cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Low-intensity light-induced drug release from a dual delivery system comprising of a drug loaded liposome and a photosensitive conjugate

This study reports the development of a binary drug delivery system consisting of charged liposomes and an oppositely charged peptide–photosensitiser conjugate. Liposomes were prepared with phospha...
Steamboats West: The 1859 American Fur Company Missouri River Expedition

Review of: "Steamboats West: The 1859 American Fur Company Missouri River Expedition," by Lawrence H. Larsen and Barbara J. Cottrell, part of the "Western Lands and Waters Series."
Avoiding scheduler subversion using scheduler-cooperative locks

We introduce the scheduler subversion problem, where lock usage patterns determine which thread runs, thereby subverting CPU scheduling goals. To mitigate this problem, we introduce Scheduler-Cooperative Locks (SCLs), a new family of locking primitives that controls lock usage and thus aligns with system-wide scheduling goals; our initial work focuses on proportional share schedulers. Unlike existing locks, SCLs provide an equal (or proportional) time window called lock opportunity within which each thread can acquire the lock. We design and implement three different scheduler-cooperative locks that work well with proportional-share schedulers: a user-level mutex lock (u-SCL), a reader-writer lock (RW-SCL), and a simplified kernel implementation (k-SCL). We demonstrate the effectiveness of SCLs in two user-space applications (UpScaleDB and KyotoCabinet) and the Linux kernel. In all three cases, regardless of lock usage patterns, SCLs ensure that each thread receives proportional lock allocations that match those of the CPU scheduler. Using microbenchmarks, we show that SCLs are efficient and achieve high performance with minimal overhead under extreme workloads.
Multi-Feedback Bandit Learning with Probabilistic Contexts

Contextual bandit is a classic multi-armed bandit setting, where side information (i.e., context) is available before arm selection. A standard assumption is that exact contexts are perfectly known prior to arm selection and only single feedback is returned. In this work, we focus on multi-feedback bandit learning with probabilistic contexts, where a bundle of contexts are revealed to the agent along with their corresponding probabilities at the beginning of each round. This models such scenarios as where contexts are drawn from the probability output of a neural network and the reward function is jointly determined by multiple feedback signals. We propose a kernelized learning algorithm based on upper confidence bound to choose the optimal arm in reproducing kernel Hilbert space for each context bundle. Moreover, we theoretically establish an upper bound on the cumulative regret with respect to an oracle that knows the optimal arm given probabilistic contexts, and show that the bound grows sublinearly with time. Our simula- tion on machine learning model recommendation further validates the sub-linearity of our cumulative regret and demonstrates that our algorithm outper- forms the approach that selects arms based on the most probable context.
Educating with Technology for Youth’s Civic Engagement

Because of technology’s expanded role in society, the concept of citizenship now has to consider the digital society. Technology plays a growing role in civic education. Elements of citizen education are explained, as are factors needed for technology to facilitate civic engagement, focusing on youth. While technology affords access to information more efficiently than ever before, users require additional analytical skills, especially to be an informed citizen. For technology to play out its role effectively for civic engagement and action, educators need to design instruction for citizen curriculum that offers technology-enhanced interactive learning and socially rich learning environments.
Functional interplay among thiol-based redox signaling, metabolism, and ferroptosis unveiled by a genetic variant of TP53

The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a transcription factor and master stress response mediator, and it is subject to reduction-oxidation (redox)-dependent regulation. The P47S variant of TP53, which exists primarily in African-descent populations, associates with an elevated abundance of low molecular weight (LMW) thiols, including glutathione (GSH) and coenzyme A (CoA). Here we show that S47 and P47 cells exhibit distinct metabolic profiles, controlled by their different redox states and expression of Activating Transcription Factor-4 (ATF4). We find that S47 cells exhibit decreased catabolic glycolysis but increased use of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and an enhanced abundance of the antioxidant, NADPH. We identify ATF4 as differentially expressed in P47 and S47 cells and show that ATF4 can reverse the redox status and rescue metabolism of S47 cells, as well as increase sensitivity to ferroptosis. This adaptive metabolic switch is rapid, reversible, and accompanied by thiol-mediated changes in the structures and activities of key glycolytic signaling pathway proteins, including GAPDH and G6PD. The results presented here unveil the important functional interplay among pathways regulating thiol-redox status, metabolic adaptation, and cellular responses to oxidative stress.
The Role of Social Reward and Corticostriatal Connectivity in Substance Use

This report describes an ongoing R03 grant that explores the links between trait reward sensitivity, substance use, and neural responses to social and nonsocial reward. Although previous research has shown that trait reward sensitivity and neural responses to reward are linked to substance use, whether this relationship is impacted by how people process social stimuli remains unclear. We are investigating these questions via a neuroimaging study with college-aged participants, using individual difference measures that examine the relation between substance use, social context, and trait reward sensitivity with tasks that measure reward anticipation, strategic behavior, social reward consumption, and the influence of social context on reward processing. We predict that substance use will be tied to distinct patterns of striatal dysfunction. Specifically, reward hyposensitive individuals will exhibit blunted striatal responses to social and non-social reward and enhanced connectivity with the orbitofrontal cortex; in contrast, reward hypersensitive individuals will exhibit enhanced striatal responses to social and non-social reward and blunted connectivity with the orbitofrontal cortex. We also will examine the relation between self-reported reward sensitivity, substance use, and striatal responses to social reward and social context. We predict that individuals reporting the highest levels of substance use will show exaggerated striatal responses to social reward and social context, independent of self-reported reward sensitivity. Examining corticostriatal responses to reward processing will help characterize the relation between reward sensitivity, social context and substance use while providing a foundation for understanding risk factors and isolating neurocognitive mechanisms that may be targeted to increase the efficacy of interventions.
Note to the Reader

Memory in Historical Perspective contains passages about memory from twenty-four sources. The sources were selected to represent the thought on memory of each era. We included almost everything that we are aware of that has been translated into English from before the Renaissance. We gave priority to these early works because they were seminal for scholars of the Renaissance and those that followed and because the works of more recent writers are more accessible. For these early writers we have tried to include almost everything that they wrote on the subject of memory. Seven writers are included to represent the period from the Renaissance to 1885. No works on the visual arts as an aid to memory were included since Yates (1966) has already thoroughly reviewed this topic.
A Rare Case of GATA3 Positivity in Pleomorphic Lung Carcinoma in a Patient with History of Intracystic Papillary Carcinoma of the Breast: Primary Lung or Metastatic Disease?

Pleomorphic lung carcinoma is a rare and aggressive neoplasm accounting for <1% of all lung tumors. It is more common in men and consists of spindle and/or giant cells with an epithelial component. In patients with known histories of malignancies at other sites, diagnosis of a new lung lesion may prove challenging with respect to classification as either primary or metastatic disease, especially in cases with overlapping immunohistochemical staining patterns. This was a case of a 67-year-old female with a newly discovered 1.5 cm nodule in her left lower lung lobe. Her past medical history was significant for an intracystic papillary carcinoma of the right breast diagnosed 8 years prior. Histopathologic examination of the new lung lesion revealed highly pleomorphic cells composed predominantly of neoplastic giant cells and atypical mitotic figures, with geographic areas of necrosis. However, no areas reminiscent of intracystic papillary carcinoma or other forms of breast carcinoma were seen. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells were immunoreactive for GATA3, TTF1, and napsin A and nonimmunoreactive for p40. Therefore, although this index lung tumor did show positivity with GATA3 staining, it was morphologically different from her original intracystic papillary carcinoma of the breast. In addition, intracystic papillary carcinomas are known to rarely metastasize to other organs, and GATA3 staining has been rarely reported in lung carcinomas. In summary, this case typifies the overlapping immunohistochemical staining patterns that may be seen in different tumors and the role of histopathologic morphology in arriving at the correct diagnosis.
Callen, Zachary, and Philip Rocco, Eds. American Political Development and the Trump Presidency. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020. 254 Pages. $55 (Hardcover)

“Unprecedented” is a word often applied to the presidency of Donald Trump. But, a core premise of the field of American political development (APD) is that the political present is shaped by the dy...
The Cambridge Introduction to Russian Literature

Russian literature arrived late on the European scene. Within several generations, its great novelists had shocked - and then conquered - the world. In this introduction to the rich and vibrant Russian tradition, Caryl Emerson weaves a narrative of recurring themes and fascinations across several centuries. Beginning with traditional Russian narratives (saints' lives, folk tales, epic and rogue narratives), the book moves through literary history chronologically and thematically, juxtaposing literary texts from each major period. Detailed attention is given to canonical writers including Pushkin, Gogol, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, Bulgakov and Solzhenitsyn, as well as to some current bestsellers from the post-Communist period. Fully accessible to students and readers with no knowledge of Russian, the volume includes a glossary and pronunciation guide of key Russian terms as well as a list of useful secondary works. The book will be of great interest to students of Russian as well as of comparative literature.
Copper Peroxide Bioinorganic Chemistry: From Metalloenzymes to Bioinspired Synthetic Systems

During the last few decades, copper-dioxygen chemistry has emerged as a new and very active field of (bio)inorganic relevance. Highlighted herein are the major findings, including the principles of dioxygen activation in metal-containing proteins along with characterization and reactivity of natural copper-peroxo systems which are derived from reaction of molecular oxygen with copper(I) active-site centers. Inspired by the varied array of copper proteins-enzymes which have been characterized, synthetic bioinorganic researchers have developed model systems which are amenable to facilitating the electron-transfer and atom-transfer chemistry which pervades dioxygen binding to copper complexes found in various oxidation states (+1 to +3). These studies have provided for new coordination chemistry of fundamental importance. In addition, significant contributions concerning the identity of biological or chemical reactive intermediates and insights into copper enzyme reaction mechanisms have been made. Taking advantage of this rich redox chemistry, synthetic methods combining copper and O2 (or H2O2) have been explored by organic/inorganic chemists, seeking to employ this earth abundant element to replace routes now usually carried out with precious (expensive/non-benign) metals, developing green, sustainable and selective oxidative processes. Keywords: bioinspired systems; biosynthesis; copper-metalloproteins; dioxygen-reduction; organic catalysis; redox-chemistry
VI, 2. Molecular characterization and epidemiology of picobirnaviruses

Publisher Summary Picobirnavirus is the tentative name for a group of viruses and for a new virus genus of the same name in the family Birnaviridae that are characterized by a bisegmented, double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) genome. Epidemiologic studies have shown an association of the virus with gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Evidence supporting picobirnavirus infection of vertebrates includes the detection of serologic responses to picobirnaviruses in pigs and rabbits and limited replication of picobirnavirus strains from guinea pigs in first passage attempts in human and animal cell lines. Information on the epidemiology of picobirnaviruses has been based primarily on the detection of viral dsRNA by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by silver staining, and by electron microscopy. A method for the detection of picobirnaviruses by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR) was developed, following the determination of the sequence of the genomic segment 2 from two strains of human picobirnaviruses.
Evidence for photoreceptor changes in patients with diabetic retinopathy

Purpose. To determine whether the rod and cone photoreceptors are affected in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Methods. Twelve patients with diabetes and varying levels of retinopathy and nine age-similar control observers participated in this study. Two-color (500 versus 650 nm) dark-adapted thresholds were measured as a function of retinal eccentricity. Full-field flash electroretinograms were obtained using brief, high-intensity flashes. Dark-adapted rod-isolated (Wratten 47B filter) and light-adapted cone-isolated (Wratten 26 filter) electroretinographic responses were measured as a function of flash intensity. The a-wave data were fitted with a model based on photopigment transduction to obtain values for the parameters of Rmax (the maximal response) and log S (sensitivity). Standard clinical 30-Hz flicker electroretinographic responses were also measured. Results. Psychophysically measured dark-adapted thresholds were elevated primarily at eccentricities of 5° and 10° from the fovea. Analysis of rod and cone a-wave data showed that Rm:ix was normal in most of the patients, but log S was reduced. Analysis of b-wave and oscillatory potential parameters showed rod and cone postreceptoral abnormalities, including changes in the rod-isolated semisaturation constant (log k), cone-mediated 30-Hz flicker, and coneisolated oscillatory potentials. The electrophysiological results were not significantly correlated with blood glucose or glycosylated hemoglobin level. Conclusions. The results provide evidence for rod and cone receptoral and postreceptoral deficits in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The photoreceptor changes are primarily in the log S (sensitivity) parameter and are attributed to transduction abnormalities. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1997;38:2355-2365. X revious electrophysiological and psychophysical studies have shown deficits in visual function in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The psychophysical studies have demonstrated decreased S-cone pathway sensitivity, color-matching abnormalities, and changes in contrast sensitivity and dark-adapted rod-mediated thresholds. 1 " 10 Electrophysiological studies have shown reductions in the amplitude of the oscillatory potentials (OPs) and the scotopic threshold re
Insulation problems for lunar electrical transmission lines

Initial models of lunar transmission lines have provided insight into the effects of various design parameters on size, mass and operating temperatures. Most likely, high-power lines transmitting over a few km will use moderately high voltages (1-10 kV). The insulation of such voltages in the lunar environment will be a significant challenge, requiring new insulation designs. Both solid-dielectric and vacuum insulation have been considered. >
Preliminary results from the NASA/JPL multifrequency, multipolarization synthetic aperture radar

A brief description is given of the three-frequency polarimetric synthetic-aperture radar built and tested at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The radar has the capability to simultaneously acquire fully polarimetric data at P-, L-, and C-bands from a DC-8 airborne platform. The radar has an instantaneous data rate of approximately 2.1 Gb/s and has selectable record rates between 80-240 Mb/s. The system has a wide dynamic range featuring 8-b analog-to-digital converters and full digital floating-point processing. The processing is accomplished offline on a minicomputer system assisted by an array processor. Sample images are presented. >
Methyl Supplementation Attenuates Cocaine-Seeking Behaviors and Cocaine-Induced c-Fos Activation in a DNA Methylation-Dependent Manner

Epigenetic mechanisms, such as histone modifications, regulate responsiveness to drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, but relatively little is known about the regulation of addictive-like behaviors by DNA methylation. To investigate the influence of DNA methylation on the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine and on drug-seeking behavior, rats receiving methyl supplementation via chronic l-methionine (MET) underwent either a sensitization regimen of intermittent cocaine injections or intravenous self-administration of cocaine, followed by cue-induced and drug-primed reinstatement. MET blocked sensitization to the locomotor-activating effects of cocaine and attenuated drug-primed reinstatement, with no effect on cue-induced reinstatement or sucrose self-administration and reinstatement. Furthermore, upregulation of DNA methyltransferase 3a and 3b and global DNA hypomethylation were observed in the nucleus accumbens core (NAc), but not in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), of cocaine-pretreated rats. Glutamatergic projections from the mPFC to the NAc are critically involved in the regulation of cocaine-primed reinstatement, and activation of both brain regions is seen in human addicts when reexposed to the drug. When compared with vehicle-pretreated rats, the immediate early gene c-Fos (a marker of neuronal activation) was upregulated in the NAc and mPFC of cocaine-pretreated rats after cocaine-primed reinstatement, and chronic MET treatment blocked its induction in both regions. Cocaine-induced c-Fos expression in the NAc was associated with reduced methylation at CpG dinucleotides in the c-Fos gene promoter, effects reversed by MET treatment. Overall, these data suggest that drug-seeking behaviors are, in part, attributable to a DNA methylation-dependent process, likely occurring at specific gene loci (e.g., c-Fos) in the reward pathway.
Ectopic pregnancy in a congenitally defective tube with absence of the ipsolateral ovary.

Abstract In the present case, with reasonably complete exploration of the abdominal cavity, I could not detect any vestige of the missing left ovary and tube. The peritoneum was shiny and smooth, the uterus was normal in size and shape, the right adnexa were normal in position and size, the left round ligament appeared normal in position, and a remnant of the mesosalpinx was present. The intramural portion of the left tube must have been well-developed and open, because only in this way can I explain the ectopic pregnancy in the small cystic structure attached to the left uterine cornu. The fertilized ovum apparently migrated from the right tube to the intrauterine cavity to the intramural portion of the left tube into the remnants of the left tube. This patient had a normal left kidney and ureter. I am inclined therefore to assume that we were dealing with an acquired type of absence of the left tube and ovary, caused by torsion occurring in prenatal life after 12 weeks of gestation.
Modeling multicast packet losses in wireless LANs

Experiments with an IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN show that the packet losses at multiple nodes can exhibit a certain degree of correlation. Analysis and simulation results show that conventional packet loss models do not adequately capture the loss characteristics exhibited in experimental traces. This paper proposes a new approach for modeling packet losses that explicitly accounts for spatial loss correlation. The improved accuracy of the new approach, compared to conventional models, is demonstrated by comparing results of simulations and experiments.
An investigation of the transition from a continuous to a discontinuous chip in orthogonal machining

Abstract Various depths of cut were taken with all other cutting conditions constant and within this range continuous and discontinuous chips were obtained. Cine pictures of the deformation were taken through a microscope and an analysis made using strain-hardening slip-line theory. The hydrostatic stress-distribution in the plastic zone was shown to vary from compression at the outer free surface to tension near the cutting edge, and the magnitude of the tensile stress was shown to be important in determining whether or not the chip became discontinuous.
The ‘special’ Anglo-American special relationship ‘a fatter, larger underwater cable’

(2005). The ‘special’ Anglo-American special relationship ‘a fatter, larger underwater cable’. Journal of Transatlantic Studies: Vol. 3, No. sup1, pp. 1-5.
Investigation of three-dimensional separation at wing/body junctions in supersonic flows

The problem of three-dimensional separation at a wing/body junction has been investigated numerically using a three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code which employs the MacCormack's time split, finite volume technique. An algebraic grid generation technique is used for generating the grid at a wing/body junction. Specific computational results on velocity and pressure distribution in the separated flow region are compared with the experimental results. A parametric study of flow parameters, such as Mach and Reynolds numbers, have been carried out to understand their effect in interaction flowfield. The parametric study indicates dependency of the number of vortices at the junction on Mach number and Reynolds number.
Pb(II) Sorption onto γ-Al2O3 Surfaces at the Oxide–Water Interface: A Novel Approach Using Planar Oxides

Abstract A novel technique for examining metal-ion interactions at the solid–water interface is introduced. Planar oxides, flat, thin coatings of uniform thickness created on a metal support, have been constructed as useful analogs for investigating metal–solid interactions under a variety of conditions. XPS and ToF/SIMS results from sorption studies at pH 6.0 show that the sorption behavior of Pb on each phase is similar with Pb binding preferentially to the bulk γ-Al2O3. This may be due to the presence of defect sites on the bulk oxides, the preferential exposure of a specific crystallographic plane in the planar oxides, or it may be an artifact of instrumental analysis. A second study examining Pb sorption to planar γ-Al2O3 under a series of increasingly complex conditions shows that our methods are able to successfully characterize sorption complexes formed in the presence of environmentally derived complexants. Results suggest that Pb is more strongly complexed by aqueous phase organic matter than sediment-bound organic material, indicating a possible control on Pb sorption in natural environments. Overall, the use of planar oxides combined with a powerful suite of spectroscopic tools provides a promising approach to better understanding metal ion sorption to natural sediment surfaces in aquatic environments.
The applicability of an approximate expression for radiative heating

Abstract An analysis considering small departures from radiative equilibrium within a gas, for which radiative heating is approximately formulated in terms of a radiative response time, is compared with an exact solution. It is shown that the approximate formulation does not properly describe local departures from radiative equilibrium, although it is useful in a spatially averaged context.
'Formed for labour, not for love': Plain Jane and the Limits of Female Beauty

AbstractAlthough a number of Bronte scholars have studied the many similarities between Jane Eyre and fairy tales such as Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast, one significant difference between the novel and its fairy-tale influences is Jane's physical plainness. This essay examines Jane's appearance specifically as a contrast to fairy-tale heroines such as Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont's Beauty in her version of 'Beauty and the Beast'. As a contrast to the fairy-tale beauties invoked throughout the novel, Jane's plainness takes on the dimension of social critique. This essay demonstrates, through an examination of the significance of female beauty in Charlotte Bronte's juvenilia and in nineteenth-century renditions of Beauty and the Beast, that Charlotte uses plainness and beauty to condemn an upper-class system of values which, by emphasizing the importance of a woman's appearance, limited her ability to develop selfhood and achieve autonomous action.
PUBOVAGINAL SLING USING CADAVERIC ALLOGRAFT FASCIA FOR THE TREATMENT OF INTRINSIC SPHINCTER DEFICIENCY

AbstractPurpose: Pubovaginal sling is the definitive management of female stress urinary incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency. Customarily, autologous fascia has been used, although synthetic material has its proponents. Harvesting autologous fascia at surgery is associated with postoperative discomfort, and synthetic material has a history of infection and erosion. To assess whether allograft fascia is free from these drawbacks, we retrospectively compared the outcome of women undergoing pubovaginal sling using either autologous or cadaveric allograft fascia.Materials and Methods: We reviewed our experience during the last 28 months with patients treated with the pubovaginal sling for intrinsic sphincter deficiency. All patients underwent preoperative video urodynamics. The outcome was assessed using the SEAPI scoring system. Special attention was devoted to local sling tolerance. Operative time and length of hospital stay were compared between patients with allograft and autograft pubovagi...
Mineralogical-petrological characterization of near-Earth asteroids

Studies of near-Earth asteroids are aimed at determining their dynamical and structural history. The mineralogy and petrology of 17 near-Earth asteroids are characterized using reflectance spectroscopy with ground-based telescopes as one method to address their major issues. Implications for the origin and evolution are discussed in a separate paper. Assuming the surfaces are composed of cosmically abundant materials, the presence of certain mineralogical species can be determined from diagnostic absorption features and spectral characteristics which have been studied under known laboratory conditions and understood in terms of crystal field theory. With one possible exception, the surface composition of near-Earth asteroids consists of common rock-forming minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, and phyllosilicates. Opaque components are present but cannot be mineralogically identified with existing experimental data. The spectrum of 2201 Oljato cannot be interpreted in terms of common rock-forming minerals. This spectrum was examined for cometary features because its high orbital eccentricity suggests a possible relation to comets. No common cometary features are identified in its spectrum. The predominance of mafic silicate absorption features in spectra of near-Earth asteroids compared to the majority of main-belt asteroids may be a primary compositional feature or may be the signature of relatively fresher asteroid material.
Accurate prediction of cardiorespiratory fitness using cycle ergometry in minimally disabled persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.

Motl RW, Fernhall B. Accurate prediction of cardiorespiratory fitness using cycle ergometry in minimally disabled persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2012;93:490-5. Objective: To examine the accuracy of predicting peak oxy- gen consumption (VO2peak) primarily from peak work rate (WRpeak) recorded during a maximal, incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer among persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) who had minimal disability. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Clinical research laboratory. Participants: Women with RRMS (n32) and sex-, age-, height-, and weight-matched healthy controls (n16) com- pleted an incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer to volitional termination. Intervention: Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures: Measured and predicted VO2peak and WRpeak. Results: There were strong, statistically significant associations between measured and predicted VO2peak in the overall sample (R 2 .89, standard error of the estimate127.4mL/min) and sub- samples with (R 2 .89, standard error of the estimate131.3mL/ min) and without (R 2 .85, standard error of the estimate 126.8mL/min) multiple sclerosis (MS) based on the linear regres- sion analyses. Based on the 95% confidence limits for worst-case errors, the equation predicted VO2peak within 10% of its true value in 95 of every 100 subjects with MS. Conclusions: Peak VO2 can be accurately predicted in persons with RRMS who have minimal disability as it is in controls by using established equations and WRpeak recorded from a max- imal, incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer.
Synthesis, characterization and X-ray structures of new molybdenum bis(imide) amide and silyl complexes

Abstract Reaction of (ArN)2MoCl2(DME) (Ar=2,6-Pri 2C6H3, DME=dimethoxyethane) with LiNMe2 and Li(THF)3Si(SiMe3)3 was found to give a Mo imide amide silyl complex (ArN)2Mo(NMe2)[Si(SiMe3)3] (1). Imide amide complexes (ArN)2Mo(NMe2)2 (2) and (ArN)2Mo(NMe2)[N(SiMe3)2] (4) were prepared from the reactions of (ArN)2MoCl2(DME) with lithium amide reagents and characterized. X-ray structural studies of 1, 2 and 4 are presented. An intermediate to 4, (ArN)2MoCl[N(SiMe3)2] (3), was obtained from the reaction of (ArN)2MoCl2(DME) with LiN(SiMe3)2 and structurally characterized. In addition, a new X-ray structure of previously reported complex (ArN)2Mo(NHAr)2 (5) is reported.
Blank Augmentation Protocol for Improving the Robustness of Multivariate Calibrations

An updating procedure is described for improving the robustness of multivariate calibration models based on near-infrared spectroscopy. Employing a single blank sample containing no analyte, repeated spectra are acquired during the instrumental warm-up period. These spectra are used to capture the instrumental profile on the analysis day in a way that can be used to update a previously computed calibration model. By augmenting the original spectra of the calibration samples with a group of spectra collected from the blank sample, an updated model can be computed that incorporates any instrumental drift that has occurred. This protocol is evaluated in the context of an analysis of physiological levels of glucose in a simulated biological matrix designed to mimic blood plasma. Employing data of calibration and prediction samples acquired over approximately six months, procedures are studied for implementing the algorithm in conjunction with calibration models based on partial least squares (PLS) regression. Over the range of 1-20 mM glucose, the final algorithm achieves a standard error of prediction (SEP) of 0.79 mM when the augmented PLS model is applied to data collected 176 days after the collection of the calibration spectra. Without updating, the original PLS model produces a seriously degraded SEP of 13.4 mM.
Carbon emissions comparison of last mile delivery versus customer pickup

The last mile problem comprises one of the most costly and highest polluting segments of the supply chain in which companies deliver goods to end customers. The recent trend towards green supply chains and social and environmental responsibility has led to many new green initiatives. One business strategy gaining popularity involves retailers offering home delivery. This paper performs a comprehensive comparison of carbon emissions resulting from conventional shopping involving customer pickup with trip chaining versus e-commerce-based online retailing involving last mile delivery to customers’ homes. The break-even number of customers for carbon emissions equivalence is determined and analysed for the feasibility of last mile delivery at a desired service level based on the radius of the demand region and the delivery time available. A methodology for calculating the difference in expected carbon emissions is formulated and demonstrated to quantify which method has the least harmful impact on the environ...
Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling Curbs Thymic Negative Selection Promoting Regulatory T Cell Development

Thymus-derived naturally occurring regulatory T (nTreg) cells are necessary for immunological self-tolerance. nTreg cell development is instructed by the T cell receptor and can be induced by agonist antigens that trigger T cell-negative selection. How T cell deletion is regulated so that nTreg cells are generated is unclear. Here we showed that transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) signaling protected nTreg cells and antigen-stimulated conventional T cells from apoptosis. Enhanced apoptosis of TGF-beta receptor-deficient nTreg cells was associated with high expression of proapoptotic proteins Bim, Bax, and Bak and low expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. Ablation of Bim in mice corrected the Treg cell development and homeostasis defects. Our results suggest that nTreg cell commitment is independent of TGF-beta signaling. Instead, TGF-beta promotes nTreg cell survival by antagonizing T cell negative selection. These findings reveal a critical function for TGF-beta in control of autoreactive T cell fates with important implications for understanding T cell self-tolerance mechanisms.
Isolation and characterization of insoluble proteins of the synaptic plasma membrane

Abstract The insoluble proteins of the synaptosome plasma membrane (SPM) have been characterized by means of acrylamide gel electrophoresis and amino acid analysis. On electrophoresis they can be resolved into five major, and about an equal number of minor bands. This pattern is of the same order of complexity as that shown by erythrocyte plasma membranes. The insoluble proteins of brain mitochondria and myelin exhibit electrophoretic patterns different from those of SPM; the pattern of mitochondrial proteins is more complex while that derived from myelin is simpler. The amino acid composition of the total insoluble protein of SPM is similar to those reported for the rough microsomal membranes of liver and for erythrocyte plasma membranes. A “structural protein” fraction of SPM has been isolated and compared with a similar fraction from brain mitochondria. On acrylamide gel electrophoresis this fraction of SPM can be shown to consist of two major bands which correspond to two of the major bands of the whole SPM. The amino acid composition of this fraction is quite similar to that of the whole SPM.
Evaluating the Effect of Early Versus Late ARV Regimen Change if Failure on an Initial Regimen: Results From the AIDS Clinical Trials Group Study A5095

The current goal of initial antiretroviral (ARV) therapy is suppression of plasma human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 RNA levels to below 200 copies per milliliter. A proportion of HIV-infected patients who initiate antiretroviral therapy in clinical practice or antiretroviral clinical trials either fail to suppress HIV-1 RNA or have HIV-1 RNA levels rebound on therapy. Frequently, these patients have sustained CD4 cell counts responses and limited or no clinical symptoms and, therefore, have potentially limited indications for altering therapy which they may be tolerating well despite increased viral replication. On the other hand, increased viral replication on therapy leads to selection of resistance mutations to the antiretroviral agents comprising their therapy and potentially cross-resistance to other agents in the same class decreasing the likelihood of response to subsequent antiretroviral therapy. The optimal time to switch antiretroviral therapy to ensure sustained virologic suppression and pre...
There is no 'Is' of constitution

I defend the view that ordinary objects like statues are identical to the pieces of matter from which they are made. I argue that ordinary speakers assert sentences such as ‘this statue is a molded piece of clay’. This suggests that speakers believe propositions which entail that ordinary objects such as statues are the pieces matter from which they are made, and therefore pluralism contradicts ordinary beliefs. The dominant response to this argument purports to find an ambiguity in the word ‘is’, such that ‘is’ in these sentences means the same as ‘constitutes or is constituted by’. I will use standard tests for ambiguity to argue that this strategy fails. I then explore and reject other responses to the argument.
Creating synergy with a clicks and mortar approach

With the luxury of 20–20 hindsight, it has become increasingly clear that the Midas touch exhibited by virtual entities was reflective of an irrational exuberance. It was only a few years ago that the dot coms were extolled while the brick and mortars saddled with “burdensome” physical assets, and were ridiculed for being late in the e-commerce game. The pure plays drew visitors and increased revenue growth, but they couldn’t keep them loyal or improve the bottom line. Now, in the years following the dot-com collapse, successful firms are focusing on something new and yet far more traditional—creating lifetime customer value. This value doesn’t create a separate e-commerce appendage to the traditional firm nor does it assume that pure digital firms are the best way to capitalize on the Internet. In other words, it does not demarcate between the physical and virtual worlds, but strategically ties them together into a seamless customer experience. Generally referred to as the Clicks and Mortar model (CAM), companies are working on exploiting synergies between physical infrastructure and virtual channels to provide better service to customers. Although, the CAM approach poses many challenges like managing channel gaps, integrating processes, managing different cultures, and retaining flexibility, recent opinion is tilted towards their likelihood of success [2]. So, it is important for companies to understand the strategic options for synergy between channels and how it can be profitably leveraged. Both traditional and Internet based companies have taken initiatives in utilizing integration strategies to enhance customer value. Pure plays are adopting multiple approaches in penetrating into the physical channel [1]. Bluemercury.com, a company that sells cosmetics online, has opened multiple stores to create physical presence. Art.com is banking on catalogs and has opened kiosks in shopping malls to pursue multi channel strategy. On the brick and mortar side, Lids a hat specialty store
Explicit versus implicit contracting in the debt market: The case of leasing

Abstract We investigate the presence of implicit contract in the financial markets. The contractual relationships between the firm and their fund provider may be either implicit or explicit. In particular, we study the relationship among the shareholders, bondholders and lessors. Our results provide empirical support for the existence of implicit contract. Firms that are without extensive debt covenants to restrict the use of leases do not take advantage of the debtors by taking on more debts and/or leases than a sample of firms with explicit restrictions. The firms with implicit contract are also found to value long term relationships with capital suppliers.
A reproducible gas chromatographic mass spectrometric assay for low levels of methylphenidate and ritalinic acid in blood and urine

A rapid, sensitive method of analysis for methylphenidate and ritalinic acid in blood and urine has been developed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry and selected ion monitoring for separation and detection. The methylphenidate is isolated by solvent extraction into chloroform and the ritalinic acid is isolated by salting out into isopropyl alcohol, followed by methylation and subsequent solvent extraction. The method has been applied to the study of methylphenidate metabolism and excretion in adults and hyperactive children undergoing treatment with methylphenidate.
High-density CCD neurocomputer chip for accurate real-time segmentation of noisy images

Neurocomputer chips hold the promise of providing the beyond-supercomputer processing power required for solving a variety of problems in machine vision. In particular, it is proposed that a high-density neurocomputer-chip architecture can be designed and fabricated using CCD technology that has the potential for accurately segmenting noisy images at speeds much faster than the video frame rate. The design is based on the line-process model of Geman and Geman (1984), and the estimated chip computational performance is expected to be significantly better in speed and pixel density than previous designs. The CCD design uses charge sharing to implement a relaxation process and threshold-dependent charge sharing to implement line processes. Parameter selection and simulation comparisons are presented.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Survival of functional synapses on crustacean neurons lacking cell bodies

Previous workers have demonstrated that some crustacean neurons remain capable of spike propagation and transmitter release and replenishment for months after removal of their perikarya. Here, it is shown that postsynaptic reactions to chemical synaptic input can also persist for months after removal of the soma of the postsynaptic neuron. Interneuron A of the crayfish abdominal cord receives chemically transmitting terminals of ipsilateral tactile afferents of the tail fan. The neuron's soma lies contralateral to its axon and dendrites at the caudal margin of the last abdominal ganglion. The region containing the soma was removed. Interneuron A unambiguously identified by receptive field, location, and size, survived and continued to respond sensitively to tactile input in better than 50% of the cases examined for more than 8 weeks. Cobalt filling of the active fiber in several 8-week-old preparations ruled out the possibility that the severed neurite had reconnected with a foreign soma.
The atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIL) study introduction and objectives of the hemostasis component

The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study is an observational epidemiologic study conducted in four communities. ARIC has two major components: One records the occurrence of myocardial infarction resulting in hospitalization and coronary heart disease death in adults aged 35 to 74 living in the communities; the other is a prospective study of representative cohorts aged 45 to 64. Measurement of hemostatic factors is part of the cohort study, whose major objectives include investigating etiologic factors associated with atherosclerosis and its clinical outcomes. Arterial intimal-medial wall thickness, an index of early atherosclerosis, is measured precisely from ultrasound images of carotid and popliteal arteries. Participants (n = 15,801) completed their first examination, which included measurements of factors associated with coagulation (fibrinogen, factor VII, factor VIII, and von Willebrand factor) and coagulation inhibition (protein C and antithrombin III). Measures of coagulation activation, platelet activation, and fibrinolytic activity will be performed on stored plasma from selected case patients and control subjects.
Settling nature and nurture into an ontogenetic niche.

All organisms inherit parents' genes, but many also inherit parents, peers, and the places they inhabit as well. We suggest the term ontogenetic niche to signify the ecological and social legacies that accompany genes. A formal name is needed to give the idea of the inherited environment equal status with its conceptual cognates; nature and nurture. We argue here that increased recognition of the inherited environment facilitates unification efforts within the development sciences by emphasizing the affinity, rather than opposability, of ontogenetic processes.
Sildenafil in the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy.

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy of sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy and to determine whether age, preservation of the neurovascular bundles (NVBs), or the interval between surgery and the initiation of sildenafil therapy influences the response to sildenafil. Methods. We began this study in April 1998, immediately after the Food and Drug Administration approved sildenafil. We surveyed 170 men who had undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy, had not recovered natural erections sufficient for intercourse, and subsequently received sildenafil between 3 and 24 months postoperatively. The data were collected through a confidential mail survey conducted by a clinical nurse. The men used a dose of 50 mg sildenafil and increased this to 100 mg if they did not obtain an adequate response. Results. In the 120 men who began taking sildenafil at least 12 months after surgery, the overall response rate was 29%. Results varied markedly by patient age and number of NVBs preserved. In men younger than 55 years in whom both NVBs had been preserved, the response rate was 80%. In contrast, no patient older than 55 years in whom only one NVB had been preserved reported an adequate response. Regardless of age, no patient in whom both NVBs had been excised reported success with sildenafil. Of the 50 patients who began taking sildenafil less than 9 months after surgery and who had not recovered natural sexual function, none reported erections adequate for intercourse using sildenafil. Conclusions. Sildenafil is an effective treatment for men with erectile dysfunction after radical retropubic prostatectomy, particularly in younger men in whom both NVBs have been preserved. It is ineffective in men in whom both NVBs have been excised, and it is also ineffective in older men in whom only one NVB has been preserved. Sildenafil appears ineffective in the first 9 months after prostatectomy.