly, positive surgical margins are actually shown not to effect risk of recurrence. Local recurrence of the tumor is associated with further recurrence and less favorable prognosis. Laryngoscope, 2009
A Path to Providing User-Centered Subject Guides

The experience at the University of Akron illustrates a transitional path from static websites to dynamic, user-centered Web design. Starting with Web-based subject resource guides that were difficult to maintain and navigate, University Libraries migrated to a content management system that solved existing maintenance issues and created the opportunity for interactive resource lists. Subsequent usability testing found that users needed librarian-designed subject guides to understand and access resources. Consequently, University Libraries redesigned its website functionality. In the course of this article, it is shown that ease of maintenance and ease of use need not be mutually exclusive.
The phosphohydrolase activity in lamellar bodies and its relationship to phosphatidylglycerol and lung surfactant formation

Phosphohydrolase activity of a lamellar body-enriched preparation from pig lung was examined to ascertain if two separate enzymes catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphatidic acid and phosphatidylglycerol 3-phosphate. From sulfhydryl inhibition, heat inactivation and substrate specificity studies, we suggest that one phosphohydrolase may account for the hydrolysis of both substrates. The relationship of the reported experiments to the biosynthesis of the glycerophospholipids present in surfactant is discussed.