cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Covalently Grafted Polysulfur–Graphene Nanocomposites for Ultrahigh Sulfur-Loading Lithium–Polysulfur Batteries

Although lithium–polysulfur (Li–polyS) batteries employing organic polymeric sulfur as a cathode material outperform the lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery system, the relatively low sulfur loading (<2 mg cm–2) in the current Li–polyS batteries compromises the areal capacity, constraining their practicality. We present here a new cathode active material (a covalently grafted polysulfur–graphene nanocomposite (polySGN)) for ultrahigh-loading Li–polyS batteries. The new cathode active material polySGN offers several advantages: (i) the well-dispersed graphene sheets offer highly electrically conductive pathways for electrons to travel within the polySGN matrix; (ii) the intermediate organosulfide moieties alleviate irreversible sulfide deposition on electrodes; and (iii) the in situ formed coating layer on the cathode-side surface of the polymeric separator further reduces polysulfide migration. The Li–polyS batteries employing polySGN as the cathode active material accomplish the highest sulfur loading (up to 1...
An overview of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Artificial Heart Program

The primary goal of the Artificial Heart Program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is the development of long-term, fully implantable, electrically energized, mechanical circulatory support systems - both ventricular assist (VAS) and total artificial heart (TAH). Systems must be tether-free and allow most moderate-level, everyday activities. Biocompatibility must be adequate, with minimal problems from thrombi, emboli, infection, or other complications. At least two-year demonstrated reliability is expected. Both the VAS and TAH programs have three stages: development, validation through bench testing and in animals, and clinical investigation. One type of VAS has completed long-term bench testing, with no failure in any of 12 units in 24 to 35 months of mock loop operation. Validation in animals for 4–6 months is beginning. The stages and plans for clinical investigation are outlined. Four groups are engaged in the TAH development; some features of their approaches are summarized.
Quantum Cryptography with Femtosecond Parametric Down Conversion

We experimentally demonstrate a quantum cryptography system using two-photon entangled (EPR) states generated via the nonlinear process of spontaneous parametric down conversion pumped by a femtosecond laser. There are two major approaches in quantum cryptography which historically appeared almost simultaneously. One uses the quantum features of single photon states produced by significant attenuation of original light in a coherent state. The other is based on the quantum nonlocal character of two-photon entangled EPR states. The applicability of the latter one was strongly limited because of low visibility and poor stability of the systems which require synchronous manipulation of two Mach-Zehnder interferometers well separated in space. We developed a new scheme for quantum cryptography which is based on the use of a distributed polarization quantum intensity interferometer. This technique utilizes a double-entangled EPR quantum states generated in the nonlinear process of type-II spontaneous parametric down conversion (SPDC). The high contrast and stability of quantum interference demonstrated in our preliminary experiments promises to bring the performance of this system above the level of the best single-photon polarization techniques, and to do so without their specific limitations. The use of a high-repetition rate femtosecond pulses as a purnp source enhances significantly the flux of entangled photon pairs available for the reliable and secure key distribution.
Evolution of Axisymmetric Wakes From Attached and Separated Flows

The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations, together with a two-layer turbulence model, have been solved to study the evolution of the near and far wake of elongated axisymmetric bodies, such as a prolate spheroid, with attached or separated flow at the tail. Supplemental calculation with the body in a circular duct were also performed to determine the effects of wind-tunnel blockage in the experiments. The results are examined in the light of experimental data and theories for turbulent near and far wakes. Is is found that the numerical solutions reproduce most of the essential features of the theory and experiments.
Influencing Exercise and Hydration Self-Care Practices of Baccalaureate Nursing Students.

Purpose: Health promotion is often neglected by students during their nursing education, yet research indicates that self-care practices can significantly reduce compassion fatigue and burnout. An ...
The Scope Taxation in Influencing Entrepreneurship: Historical Overview of Tax Policies

Policymakers constantly face the challenge of aligning micro- and macroeconomic policies with the existing needs of the social, political and economic facets of their areas of jurisdiction. Given the pivotal role played by taxation in any economy, it is not surprising that many countries often turn to tax breaks as a method of easing pressure on existing enterprises with the hope of sparking investment. One common explanation for issuing such breaks is that taxation affects microeconomic decisions undertaken by organizations in terms of investments, innovation and job creation and policies of the existing tax regime directly affect opportunities for enterprises that may seek to venture beyond the boundaries of a taxation authority’s area of jurisdiction. However, empirically, the world of entrepreneurship is difficult to analyze. This is especially true when identifying the relationship between tax- promoted economic activities of entrepreneurs and the overall behavior of different businesses. This paper reviews the scope of taxation within the US’s economic policy through a historical analysis of the manner in which the Bush, Obama and Trump administrations utilized policy tools to shape the course of the country’s micro- and macro-economic conditions.
Father’s Involvement When Bringing Baby Home: Efficacy Testing of a Couple-Focused Transition to Parenthood Intervention for Promoting Father Involvement:

The goal of the present research was to test the efficacy of the Bringing Baby Home couple-focused psychoeducational program for promoting father involvement and related satisfaction. A randomized clinical trial design was used to randomly assign 136 pregnant couples to either an intervention or control group. Father involvement post-intervention was assessed through self-report of engagement in parenting tasks. Intent-to-treat analysis of covariance analyses indicated that fathers who participated in the Bringing Baby Home program reported significantly more involvement in parenting tasks, satisfaction with the division of parenting labor, and feeling appreciated by their wives. Both husbands and wives were also more satisfied with the division of labor when fathers were more involved in parenting. Results suggest that couple-focused psychoeducational programs can be successful for promoting father involvement.
Are school officials held accountable for fiscal stress? Evidence from school district financial intervention systems

Abstract Performance accountability systems have generally been used as a way to provide salient information to citizens regarding school district performance, enabling voters to make more informed decisions at the ballot box. This paper considers the electoral accountability consequences of financial intervention systems, which monitor school district financial health and intervene in cases of severe financial problems. Examining the Ohio fiscal stress label system, I find that the labels received through this system lead to greater school board member and school administrator turnover, with larger effects found following the most severe label that involves the state takeover of the school district’s financial decision-making. The large turnover effects for school boards after the state takeover appear to be driven by a decreased voter preference for incumbents after the state takeover. These results suggest that citizens in these school districts are likely placing accountability pressure on school officials more as a result of the sanction (i.e., the state takeover) than the financial information these labels may provide.
Putative Drivers of Aggressiveness in TCEB1-mutant Renal Cell Carcinoma: An Emerging Entity with Variable Clinical Course.

Abstract Background TCEB1-mutant renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare variant of RCC with clear-cell features. Owing to its unique morphological and molecular features it has recently been proposed as a separate entity. Initial series suggested an indolent, early-stage phenotype. Here we expand our clinical cohort and describe a more detailed genomic analysis looking for potential drivers of aggressiveness. Design, setting, and participants We identified five new cases in our institutional sequencing cohort, four of whom were found to have high-stage disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III/IV). Twelve previously reported cases were pooled for comparison purposes (Sato, The Cancer Genome Atlas, TRACERx Renal). Outcome measures and statistical analysis We used our previously validated pipeline to analyze somatic mutations and copy number alterations (CNAs) in seven tumor samples with available data and estimated the number of cancer cells bearing each somatic mutation. The oncogenic potential of mutations was assessed using OncoKB and two other algorithms. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate differences in genomic markers between stage groups. Results and limitations All tumors showed biallelic inactivation of the TCEB1 gene according to a combination of somatic mutation and CNA analyses. Mutations were always found in residues involved in hydrophobic interactions with VHL. We found that high-stage tumors had additional oncogenic mutations (median 1, interquartile range [IQR] 1–1 vs 2, IQR 2–2; median difference 1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1–1; p = 0.002) and showed whole-genome doubling events. They also seemed to have a higher burden of somatic CNAs (median fraction CNA genome 0.10, IQR 0.10–0.15 vs 0.63, IQR 0.58–0.68), however, this finding did not reach statistical significance (median difference 0.49, 95% CI 0.33–0.63; p = 0.052). Conclusions TCEB1-mutant RCC can show variable behavior ranging from very indolent to aggressive. Specific molecular events leading to high genomic instability seem to be associated with aggressiveness. This study expands the clinical spectrum of TCEB1-mutant RCC. Patient summary We present four cases of aggressive TCEB1-mutant renal cell carcinoma, a rare type of kidney cancer. In-depth analysis of the genomes of these tumors revealed certain abnormalities that might explain this aggressive behavior.
Palsgraf Meets Medicine: Physician Beware! — The Unidentified Non-patient and the Duty of Care

This paper focuses on the intersection of proximate causation and physician liability. Specifically, the issue is this: should a physician be liable to an unidentified victim of a motor vehicle accident caused by a physician’s patient who was not warned to avoid driving due to a medical condition, prescription medication or procedure which may impair the patient’s driving ability? This paper surveys the jurisprudence of various states in search of the answer.
Food safety lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in a new era of food safety. To date, there is no evidence to suggest that consuming food is associated with COVID-19. Nevertheless, COVID-19's impact on food safety and security has been grave. The world is currently experiencing several supply chain issues as a direct result of extensive lockdowns and impacts on essential workers' safety. However, disruption in the food supply, while catastrophic in nature, has created opportunities for the advancement of medical science, data processing, security monitoring, foodborne pathogen detection, and food safety technology. This article will discuss the key components for food safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion will draw from lessons learned early in the outbreak and will analyze the etiology of the disease through a food safety perspective. From there, we will discuss personal protective equipment, detection of SARS-CoV-2, useful surrogates to study SARS-CoV-2, and the expanding field of data science, from the food safety point of view. In the future, scientists can apply the knowledge to the containment of COVID-19 and eventually to future pandemics.
Beyond Babel: translations of Blackness in colonial Peru and New Granada: by Larissa Brewer-García, Cambridge, UK; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2020, 303 pp. (ISBN 9781108493000)

Larissa Brewer-Garcia ends her book with a coda in which she discusses a speech Pope Francis gave in 2017 in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, celebrating Saint Pedro Claver. The speech highlighted th...
The receptor for epidermal growth factor functions as a tyrosyl-specific kinase.

Publisher Summary Studies show that a number of protein kinases is associated with tumor viruses phosphorylate tyrosine residues. Following these studies, this chapter determines that the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-activated kinase reaction is specific for tyrosine residues. The finding that the protein kinase activity associated with the EGF receptor shares with several viral transforming proteins the highly unusual property of phosphorylating tyrosine suggested the possibility that these proteins might be structurally related. Therefore, the chapter examines the interaction of antibodies to viral tyrosine kinases with the EGF-receptor–kinase preparation. In this examination, it was found that the affinity-purified EGF-receptor-kinase specifically phosphorylates antibodies directed against the transforming protein kinase pp60 src of Rous sarcoma virus. However, none of these antibodies, including those that cross-react with the normal cellular homolog of pp60 src , recipitate the receptor-kinase. These results suggest that the EGF-receptor-kinase is related to, but not identical with, pp60 c-src .
Inherently Non-Finitely Generated Varieties of Aperiodic Monoids with Central Idempotents

Let denote the class of aperiodic monoids with central idempotents. A subvariety of that is not contained in any finitely generated subvariety of is said to be inherently non-finitely generated. A characterization of inherently non-finitely generated subvarieties of , based on identities that they cannot satisfy and monoids that they must contain, is given. It turns out that there exists a unique minimal inherently non-finitely generated subvariety of , the inclusion of which is both necessary and sufficient for a subvariety of to be inherently non-finitely generated. Further, it is decidable in polynomial time if a finite set of identities defines an inherently nonfinitely generated subvariety of .
Renal cell cancer

More than 80% of tumors originating in the kidney are renal cell carcinomas. Tumors of the renal pelvis make up another 10%, and the remaining tumors include a variety of rare lesions such as collecting duct carcinomas, renal sarcomas, or other rare epithelial tumors. This chapter presents evidence-based literature only for renal cell carcinoma and its histologic subtypes.
Recent Observations of Low-Energy Charged Particles in the Earth’s Magnetosphere

Several recent observations of low-energy proton and electron intensities within the energy range ∼ 100 eV to 50 keV in the Earth’s radiation zones with a sensitive array of electrostatic analyzers borne on the earth-satellite OGO 3 during mid-1966 are summarized. Measurements of charged particles of the extraterrestrial ring current during a moderate geomagnetic storm, of the low-energy proton and electron distributions in the vicinity of the midnight ‘trapping boundary’ near the magnetic equatorial plane, and of upper limits for proton and ion (100 eV ⩽ E/Q ⩽ 50 keV) energy fluxes deep within the inner radiation zone are presented together with several introductory comments concerning the morphology of the omnidirectional intensities of energetic electrons (E ⩾ 40 keV, ⩾ 230 keV, and ⩾ 1.6 MeV) at the magnetic equator in the outer radiation zone.
Cognitive Processes in Creativity

“Creative” is a word with many uses. Sometimes it is used to describe the potential of persons to produce creative works whether or not they have produced any work as yet. Sometimes it is used to describe everyday behaviors as, for example, when a nursery school curriculum is said to encourage creative activities, such as drawing or storytelling. In this chapter, I will restrict the meaning of the term in two ways. First, I will be concerned solely with creative productivity, that is, with creativity expressed in the actual production of creative works and not with the unexpressed potential for producing such works. Second, I will be concerned only with creative acts at the highest level, that is, with the best and most valued works of artists, scientists, and scholars.
Parameterized Animation Compression

We generalize image-based rendering by exploiting texture-mapping graphics hardware to decompress ray-traced “animations”. Rather than ID time, our animations are parameterized by two or more arbitrary variables representing view/lighting changes and rigid object motions. To best match the graphics hardware rendering to the input ray-traced imagery, we describe a novel method to infer parameterized texture maps for each object by modeling the hardware as a linear system and then performing least-squares optimization. The parameterized textures are compressed as a multidimensional Laplacian pyramid on fixed size blocks of parameter space. This scheme captures the coherence in parameterized animations and, unlike previous work, decodes directly into texture maps that load into hardware with a few, simple image operations. We introduce adaptive dimension splitting in the Laplacian pyramid and separate diffuse and specular lighting layers to further improve compression. High-quality results are demonstrated at compression ratios up to 800:1 with interactive playback on current consumer graphics cards.
Studies on the level of blood progesterone throughout the course of labor

Abstract Serum progesterone was measured during the course of induced human labor utilizing a protein-binding technique. The results demonstrate a consistent fall at the onset of true labor with a return to prelabor levels during the accelerated phase of labor. A second fall was seen during the postpartum period. The possible significance of these results is discussed.
Speed Optimization of the ALR Circuit Using an FPGA with Embedded RAM: A Design Experience

The Active Line Repair (ALR) circuit is a specialized circuit to overcome some of the manufacturing imperfections in high resolution flat panel displays. In this paper, the design of the ALR circuit is presented. Speed bottlenecks for an FPGA-based implementation are identified and optimization alternatives are discussed. Results stress the importance of data representation and the match to the underlying hardware resources such as embedded RAM blocks. The optimized circuit runs at 63 MHz system clock, achieving a 40% speedup over the original design.
DOMA’s Bankruptcy

Over the past few years, several federal courts have suggested or held that section three of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) violates constitutional guarantees. The courts have differed, however, both with respect to the appropriate standard of review and with respect to the particular constitutional guarantees that the section allegedly violates. Ironically, the resolution of these debates may ultimately have less import for the constitutionality of the section at issue than for the constitutionality of DOMA’s full faith and credit section and for the constitutionality of state same-sex marriage bans. This article addresses the constitutionality of section three of DOMA, explaining how most of the analyses thus far offered have important implications for the DOMA full faith and credit provision and for state refusals to permit same-sex couples to marry.
Automating Hospitality Information: Network Technology and Systems Management

The local area network (LAN) interconnecting computer systems and software can make a significant contribution to the hospitality industry. The author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of such
Workflow optimization through Business Reengineering for Tele-Cardiac system

Today's third largest industry is healthcare sector. This care sector is in trouble in many ways such as “extra-long waiting time, high expenses on medical and delivery error removal cost and insufficient access of client to important information”. Business process re-engineering helps manager in health department to discover best ways to produce better results without having any effect on quality. Business process reengineering recovers the procedures of the business process including its improvement. Workflow Reengineering Methodology is a form of Business Process Reengineering which has upgrading capability starting from need identification to execution. It also has ability of maintenance of workflow. It means that much benefit can be attained by consolidating existing task rather than focusing on previous task. It is optimized that how to re-engineer task by using workflow reengineering methodology in order to reduce time and cost for best quality. Here we present a case study of cardiology hospital, which is a tertiary care corporate hospital of Rawalpindi “Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology and National Institute of Heart Diseases” (AFIC-NIHD). We will show how workflow can be optimized through re-engineering methodology in Tele Cardiac system.
Distribution of reduced inorganic sulfur compounds in lake sediments receiving acid mine drainage

Abstract The sediments of Lake Anna, Virginia, act as a major sink for incoming acid mine drainage (AMD) pollutants (Fe, SO 4 2− , H + ) due to bacterial sulfate reduction (SR). Acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), elemental S, and pyrite concentrations in the sediments of the polluted arm of the lake are significantly greater than those in unpolluted sections of the lake. Measurements of SR using 35 S SO 4 2− showed that AVS and S 0 are the major short-term (48 h) products of SR in these sediments. Inorganic forms of S(AVS, S 0 , and FeS 2 ) made up from 60 to 100% of the total sediment S concentration. Pyrite concentrations in the sediment were high but decreased exponentially with distance from the AMD source, suggesting that the pyrite was deposited as stream detritus from the abandoned mines. Iron monosulfide and elemental S concentrations were highest at a station 1 km away from the AMD inflow, indicating formation in situ . There was no evidence for the formation of organic S species. The results suggest that in Fe- and S-rich locations such as those contaminated with acid mine drainage, the distribution of end products of SR may vary substantially from those reported for more moderate environments.
HIGH-GRADIENT MAGNETIC SEPARATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES

ABSTRACT Argonne National Laboratory is developing an open-gradient magnetic separation (OGMS) system to fractionate and remove nonglass-forming species from high-level radioactive wastes (HLW); however, to avoid clogging, OGMS may require high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) as a pretreatment to remove the most magnetic species from the HLW. In this study, the feasibility of using HGMS in the pretreatment of HLW was demonstrated. A HLW simulant of Hanford's C-103 tank waste, which contained precipitated hydroxides and oxides of Fe, Al, Si, and Ca, was used. Preliminary fractionation results from a 0.3-T bench-scale HGMS unit showed that a significant amount of Fe could be removed from the HLW simulant. Between 1 and 2% of the total Fe in the sludge was removed during each stage, with over 18.5% removed in the 13 stages that were carried out. Also, in each stage, the magnetically retained fraction contained about 20% more Fe than the untreated HLW; however, it also contained a significant amount of Si...
Islam and Human Rights: A Case of Deceptive First Appearances

It is a common belief that Islamic-based government, when serving as an ideological foundation for government, facilitates the poor protection of human rights. However, most studies of the relationship between Islam and individual rights have been at the theoretical and anecdotal levels. In this article, I test the relationship between Islam and human rights across a sample of 23 predominately Muslim countries and a control group of non-Muslim developing nations, while controlling for other factors that have been shown to affect human rights practices. I found that the influence of Islamic political culture on government has a statistically insignificant relationship with the protection of human rights.
An introduction to BEM by integral transforms

The paper provides a new method for obtaining the fundamental integral representation used in BEM. The method is based on integral transforms and can be applied to all linear differential equations with constant coefficients. Some explicit formulae pertaining to potential problems, linear elasticity and low Reynolds number flows are derived.
Sensing Interfacial Damage Initiation, Evolution and Accumulation in Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Nanocomposites Under Cyclic Loading: A Computational Micromechanics Approach

The current 2-scale computational multiscale micromechanics based exploration of sensing capabilities in carbon nanotube (CNT)-polymer nanocomposites focuses on the macroscale piezoresistive response when the nanocomposite is subjected to cyclic loading conditions. It has been shown that electron hopping at the nanoscale is the primary mechanism behind the observed macroscale piezoresistivity for such nanocomposites. A novel continuum description of the non-continuum electron hopping effect used in the current work enables the use of multiscale continuum micromechanics based approaches to study nanocomposite piezoresistivity. The focus of the current work is on the interfacial separation/damage initiation, evolution and accumulation when subjected to cyclic loading. Interfacial separation/damage is allowed at the nanoscale CNT-polymer interface using electromechanical cohesive zones to account for electron hopping across the separated interface. The mechanical response of the CNT-polymer interface is obtained in terms of normal/tangential traction-separation behavior from atomistic scale Molecular Dynamics based models. The coupled electrostatic response is based on evolving interfacial resistance through the electron hopping induced current density across the separated interface. Such coupled electromechanical description allowing for current density across the separated interface in addition to normal/tangential tractions is unique in its implementation to the best of the authors knowledge. It is observed that the effective macroscale piezoresistive response obtained from the current modeling framework captures interfacial separation/damage state and shows sensitivity to damage accumulation over several cycles. Such exploration of the governing physical mechanisms starting at the smallest scale of influence and transitioning into macroscale effective properties provides key insights into the multiscale problem.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A Model of Interorganizational Arrangements for Jail Service Delivery

In a recent national study of local jails the authors found that there has been a substantial increase in the availability of services for inmates. This is reflected in organizational changes in the form of new jail delivery systems and new relationships to community systems. Particularly important in this increase of jail services are drug detoxification and related medical care for addicted inmates. Based on these findings, the authors here develop a model which takes into account the systems of interorganizational arrangements through which inmate services are offered. The typological analysis depicts the nature of interaction between various organizations of service providers. There are four systems in the model. These are: 1. The Internal System in which all services are administered and provided by the jail. 2. The Intersection System where services are provided to inmates by community agencies administratively separate from the jail. 3. The Linkage System in which one non-jail agency operates in th...
A model for simultaneous coalescence of bubble clusters

Abstract Models for random coalescence of freely rising bubbles are developed for both a binary and nonbinary process. The bubble size distribution predicted by the binary model is represented well by the geometric and exponential distributions for a large number of bubbles and coalescence events. The nonbinary model that assumes simultaneous coalescence of bubble clusters yields bubbles sizes that follow the Pareto distribution. The Pareto model compared well with five measured distributions while the exponential model showed essentially no correlation. This and prior experimental observations shows that bubble coalescence is not binary but rather occurs by formation of bubble clusters.
Waveguides formed by quasi-steady-state photorefractive spatial solitons

We show that a quasi-steady-state photorefractive spatial soliton forms a waveguide structure in the bulk of a photorefractive material. Although the optically induced waveguide is formed by a very low-power (microwatts) soliton beam, it can guide a powerful (watt) beam of a longer wavelength at which the medium is nonphotosensitive. Furthermore, the waveguide survives, either in the dark or when guiding the longer-wavelength beam, for a long time after the soliton beam is turned off. We take advantage of the solitons’ property of evolution from a relatively broad input beam into a narrow channel and show that the soliton induces a tapered waveguide (an optical funnel) that improves the coupling efficiency of light into the waveguiding structure.
Mibefradil, a T-Channel–Selective Calcium Antagonist Clinical Trials in Hypertension

Mibefradil, a tetralol derivative, is the first representative of a new class of calcium antagonists. It selectively blocks entry of calcium into cells through T-type channels. The efficacy and tolerability of mibefradil in the treatment of mild-to-moderate essential hypertension were evaluated in four placebo-controlled, double-blind, dose-finding studies involving over 1000 patients. Two trials involved patients from the general population, one examined a subpopulation of elderly patients, and one evaluated patients receiving chronic hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) treatment. Based on these studies, the recommended doses of mibefradil are 50 mg and 100 mg. Doses >100 mg/day were associated with small gains in efficacy and an increased incidence of adverse effects. Response (sitting diastolic blood pressure normalization to ≤90 mm Hg or reduction by ≥10 mm Hg) rates to mibefradil ranged from 46.0% to 68.6% with 50 mg, and from 60.0% to 93.2% with 100 mg. Normalization rates paralleled the response rates, ranging from 34.0% to 62.9% with 50 mg, and from 42.5% to 81.8% with 100 mg. The effects on sitting systolic blood pressure were similar. Treatment was associated with a slight, potentially beneficial reduction in heart rate. Results were similar across all populations, indicating that no dose adjustment is required for elderly and for HCTZ-treated patients. The frequency of adverse events was similar to that reported for placebo groups, with headache being the most common complaint. In comparative trials, mibefradil was more effective than nifedipine SR and diltiazem CD, and at least as effective as amlodipine and nifedipine GITS. Overall, mibefradil was better tolerated than the comparison drugs. Mibefradil, at the recommended doses of 50 to 100 mg/day, is safe and effective for the treatment of mild-to-moderate hypertension.
Intrathecal infusion of a Ca2+-permeable AMPA channel blocker slows loss of both motor neurons and of the astrocyte glutamate transporter, GLT-1 in a mutant SOD1 rat model of ALS

Elevated extracellular glutamate, resulting from a loss of astrocytic glutamate transport capacity, may contribute to excitotoxic motor neuron (MN) damage in ALS. Accounting for their high excitotoxic vulnerability, MNs possess large numbers of unusual Ca(2+)-permeable AMPA channels (Ca-AMPA channels), the activation of which triggers mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload and strong reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. However, the causes of the astrocytic glutamate transport loss remain unexplained. To assess the role of Ca-AMPA channels on the evolution of pathology in vivo, we have examined effects of prolonged intrathecal infusion of the Ca-AMPA channel blocker, 1-naphthyl acetylspermine (NAS), in G93A transgenic rat models of ALS. In wild-type animals, immunoreactivity for the astrocytic glutamate transporter, GLT-1, was particularly strong around ventral horn MNs. However, a marked loss of ventral horn GLT-1 was observed, along with substantial MN damage, prior to onset of symptoms (90-100 days) in the G93A rats. Conversely, labeling with the oxidative marker, nitrotyrosine, was increased in the neuropil surrounding MNs in the transgenic animals. Compared to sham-treated G93A animals, 30-day NAS infusions (starting at 67+/-2 days of age) markedly diminished the loss of both MNs and of astrocytic GLT-1 labeling. These observations are compatible with the hypothesis that activation of Ca-AMPA channels on MNs contributes, likely in part through oxidative mechanisms, to loss of glutamate transporter in surrounding astrocytes.
High-Grade Astrocytomas: Resource Use, Clinical Outcomes, and Cost of Care

Objective To describe the clinical course, survival, resource use, and direct medical costs of care for patients with high-grade astrocytomas. Material and Methods All patients with grade 3 or 4 astrocytoma who resided in Olmsted County, Minnesota, or one of the six adjacent counties and had a tissue diagnosis first made between 1987 and 1992 were studied. Clinical characteristics, initial management, use of resources, clinical course, survival, and medical charges were analyzed. Results Sixty-four patients, with a mean age of 62 years, were identified; 81% had glioblastoma multiforme. Approximately 60% underwent surgical resection, 80% had radiotherapy, and 50% had chemotherapy for initial management. After initial treatment (median duration, 116 days), approximately 75% of patients had a course with stable disease (median duration, 198 days). The overall median duration of survival was 323 days; lower grade and younger age were significantly associated with longer median survival—for example, 1,493 days for patients younger than 65 years with grade 3 astrocytomas and 205 days for patients 65 years old or older with grade 4 astrocytomas. The mean total direct medical charges were $67,887. Conclusion In most patients with high-grade astrocytomas, a substantial period elapsed before disease progressed. Although the overall median duration of survival was less than 1 year, younger patients, especially those with grade 3 astrocytomas, had a longer survival. The management of patients with high-grade astrocytomas uses substantial health-care resources.
Molecular Determinants for Binding of Ammonium Ion in the Ammonia Transporter AmtBA Quantum Chemical Analysis

The transport of ammonium across the cell membrane represents an important biological process in all living organisms. The mechanisms for ammonium translocation were analyzed by computer simulations based on first principles. Intermolecular interaction energies between the differentially methylated ammonium and the ammonium channel protein AmtB were calculated by means of the supermolecular approach at the MP2/6-311+G* level based on the high-resolution crystal structures of ligand-bound protein complexes. Our analysis attributes the molecular determinants for protein−ligand recognition in ammonium transporter AmtB to the aromatic cage formed by three aromatic residues Phe103, Phe107, and Trp148, as well as Ser219. The former residues are involved in cation−π interactions with the positively charged methylated ammoniums. The latter residue acts as a hydrogen bond acceptor to ammonium. Thus, this work provides directly the missing evidence for the hypothesized role played by the wider vestibule site of Amt...
The role of stress radiographs for the severe ankle sprain: A 7-year prospective study

Ankle sprains are common. They are the most common musculoskeletal injury in athletes and account for about 2 million emergency department visits annually in the United States. Although ankle radiographs are often indicated to rule out fractures of the acutely sprained ankle, the need for additional imaging work-up, such as stress radiographs, to evaluate the severity of ligamentous injury is not clear. One hundred five patients with severe ankle sprains diagnosed by stress radiographs were randomized into three conservative modes of therapy (Schantz wrap, cast brace, cast) and followed prospectively for 7 years. There was no statistically significant difference among treatment groups for mechanical outcome at 1 year (P=0.27) or for functional outcome at 5 years (P=0.39) and 7 years (P=0.27) after injury. We conclude that: (a) there currently is no recommendation for stress radiographs in the setting of the acutely sprained ankle, and (b) a larger multicenter study is needed to confirm these findings.
Comparison of callus induction and plant regeneration from different explants in triploid and tetraploid turf-type bermudagrasses

The turf-type bermudagrasses are genetically variable and do not respond uniformly to tissue culture and plant regeneration protocols. We evaluated the callus induction response of two explant types, young inflorescences and nodes, from multiple genotypes including triploid TifSport, TifEagle, and Tift97-4 and tetraploid Tift93-132, Tift93-135, Tift93-156 and Tift93-157 on MS medium supplemented with 1–1.5 mg l−1 2,4-D + 0.01 mg l−1 BA + 1.16 g l−1 proline. Four types of callus were observed. Type I was fluffy, soft, and white non-embryogenic callus, common to all cultures. Type II was globular, transparent, and hard, but sticky callus, which was pre-embryogenic and could be selected for subculture. Type III callus was transparent, compact, and embryogenic. Type IV callus was opaque white and compact. Both Type III and Type IV calluses were embryogenic and regenerative. A combination of gelling agents in the medium (2 g l−1 Gelrite and 5 g l−1 agar) improved callus quality and increased the rate of compact callus formation during subculture. Embryogenesis from compact callus was observed in TifEagle, TifSport and Tift93-132, and shoots were regenerated on MS medium with 0.1 mg l−1 2,4-D + 0.5–4.0 mg l−1 BA. Low intensity light treatment (30 μmol m−2 s−1 of cool white fluorescence) to callus before regeneration greatly enhanced regeneration frequency from 6.7% to 40% in recalcitrant TifSport.
Ichthyoplankton of Feodosiya bay in December 2006

Ichthyoplankton of Feodosiya bay in December 2006 was represented by eggs and larvae of winter-spawning fish species belonging to three families. The average abundance of fish eggs and larvae was 62.1 and 5.5 pcs/m3, respectively, and was comparable with the values for the 1950s. The eggs and larvae of sprat Sprattus sprattus phalericus dominated. Most larvae of two winter-spawning species—sprat and smooth sand lance Gymnammodytes cicerellus—had food in their intestines. The species composition consumed by larvae of both species was similar. In comparison with the 1950s and the 1980s, the food composition changed due to significant transformation of planktonic communities in the 1990s.
Attractive potential between confined colloids at low ionic strength.

Digital video microscopy is used to locate the positions of 1.27 \ensuremath{\mu}m diameter polystyrene spheres suspended in low ionic strength water and confined between two glass plates. A method is developed to obtain the pair potential of the colloidal particles from measurements of the pair-correlation function of both dilute and moderately concentrated dispersions. We find that the measured pair potential has an attractive component much greater than predicted by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory of nonconfined colloids and suggest that the confining plates are responsible for the observed deviations from theory.
Determining Short Fiber Content in Cotton Part I: Some Theoretical Fundamentals

The mathematical fundamentals of fiber length distribution are reviewed in a unified way, with particular emphasis on the derivation of short fiber content (SFC) by number and weight and other related length parameters. The concept of "similar distribu tions" is introduced to describe the resemblance in shape between different distribu tions. This is necessary because of the specific nature of cotton length distributions. The SFC as a length parameter is related to both the range and shape of the fiber length distributions. The paper concludes with the presentation of equations necessary to determine the SFC of a binary mixture, if the SFC and other fiber characteristics of each component are known.
Spectrophotometric assay for the condensing enzyme activity of the microsomal fatty acid chain elongation system.

Abstract A rapid and simple spectrophotometric method was developed to measure the activity of the condensing enzyme component of the microsomal fatty acid chain elongation system. The intermediate product of the condensation reaction is the β-ketoacyl CoA which exists in two tautomeric forms, i.e., keto and enol. The addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to a cuvette cell containing a β-ketoacyl CoA derivative resulted in the formation of a 303-nm absorbance peak, characteristic of enolate formation. The β-ketoacyl CoAs with carbon chain length of 6 to 18 interacted with BSA to produce the 303-nm peak; acetoacetyl CoA was the only β-keto compound tested which did not interact with BSA to produce the peak. Other compounds which were unaffected by BSA included CoA, free β-keto acid, β-hydroxyacyl CoA, acyl CoA, trans-2-enoyl CoA, and malonyl CoA. BSA could not be replaced by ovalbumin; furthermore, denatured (boiling) BSA could not induce the 303-nm peak. The specific activity of the condensing enzyme measured by the spectrophotometric method compares favorably with the activity obtained by the radioactive method. The apparent extinction coefficient (ϵ) for the absorbance peak generated by the β-keto thioester varied from 5 to 30 m m −1 cm−1 depending on the β-keto derivative. The spectrophotometric procedure can be used in the determination of the condensing enzyme activity in not only hepatic microsomes but also in kidney and brain microsomes both of which have significantly lower activity. The advantages of the novel method over the radioactive method are that (i) it does not involve the use of radioactive compounds, (ii) it is much less cumbersome and significantly less costly, and (iii) it is rapid and easy to perform.
Exact solution of metal surface properties in square barrier and linear one-electron potential models

The exact solution is given for the electron density and various electrostatic properties of the infinite- and finite-square-barrier model for the effective potential of a jellium metal surface. It is shown that the analytic results usually given for the electrostatic potential at the surface, the surface dipole barrier and the work function of these models, do not correspond to the exact solution. We find those quantities to depend sensitively on the electron density outside the surface region. The electrostatic part of the surface energy however, is found to be insensitive to the precise form of the electron density outside the surface region. These observations also apply to the linear-potential model for the effective one-electron potential.
Embodied meaning in a neural theory of language.

Imagine that you are dining with a group of people and one of them asks you to pass the salt. Ignoring for now any social or emotional issues, what does it mean for you to carry out the request? You must locate the salt container, determine which grip to use, reach out and grasp the container, and move it to a location near the requester. If the salt is too far for you to easily reach, you should convey the request to someone who can pass it to you, possibly following a further request. Now think about your favorite theory of language and what it could describe of this scenario. In this paper, we outline an explicitly neural theory of language (NTL) that attempts to explain how many brain functions (including emotion and social cognition) work together to understand and learn language. The focus will be on the required representations and computations, although there will be some discussion of results on specific brain structures. In this approach, one does not expect to find brain areas specialized only for language or to find language processing confined to only a few areas. Our first sentence asked you to imagine yourself at some dinner, being asked to pass the salt. To understand this sentence you need to know what it means to pass the salt. The NTL assumption is that people understand narratives by subconsciously imaging (or simulating) the situation being described. When asked to grasp, we enact it. When hearing or reading about grasping, we simulate grasping, being grasped, or watching someone grasp. We will start with the meaning of words for simple actions like those involved in passing the salt. Consider the word ‘‘grasp’’. Everyone will agree that the meaning of the word grasp involves the motor action of grasping