cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the external validity of Ewing and Rouse.

Since the publication of Davies' (1962) classic article on normal drinking by recovered alcoholics, such reports have been subjected to rigorous methodological critiques. The latest example of such a reaction involved the Rand Report (Armor, Polich and Stambul, 1978). Without question, when such critiques are well thought out and defended they can only lead to greater progress in the treatment of persons with alcohol problems. It is curious, however, that a study in this area which reported negative findings has eluded similar scrutiny. That study, reported by Ewing and Rouse in 1976, described a 'Failure of an experimental treatment program to inculcate controlled drinking in alcoholics'. While the Ewing and Rouse study has not been critically evaluated, it has definitely been infiuential. For example, spokesmen for the National Council on Alcoholism have asserted that the report is more soundly designed than recent reports of successful nonabstinent outcomes (The Alcoholism Report, 1976); Dr Sidney Cohen (1977) has cited the report as a major research finding which casts doubt upon reports of nonproblem drinking outcomes; and Dr Frank Seixas has stated: 'There are those who believe the clinical wisdom of the past will be verified if appropriate experiments are performed (certainly Ewing's work is an indication of this)' (Seixas, 1977, p, 282), In light of the article's reception, it is important that Ewing and Rouse's study be evaluated as a scientific venture. That is the purpose of this letter.
The average likelihood and a fiducial approximation: one parameter members of the generalized gamma distributions

The average likelihood, defined as the integral of the like-lihood function over the parameter space, has been used as a criterion for model selection The form of the average likelihood considered uses a uniform prior. An approximation is presented based on fiducial distributions. The sampling distributions of the average likelihood and its fiducial approximation are derived for cases of sampling from one parameter members of the general-ized gamma distributions.
A novel microfabrication of a self-aligned vertical comb drive on a single SOI wafer for optical MEMS applications

A novel method for fabricating a self-aligned electrostatic vertical comb drive using a single layer of a SOI wafer is introduced. The fixed combs are anchored to bimorph cantilevers made of two materials with dissimilar thermal coefficients of expansion, i.e., silicon dioxide and single crystal silicon. The cantilever, which provides the vertical offset between the fixed comb and the movable comb, is deflected by residual stress during cooling down from oxidation temperature to room temperature. In piston motion, the vertical amplitude at the resonant frequency of 3.5 kHz is 30 µm. In torsional motion, the angle of optical deflection at the resonance of 830 Hz is changed by 6.5°. The measured resonant frequencies correspond to the results from a finite element analysis within 10%. This vertical comb drive is useful for optical and biophotonic MEMS requiring out-of-plane torsional or piston motion.
Nicotinic and muscarinic agonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors stimulate a common pathway to enhance GluN2B-NMDAR responses

Nicotinic and muscarinic ACh receptor agonists and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) can enhance cognitive function. However, it is unknown whether a common signaling pathway is involved in the effect. Here, we show that in vivo administration of nicotine, AChEIs, and an m1 muscarinic (m1) agonist increase glutamate receptor, ionotropic, N-methyl D-aspartate 2B (GluN2B)-containing NMDA receptor (NR2B-NMDAR) responses, a necessary component in memory formation, in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells, and that coadministration of the m1 antagonist pirenzepine prevents the effect of cholinergic drugs. These observations suggest that the effect of nicotine is secondary to increased release of ACh via the activation of nicotinic ACh receptors (nAChRs) and involves m1 receptor activation through ACh. In vitro activation of m1 receptors causes the selective enhancement of NR2B-NMDAR responses in CA1 pyramidal cells, and in vivo exposure to cholinergic drugs occludes the in vitro effect. Furthermore, in vivo exposure to cholinergic drugs suppresses the potentiating effect of Src on NMDAR responses in vitro. These results suggest that exposure to cholinergic drugs maximally stimulates the m1/guanine nucleotide-binding protein subunit alpha q/PKC/proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2/Src signaling pathway for the potentiation of NMDAR responses in vivo, occluding the in vitro effects of m1 activation and Src. Thus, our results indicate not only that nAChRs, ACh, and m1 receptors are on the same pathway involving Src signaling but also that NR2B-NMDARs are a point of convergence of cholinergic and glutamatergic pathways involved in learning and memory.
Synthesis and characterization of ligand stabilized CdS-Trititanate composite materials for visible light-induced photocatalytic water splitting

Abstract We report a facile method for the synthesis of 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (MBA) stabilized CdS-trititanate nanotube (CdS-TNT) composite materials. The resultant materials were well characterized by powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), N2 physisorption, Raman spectroscopy, UV–Visible Diffuse Reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), Fourier-Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The photocatalytic performances of these materials were evaluated by monitoring the amount of hydrogen evolved from water under visible light irradiation. The amount of hydrogen evolved from MBA stabilized CdS-TNT composite materials were higher compared to MBA stabilized CdS, suggesting an important role of the TNT support. The enhanced photocatalytic hydrogen generation in MBA stabilized CdS-TNT composite materials compared to CdS-MBA might have arisen from the effective charge separation in CdS-TNT composite materials, which was further supported by PL studies.
Hydration of gaseous copper dications probed by IR action spectroscopy.

Clusters of Cu2+(H2O)n, n = 6−12, formed by electrospray ionization, are investigated using infrared photodissociation spectroscopy, blackbody infrared radiative dissociation (BIRD), and density functional theory of select clusters. At 298 K, the BIRD rate constants increase with increasing cluster size for n ≥ 8, but the trend reverses for the smaller clusters where Cu2+(H2O)6 is less stable than Cu2+(H2O)8. This trend in stability is consistent with a change in fragmentation pathway from loss of a water molecule for clusters with n ≥ 9 to loss of hydrated protonated water clusters and the formation of the corresponding singly charged hydrated metal hydroxide for n ≤ 7. The lowest-energy structures of Cu2+(H2O)n, n = 6−8 and 10, identified at the B3LYP/LACV3P**++ level of theory, all have coordination numbers (CN) of 4, although structures with a CN = 5 are within about 10 kJ/mol for all clusters except Cu2+(H2O)8. IR action spectra indicate the presence of hydrogen bonding for all clusters, and results ...
Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury Initial Impact on the Family

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant source of morbidity and mortality in children, resulting in a wide range of cognitive and behavioral sequelae. However, little is known about the effects of pediatric TBI and its aftermath on families. The current investigation examined the impact of TBI on families during the first month following injury. Children with orthopedic injuries requiring hospitalization served as a control group. The sample consisted of 44 families of children of severe TBI, 52 families of children with moderate TBI, and 69 families of children with orthopedic injuries not involving the central nervous system (CNS). Families of children with severe TBI experienced significantly more injury-related stress than the other two groups of families. Parents of children with TBI also reported higher levels of psychological symptoms than parents of children with orthopedic injuries. Findings from regression analyses suggested that families facing multiple stressors in addition to the injury and those who cope poorly may be at greatest risk for adverse consequences. Future interventions could provide anticipatory guidance and support to at-risk families.
Increased total and high-molecular weight adiponectin after extended-release niacin.

Niacin has recently been shown to increase serum total concentrations of the adipocyte-derived protein adiponectin. Adiponectin possesses important vascular anti-inflammatory and metabolic properties that have been attributed to the active high–molecular weight (HMW) complex of the protein. Our purpose was to examine the influence of extended-release niacin on the distribution of HMW and low–molecular weight (LMW) adiponectin complexes. Fifteen men with the metabolic syndrome were treated for 6 weeks with extended-release niacin. Serum total adiponectin concentrations increased by 46% after the niacin intervention (P < .05). High–molecular weight adiponectin accounted for 63% of the increase in total adiponectin, which was reflected by a shift in the HMW/LMW adiponectin ratio from 0.69 to 0.86 (+25%) (P < .05). Serum insulin concentrations increased by 20% after the niacin intervention despite an increase in HMW adiponectin concentrations (P < .05). These results suggest that the increase in total adiponectin concentrations observed with extended-release niacin is primarily due to an increase in the active HMW complex. Therefore, at least part of the cardioprotective benefits of niacin may be attributed to a shift in the HMW/LMW adiponectin ratio in obese men with the metabolic syndrome.
One step lithography-less silicon nanomanufacturing for low cost high-efficiency solar cell production

To improve light absorption, previously various antireflection material layers were created on solar wafer surface including multilayer dielectric film, nanoparticle sludges, microtextures, noble metal plasmonic nanoparticles and 3D silicon nanostructure arrays. All of these approaches involve nanoscale prepatterning, surface-area-sensitive assembly processes or extreme fabrication conditions; therefore, they are often limited by the associated high cost and low yield as well as the consequent industry incompatibility. In comparison, our nanomanufacturing, an unique synchronized and simultaneous top-down and bottom-up nanofabrication approach called simultaneous plasma enhanced reactive ion synthesis and etching (SPERISE), offers a better antireflection solution along with the potential to increase p-n junction surface area. High density and high aspect ratio anechoic nanocone arrays are repeatedly and reliably created on the entire surface of single and poly crystalline silicon wafers as well as amorphous silicon thin films within 5 minutes under room temperature. The nanocone surface had lower than 5% reflection over the entire solar spectrum and a desirable omnidirectional absorption property. Using the nanotextured solar wafer, a 156mm × 156mm 18.1%-efficient black silicon solar cell was fabricated, which was an 18.3% enhancement over the cell fabricated by standard industrial processes. This process also reduces silicon loss during the texturing step and enables tighter process control by creating more uniform surface structures. Considering all the above advantages, the demonstrated nanomanufacturing process can be readily translated into current industrial silicon solar cell fabrication lines to replace the costly and ineffective wet chemical texturing and antireflective coatings.
Analysis of the reputation system and user contributions on a question answering website: StackOverflow

Question answering (Q&A) communities have been gaining popularity in the past few years. The success of such sites depends mainly on the contribution of a small number of expert users who provide a significant portion of the helpful answers, and so identifying users that have the potential of becoming strong contributers is an important task for owners of such communities. We present a study of the popular Q&A website StackOverflow (SO), in which users ask and answer questions about software development, algorithms, math and other technical topics. The dataset includes information on 3.5 million questions and 6.9 million answers created by 1.3 million users in the years 2008--2012. Participation in activities on the site (such as asking and answering questions) earns users reputation, which is an indicator of the value of that user to the site. We describe an analysis of the SO reputation system, and the participation patterns of high and low reputation users. The contributions of very high reputation users to the site indicate that they are the primary source of answers, and especially of high quality answers. Interestingly, we find that while the majority of questions on the site are asked by low reputation users, on average a high reputation user asks more questions than a user with low reputation. We consider a number of graph analysis methods for detecting influential and anomalous users in the underlying user interaction network, and find they are effective in detecting extreme behaviors such as those of spam users. Lastly, we show an application of our analysis: by considering user contributions over first months of activity on the site, we predict who will become influential long-term contributors.
Defect Enhanced Carbon Monoxide Oxidation at Elevated Oxygen Pressures on a Pt/Al2O3 Thin Film

Carbon monoxide oxidation has been studied, using in situ soft X-ray techniques and ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) temperature-programmed reaction spectroscopy (TPRS), on a well-characterized supported platinum thin film over the100-1000 K temperature range and in pressures ranging from UHV to 0.01 Torr. In high oxygen pressures the reaction is enhanced by oxidation at defect sites. Temperature-programmed fluorescence yield near-edge spectroscopy (TP-FYNES) studies of preadsorbed CO coverages heated in pressures of flowing oxygen, ranging from I x 10 - 5 to I x 10 - 2 Torr, have been performed. Unlike with the Pt(111) surface, the onset temperature for oxidation of a saturated coverage of CO on the platinum thin film decreases dramatically with increasing oxygen pressure. The CO oxidation onset temperature decreased from 340 K in 1 x 10 - 5 Torr of flowing oxygen to 230 K in 1 x 10 - 2 Torr of flowing oxygen. Therefore, oxidation is not limited by CO desorption for high CO coverages, and reactions at defect sites control the rate of CO oxidation at high oxygen pressures. Isothermal oxidation experiments in 0.002 Torr of flowing oxygen have yielded an activation energy of 8.5 kcal/mol. TPRS of coadsorbed carbon monoxide and oxygen has indicated a primary oxidation channel at 350 K corresponding to the oxidation of CO on Pt( 111) terrace sites and minor oxidation channels above 400 K. The thin Pt/Al 2 O 3 film has been characterized using both chemical and structural methods. CO and O 2 temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) experiments indicate the Pt film surface is similar to Pt(111), but with a higher defect site concentration. Plane-view and cross-section transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments have confirmed a 100 A Pt film consisting of ∼450 A, well-ordered grains, as indicated by local area electron diffraction patterns, with the (111) orientation parallel to the substrate.
Growth of InAs quantum dot laser structures on silicon

We report on the direct epitaxial growth of InAs quantum dot based laser structures on silicon substrates. Multiple layers of InAs quantum dots serve as the gain region in a III/V broad area laser structure heteroepitaxially grown on silicon. Aspects of the heteroepitaxy and quantum dot growth are examined.
The CD‐ROM Novel Myst and McLuhan's Fourth Law of Media Myst and Its “Retrievals”

Myst, the first CD-ROM multimedia novel to sell over one million copies, signals both the breakthrough of a new art form, and, in accordance with McLuban's fourth law of media, the retrieval of art forms long thought to be obsolete. Myst, in fact, resurrects forms ranging from the Homeric epic to medieval allegory, from Tristram Shandy to Jorge Luis Borges, from silent cinema to surrealist painting. In shaping these older art forms into a new genre of miniature theater, complete with multiple interactive pathways, Myst is less a herald of the Gutenberg Galaxy's demise than it is of its reinvention into something rich and strange—a new media form in which the “reader” becomes not only coauthor, but also theater goer, movie goer, museum visitor, and player, all at the same time. With one stroke, Myst has shifted forever the horizon of our communications expectations.
Origins of the Modern Prometheus

Montillo's biography of Mary Shelley sketches the social and scientific contexts that shaped the origin of Frankenstein .
Post‐fire seedling establishment in Florida sand pine scrub

. This study deals with a quantification of pre- and post-fire seedling establishment and microsite characteristics in two Florida sand pine scrub sites burned in May 1993. In addition, life history characteristics related to seedling establishment are described for five perennial species –Calamintha ashei, Chapmannia floridana, Eriogonum floridanum, Garberia heterophylla and Palafoxia feayi. Post-fire seedling establishment in sand pine scrub was sparse (median = 1, 12 seedling/m2), with 17 of 35 species establishing seedlings. Chapmannia, Eriogonum, Garberia and Palafoxia resprouted and flowered after fire; Eriogonum and Garberia had strong post-fire seedling establishment responses within 19 months post-fire. Calamintha individuals were killed by fire, but this species had a strong post-fire seedling establishment response, presumably from seeds in a soil seed bank. Eriogonum and Calamintha seedlings established preferentially in plots centered on conspecific adults. For these species with poor seed dispersal, spatial patterns of seedling establishment may be influenced more by pre-fire adult plant location than by post-fire microsite conditions. Post-fire seedling density in sand pine scrub was much lower than in California chaparral and South African sand plain lowland fynbos.
Advances in the treatment of relapsed acute promyelocytic leukemia.

The presence of the characteristic fusion transcript gene, promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor-alpha (PML-RARalpha), provided hematologists with a rationale for the use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) for differentiation therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Multiple studies have established that combination of ATRA and chemotherapy in newly diagnosed patients has increased the cure rate to 70% from 35% in patients treated with chemotherapy alone. However, still about 30% of the patients relapse and are often resistant to ATRA retreatment. Consequently, a number of novel agents that include several differentiation agents and monoclonal antibodies have been studied to provide improved outcomes for patients with APL who have relapsed. In particular, arsenic trioxide has shown great promise for the induction, consolidation, and maintenance of complete remission in relapsed patients with APL. The unique mechanisms of action by which arsenic trioxide exerts its effects are complementary to those of ATRA, potentially allowing for combination therapies with additive or even synergistic results. Within this context autologous or allogeneic bone marrow transplantations are also considered in second or subsequent relapse, especially after arsenic trioxide-induced complete remission in relapsing patients. Furthermore, molecular monitoring for the PML-RARalpha fusion protein permits prompt intervention for early molecular relapse of APL before clinical relapse, ultimately improving chances of prolonged remission.
Prior distributions for the bivariate binomial

SUMMARY We derive prior distributions for the bivariate binomial model using Bernardo's (1979) method. These priors are compared to the Jeffreys prior and to a prior proposed by Crowder & Sweeting (1989). The priors possess desirable symmetry properties since we allow them to depend on the parameter of interest.
Does the use of ultrasound affect contamination of musculoskeletal injections sites

Background Therapeutic musculoskeletal injections require a clean or sterile skin preparation to minimize the risk of infections. Ultrasound guidance for this procedure requires the use of transmission gel in proximity to the injection site, and its effect on maintaining sterility is unknown.
Fluorescence and X-ray data of EuFCl☆

Abstract The title compound has been prepared in single crystal form and its luminescence and x-ray parameters measured. EuFCl crystallizes in P4/nmm symmetry with a = 4.118 A , c = 6.972 A . At room temperature it fluoresces in a narrow band centered around 416 nm. At liquid nitrogen a sharp line emission at 363 nm, arising from an f → f transition, can also be observed.
Antigen specificity of clonally expanded and receptor edited cerebrospinal fluid B cells from patients with relapsing remitting MS

We re-engineered the immunoglobulin rearrangements from clonally expanded CSF B cells of three Multiple Sclerosis patients as Fab fragments, and used three methods to test for their antigen (Ag) specificity. Nine out of ten Fab fragments were reactive to Myelin Basic Protein (MBP). The one Fab that did not react to MBP was a product of receptor editing. Two of the nine MBP reactive Fabs were also reactive to GFAP and CNPase, indicating that these clones were polyreactive. Targeting the mechanisms that allow these self-reactive B cells to reside in the CSF of MS patients may prove to be a potent immunotherapeutic strategy.
Fibrinogen selects selectins.

In this issue of Blood , Yang and colleagues provide new insights into how plasma fibrinogen, fibrinogen uptake, and integrin signaling regulate P-selectin in circulating platelets.[1][1] Membrane P-selectin expression is considered one of the most reliable markers of murine and human platelet
This Rebellious Terrain

The difficulty of situating humanity in relation to the promise of transcendence—in a time when God's absence dominates our thinking— arises from a refusal to simply affirm life's passage either into the divine or into a greater secular community. Various versions of the sacred that claim to surpass traditional metaphysics, including Bataille, Derrida, Heidegger and Schelhng, are examined here in light of the general claims of movement and affirmation. In particular, the affirmation of deconstruction is connected to a metaphysics that posits a necessary movement of thought, and thus the effacement of death, while the address of poetry is situated in the refusal of that necessity. In other words, instead of speaking of the power of poetry (or the divine), we should speak of the fragility of its necessity. As radical as it may be, no transformation of the world is capable of changing my life completely, so notably conditioned by my certitude of being called upon to die. It is a part of me that the revolution, even completely carried through, would leave intact, and it is to this rebellious part that, rebellious as well, poetry is addressed, and in this terrain that [poetry] sinks its roots. Michel Leiris, Frele Bruit, p. 306 (my translation) My one claim here is that density of prose, as in Leiris' variously turned phrases, carries the force of a divine task. A rebellion against simplicity, and against the simplicity of an unfolding clarity called life. As with his friend Georges Bataille, Leiris' work is absorbed within a religious trajectory—the death of God, somehow, is taken as a sacred fact. A fact, I would add, that leads writing away from the constant secularisations of modem life, away from the idea that we can create meaning for ourselves, through poetry or politics, and pacify or absorb all rebellion. Even if facts are supposed to be mundane things, controlled within our language, giving us access to the totality of a completely human world, God's death is not mundane. The sacred dying, the withdrawal of the divine, leaves us with a rooted freedom, with a place where Literature & Theology Vol. 18 No. 4 © Oxford University Press 2004; all rights reserved. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.73 on Thu, 11 Aug 2016 04:46:45 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
The Renoprotective Effects of RAS Inhibition: Focus on Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) shares major risk factors with cardiovascular disease(CVD), including hypertension and diabetes mellitus. In patients with hypertensive kidney disease and diabetic nephropathy, inhibitors of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) significantly reduce the risk of renal and cardiovascular endpoints. Whether the renoprotective effects of RAS inhibitors can be fully accounted for by blood pressure reductions or whether other mechanisms are involved has not been clearly established. Because RAS inhibitors reduce albuminuria and slow progression of kidney disease, they are recommended as fi rst-line antihypertensive agents in patients with CKD, who often require aggressive treatment with > or = 2 drugs to reach the goal blood pressure (< 130/80 mm Hg). Greater RAS inhibition with higher-than-usual doses of a single agent or dual RAS inhibition with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and an angiotensin receptor blocker may be necessary for maximum renoprotective effects. Ongoing clinical trials assessing treatment and prevention of CKD may resolve unanswered questions about RAS inhibition in patients with hypertension and/or diabetes.
Sound produced by a vortex interacting with a cavitated wake

A linearized analysis is made of the canonical problem of sound production during the convection of a line vortex of strength being the mean water density) and width approximately equal to fence height/mean flow Mach number, produced as the vortex passes the tip of the fence. The acoustic amplitude decreases rapidly at later times because of destructive interference between the sound generated by the impinging vortex and the shed vorticity.
Dehydration and decomposition of divalent metal squarates

Abstract Divalent metal squarate complexes (MC4O4·2H2O where M = Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) were shown by thermogravimetric analysis to decompose in vacuum according to the reaction MC 4 O 4 · 2H 2 O ⇄ 2H 2 O + MC 4 O 4 → M+ (4−2x) CO +x CO 2+x C . The order of stability with respect to water loss is close to the Irving-Williams series, but the final decomposition order is quite different. In air, the solid product is partially or completely metal oxide. Anhydrous squarate compounds were isolated and their ligand field spectra characterized; those of iron, cobalt and nickel are tetrahedral.
An examination of the characteristics of unidimensional IRT parameter estimates derived from two-dimensional data

The purpose of this investigation was to study the nature of the item and ability estimates obtained when the modified three-parameter logistic model is used with two-dimensional data. To examine the effects of two-dimensional data on unidimensional parameter es timates, the relative potency of the two dimensions was systematically varied by changing the correlations between the two ability dimensions. Data sets based on correlations of .0, .3, .6, .9, and .95 were gener ated for each of four combinations of sample size and test length. Also, for each of these four combinations, five unidimensional data sets were simulated for com parison purposes. Relative to the nature of the unidi mensional estimates, it was found that the â value seemed best considered as the average of the true a values. The b value seemed best thought of as an overestimate of the true b1 values. The θ value seemed best considered as the average of the true ability pa rameters. Although there was a consistent trend for these relation...
Air flow and dry deposition of non-sea salt sulfate in polar firn: Paleoclimatic implications

Abstract Non-sea salt sulfate aerosol (NSS) is an important factor for the Earth's albedo because it backscatters solar radiation and is the major cloud condensation nucleus over oceans. At Vostok, Antarctica, NSS concentration shows an increase in glacial period ice of 20–46% that cannot be attributed to changes in accumulation rate. The additional NSS may be due to enhanced dry deposition of NSS by topographic windpumping during the windy glacial periods. We model the volume flux of air into snow due to barometric pressure changes and air flow over surface microrelief. The Gormley-Kennedy equation approximately describes how aerosols advected into the snow pack are removed from the air by diffusion to the snow matrix. Barometric pressure and wind speed data from several polar sites have been used to quantify the vertical volume flux of air and mass flux of NSS. Model results indicate that air flow over small sastrugi, wind carved snow dunes commonly found on ice caps, is the dominant dry deposition mechanism for NSS. Paleo wind speed and surface roughness can significantly influence the aerosol record in ice cores.
Superoxide Dismutase and Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity: Lessons From Transgenic and Knockout Mice (Review)

Superoxide (O2-) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary O2 toxicity. The studies using transgenic and knockout mice of each of the three isoforms of superoxide dismutase (SOD) e.g. , CuZnSOD, MnSOD and extracellular SOD (EC-SOD), have demonstrated that O2- produced in the mitochondria from its electron transport system and extracellular O2- generated by infiltrating neutrophils, and possibly its derivatives e.g., hydroxyl radical and peroxynitrite, are important mediators of hyperoxia-induced pulmonary injury, while cytoplasmic O2- plays a limited, if any, role in the pathogenesis of pulmonary O2 toxicity. Distal airway epithelial cells including type II alveolar and non-ciliated bronchiolar epithelial cells, are important targets for O2 radicals under the hyperoxic condition. The accessibility of these distal airway epithelial cells to in vivo gene transfer through the tracheal route of administration, suggests the potential for in vivo transfer of MnSOD and EC-SOD genes as a future approach in the prevention of pulmonary O2 toxicity.
Amino acid accepting activity of deacylated peptidyl-tRNA

Oligolysyl-tRNA, synthesized in cell-free extracts from Escherichia coli, was deacylated by four methods: alkaline hydrolysis (pH 9.6), proteolytic digestion with trypsin, peptide donation to puromycin and hydrolysis stimulated by partially purified peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase. Regardless of the method of deacylation the tRNA product could accept the expected amount of lysine. After the mild alkaline hydrolysis the tRNA product was shown to be able to participate in further rounds of peptide synthesis.
Dynamic tensile strength of terrestrial rocks and application to impact cratering

Dynamic tensile strengths and fracture strengths of 3 terrestrial rocks, San Marcos gabbro, Coconino sandstone, and Sesia eclogite were determined by carrying out flat-plate (PMMA and aluminum) impact experiments on disc-shaped samples in the 5 to 60 m/sec range. Tensile stresses of 125 to 300 MPa and 245 to 580 MPa were induced for gabbro and eclogite, respectively (with duration time of ~1 μs). For sandstone (porosity 25%), tensile stresses normal to bedding of ~13 to 55 MPa were induced (with duration times of 2.4 and ~1.4 μs). Tensile crack failure was detected by the onset of shock-induced (damage) P and S wave velocity reduction. The dynamic tensile strength of gabbro determined from P and S wave velocity deficits agrees closely with the value of previously determined values by post-impact microscopic examination (~150 MPa). Tensile strength of Coconino sandstone is 20 MPa for a 14 μs duration time and 17 MPa for a 2.4 μs duration time. For Sesia eclogite, the dynamic tensile strength is ~240 MPa. The fracture strength for gabbro is ~250 MPa, ~500 MPa for eclogite, and ~40 MPa for sandstone. Relative crack-induced reduction of S wave velocities is less than that of post-impact P wave velocity reductions for both gabbro and eclogite, indicating that the cracks were predominantly spall cracks. Impacts upon planetary surfaces induce tensile failure within shock-processed rocks beneath the resulting craters. The depth of cracking beneath impact craters can be determined both by seismic refraction methods for rocks of varying water saturation and, for dry conditions (e.g., the Moon), from gravity anomalies. In principle, depth of cracking is related to the equations-of-state of projectile and target, projectile dimension, and impact velocity. We constructed a crack-depth model applicable to Meteor Crater. For the observed 850 m depth of cracking, our preferred strength scaling model yields an impact velocity of 33 km/s and impactor radius of 9 m for an iron projectile.
The Diagnosis and Management of Hypertensive Crises

Severe hypertension is a common clinical problem in the United States, encountered in various clinical settings. Although various terms have been applied to severe hypertension, such as hypertensive crises, emergencies, or urgencies, they are all characterized by acute elevations in BP that may be associated with end-organ damage (hypertensive crisis). The immediate reduction of BP is only required in patients with acute end-organ damage. Hypertension associated with cerebral infarction or intracerebral hemorrhage only rarely requires treatment. While nitroprusside is commonly used to treat severe hypertension, it is an extremely toxic drug that should only be used in rare circumstances. Furthermore, the short-acting calcium channel blocker nifedipine is associated with significant morbidity and should be avoided. Today, a wide range of pharmacologic alternatives are available to the practitioner to control severe hypertension. This article reviews some of the current concepts and common misconceptions in the management of patients with acutely elevated BP.
Geographic variation in the effects of temperature on life-history traits in the large milkweed bug Oncopeltus fasciatus

Complete sets of life-history data (sufficient to construct life-tables and calculate intrinsic rates of increase) were collected at each of three constant temperatures for descendants of two tropical populations of the Large Milkweed Bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. Although the two populations occur only about 60 km apart, they experience quite different thermal regimes, with little variation in mean monthly temperature at either site. In addition to the pronounced effect of ambient temperature on life-history traits, significant population-by-temperature interactions were observed for six of the eight traits examined. The data and the recent history of the species' distribution are consistent with the hypothesis that natural selection in the cool habitat has favored improved survival and increased reproduction at cool temperatures, with some trade-offs with respect to performance at higher (but ecologically relevant) temperatures.
The Effects of Friction on the Performance of A Concrete Block Mine Seal with Pressurized Grout Bags

Mine seals are necessary in nearly every underground coal mine to isolate mined-out areas from the ventilation network. Many seals are already in place in active mines and more need to be constructed to keep up with the development of underground coal reserves. The accidents involving seal failures at Sago and Darby prompted MSHA to create and implement new regulations regarding the strength of the seals. These regulations require the design and construction of seals that are larger and stronger than ever before. Structural seals capable of withstanding the new required design loads are now designed by an engineer and no longer approved through explosion testing. Prior to the seal failure accidents, a solid-block wall with pressurized grout bags at the wall/ribs and wall/roof interfaces was a popular design which met the 137.9 kPa (20 psi) requirement. After implementation of the new 344.7 kPa (50 psi) or 827.4 kPa (120 psi) design regulations depending on whether the atmosphere is kept inert inby the seal, a re-design of the seal was necessary. This paper discusses the quantification of the coefficients of friction which are then implemented into finite element modeling.
Trust networks: Interpersonal, sensor, and social

Trust relationships occur naturally in many diverse contexts such as ecommerce, interpersonal interactions, social networks, sensor web, etc. As agents providing content and services become increasingly removed from the agents that consume them, the issue of robust trust inference and update become critical. Unfortunately, there is neither a universal notion of trust that is applicable to all domains nor a clear explication of its semantics or computation in many situations. In this beginner's level tutorial, we motivate the trust problem, explain the relevant concepts, summarize research in modeling trust and gleaning trustworthiness, and discuss challenges confronting us in this process.
Melatonin, a Promising Role in Taxane-Related Neuropathy:

Purpose: Melatonin has neuroprotective effects in animal studies and has been suggested to decrease adverse reactions of chemotherapy including neuropathy. This pilot trial aimed at assessing whether melatonin, given during taxane chemotherapy for breast cancer, will decrease the incidence and/or severity of neuropathy. Methods: Twenty two consecutive patients beginning chemotherapy for breast cancer with paclitaxel, or docetaxel were enrolled. Patients received melatonin 21 mg daily at bedtime. Incidence and severity of neuropathy were assessed using neurological examinations, toxicity assessment per NCI-CTC 3.0 scale and FACT-Taxane quality of life questionnaire. Results: Neuropathy was seen in 45% ( n = 10) of patients, 23% (n = 6) grade 1 and 22% (n = 5) Grade 2 neuropathy. No grade 3 neuropathies were reported. The majority (55%) of all patients reported no neuropathy. Compliance with melatonin (.60% of dose) was seen in most patients (86%) No patient reported daytime sedation. The median FACT-Taxane quality of life end of study score was 137, with only a 0.5 median decline from baseline. Conclusion: Patients receiving melatonin during taxane chemotherapy had a reduced incidence of neuropathy. Melatonin may be useful in the prevention or reduction of taxane-induced neuropathy and in maintaining quality of life. Larger trials are warranted to further explore the role of melatonin in neuropathy treatment and prevention.
Two Methods of Estimating the Mean Percentage of Thick White for the First Year Egg Production

Abstract TO obtain the mean percentage of thick albumen involves weighing each egg, breaking it open, weighing the total albumen, separating the thin from the thick albumen, and weighing the thick albumen. Since this required much patience and labor, it was decided to determine reliable methods of estimating the mean percentage of thick albumen in the eggs of a pullet’s first-year egg production from observations made on a portion of her eggs. Two methods were tried. The first method consisted of comparing the mean percentage of thick albumen in the eggs laid on Tuesday and Thursday of each week throughout the year with the yearly mean percentage of thick albumen for the first year’s egg production. The second method consisted of comparing the mean percentage of thick albumen of the eggs laid during March with the yearly mean percentage of thick albumen for the first year’s egg production. Both methods were . . .
Angular correlation studies for α-particle excitation of the 1.78 MeV 2+ state in 28Si

Abstract The α-γ in-plane angular correlations of the reaction 28 Si(α, α 1 γ) 28 Si have been measured at 10, 12, 14 and 18 MeV. Correlations were obtained for c.m. scattering angles from 20° to 170° in 3° steps. Extracted angular-correlation parameters show a strong energy dependence, with a more rapid variation of the correlation pattern as a function of scattering angle with bombarding energy increase. Detailed coupled-channels analyses of the 18 MeV data with coupling of the first three excited states to the ground state of 28 Si were performed and a prolate deformation β R = 0.3 was deduced.
Impurity-level transitions in two-dimensional magnetoplasmas.

Les niveaux donneurs et accepteurs de ces magnetoplasmas bidimensionnels a dopage δ sont etudies dans la limite du champ magnetique fort. On traite de facon auto-coherente la diffusion due au desordre et aux impuretes, en incluant les effets d'ecrantages non lineaires. Ces resultats peuvent apporter une interpretation a de nouvelles caracteristiques observees par magnetospectroscopie des impuretes peu profondes dans un gaz d'electrons bidimensionnel
Catalytic activity trends of oxygen reduction reaction for nonaqueous Li-air batteries.

We report the intrinsic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of polycrystalline palladium, platinum, ruthenium, gold, and glassy carbon surfaces in 0.1 M LiClO4 1,2-dimethoxyethane via rotating disk electrode measurements. The nonaqueous Li+-ORR activity of these surfaces primarily correlates to oxygen adsorption energy, forming a “volcano-type” trend. The activity trend found on the polycrystalline surfaces was in good agreement with the trend in the discharge voltage of Li-O2 cells catalyzed by nanoparticle catalysts. Our findings provide insights into Li+-ORR mechanisms in nonaqueous media and design of efficient air electrodes for Li-air battery applications.
Variant Estrogen and Progesterone Receptor Messages in Human Vascular Smooth Muscle

Background—Estrogens stimulate growth of breast or uterine cells but have the opposite effect on vascular smooth muscle cells, in which they protect against coronary artery disease with or without ...
Pharmacogenomic approaches to therapies in rheumatic diseases

Pharmacogenomics, the study of genetic variations in drug-metabolizing enzymes and their translation to drug effects, is a rapidly evolving field. At the present time, clinicians choose drugs for patients with rheumatologic diseases based on data from population studies and at times, empirically. The application of pharmacogenomics to drugs used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, particularly the new expensive agents, holds great promise for optimizing their use in clinical practice. In this article, we highlight some of the published literature on the pharmacogenetics of the common disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) and the emerging data on the new biologic therapies. As evident from the contents of this review, this is an exciting field which is progressing productively and rapidly. Pharmacogenomic approaches are clearly the basis of the “individualized” therapies of the future. Drug Dev. Res. 62:161–171, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Entropy and area.

The ground-state density matrix for a massless free field is traced over the degrees of freedom residing inside an imaginary sphere; the resulting entropy is shown to be proportional to the area (and not the volume) of the sphere. Possible connections with the physics of black holes are discussed.
A group-system hypothesis as an explanation of sociologic phenomena

This paper attempts to trace the origins of some aspects of human social interaction to the basic social primate need for contact and the basic social primate fear of separation. It is hypothesized that the need for contact may be fulfilled psychologically and symbolically through affiliation with a group and through the adoption of a cognitive perceptual system of ordering phenomena. Thus, the group-system constellation and its vicissitudes may be central factors mediating both man's stability and his change sequences, respectively.
FTIR spectroscopy of alanine-based peptides: assignment of the amide I' modes for random coil and helix

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has been used to explore the thermal unfolding of three helical, alanine-based peptides. Each of the peptides follows the general sequence Ac-(AAAX)nA-NH2 where X is either Lys+ or Arg+ and n = 3 or 4. These particular peptides were chosen because they contain varying amounts of 3(10)- and alpha-helix. The amide I' bands for all three peptides, under helix forming conditions, are between 1632 and 1635 cm-1. These results are incongruous with the assignment for alpha-helices in proteins where amide I' bands are usually found above 1650 cm-1. At elevated temperatures, all the peptides exhibit amide I' bands of 1642 cm-1, which is the accepted value for random coil. Variable temperature spectra for the 4K peptide (n = 4, X = Lys+), which is the most alpha-helical of the three peptides at 1 degree C, reveal an isosbestic point suggesting a cooperative two-state unfolding transition. The other peptides, however, did not reveal an isosbestic point, thereby indicating the presence of an intermediate, perhaps 3(10)-helix, along the thermal unfolding pathway.
Role of individual methionines in the fibrillation of methionine-oxidized α-synuclein

The aggregation of normally soluble alpha-synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra is a crucial step in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease. Oxidative stress is believed to be a contributing factor in this disorder. We have previously established that oxidation of all four methionine residues in alpha-synuclein (to the sulfoxide, MetO) inhibits fibrillation of this protein in vitro and that the MetO protein also inhibits fibrillation of unmodified alpha-synuclein. Here we show that the degree of inhibition of fibrillation by MetO alpha-synuclein is proportional to the number of oxidized methionines. This was accomplished be selectively converting Met residues into Leu, prior to Met oxidation. The results showed that with one oxidized Met the kinetics of fibrillation were comparable to those for the control (nonoxidized), and with increasing numbers of methionine sulfoxides the kinetics of fibrillation became progressively slower. Electron microscope images showed that the fibril morphology was similar for all species examined, although fewer fibrils were observed with the oxidized forms. The presence of zinc was shown to overcome the Met oxidation-induced inhibition. Interestingly, substitution of Met by Leu led to increased propensity for aggregation (soluble oligomers) but slower formation of fibrils.
Sesquiterpene lactones of Artemisia verlotorum

Abstract The plant from which vulgarin (tauremisin) was originally isolated has now been identified as Artemisia verlotorum Lamotte. A new collection from the original location has yielded vulgarin as the only isolable lactone. Plants designated as the same species collected in southern Germany and in Switzerland contain no vulgarin, but three other lactones.