cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Neisseria gonorrhoeae suppresses the oxidative burst of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes

Symptomatic infection with Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc) results in a potent polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN)-driven inflammatory response, but the mechanisms by which Gc withstands PMN attack are poorly defined. Here we report that Gc can suppress the PMN oxidative burst, a central component of the PMN antimicrobial arsenal. Primary human PMNs remained viable after exposure to liquid-grown, exponential-phase, opacity-associated protein (Opa)-negative Gc of strains FA1090 and MS11 but did not generate reactive oxygen species (ROS), even after bacterial opsonization. Liquid-grown FA1090 Gc expressing OpaB, an Opa protein previously correlated with PMN ROS production, elicited a minor PMN oxidative burst. PMN ROS production in response to Opa(-) and OpaB+ Gc was markedly enhanced if bacteria were agar-grown or if liquid-grown bacteria were heat-killed. Liquid-grown Opa(-) Gc inhibited the PMN oxidative burst elicited by isogenic dead bacteria, formylated peptides or Staphylococcus aureus but did not inhibit PMN ROS production by OpaB+ Gc or phorbol esters. Suppression of the oxidative burst required Gc-PMN contact and bacterial protein synthesis but not phagocytosis. These results suggest that viable Gc directly inhibits PMN signalling pathways required for induction of the oxidative burst, which may contribute to gonococcal pathogenesis during inflammatory stages of gonorrhoeal disease.
The Attitude Control System as an Integral Part of the V/STOL Propulsion System Installation

The analytical techniques for evaluating the design and weight penalties associated with the V/STOL attitude control system are presented. A comparison is made between a V/STOL 200-passenger transport which uses thrust modulation of the lift engines for attitude control in the roll mode versus an alternate configuration which uses roll control fans driven by individual gas generators. The configuration using lift engine thrust modulation for roll control shows a 4729-lb weight advantage.Copyright © 1970 by ASME
Modeling urban peer-to-peer channel characteristics for the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz public safety bands

We report on models developed for peer-to-peer (ground-based) wireless channels for an urban environment in the 700 MHz and 4.9 GHz bands, both allocated for public safety and “emergency responder” applications. Results are based upon measurements taken in downtown Denver, CO for link distances up to approximately 100 m. Heretofore, measurement-based models for an urban environment in these bands and for low antenna heights have not been developed. Our measurements employed a vector network analyzer, from which log-distance models for path loss and dispersive channel models have been extracted. Our dispersive channel models employ a statistical algorithm for the number of multipath components, previously used only in indoor settings. The channel models should be useful for public safety communication system designers.
Liquidity Preference and Risk Aversion with an Exponential Utility Function

The plunger has never been a very popular figure in economic theory. Indeed, in his seminal paper on the subject, Tobin [4] introduced the portfolio behaviour subsequently termed " plunging" on one page, and spent the next few pages stating conditions which, among other things, preclude such behaviour. These conditions were: (1) that the utility of returns be described by a quadratic function, or (2) that the probability distribution of returns be a member of the class of two-parameter distributions. Feldstein [2] has recently shown, however, that the " proof " of the sufficiency of the latter condition depends upon a property enjoyed by only one such function, and, for the class as a whole, no definite statement about the convexity of the indifference curves can be made. In addition, a number of writers have complained that some properties of the quadratic render it a poor representation of a utility function (cf. [1], [2], and [3], among others). Thus, the rather queer behaviour of the plunger, once thought to be so easily ignored, appears to be with us still. However, this paper will show that undue concern over such behaviour is still unwarranted by producing a utility function which, like the quadratic, precludes the plunger while permitting the more reasonable forms of portfolio behaviour but which, unlike the quadratic, has satisfactory economic properties. We proceed by first defining the utility function and examinating some of its relevant properties. Expected utility is then defined and put into the proper form for analysis. Finally, the slope and rate of change of the slope of the indifference curves are derived.
Repair of Sinus of Valsalva Aneurysm Associated with Aortoventricular Discontinuity

The case of patient with unruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm with absence of the intervalvular lamina fibrosa is presented. The association of Valsalva aneurysm and aortic subvalvular defects has been explained as a deficiency of elastic tissue at the aortic root or maldevelopment of the fibrous trigone. Valvular aortic insufficiency with histological evidence of myxoid changes required prosthetic replacement. Myxomatous changes in the fibrous trigone and aortic annulus can explain this unusual, complex anomaly. Accurate preoperative diagnosis may require special views and simultaneous left and right injections at cineangiography. Techniques of repair that have been successful are reviewed, and the essential features of adequate correction are outlined.
A methodology to establish the morphology of ambient aerosols.

Abstract The morphology of ambient particulate matter (PM) is an important characteristic that seldom is measured and reported. A study was performed to determine the viability of a method to establish the distribution of shapes and the fractal dimensions of aggregates of ambient aerosols. Particles of PM with aerodynamic diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5) were captured on different days via size-independent electrostatic precipitation at two sites in St. Louis and examined in a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Nonvolatile particles between 0.1 and 2.5 μm were readily identified via SEM. Particle shapes were classified as fibrous, spherical, agglomerated, or “other.” A computer program using the nested-squares algorithm was developed and used to determine the fractal dimensions of the aggregates. More particles were collected at the St. Louis-Midwest Supersite on June 14, 2002, than were collected on the Washington University campus loading dock on May 31, 2002, but the campus samples had a ...
A Review and Critique of International Ethical Principles

Recognizing the perpetual tension between the advancement of scientific knowledge and the protection of clinical research participants, this chapter analyzes the different ethical codes that have been accepted by governments and professional associations in Latin American countries. After describing how the different international ethical research codes were drafted, have been changed and are being applied, the authors characterize the reasons why clinical trial participants in low- and middle-income countries might be less protected than those residing in high income nations. While some ethicists highlight the need to develop ethical guidelines based on regional values, the authors assert that the ethical violations that have been documented in the region do not require perfect ethical codes and frameworks, but the will of all actors in the clinical research process (i.e. pharmaceutical industry, governments, regulatory agencies, universities, clinical researchers, professional associations, and research ethics committees) to protect the rights of clinical research participants, which, among other things, is linked to the availability and affordability of medicines for all. However, the increasing complexity of clinical trial designs challenges the capacity of ethics committees to protect research volunteers, and might need to be revised. Another important element is the development and financing of supervisory strategies that go beyond administrative reviews, and capture the quality of the patient’s recruitment and clinical trial implementation process.
The Mechanism of Nucleotide Excision Repair-Mediated UV-Induced Mutagenesis in Nonproliferating Cells

Following the irradiation of nondividing yeast cells with ultraviolet (UV) light, most induced mutations are inherited by both daughter cells, indicating that complementary changes are introduced into both strands of duplex DNA prior to replication. Early analyses demonstrated that such two-strand mutations depend on functional nucleotide excision repair (NER), but the molecular mechanism of this unique type of mutagenesis has not been further explored. In the experiments reported here, an ade2 adeX colony-color system was used to examine the genetic control of UV-induced mutagenesis in nondividing cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We confirmed a strong suppression of two-strand mutagenesis in NER-deficient backgrounds and demonstrated that neither mismatch repair nor interstrand crosslink repair affects the production of these mutations. By contrast, proteins involved in the error-prone bypass of DNA damage (Rev3, Rev1, PCNA, Rad18, Pol32, and Rad5) and in the early steps of the DNA-damage checkpoint response (Rad17, Mec3, Ddc1, Mec1, and Rad9) were required for the production of two-strand mutations. There was no involvement, however, for the Pol η translesion synthesis DNA polymerase, the Mms2-Ubc13 postreplication repair complex, downstream DNA-damage checkpoint factors (Rad53, Chk1, and Dun1), or the Exo1 exonuclease. Our data support models in which UV-induced mutagenesis in nondividing cells occurs during the Pol ζ-dependent filling of lesion-containing, NER-generated gaps. The requirement for specific DNA-damage checkpoint proteins suggests roles in recruiting and/or activating factors required to fill such gaps.
Explaining the Great Racial Divide: Perceptions of Fairness in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

We examine the huge racial divide in citizens' general beliefs about the fairness of the criminal justice system, focusing on the political consequences of these beliefs for shaping diverging interpretations of police behavior. Predictably, most blacks believe the system to be unfair and most whites believe the opposite. More importantly, these beliefs influence the interpretation of events quite differently. African Americans who view the system as unfair are much more suspicious of the police in confrontations with black civilians. Fairness for whites, however, has fewer racial connotations; they naively interpret the confrontations disregarding civilian race. Still, whites holding antiblack stereotypes are much more sympathetic to the police in their confrontations with black civilians.
Reconciling Bagehot and the Fed's Response to September 11

Bagehot (1873) states that to prevent bank panics a central bank should provide liquidity at a “very high rate of interest.” In contrast, most of the theoretical literature on liquidity provision suggests that central banks should lend at an interest rate of zero. This is broadly consistent with the Federal Reserve's behavior in the days following September 11, 2001. This paper shows that both policies can be reconciled. With commodity money, as in Bagehot's time, liquidity is scarce and a high price allows banks to self-select. In contrast, the Fed has a virtually unlimited ability to temporarily expand the money supply so self-selection is unnecessary.
Perceived and Actual Physical Competence in Children With Mild Mental Retardation

The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between perceived and actual physical competence in children with mild mental retardation (MMR). Participants were 54 males and 55 females, M age = 9.47. Pearson correlation indicated no significant relationship between perceived and actual physical competence in children with MMR. When the age factor was partialed out, the resulting partial correlations revealed a significant moderate relationship between the two variables for older children with MMR. A 6 × 2 (Age × Gender) MANOVA revealed a significant interaction between age and gender on perceived physical competence. No gender difference was found in younger children, whereas in older children, males had significantly higher perceived competence than females. A possible explanation for the nonsignificant correlation between perceived and actual physical competence in younger children may be insufficient cognitive functioning for making self-evaluations.
Low-Power Single-Loop and Dual-Loop AGCs for Bionic Ears

Bionic ears or cochlear implants for the deaf require low-power wide-dynamic-range automatic-gain-control circuits (AGCs) to interface between microphone preamplifiers and analog processing circuits or A/D converters. Hearing-impaired patients need strategies which switch intelligently between time constants for speech and time constants for interfering transients. We describe two AGC designs which use a programmable continuous current-mode feedback network to control a variable gain amplifier. The first design implements a log-linear controller to demonstrate level-invariant closed-loop response. The second design is a dual-loop controller which implements a simplified version of a well-known algorithm for speech in noisy environments. The dual-loop strategy implements a continuous-discrete hybrid controller with implicit state control using two filter-and-hold peak detectors and a charge-pump hold-timer. Both AGCs exhibit 78 dB of input dynamic range, have digitally programmable time constants, operate from a 2.8 V supply, and consume less than 36 muW in a 1.5 mum BiCMOS process. For typical compression settings, the minimum instantaneous input dynamic range is greater than 58 dB
Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Strains Isolated from Community Wastewater from a Semiclosed Agri-Food System in Texas

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains (VRE) were isolated from human wastewater but not swine fecal waste from a semiclosed agri-food system in Texas. Forty-nine VRE isolates possessed vanA, and one possessed vanB. Twenty-one pulsed-field gel electrophoresis types were identified and segregated into three groups. There was evidence of clonal dissemination among geographically separated sites.
ClassSearch: facilitating the development of web search skills through social learning

We explore the use of social learning - improving knowledge skills by observing peer behavior - in the domain of Web search skill acquisition, focusing specifically on co-located classroom scenarios. Through a series of interviews, pilot studies, and classroom deployments, we conclude that a peripheral display of Web search activity within a classroom facilitates both social learning and teacher-led discourse. We present the ClassSearch system for shared awareness of Web search activity, which embodies principles gleaned from our iterative design process, and show results from a ClassSearch deployment in twelve middle-school classroom sessions. Finally, we highlight design suggestions and opportunities for future work while taxonomizing the space of co-located search pedagogies.
Serum LDH values in childhood acute leukemias and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Serum lactate dehydrogenase activity (LDH) was examined in 66 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), 26 with acute non-lymphocytic leukemia (ANLL), and 116 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The mean serum LDH value for the ALL and ANLL groups was not significantly different: 970 +/- 105 units/L (mean +/- standard error of the mean) and 817 +/- 161 units/L, respectively. The difference between the LDH values in patients with ALL (970 +/- 105 units/L) and NHL (551 +/- 51 units/L) was significant (P = .001). In 32% of the patients with ALL and 23% of the patients with ANLL, serum LDH values were above 1000 units/L, whereas only 13% of the cases with NHL had values above 1000 units/L. In patients with ALL the LDH levels were correlated with white blood cell counts at the time of diagnosis. In NHL, there was no difference in serum LDH levels among the various histologic subtypes. Values of LDH in stage IV NHL and in ALL were similar.
Environment: A Perspective of the Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory

In this column the author presents an examination of Orem's conceptualization of environment as a metaparadigm concept, the role of environment in the theoretical structure of the self-care deficit nursing theory, and the creation of a developmental environment as one of the ways of helping another. Suggestions for further work related to the conceptualization of environment and the organization of existent knowledge are provided. Application of the concept of nursing agency and the environmental factor of healthcare system illustrate the utility of self-care deficit nursing theory in relation to the recommendations for changes in nursing education and for redesign of the healthcare system.
A projection method to generate anaglyph stereo images

An anaglyph image allows the perception of depth when observed through colored glasses such as the familiar red/blue glasses. Although the method is very old, the techniques used to generate anaglyph images are very empirical. This paper describes a projection method to generate anaglyph stereoscopic images using the spectral absorption curves of the glasses, the spectral density functions of the display primaries and the colorimetric properties of the human observer.
A role for menadione in the purple membrane proton pump

— It has been assumed that proton pumps such as purple membrane lack redox loops. However, purple membrane does contain an electron carrier. Kates et al. (Meth. Enzymol. 88,98–1 111, 1982) reported the presence of 1 mole of vitaminMK–8 to 6 mol of bacteriorhodopsin among the nonpolar lipids. Is this quinone functionally important in the proton pump mechanism? Proton pumping rates were measured with lipid-free bacteriorhodopsin reconstituted in vesicles to which varying amounts of vitamin K1 were added. With soybean lipids, in the presence of tetraphenyl boron, the pump quantum yield was 0.04H+/photon. This result was independent of the amount of vitamin K, added over a range of 0 to a 100-fold mole ratio to bacteriorhodopsin. A similar result was obtained with H. halobium lipids. The pump quantum yield in vesicles is much less than reported for membrane sheets and whole cells. The results support the conclusion that a vitamin K Q-cycle is not involved in the purple membrane proton pump.
Oxytocin selectively increases perceptions of harm for victims but not the desire to punish offenders of criminal offenses

The neuropeptide oxytocin functions as a hormone and neurotransmitter and facilitates complex social cognition and approach behavior. Given that empathy is an essential ingredient for third-party decision-making in institutions of justice, we investigated whether exogenous oxytocin modulates empathy of an unaffected third-party toward offenders and victims of criminal offenses. Healthy male participants received intranasal oxytocin or placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subjects design. Participants were given a set of legal vignettes that described an event during which an offender engaged in criminal offenses against victims. As an unaffected third-party, participants were asked to rate those criminal offenses on the degree to which the offender deserved punishment and how much harm was inflicted on the victim. Exogenous oxytocin selectively increased third-party decision-makers’ perceptions of harm for victims but not the desire to punish offenders of criminal offenses. We argue that oxytocin promoted empathic concern for the victim, which in turn increased the tendency for prosocial approach behavior regarding the interpersonal relationship between an unaffected third-party and a fictional victim in the criminal scenarios. Future research should explore the context- and person-dependent nature of exogenous oxytocin in individuals with antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy, in whom deficits in empathy feature prominently.
Deception and dating: Knowledge of tactics may improve detection accuracy.

Previous research on deception detection has indicated that a number of factors influence accuracy. It has been hypothesized that deception and the detection of deception is highly influenced by mating context. The current study investigated sex differences in the detection of deception used in typical human mating situations. Sixty-eight females were tested for deception detection using a video paradigm in which the actors either lied or told the truth. An accompanying survey was given that evaluated common deception tactics. Contrary to previous findings, female deception detection was not significantly above chance. However, knowledge of opposite gender tactics increased deception detection such that those females that were aware of common male tactics were superior at detecting deception. The results, which are preliminary, suggest that the evolutionary advantage females have over males may have a top-down cognitive origin such that knowledge of tactics may influence perceptual abilities.
On Interfirm Power, Channel Climate, and Solidarity in Industrial Distributor-Supplier Dyads:

Despite surging interest in relational exchange in marketing channels, the link between the interfirm power-influence process and relational exchange remains disjointed. This study intends to connect that link by highlighting (a) the moderating effects of channel climate on the interfirm power-influence process and (b) the main effect of influence strategies on a relational exchange element, solidarity of a dyad. Specifically, the author proposes that channel climate, as manifested by dyadic trust and dyadic relationship continuity, moderates (a) the link between asymmetry of interfirm power and the use of influence strategies and (b) the reciprocation of influence strategies. In turn, the use of influence strategies is posited to affect solidarity of a dyad. The results of hypotheses’ tests, based on the analysis of industrial distributor-supplier dyads, (a) partially confirm the moderating effects of dyadic trust and dyadic relationship continuity and (b) fully confirm the main effects of influence strategies on dyadic solidarity.
Controls on soil carbon accumulation during woody plant encroachment: Evidence from physical fractionation, soil respiration, and δ13C of respired CO2

Woody plant encroachment into grasslands and savannas is a globally extensive land-cover change that alters biogeochemical processes and frequently results in soil organic carbon (SOC) accrual. We used soil physical fractionation, soil respiration kinetics, and the isotopic composition of soil respiration to investigate microbial degradation of accrued SOC in sandy loam soils along a chronosequence of C3woody plant encroachment into a C4-dominated grassland in southern Texas. Our previous work in this system demonstrated significant changes in the chemistry and abundance of lignin and aliphatic biopolymers within particulate soil fractions during the first 40 yrs of woody plant encroachment, indicating selective accrual of purportedly more recalcitrant plant chemicals. However, during the long- term soil laboratory incubation presented herein, a greater proportion of SOC was mineralized in soils from older woody stands (34e86 yrs) than in soils from younger woody stands (14e23 yrs) and grasslands, providing no evidence for greater biochemical recalcitrance as a controlling mechanism for SOC accrual. In addition, d 13 C values of respired CO2 indicate that the mineralized SOC was predomi- nately of C3 origin from all woody stands along the chronosequence, and that respired CO2 was primarily derived from the free light fraction (density <1.0 g/cm 3 ) and macroaggregate-sized soil fraction. Our data suggested that the location of SOC among soil fractions was more important than plant polymer chemistry in determining SOC turnover rates during incubation. Surprisingly, estimates of the size and turnover rate of the active SOC pool based on respiratory kinetics did not increase with woody encroachment, and the turnover rate of the slower SOC pool decreased, again supporting the notion that increases in biochemically recalcitrant biopolymers did not hinder decomposition in the lab. These data indicate environmental conditions that may allow for C accrual in the field were alleviated during the controlled incubation. Therefore, C accrual in these sandy loam soils following woody encroachment should not be assumed stable, and this factor should be taken into account when considering responses of SOC to climate change or when making management decisions regarding land cover impacts on SOC.
Prognostic factors for clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer treated with sequential novel androgen receptor-directed therapies.

BACKGROUND Prognostic factors associated with clinical outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with a novel androgen receptor-directed therapies (ARDT) in the second line setting has not been formally evaluated. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed medical records of all patients with mCRPC who received sequential treatment with ARDT. We analyzed potential clinical factors associated with post treatment endpoints including 50% decline in prostatic-specific antigen (PSA), PSA-progression-free survival (PFS), clinical or radiographic PFS and overall survival (OS). Prognostic univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were developed and assessed. RESULTS One hundred twenty-six patients with mCRPC treated with a second-line novel ARDT were included. Overall, 50% decline in PSA was observed in 22% of patients and a median PSA-PFS of 2.9 months and a PFS of 3.6 months. After adjusting for potential confounders including prior exposure to docetaxel and number of prior antiandrogen agents, time to development of CRPC was an independent factor associated with PSA-PFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.99–1; P = 0.02) and PFS (HR: 0.99; CI: 0.98–1; P= 0.01). PSA response (50% decline) to first-line novel ARDT correlated negatively with PSA-PFS with second-line novel ARDT (HR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.14–2.53; P = 0.009) and lower pre-treatment levels of albumin were associated with shorter PFS (HR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.32-0.97; P = 0.03). Performance status, pre-treatment levels of albumin, extent of disease and time to development CRPC were associated with OS. CONCLUSIONS Second-line ARDT is associated with modest outcomes in patients with mCRPC. Time to development of CRPC is the strongest predictor of PSA response, PSA-PFS and OS which suggest that intrinsic resistance to AR directed treatment is the major treatment outcome factor in these patients. Future studies in patients receiving long term ARTD should include the identification of predictive biomarkers to facilitate treatment selection. Prostate 76:512–520, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Alienation and the Commons

The paper will reinterpret a certain kind of social choice problem characteristic of environmental dilemmas in accordance with Marx's notion of alienation, and use that reinterpretation to offer an alternative account of how such dilemmas are to be understood. Hardin's 'tragedy of the commons' seems a plausible model for environmental problems; in it, a contradiction arises between individual preferences and social outcome, where the latter appears as an independent force over and against the wishes of those whose actions make it up. This contradiction has exactly the structure the young Marx described as 'alienation.' Hardin and others have argued that a solution would lie in privatizing the commons, thereby avoiding the problem of 'externalities.' But externalities are the rule, not the exception, in social life. Correctly understood, the tragedy reveals a problem with the very idea of the 'private' itself. The tragedy is overcome only in an unalienated society whose acts are the product of democratic discourse in which social preferences are explicitly and self-consciously formed.
Rhinocricidae Systematics II: A species catalog of the Rhinocricidae (Diplopoda: Spirobolida) with synonymies

This paper summarizes the distribution, provides a taxonomic bibliography from 1758 to 2002, and lists all available species, generic names, and synonymies of the family Rhinocricidae (Diplopoda: Spirobolida). At present, there are 528 nominal species and 23 subspecies of Rhinocricidae placed in 27 genera and 3 subgenera. One new combination is proposed: Rhinocricus obesus rubicundus is transferred to Anadenobolus [Anadenobolus obesus rubicundus (Brolemann, 1905)].
The role of texture on the reliability of Aluminum-based interconnects

Preferred crystallographic orientation has long been recognized to play an important role in interconnect reliability where a strong (111) texture improves electromigration lifetime. Detailed microstructural analyses have enabled the role of texture to be better understood. Although Bragg-Brentano scans are often used to characterize texture, it is shown that this technique gives incomplete and sometimes misleading information. The pole figure technique provides a complete description of the texture. The measurement and presentation of textures consider experimental aspects unique to thin film analysis as a prerequisite to developing quality data. Five textural archetypes are identified, and metrics presented for their quantification. Processing effects on texture are complex and depend on all facets of deposition conditions, on substrate/underlayers, and on annealing. General trends and specific examples of the impact of each aspect are given where it will be shown that deposition conditions and the presence of underlayers have the greatest influence. The role of texture on reliability is considered for four failure modes: thermal hillocks, grain collapse, stress voiding, and electromigration. Electromigration results are emphasized where texture must be considered in the context of grain structure, in general, and, more specifically, the ratio of line width to grain size. Most measures of microstructure and reliability are statistical. The importance of local microstructural analysis will be emphasized in terms of both the arrangement of grains relative to the line dimension and microtexture characterization of the grain-to-grain misorientations.
Synthesis and Characterization of Group 4 Trianionic ONO3– Pincer-Type Ligand Complexes and a Rare Case of Through-Space 19F–19F Coupling

This report describes the synthesis and characterization of a new series of group 4 complexes supported by a trianionic ONO3– pincer-type ligand. Treating TiCl4 with the proligand [CF3–ONO]H3 (1) and NEt3 in benzene afforded {[CF3–ONO]TiCl3}{HNEt3}2 (2). By means of a lithium transmetalation route, the neutral monochloride complex [CF3–ONO]TiCl(THF) (3) was synthesized in 91% yield. The analogous Hf(IV) derivative could not be obtained using this method. Instead, transmetalation with thallium(I) resulted in the formation of the seven-coordinate complex [CF3–ONHO]HfCl2(THF)2 (4-(THF)2), which was characterized by combustion analysis and X-ray crystallography. Applying vacuum to 4-(THF)2 liberated the THF ligands to provide the five-coordinate THF-free complex [CF3–ONHO]HfCl2 (4). Alkylation of complex 4 with alkyllithium or Grignard reagents resulted in a mixture of unidentifiable products. However, access to the neutral complex 3 enabled the subsequent preparation of organotitanium complexes [CF3–ONO]TiR(...
Analysis, design, and evaluation of three-phase three-wire isolated ac-dc converter implemented with three single-phase converter modules

In this paper, a control method for three single-phase isolated ac-dc converter modules employed to implement an isolated three-phase, three-wire ac-dc converter is presented and its detailed design procedure provided. In the described control the input voltages of the Y-connected single-phase modules with floating common Y point are kept within a safe range by equalizing their input admittances. It is shown that for obtaining equal input admittances of the three PFC front stages, the outputs of the PFC voltage controllers should be equal. This is achieved by adjusting the reference currents of the current controllers in the output dc-dc stages. The performance of the presented control with both balanced and unbalanced source voltages, as well as with a phase fault (open or short circuit) is evaluated by Matlab/Simulink simulations and verified experimentally on a 6-kW prototype.
Ritual wellbeing: a simplified model

Wood presents a comprehensive overview of the relationship between religion, religious ritual, and subjective wellbeing. We agree that the process of refining and understanding how these findings a...
An intermediate body mass index (23 to 30 kg/m2) was associated with the most favorable mortality in older women

Source Citation Dolan CM, Kraemer H, Browner W, Ensrud K, Kelsey JL. Associations between body composition, anthropometry, and mortality in women aged 65 years and older. Am J Public Health. 2007;9...
Thatcher’s German Policy: The ‘Unambiguous Failure’

The German problem, as Thatcher called it by the end of her political career, was as it had always been since 1871. How should British foreign policy deal with a country which was both larger and wealthier than Britain, and had been prepared to use its advantages to achieve predominance in Europe? The answers given by successive British governments were that it should be countered, contained and, once American power established itself in Europe, converted. Countering Germany had entailed the construction of global alliances to conduct two world wars, but after 1945 containment and conversion predominated. Containment of the country was achieved by occupying and partitioning it into two German states, the Federal Republic (FRG) in the west and the Democratic Republic (GDR) in the east. These were admitted into regional military and commercial organizations which severely circumscribed their autonomy, and then their conversions were attempted by the imposition of social systems shaped by the ideological priorities of their respective occupiers and patrons. Comprehensive though this settlement might sound, however, it had not resulted from some grand plan of the victorious allies but rather from their failure to agree and the ensuing Cold War.
Pilon Fracture of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint: Use of a Combination of Fixation Techniques

Proximal interphalangeal joint pilon fractures are unstable injuries with the potential sequelae of joint pain and stiffness. The goals for surgical treatment of these injuries are to create a stable, congruent joint with fixation that allows early motion as the fracture heals. This chapter presents the case of a proximal interphalangeal joint pilon fracture that was treated with dynamic external fixation, limited open reduction and internal fixation, and extension block pinning. By combining traction with direct reduction and fixation, satisfactory reduction of the joint was achieved, and the result was functional range of motion of the joint with minimal discomfort. This case suggests that surgeons become familiar with multiple treatment techniques for these injuries and be flexible in combining these techniques as required for individual fracture patterns.
Induction of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Apoptosis by Nitric Oxide Synthase (NOS) Inhibitors: Drug Efficacy Correlates with Lipid Solubility and NOS1 Dissociation Constant.

The viability of CLL cells may be dependent on the autocrine production of nitric oxide because nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors induce CLL cell apoptosis and CLL cells express inducible NOS (NOS2). Our previous study indicated that the non-specific NOS inhibitor NMMA induced CLL cell apoptosis but only at high concentrations (> 1 mM) (Levesque et al., Leukemia 17:442, 2003). Therefore, we performed the current study to identify NOS inhibitors that induce CLL cell apoptosis at lower concentrations and to understand factors that promote NOS inhibitor-induced CLL cell toxicity. We isolated and enriched CLL cells from the blood of CLL patients and cultured the CLL cells in media containing various concentrations of 21 different NOS inhibitors. We determined CLL cell viability following culture with each NOS inhibitor. We found that NOS inhibitors with specificity for neuronal NOS (NOS1) induced CLL cell death at concentrations lower than non-specific NOS inhibitors and lower than inducible NOS (NOS2) specific inhibitors. There was a weak correlation (r2 = 0.29, p = 0.1608) of the NOS1 (but not NOS2) half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of each NOS inhibitor for purified recombinant NOS and its ability to induce CLL cell death. We confirmed the specificity of the NOS inhibitors by inhibition of purified recombinant NOS1 and NOS2 enzyme activity, and we confirmed that NOS1 specific inhibitors induced CLL cell death by apoptosis. Because there was only a weak correlation of the NOS1 IC50 with NOS inhibitor induced CLL cell death, we considered whether other factors such as the Kd and hydrophobicity of each compound correlated with CLL cell death. We found that there was a direct correlation between the NOS1 (but not NOS2) dissociation constant (Kd) of NOS inhibitors and CLL cell death (r2 = 0.77, p = 0.0041) and a direct correlation of the partitioning coefficient (a measure of hydrophobicity) of each NOS inhibitor and its ability to induce CLL cell death (r2 = 0.68, p < 0.0001). Therefore, NOS inhibitors that bound tightly to NOS1 and were hydrophobic induced CLL cell death at lower concentrations. There was variable expression of CLL cell NOS1 mRNA (6 of 28 samples positive) and we were unable to demonstrate CLL cell expression of NOS1 protein by immunoblotting. This suggests that if NOS1 is present in CLL cells, it exists at very low levels. Taken together, we believe that low level NO production promotes CLL cell viability and that inhibition of CLL NOS induces CLL cell apoptosis. Importantly, our studies provide direction for the rational design and selection of NOS inhibitors that may be useful as CLL therapeutics.
Discriminatory Product Differentiation: The Case of Israel's Omission from Airline Route Maps

While product differentiation is generally benign, it can be employed to discriminate against customer groups, either to enhance profitability by appealing to discriminatory customers or in unprofitable ways that indulge owners’ tastes for discrimination. We explore discriminatory product differentiation by international airlines through their depictions of Israel on online route maps and whether their online inflight menus include kosher meal options. We first show that several airlines omit Israel from their online route maps. Three of these airlines are members of major international airline alliances. With data on over 100 airlines, we then document that online route map “denial” of Israel’s existence is more likely for airlines with likely customers from countries exhibiting greater anti-Semitism. Likely owner tastes also matter: denial is more likely for state-owned airlines in countries that do not recognize Israel. Availability of kosher meal options follows similar patterns, suggesting anti-Semitic rather than anti-Zionist motivations. Neither online route map treatment nor ownership by states not recognizing Israel affects the likelihood of alliance membership with alliance leaders having few airline alternatives to choose from in the Middle East. (180 words)
Unit pricing and its implications for B2B marketing research

Abstract While it is well known that price is the only marketing mix variable that generates revenue, it is also true that pricing strategies are diverse in complexity and formulations. Over 40 years ago, legislation was approved to require the use of unit pricing to facilitate consumer decision making. Among other research, Monroe and LaPlaca (1972), examined this new phenomenon; and after some controversy, the benefits of unit pricing were confirmed by the general scholarly community. Will those benefits sustain in B2B settings? As a result of the findings from this research, we propose the fusion of unit and value-based pricing as a new approach. We call it unit value-based pricing. The main difference with classical unit pricing is the perspective shift from cost to the customer perceived value. Unit value-based pricing helps the supplier to capture a fair share of the value created and makes more robust and efficient the purchasing procedures of industrial customers. After reviewing the impact of the Monroe and LaPlaca (1972) article on pricing research, we discuss the implications of unit-value based pricing, offer nine propositions for further research, and shed some light on the proposed benefits through a case study.
Perturbative solution to the two-component atmosphere DIAL equation for improving the accuracy of the retrieved absorption coefficient

Thermodynamic profiling using ground-based remote sensing instruments such as differential absorption lidar (DIAL) has the potential to fill observational needs for climate and weather-related research and improve weather forecasting. The DIAL technique uses the return signal resulting from atmospherically scattered light at two closely spaced wavelengths to determine the range-resolved absorption coefficient for a molecule of interest. Temperature profiles can be retrieved using a temperature-sensitive absorption feature of a molecule with a known mixing ratio such as oxygen. In order to obtain accuracies of less than 1 K, the narrowband DIAL equation must be expanded to account for Doppler broadening of molecular backscatter, and its relative contribution to the total signal, the backscatter ratio, must be known. While newly developed low-cost high spectral resolution lidar (HSRL) can measure backscatter ratio with sufficient accuracy, the frequency-resolved DIAL equation, even with this information, remains transcendental, and solving it for temperature can be computationally expensive. In this paper, we present a perturbative solution to the frequency-resolved DIAL equation when we have an HSRL providing the required ancillary measurements. This technique leverages perturbative techniques commonly employed in quantum mechanics and has the ability to obtain accurate temperature profiles (better than 1 K) with low computational cost. The perturbative solution is applied to a modeled atmosphere as an initial demonstration of this retrieval technique. An initial estimate of the error in the temperature retrieval for a diode-laser-based O2 DIAL is presented, indicating that temperature retrievals with an error of less than ±1 K can be achieved in the lower troposphere. While this paper focuses on temperature measurements, the perturbative solution to the DIAL equation can also be used to improve the accuracy of retrieved number density profiles.
Design and development of a low-cost CubeSat attitude control system testing platform

Recently, there has been a large push for university participation in space exploration from organizations such as NASA. But to participate, students and professors must be able to simulate an environment similar to space so they may test the design of their spacecraft. Most university CubeSat programs are targeted toward PhD matters, with some help from undergraduate students. In this paper, we explain a novel approach to design and develop a low-cost platform for testing a CubeSat attitude control system. This platform is developed while keeping a minimal physical footprint within the lab. In addition, all research and development for this testing platform will be performed solely at the undergraduate level. The testing platform was developed with a modest grant from local industries and university support and is being used to perform research on CubeSat attitude determination and controls systems (ADCS). Off the shelf CubeSat ADCS are expensive, but they are a major component of a successful CubeSat design and development. The goal of this paper is to show smaller organizations a way to enter CubeSat research, by offering a low cost, small footprint, frictionless test stand to aid in design and development of CubeSat ADCS [1-3]. The main principle in creating this frictionless test stand will be the physics of an air bearing. By creating a thin cushion of air between the air bearing and the base, a near frictionless environment is achieved [1]. The PI 150mm-diameter hemispherical air bearing was utilized for this, as it has an adequately-sized platform and a load capacity of 160 kg. The air bearing also need a pedestal to be mounted on which was manufactured out of aluminum and then anodized. This pedestal was then bolted to an industrial cart for portability and stability. Then, by utilizing a standard air compressor that can be found at many different hardware stores, the system can be brought online. It is important to note that standard air compressors that are typically used for household purposes are efficient for operation of this system, but can produce undesired noise and vibration. To reduce this, the portable stand was lined with a noise-reducing material. While this adds an extra cost to the test stand, it makes the system quiet and adds extra stability. The completed frictionless test stand offers 360° of freedom on the Z axis and ±45° of freedom on the X and Y axes and has been produced for $7,220. This test stand provides an excellent, low cost, low footprint solution for emulating the frictionless environment of outer space and is ideal for testing rotational motion capabilities of ADCS.
Comparative Models and Goals for the Regulation of Human Research

Life neither is nor ever has been without risk. But, in the process of history, human beings have managed to reduce a part of their riskful dependency on raw nature by building homes, farms, and machines, by healing diseases and developing drugs to treat them, and by establishing networks for the exchange of goods and information, as well as networks of health care, of regulations, and of social and political contracting for mutual benefit. These developments, however, have not completely freed human life from risk. On the other hand, we have decreased our dependency on nature by increasing our dependency on economic, political, regulatory, cultural, and technological networks. The capacities and potential catastrophes of these new networks have created new forms of risk endangering not only our survival, but also that which each of us, according to his or her preferences, would consider to be a good life.
Heat/Health Warning Systems: Development, Implementation, and Intervention Activities

There is an increasing awareness that heat is a major killer in many larger urban areas, and many municipalities have taken renewed interest in how they deal with oppressive heat. The implementation of sophisticated heat/health watch warning systems (HHWWS) is becoming more widespread, and these sys- tems are becoming an important mechanism to save lives. One primary considera- tion in HHWWS development is the knowledge that response to heat varies through time and space. The more elaborate systems consider not only the intensity of heat, but the variability of the summer climate, which is closely related to urban popu- lation vulnerability. Thus, thresholds that induce negative health responses vary from one city to another, as well as over the season cycle at any one city. Warning system development involves a clear and consistent nomenclature (e.g. heat advi- sory, excessive heat warning), coordination between the agency issuing the warn- ing and other stakeholders, public awareness of the system, targeted intervention procedures, and evaluation of effectiveness. This chapter describes these attributes in greater detail.