cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved Characterization of Diffusion in Normal and Cancerous Prostate Tissue Through Optimization of Multicompartmental Signal Models.

BACKGROUND Multicompartmental modeling outperforms conventional diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of prostate cancer. Optimized multicompartmental models could further improve the detection and characterization of prostate cancer. PURPOSE To optimize multicompartmental signal models and apply them to study diffusion in normal and cancerous prostate tissue in vivo. STUDY TYPE Retrospective. SUBJECTS Forty-six patients who underwent MRI examination for suspected prostate cancer; 23 had prostate cancer and 23 had no detectable cancer. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE 3T multishell diffusion-weighted sequence. ASSESSMENT Multicompartmental models with 2-5 tissue compartments were fit to DWI data from the prostate to determine optimal compartmental apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs). These ADCs were used to compute signal contributions from the different compartments. The Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and model-fitting residuals were calculated to quantify model complexity and goodness-of-fit. Tumor contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and tumor-to-background signal intensity ratio (SIR) were computed for conventional DWI and multicompartmental signal-contribution maps. STATISTICAL TESTS Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-sample t-tests (α = 0.05) were used to compare fitting residuals between prostate regions and between multicompartmental models. T-tests (α = 0.05) were also used to assess differences in compartmental signal-fraction between tissue types and CNR/SIR between conventional DWI and multicompartmental models. RESULTS The lowest BIC was observed from the 4-compartment model, with optimal ADCs of 5.2e-4, 1.9e-3, 3.0e-3, and >3.0e-2 mm2 /sec. Fitting residuals from multicompartmental models were significantly lower than from conventional ADC mapping (P < 0.05). Residuals were lowest in the peripheral zone and highest in tumors. Tumor tissue showed the largest reduction in fitting residual by increasing model order. Tumors had a greater proportion of signal from compartment 1 than normal tissue (P < 0.05). Tumor CNR and SIR were greater on compartment-1 signal maps than conventional DWI (P < 0.05) and increased with model order. DATA CONCLUSION The 4-compartment signal model best described diffusion in the prostate. Compartmental signal contributions revealed by this model may improve assessment of prostate cancer. Level of Evidence 3 Technical Efficacy Stage 3 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2021;53:628-639.
Multiple timescales of sensory-evidence accumulation across the dorsal cortex

Decisions requiring the gradual accrual of sensory evidence appear to recruit widespread cortical areas. However, the nature of the contributions of different regions remains unclear. Here we trained mice to accumulate evidence over seconds while navigating in virtual reality, and optogenetically silenced the activity of many cortical areas during different brief trial epochs. We found that the inactivation of different areas primarily affected the evidence-accumulation computation per se, rather than other decision-related processes. Specifically, we observed selective changes in the weighting of evidence over time, such that frontal inactivations led to deficits on longer timescales than posterior cortical ones. Likewise, large-scale cortical Ca2+ activity during task performance displayed different temporal integration windows matching the effects of inactivation. Our findings suggest that distributed cortical areas accumulate evidence following their hierarchy of intrinsic timescales.
Development of time-pH indicator nanofibers from natural pigments: An emerging processing technology to monitor the quality of foods

Abstract Colorimetric indicators produced from nanofibers have a high contact surface area, allowing better interaction of the indicator with the external environment. In this context, this study aimed to develop time-pH indicator nanofibers with natural pigments for use as an emerging technology in the control of food quality. The polymeric solutions were prepared with 13% (w v−1) polycaprolactone (PCL) and 6% (w v−1) poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO). The natural dyes added to the polymeric solution were curcumin and quercetin (2%, w v−1) with the addition of 0.5 or 1% (w v−1) of phycocyanin. Solutions with curcumin, quercetin, and phycocyanin only (2% w v−1) were also studied. The color change monitoring was performed for 24 h, followed up every 1 h, using buffer solutions (pH 2 to 7). The condition with 2% (w v−1) phycocyanin showed a color variation (ΔE ≥ 5) noticeable to the human eye in the pH range 3–6 in 5 h of analysis. Thus, the indicator developed with PCL/PEO nanofibers containing 2% (w v−1) of phycocyanin is a promising alternative in monitoring the quality of perishable foods, as it can visually estimate changes in pH over time.
Mental Health and Health Risk Behaviors of Active Duty Sexual Minority and Transgender Service Members in the United States Military

Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine health risk behaviors and mental health outcomes among sexual minority and transgender active duty military service members and their heterosexual and ...
Introduction to Burnout and Trauma-Related Employment Stress

As a professional consequence of listening and striving to understand clients’ traumatic circumstances, a variety of professionals are at risk for burnout and trauma-related employment stress (TRES) conditions. In the words of van der Merwe and Hunt (Psychol Trauma Theor Res Pract Pol, 11(1):10–18, 2019), as professionals empathize with clients, their minds can be flooded with traumatic images resulting “in a diminishing of their capacity to contain, and not collapse under, the weight of another’s trauma” (p. 16). This chapter serves as an introduction to these job stress injuries and the concepts of burnout, vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion fatigue. It begins with our attempt to define these constructs and report their risk factors. Next, it examines the prevalence of these challenges within various disciplines and then explores their physical, psychological, and organizational consequences. Finally, the purpose of this book is overviewed, focusing on the technique of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) as an intervention for burnout and TRES.
A model of concurrency control for cooperating transactions

The dissertation describes a model of transactions and concurrency control that supports cooperative task and data sharing among users. The model augments traditional correctness criteria, such as global consistency for individual transactions and serializability for concurrent transactions, with programmer-defined correctness criteria that uniformly integrate both data and application semantics. Individual transactions are not required to maintain global consistency. Rather, transactions cooperate in groups, such that transaction groups are the units of consistency. The context for the model is an extensible object-oriented database: abstract data types defined the behavior and representation of their instance objects, and each object is accessed only by way of the strict operational interface defined by its type. Applications can incrementally contribute new types to the database. The model effectively represents a transaction management system that is programmable by knowledgeable application designers. Although developed toward the needs of applications that provide computer support for cooperative activities, such as office information systems, graphical programming environments, and CAD tools for electronic or mechanical domains, the model provides a framework for any application for which the traditional transaction model is too restrictive. The model's key features are a nested framework of transaction groups that encapsulate nonserializable data sharing and a method for localized specification of semantic correctness criteria for concurrent histories of cooperating transactions.
Predictive Validation of Dispersion Models Using a Data Partitioning Methodology

Validation of models used in safety-critical applications requires an extensive validation protocol to build confidence in their predictive capability. A recent predictive validation methodology, introduced by the author and collaborators, is applied in this study to validate the predictions of a Gaussian puff dispersion model. The methodology is based on cross-validation principles in the context of predicting unobserved or difficult to observe quantities of interest. The challenge in this context is that predictions of quantities of interest have no associated observations that they can be compared to. Thus, assessing how close predictions are from observations using validation metrics such as root-mean-square error is not feasible. The study addresses the issue of partitioning the data into a calibration and a validation set, and defining relevant validation metrics based on sensitivity analysis that can support the ultimate goal of predictive modeling. While the framework is general and can be applied to a wide range of problems, in this paper it is used to find an optimal partition of chemical concentration sensors to assess the validity of Gaussian puff predictions in a region of interest.
Tests for linkage and other interactions in the honey bee

No linkages were found in 31 new combinations of visible mutants, nor in 5 new combinations with the X locus, conducted mainly with eyeless (e), garnet (g), short (sh), truncate (tr), and wrinkled (wr). Eyeless was epistatic to eye colors; cream (cr), and ivory (i) were epistatic to garnet (g). Selective mortality was invariable with e, sh, and tr, and occasionally with bl, cd, and g.
Pedagogies of Revolt, Politics of the Self

In "New Forms of Revolt," Julia Kristeva maintains that intimate revolt is a necessary, if imperiled, mode of contemporary resistance. This essay reflects on the pedagogical dimensions of intimate revolt and its fate in university contexts, especially in the United States. I argue that a Kristevan pedagogical revolt involves upheavals of thought supported by loving listening relationships.
Intramolecular metal—double bond interactions : VIII. A 13C NMR investigation of metal—alkene compounds

Abstract A 13 C NMR investigation of terminally substituted normal butenes, pentenes, and hexenes is reported. These studies include data on one, two, and three bond 13 C— 199 Hg coupling constants as well as on changes in the chemical shifts of all carbons as a function of the electronegativity of the substituent. Attempts to correlate the chemical shifts of the olefinic carbons with metal—double bond interactions were inconclusive; however, large effects were observed on the chemical shifts of the olefinic carbon atoms when dipentenylzinc was complexed with 2,2′-bipyridyl. These shifts are attributed to the large anisotropic magnetic field associated with the aromatic rings and the proximity of the olefinic carbon atoms to these rings.
Synthesis of Results from the Cd‐Rom Experiment: 4‐D Image of the Lithosphere Beneath the Rocky Mountains and Implications for Understanding the Evolution of Continental Lithosphere

The CD-ROM experiment has produced a new 4-D understanding of the structure and evolution of the lithosphere of the southern Rocky Mountain region. We identify relicts of at least four subduction zones that were formed during assembly of dominantly oceanic terranes in the Paleoproterozoic. Crustal provinces with different geologic histories correspond to distinct mantle velocity domains, with profound mantle velocity contrasts associated with the ancient sutures. Typically, the transitions between the velocity domains are tabular, dipping, extend from the base of the crust to depths of 150-200 km, and some contain dipping mantle anisotropy. The present day heterogeneous mantle structure, although strongly influenced by ancient compositional variations, has undergone different degrees of partial melting due to Cenozoic heating and/or hydration caused by transient plumes or asthenospheric convection within the wide western U.S. active plate margin. A high-velocity mafic lower crust is present throughout the Rocky Mountains, and there is ∼10-km-scale Moho topography. Both are interpreted to record progressive and ongoing differentiation of lithosphere, and a Moho that has changed position due to flux of basalt from the mantle to the crust. The mafic lower crust evolved diachronously via concentration of mafic restite during arc formation (pre-1.70 Ga), collision-related differentiation and granite genesis (1.70-1.62 Ga), and several episodes of basaltic underplating (1.45-1.35 Ga, ∼1.1 Ga, and Cenozoic). Epeirogenic uplift of the western U.S. and Rocky Mountain regions, driven by mantle magmatism, continues to cause reactivation of the heterogeneous lithosphere in the Cenozoic, resulting in differential uplift of the Rocky Mountains.
The Value Of Medicare Managed Care Plans and Their Prescription Drug Benefits

I estimate the welfare, both gross and net, provided by the Medicare managed care program in 1999 through 2002. First, I estimate a model of demand for the benefits offered by managed care plans to Medicare beneficiaries. I then use the demand estimates to form estimates of welfare provided by the program. Medicare beneficiaries derived $14.9 billion of gross welfare per year from the Medicare HMO program. Depending on the amount of selection in the program, the Medicare managed care program provided from -$10.3 billion to $35.1 billion of net welfare total over the four-year period. I also estimate the welfare that beneficiaries receive from the prescription drug benefits offered by Medicare HMOs. HMO enrollees in plans offering drugs received on average $13 of consumer surplus per month from the drug benefits in 1999, and this estimate drops to $10 by 2002.
Hormone replacement therapy and the risk of incident congestive heart failure: the Cardiovascular Health Study.

Background: The development of congestive heart failure (CHF) in older persons is related to a variety of mechanisms. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) affects several of the pathways that may be important in the development of CHF. We hypothesized that HRT would be associated with a decreased risk of incident CHF. Methods: Using Cox proportional-hazards regression, we assessed the risk of incident CHF (n = 304) associated with time-dependent past and current use of HRT compared to never use. The Cardiovascular Health Study is a prospective cohort study of community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older. This analysis included female participants without a history of CHF at baseline (n = 3223). Results: At baseline, 62% were never users, 26% were past users, and 12% were current users of HRT. Compared with never users, the multivariable relative risk (RR) of CHF was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.76,1.34) for past users and 1.34 (0.93,1.94) for current users. Results were similar among most tr...
CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 redistributes leukocytes from primary immune organs to secondary immune organs, lung, and blood in mice

AMD3100 (plerixafor), is a specific CXCR4 antagonist approved by the FDA for mobilizing hematopoietic stem cells from bone marrow to blood for transplantation in cancer. AMD3100 also mobilizes most mature leukocyte subsets to blood; however, their source and trafficking potential have not been fully delineated. Here, we show that a single injection of AMD3100 10 mg/kg into C57Bl/6 mice rapidly mobilizes (peak ~ 2.5 hours) the same leukocyte subsets to blood as in humans. Using this model, we found that AMD3100 mobilization of neutrophils, lymphocytes and monocytes to blood isn’t reduced by splenectomy or by blockade of lymphocyte egress from lymph node with FTY720, but is coupled to i) reduced content of each of these cell types in the bone marrow; ii) reduced T-cell numbers in thymuses; iii) increased lymphocytes in lymph nodes; and iv) increased neutrophil and monocyte content in the lung. Direct intrathymic labeling showed that AMD3100 selectively mobilizes naive thymic CD4+ and CD8+ T cells to blood. Finally, AMD3100-induced neutrophil mobilization to blood did not reduce neutrophil trafficking to thioglycollate-inflamed peritoneum. Thus, AMD3100 redistributes lymphocytes, monocytes and neutrophils from primary immune organs to secondary immune organs, peripheral tissues and blood, without compromising neutrophil trafficking to inflamed sites.
Equity Education: A Longitudinal Study Comparing Multicultural Knowledge and Dispositions of Field-Based and Campus-Based Teacher Candidates.

Two groups of teacher candidates, enrolled either in a field-based or campus-based program, were measured before and after their first semester of teacher education courses and again at the end of their student teaching semester. The two groups were compared regarding their knowledge of multicultural education issues, dispositions towards diverse populations, and their perception of confidence in teaching in diverse classrooms. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) with repeated measures indicated that there was a significant increase for both groups in multicultural knowledge after the first semester and that this knowledge was maintained throughout their program. Results also indicated that there was a significant increase in a positive attitude toward multicultural education for both groups after their first semester; however, this positive attitude was not maintained. In terms of perceived confidence in teaching, both groups increased after the first semester, and the field-based group continued...
Digital Advanced Wireless Services (DAWS)-the ETSI standardization of the next generation mobile platform for public safety, law enforcement and non-tactical military

Following the completion of the TETRA Packet Data Optimized (PDO) standard within the ETSI the idea to develop and standardize a new mobile broadband technology based on IP emerged rapidly and gained support from public safety and law enforcement authorities as well as from public network operators and industry. The work which is code-named DAWS has been presented also to the military community, in particular NATO from where a growing interest has been shown. The basic idea is to develop a set of standards enabling support of the fast growing demand for professional mobile applications that require carrier bit-rates today unknown in a wireless wide-area environment. DAWS has also become the subject for the establishment of a new transatlantic Public Safety Partnership Project (PSPP) between TIA and ETSI with representations from police, fire & emergency organizations throughout the US and EU/EEA.
Characterization of a Steroid Receptor Coactivator Small Molecule Stimulator that Overstimulates Cancer Cells and Leads to Cell Stress and Death

By integrating growth pathways on which cancer cells rely, steroid receptor coactivators (SRC-1, SRC-2, and SRC-3) represent emerging targets in cancer therapeutics. High-throughput screening for SRC small molecule inhibitors (SMIs) uncovered MCB-613 as a potent SRC small molecule "stimulator" (SMS). We demonstrate that MCB-613 can super-stimulate SRCs' transcriptional activity. Further investigation revealed that MCB-613 increases SRCs' interactions with other coactivators and markedly induces ER stress coupled to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Because cancer cells overexpress SRCs and rely on them for growth, we show that we can exploit MCB-613 to selectively induce excessive stress in cancer cells. This suggests that over-stimulating the SRC oncogenic program can be an effective strategy to kill cancer cells.
Temperature and pressure effects on formation and decomposition of phenylvinylperoxy radicals in the C6H5C2H2 + O2 reaction

Abstract The effects of temperature and pressure on the formation and decomposition of C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 in the C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 + O 2 reaction have been investigated at temperatures from 298 to 378 K by directly monitoring the C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 radical in the visible region by cavity ringdown spectrometry (CRDS). The rate constant for the C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 + O 2 association and that for fragmentation of C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 were found to be k 1 (C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 + O 2 → C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 ) = (3.20 ± 1.19) × 10 11 exp(+760/T) cm 3 mol −1 s −1 and k 2 (C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 → C 6 H 5 CHO + HCO) = (1.68 ± 0.13) × 10 4 s −1 , respectively. Additional kinetic measurements by pulsed laser photolysis/mass spectrometry show that C 6 H 5 CHO was produced in the C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 + O 2 reaction as predicted and the formation of C 6 H 5 CHO from the decomposition of C 6 H 5 C 2 H 2 O 2 is temperature-independent, consistent with the CRDS experimental data.
Computed tomography in planning radiation therapy for bronchogenic carcinoma

Abstract Computerized tomography (CT) was used in the pretreatment evaluation of 23 patients who had bronchogenic carcinoma and applied to planning radiation therapy treatments. It was used to supplement conventional radiologic and clinical methods. Major changes in radiation therapy treatment were based on CT scans in nine patients, either through demonstration of larger or smaller treatment volumes or additional sites of disease, including distant metastasis. In two patients, CT scans falsely indicated absence of metastasis or benign rather than malignant disease. Changes in treatment techniques, e.g. electron beams for superficial lesions, were made based on CT scans in an additional eight patients. Follow-up studies were obtained at three-month intervals; however, CT scans did not distinguish conclusively between tumor recurrence and radiation fibrosis of the lung, although the possible value of contrast material was noted.
Influence of pyrazofurin on the toxicity and antitumor activity of fluorinated pyrimidines in vivo

Abstract Pyrazofurin (PF), following anabolism to the 5′-monophosphate by adenosine kinase, is a potent inhibition of protidine 5′-phosphate decarboxylase. Although PF has little activity in experimental or human tumors, this antibiotic can be employed to modulate the effects of other pyrimidine antimetabolites. Pretreatment of mice with low doses of PF permits administration of doses of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) three times higher than would be tolerated when 5-FU is given alone. Toxicity of 5-FU to hematopoietic stem cells was reduced by six-fold in mice treated with PF. This block of 5-FU myelotoxicity by PF was greatly reduced when an inhibition of an early step of de novo pyrimidine synthesis, N-(phosphonacetyl)- l -asparate (PALA), was coadministered with PF. These results indicate that 5-FU is activated in sensitive host tissues predominantly by OPRTase; inhibition of orotidine 5′-phosphate decarboxylase results in elevation of orotate pools which effectively block activation of 5-FU by OPRTase. Concurrent blockade of orotate synthesis by PALA allows for 5-FU activation. 5-FU can theoretically be anabolized by uridine phosphorylase and uridine kinase or by thymidine phosphorylase and thymidine kinase. Tumors in which the salvage pathways play a significant role in 5-FU anabolism should not be protected by PF and the elevated dose levels of 5-FU which can be given in combination should be more effective. L1210 and P388 leukemias were protected from 5-FU cytotoxicity by PF pretreatment in vivo to a degree similar to host tissues. Among five solid tumors — colon carcinomas 26 and 38, M5076 ovarian carcinoma, and Lewis and Madison 109 lung carcinomas — only colon carcinoma 38 responded better to the combination than to a maximally tolerated dose of 5-FU alone. These results suggest that anabolism of 5-FU by the salvage pathways plays an inconsequential role in the majority of tumors. Altering the sequence of this combination results in a completely different biochemical interaction. There is no inhibition of 5-FU activation, since orotate pools are not elevated. Depletion of uridine nucleotide pools by PF posttreatment might be expected to enhance the cytotoxicity of 5-FU because of decreased competition with FdUMP and FUTP. Indeed, with PF posttreatment, 5-FU toxicity was not decreased and there was enhanced activity against P388 at optimal and suboptimal doses of 5-FU. 5-Fluorouridine is activated by uridine kinase and its interaction with PF pretreatment is similar to that of 5-azacytidine. It was previously shown that PF pretreatment enhanced activation of 5-azacytidine with resultant increased toxicity to both tumor cells and normal tissues. PF markedly increased the toxicity of 5-fluorouridine and enhances the antitumor activity of suboptimal doses of the latter in mice bearing P388 leukemia.
(η6‐Arene)ruthenium(II) Complexes with Hemilabile η3‐Dicyclohexylvinylphosphine (DCVP) and η3‐Diphenylvinylphosphine (DPVP) Phosphaallyl Ligands: Formation of an Unexpected Trinuclear Complex

The complexes [(η6‐arene)RuCl2(Cy2PCH = CH2)], [arene = MeC6H5, (1a); p‐MeC6H4Me; (2a); p‐MeC6H4CHMe2, (3a); 1,2,4,5‐Me4C6H2, (4a); and C6Me6, (5a)], have been synthesized by reacting [(η6‐arene)RuCl2]2 with dicyclohexylvinylphosphine (DCVP). In the presence of AgPF6, in a 1:1 dichloromethane/acetone solvent mixture the compound [(η6‐C6Me6)RuCl2(Cy2PCH = CH2)] (5a) afforded [(η6‐C6Me6)RuCl(η3‐DCVP) ]PF6 (1b). A similar reaction was conducted with [(η6‐C6Me6)RuCl2(Ph2PCH = CH2)] in an attempt to form [(η6‐C6Me6)RuCl(η3‐DPVP)]PF6 (2b). However, this reaction yielded, instead, the unexpected trinuclear heterobimetallic complex [{(η6‐C6Me6)Ru(μ‐Cl)2(Ph2PCH = CH2)}2Ag](PF6) (3b) the structure of which was determined by X‐ray crystallography. Compound (1b) reacts with phenylisocyanide to form [(η6‐C6Me6)RuCl(η1‐DCVP)(CNPh)]PF6. The complexes have been characterized by 1H, 31P{1H} and 13C{1H} NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, cyclic voltammetry, and in some cases [compounds (4a), (1b) and (3b)] by X‐ray crys...
Anisotropic Yield Surfaces Based on Elastic Projection Operators

Although most materials are anisotropic to some extent, most yield surfaces are either chosen to be isotropic or to be a smooth anisotropic surface with no connection to the elastic anisotropic features. Here, the elastic projection operators obtained from the spectral decomposition of the elasticity tensor are used to define anisotropic yield surfaces with a yield surface defined for each of the projection operators. The advantages of the approach are (1) plastic deformation modes are associated with the elastic anisotropic behavior, (2) the spectral decomposition of the tangent tensor is readily available for a bifurcation analysis, (3) the composite yield surface has vertices which are thought to be important for predicting plastic buckling, and (4) the contributions to plastic deformations from each yield surface are uncoupled. The result is a theory that is actually quite simple but yet reflects some of the observed features for materials to yield in specific modes.
Rationality and Puzzling Beliefs

The author presents and defends a general view about belief, and certain attributions of belief, with the intention of providing a solution to Saul Kripke's puzzle about belief. According to the position developed in the paper, there are two senses in which one could be said to have contradictory beliefs. Just one of these senses threatens the rationality of the believer; but Kripke's puzzle concerns only the other one. The general solution is then extended to certain variants of Kripke's original puzzle, which have to do with belief attributions containing empty names and kind terms.
Thermal analysis and test of SUNLITE reference cavity for laser frequency stabilization

SUNLITE is a space-based experiment which uses a reference cavity to provide a stable frequency reference for a terahertz laser oscillator. Thermal stability of the cavity is a key factor in attaining a stable narrow-linewidth laser beam. This paper describes the thermal stability requirements on the cavity design and detailed thermal analysis performed, as well as thermal testing that was performed on a prototype. Analytical thermal models were correlated to the test data and additional modeling of the current design is presented. Suggestions for improving similar high-precision thermal tests are given.
A glycosidic germacradienolide from Eupatorium altissimum

Abstract The isolation and structure determination of a glycosidic germacradienolide from Eupatorium altissimum are reported. Eupatorin and 5-hydroxy-3′,4′,6,7-tetramethoxyflavone were also found.
The International Journal of Testing: A Content Review

The International Journal of Testing (IJT) is the journal of the International Test Commission. It is intended to support the dissemination of scholarly research on tests and test use worldwide. The purpose of this article is to reflect on what has been published in IJT over its nine volumes to date, with a focus on the extent to which the journal involves contributions from around the globe as well as the topics and issues being studied. Across the 160 scholarly articles published in IJT there are 303 unique authors, and manuscripts range in subject matter from instrument-specific validation studies to analyses of DIF and other important measurement issues. Significantly, IJT does reflect a high degree of international diversity among the authors who have been published in its pages, as it generally exhibits a higher proportion of non-North American authors as compared to other prominent measurement journals since 2001. This diversity in authorship and in content that is present in IJT speaks to the exte...
Political Essay on the Island of Cuba, by Alexander von Humboldt

Political Essay on the Island of Cuba, by Alexander von Humboldt, A Critical Edition, edited with an Introduction by Vera M. Kutzinski and Ottmar Ette, translated by J. Bradford Anderson, Vera M. K...
Thermally stable porous supramolecular frameworks based on the metal and π–π stacking directed self-assembly of 2,6-pyridyldicarboxylic acid bis-4-pyridylamide

We report the formation of two thermally stable supramolecular structures based on 2,6-pyridyldicarboxylic acid bis-4-pyridylamide (PyI) and bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)manganese(II) that exhibits a microporous structure with cavities bearing hydrogen bonding motifs that can enclathrate acetone and methanol molecules via well-positioned hydrogen bonding interactions. Single-crystal x-ray diffraction in combination with thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) studies were utilized to study the structure and thermal behavior of trans-[Mn(hfacac)2(PyI)2]·2(CH3)2CO (1) and trans-[Mn(hfacac)2(PyI)2]·2CH3OH (2). Our studies indicated that 1 and 2 are isostructural with respect to their supramolecular assembly and trap solvent molecules along the crystallographic b direction via the inwardly directed hydrogen bonding motifs of the PyI component. These solvent molecules can be thermally removed to generate a crystalline material with micropores bearing hydrogen bonding rich sites within an overall supramolecular matrix similar to 1 and 2. The removal of the guest solvent molecules is reversible and can be followed with XRPD. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Arendt and Bourdieu between Word and Deed

This essay investigates questions about the relationship between language, speech, and democratic institutions by bringing into conversation Hannah Arendt’s and Pierre Bourdieu’s distinctive views ...
Concentrations of tumor necrosis factor alpha and progesterone within the bovine corpus luteum sampled by continuous-flow microdialysis during luteolysis in vivo.

Corpora lutea (CL) of mature, nonlactating Holstein cows (n = 12) each received surgical implants of a microdialysis system between Days 12 and 16 of an estrous cycle (estrus = Day 0). Fractions from dialyzed CL were collected every 30 min for 12 h each day for 7-9 days after surgery. Concurrent sampling of jugular venous blood allowed comparison between luteal dialysate and peripheral serum hormone concentrations. Six cows received no treatment, while 4 cows received prostaglandin F 2α (PGF ; 25 mg, i.m.) and 2 cows received hCG (5000 IU, i.m.) within 48 h after surgery. Serum progesterone (P 4 ) declined to < 1 ng/ml by Day 20 ± 0.5 in 4 of 6 nontreated cows and by Day 15 ± 0.6 in all 4 PGF-treated cows. Both of the hCG-treated cows had increased serum and dialysate P 4 after treatment and did not show evidence of luteolysis by the end of their sampling period (Days 22 and 18), and 2 of 6 nontreated cows did not show evidence of luteolysis by the end of their sampling period (Days 22 and 24). All 8 cows undergoing spontaneous or induced luteolysis showed a significant rise (p < < 0.01) in dialysate (but not serum) tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) after P 4 began to decline. From the start of the decline in dialysate P 4 , intervals to first detectable TNF and to peak TNF, and duration of TNF in the dialysate were 25.8 ± 8 h, 38.3 ± 8 h, and 42.3 ± 7 h, respectively. TNF was not detectable in the dialysate of cows prior to the onset of P 4 decline and was not detectable at any time in the dialysate of cows that did not undergo luteolysis during the sampling period. Dialysate P 4 values paralleled serum values, but serum TNF did not fluctuate and was not correlated with day of the cycle or with dialysate TNF. To our knowledge, this is the first report of microdialyzed bovine CL in vivo, and we find the technique capable of providing novel profiles of intraluteal hormone dynamics. We conclude that a discrete rise in intraluteal TNF is temporally related to luteolysis in the cow and that the onset and peak activity of luteal TNF occurs after P 4 begins to decline.
The forest fractal puzzle

Abstract We describe a puzzle consisting of a set of cards that are to be assembled into a picture of the “Dubuc Forest” fractal. This “deconstruction” also aids the more serious purpose of computing the Hausdorff dimension of the set.
Combined LIBS-Raman for remote detection and characterization of biological samples

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and Raman Spectroscopy have rich histories in the analysis of a wide variety of samples in both in situ and remote configurations. Our team is working on building a deployable, integrated Raman and LIBS spectrometer (RLS) for the parallel elucidation of elemental and molecular signatures under Earth and Martian surface conditions. Herein, results from remote LIBS and Raman analysis of biological samples such as amino acids, small peptides, mono- and disaccharides, and nucleic acids acquired under terrestrial and Mars conditions are reported, giving rise to some interesting differences. A library of spectra and peaks of interest were compiled, and will be used to inform the analysis of more complex systems, such as large peptides, dried bacterial spores, and biofilms. These results will be presented and future applications will be discussed, including the assembly of a combined RLS spectroscopic system and stand-off detection in a variety of environments.
SU‐E‐I‐101: Effects of Gantry Rotation Time On CT Number Accuracy in Single‐Source Dual Energy CT Imaging with Fast‐KVp Switching

Purpose: To investigate the effects of gantry rotation time on CT number accuracy in dual energy CT imaging with GE Discovery CT750 HD singlesource CT scanner. Methods: The CT number linearity section (CTP404) of the Catphan 600 phantom was imaged using the dual energy protocols equipped on a GE Discovery CT750 HD CT scanner. The imaging section of the Catphan phantom was surrounded with a fat-equivalent oval ring to better approximate an adult body shape during the image acquisition. A series of dual energy (gemstone spectral imaging (GSI)) presets was selected to acquire images at a gantry rotation time of 0.5 – 1.0 second in an increment of 0.1 second. Images were reconstructed using “Standard” algorithm at different monochromatic energies of 40 — 140 keV in an increment of 10 keV. Two sets of phantom image were acquired with the Axial mode and 5 mm slice thickness for each GSI preset. Total eight images were averaged to compute the CT number of each material insert in the CTP404 section. A squared region-of-interest (ROI) of approximate 5 x 5 mm was placed at the center of each material insert to measure the CT number and to investigate the effects of gantry rotation time on CT number accuracy. Results: For LDPE (−100 HU), the CT number increases with rotation time and starts to decrease at 0.9 s for energies at 80 keV and above; while the CT number decreases with rotation time and starts to increase at 0.8 s for energies at 60 keV and below. For Teflon (990 HU), CT number increases with rotation time and starts to decrease at 0.8 s for energies at 80 keV and above; while the CT number decreases with rotation time and starts to increase at 1.0 s for energies at 60 keV and below. At 50 keV, the average CT numbers were −101 HU and 940 HU with maximum differences of 8.7 HU and 10.7 HU for LDPE and Teflon, respectively. The CT numbers were measured −57 HU for LDPE and 913 HU for Teflon for single energy imaging at 120 kVp. Conclusion: Effects of gantry rotation time on CT number accuracy in dual energy CT imaging depends on type of insert material and the monochromatic energy at which the images were reconstructed.
Figure of merit for semiconductors for high-speed switches

Thermal problems set a limit on the speed of semiconductor logic devices. A figure of merit for comparing materials in terms of this limit is presented.
Novel chiral water soluble phosphines II. Applications in catalytic asymmetric hydrogenation

Abstract The results of the homogeneous asymmetric hydrogenation of several dehydroamino acids by rhodium-diene complexes of the chiral ligands; 2,3-O-isopropylidene-2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino)butane, 2a ; 2,4-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino)pentane, 3a ; and 2,3-bis(-bis(-p-N,N-dimethylaminophenyl)phosphino) butane, 4a ; and their N-protonated and N-Me quaternized analogues are reported. The ligands comprise a versatile set which can be used both in organic and aqueous solvents. A detailed investigation of solvent and substituent effects is provided. The presence of p-NMe 2 groups enhances the rate of reaction in all cases. For the DIOP derivative, 2a , the presence of the dimethylamino group causes a reversal in the observed dominant product antipode. This is attributed predominantly to a change in preferred ligand conformation rather than to a kinetic difference between the two diastereomers of a single ligand conformation.
IV nicotine self-administration in rats using a consummatory operant licking response: sensitivity to serotonergic, glutaminergic and histaminergic drugs.

Abstract Tobacco smoking is characterized by repeated self-administration of nicotine by placing the cigarette in the mouth. The repeated hand-to-mouth self-administration is essentially a consummatory act. We recently developed a paradigm in which rats lick one of two spouts to trigger intravenous (IV) delivery of nicotine, which combines a consummatory act with rapid delivery of nicotine to model the act of tobacco smoking. We have found that rats will lick hundreds of times per nicotine infusion. In the current study, using the operant licking nicotine self-administration model with young adult Sprague-Dawley rats (0.03 mg/kg/infusion of nicotine), we tested the effect of antagonists of H 1 histamine receptors pyrilamine, serotonin (5HT) type 2 receptors ketanserin and N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors with d -cycloserine as well as an agonist of 5HT 2c receptors lorcaserin, in dose ranges that we have found in previous studies to significantly reduce IV nicotine self-administration with the operant lever press operand. The H 1 antagonist pyrilamine significantly reduced operant licking for nicotine self-administration. Pyrilamine caused significant reductions in the operant licking paradigm at lower doses (10 and 20 mg/kg) than those we previously observed to affect responding in the operant lever press paradigm. In contrast, the 5HT 2A and C antagonist ketanserin did not show an effect of reducing nicotine self-administration in the same dose range we had found in a previous study to significantly reduce operant lever press nicotine self-administration. The 5HT 2C agonist lorcaserin significantly decreased nicotine self-administration in the licking paradigm at the same dose threshold as with lever press responding. The NMDA glutamate partial agonist d -cycloserine did not produce any change in nicotine self-administration with the licking operand, in contrast to its effect on the classic lever-pressing task. The rat model incorporating consummatory aspects of tobacco addiction can provide distinct and potentially more relevant information concerning possible new avenues of treatment to combat tobacco addiction.
Neuroglial cells in the cerebral cortex of rats from young adulthood to old age: an electron microscope study.

Neuroglial cells were examined in the rat auditory cerebral cortex to determine the effects of aging on astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia. The animals ranged in age from 3 months to 29.5 months. Over this age range of 26.5 months none of the neuroglial cells exhibit striking abnormalities in the morphology or the number of their organelles other than each of these cell types accumulates a distinct membrane-bound inclusion material. Astrocytes accumulate considerably more of this material than oligodendrocytes, and demonstrate earlier and more frequent signs of it. Microglia show the most striking alterations in regard to the inclusion material and in animals of increasing age microglial cells engorged with the heterogeneous material become increasingly common. Concurrently there is a slow transformation of the microglial population from an array of multipolar forms to larger, elongated or spherical forms which contain variable amounts of the dense membrane-bound material. These alterations in the microglial cell population do not occur at a chronologically uniform rate, and in animals 18 months and older, examples of the multipolar, the elongated, and the engorged spherical forms of microglia may be encountered. The total number of neuroglial cells increases with age. However, the numbers of the various types do not increase by similar proportions. While there is little change in the populations of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in rats between the ages of 3 and 27 months, in the same animals the number of microglia increases by about 65%.
Electronic Communications with Patients: Improved Safety, Improved Access, or Electronic Leash—Principles and Prospects

Wong and colleagues [1] suggest that Maimonides implies physicians should be available to their patients ‘‘...at all times,’’ via cell phones. That could occasion an editorial of its own about the divine omnipresence called for, the reality that we are not available even to ourselves at all times, and that such dependence seems both impossible and damaging to a patient’s sense of self-efficacy and independence. Their rhetorical device is used to introduce a discussion of cell phones, a recent but certainly not the last medium for doctor–patient communication. The authors touch upon how the core principles of communication are modified by telephonic communication and further so by cell phone use; their comments also pertain to the role of other electronic communications like e-mail, pagers, answering services, intercoms, and devices like electrophysiologic monitors. We propose here to add to the white noise a miasmic semblance of shape that derives from the robust literature about communication in general [2] and telephonic communication in particular [3]. When we are in an age in which many can be reached at most times, when pictures soon will be routinely added to sound, when physiological data will soon be flowing faster than drone videos from Pakistan, we need to think about how to digest all this electronic chyme. Interactive Web sites, electronic social networking, and texting have so altered the way electronically savvy individuals interact that the cell phone call may soon seem as dated as pagers. However, because doctor–patient communication lags in its adoption of new technologies—many doctors do not feel confident assessing patient needs over the phone—we will briefly review the literature on communication skills and its application to telephonic interactions. Much writing about any sort of communications takes the form and stance of the present article: anecdotal, thoughtful but not theoretical, and free of robust scientific evidence about what actually happens, what its effects are, and how it matters to care in an empirical sense. We actually know much worth mastering about doctor–patient communication. There is an emerging consensus model based on over 10,000 articles [4], most relevant to electronic communications and cell phone use, albeit by extrapolation. In brief, whether face-to-face, on the colonoscopy table (before the injection), or on the phone, communications are about gathering information, communicating information, or developing or maintaining a relationship, which includes managing patients’ feelings of dependence, independence (sometimes called activation), a sense of safety, and a sense of autonomy. Skilled A. B. Reisman Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA e-mail: Anna.reisman@va.gov
An Empirical Relationship between N Affiliation and the F Scale

Newcomb (1961, pp. 139-140) has recently reported a finding which tentatively suggests that low authoritarianism is related to high n Affiliation. Data reported here partially support Newcomb's finding but indicate that the relationship berween n Affiliation and authoritarianism is more complex. Metbod.-Thematic apperceptive n Affiliation scores were obtained from 284 Ss taking introductory psychology at the beginning of the 1961 fall semester. Approximately three months Iater 26 of these, all of whom were assigned to the same discussion section of the course, were given a modified (Form 45) California F scale' which had been shortened by the omission of six items. On the basis of the n Affiliation scores obtained earlier the 26 Ss were divided into three groups. Eight Ss had zero scores (low n Affiliation group), 11 Ss had scores of 1, 2, or 3 (intermediate n Affiliation group), and 7 Ss had scores of 4, 6, 7, 8, or 9 (high n Affiliation Ss). T he F scale scores for these Ss were ranked and the relative rankings on the F scale of Ss in the three n Affiliation groups were compared. Results.-The means of the ranks of Ss on F are presented for each of the three n Affiliation groups in the table. The intermediate n Affiliation group contained Ss who had higher F scale scores than either of the extreme two groups. A KmskalWallis one-way analysis of variance (Siegel, 1956) was done on the ranked F scores and a P value of .07 was obtained (H = 5.41, df = 2).
Differences in Sex and Curricula on Learning the Group Embedded Figures Test

The authors demonstrate that learning occurs on the Group Embedded Figures Test in that scores on the second section of the test are higher, on average, than scores on the first section of the test. They further report that performance differentials between men and women are not evident for either absolute performance or improvement in performance when differences in curriculum are taken into account.
Design, Analysis, and Optimization of a Radioisotope Thermophotovoltaic (RTPV) Generator, and its Applicability to an Illustrative Space Mission

Paper presented at the 45th Congress of the IAF in Jerusalem, Israel, October 1994. The paper describes the results of a DOE-sponsored design study of a radioisotope thermophotovoltaic generator (RTPV), to complement similar studies of Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) and Stirling Generators (RSGs) previously published by the authors. To focus the design effort, it was decided to direct it at a specific illustrative space mission, Pluto Fast Flyby (PFF). That mission, under study by the JPL, envisages a direct eight to nine-year flight to Pluto (the only unexplored planet in the solar system), followed by comprehensive mapping, surface composition, and atmospheric structure measurements during a brief flyby of the planet and its moon Charon, and transmission of the recorded science data to Earth during a six-week post-encounter cruise.