cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the vibrational spectra and structural parameters of some XN3 molecules (X=H, F, Cl, Br)

Abstract Ab initio calculations with full electron correlation by the perturbation method to second order and hybrid density functional theory calculations by the B3LYP method utilizing the 6-31G* and 6-311+G** basis sets have been carried out for the XN 3 molecules (X=H, F, Cl, Br). From these calculations, force constants, infrared intensities, Raman activities, depolarization ratios, vibrational frequencies, and structural parameters have been determined. These calculations support the assignment of the HN 3 and DN 3 out-of-plane bending modes (ν 6 , A″) at 602 and 591 cm −1 , respectively, which was proposed [J. Chem. Phys. 44 (1966) 4108] earlier and show the recent assignments at 637 and 638 cm −1 [J. Mol. Struct. (Theochem) 434 (1998) 1], respectively, for these modes are in error. Also the usually used frequency of 588 cm −1 for ν 6 for the HN 3 from nitrogen matrix studies for comparison to ab initio predicted values is also clearly in error. The predicted intensity of ν 6 is only 0.2–0.6 km/mol which is 10 3 times less than the stronger bands which explains why it is so weak in the nitrogen matrix compared to its intensity in the gas phase where it drastically increased by Coriolis coupling with ν 5 . For ClN 3 there is extensive coupling of the N 3 deformation at 719 cm −1 with the Cl–N stretch at 545 cm −1 where the latter mode is 71% Cl–N stretch. For BrN 3 the coupling is mainly between the N 3 deformation (682 cm −1 ) and the BrNN bend which is predicted in the 180 cm −1 region. The predicted force constants for FN 3 are compared to those obtained earlier from frequency and distortion data. By combining previously reported rotational constants for HN 3 , FN 3 and ClN 3 with the ab initio MP2/6-311+G** predicted parameters, adjusted r 0 parameters have been obtained for all three molecules. The structural parameters for hydrazoic acid are: r (H–N), 1.015(5); r (N 1 N 2 ), 1.243(5); r (N 2 N 3 ), 1.134(2)A; ∠HN 1 N 2 , 108.8(5); ∠N 1 N 2 N 3 , 171.8(5)°. It is believed that these reported distances and angles have much lower uncertainties than those previously reported from the microwave data alone.
Nanoscale Plasticity at Grain Boundaries in Face-centered Cubic Copper Under Shock Loading

We investigate the responses of four representative grain boundaries in face-centered cubic Cu bicrystals to shock compression as a function of the loading direction. Two loading directions are considered, either parallel or perpendicular to the grain boundary plane, representing the extremes that a polycrystalline sample will ordinarily experience under the uniaxial strain conditions of planar shock loading. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the deformation processes during shock compression of the same boundary are altered measurably by changing the loading direction. The Majority of the differences in the nanoscale deformation processes were related to the activation of varying slip systems in the same boundary under the two loading conditions. This change in deformation processes, and hence the plastic response, might eventually affect the failure stress for a grain boundary.
Organizing Blogs in an ESL/EFL Class Using the Rule of Thirds

Given the ubiquity of digital media in daily life, students must not only read and write traditional texts, but also those associated with information and multimedia technologies, such as blogs, photo and video sharing sites, social networks, and wikis. In response to the need to teach students to read and write these non-traditional texts, guides and exemplary case studies have been published to help teachers navigate new pedagogical practices. One requisite pedagogical practice in teaching students to compose non-traditional texts is teaching them new forms of organization. This article discusses the importance of compositional organization not only in traditional texts and photographs, but also in blogs. It then addresses how ESL/EFL instructors may help students improve the organization of online compositions by teaching students to use the rule of thirds to frame their digital photographs and incorporate these photographs into blogs.
Alkaloids from Catecholamines in Adrenal Tissue: Possible Role in Alcoholism

Epinephrine and norepinephrine condensed with acetaldehyde or with formaldehyde in dilute aqueous solution at neutral pH and room temperature to form 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroiso-quinoline alkaloids. Similar condensation reactions occurred in cow adrenal glands perfused with dilute aldehyde solutions at 37 degrees C. Biosynthesis of these alkaloids in vivo could play a role in altering an individual's behavior during and after the ingestion of alcohol.
Olfactory and Gustatory Hallucinations Presenting as Partial Status Epilepticus Because of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Olfactory and gustatory hallucinations are not often encountered in the acute care setting but may represent the subtle presenting features of a significant underlying disease process. We describe a patient whose most striking presenting symptoms were of olfactory and gustatory hallucinations and in whom the diagnosis and treatment of a new brain tumor and partial status epilepticus occurred entirely in the emergency department. The lesion was subsequently identified as glioblastoma multiforme involving the hippocampus and amygdala.
Cost-effectiveness of screening for hepatopulmonary syndrome in liver transplant candidates.

The hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is present in 15–20% of patients with cirrhosis undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) evaluation. Both preoperative and post-OLT mortality is increased in HPS patients particularly when hypoxemia is severe. Screening for HPS could enhance detection of OLT candidates with sufficient hypoxemia to merit higher priority for transplant and thereby decrease mortality. However, the cost-effectiveness of such an approach has not been assessed. Our objective was to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis from a third-party payer's perspective of screening for HPS in liver OLT candidates. The costs and outcomes of 3 different strategies were compared: (1) no screening, (2) screening patients with a validated dyspnea questionnaire, and (3) screening all patients with pulse oximetry. Arterial blood gas analyses and contrast echocardiography were performed in patients with dyspnea or a pulse oximetry (SpO2) ≤97% to define the presence of HPS. A Markov model was constructed simulating the natural history of cirrhosis in a cohort of patients 50 years old over a time horizon of their remaining life expectancy. Transition probabilities were obtained from published data available through Medline and U.S. vital statistics. Costs represented Medicare reimbursement data at our institution. Costs and health effects were discounted at a 3% annual rate. No screening was associated with a total cost of $291,898 and a life expectancy of 11.131 years. Screening with pulse oximetry was associated with a cost of $299,719 and a life expectancy of 12.27 years. Screening patients with the dyspnea-fatigue index was associated with a cost and life expectancy of $300,278 and 12.28 years, respectively. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of screening with pulse oximetry (compared to no screening) was $6,867 per life year gained, whereas that of the dyspnea-fatigue index (compared to pulse oximetry) was $55,900 per life year gained. The cost-effectiveness of screening depended on the prevalence and severity of HPS, and the choice of screening strategy was dependent on the sensitivity of the screening modality. In conclusion, screening for HPS, especially with pulse oximetry, is a cost-effective strategy that improves survival in transplant candidates predominantly by targeting the transplant to the subgroup of patients most likely to benefit. The utility of screening depends on the prevalence and severity of HPS in the target population. Liver Transpl, 2006. © 2006 AASLD.
Interrogating the T cell synapse with patterned surfaces and photoactivated proteins

The immunological synapse is a site rich in spatially modulated signaling cascades. The importance of spatial organization in intercellular signal transduction has prompted much recent interest in techniques to control the localization of cell-surface signaling molecules to investigate synaptic signaling. Photoactivation, patterning, and mechanical constraint of surface-associated molecules are three prominent examples of such techniques. Recent results have demonstrated the effectiveness of these techniques as tools to investigate the mechanisms of immune synapse assembly and synaptic signaling.
The mechanism of radical production from the reaction of N,N-dimethylaniline with benzoyl peroxide.

Abstract The reaction between dimethylaniline-d6 and benzoyl peroxide gives an inverse kinetic isotope effect of 0.93, implying that radicals primarily arise from decomposition of Ph-CO-O- N + (Me)2Ph and not from electron transfer.
Distribution of internal energy in NO vibrationally excited by a hot platinum surface

The rotational, vibrational and electronic spin orbit energy distributions are measured for NO molecules colliding with a hot platinum foil. (AIP)
Vibrational spectra and structure of small ring compounds chlorocyclopentane and bromocyclopentane

Abstract The infrared and Raman spectra of chlorocyclopentane, bromocyclopentane, and α-bromocyclopentane- d 1 were recorded and the fundamentals assigned. A temperature study of the Raman effect of chlorocyclopentane indicated that at least two distinct isomers were present. The presence of at least two conformers coupled with a very high frequency of the A ′ ring puckering fundamental, 188 cm −1 , indicates that the barrier to pseudorotation is at least an order of magnitude greater than originally proposed. Neither the frequency of the A ′ ring puckering mode nor the presence of conformers was observed in either of the bromocyclopentanes investigated, but it is believed that the magnitude of the barrier is probably similar to that predicted for the chloride. Vibrational assignments are proposed for these molecules.
The rise and fall of forensic hypnosis

This paper examines the fortunes of the controversial use of hypnosis to 'enhance' autobiographical memories in postwar America. From the 1950s through the early 1980s, hypnosis became increasingly popular as a means to exhume information thought to be buried within the mind. This practice was encouraged by lay understandings of memory drawn from a material culture full of new recording devices (motion pictures, tape and then video recorders); and during the years when the practice was becoming most popular and accepted, academic psychologists developed a contrary, reconstructive, account of memory that was put to use in a series of battles meant to put an end to hypnotic recall. But popular commitment to the idea of permanent memory 'recordings' sustained the practice and the assumptions about memory and self that were associated with it, and in the face of a culture of academic psychology fully committed to the idea of 'reconstructive', malleable memory, a tidal wave of 'enhanced' memories swept America in the late 1980s and 1990s, in the so-called 'memory wars'. These, in turn, provoked academic psychologists to research the claims and counter claims central to the memory wars. The paper will also make an argument about the importance of lay knowledge in the psychological sciences explored in this paper: that popular psychological beliefs played a significant, even formative role in defining the nature of forensic psychological expertise, and also the framing of elite academic psychological research.
Effects of non-Maxwellian electron populations in non-LTE simulations of laser-plasma thermal transport and implosion experiments

Abstract Recent thermal transport and target implosion experiments have used the emission of radiation from highly ionized atoms to signal the advance of laser-driven heat fronts and to mark the trajectories and stagnation points of an imploding shell. We consider how the effects of deviations from the Maxwell-Bolzmann electron energy distribution, that are characteristic of heat transport in laser-produced plasmas, could modify the interpretation of such experiments. These effects are examined using an ionic rate-equation radiative-transfer analysis in which atomic ionization and excitation rates are altered by a small population of electrons in a multi-keV tail.
Nucleotides at the RNA-DNA covalent bonds formed in the endogenous reaction by the avian myeloblastosis virus DNA polymerase.

Abstract Avian myeloblastosis virus (AMV) DNA polymerase initiates in vitro DNA synthesis by a specific covalent joining of the new DNA strands onto tumor virus RNAs. Only certain deoxy- and ribonucleotides are found at the RNADNA covalent bond(s). Only dCMP is joined to the 3′-hydroxyl of rUMP and only dAMP is joined to rAMP. Thus, at least two DNA molecules are formed in the AMV endogenous reaction. dTMP and dGMP apparently do not serve as the first deoxynucleotides at the RNADNA junction. The results are discussed with respect to the termini and structure of the viral RNAs.
Stabilization of a polypeptide in non-aqueous solvents.

Abstract A pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) analogue (HSDAVFTDNYTRLRKQVAAKKYLQSIKNKRY, P66) was formulated in several non-aqueous solvents in anticipation of improved shelf-life stability. However, the stability of this peptide in these solvents was found to be as poor as in an aqueous solution. The major degradation reaction in non-aqueous solvents was dimer formation. The proposed mechanism for dimerization was a nucleophilic attack of a basic amino acid on cyclic imide formed by dehydration or deamidation of Asp or Asn. Two approaches were found to be effective in stabilizing the peptide in non-aqueous solvents: (1) acidification of the peptide and (2) use of zinc chloride in the formulation. Stabilization could be attributed to reduction of the nucleophilicity of the reactive groups through protonation and metal–peptide interaction through chelation. The stabilization approaches are applicable only in a non-aqueous environment for this peptide, and possibly for other peptides with similar reactive moieties.
Scenic landscape assessment: the effects of land management jurisdiction on public perception of scenic beauty.

Abstract The research presented here evaluated viewer preferences for a road corridor in southern Utah that is managed in part by the USDA Forest Service, and in part by the National Park Service. Because philosophical differences per agency can lead to visible differences in landscape characteristics, a traveler can be presented with a mixed and potentially confusing experience en-route. This potential for ambiguity could impact a visitor’s experience, which in turn might influence a region’s tourist potential. A preliminary field study was first conducted to document the motivations and concerns of visitors to the study area. A systematic photographic inventory was then generated along the 12-mile corridor that links Cedar Breaks National Monument with segments of the Dixie National Forest. The acquired photographs were employed in a perceptual assessment effort that studied observers perceptions of landscape scenic beauty as the road traversed from one jurisdiction to the other. The goal was to investigate the effects of jurisdictional differences on public perceptions of the scenic quality of the corridor. Preference scores were later related to expert-based assessments of the visible characteristics of the same test scenes, using the landscape/scene variables indicated by the preliminary field study; depth of view, proportion of road in view, and proportion of open meadow in view. Results indicated highest preferences for park managed scenes with a central open meadow framed by forest. Similar scenes in the forest-administered sections of the corridor were less preferred, apparently due to the effects of seasonal livestock grazing on visual features within the meadows.
Using Login Data to Monitor Student Involvement in a Business Simulation Game

Abstract While student involvement in business simulation games is critical to student learning and performance in the games, monitoring student involvement levels in the simulation activities remains a challenge for those who teach strategic management with the games. This study examined and tested whether student login frequency and consistency might serve as valid proxy measures of student involvement in the game activities, using data collected from 219 undergraduate business students who had participated in a business simulation game (Capstone). It was found that student login consistency had a stronger relationship with student involvement than student login frequency did, thereby representing a better measure of student involvement in the games. Research and pedagogical implications from these findings are discussed.
Phase morphology of injection-moulded polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends

Abstract The morphology of injection-moulded blends of polycarbonate (PC) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) has been examined across the entire composition range. Brittle fracture surfaces were etched to remove selectively the PC phase and viewed in the scanning electron microscope. Morphological features observed through the thickness of injection-moulded plaques were the basis for the identification of three composition ranges. In PC-rich blends, the ABS phase formed a bead-and-string structure oriented in the injection direction near the edge, while in the centre the ABS was dispersed as rubber domains and spherical particles of free styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN). A transition occurred between PC/ABS 70 30 and 60 40 wt% compositions from the bead-and-string structure with some interconnections to a coalesced, stratified morphology near the edge; while in the centre, the morphology changed from a dispersion of rubber particles and free SAN particles to thick coalesced ABS domains that created regions where ABS was co-continuous with PC. The ABS-rich blends had a conventional blend morphology with PC domains dispersed in ABS. Qualitatively, the solid-state morphology could be explained in terms of the melt morphology created by the melt flow pattern during mould filling, and subsequent relaxation during cooling prior to solidification.
Vibrational analysis of nucleic acids. V. Force field and conformation-dependent modes of the phosphodiester backbone modeled by diethyl phosphate

A generalized valence force field is derived for the diethyl phosphate anion [(CH3CH2O)2PO2-] and its deuterium [(CH3CD2O)2PO2-, (CD3CH2O)2PO2- and (CD3CD2O)2PO2-] and carbon-13 [(CH3 13CH2O)2PO2-] derivatives in the stable trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation. Normal coordinate analysis of the trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformer, which serves as a structural analog of the nucleic acid phosphodiester group, is based on comprehensive infrared and Raman spectroscopic data and vibrational assignments obtained for the diethyl phosphate anion. The generalized valence force field is in good agreement with the scaled ab initio force field of diethyl phosphate and represents significant improvement over earlier modeling of the phosphodiester moiety with dimethyl phosphate. The conformational dependence of skeletal C-C-O-P(O2-)-O-C-C stretching vibrations is also explored. Starting with the trans-gauche-gauche-trans conformation, the frequency dependence of skeletal stretching modes has been obtained by stepwise rotation of the torsion angles of the P-O and C-O bonds corresponding to nucleic acid torsions alpha (P-O5'), beta (O5'-C5'), epsilon (C3'-O3'), and zeta (O3'-P). Both symmetric and antisymmetric phosphoester stretching modes are highly sensitive to P-O and C-O torsions, whereas symmetric and antisymmetric phosphodioxy (PO2-) stretching modes are less sensitive. The present results provide an improved structural basis for understanding previously developed empirical correlations between vibrational marker bands and nucleic acid backbone conformation.
Early demonstrations (1952-64) of the usefulness of high pressure in semiconductor research

The usefulness of experiments at high pressure done in the period 1952–64, on the establishment of semiconductor band structures and the explanation of semiconductor properties at atmospheric pressure is reviewed. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Renin–angiotensin system in ureteric bud branching morphogenesis: insights into the mechanisms

Branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud (UB) is a key developmental process that controls organogenesis of the entire metanephros. Notably, aberrant UB branching may result in a spectrum of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). Genetic, biochemical and physiological studies have demonstrated that the renin–angiotensin system (RAS), a key regulator of the blood pressure and fluid/electrolyte homeostasis, also plays a critical role in kidney development. All the components of the RAS are expressed in the metanephros. Moreover, mutations in the genes encoding components of the RAS in mice or humans cause diverse types of CAKUT which include renal papillary hypoplasia, hydronephrosis, duplicated collecting system, renal tubular dysgenesis, renal vascular abnormalities, abnormal glomerulogenesis and urinary concentrating defect. Despite widely accepted role of the RAS in metanephric kidney and renal collecting system (ureter, pelvis, calyces and collecting ducts) development, the mechanisms by which an intact RAS exerts its morphogenetic actions are incompletely defined. Emerging evidence indicates that defects in UB branching morphogenesis may be causally linked to the pathogenesis of renal collecting system anomalies observed under conditions of aberrant RAS signaling. This review describes the role of the RAS in UB branching morphogenesis and highlights emerging insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms whereby RAS regulates this critical morphogenetic process.
Effect of Elevated Blood Glucose Levels on Hepatic Microsomal Enzyme System in Rats

Elevated blood glucose levels attained by ad libitum drinking of 20% glucose solution inhibited in vivo O-dealkylation associated with the hepatic microsomal enzyme system. Significant inhibition of biotransformation was demonstrated after 1 day, with the maximum occurring at 3 days. Inhibition was followed by a tendency to return to normal activity. Serum levels of substrate and product were determined by liquid chromatographic techniques using 55% acetonitrile and 45% 0.1 M acetic acid as the mobile phase.
Modulation of stress responses: how we cope with excess glucocorticoids

We are admirably equipped to respond to survive the acute slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. With acute challenges of sufficient magnitude, activity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is stimulated and the protean adrenocortical hormones, glucocorticoids, are secreted to do their job throughout all cell types in the body, most of which contain the appropriate receptors. The consequent actions of the glucocorticoids, together with the rapidly acting adrenomedullary catecholamines, alter metabolic, cardiovascular, immune and central neural responses to the ongoing condition so that we can effectively sustain life at the moment. Circulating glucose is increased with an abundant supply for the potential need for fighting or fleeing, as is arterial blood pressure; the immune system is prevented from over-responding to acute bacterial threats; contextual brain-generated behaviors are enhanced by both increased attention and drive (13). Thus, the glucocorticoids engage many of the body systems for optimal responses to acute challenge. These responses enable and sustain life.
Comparison of viscoelastic coagulation analysis and standard coagulation profiles in critically ill neonatal foals to outcome

Objective – To determine if changes in viscoelastic variables are associated with abnormalities observed in the standard coagulation profile and patient outcome in foals with suspected septicemia. Design – Prospective clinical trial during 2003 and 2004 foal season. Setting – Neonatal intensive care unit at a veterinary teaching hospital. Animals – Thirty critically ill foals o72-hour-old admitted sequentially meeting criteria for systemic inflammatory response associated with infection. Interventions – Hemostatic evaluation, using standard coagulation testing and viscoelastic analysis, was performed at admission, 24 hours following admission, and 48 hours following admission in critically ill foals. Standard coagulation tests included platelet count, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, fibrin(ogen) degradation products, and antithrombin. Data collected from viscoelastic analysis included time to initial clot formation (ACT), clot rate, and platelet function. Signalment, blood culture results, clinicopathologic data, and outcome were collected from medical records. Equality of populations test was used to determine associations between coagulation tests and blood culture status/outcome, as well as between viscoelastic parameters and coagulopathy, blood culture status, and outcome. Logistic regression was used to quantify associations. A significance level of Po0.05 was used. Measurements and Main Results – Foals with decreasing clot rate (CR) over the sample period were more likely to be euthanized or die (P 50.02). Foals with prolonged ACT (P 50.03), and decreased CR at admission (P 50.047), were more commonly coagulopathic. Identification of coagulopathy on admission (P 50.02), or persistence of hemostatic dysfunction 48 hours later (P 50.04), was associated with death. Conclusions – Viscoelastic coagulation evaluation could be used in a neonatal intensive care unit setting to further characterize coagulopathy, and identify foals at higher risk for poor outcome.
Fitness for life primary: stakeholders' perceptions

Background: Currently, obesity is one major pressing health concern for children, with physical inactivity being one main contributor. Schools are an excellent venue to provide pupils with opportunities for physical activity; however, schools are in need of user-friendly intervention programs that increase pupil activity and healthy behavior knowledge.Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine primary stakeholders' perceptions of a recently developed comprehensive healthy behavior program, Fitness for Life: Elementary . Methods: Parents (N = 342), pupils (N = 328), and school staff (N = 24) completed a previously validated survey questionnaire. A smaller group of school staff (n = 7) also participated in formal interviews.Results: Survey mean data indicated that average reactions from the participating stakeholders were positive. Classroom teachers who chose to participate had mostly positive reflections with three major themes identified: (a) teacher and pupil buy-in, (b) minimal teacher training,...
MEANINGFUL REGRESSION COEFFICIENTS BUILT BY DATA GRADIENTS

Multiple regression's coefficients define change in the dependent variable due to a predictor's change while all other predictors are constant. Rearranging data to paired differences of observations and keeping only biggest changes yield a matrix of a single variable change, which is close to orthogonal design, so there is no impact of multicollinearity on the regression. A similar approach is used for meaningful coefficients of nonlinear regressions with coefficients of half-elasticity, elasticity, and odds' elasticity due the gradients in each predictor. In contrast to regular linear and nonlinear regressions, the suggested technique produces interpretable coefficients not prone to multicollinearity effects.
Effective Coding Gain for Space-Time Codes

The performance of space-time codes is evaluated in terms of diversity gain and coding gain, two measures which describe the worst-case pairwise error probability between codewords at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). We introduce the concept of effective coding gain to provide an estimate on the bit error rate (BER) at low-to-moderate SNR. This concept connects the number of nearest neighbours with degradation in error performance. We demonstrate the value of the new concept through analysis of space-time block codes for the quasi-static Rayleigh fading channel.
Neuroprotective Strategies in Parkinson's Disease Using the Models of 6‐Hydroxydopamine and MPTPa

The etiology of Parkinson's disease is not known. Nevertheless a significant body of biochemical data from human brain autopsy studies and those from animal models point to an on going process of oxidative stress in the substantia nigra which could initiate dopaminergic neurodegeneration. It is not known whether oxidative stress is a primary or secondary event. Nevertheless, oxidative stress as induced by neurotoxins 6-hydroxydopamine and MPTP (N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine) has been used in animal models to investigate the process of neurodegeneration with intend to develop antioxidant neuroprotective drugs. It is apparent that in these animal models radical scavengers, iron chelators, dopamine agonists, nitric oxide synthase inhibitors and certain calcium channel antagonists do induce neuroprotection against such toxins if given prior to the insult. Furthermore, recent work from human and animal studies has provided also evidence for an inflammatory process. This expresses itself by proliferation of activated microglia in the substantia nigra, activation and translocation of transcription factors, NF kappa-beta and elevation of cytotoxic cytokines TNF alpha, IL1-beta, and IL6. Both radical scavengers and iron chelators prevent LPS (lipopolysaccharide) and iron induced activation of NF kappa-B. If an inflammatory response is involved in Parkinson's disease it would be logical to consider antioxidants and the newly developed non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs such as COX2 (cyclo-oxygenase) inhibitors as a form of treatment. However to date there has been little or no success in the clinical treatment of neurodegenerative diseases per se (Parkinson's disease, ischemia etc.), where neurons die, while in animal models the same drugs produce neuroprotection. This may indicate that either the animal models employed are not reflective of the events in neurodegenerative diseases or that because neuronal death involves a cascade of events, a single neuroprotective drug would not be effective. Thus, consideration should be given to multi-neuroprotective drug therapy in Parkinson's disease, similar to the approach taken in AIDS and cancer therapy.
Sleep loss changes microRNA levels in the brain: A possible mechanism for state-dependent translational regulation

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small ( approximately 22 nucleotides) non-coding RNA strands that base pair with mRNA to degrade it or inhibit its translation. Because sleep and sleep loss induce changes in many mRNA species, we hypothesized that sleep loss would also affect miRNA levels in the brain. Rats were sleep-deprived for 8h then decapitated; hippocampus, prefrontal and somatosensory cortices and hypothalamus tissues were harvested and frozen in liquid nitrogen. miRNA was extracted and then characterized using microarrays. Several let-7 miRNA microarray results using hippocampus and prefrontal cortex samples were verified by PCR. From the array data it was determined that about 50 miRNA species were affected by sleep loss. For example, in the hippocampus of sleep-deprived rats, miRNA expression increased compared to cage control samples. In contrast, the majority of miRNA species in the somatosensory and prefrontal cortices decreased, while in the hypothalamus miRNA species were both up- and down-regulated after sleep deprivation. The number of miRNA species affected by sleep loss, their differential expression in separate brain structures and their predicted targets suggest that they have a role in site-specific sleep mechanisms. Current results are, to our knowledge, the first demonstration of the homeostatic process, sleep, altering brain miRNA levels.
The influence of processing on biopolymeric structures

Maize grits and maize starch were extruded under a number of conditions using a twin screw extruder. Under equilibrium operation the extruder was dead stopped and the barrel contents removed. Samples from the raw input to the extrudate were examined using scanning electron microscopy, water solubility and aqueous dispersion rheology. The extrusion process results in deformation of the starch granular structure and the production of a new texture corresponding to a marked increase in solubility. Raw maize dispersions are characterised by low viscosity and dilatancy, whereas their heat treatment results in a viscous, shear thinning response. Extrusion results in a tendency to Newtonian behaviour in the limit of high shear and low moistures. This behaviour has been attributed to the reduced swelling functionality of the starch as a function of extrusion which causes a breakdown of the starch granules.
Directed evolution of bacteriorhodopsin for applications in bioelectronics

In nature, biological systems gradually evolve through complex, algorithmic processes involving mutation and differential selection. Evolution has optimized biological macromolecules for a variety of functions to provide a comparative advantage. However, nature does not optimize molecules for use in human-made devices, as it would gain no survival advantage in such cooperation. Recent advancements in genetic engineering, most notably directed evolution, have allowed for the stepwise manipulation of the properties of living organisms, promoting the expansion of protein-based devices in nanotechnology. In this review, we highlight the use of directed evolution to optimize photoactive proteins, with an emphasis on bacteriorhodopsin (BR), for device applications. BR, a highly stable light-activated proton pump, has shown great promise in three-dimensional optical memories, real-time holographic processors and artificial retinas.
A technique for extracting the poles and residues of a system directly from its transient response

A novel approach for systematically deriving the complex poles and residues of a structure from a set of time-domain data is presented. The method is based on Prony's algorithm which involves the inversion of two matrices and a solution of the zeros of an n th degree polynomial, n being the number of desired poles. Two numerical examples are presented and several numerical advantages of this method are discussed.
Evaluating Symmetry and Facial Motion Using 3D Videography

Advances in 3-dimensional (3D) data capture, tracking, and computer modeling now allow for more appropriate measurement and analysis of the face. 3D video not only enables precise analysis of facial symmetry, it broadens our capabilities to accurately study facial volume and facial movement and the forces generated within tissue. Research in facial plastics outcomes has traditionally been evaluated with subjective measures. Current 3D methods are far superior and generate reproducible, accurate, and objective data for such clinical studies. As these technologies become more readily available, there will be a paradigm shift in how aesthetics research is conducted. 3D videography and newer technologies on the horizon will not only change current research methods; they will be much more pervasive in the clinical practice of aesthetic surgeons as they are incorporated into preoperative planning and used to improve patient communication.
p-ADIC PROPERTIES FOR TRACES OF SINGULAR MODULI

We examine the p-adic properties of Zagier's traces Tr(d) of the singular moduli of discriminant -d. In a recent preprint, Edixhoven proved that if p is prime and , then We compute an exact formula for Tr(p2nd) which immediately gives Edixhoven's result as a corollary.
Changing knives into spoons

Politicians and the media paint contrasting pictures of the situation in Iraq from a growing insurgency and pending civil war to a blooming democracy in the Middle East. However, in all of the discussions, the question of how to employ forces to fight the insurgency is often avoided and rarely answered. This project will attempt to develop a hybrid agent-based simulation to examine resource allocation strategies. The study will examine insurgent behavior and responses to distance based outpost manning and a more incident driven strategy. Initial results show that a tradeoff between the strategies offers the best benefits in both the short and long term for a collection of counter-insurgency metrics.
Comparative Study of Sound Localization and its Anatomical Correlates in Mammals

One of the fundamental features of hearing is the ability to localize the sources of sounds, particularly brief sounds, which may warn of nearby animals. Yet not all mammals localize sound equally well with threshold acuity ranging from about 1° for elephants and humans to more than 25° for gerbils and horses and a near absence of localization in some subterranean species. During the past decade evidence has accumulated that this variation cannot be accounted for simply by the availability of the physical cues for locus. Nor does it appear to be a function of an animal's lifestyle. Rather sound-localization acuity in mammals appears to be a function of the precision required of the visual orienting response to sound. Thus the neural integration of hearing and vision in cortex, as well as in multimodal subcortical structures, is a reflection of their behavioral integration and evolutionary coupling.
Death and Situation

As an “essay in phenomenological ontology” 1 Sartre’s L’Etre et le neant is concerned with the structures of Being in so far as Being presents itself, i.e., in so far as it is given in experience. As a phenomenology, Being and Nothingness deals only with presentations, and as a descriptive enterprise, it cannot handle metaphysical problems. Thus Sartre gives us extensive descriptive analyses of the self, the body, the various concrete relations with the alter ego (love, language, desire, etc.), but he does not attempt to analyze questions of the ultimate origin, purpose, or meaning of reality. Since the character of his investigation is descriptive, and since Sartre’s method takes the standpoint of the individual consciousness, the question of what is within and outside our experience becomes transposed into the problem of what is within and outside my experience, I as experiencing consciousness. What is within the experience of my fellow man may be in principle inaccessible to my direct experience and vice versa. A crucial case in point is the problem of the experience of death. My experience of death is always my experience of the death of the Other, the death of a fellow man. The experience of my death as a phenomenon, Sartre claims, can only be a phenomenon for the experience of the Other, whether that Other is friend, relation, associate, stranger, or part of the anonymous “public.” If “my” death is thus outside my possible experience, in what sense is my death a possible object for my phenomenological investigation ?
Experimental Aerodynamic Investigation of NASA Orion Forward Bay Modifications

The design of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), under development by NASA as the next manned space capsule, relies on staged parachute deployments during atmospheric re-entry in order to decelerate sufficiently for a safe water landing. The parachutes are housed in a compartment on the capsule known as the forward bay. Due to parachute packing density limits and projected CEV weight increases during the design effort in 2009, the size of the forward bay had to be increased, resulting in an adjustment of the CEV’s outer mold line (OML) to accommodate the extra volume. In order to ensure safety of flight, the effect of this change on the aerodynamic characteristics of the CEV had to be evaluated for such an adjustment. The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Applied Aeroscience and CFD Branch tasked the Air Force Academy Department of Aeronautics to accomplish wind tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamics analysis to support the investigation of an OML change at the forward bay on the CEV’s aerodynamic characteristics. The Academy’s subsonic wind tunnel was used to experimentally evaluate these effects. In addition, high-performance computing (HPC) resources at Johnson Space Center were used for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis. Three different OML configurations were tested at varying Mach numbers and angles of attack to determine the effects of OML modification on the aerodynamic characteristics of the CEV. The aerodynamic effects of wind tunnel wall and sting interference were included. Results show that OML modification had only minimal impact on CEV aerodynamic coefficients for 0° to 30° angle of attack. At larger angles of attack, modifications to the forward bay had a greater impact. A larger degree of OML modification from the baseline nominal configuration amplified this effect. Sting/wall effects were found to be primarily dependent on CEV angle of attack. Sting correction curves were determined for and applied to each of the aerodynamic coefficients, improving the prediction of free-air aerodynamics.
Hyperfine spectrum of207Bi by absorption spectroscopy: Isotope shift systematics in heavy elements

The hyperfine spectrum of 38−y207Bi in the 6p34S3/2−6p2(3P0)7s4P1/2 3,067-A resonance line was measured by absorption spectroscopy. The207Bi−209Bi isotope shift is 0.0999(20) cm−1. The relative isotope shifts in bismuth are found to follow the general pattern of the even-neutron number isotopes for the isotones withZ=80, 81, 82 and 87. The magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hfs interaction constants for207Bi,A(4P1/2) =0.1630(3) cm−1 andB(4S3/2)=−0.016(3) cm−1, were obtained. Except for the isotope shift, these more precise values are in agreement with our previous results.
Modification of Knee Flexion Angle Has Patient-Specific Effects on Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Risk Factors During Jump Landing

Background:The incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries may be decreased through the use of intervention programs that focus on increasing the knee flexion angle during jump landing, which decreases strain on the ACL.Purpose:To investigate whether intervention training designed to change the knee flexion angle during landing causes secondary changes in other known measures associated with the risk of ACL injuries and to examine the time points when these secondary measures change.Study Design:Controlled laboratory study.Methods:A total of 39 healthy recreational athletes performed a volleyball block jump task in an instrumented gait laboratory. The participants first completed the jumps without any modification to their normal landing technique. They were then given oral instruction to land softly and to increase their knee flexion angle during landing. Lower body kinematics and kinetics were measured before and after the modification using an optoelectronic motion capture system.Results:The...
Improved Rearing Unit for Larvae of a Common Green Lacewing

An improved 500-cell unit for production of a common green lacewing, Chrysopa carnea Stephens, was designed. Results of 839 units tested over a 25-wk period showed that an avg 62% of the cells produced adults when frozen eggs of the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), were used as the larval diet.
Lessons learned from 2 decades of CAP therapy data: ways to improve patient management

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of death from infectious disease in North America, accounting for over 60,000 deaths in the United States in 2005 (1). CAP encompasses a wide range of clinical presentations resulting in variable clinical outcomes. While mild forms lead to mortality in less than 5% and may be safely treated in outpatient settings, more severe forms necessitate intensive care unit (ICU) admission and are associated with mortality rates exceeding 30% (2).
Trace elements in shale as indicators of crustal provenance and terrane accretion in the southern Canadian Cordillera

In this study, the trace-element geochemistry of shale is used to infer the nature of adjacent crustal blocks during terrane amalgamation and accretion in southern British Columbia. The geochemistry of about fifty shale samples from one of the best-dated stratigraphic sections in the North America Cordillera is used to (1) infer proximity to source regions characterized by juvenile ocean arcs, continental arcs, and ophiolites and (2) address a controversy concerning the timing of terrane amalgamation and accretion. This study includes analyses of shale from the entire Mesozoic stratigraphic section of the Cadwallader terrane and overlying Tyaughton basin, as well as argillites from the structurally adjacent Bridge River Complex. The mid-Cretaceous (Albian) strata of the upper Taylor Creek Group, show light rare earth (LREE) enrichment (La N /Sm N of ∼3.0) and anomalously high Cr and Ni. Older units (Upper Triassic–Lower Cretaceous) that stratigraphically underlie the upper Taylor Creek Group have less LREE enrichment, high Ba N /La N ratios, and no Cr or Ni anomaly. The mid-Cretaceous strata were probably derived from a continental arc during a period of uplift and erosion of ultramafic rocks (probably ophiolites) and the co-extensive nature of these sediments suggests accretion of many basement terranes to the edge of a continent. The trace-element geochemistry of the older strata is similar to that of sediment derived from an oceanic arc; however, Lower Cretaceous strata of the Relay Mountain Group may record the incipient collision and progressive closure of this ocean basin. The Bridge River Complex, which is dominated by oceanic rocks and is interpreted to be an accretionary complex, contains two suites of argillites, one of which shows significant LREE enrichment, and isotopic data suggest a Jurassic-Cretaceous age for these argillites that compose the matrix in this complex (Leitch et al., 1991). We suggest that the Bridge River Complex was a Jurassic-Cretaceous accretionary complex that formed outboard of the Methow section of rocks and was not juxtaposed with the Cadwallader terrane and Tyaughton basin until the Albian when these terranes were accreted to North America. Paleomagnetic data from these rocks (Maxson et al., 1993) indicate that accretion took place at the latitude of central Mexico and that subsequent strike-slip faulting brought these terranes to their present position by Eocene time.
The effect of autoclaving and polishing techniques on energy transmission of light-curing tips.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate if autoclaving light-curing tips in sterilization packages using a properly maintained autoclave filled with distilled water reduced the buildup of boiler scale and allowed the tips to maintain their ability to transmit energy. METHOD AND MATERIALS Thirty light-curing tips were divided into groups: control, never autoclaved; group 1, no light-curing tip treatment, autoclaved only; group 2, autoclaved and treated with the Demetron/Kerr Optics Maintenance Kit; group 3, autoclaved and treated with the EFOS Fiberoptic Cleaning Kit; group 4, autoclaved and treated with Shofu Brownie and Greenie polishing points; and group 5, autoclaved and treated with a standard rubber prophylaxis cup. The curing tips were packaged and subjected to 30 autoclave cycles in a clinical autoclave with standard loads of clinical instruments. The light transmission was measured with a curing radiometer. RESULTS Results showed a 7% decrease in energy transmission for the untreated tips compared to the control. Both polishing system groups demonstrated a 4% decrease. There was no significant difference between the control and the first three groups. The polishing point and prophylaxis cup groups showed significantly decreased energy transmission (decreases of 11% and 25%, respectively). CONCLUSION Light-curing tips can be autoclaved with routine packaged loads of clinical instruments and retain their ability to transmit light energy, provided that the tips are packaged and the autoclave is properly maintained and filled with distilled water. Commercially available optics maintenance kits are effective in removing deposits and restoring light energy transmission.