cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calcium phosphate formation in vitro. II. Effects of environment on amorphous-crystalline transformation.

The amount of time that actually elapsed during the solution mediated transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate into crystalline apatite was short and invariable. On the other hand, the time required to reach this period of rapid precipitate conversion was strongly dependent upon the exact solution environment. Amorphous calcium phosphate was more stable when formed from solutions high in pH, ionic strength, and viscosity, rich in Ca2+ relative to HPO42−, and low in initial supersaturation and temperature. The suspension lifetime of amorphous calcium phosphate was also sensitive to changes in dielectric constant. Amorphous calcium phosphate was also more stable in the presence of poly-l-glutamate, polyacrylate, phosvitin, casein, and large amounts of the protein-polysaccharides, or by the addition of small amounts of Mg2+, P2O74−, CO32− and F−. Macromolecule-calcium phosphate flotation reactions (inhibition of ready sedimentation) were found for the casein, poly-l-glutamate, polyacrylate, and poly-l-lysine molecules as well as for the protein-polysaccharide complex.
Carbon Dioxide-Mediated C(sp2)–H Arylation of Primary and Secondary Benzylamines

C-C bond formation by transition metal-catalyzed C-H activation has become an important strategy to fabricate new bonds in a rapid fashion. Despite the pharmacological importance of ortho-arylbenzylamines, however, effective ortho-C-C bond formation of free primary and secondary benzylamines using PdII remains an outstanding challenge. Presented herein is a new strategy for constructing ortho-arylated primary and secondary benzylamines mediated by carbon dioxide (CO2). The use of CO2 with Pd is critical to allowing this transformation to proceed under relatively mild conditions, and mechanistic studies indicate that it (CO2) is directly involved in the rate-determining step. Furthermore, the milder temperatures furnish free amine products that can be directly used or elaborated without the need for deprotection. In cases where diarylation is possible, an interesting chelate effect is shown to facilitate selective monoarylation.
Stability and change in family psychosocial risk over 6 months in pediatric cancer and its association with medical and psychosocial healthcare utilization

Purpose Family psychosocial risk in pediatric oncology can be assessed using the Psychosocial Assessment Tool (PAT), a brief parent report screener based on the Pediatric Psychosocial Preventative Health Model (PPPHM; universal, targeted, and clinical). However, little is known about risk over the course of treatment and its association with medical and psychosocial healthcare utilization. Methods Primary caregivers of children with cancer participated in this prospective multisite investigation, completing the PAT at diagnosis (T1; n = 396) and 6 months later (T2; n = 304). Healthcare utilization data were extracted from electronic health records. Results The distribution of PPPHM risk levels at T1 and T2 was highly consistent for the samples. Two-thirds of families remained at the same level of risk, 18% decreased and 16% increased risk level. Risk was not related to sociodemographic or treatment variables. The PAT risk score correlated with psychosocial contacts over the 6-month period. Conclusions Although the majority of families reported universal (low) risk on the PAT and were stable in their risk level over 6 months, reassessing risk is helpful in identifying those families who report higher level of risk during treatment than at diagnosis. PAT scores were related to psychosocial services that are provided to most but not all families and could be tailored more specifically to match risk and delivery of evidence-based care.
Longitudinal Associations Between Perceptions of Peer Group Drinking Norms and Students' Alcohol Use Frequency Within College Sport Teams

Background Students' alcohol use behaviors are shaped by the attitudes and behaviors of others, especially the peers within students' proximal social groups. Explaining the association between perceived drinking norms and alcohol use, researchers propose contradicting pathways that focus on conformity (i.e., social norms predict alcohol use) and projection (i.e., alcohol use predicts perceived norms). The current study examined the extent to which conformity and projection processes were evident in the association between college student alcohol use and the perceived alcohol use norms for students' club sport teams. Methods The sample comprised 1,054 college students (61% female) nested in 35 intact same-sex club sport teams. On 3 separate occasions during a single school year (3-month lag), participants reported drinking frequency and perceptions of descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms. We employed random intercepts cross-lagged panel modeling to estimate prospective within-person associations separately from stable trait-like between-person associations. Results Descriptive and injunctive group drinking norms were both positively related to students' alcohol use frequency at the between-person level. Individuals nevertheless demonstrated variability at the within-person level. Results revealed a strong contemporaneous association between descriptive norms and alcohol use frequency within each timepoint, but no prospective associations. Models including perceptions of injunctive drinking norms demonstrated similar contemporaneous associations with alcohol use frequency, but also identified significant prospective associations signifying conformity. Conclusions Findings align with previous research reporting a strong and positive association between student's self-reported alcohol use and subjective peer alcohol use norms. After disentangling within- and between-person effects to probe for conformity and projection processes, the current findings are somewhat contrary to previous research that has reported reciprocal relationships between social norms and alcohol use behavior. Further investigation of the potential conformity and projection mechanisms of social norms is critical to advance norm-based strategies to reduce harm.
An evaluation of the USDA's policy to reduce listeria illnesses in ready‐to‐eat meat and poultry products

Using 1998–2008 data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on foodborne illnesses and outbreaks, we examine the economic impact of the United States Department of Agriculture's proposed and final rules to reduce the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) in ready‐to‐eat meat and poultry products. Using a difference‐in‐differences approach, we find that these rules together reduced meat‐related Lm illnesses by about 60 per year, which we attribute to reductions in both the number and average size of meat‐related Lm outbreaks. We then monetize this illness reduction using an underreporting and underdiagnosis multiplier of 2.3 and an estimate of the mean cost of a Lm illness of $1.5 million and find that these rules generated about $208 million per year in cost savings, which compares favorably to the rules’ estimated annual cost of roughly $22 million. [EconLit citations: I18, Q18].
Extended Storage of SARS-CoV2 Nasopharyngeal Swabs Does Not Negatively Impact Results of Molecular-Based Testing

With the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019, the demand for testing rapidly increased and quickly exceeded the testing capacities for many laboratories. Clinical tests which receive CE and FDA authorizations cannot always be tested thoroughly in a real-world environment. Here we demonstrate the long-term stability of nasopharyngeal swab specimens for SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing across three assays recently approved by the U.S. FDA under Emergency Use Authorization. This study demonstrates that nasopharyngeal swab specimens can be stored under refrigeration or even ambient conditions for 21 days without clinically impacting the results of the real-time RT-PCR testing.
Safety First: Developing and Deploying a System to Promote Safety and Quality in Your Clinic.

Abstract The terms "safety and quality" (SAQ) have become inextricably linked, highly used terms that together encompass a wide range of parameters within medical departments. Safety has always been a priority in radiation oncology; quality assurance has been foundational to our practice. Despite this increased focus and attention on SAQ, the "what" of SAQ remains ill-defined, largely because of the vast number of indicators that fall under this umbrella. Similarly, the "how" of developing and maintaining the highest standards of SAQ is not formulaic and varies based on the unique setting of individual practices. There are several excellent resources available to inform SAQ in radiation oncology, including the American Society for Radiation Oncology's "Safety Is No Accident," which provides an overview of safety and quality standards and resources. This review is intended as a brief summary of key considerations, with the goal of providing a practical framework and context for improving or developing a SAQ program in radiation oncology practices. We believe that the following 10 key elements, drawn from numerous reports that have appeared over the last decade examining this topic, should be considered when conceptualizing a practice-based approach to SAQ: establishing a strong safety culture; establishing a structured program for safety and quality; establishing up-to-date, relevant, and accessible policies and procedures; a system for peer review; systems to assess and reduce risk; an educational program focused on safety and quality; development and review of meaningful quality metrics; utilization of a physics quality control system; well-defined models for staffing, training, and professional development; and finally, validation from external bodies via accreditations and audits. These 10 items are addressed herein.
Text Engagement & Reading Strategy Use: A Case Study of Four Early Adolescent Students.

To address the needs of middle school students who experience difficulty with reading, students are often placed in reading intervention programs to improve literacy skills. This study explores the...
Post-Polymerization Modification of Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP)-Derived Materials Using Wittig Reactions

This communication describes our recent efforts to utilize Wittig olefination reactions for the post-polymerization modification of polynorbornene derivatives prepared through ring opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP). Polymerizing α-bromo ester-containing norbornenes provides polymers that can undergo facile substitution with triphenylphosphine. The resulting polymeric phosphonium salt is then deprotonated to form an ylide that undergoes reaction with various aryl aldehydes in a one-pot fashion to yield the respective cinnamates. These materials can undergo further modification through photo-induced [2 + 2] cycloaddition cross-linking reactions.
mMotiv8: A smartphone-based contingency management intervention to promote smoking cessation

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and illness in the United States. We tested the usability, acceptability, and efficacy of a smartphone-based contingency management treatment to promote cessation. We used a nonconcurrent multiple-baseline design. Participants (N = 14) provided breath carbon monoxide (CO) samples by using a CO meter that was connected to the user's smartphone. An app (mMotiv8) housed on participants' smartphones automatically captured pictures of the CO sampling procedure to validate the end user's identity, and it prompted submissions via a push message delivered to participants' smartphones. Participants earned a $10 incentive for daily abstinence, which was added to a reloadable debit card. Overall, 4% of the CO samples were negative during baseline, and 89% were negative during treatment. Self-reported usability and acceptability were high, and 85% of the prompted samples were submitted. A smartphone intervention could be scalable and reduce the health consequences and costs associated with cigarette smoking, particularly in rural and low-income populations.
Inferior Vena Cava Obstruction Following Surgical Repair of a Secundum Atrial Septal Defect

Obstruction of the inferior vena cava (IVC) following surgical repair of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is a rare complication. We present the case of a patient who developed IVC obstruction following surgical repair of a large secundum ASD. The diagnostic and management approaches used to care for this patient are discussed. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
ROIs Can Validate Your Library's Value

The Return-On-Investment (ROI) rate, when determined and positively proven, may be the most effective tool for marketing a library. ROI is a cost-and-benefit analysis that determines whether money spent on the library produces a positive return. Proving and communicating a library's value to its governing board or constituents is increasingly necessary for law libraries to survive and flourish. A ROI analysis may be difficult to undertake if the library works in a not-for-profit setting, and requires a set of criteria different from those used for libraries in the for-profit setting. Although the ROI is a time-consuming and difficult analysis, libraries should take advantage of this instrument.
Temperature Tuning of Coherent Mixing between States Driving Singlet Fission in a Spiro-Fused Terrylenediimide Dimer.

The excited-state dynamics of a spiro-fused terrylene-3,4:11,12-bis(dicarboximide) (TDI) dimer (sTDI2) in toluene and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (mTHF) were investigated as a function of temperature using femtosecond- and nanosecond-transient absorption spectroscopy, as well as two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy. The spiro conjugation and the corresponding geometry of this compound guarantee a short intermonomer distance along with a partial orbital overlap between the orthogonal TDI π-electron systems, providing electronic coupling between the TDIs. Photoexcitation of sTDI2 in toluene, a low dielectric solvent, at 295 K, results in the ultrafast formation of a state composed of a coherent mixture of singlet 1(S1S0), multiexciton 1(T1T1), and charge-transfer (CT) electronic characters. This mixed species decays to decorrelated triplet states on the nanosecond timescale, completing the process of intramolecular singlet fission (SF) in sTDI2. Upon decreasing the temperature from 295 to 200 K, the contribution of the 1(T1T1) state to the mixed species decreases concurrently with an increase in the CT state character. We attribute this behavior to the variation in the vibrational energy level alignment between the states comprising the mixture due to changes in the temperature and hence the local dielectric environment. In contrast, photoexcitation of sTDI2 in more polar mTHF at 295 K results in the formation of a mixed singlet and CT state before undergoing symmetry-breaking charge separation, owing to the increased stabilization of the CT state in the medium. However, in glassy mTHF at 85 K, photoexcited sTDI2 exhibits discernible multiexciton character, comparable to that observed in toluene at 200 K, which we rationalize by the similarity of the dielectric constants under these two sets of conditions. These observations of mixed states of varying diabatic contributions over the range of experimental conditions show that the temperature and the static dielectric constant can directly control the composition of the electronically mixed excited state of sTDI2 and thus the fate of the SF process.
Decentralized Policy Gradient Descent Ascent for Safe Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning

This paper deals with distributed reinforcement learning problems with safety constraints. In particular, we consider that a team of agents cooperate in a shared environment, where each agent has its individual reward function and safety constraints that involve all agents' joint actions. As such, the agents aim to maximize the team-average long-term return, subject to all the safety constraints. More intriguingly, no central controller is assumed to coordinate the agents, and both the rewards and constraints are only known to each agent locally/privately. Instead, the agents are connected by a peer-to-peer communication network to share information with their neighbors. In this work, we first formulate this problem as a distributed constrained Markov decision process (D-CMDP) with networked agents. Then, we propose a decentralized policy gradient (PG) method, Safe Dec-PG, to perform policy optimization based on this D-CMDP model over a network. Convergence guarantees, together with numerical results, showcase the superiority of the proposed algorithm. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first decentralized PG algorithm that accounts for the coupled safety constraints with a quantifiable convergence rate in multi-agent reinforcement learning. Finally, we emphasize that our algorithm is also novel in solving a class of decentralized stochastic nonconvex-concave minimax optimization problems, where both the algorithm design and corresponding theoretical analysis are of independent interest.
Data-mining the technological importance of government-funded patents in the private sector

A perennial challenge for basic research funding agencies is assessing the technological importance of their investments in the private sector. In large measure, this stems from difficulties relating how private sector companies and technologies benefit from the major outputs of science research, such as papers, patents and conference proceedings. Here, we propose a data-mining procedure to assess the technological importance of patents, supported by a basic research funding, beyond academic and public sector entities. We applied this approach to patents partially funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). Our procedure begins by identifying a large sample of AFOSR-funded patents and classifying their most recent patent assignees as listed on the US patent assignment database, where one can find records of patent rights being transferred between individuals or institutions. Next, the patents citing this sample of AFOSR-funded patents is mined and, again, we classify their associated assignees to estimate the downstream technological importance of basic research investments. Interestingly, while patents directly funded by AFOSR are modestly assigned to organizations in the private sector (~20 %), patents citing these AFOSR-funded patents are overwhelmingly assigned to the private sector (~86 %). Following data collection, we consider whether patterns emerging from assignee data of both AFOSR-funded patents and the patents citing AFOSR-funded patents provide insights into real-world examples of the impact of government sponsored invention. As a case study, we investigated the most frequent assignee for patents citing our sample of AFOSR-funded patents: Digimarc Corporation. Examining the relationship between AFOSR-funded invention and Digimarc revealed several highly cited patents were granted based on government-funded academic research in mathematics and signal processing. These patents became the kernel of a tech start-up by the inventors, Cognicity, which was later acquired by Digimarc. These patents continue to contribute to the patent portfolio of this large technology service provider. We find that one can observe both increased downstream effects of publicly funded research on the private sector as well as insights for potential real-world demonstrations of impact in the private sector via our data-mining methodology.
Life Course in History

This article will review the changing historical literature on the life course and life cycle from the 1960s to the present. It will begin with the impact of Philip Aries' Centuries of Childhood (first English language edition, 1965) on the historical study of childhood and then move to the work that has been on youth, middle age, and older age groups since that time. Because the most important developments in the field have occurred in Europe and North America, the piece will necessarily focus on the Western world, using non-western examples only for comparative purposes. The article will pay attention to the nuances of class, gender, and ethnicity that have been recently introduced into the literature. In addition to reviewing the literature, the article will provide a brief overview of current understandings of the life course from early modern to modern times. It will discuss the fludity of age and life course categories prior to the nineteenth century as background to understanding the tightening of these definitions under the impact of industrilization, nation-state formation, and the rise of positivism in the natural and social sciences. It will show how in the last twenty years these categories have come to be questioned, and how new understandings of the life course and aging are now emerging in the context of the demogrphic change, the restructuring teh nation-state, and teh emergence of new interpretative frameworks. The piece will conclude with a sense that historical studies of the life course and life cycle are moving in a humanistic direction, restoring a sense of contingency and agency that was apparent in the first generation of historical treatments of the subject without entirely displacing more positivist notions.
Time-memory trade-offs using sparse matrix methods for large-scale eigenvalue problems

Iterative methods such as Lanczos and Jacobi-Davidson are typically used to compute a small number of eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a sparse matrix. However, these methods are not effective in certain large-scale applications, for example, "global tight binding molecular dynamics." Such applications require all the eigenvectors of a large sparse matrix; the eigenvectors can be computed a few at a time and discarded after a simple update step in the modeling process. We show that by using sparse matrix methods, a direct-iterative hybrid scheme can significantly reduce memory requirements while requiring less computational time than a banded direct scheme. Our method also allows a more scalable parallel formulation for eigenvector computation through spectrum slicing. We discuss our method and provide empirical results for a wide variety of sparse matrix test problems.
Multilevel parallelization models: application to VIV

Realistic simulations of flow past a flexible cylinder subject to vortex-induced vibrations require a large number of Fourier modes along the cylinder span and high resolutions in the streamwise and cross-flow directions. Parallel computations employing a single-level parallelism for this type of problems have clear performance limitations that prevent effective scaling to the large processor count on modern supercomputers. We present two multilevel parallel paradigms based on MPI/MPI and MPI/OpenMP for high-order CFD methods within the spectral element framework and compare their performance. In the MPI/MPI model, we employ MPI process groups/communicators to decompose the flow domain and MPI processes into different levels. In the MPI/OpenMP model, we employ multiple OpenMP threads to split the workload within the subdomain and take a coarse-grain approach that significantly reduces the OpenMP synchronizations. For identical configurations the MPI/MPI model is observed to be generally more efficient. However, for dynamic p-refinement the MPI/OpenMP approach is more effective. Because a greatly reduced number of processes are involved in the communications at each level, these multilevel parallel paradigms reduce the network latency overhead and enable the applications to scale to a large number of processors more efficiently.
Photometric geodesy of main-belt asteroids: III. Additional lightcurves

A total of 107 complete or partial lightcurves are presented for 59 different asteroids over the 1982-1989 period. Unusual lightcurves with unequal minima and maxima at large amplitudes are preferentially seen for M-type asteroids. Some asteroids, such as 16 Psyche and 201 Penelope, exhibit lightcurves combining large amplitude with very unequal brightness for both maxima and both minima, even at small phase angles. An M-type asteroid is believed to consist of a metal core of a differentiated parent body that has had its rocky mantle completely removed by one or more large impacts.
The Dangers of Computer-Science Theory

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the difficulties associated with the computer-science theories. The theory of automata is slowly changing to a study of random-access computations, and this work promises to be more useful. Any algorithm programmable on a certain kind of pushdown automaton can be performed efficiently on a random-access machine, no matter how slowly the pushdown program runs. Another difficulty with the theory of languages is that it has led to an overemphasis on syntax as opposed to semantics. For many years there was much light on syntax and very little on semantics; so simple semantic constructions were unnaturally grafted onto syntactic definitions, making rather unwieldy grammars, instead of searching for theories more appropriate to semantics. Theories are often more structured and more interesting when they are based on real problems; somehow they are more exciting than completely abstract theories will ever be.
Longitudinal Research in Occupational Stress

Despite the universally agreed need for and benefits of longitudinal research, concerns about its underuse and misuse to adequately test causal models in occupational stress research persist. In this chapter we discuss a number of these concerns and provide an assessment of the gaps between actual and best practices by summarizing findings from methodological reviews of longitudinal research in occupational stress. Although there is evidence that occupational stress researchers have heeded some of the recommendations for best practices in longitudinal research, such as using full-panel designs and structural equation modeling, other recommended practices, including the use of multiwave designs and consideration of alternative causal explanations, have lagged behind. In light of this, we echo earlier calls for more and improved longitudinal research in occupational stress.
Triangular clique based multilevel approaches to identify protein functional modules

Identifying functional modules is believed to reveal most cellular processes. There have been many computational approaches to investigate the underlying biological structures [1,4,9,13]. A spectral clustering method plays a critical role identifying functional modules in a yeast protein-protein network in [9]. One of major obstacles clustering algorithms face and deal with is the limited information on how close two proteins with or without interactions are. We present an unweightedgraph version of a multilevel spectral algorithm which identifies more protein complexes with less computational time [8]. Existing multilevel approaches are hampered with no preliminary knowledge how many levels should be used to expect the best or near best results. While existing matching based multilevel algorithms try to merge pairs of nodes, we here present a new multilevel algorithms which merges groups of three nodes in triangular cliques. These new algorithms produce as good clustering results as previously best known matching based coarsening algorithms. Moreover, our algorithms use only one or two levels of coarsening, so we can avoid a major weakness of matching based algorithms.
Effect of surficial disturbance on exchange between groundwater and surface water in nearshore margins.

[1] Low-permeability sediments situated at or near the sediment-water interface can influence seepage in nearshore margins, particularly where wave energy or currents are minimal. Seepage meters were used to quantify flow across the sediment-water interface at two lakes where flow was from surface water to groundwater. Disturbance of the sediment bed substantially increased seepage through the sandy sediments of both lakes. Seepage increased by factors of 2.6 to 7.7 following bed disturbance at seven of eight measurement locations at Mirror Lake, New Hampshire, where the sediment representing the greatest restriction to flow was situated at the sediment-water interface. Although the veneer of low-permeability sediment was very thin and easily disturbed, accumulation on the bed surface was aided by a physical setting that minimized wind-generated waves and current. At Lake Belle Taine, Minnesota, where pre-disturbance downward seepage was smaller than at Mirror Lake, but hydraulic gradients were very large, disturbance of a 20 to 30 cm thick medium sand layer resulted in increases in seepage of 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. Exceptionally large seepage rates, some exceeding 25,000 cm/d, were recorded following bed disturbance. Since it is common practice to walk on the bed while installing or making seepage measurements, disruption of natural seepage rates may be a common occurrence in nearshore seepage studies. Disturbance of the bed should be avoided or minimized when utilizing seepage meters in shallow, nearshore settings, particularly where waves or currents are infrequent or minimal.
Pad Degradation During CMP Process: Effect of Soak in Slurry and Water on Thermal and Mechanical Properties of the CMP Pads

Soak of polyurethane-based CMP pads in tungsten slurry and de-ionized water and its effect on retention of thermal and mechanical properties of the pads was studied using Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA), Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC). Simultaneous cross-linking and plastisizing due to soak were established using DMA and MDSC analysis. The stable operating temperature range and its dependence on soak time were determined using TMA analysis. Substantial difference in diffusion behavior of the “soft” and “hard” pads was discovered: diffusion into the hard pads followed Fickian law [1], while diffusion into the multi-layer soft pads was dominated by the fast filling of the highly porous pad surface with liquid. During a traditional CMP process, which involves application of polishing pads and slurry, the pad properties can be substantially and irreversibly changed as the result of slurry/rinse water absorption. The retention of the pad properties after exposure was monitored using such thermal and mechanical techniques, as Thermal Mechanical Analysis (TMA), Dynamical Mechanical Analysis (DMA), Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry (MDSC), Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA).
Effect of olodaterol on the relaxation of small airways

Olodaterol (Ol) is a novel, selective, β 2 -agonist which offers bronchoprotection in mild asthmatics with duration of action of at least 24h. Small airways are the major site of obstruction in patients with COPD. Thus novel bronchodilators that act on the small airways may be of benefit for COPD. Therefore, this study compared the effect of Ol and formoterol (Fm) on human and rat small airways. Precision cut lung slices (PCLS) were obtained from rat lungs and human lung tissue obtained following resection. Videomicroscopy was used to measure small airway relaxation. Rat small airways were contracted to increasing concentrations of carbachol (EC 50 = 0.11±0.04μM, n=6). Carbachol contraction was then repeated on the same airways following pre-treatment of PCLS with Ol or Fm (1nM). Both agonists significantly (p 50 = 0.19±0.05μM and Fm: 0.34±0.07μM, n=6). Carbachol contracted human small airways with an EC 50 of 0.08±0.03μM (n=6) which was significantly inhibited (p 50 = 0.7±0.3μM, n=6) and 1nM Fm (EC 50 = 1.0±0.6μM, n=6). Following pre-contraction of rat small airways with 0.1μM carbachol both β 2 -agonists induced relaxation ∼45% of maximal contraction (n=6). By contrast, carbachol-induced pre-contraction of human small airways was completely reversed by both agonists with EC 50 values of 4.3±5.7pM (n=6) and 46.1±37.9pM (n=6) for Ol and Fm respectively (P Both Ol and Fm had significant bronchodilatory effects on rat and human small airways. Ol was comparable to Fm and showed significantly increased relaxation following partial pre-contraction of human small airways to carbachol.
A succession of paradigms in ecology: Essentialism to materialism and probabilism

Lewontin (1974a), in his provocative essay ‘Darwin and Mendel — The Materialist Revolution,’ suggests that by the time On the Origin of Species was published in 1859, the notion of evolving species was already firmly established in both lay and academic circles. Embedding the evolutionary species concept in a matrix of new evolutionary thought in many areas of the arts, natural sciences, and social sciences during the late eighteenth and first half of the nineteenth centuries, he points to a different significance of the Darwinian revolution. The emerging evolutionary worldview was incompatible with the philosophical tradition, stretching back to the Greeks, which, although patently metaphysical, still dominated nineteenth century thought: viz. Platonic idealism and Aristotelian essentialism (Popper 1961, 1963). Idealism views the material objects of the world as imperfect embodiments of fundamental, unchanging essences or ideal formal structures. Plato drew the analogy of shadows cast on a cave wall for the imperfect reflections which constitute the objects we can perceive with our senses, although Aristotle sought his version of essential forms within particulate matter, and not in some spectral transcendental realm. Lovejoy (1936), Wiener (1949), Peckham (1959), and Ghiselin (1969) suggest that the nascent evolutionary worldview engendered a reaction to metaphysical essentialism, especially in politics and economics, which eventually paved the way for the Darwinian revolution.
The effect of dietary sucrose on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Abstract The current study examined the effects of long-term isocaloric substitution of dietary sucrose for cornstarch in semisynthetic diets containing 60% carbohydrate (w/w) on blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Four diets were initiated when the SHR were 8–9 weeks of age. A total of 32 SHR were placed on normal (0.08%) sodium diets (0.2% NaCl), and 32 SHR were placed on high (0.80%) sodium diets (2.0% NaCl). Each sodium group was further subdivided into two groups, one ingesting 60% sucrose (w/w); the other, 0% sucrose (60% cornstarch, w/w). Blood pressure and weight were measured at 1–2 month intervals for 17 weeks. No differences were noted in blood pressure between animals ingesting 0% sucrose and those ingesting 60% sucrose in either sodium group. The results indicate that long-term isocaloric substitution of sucrose for cornstarch beginning at 8–9 weeks of age in SHR does not affect the development of hypertension at either normal or high sodium levels.
Effects of cooking methods on polyphenols, pigments and antioxidant activity in potato tubers

Potato tubers, which are one of the richest sources of antioxidants, are always cooked before human consumption. The objective of this study was to understand the effects of various domestic cooking methods, i.e., boiling, microwaving and baking on total phenolics, flavonoids, flavonols, lutein, anthocyanins and antioxidant activities in 5 cultivars and 9 advanced selections with different skin and flesh colors after 6 months of storage. The three cooking methods reduced the levels of these compounds and the percentage of DPPH (2,2-Diphenyl-1-pikryl-hydrazyl) radical scavenging activity in all the cultivars and selections. Boiling minimized these losses. Red fleshed tubers contained more flavonoids, whereas purple tubers contained more flavonols. Despite severe loss of these compounds due to cooking, both the flesh types retained larger amounts of all these compounds due to higher initial levels. Decline in the radical scavenging activity is directly related to loss of these compounds due to cooking treatments in all white and colored flesh tubers. Red and purple fleshed tubers exhibited greater radical scavenging activity than yellow and white fleshed tubers after each of the cooking treatments. Correction procedures were introduced to exclude interfering compounds (ascorbic acid, other oxidizing agents and reducing sugars) in Folin-Ciocalteu Reagent (FCR) assay of estimating total phenolics in potato.
Youth Perspectives on the Experience of Reentry

This article outlines the reentry process of youth who are released from secure confinement experience and describes some contextual factors affecting that experience. Using interviews with young people released from prison, several dimensions are discussed including prior criminal involvement and lifestyles, education, mental health, continuity and change in social relationships, and reentry into different kinds of communities. Specific descriptions of several youth, some with extensive criminal records and some without, are used to highlight the conclusion that traditional methods of determining the success of youth reentry are limited and may obscure important variation in whether and how certain factors, such as criminal records, lead to certain outcomes, such as crime. A discussion of workable approaches to youth reentry is offered, highlighting the need for increased community involvement and aftercare.
Multi-FPGA partitioning method based on topological levelization

This paper presents a partitioning method based on topological ordering and levelization. The proposed method, termed RPL, performs multi-FPGA partitioning by taking into account six different partitioning constraints. We also compare RPL to two existing algorithms. The first approach is a hierarchical partitioning method based on topological ordering (HP). The second approach is a recursive algorithm based on the Fiduccia and Mattheyses bipartitioning heuristic (RP). Experimental results on seven application benchmarks mapped onto three different hardware architectures demonstrated that the proposed RPL approach achieved fewer partitions in less time when compared to the RP and HP algorithms.
Aerosol Therapy in Patients Receiving Noninvasive Positive Pressure Ventilation

Abstract In selected patients, noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NIPPV) with a facemask is now commonly employed as the first choice for providing mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU). Aerosol therapy for treatment of acute or acute-on-chronic respiratory failure in this setting may be delivered by pressurized metered-dose inhaler (pMDI) with a chamber spacer and facemask or nebulizer and facemask. This article reviews the host of factors influencing aerosol delivery with these devices during NIPPV. These factors include (1) the type of ventilator, (2) mode of ventilation, (3) circuit conditions, (4) type of interface, (5) type of aerosol generator, (6) drug-related factors, (7) breathing parameters, and (8) patient-related factors. Despite the impediments to efficient aerosol delivery because of continuous gas flow, high inspiratory flow rates, air leaks, circuit humidity, and patient-ventilator asynchrony, significant therapeutic effects are achieved after inhaled bronchodila...
Self-Consistent Far-Infrared Response of Quantum-Dot Structures

We develop a first-principles, self-consistent theory of the far-infrared (FIR) electromagnetic response for electrons confined in a quantum dot. We find that for small electron number ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{e}}$, the FIR absorption spectrum corresponds to that associated with parabolic confinement, i.e., absorption dominated by a single peak, which occurs at the frqeuency corresponding to the interlevel separation of the parabolic potential, and is roughly independent of ${\mathit{n}}_{\mathit{e}}$. For large electron number, an upward shift in the resonance frequency occurs as the electron density probes the increasingly nonparabolic curvature of the dot potential. Effects of an applied magnetic field are also investigated.
Phospholipase D2-generated phosphatidic acid couples EGFR stimulation to Ras activation by Sos

The activation of Ras by the guanine nucleotide-exchange factor Son of sevenless (Sos) constitutes the rate-limiting step in the transduction process that links receptor tyrosine kinases to Ras-triggered intracellular signalling pathways. A prerequisite for the function of Sos in this context is its ligand-dependent membrane recruitment, and the prevailing model implicates both the Sos carboxy-terminal proline-rich motifs and amino-terminal pleckstrin homology (PH) domain in this process. Here, we describe a previously unrecognized pathway for the PH domain-dependent membrane recruitment of Sos that is initiated by the growth factor-induced generation of phosphatidic acid via the signalling enzyme phospholipase D2 (PLD2). Phosphatidic acid interacts with a defined site in the Sos PH domain with high affinity and specificity. This interaction is essential for epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced Sos membrane recruitment and Ras activation. Our findings establish a crucial role for PLD2 in the coupling of extracellular signals to Sos-mediated Ras activation, and provide new insights into the spatial coordination of this activation event.
Comparison of Plasma Corticotropin Concentration in Intact and Adrenalectomized Dogs and Cats During Hemorrhage

The concentration of ACTH in arterial blood samples from dogs and cats was determined by the adrenal ascorbic acid depletion assay or the plasma corticosterone assay. ACTH was extracted from plasma samples by running acidified plasma through IRC-50 resin columns. The mean recovery of endogenous ACTH in the eluate from these columns was 80%. The mean recovery of exogenous ACTH added to dog blood was 91%. The increase in plasma ACTH concentration induced by hemorrhage in dogs and cats at 2 hr after adrenalectomy was greater than the increase in concentration observed in shamadrenalectomized and intact animals. This marked augmentation of the response to hemorrhage after adrenalectomy suggests that the 80–90% decrease in circulating corticosteroids known to occur in the 2 hr after adrenalectomy is sufficient to increase the rate of release of ACTH during stress. Similar results were obtained when adrenal cortical secretion was reduced by the administration of metyrapone (Su-4885). (Endocrinology 80: 741, 1967)
Increased pathogenesis and inflammation of airways from respiratory syncytial virus infection in T cell deficient nude mice

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is ubiquitous and leads to various outcomes between immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to compare RSV infection and inflammatory responses between immunocompetent BALB/c mice and immunodeficient nude mice. RSV titers in both infected BALB/c mice and nude mice peaked on the third day post-inoculation, but the nude mice had longer lasting and higher levels of viral replication. RSV infection induced a more severe grade of pulmonary histopathology and larger numbers of leukocytes in airways of nude mice than that of BALB/c mice. RSV infection increased pulmonary macrophages and natural killer (NK) cells in both strains of mice. Furthermore, infected nude mice had larger numbers of pulmonary macrophages and NK cells than infected BALB/c mice. Whereas the RSV infected BALB/c mice secreted more tumor necrosis factor –α (TNF-α), interleukin-12 (IL-12), interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-10 than control BALB/c mice, the infected nude mice had higher levels of TNF-α, IL-12 and IL-10 than the infected BALB/c mice. The inflammation induced by RSV infection did not correspond with the immune response of T cells. Macrophages and NK cells were potent immunocytes and inflammatory cells in RSV infection especially when T lymphocytes were deficient. Therefore, nude mice may be a good model for severe and persistent RSV infection in immunocompromised hosts.
Preserving the distribution of inorganic arsenic species in groundwater and acid mine drainage samples.

The distribution of inorganic arsenic species must be preserved in the field to eliminate changes caused by metal oxyhydroxide precipitation, photochemical oxidation, and redox reactions. Arsenic species sorb to iron and manganese oxyhydroxide precipitates, and arsenite can be oxidized to arsenate by photolytically produced free radicals in many sample matrices. Several preservatives were evaluated to minimize metal oxyhydroxide precipitation, such as inorganic acids and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). EDTA was found to work best for all sample matrices tested. Storing samples in opaque polyethylene bottles eliminated the effects of photochemical reactions. The preservation technique was tested on 71 groundwater and six acid mine drainage samples. Concentrations in groundwater samples reached 720 μg-As/L for arsenite and 1080 μg-As/L for arsenate, and acid mine drainage samples reached 13 000 μg-As/L for arsenite and 3700 μg-As/L for arsenate. The arsenic species distribution in the samples ranged...
A convenient method for genetic incorporation of multiple noncanonical amino acids into one protein in Escherichia coli

By overexpressing the C-terminal domain of the ribosomal protein L11 to decrease release factor 1-mediated termination of protein translation, enhanced amber suppression is achieved in E. coli. This enhanced amber suppression efficiency allows the genetic incorporation of three Ne-acetyl-L-lysines into one GFPUV protein in E. coli.
A comparative study of the impact of integrated learning systems on students' time-on-task

Abstract Time-on-task has long been thought to be an important predictor of student learning and achievement. Thus, it is important to understand the extent to which computer-based instruction (CBI), in general, and more specifically, computerized integrated learning systems (ILSs) affect students' time-on-task behavior. This study reports data from a year-long, 14-school national study in which rigorous time-on-task measures were used to compare students' engaged time in three primary situations: (1) an ILS used in a computer laboratory configuration; (2) an ILS used in a distributed configuration (work stations distributed throughout a school's classrooms); and (3) regular classroom instruction in which no ILS was used. The results indicate that students using the ILS spend more time actively engaged in the learning tasks than students in the non-ILS classroom. This appears to be a very robust finding, occurring regardless of whether or not there is an adult present. It appears that the ILS provides a highly motivating learning environment that engages and maintains student attention. The level of on-task behavior is significantly higher than that found in more typical classroom settings. Further, the ILS showed a significant advantage in increasing time-on-task with at-risk students. Implications of this study for further research are also discussed.
Sodium 6-methoxy-(E,E)-3,5-hexadienoate: a useful diene in the aqueous diels-alder reaction

Abstract The sensitive dienol ether functionality in sodium 6-methoxy-( E , E )-3,5-hexadienoate has been shown to be compatible with the conditions of the aqueous Diels-Alder reaction.
Septic embolization to the carotid bifurcation presenting as carotidynia

Carotidynia is a term that is best defined by neck pain associated with tenderness over the carotid artery. The differential diagnosis of this entity is broad and includes vascular disorders such as carotid dissection, aneurysm, occlusion, and arteritis. We describe the first reported case of carotidynia caused by septic embolization to the carotid bulb and offer a logical plan for its management.
Phenomenological Mapping and Comparisons of Shamanic, Buddhist, Yogic, and Schizophrenic Experiences

Certains ont pu affirmer que les etats chamaniques etaient identiques a ceux de la schizophrenie, du bouddhisme ou du yoga. Ces comparaisons sont imprecises et la theorie aussi bien que l'experience vont dans le sens contraire. Cette confusion provient d'une mauvaise identification des etats alteres. Une cartographie phenomenologique multi-dimensionnelle de ces etats est maintenant possible. Les etats yogiques, chamaniques, bouddhistes montrent une imbrication fonctionnelle et experimentale tandis que l'etat schizophrenique releve d'une problematique differente