cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physicians, nurses, and community hospitals: defining a niche for the 21st century.

The health care industry is currently the largest single employer monitored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Physicians, nurses, and community hospitals are challenged as never before to define their roles in this system. New competition has emerged as these traditional providers are suffering identity crises. Physicians have suffered a loss of control over the health care system, nurses have not achieved the rewards commensurate with their skills and training, and community hospitals, especially rural facilities, have suffered closures. In order to maintain the integrity of their profession, each must make a concerted effort to position themselves for the next century.
Novel fluorophores for single-molecule imaging

A new class of fluorophores has been identified that can be imaged at the single-molecule level and offer additional beneficial properties such as a significant ground state dipole moment, moderate hyperpolarizability, and sensitivity to local rigidity. These molecules contain an amine donor and a dicyanodihydrofuran (DCDHF) acceptor linked by a conjugated unit (benzene, thiophene, alkene, styrene, etc.) and were originally designed to deliver both high polarizability anisotropy and dipole moment as nonlinear optical chromophores for photorefractive applications. Surprisingly, we have found that these molecules are also well-suited for single-molecule fluorescence imaging in polymers and other reasonably rigid environments. We report the bulk (ensemble) and single-molecule photophysical properties measured for six dyes in this new class of single-molecule reporters, with absorption maxima ranging from 486 to 614 nm.
Ferroelastic Phase Transition in Formamidinium Tin(IV) Iodide Driven by Organic-Inorganic Coupling

Hybrid perovskites are a technologically relevant family of materials, with potential applications in photovoltaics, solid-state lighting, and radiation detection. Interactions between the inorganic octahedral framework and the organic sublattice have been implicated in the structure and optoelectronic properties, but characterization of these interactions has been challenging, because of competition between organic-inorganic coupling and intraoctahedral interactions. Owing to their decreased octahedral connectivity, vacancy-ordered double perovskites present an ideal case study to examine organic-inorganic coupling in hybrid perovskites and their derivatives. Here, we describe the low-temperature, hysteretic phase transition of formamidinium tin(IV) iodide from the high-symmetry cubic phase to a lower-symmetry monoclinic phase. We propose that the hysteresis stems from organic-inorganic coupling mediated by local and spontaneous strain from the orientations of the formamidinium cations, which result in a ferroelastic phase transition.
Time-Varying Insomnia Symptoms and Incidence of Cognitive Impairment and Dementia among Older US Adults.

There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between insomnia and the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. This study aimed to evaluate if time-varying insomnia is associated with the development of MCI and dementia. Data from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 13,833) from 2002 to 2014 were used (59.4% female). The Brief Insomnia Questionnaire was used to identify insomnia symptoms which were compiled in an insomnia severity index, ranging from 0 to 4. In analysis, participants’ symptoms could vary from wave-to-wave. Dementia was defined using results from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) global cognitive assessment tool. Respondents were classified as either having dementia, MCI, or being cognitively healthy. Cox proportional hazards models with time-dependent exposure using the counting process (start-stop time) were used for analysis. For each one-unit increase in the insomnia symptom index, there was a 5-percent greater hazard of MCI (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.04–1.06) and dementia (HR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03–1.05), after fully adjusting. Using a nationally representative sample of adults age 51 and older, this study found that time-varying insomnia symptoms are associated with risk of MCI and dementia. This highlights the importance of identifying sleep disturbances and their change over time as potentially important risk factors for MCI and dementia.
Professor Serara Kupe‐Mogwe’s contribution to development of the nursing profession in Botswana

Background The aim of this communication is to pay tribute to a nursing pioneer of our time, Professor Serara Kupe-Mogwe, for her outstanding contribution to development of the nursing profession in Botswana. I pay this tribute in response to the World Health Organization's declaration of 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Methods Data supporting this manuscript were obtained through Internet searches, local newspapers, and interviews with those who knew her. Results Kupe-Mogwe's contributions to nursing in Botswana are presented. Conclusion The legacy she has left is celebrated and should be remembered. Implications for nursing and/or health policy The findings have implications for nursing education, nursing leadership, and acknowledgment of women and their contribution.
Rebel Richmond: life and death in the Confederate capital: by Stephen V. Ash, Chapel Hill, NC, University of North Carolina Press, 2019, 286 pp., $35.00 (hardback) ISBN-10: 1469650983

Confederate Richmond occupies a unique place in American history. In 1861, this sleepy city of modest size and influence was transformed into a bustling capital at the epicenter of a modern civil w...
IP from an M&A Tax Perspective

This chapter provides an overview of MA especially concerning the negotiation of the purchase agreement, bearing in mind the potential transaction risks arising from IP. The chapter concludes by illustrating the increasing relevance of recent developments concerning IP transactions, e.g., patent/innovation box regimes.
Staffing at the Strategic Consulting Group: The

Mackenzie Spencer, vice president of operations at Strategic Consulting Group, must determine a staffing (the “S” word) plan for the upcoming year. She must balance the costs of overstaffing with those of understaffing in the face of uncertain demand for future services. Students can either determine a staffing plan based on the expected demand or by taking into account the uncertainty by simulating demand.This case was awarded second place in the 2017 Decision Sciences Institute case-writing competition. It is used at Darden in the first-year operations course as well as in the service operations elective. This case would also be suitable for use in a first-year decision analysis course or in an elective or course module covering optimization. Excerpt UVA-OM-1564 Rev. Nov. 2, 2017 Staffing at the Strategic Advising Consulting Group: The “S” Word “Staffing” (the “S” word) had become a dirty word at the weekly leadership team meetings at the Strategic Advising Consulting Group (SACG). As she reflected on that day's meeting, Mackenzie Spencer, the newly hired vice president of operations, looked longingly at the unopened bottle of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rose 2006 that she had received upon taking the position four months ago. The leadership team was in the midst of strategic planning for the following calendar year and the group was far from reaching a consensus. Given the nature of consulting, future staffing decisions were one of the biggest factors in projecting the next year's total revenue and earnings. If SACG overstaffed the team based on incorrect growth projections, it would destroy its margins with bench costs. On the other hand, if it understaffed the team, it would hurt yearly revenue performance, as revenue recognition was dependent on having staff available to bill the contracted hours. Given her role over operations, Spencer needed to take the feedback from the SACG leadership group and create a staffing model that would be presented to corporate leadership. The assumptions in this model would be used to project the following year's revenue, gross margin, and recommended number of new staff hires. SACG . . .
Physiological and Behavioral Benefits for People and Horses during Guided Interactions at an Assisted Living Residence.

Assisted living is a fast-growing living option for seniors who require residence-based activities for maintaining mental and physical health. Guided equine interactions may benefit seniors, so an on-site equine program was started at Hacienda at the River senior living community. For research purposes, twenty-four residents and associates, aged fifty-five or over, consented to physiological measurements before, during and after four guided sessions of stroking one of three horses for 10 min over 4–6 weeks. Heart rate variability (HRV) was measured simultaneously in humans and horses during interactions. We hypothesized that human heart rate (HR) and HRV would increase during stroking and HRV power would shift toward the very low frequency (VLF) range common in horses, indicative of healthy function. During stroking, human HR increased (p < 0.05) but HRV (SDRR) and %VLF of HRV power did not change. Diastolic blood pressure (DBP), an exploratory measure, significantly increased after stroking, consistent with arousal. Two horses showed no significant changes in HR or HRV, but one relaxed. Sixteen horse–human pairs demonstrated synchronized HRV peak frequencies during sessions, suggestive of social connection. Participants used more positive than negative words describing their experience during exit interviews (p < 0.05). These data show that horses animate seniors without causing emotional stress and provide opportunities for social bonding.
Endogenous Attention to Costs

Studies show that consumers are often unaware of the price of their purchases. We examine if such ignorance may be willful. We develop a model entailing consumers who may feel conflicted about spending – some people have an inherent preference for overspending (“spendthrifts”). We show that if overspending causes regret, spendthrifts are better off in the short-term from ignoring costs to their consumption (i.e., prices), when ignorance reduces anticipated regret. In the long-term, ignorance of costs may, however, be harmful, since it acts to exacerbate spendthrifts’ overconsumption. Further, our model shows consumers who are unconflicted about their spending, or have an inherent preference to underspend (“tightwads”), do not benefit from ignoring costs to their consumption in the short-term. We test the implications of our model against two datasets – a field dataset from a supermarket and data from a websurvey entailing a hypothetical experiment. We find support for our model implications that spendthrifts pay less attention to prices, and that their inattention may be endogenous (i.e., willful or strategic). Our results may help explain previous puzzling findings of low consumer price knowledge. Further, our finding that all consumer groups addressed herein long-term benefit from price saliency provides support for policies that ensure prices are transparent and salient to consumers.
Machine Learning for Holistic Evaluation of Scientific Essays

In the US in particular, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of science in education. To better understand a scientific topic, students need to compile information from multiple sources and determine the principal causal factors involved. We describe an approach for automatically inferring the quality and completeness of causal reasoning in essays on two separate scientific topics using a novel, two-phase machine learning approach for detecting causal relations. For each core essay concept, we initially trained a window-based tagging model to predict which individual words belonged to that concept. Using the predictions from this first set of models, we then trained a second stacked model on all the predicted word tags present in a sentence to predict inferences between essay concepts. The results indicate we could use such a system to provide explicit feedback to students to improve reasoning and essay writing skills.
Processing Time Variability

In the previous chapter, an approximation for the cycle time in a system queue was developed (or waiting time in the queue for a machine). The relationship consists of four parameters.
Toward Rent-Seeking or Reform? International Organizations and the Politics of Security Sector Reform in Post-Conflict States

How does international intervention affect decisions to develop professional and responsive security forces after civil wars? In states emerging from conflict, effective military and police forces are crucial for enhancing security for the public, preventing renewed conflict or abuse, and serving as a basis for democratic development. Despite numerous attempts to transform armed groups into more professional security forces, the record of success has been mixed. Political resistance has undermined efforts by international organizations and outside states and left many countries’ security forces weak and politicized. While external assistance may translate into external influence leading to a greater likelihood of reform, it may also fuel corruption and weaken incentives for reform. This paper draws from bargaining and network theories to show how conditions that create brokerage opportunities for elites in control of armed forces, and that foster dependence on these elites for security, strengthen their leverage relative to external actors and their publics and weaken incentives to build more professional or responsive forces. Through quantitative analysis, I test the effects of three conditions that affect the leverage of post-conflict elites on the likelihood that they will build more professional security forces: the fragmentation among security actors; the extent of competitive political participation; and the presence of easily accessible resources. I illustrate through brief descriptions of security sector reform efforts in Sierra Leone and Timor Leste how international organizations and donor states may alter these conditions to affect the likelihood of security sector transformation.
Exosome-mediated microRNA signaling from breast cancer cells is altered by the anti-angiogenesis agent docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a natural compound with anticancer and anti-angiogenesis activity that is currently under investigation as both a preventative agent and an adjuvant to breast cancer therapy. However, the precise mechanisms of DHA’s anticancer activities are unclear. It is understood that the intercommunication between cancer cells and their microenvironment is essential to tumor angiogenesis. Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that are important mediators of intercellular communication and play a role in promoting angiogenesis. However, very little is known about the contribution of breast cancer exosomes to tumor angiogenesis or whether exosomes can mediate DHA’s anticancer action. Exosomes were collected from MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells after treatment with DHA. We observed an increase in exosome secretion and exosome microRNA contents from the DHA-treated cells. The expression of 83 microRNAs in the MCF7 exosomes was altered by DHA (>2-fold). The most abundant exosome microRNAs (let-7a, miR-23b, miR-27a/b, miR-21, let-7, and miR-320b) are known to have anti-cancer and/or anti-angiogenic activity. These microRNAs were also increased by DHA treatment in the exosomes from other breast cancer lines (MDA-MB-231, ZR751 and BT20), but not in exosomes from normal breast cells (MCF10A). When DHA-treated MCF7 cells were co-cultured with or their exosomes were directly applied to endothelial cell cultures, we observed an increase in the expression of these microRNAs in the endothelial cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-23b and miR-320b in endothelial cells decreased the expression of their pro-angiogenic target genes (PLAU, AMOTL1, NRP1 and ETS2) and significantly inhibited tube formation by endothelial cells, suggesting that the microRNAs transferred by exosomes mediate DHA’s anti-angiogenic action. These effects could be reversed by knockdown of the Rab GTPase, Rab27A, which controls exosome release. We conclude that DHA alters breast cancer exosome secretion and microRNA contents, which leads to the inhibition of angiogenesis. Our data demonstrate that breast cancer exosome signaling can be targeted to inhibit tumor angiogenesis and provide new insight into DHA’s anticancer action, further supporting its use in cancer therapy.
Attentuation of systemic vasoreactivity in chronically hypoxic rats

Experiments were performed to assess the effects of chronic hypoxia on systemic vasoreactivity in conscious unrestrained rats and in abdominal aortic rings. Two groups of rats were used: normoxic controls and chronically hypoxic rats that were maintained in a hypobaric chamber (380 mmHg) for 4 wk before experimentation. In conscious animals instrumented with pulsed Doppler cardiac output probes and arterial and venous catheters, mean arterial pressure and mean cardiac output were measured before and during graded continuous infusions of phenylephrine (PE), angiotensin II, and arginine vasopressin (AVP). Measurements were made while the animals breathed either room air or 12% O2. Acute exposure to 12% O2 significantly reduced pressor and vasoconstrictor responses for all three agents. These responses were also attenuated in the chronically hypoxic rats in 12% O2; however, acute return to room air conditions did not return pressor or vasoconstrictor responses to normoxic control levels. In abdominal aortic rings from both groups of animals, cumulative dose-response curves to PE and AVP were completed in 21 and 3% O2 conditions. Neither acute nor chronic hypoxia caused a shift in the dose-response curves. In rings from control rats, maximum tension responses to AVP were significantly diminished in 3% O2. Rings from chronically hypoxic rats exhibited less maximum tension to AVP in 21% O2 than did rings from control rats. We conclude that acute hypoxia reversibly attenuates systemic vasoreactivity and that chronic hypoxia induces a more sustained decrease in reactivity. In addition, at least part of the mechanism may reside within the vasculature.
Monte Carlo simulations of GaAs-based ultrafast optical mixers

emission is shown to be fairly significant, and should set a natural limit to laser input scaling.Finally, the simulations reveal that special antenna structures would be necessary for the efficientcoupling and transmission of radiative energy.Keywords: Terahertz response, Monte Carlo simulation, Photomixer, low temperature GaAs
Isothermal solid‐state transformation kinetics applied to Pd/Cu alloy membrane fabrication

In this work, time-resolved, in situ high-temperature X-ray diffraction was used to study the solid-state transformation kinetics of the formation of the fcc Pd/Cu alloy from Pd/Cu bilayers for the purpose of fabricating sulfur-tolerant Pd/Cu membranes for H2 separation. Thin layers of Pd and Cu (total ∼15 wt % Cu) were deposited on porous stainless steel with the electroless deposition method and annealed in H2 at 500, 550, and 600°C. The kinetics of the annealing process was successfully described by the Avrami nucleation and growth model, showing that the annealing process was diffusion controlled and one dimensional. The activation energy for the solid-state transformation was 175 kJ/mol, which was similar to the activation energy of Pd-Cu bulk interdiffusion. Furthermore, the Avrami model was able to successfully describe the changes in permeance and activation energy observed in Pd/Cu alloy membranes during characterization as they were annealed at high temperatures. © 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010
β-adrenergic and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in rat submaxillary glands. Effects of thyroidectomy

Abstract Administration of triiodothyronine to thyroidectomized rats increased the density of β-adrenergic receptors in rat submaxillary gland without significantly changing the density of muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Thus, thyroid hormone appears to regulate β-adrenergic sensitivity in the rat salivary gland.
Human immunodeficiency virus: a global problem with ongoing implications for transfusion medicine

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic continues to expand globally, despite 25 years of unprecedented investment in basic and applied research and major advances in behavioural interventions that reduce transmission and development of therapeutic regimens to treat infected persons. Although transfusion-transmitted HIV is now very rare in developed countries where low-risk donor selection and sensitive serological and nucleic acid amplification technology (NAT) testing are routine, transfusion transmission continues at disturbing rates in some regions of Africa, South-East Asia and Eastern Europe where donor selection is less effective and where NAT screening is not affordable and effective systems to control release of positive units are not always in place. This review will summarize the scope of the global HIV epidemic. Key accomplishments in reducing HIV transmission, particularly by transfusions, and in treating infected persons will be discussed. We will then consider areas where scientific progress has been limited, such as continued frustration in efforts to develop effective prophylactic vaccines and microbicides, the inability to eradicate established infections with antiretroviral drugs or immunotherapeutic approaches, and the problem with development and spread of increasingly diverse viral variants and drug-resistant HIV. Finally, the review will highlight several recent areas where research originally designed to address questions in the context of understanding acute infection for preventing transfusion-transmitted HIV has provided insights into HIV pathogenesis and contributed to improved diagnosis and epidemiologic monitoring of HIV infection on a much broader scale.
[Co(en)3]CoSb4S8: A novel non-centrosymmetric lamellar heterometallic sulfide with large-framework holes

Sulfide-based open-framework materials are intriguing compounds. Apart from the fact that they possess a very diverse and therefore interesting structural chemistry, these materials might act as next generation zeolites that combine physical properties typical for semiconductors.1 The first materials obtained with this in mind, which were based on germanium and tin sulfides, were discovered by Bedard et al. in 1989.2 Since then, one successful synthetic approach toward this class of compounds has been to generate inorganic frameworks by selfassembly reactions of molecular building blocks (e.g. [Ge4S10] and [AsS3]) with metal ions (e.g. Mn2+, Fe2+, Co2+, Cu+) at moderate temperatures (room temperature or mild hydro(solvo)thermal conditions) in the presence of organic template ions. The latter are incorporated into the “holes” and thus determine the “porosity” of the resulting frameworks. This approach let the field expand rapidly and compounds such as [Et4N]2Cu2Ge4S10, [Me4N]2MGe4S10 (M ) Mn,4,5 Fe,5,6 Co,5 Zn5), [Me4N]6(Cu0.44Ge0.56S0.73)Ge4S10, [Ph4P]Hg2As4S9, [Me4N]HgAs3S6, [Ph4P]InAs3S7, and [Me4N][Rb]BiAs6S12 were reported. On the other hand, extended structures are also accessible via condensation processes of molecular building blocks with themselves. Several of these “non-functionalized”10 germanium,11 tin,12-19 and antimony sulfides20,21 have been characterized. In contrast, the use of small alkali cations under similar synthetic conditions gives dense structures with extended inorganic frameworks. Examples include KCu2AsS3, KCu4AsS4, MAg2SbS4, and M2AgSbS4 (M ) Rb, K) as well as CsSb2Se4, Rb2Sn2Se5, Cs2Sn3Se7, and Cs4Sn5S12. In preceding papers,8,9 we have demonstrated that the AsS3 ligand is a powerful building block to form extended structures if it is reacted with metal ions (In3+, Bi3+, Hg2+) in the presence of organic templates. Here we report the interesting twodimensional material [Co(en)3]CoSb4S8 (1) which was prepared by heating CoBr2 with Na3SbS3 and ethylenediamine (en) in H2O at 130 °C.29 The green-black compound is insoluble in all common organic solvents. [Co(en)3]CoSb4S8 consists of isolated [Co(en)3] cations and “porous” non-centrosymmetric layers of composition
Measurement of the electron-ion thermal equilibration rate in a strongly coupled plasma

Summary form only given. We are conducting a laboratory experiment aimed at measuring the temperature equilibration rate between ions and electrons in a strongly-coupled plasma. Theory indicates that this rate could be significantly lower than that given by the usual weakly coupled model (Landau/Spitzer) due to coupled collective modes present in the dense plasma. The plasma under study is formed by heating a hypersonic SF6 gas jet with a short pulse (~10 ps) laser, resulting in warm electrons (~100 eV) and cold ions (~5 eV). The electron and ion temperatures of the resulting plasma will be independently measured during and after heating, using collective Thomson scattering for electrons and a high-resolution X-ray spectrometer for the ions (measuring Doppler-broadened absorption lines). Determining how the equilibration rate varies from Landau/Spitzer requires very fast diagnostics, since Landau/Spitzer equilibration would occur within ~100 ps. We will present our most recent experimental results
Detecting and segmenting humans in crowded scenes

We describe an approach for detecting and segmenting humans with extensive posture articulations in crowded video sequences. In our method we learn a set of mean posture clusters, and a codebook of local shape distributions for humans in various postures. Detection proceeds in two stages: first instances of the codebook entries cast votes for locations of humans in the video and their respective postures. Subsequently, consistent hypotheses are found as maxima within a voting space. The segmentation of humans in the scene is initialized by the corresponding posture clusters and contours are evolved to obtain precise and consistent segmentations. Our experimental results indicate that the framework provides a simple yet effective means for aggregating local and global shape-based cues. The proposed method is capable of detecting and segmenting humans in crowded scenes as they perform a diverse set of activities and undergo a wide range of articulations within different contexts.
The role of space-charge-limited currents in photoconductivity-controlled devices

The optical exposure required to actuate a photoconductivity-controlled device is shown to be determined by the electric field across the photoconductor and not by the sensitivity of the photoconductor, providing the photoconductive gain is above unity. The exposure is approximately 6 × 105 KE photons/cm2for a field of E V /cm and a dielectric constant K . Hence, devices that work at low fields are obviously to be preferred. In order to take advantage of the low field, it is necessary that the photoconductor be able to pass space-charge-limited currents at the same low field. Special trap distributions can lead to optical exposures somewhat lower than the above value.
The einstein observatory medium sensitivity survey

Results are presented from an X-ray survey of ∼50 square degrees of the high galactic latitude sky at sensitivities in the range 7·10−14–5·10−12 erg/cm2 sec (0.3–3.5 keV) carried out with the Imaging Proportional Counter (IPC) aboard the Einstein Observatory. The extragalactic sample consists of 48 sources which have been used to determine the number flux relation. The content of the sample is analyzed in terms of types of sources and is found to be significantly different from the content of similar samples selected at higher fluxes.
The free autografting of entire limb muscles in the cat: Morphology

Normal or pre-denervated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were successfully grafted in place of the contralateral EDL muscles in cats. Histological preparations of 57 grafts were examined at intervals from 4 to 170 days after transplantation. The morphological sequence of events in a cat muscle graft is similar to that in the rat except that the time course of regeneration is considerably slower. Surviving original muscle fibers form a thin rim at the periphery of the graft. Beneath this rim, the original muscle fibers undergo fragmentation, starting near the periphery and progressing toward the center. Regenerating muscle fibers take the place of the degenerated muscle fibers. In pre-denervated grafts, the last of the original muscle fibers in the center of the graft have broken down by 41 days whereas in normal muscle grafts the original muscle fibers in the central region persist until 50 days. The main difference between grafts of normal and pre-denervated muscles is the rate of breakdown of the original muscle fibers. Long term grafts of both groups are morphologically very similar.
Appetite is not influenced by a unique milk peptide: caseinomacropeptide (CMP)

The milk protein, caseinomacropeptide (CMP), is a predominant breakdown product of casein in the human stomach, and may aid in the regulation of food intake. Using a human feeding study design, this project assessed the effects of CMP on satiety and satiation by measuring the amount of food consumed at meal times and through subjective motivation to eat questionnaires. The following beverage treatments were prepared: 0.4% CMP solution, 2.0% CMP solution, vehicle alone, and water containing colorant and clouding agent. Twenty male and 32 female adults were enrolled into the study using a Latin Square randomization. Treatment beverages and ad libitum lunches were consumed on four separate occasions at the Study Center. After lunch, subjects left the Study Center, and completed a standardized questionnaire every hour throughout the afternoon and evening to assess hunger and stomach fullness, and kept track of all food and beverages consumed. Under these experimental conditions, CMP had no effect on energy intake or weight of food consumed at lunch or for the remainder of the day. CMP also had no effect on subjective indicators of satiety. Intake of CMP before a midday meal has no effect on regulation of food intake over a short-term period.
System equivalence in a class of nonlinear optimal control problems

In a family of nonlinear optimal control problems, equivalence classes of problems that yield identical optimal closed-loop systems are delineated. The equivalence relations are established as one-to-one correspondences between the solutions of the Hamilton-Jacobi equations associated with the problems. Two such equivalence relations are presented. These allow an arbitrary problem in the family to be reduced to an equivalent basic standard form of problem. Also, a new formal procedure for solving this basic problem is given that allows the determination of coefficients in the series expansion of the optimal closed-loop system. The set of algebraic equations to be solved is considerably simpler than that derived by other methods.
Generating New Specific RNA Interaction Interfaces Using C-loops

New RNA interaction interfaces are reported for designing RNA modules for directional supramolecular self-assembly. The new interfaces are generated from existing ones by inserting C-loops between the interaction motifs that mediate supramolecular assembly. C-Loops are new modular motifs recently identified in crystal structures that increase the helical twist of RNA helices in which they are inserted and thus reduce the distance between pairs of loop or loop-receptor motifs from 11 to 9 base-stacking layers while maintaining correct orientation for binding to cognate interaction interfaces. Binding specificities of C-loop-containing molecules for cognate molecules that also have inserted C-loops were found to range up to 20-fold. Binding affinities for most C-loop-containing molecules were generally equal or higher than those for the parent molecules lacking C-loops.
Ability of 15-hydroxyeicosatrienoic acid (15-OH-20:3) to modulate macrophage arachidonic acid metabolism

Summary Mouse peritoneal macrophages metabolize dihomogammalinolenic acid (20:3n-6) primarily to 15-hydroxy-8,11,13-eicosatrienoic acid (15-OH-20:3). Since the biological properties of this novel trienoic eicosanoid remain poorly defined, the effects of increasing concentrations of 15-OH-20:3 and its arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) derived analogue, 15-hydroxy-5,8,11,13-eicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE), on mouse macrophage 20:4n-6 metabolism were investigated. Resident peritoneal macrophages were prelabeled with [3H]-20:4n-6 and subsequently stimulated with zymosan in the presence of either 15-OH-20:3 or 15-HETE (1–30 μM). After 1 hr, the radiolabeled soluble metabolites were analyzed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography. 15-OH-20:3 inhibited zymosan-induced leukotriene C4 (IC50 = 2.4 μM) and 5-HETE (IC50 = 3.1 μM) synthesis. In contrast to the inhibition of macrophage 5-lipoxygenase, 15-OH-20:3 enhanced 12-HETE synthesis (5–30 μM) and had no measurable effect on cyclooxygenase metabolism (1–10 μM) i.e., 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and prostaglandin E2 synthesis. Addition of exogenous 15-HETE produced similar effects. These results suggest that the manipulation of macrophage 15-OH-20:3n-6 levels may provide a measure of cellular control over 20:4n-6 metabolism, specifically, leukotriene production.
Materially nonlinear analysis of laminated composite plates

Abstract A materially nonlinear analysis of laminated composite plates is presented. The Reissner-Mindlin type plate theory and a fully three-dimensional elasticity theory of laminated composites are used to analyze the bending of plates under transverse loads. The modified Ramberg-Osgood relationship is used to compute the principal elastic moduli in each lamina. Results are also presented using the modified elastic-plastic criterion of Hill. The results agree well with those available in the literature. Many of the results presented here should serve as references for future investigations.
George Bush, Apocalypse Sometime Soon, and the American Imperium

Under the sign of the Stars and Stripes, the war against terrorism unchains the attack dogs of the New World Order in defense of civilization. In the pro- cess, the United States has crossed the threshold of militant authoritarianism and goose-stepped onto the global balcony of neofascism, befouling the Con- stitution along the way. As long as the nation keeps cheering, and Bush's impish jaw juts ever forward, the stench goes unnoticed. Among the Bush administration, there is a concerted effort to meld political rhetoric and apocalyptic discourse as part of a larger politics of fear and para- noia. Like a priest of the black arts, Bush has successfully disinterred the rem- nants of Ronald Reagan's millennarian rhetoric from the graveyard of chiliastic fantasies, appropriated it for his own interests, and played it in public like a charm. Self-fashioning one's image through the use of messianic and millenar- ian tropes works best on the intended audience (in this case, the American pub- lic) when the performance is disabused of shrillness, appears uncompromising, and remains unrestrained, confident, anagogic, and sometimes allegorical. Fas- cist plain speak is a discursive rendering that is straightforward and unapolo- getic and, like an iceberg, does most of the damage beneath the surface. Bush's handlers are masters of the fascist spin, and Bush is a perfect candidate because he hardly needs any ideological persuasion to get on board the fascist band- wagon. He is the perfect host for collapsing the distinction between religious authoritarianism and politics. Bush's defense of the war on terrorism works largely through archetypal association and operates in the crucible of the struc- tural unconscious. Bush may believe that Providence has assigned him the arduous yet glorious task of rescuing America from the satanic forces of evil, as if he, himself, were the embodiment of the generalized will and the unalloyed spirit of the American people. Evoking the role of the divine prophet who iden- tifies with the sword arm of divine retribution, Bush reveals the eschatological undertow to the war on terrorism, perhaps most evident in his totalizing and Manichean pronouncements where he likens bin Laden and his al Quaeda chthonic warriors to absolute evil and the United States to the apogee of free- dom and goodness.
Coronary artery calcification and end-stage renal disease: vascular biology and clinical implications.

Coronary artery calcifications appear to be an indicator of total atherosclerotic disease burden, but their relation to the stability of individual atherosclerotic plaques is not well understood. Plaque rupture and acute coronary syndromes can occur without plaque calcification and may be more often associated with noncalcified, soft plaque. Pharmacologic control of calcium and phosphate metabolism should be guided by the nephrologic and endocrinologic needs of the renal failure patient and not withheld out of concern about coronary calcifications. Efforts to slow coronary artery disease progression in patients with end-stage renal disease should emphasize aggressive control of recognized cardiovascular risk factors.
The mean Jovian temperature structure derived from spectral observations from 105 to 630 cm−1

Abstract New far-infrared observations of the NH3 rotation-inversion manifolds in the spectrum of Jupiter have been inverted with the use oftthe detailed ammonia line opacity. A temperature of 160°K at a 1-bar pressure level and a temperature of 105°K for the minimum temperature of the inversion level at 0.15 bars have been derived for gaseous absorption due to NH3, H2, and He. The overall fit to the brightness temperature as a function of frequency σ is within ±1°K for 100 ≤ σ ≤ 400 cm−1 except for the centers of the NH3 rotation-inversion manifolds where for J ≥ 7 the fit is about 5°K too high. In the continuum for 400 ≤ σ ≤ 630 cm−1 the fit is within 2.5°K. Consideration of an ammonia ice haze, photodissociation of NH3 by uv radiation, NH3 abundance variation, different He/H2 ratios, and uncertainties in the data effect the temperatures at 1 bar and the temperature at the inversion layer by
Ellipsometric studies of magnetic phase transitions of Fe-Rh alloys

Spectroscopic ellipsometric measurements of the dielectric functions for Fe-Rh alloys with 48, 50, 52, and 54 at. % Fe concentrations were performed between 25 and 125 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}C in the 1--3-eV range. Results show that the band structure of Fe-Rh is not drastically affected as the antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic phase transition occurs and is less affected than band-structure calculations indicate. Therefore, the large change in the linear term of the electronic specific heat between the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic phases can be attributed primarily to a magnetic contribution rather than to a change in the density of electronic states at the Fermi surface.
Mules in Herodotus: The Destiny of Half-Breeds

In his Histories, Herodotus uses the mule as a symbol of both potential advantages and risks of intermarriage and reproduction between different ethnic groups. Both literal mules and the children of mixed marriages are symbols of revolutions and new dynasties. These revolutions are often marked by an attempt to blend or conglomerate distinct cultural nomoi, or customs. Herodotus' stories about ethnically mixed leaders and their effects upon their societies serve as both encouragement and warning to governments like Athens and the Persian Empire.
Human Plasma Immunoreactive Lipotropin and Adrenocorticotropin in Normal Subjects and in Patients with Pituitary-Adrenal Disease*

ABSTRACT In view of current evidence indicating that ACTH and lipotropin (LPH) are synthesized in the form of a common precursor molecule, plasma ACTH and LPH concentrations were measured simultaneously to determine if such concentrations vary concomitantly. Studies were performed in normal subjects under basal conditions and those of pituitary-adrenal stimulation (insulin-induced hypoglycemia and Pitressin administration) and suppression (dexamethasone administration). Patients with pituitary-adrenal disease (Cushing's disease, Nelson's syndrome, and Addison's disease) were studied under basal and circadian conditions and during pituitary suppression. In normal subjects, basal plasma LPH concentrations at 0800-0900 h were 6.6 ± 0.5 fmol/ml; those of ACTH were 19.4 ± 1.7 fmol/ml. Effective hypoglycemia or Pitressin administration resulted in parallel rises in plasma ACTH and LPH concentrations. Plasma ACTH and LPH concentrations at 0900 h declined significantly after midnight dexamethasone administration....
Overtone dissociation of peroxynitric acid (HO2NO2): absorption cross sections and photolysis products.

Band strengths for the second (3νOH) and third (4νOH) overtones of the OH stretch vibration of peroxynitric acid, HO2NO2 (PNA) in the gas-phase were measured using Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS). Both OH overtone transitions show diffuse smoothly varying symmetrical absorption profiles without observable rotational structure. Integrated band strengths (base e) at 296 K were determined to be S3νOH = (5.7 ± 1.1) × 10−20 and S4νOH = (4.9 ± 0.9) × 10−21 cm2 molecule−1 cm−1 with peak cross sections of (8.8 ± 1.7) × 10−22 and (7.0 ± 1.3) × 10−23 cm2 molecule−1 at 10086.0 ± 0.2 cm−1 and 13095.8 ± 0.4 cm−1, respectively, using PNA concentrations measured on line by Fourier-transform infrared and ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy. The quoted uncertainties are 2σ (95% confidence level) and include estimated systematic errors in the measurements. OH overtone spectra measured at lower temperature, 231 K, showed a narrowing of the 3νOH band along with an increase in its peak absorption cross section, but no ch...
Amino-acid sequence of the catalytic subunit of the (Na + + K + )ATPase deduced from a complementary DNA

We have isolated and characterized a complementary DNA for the catalytic subunit of the sheep kidney sodium / potassium-dependent ATPase. The 1,016-amino-acid protein seems to have eight transmembrane domains. The apparent ouabain binding site is located at the extracellular junction of two transmembrane domains and is linked to the phosphorylation site by a 60-amino-acid conserved sequence that may be a major channel for energy transduction.
Mouse L cell mitochondrial DNA molecules are selected randomly for replication throughout the cell cycle

The number of mitochondrial DNA molecules in a cell population doubles at the same rate as the cell generation time. This could occur by a random selection of molecules for replication or by a process that ensures the replication of each individual molecule in the cell. We have investigated the rate at which mouse L cell mitochondrial DNA molecules labeled with 3H-thymidine during one round of replication are reselected for a second round of replication. Mouse L cells were labeled with 3H-thymidine for 2 hr, chased for various periods of time and then labeled with 5-bromodeoxyuridine for 4 hr immediately before mitochondrial DNA isolation. A constant fraction of 3H-thymidine-labeled mitochondrial DNA incorporated 5-bromodeoxyuridine after chase intervals ranging from 1.5-22 hr. This result demonstrates that mitochondrial DNA molecules replicated in a short time interval are randomly selected for later rounds of replication, and that replication of mitochondrial DNA continues throughout the cell cycle in mouse L cells.
Biological activity of rat proinsulin synthesized by Escherichia coli.

Abstract Fused proteins possessing insulin antigenic determinants are synthesized and secreted by several strains of Escherichia coli K-12 bearing plasmids containing cDNA copies of rat proinsulin mRNA. Small amounts of the secreted, fused protein from E. coli strains χ1776 and HB101 bearing plasmid p 147 were partially purified and assayed for biological activity by determining stimulation of [1-14C]glucose oxidation to 14CO2 in the rat epididymal fat pad assay. Guinea pig anti-insulin serum (GPAIS) was used to suppress glucose oxidation stimulated by insulin. After mild treatment with trypsin, fused protein stimulated 14CO2 production, and over 90% of this activity was suppressible by GPAIS. Untrypsinized fused protein demonstrated no GPAIS-suppressible 14CO2 production. Larger amounts of fused protein were obtained by transformation of strain PR 13 of E. coli in which the yield of eukaryotic proteins is increased approx. 50-fold. A single intravenous injection of trypsinized fused protein from E. coli PR13 containing plasmid p287.47 resulted in a rapid decline in the plasma glucose levels of fasted mice, and the hypoglycemic effect persisted for at least 120 min.
NO2 Quantum Yield from the 248 nm Photodissociation of Peroxynitric Acid (H02N02)

Peroxynitric acid (PNA) was photolyzed at 248 nm, and the NO_2 photoproduct was detected by laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The quantum yield for the production of NO_2 was determined by comparison with HNO_3 photolysis data taken under identical experimental conditions. Measurements made over a range of pressures, flows, and precursor concentrations resulted in an NO_2 quantum yield of 0.56 ± 0.17, where the statistical uncertainty is 2 standard deviations. Calculations of potential energy curves for several low-lying singlet and triplet states of PNA are presented. The calculations show that while the singlet excitations occur via an n−π* transition on the NO_2 moiety, the dissociative channels forming OH + NO_3 and HO_2 + NO_2 likely occur via predissocation on different surfaces. Excitation energies at the MRCI and CCSD(T) level of theory show that excited states of PNA are not accessible at wavelengths longer than 407 nm (∼3.0 eV).
Switching properties of thin Nio films

Abstract This paper describes a two-terminal solid-state switch made from a thin film of nickel oxide. The switch has a typical OFF resistance of 10–20 MΩ and a typical ON resistance of 100–200 Ω. Switching times are in the 0·1–10 μsec range. The switching action is thought to be due to the formation and rupture of a nickel filament in the NiO matrix. The formation process is such that after about 100–1000 switching cycles, the devices to be described fail ‘short’; i.e. they cannot be switched out of the ON condition with normal switching signal amplitudes. Several experiments which elucidate the switching mechanism and the terminal properties of the device are described.
Deconstructing Schizophrenia for DSM-V: Challenges for Clinical and Research Agendas

Considerable effort is focused on a revised definition of schizophrenia for the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) anticipated in 2012. Among the core debates are how to define a disorder without an established pathophysiology, whether diagnosis is improved by implementing continuous symptomatic dimensions, and to what extent neurocognitive deficits should be integrated into schizophrenia for DSM-V. Although lacking in validity, the diagnosis "schizophrenia" remains a useful term for clinical communication, with current antipsychotic therapies encouraging diagnostic "lumping" rather than "splitting." Much evidence supports a move to a dimensional model for psychosis, but doing so raises the potential for overdiagnosis. Validity problems exist not only with schizophrenia, but also with its defining symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. Integrating dimensional symptom clusters into DSM-V schizophrenia, exemplified by models based on neurocognitive defic...
HRC-I gain correction

We study the gain variations in the HRC-I over the duration of the Chandra mission. We analyze calibration observations of AR Lac obtained yearly at the nominal aimpoint and at 20 offset locations on the detector. We show that the gain is declining, and that the time dependence of the gain can be modeled generally as a linear decrease in PHAs. We describe the spatial and temporal characteristics of the gain decline and discuss the creation of time-dependent gain correction maps. These maps are used to convert PHAs to PI channels, thereby removing spatial and temporal dependence, and allowing source pulse-height distributions to be compared directly regardless of observation date or location on the detector.