cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Methods to Protect Individuals from Financial Exploitation

Older individuals are common targets for financial exploitation. Common risk factors for victims include dependence in activities of daily living, social isolation, a lack of knowledge about the presence or value of their assets, and the need for help to manage many of their affairs. Perpetrators often have common characteristics as well. Many of these individuals are family members or caregivers with important roles in maintenance of daily routines. Opportunity, sense of entitlement, and greed provide the impetus for exploitation to occur. Exploitation often manifests in various forms of fraud, which older persons often fall prey to. Identifying these risk factors for exploitation is important in preventing victimization. There are various methods of protecting potential victims from fraud. Older persons do not have to act alone. Often, caregivers can be proactive in assisting their family/clients to put these protections in place. Local, regional, state, and national resources are available to help support these efforts at protection against and investigation of financial exploitation.
The Imperial State of Iran, a Deal-Broker: Enabling the People’s Republic of China’s Asian Games Debut in the 1974 Tehran Asian Games

The former Imperial State of Iran was a critical actor and deal-broker in orchestrating the Asian Games Federation’s admission of the All-China Sports Federation and expulsion of the Republic of Ch...
Incorporation of Social Risk in US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendations and Identification of Key Challenges for Primary Care.

Importance In its mission to improve health, the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recognizes the strong relationship between a person’s health and social and economic circumstances as well as persistent inequities in health care delivery. Objective To assess how social risks have been considered in USPSTF recommendation statements and identify current gaps in evidence needed to expand the systematic inclusion of social risks in future recommendations. Evidence The USPSTF commissioned a technical brief that reviewed existing literature on screening and interventions for social risk factors and also audited the 85 USPSTF recommendation statements active as of December 2019 to determine how social risks were addressed in clinical preventive services recommendations. Findings Among the 85 USPSTF recommendation statements reviewed, 14 were focused on preventive services that considered health-related social risks. Social risks were commonly referenced in parts of USPSTF recommendations, with 57 of 85 recommendations including some comment on social risks within the recommendation statement, although many comments were not separate prevention services. Social risks were commented on in USPSTF recommendations as part of risk assessment, as a marker of worse health outcomes from the condition of focus, as a consideration for clinicians when implementing the preventive service, and as a research need or gap on the topic. Conclusions and Relevance This report identified how social risks have been considered in the USPSTF recommendation statements. It serves as a benchmark and foundation for ongoing work to advance the goal of ensuring that health equity and social risks are incorporated in USPSTF methods and recommendations.
Matter of Discretion: The De Facto Abolition of the Mandatory Death Penalty in Barbados – A Study of the Boyce and Joseph Cases

The rising calls worldwide for a moratorium on the death penalty parallel the judicial erosion of the mandatory death penalty (“MDP”) in a number of Commonwealth Caribbean nations. The appellate proceedings of Attorney General of Barbados versus Jeffrey Joseph and Lennox Ricardo Boyce illustrate the jurisprudential evolution of the MDP in the following areas: (1) constitutionality; (2) deadlines for appeal; (3) the judicial review of executive clemency proceedings; and (4) petitions to international human rights organizations. This article explores the advent of a new chapter in Commonwealth Caribbean MDP jurisprudence through Attorney General v. Joseph, a seminal opinion by the Caribbean Court of Justice (“CCJ”). In this case, the CCJ augmented the procedural safeguards that have given rise to the de facto abolition of the MDP in Barbados and other Commonwealth Caribbean nations. This article also explains the intricate balance, in MDP appeals, of (1) constitutional and international law and (2) judicial review of executive action. The article concludes that the CCJ (once touted as a “hanging court”) has actually worked to secure the role of judicial discretion in MDP appeals and to insure the de facto abolition of the MDP.
Biomechanical engineering comparison of four leaflet repair techniques for mitral regurgitation using a novel 3-dimensional–printed left heart simulator

Abstract Objective Mitral valve repair is the gold standard treatment for degenerative mitral regurgitation; however, a multitude of repair techniques exist with little quantitative data comparing these approaches. Using a novel ex vivo model, we sought to evaluate biomechanical differences between repair techniques. Methods Using porcine mitral valves mounted within a custom 3-dimensional–printed left heart simulator, we induced mitral regurgitation using an isolated P2 prolapse model by cutting primary chordae. Next, we repaired the valves in series using the edge-to-edge technique, neochordoplasty, nonresectional remodeling, and classic leaflet resection. Hemodynamic data and chordae forces were measured and analyzed using an incomplete counterbalanced repeated measures design with the healthy pre-prolapse valve as a control. Results With the exception of the edge-to-edge technique, all repair methods effectively corrected mitral regurgitation, returning regurgitant fraction to baseline levels (baseline 11.9% ± 3.7%, edge-to-edge 22.5% ± 6.9%, nonresectional remodeling 12.3% ± 3.0%, neochordal 13.4% ± 4.8%, resection 14.7% ± 5.5%, P Conclusions Although multiple methods of degenerative mitral valve repair are used clinically, their biomechanical properties vary significantly. Nonresectional techniques, including leaflet remodeling and neochordal techniques, appear to result in lower chordal forces in this ex vivo technical engineering model.
Paxiúba: Traditional Housing in the Western Amazon

This paper explores the traditional construction method of building with paxiuba (Socratea exorrhiza) in the Amazon—more specifically in the Brazilian state of Acre. This type of palm tree is nativ...
Making Molecules Dance: Optimal Control of Molecular Motion

The aim of this research was to use optimal control theory to establish whether it is feasible in principle as well as in practice to employ optical fields for controlling molecular scale motion. Attempts to achieve control over molecular motion, particularly for site specific chemistry in polyatomic molecules, has been a long sought after goal with virtually no success. Heretofore, experiments and theory aimed at this goal have basically relied on physically inspired intuition for a choice of pumping schemes. Given this background, one may conclude that either the problem of molecular motion control is not soluble or that the solution is far more complex and defies simple guessing at the nature of the optical field. The mathematical tools of optimal control theory, largely developed in the engineering disciplines1, provide a well defined means of settling this issue. Essentually the problem is one of determining the existence of any possible optical field capable of meeting (quantum) mechanical molecular objectives such as local bond excitation or selective bond rupture. Some hints at going in this direction exist in the current molecular dynamics literature2 and approaches of this type are proving to be quite successful at solving pulse shaping problems in the field of magnetic resonance imaging3. The analysis and numerical calculations summarized below clearly show the feasibility of using optimal control theory to establish the answer to the basic problem being posed.
Paths Toward Future Research

The research on ammonia removal from air is far from exhausted and still represents the object of study of many research groups. In this chapter, some thoughts on directions of research related to the ammonia removal are proposed.
Architectures for agents that track other agents in multi-agent worlds

In multi-agent environments, an intelligent agent often needs to interact with other individuals or groups of agents to achieve its goals. Agent tracking is one key capability required for intelligent interaction. It involves monitoring the observable actions of other agents and inferring their unobserved actions, plans, goals and behaviors. This article examines the implications of such an agent tracking capability for agent architectures. It specifically focuses on real-time and dynamic environments, where an intelligent agent is faced with the challenge of tracking the highly flexible mix of goal-driven and reactive behaviors of other agents, in real-time. The key implication is that an agent architecture needs to provide direct support for flexible and efficient reasoning about other agents' models. In this article, such support takes the form of an architectural capability to execute the other agent's models, enabling mental simulation of their behaviors. Other architectural requirements that follow include the capabilities for (pseudo-) simultaneous execution of multiple agent models, dynamic sharing and unsharing of multiple agent models and high bandwidth inter-model communication. We have implemented an agent architecture, an experimental variant of the Soar integrated architecture, that conforms to all of these requirements. Agents based on this architecture have been implemented to execute two different tasks in a real-time, dynamic, multi-agent domain. The article presents experimental results illustrating the agents' dynamic behavior.
Tekcal's ERP Implementation Challenge: Climate, Fit and Effectiveness

Tekcal had a problematic ERP implementation. Data from face-to-face interviews are mapped to a theoretical model adapted from the innovation literature to explain how Tekcal’s climate for ERP implementation and ERP-values fit affected its ERP implementation effectiveness. Dimensions of climate include employees’ ERP skills, incentives, obstacles and information sharing. Dimensions of ERP-values fit include organizational commitment and alignment of non-homogeneous groups. This research has implications for both practitioners and researchers who are developing theoretical explanations for ERP implementation challenges.
Detection of Enthesitis in Children With Enthesitis‐Related Arthritis: Dolorimetry Compared to Ultrasonography

Objective To evaluate the distribution of enthesitis and the accuracy of physical examination with a dolorimeter for the detection of enthesitis in children, using ultrasound (US) assessment as the reference standard. Methods We performed a prospective cross-sectional study of 30 patients with enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA) and 30 control subjects. The following tendon insertion sites were assessed by standardized physical examination with a dolorimeter and US: common extensor on the lateral humeral epicondyle, common flexor on the medial humeral epicondyle, quadriceps at the superior patella, patellar ligament at the inferior patella, Achilles, and plantar fascia at the calcaneus. Results Abnormal findings on US were detected most commonly at the insertion of the quadriceps (30% [18 of 60 sites]), common extensor (12% [7 of 60]), and Achilles (10% [6 of 60]) tendons. The intrarater reliability of US (kappa statistic) was 0.78 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.63–0.93), and the interrater reliability was 0.81 (95% CI 0.67–0.95). Tenderness as detected by standardized dolorimeter examination had poor positive predictive value for US-confirmed enthesitis. In comparison to controls, patients with ERA reported more pain and had lower pain thresholds at every site, including control sites (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). The interrater reliability of dolorimeter examination for detection of enthesitis was low (κ = 0.49 [95% CI 0.33–0.65]). Conclusion Compared to US, standardized dolorimeter examination for the detection of enthesitis in children has poor accuracy and reliability. The decreased pain threshold of ERA patients likely contributed to the limited accuracy of the physical examination findings. Further research regarding the utility of US for identifying enthesitis at diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis, accurately predicting disease progression, and guiding therapeutic decisions is warranted.
How Music Alters Decision Making: Impact of Music Stimuli on Emotional Classification

Numerous studies have demonstrated that mood can affect emotional processing. The goal of this study was to explore which components of the decision process are affected when exposed to music; we do so within the context of a stochastic sequential model of simple decisions, the drift-diffusion model (DDM). In our experiment, participants decided whether words were emotionally positive or negative while listening to music that was chosen to induce positive or negative mood. The behavioral results show that the music manipulation was effective, as participants were biased to label words positive in the positive music condition. The DDM shows that this bias was driven by a change in the starting point of evidence accumulation, which indicates an a priori response bias. In contrast, there was no evidence that music affected how participants evaluated the emotional content of the stimuli. To better understand the correspondence between auditory features and decision-making, we proceeded to study how individual aspects of music affect response patterns. Our results have implications for future studies of the connection between music and mood.
Cutaneous Inoculation Blastomycosis

Cutaneous inoculation blastomycosis is a rare illness. We report a case of cutaneous inoculation blastomycosis in a patient who was inoculated after being struck by a projectile while performing yard work. We also review cases of cutaneous inoculation blastomycosis described elsewhere, to improve characterization of the syndrome.
Group Isomorphism with Fixed Subnormal Chains.

In recent work, Rosenbaum and Wagner showed that isomorphism of explicitly listed $p$-groups of order $n$ could be tested in $n^{\frac{1}{2}\log_p n + O(p)}$ time, roughly a square root of the classical bound. The $O(p)$ term is entirely due to an $n^{O(p)}$ cost of testing for isomorphisms that match fixed composition series in the two groups. We focus here on the fixed-composition-series subproblem and exhibit a polynomial-time algorithm that is valid for general groups. A subsequent paper will construct canonical forms within the same time bound.
Moment-based method for identification of pollution source in rivers.

AbstractIdentification of unknown pollution sources is essential to environmental protection and emergency response. This paper presents a moment-based method for identification of source location and quantity of accidental pollution along a river. The first two moment equations are derived through the Laplace transform of the variable residence time (VART) model. While the first moment in combination with observed data is used to determine the location of pollution source, the second moment in combination with observed data is employed to estimate the total mass (quantity) of released pollutant. The two moment equations are tested using 23 sets of conservative tracer injection data collected from 23 reaches in 5 rivers with the reach length ranging from about 3 to 300 km. Results show that the first moment equation is able to predict the pollution source location with a percent error less than 18% in general. The percent error involved in the estimation of the corrected total mass is commonly less than 2...
Crystal nucleation and growth from supercooled melts

We review our recent work on the crystal nucleation and growth from supercooled model liquids. In particular, we discuss the issue of the selection of a specific crystalline or polymorph during the...
Structure of the Integrin αIIb Transmembrane Segment

Integrin cell-adhesion receptors transduce signals bidirectionally across the plasma membrane via the single-pass transmembrane segments of each α and β subunit. While the β3 transmembrane segment consists of a linear 29-residue α-helix, the structure of the αIIb transmembrane segment reveals a linear 24-residue α-helix (Ile-966 -Lys-989) followed by a backbone reversal that packs Phe-992-Phe-993 against the transmembrane helix. The length of the αIIb transmembrane helix implies the absence of a significant transmembrane helix tilt in contrast to its partnering β3 subunit. Sequence alignment shows Gly-991-Phe-993 to be fully conserved among all 18 human integrin α subunits, suggesting that their unusual structural motif is prototypical for integrin α subunits. The αIIb transmembrane structure demonstrates a level of complexity within the membrane that is beyond simple transmembrane helices and forms the structural basis for assessing the extent of structural and topological rearrangements upon αIIb-β3 association, i.e. integrin transmembrane signaling.
The mean matters: Effects of statistically defined nonspeech spectral distributions on speech categorization

Adjacent speech, and even nonspeech, contexts influence phonetic categorization. Four experiments investigated how preceding sequences of sine-wave tones influence phonetic categorization. This experimental paradigm provides a means of investigating the statistical regularities of acoustic events that influence online speech categorization and, reciprocally, reveals regularities of the sound environment tracked by auditory processing. The tones comprising the sequences were drawn from distributions sampling different acoustic frequencies. Results indicate that whereas the mean of the distributions predicts contrastive shifts in speech categorization, variability of the distributions has little effect. Moreover, speech categorization is influenced by the global mean of the tone sequence, without significant influence of local statistical regularities within the tone sequence. Further arguing that the effect is strongly related to the average spectrum of the sequence, notched noise spectral complements of the tone sequences produce a complementary effect on speech categorization. Lastly, these effects are modulated by the number of tones in the acoustic history and the overall duration of the sequence, but not by the density with which the distribution defining the sequence is sampled. Results are discussed in light of stimulus-specific adaptation to statistical regularity in the acoustic input and a speculative link to talker normalization is postulated.
Telithromycin Use and Spontaneous Reports of Hepatotoxicity

Background and objective: Recent reports have described cases of telithromycin-related hepatotoxicity. The objective of this study is to quantify the effect of telithromycin use on the risk of hepatotoxicity.
Modifiability measurement from a task complexity perspective: A feasibility study

Despite the critical role of software modifiability, it has no universally accepted measurement model. Measuring modifiability in terms of maintenance effort is problematic because it confounds modifiability with the ability of individual maintainers. In this paper, we apply Wood's task complexity model to propose a general analytical model that describes the characteristics of maintenance tasks and the analytical dimensions of modifiability independent of the individual maintainers. The results of a case study demonstrate the construct validity of the model.
Sex Differences in Spatial Abilities: An Evolutionary Explanation

MacIntyre’s (1997) review of gender differences in spatial abilities overlooked findings generated by the metatheory of evolutionary psychology. This oversight reflects an underlying hostility within the social sciences towards the use of evolutionary theory in the study of human behaviour and cognition. As a remedy, this paper outlines the theoretical background of evolutionary psychology, focusing on the insights evolutionary psychology offers for cognitive gender differences research, with particular reference to gender differences in spatial abilities.
A high yield, one-pot dialysis-based process for self-assembly of near infrared absorbing gold nanoparticles.

Hypothesis: A facile, dialysis-based synthesis of stable near infrared (nIR) absorbing plasmonic gold nanoparticles (kmax = 650–1000 nm) will increase the yield of nIR particles and reduce the amount of gold colloid contaminant in the product mixture. Experiments: Chloroauric acid and sodium thiosulfate were reacted using a dialysis membrane as a reaction vessel. Product yield and composition was determined and compared to traditional synthesis methods. The product particle distribution, yield, and partitioning of gold between dispersed product and membrane-adsorbed gold were determined. Findings: The synthesis results in polydisperse particle suspensions comprised of 70% spheroid-like particles, 27% triangular plates, and 3% rod-like structures with a 3% batch-to-batch variation and a prominent nIR absorption band with kmax = 650–1000 nm. The amount of small gold colloid (kmax = 530 nm; d < 10 nm) in the isolated product was reduced by 96% compared to traditional methods. Additionally, 91.1% of the gold starting material is retained in the solution-based nanoparticle mixture while 8.2% is found on the dialysis membrane. The synthesis results in a quality ratio (QR = Abs nIR /Abs 530 ) of 1.7–2.4 (twice that of previous techniques) and 14.3 times greater OD⁄ml yield of the nIR-absorbing nanoparticle fraction.
The loss of heterozygosity in retinoblastoma and p53 suppressor genes as a prognostic indicator for head and neck cancer.

Inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, including p53 and retinoblastoma (Rb), are commonly found in all cancers, including head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Alterations at either p53 or Rb, however, are only weakly associated with tumor aggressiveness. In many cancers loss of heterozygosity (LOH) at multiple loci is associated with decreased survival. The polymerase chain reaction and highly informative microsatellite markers were used to compare DNA from matched sets of 63 head and neck squamous cell cancers and normal tissue for LOH at the p53 and Rb loci. At p53, 50 were informative, with LOH occurring in 19 (38%). Of the 57 that were informative at Rb, LOH occurred in 21(37%). Of the 46 that were informative at both p53 and Rb, LOH occurred in 10 (22%) at both loci. When LOH for p53 and Rb individually was compared to stage, differentiation, and survival, there was no correlation. However, the patients with LOH at both loci had a significantly poorer survival (P =.009). This strongly supports the contention that simultaneous alterations of these two tumor suppressor genes favor tumor aggressiveness and can be used as a prognostic indicator.
HECA-452 is a non-function blocking antibody for isolated sialyl Lewis x adhesion to endothelial expressed E-selectin under flow conditions

E-selectin, expressed on inflamed endothelium, and sialyl Lewis x (sLe(x)), present on the surface of leukocytes, play a key role in leukocyte-endothelial interactions during leukocyte recruitment to sites of inflammation. HECA-452 is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that recognizes sLe(x) and is routinely used by investigators from diverse fields who seek to unravel the mechanisms of leukocyte adhesion. The data regarding the ability of HECA-452 to inhibit carbohydrate-mediated leukocyte adhesion to E-selectin remains conflicted, in part due to the presence of a variety of potential E-selectin reactive moieties on leukocytes. Recognizing this, we utilized a complementary approach to gain insight into HECA-452 adhesion assays. Specifically, we used sLe(x) microspheres to investigate the hypothesis that HECA-452 is a non-function blocking mAb for isolated sLe(x) mediated adhesion to endothelial expressed E-selectin. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that HECA-452 recognizes and binds to the sLe(x) microspheres. Perfusion of the sLe(x) microspheres over human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) at 1.5 dyn/cm² revealed that the microspheres attach to 4h interleukin (IL)-1β activated HUVEC specifically via E-selectin. Pretreatment of the sLe(x) microspheres with HECA-452 did not influence sLe(x) microsphere initial tethering and accumulation on IL-1β activated HUVEC. Neuraminidase and fucosidase treatments of sLe(x) microspheres revealed that sialic acid and fucose are required for E-selectin binding, whereas HECA-452 recognition of sLe(x) does not depend on the fucose moiety to the extent required for E-selectin recognition. This latter finding suggests there are potential subtle differences between the sLe(x) antigens for E-selectin and HECA-452. Combined, the data indicate that HECA-452 is a non-inhibitor of sLe(x)-mediated adhesion to endothelial expressed E-selectin.
Mode determination of planar coupled millimeter-wave oscillators by quasioptical injection locking

In the development of planar oscillator arrays for quasioptical power combining, it is desirable to know the relative phase of the individual oscillator currents or voltages. We present a simple quasioptical injection-locking measurement which is used to determine the operating mode of a two-device Ka-band Gunn-diode oscillator system.
Effect of the pleiotropic GrB mutation of Bombyx mori on chorion protein synthesis

Abstract The Gr B mutation has a profound pleiotropic effect, leading in the homozygous state to the absence or extreme reduction of a substantial number of chorion proteins. The effect shows developmental specificity: most of the proteins normally synthesized beginning with stage III of choriogenesis or later, but possibly none of these normally beginning with stage II, are eliminated in the mutant. More subtle quantitative effects on certain other proteins are also observed, including prolongation of synthesis of some proteins which normally terminate at stage VIII. The proteins eliminated in the mutant are present in the heterozygote at intermediate levels, quantitatively close to those in the wild-type. The differences in chorion protein composition result from correspondingly altered protein synthesis rather than from post-translational degradation or modification. The missing proteins also fall to be synthesized in vitro when total RNA from mutant follicles is translated in the wheat germ system. It appears that as a consequence of the mutation, a set of mRNAs fails to be synthesized or accumulated. These results are consistent with the possibility that Gr B is a regulatory mutation, or a deletion eliminating multiple chorion genes, clustered predominantly according to the developmental period of their expression.
High molecular-weight heparan sulfate from the cell surface

Abstract Heparan sulfate fragments with molecular weight of 135,000 (as determined by equilibrium sedimentation analysis) were isolated from the trypsinate of Chinese hamster cells (line CHO) grown in culture. Evidence is presented which suggests that the intracellular heparan sulfate species with molecular weight of 10,000 to 20,000 were degradation products of the larger species. We propose that the native cell-surface heparan sulfate, in its physiological location, could serve as a nonspecific “screen” to the exposure of specific, topographically adjacent, cell-surface sites.
Neuroimaging of Pediatric Brain Stem Diseases Other than Brain Stem Glioma

A wide variety of both neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions affect the pediatric brain stem. Of these, inflammatory and infectious, along with occult vascular malformations produce the greatest concern regarding the interpretation of imaging studies that could lead to inappropriate therapeutic modalities in the treatment of the patient. Awareness of the differential diagnosis and, when appropriate, the judicious use of follow-up examination are warranted.
Variable NF-κB pathway responses in colon cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic drugs

The nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway is activated in cells exposed to various stimuli, including those originating on the cell surface or in the nucleus. Activated NF-κB signaling is thought to enhance cell survival in response to these stimuli, which include chemotherapy and radiation. In the present effort, we determined which anticancer drugs preferentially activate NF-κB in colon cancer cells. NF-κB reporter cells were established and treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, DNA/RNA damaging), oxaliplatin (DNA damaging), camptothecin (CTP, topoisomerase inhibitor), phleomycin (radiomimetic), or erlotinib (EGFR inhibitor). The activation of NF-κB was assessed by immunofluorescence for p65 translocation, luciferase assays, and downstream targets of NF-κB activation (cIAP2, and Bcl-XL) were evaluated by immunoblotting, by ELISA (CXCL8 and IL-6 in culture supernatants), or by gene expression analysis. Colon cancer cells responded variably to different classes of therapeutic agents, and these agents initiated variable responses among different cell types. CPT activated NF-κB in SW480 colon cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner, but not in HCT116 cells that were either wild-type or deficient for p53. In SW480 colon cancer cells, NF-κB activation by CPT was accompanied by secretion of the cytokine CXCL8, but not by up-regulation of the anti-apoptotic genes, cIAP2 or Bcl-XL. On the contrary, treatment of HCT116 cells with CPT resulted in up-regulation of CXCR2, a receptor for CXCL8, without an increase in cytokine levels. In SW480 cells, NF-κB reporter activity, but not cytokine secretion, was inhibited by SM-7368, an NF-κB inhibitor. The results show that, in response to cancer therapeutic agents, NF-κB activation varies with the cellular make up and that drug-induced NF-κB activation may be functionally uncoupled from anti-apoptotic outcomes found for other stimuli. Some cancer cells in a heterogeneous tumor tissue may, under therapeutic pressure, release soluble factors that have paracrine activity on neighboring cells that express the cognate receptors.
Two-level atom coupled to a squeezed vacuum inside a coherently driven cavity

A single two-level atom in a coherently driven cavity and damped by a broadband squeezed vacuum centered about the atomic transition frequency is studied. A second-order Fokker-Planck equation for this system is obtained without using system size expansion. Effects of detunings and cavity decays are also incorporated in the Fokker-Planck equation. This equation is used to study atomic inversion, fluorescent spectrum, and the intensity correlations of the transmitted and fluorescent photons in the bad-cavity limit. Several interesting effects in the atomic inversion, spectrum, and intensity correlations due to the squeezed vacuum are presented. These results are also compared with an atom that is damped by a thermal reservoir.
Clustered Distribution of Calcium Sensitivities: An Indication of Hetero-tetrameric Gating Components in Ca2+-activated K+ Channels Reconstituted from Avian Nasal Gland Cells

Calcium-activated potassium channels (maxi K+ channels) isolated from avian nasal salt gland cells were reconstituted into lipid bilayers and characterized. The 266 pS channel is blocked discretely by charybdotoxin from the external solution at nanomolar concentrations and by Ba2+ from the cytosolic side at micromolar concentrations. Fast tetraethylammonium (TEA) block is seen as apparent reductions in amplitude of the unitary currents. From the extent of the reductions, TEA binding affinity was calculated to be 0.16 mm from the external solution and 37 mm from internal solution. The overall channel properties conform to those of maxi K+ channels in other epithelial tissues. The calcium sensitivity of the channel was found to be variable from channel to channel, extending over a wide range of concentrations from 1 to 1,000 μm. Examination of the pooled calcium titration curves, revealed that these curves are grouped into five clusters, and the probability distribution of the clusters matches a binomial distribution. The Hill coefficient derived from the titration curves varies from 1 to 5 and is linearly correlated to calcium binding with a slope of 1 per 10-fold change in K d . Clustered titration curves with such a characteristic suggest that the gating components and the calcium binding sites of the maxi K+ channels in the avian nasal gland are hetero-tetrameric and may result from random mixing of two distinct subunits possessing high and low calcium sensitivities, respectively.
Molecular dynamics simulations of anti-aggregation effect of ibuprofen.

Using implicit solvent molecular dynamics and replica exchange simulations, we study the impact of ibuprofen on the growth of wild-type Aβ fibrils. We show that binding of ibuprofen to Aβ destabilizes the interactions between incoming peptides and the fibril. As a result, ibuprofen interference modifies the free energy landscape of fibril growth and reduces the free energy gain of Aβ peptide binding to the fibril by ≃2.5 RT at 360 K. Furthermore, ibuprofen interactions shift the thermodynamic equilibrium from fibril-like locked states to disordered docked states. Ibuprofen's anti-aggregation effect is explained by its competition with incoming Aβ peptides for the same binding site located on the fibril edge. Although ibuprofen impedes fibril growth, it does not significantly change the mechanism of fibril elongation or the structure of Aβ peptides bound to the fibril.
Ionic conductivity of Li2MgSn3O8 ramsdellite

Abstract The ionic conductivity of polycrystalline pellets of Li2MgSn3O8 with ramsdellite-type structure was measured by complex impedance technique. The conductivity is 1.2 × 10−8 (Ω cm)−1 at 300°C and 2.3 × 10−4 (Ω cm)−1 at 450°C. The results are discussed in relation to structural properties.
Effects of fast, slow, and adaptive amplitude compression on children's and adults' perception of meaningful acoustic information.

BACKGROUND Fast- and slow-acting amplitude compression parameters have complementary strengths and weaknesses that limit the full benefit of this feature to hearing aid users. Adaptive time constants have been suggested in the literature as a means of optimizing the benefits of amplitude compression. PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of three amplitude compression release times (slow, fast, and adaptive) on children's and adults' accuracy for categorizing speech and environmental sounds. RESEARCH DESIGN Participants were asked to categorize speech or environmental sounds embedded in short trials containing low-level playground noise. Stimulus trials included either a high-level environmental sound followed by a lower-level speech stimulus (word) or a high-level speech stimulus followed by a lower-level environmental sound. The listeners responded to the second (low-level) stimulus in each trial. The two stimuli overlapped temporally in half of the trials but not in the other half. The stimulus trials were processed to simulate amplitude compression having fast (40 msec), slow (800 msec), or adaptive release times. The adaptive-compression parameters operated in a slow fashion until a sudden increase/decrease in level required a rapid change in gain. STUDY SAMPLE Participants were 15 children and 26 adults with hearing loss (HL) as well as 20 children and 21 adults with normal hearing (NH). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSES: Performance (in % correct) was arcsine transformed and subjected to repeated-measures analysis of variance with pairwise comparisons of significant main effects using Bonferroni adjustments for multiple comparisons. RESULTS Overall, the performance of listeners with HL was poorer than that of the listeners with NH and performance for the environmental sounds was poorer than for the speech stimuli, particularly for the adults and children with HL. Significant effects of age group, stimulus overlap, and compression speed were observed for the listeners with NH, whereas effects of stimulus overlap and compression speed were found for the listeners with HL. Whereas listeners with NH achieved optimal performance with slow-acting compression, the listeners with HL achieved optimal performance with adaptive compression. CONCLUSIONS Although slow, fast, and adaptive compression affects the acoustic signal in a subtle fashion, amplitude compression significantly affects perception of speech and environmental sounds.
Electronic structure and trilayer growth of indium films on Si(111): a photoemission study.

We report on the preferred trilayer growth of indium films on Si(111) studied by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. By employing an interfactant and optimized annealing conditions, the kinetic constraint on the In atoms due to the substrate is greatly reduced and 'electronic growth'—where film morphology is controlled by the quantized electronic structure of the film—can be achieved at low coverage. Our photoemission spectra reveal that films of 4 ML (monolayers) and 7 ML thicknesses are energetically favored due to a lower surface energy, as confirmed by theoretical calculations. A detailed comparison of the photoemission spectra between In films grown on the In- surface and those on the Si(111) 7 × 7 surface shows that the interfactant is a better template for growing In films at low coverage and effectively reduces the electronic coupling between the film and the substrate. In addition, the observed band structures of In films are in reasonable agreement with first-principles calculations and suggest that In films grown on the interfactant might already be close to the bulk-like body-centered tetragonal structure at around 10 ML.
Surface circulation in the southwestern Japan/East Sea as observed from drifters and sea surface height

The mean circulation of the surface layer of the southwestern Japan/East Sea (JES) was examined using current measurements collected at 15 m by satellite-tracked drifters and merged sea level anomalies from satellite altimeters. The study of circulation patterns in this paper focused on the inflow passing through the western channel of the Korea Strait from the East China Sea. Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of non-seasonal sea level anomalies revealed that significant energy in the circulation pattern of Ulleung Basin was controlled by the inflow conditions through the Korea Strait. Three circulation patterns were identified that depended on the initial relative vorticity of the inflow. When inflow had initially large negative vorticity, the flow gained more negative vorticity due to deepening of the bottom (stretching) and then turned right after entering the JES. The inflow then followed the path of the Tsushima Warm Current along the coast of Japan. When the inflow was strong, with a speed in excess of 55 cm/s and with a large positive vorticity, potential vorticity appeared to be conserved. In this case, the EKWC followed isobaths along the coast and then left the coast, following topographic features north of Ulleung-Do. The northward flowing jet developed inertial meandering after leaving the coast, which is a characteristic of many western boundary currents. The regular, bimonthly deployments of drifters in the western portion of the Korea Strait revealed that splitting or branching of the flow through the western channel of the Korea Strait occurred only 15% of the time. And splitting or branching rarely occurred during the fall and winter seasons, when the inflow splitting was previously reported in hydrographic surveys. The time-averaged circulation map of the EKWC and its seaward extension were considerably enhanced by using regularly sampled geostrophic velocities calculated from sea level anomalies to remove biases in the mean velocity that were caused by irregular spatial and temporal drifter observations. The East Korean Warm Current, a mean coastal current along the Korean coast, behaved like the simple model by Arruda et al. (2004) in which the generation of the Ulleung Warm Eddy and the meandering circulation pattern were well reproduced.
Early onset problem behaviors and alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use disorders in young adulthood

Abstract Objective Ten early onset problem behaviors were used to prospectively predict alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and cocaine disorders in young adulthood (mean age = 28.6 yrs) for a U.S. community sample of 671 participants. Method Data from a longitudinal study of participants who were recruited from high schools during adolescence and followed into young adulthood were used to evaluate prospective associations. The relationship between early onset problem behaviors, reported when participants were age 16 years, and psychiatric diagnoses assessed in young adulthood was tested. Structural equation models were used to evaluate both generality and specificity hypotheses regarding relationships between early onset problem behaviors and young adult disorders. Results Findings supported the specificity hypothesis in that “like” early onset problem behaviors significantly predicted “like” young adult outcomes (e.g., early cocaine use predicted cocaine disorders). Furthermore, eliminating such “like” predictors in regression equations resulted in a 36% reduction in the amount of variance accounted for by the equation. The generality hypothesis was also supported in that a larger number of early onset problem behaviors strengthened the prediction of young adult disorders beyond the “like” attribute, and a dose–response pattern indicated that additional early onset problem behaviors increased the probable occurrence of a young adult disorder. Conclusions A comprehensive framework relating early onset problem behaviors to young adult substance disorders will require the integration of both generality and specificity hypotheses, and a developmental orientation focused on the unfolding of mediating and moderating processes. Early screening of multiple, rather than single, early onset problems is also discussed.
Tumoricidal and immunomodulatory activities of drugs and implications for therapy of mice bearing a late stage MOPC-315 plasmacytoma.

The effectiveness of a relatively low dose of cyclophosphamide (15 mg/kg CY), melphalan (2.5 mg/kg L-PAM) or the monofunctional form of CY (150 mg/kg MoCY) for the cure of mice bearing a large primary s.c. MOPC-315 tumor and extensive metastases has been shown to be dependent on the cooperation of the drugs' tumoricidal activity with T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity, the latter facilitated by the drug's immunomodulatory activity. Here, we have compared the curative effectiveness of three additional drugs: methyl nitrosourea (MNU), hydroxyurea (OH-urea) and bis-chloroethyl nitrosourea (BCNU). Among these drugs, only a relatively low dose of BCNU (15-20 mg/kg) was effective in curing most mice (85%) bearing a large, late stage tumor. A higher dose of BCNU (40 mg/kg, LD10) was much less effective. After an optimal dose of BCNU, the proliferative capacity of the tumor cells 24 h after therapy was reduced by greater than 97%. However, viable tumorigenic cells were still present in the primary tumor and enhanced T-cell-dependent antitumor immunity was necessary for their eradication. The cured mice were resistant to tumor rechallenge. When a low curative dose of L-PAM was followed by OH-urea, the therapeutic effectiveness was not affected, but when this dose of L-PAM was followed by a high nontoxic dose of MNU (100-150 mg/kg), the therapeutic effectiveness was diminished even though MNU was highly tumoricidal (i.e. greater than 99% inhibition of proliferative activity). Thus, BCNU appears to be similar to CY, L-PAM and MoCY in its mechanism of MOPC-315 tumor eradication. The alkylating activity of CY, L-PAM, MoCY and BCNU appears to be critical for their combined tumoricidal and immunomodulatory effects. Since BCNU is the simplest of these four drugs with respect to metabolic pathway, a further study with BCNU and related constructs may shed some light on the biochemical mechanisms of their mode of action. At least one reason for the ineffectiveness of OH-urea or MNU at either low or nontoxic high doses was poor tumoricidal or immunomodulatory activity, respectively. Thus, it seems important to consider both the tumoricidal and immunomodulatory activities of drugs when developing regimens for effective chemotherapy.
Pharmacokinetics of the iron chelator desferrioxamine as affected by liposome encapsulation: Potential in treatment of chronic hemosiderosis

Abstract Desferrioxamine (DF), the chelator of choice for removal of excess stored iron, is limited by its rapid excretion, metabolic breakdown, and low cell uptake. We have encapsulated DF in unilamellar and multilamellar liposomes, and have compared the short-term pharmacokinetics of nonencapsulated and encapsulated 59Fe-labeled DF after intravenous administration. Disappearance of 59Fe-DF from the plasma was very rapid in mice receiving multilamellar liposome-encapsulated and nonencapsulated drug, but much slower in mice receiving unilamellar liposomes. Between 1 and 24 hours after injection, nonencapsulated 59Fe-DF never exceeded 1–5% of the injected dose (ID) in liver or
The chemistry of ruthenium in PSSA lonomer: Reactions of Ru-PSSA with CO, H2, O2, and alcohols

Abstract Ru(III) ions have been incorporated in the domains of sulfonated linear polystyrene (PSSA) as a dispersion medium to form PSSA-Ru(III) films through an ion-exchange process. The chemical reactivities of PSSA-Ru(III) films have been investigated by reacting the ruthenium sites with CO, H2, O2, CH3OH, and C2H5OH under mud conditions. The reactions of PSSA-Ru(III) films with CO (400 Torr) in the temperature range 25–186 °C resulted in four different Ru carbonyl species, which were characterized by their infrared spectra. Treatment of PSSA-Ru(III) films with hydrogen (400 Torr) at 150 °C produced ruthenium hydride species, which were confirmed by identifying the corresponding ruthenium deutendes. Also, HD exchange on benzene rings of the polystyrene backbone was found to occur during the reaction of PSSA-Ru(III) films with D2. The reactions of aqueous methanol and ethanol with PSSA-Ru(III) films produced ruthenium carbonyl species, but there was no evidence of the formation of ruthenium hydride or ruthenium formyl groups in the infrared spectra. Static Fischer-Tropsch type reactions of PSSA-Ru(III) powder with CO (300 Torr) and H2 (300 Torr) at 150 °C showed the formation of various aliphatic hydrocarbons, oxygen-containing hydrocarbon compounds, and CO2 in the mass and infrared spectra.