cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeted immuno-antiretroviral HIV therapeutic approach to provide dual protection and boosts cellular immunity: A proof-of-concept study

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected active and latent CCR5 expressing long-lived T-cells are the primary barrier to HIV/AIDS eradication. Broadly neutralizing antibodies and latency-reversing agents are the two most promising strategies emerging to achieve ‘functional cure’ against HIV infection. Antiretrovirals (ARVs) have shown to suppress plasma viral loads to non-detectable levels and above strategies have demonstrated a ‘functional cure’ against HIV infection is achievable. Both the above strategies are effective at inducing direct or immune-mediated cell death of latent HIV+ T-cells but have shown respective limitations. In this study, we designed a novel targeted ARVs-loaded nanoformulation that combines the CCR5 monoclonal antibody and antiretroviral drugs (ARV) as a dual protection strategy to promote HIV ‘functional cure’. The modified CCR5 monoclonal antibody (xfR5 mAb) surface-coated dolutegravir (DTG) and tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) loaded nanoformulation (xfR5-D+T NPs) were uniformly sized
"Criminals, We're Coming": Costumed Crime-Fighter Legal Consciousness and Punishment Philosophies in Movement-Produced New Media

I examine the constructions of costumed crime-fighting reflected in ‘Phoenix’s Journal,’ a blog describing the efforts of a group called the Rain City Superhero Movement (RCSM). The RCSM blog provides a self-produced portrait of the group, allowing for analysis of this critical case of vigilantism within their cultivated domain. The theoretical framework of legal consciousness guides a qualitative and ethnographic content analysis exploring two research questions concerning the punishment philosophies of the RCSM, and how costumed crime-fighters use the law to frame their behavior. The RCSM blog indicates a fundamental tension between the members as vigilantes, incapacitating threats to the public, and their role as participants in a larger phenomenon of community crime prevention. The online presence of the RCSM suggests a disinclination to punish beyond incapacitation, as well as portraying these costumed crime fighters as mainly operating within the constraints of the law.
COVID-19 related moral injury: Associations with pandemic-related perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors.

Abstract Background The coronavirus-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is associated with increased potential for morally injurious events, during which individuals may experience, witness, or learn about situations that violate deeply held moral beliefs. However, it is unknown how pandemic risk and resilience factors are associated with COVID-related moral injury. Methods Individuals residing in the U.S. (N = 839; Mage = 37.09, SD = 11.06; 78% women; 63% White; 33% PTSD) participating in an online survey reported on COVID-19 related moral injury (modified Moral Injury Events Scale), perceived current and future threat of pandemic on life domains (social, financial, health), and COVID-19 risky and protective behaviors. Multivariate linear regressions examined associations of perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors on type of COVID-19 related moral injury (betrayal, transgression by others, self). Results Participants endorsed MI betrayal (57%, N = 482), transgression by other (59%, N = 497), and by self 17% (N = 145). Adjusting for sociodemographics, only future threat of COVID-19 to health was significantly associated with betrayal (B = 0.21, p = .001) and transgression by other (B = 0.16, p = .01), but not by self. In contrast, high frequency of risky behaviors was associated with transgressions by self (B = 0.23, p Conclusions Betrayal and transgression by others was associated with greater perceived future threat of COVID-19 to health, but not financial or social domains. Stronger endorsement of transgression by self was associated with more frequently engaging in risky behaviors for contracting COVID-19. These findings may suggest the need for individual, community, and system level interventions to address COVID-19 related moral injury.
Magnetothermoelectric properties of the bulk extruded samples of Bi85Sb15 solid solution with different grain sizes

Bulk extruded (including nanostructured) samples of Bi85Sb15 solid solutions consisting of particles with average sizes of 0.5 × 105, 380, 30, and 15 nm were obtained and their electrical conductiv...
Crisis of Ideologies: The World in 1968

The year 1968 brought many instances of protest and disorder that revolutionized older assumptions about a straightforward East-West confrontation. The reform movement in Czechoslovakia threatened to undermine the Soviet Bloc, while student protests across the West showed a new sympathy for left-wing causes and movements, especially in the Global South and the Third World. Meanwhile, events in Vietnam showed that the US was very unlikely to gain victory, signaling a fundamental shift in international power relations. Guerrilla and terrorist movements became widespread around the globe and often served to destabilize Western powers.
Genome-wide polygenic score with APOL1 risk genotypes predicts chronic kidney disease across major continental ancestries

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common complex condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality in the US and worldwide. Early detection is critical for effective prevention of kidney disease progression. Polygenic prediction of CKD could enhance screening and prevention of kidney disease progression, but this approach has not been optimized for risk prediction in ancestrally diverse populations. Methods: We developed and validated a genome-wide polygenic score (GPS) for CKD defined by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <60 mL/min/1.73m2 using common variant association statistics from GWAS for eGFR combined with information on APOL1 risk genotypes. The score was designed to ensure transferability across major continental ancestries, genotyping platforms, imputation panels, and phenotyping strategies, and was tested following ClinGen guidelines. The polygenic component of the score was developed and optimized using 28,047 cases and 251,772 controls (70% of UK Biobank participants of European ancestry), while the weights for APOL1 effects were derived based on UK Biobank participants of African ancestry (967 cases and 6,191 controls). We tested the performance of the score in 15 independent testing cohorts, including 3 cohorts of European ancestry (total 23,364 cases and 117,883 controls), 6 cohorts of African ancestry (4,268 cases and 10,276 controls), 4 cohorts of Asian ancestry (1,030 cases and 9,896 controls), and 2 Hispanic/Latinx cohorts (1,492 cases and 2,984 controls). Results: We demonstrated the risk score transferability with reproducible performance across all independent testing cohorts. In the meta-analyses, disease odds ratios per standard deviation of the score were estimated at 1.49 (95%CI: 1.47-1.50, P<1.0E-300) for European, 1.32 (95%CI: 1.26-1.38, P=1.8E-33) for African, 1.59 (95%CI: 1.52-1.67, P=1.3E-30) for Asian, and 1.42 (95%CI: 1.33-1.51, P=4.1E-14) for Latinx cohorts. The top 2% cutoff of the GPS was associated with nearly 3-fold increased risk of CKD across all major ancestral groups, the degree of risk that is equivalent to a positive family history of kidney disease. In African-ancestry cohorts, APOL1 risk genotype and the polygenic risk components of the GPS had additive effects on the risk of CKD with no significant interactions. We also observed that individuals of African ancestry had a significantly higher polygenic risk score for CKD compared to other populations, even without accounting for APOL1 variants. Conclusions: By combining APOL1 risk genotypes with the available GWAS for renal function, we designed, optimized, and validated a GPS predictive of CKD across four major continental ancestries. With the upper tail of the GPS distribution associated with disease risk equivalent to a positive family history, this score could be used for clinically meaningful risk stratification.
A Simple Transfer Tube for Liquid Helium

This paper describes a transfer tube for liquid helium which is rather simple in concept and easier to construct and use than those described in the literature. Since the advent of the nitrogen-shielded storage dewar for liquid helium, the transfer of liquid from the storage container to an experimental cryostat has become a routine procedure in many laboratories. Recent books by Scott [1] and White [2] discuss the problem of transfer of liquid helium and describe some appropriate transfer lines.
Design of aqueous redox-enhanced electrochemical capacitors with high specific energies and slow self-discharge

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors exhibit high power and long cycle life but have low specific energy compared with batteries, limiting applications. Redox-enhanced capacitors increase specific energy by using redox-active electrolytes that are oxidized at the positive electrode and reduced at the negative electrode during charging. Here we report characteristics of several redox electrolytes to illustrate operational/self-discharge mechanisms and the design rules for high performance. We discover a methyl viologen (MV)/bromide electrolyte that delivers a high specific energy of ∼14 Wh kg(-1) based on the mass of electrodes and electrolyte, without the use of an ion-selective membrane separator. Substituting heptyl viologen for MV increases stability, with no degradation over 20,000 cycles. Self-discharge is low, due to adsorption of the redox couples in the charged state to the activated carbon, and comparable to cells with inert electrolyte. An electrochemical model reproduces experiments and predicts that 30-50 Wh kg(-1) is possible with optimization.
A fast algorithm for multi-channel/port traffic assignment

Multi-channel/port communication structures are often found in multiaccess networks and switching systems, where data packets from input channels/ports are directed to their destinations of output channels/ports, following certain traffic assignment rules. The authors propose a simple algorithm, the K-HOL algorithm, to expedite the processing of multi-channel/port traffic assignment. Recursive equations are given to find the parameter K and the maximum achievable throughput for the algorithm. They compare this algorithm with two typical algorithms found in the literature. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm has close performance to the two algorithms whereas the computational complexity is reduced greatly. >
Thermodynamics of Chemical Systems

The aim of this book is to develop the concepts and relations pertinent to the solution of many thermodynamic problems encountered in multi-phase, multi-component systems. In doing so, it emphasizes a comprehension and development of general expressions for solving such problems, rather than ready-made equations for particular applications. Throughout the book, the methods of Gibbs are used with emphasis on the chemical potential. Many topics omitted in more elementary texts are amply discussed defining the state of a thermodynamic system, particularly the indifferent systems; the use of the Gibbs-Duhem equation in single-phase and multi-phase component systems; the conditions of stability for single-phase and multi-phase component systems; and the graphical representation of the thermodynamic functions. Special attention is given to reference and standard states. The material is presented in a rigorous and mathematical manner, and SI units are used throughout. A detailed bibliography is also included. Thermodynamics of Chemical Systems is intended for all those concerned with the application of thermodynamics to chemical systems, including biochemists, metallurgists, physicists, and materials scientists as well as chemists. Research workers and graduate students in these areas will find this work to be a valuable textbook and reference book.
Mining spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns in solar datasets

Abstract We address the problem of mining spatiotemporal co-occurrence patterns (STCOPs) in solar datasets with extended polygon-based geometric representations. Specifically designed spatiotemporal indexing techniques are used in the mining of STCOPs. These include versions of two well-known spatiotemporal trajectory indexing techniques: the scalable and efficient trajectory index and Chebyshev polynomial indexing. We present a framework, Stcop-Miner , implementing a filter-and-refine STCOP mining algorithm, with the indexing techniques mentioned for efficiently performing data analysis.
Evidence for an essential histidine residue in the Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase.

Abstract The Neurospora crassa plasma membrane H+-ATPase is rapidly inactivated in the presence of diethyl pyrocarbonate (DEP). The reaction is pseudo-first-order showing time- and concentration-dependent inactivation with a second-order rate constant of 385–420 M−1 · min−1 at pH 6.9 and 25°C. The difference spectrum of the native and modified enzyme has a maximum near 240 nm, characteristics of N-carbethoxyhistidine. No change in the absorbance of the inhibited ATPase at 278 nm or in the number of modifiable sulfhydryl groups is observed, indicating that the inhibition is not due to tyrosine or cysteine modification, and the inhibition is irreversible, ruling out serine residues. Furthermore, pretreatment of the ATPase with pyridoxal phosphate/NaBH4 under the conditions of the DEP treatment does not inhibit the ATPase and does not alter the DEP inhibition kinetics, indicating that the inactivation by DEP is not due to amino group modification. The pH dependence of the inactivation reaction indicates that the essential residue has a pKa near 7.5, and the activity lost as a result of H+-ATPase modification by DEP is partially recovered alter hydroxylamine treatment at 4°C. Taken together, these results strongly indicate that the inactivation of the H+-ATPase by DEP involves histidine modification. Analyses of the inhibition kinetics and the stoichiometry of modification indicate that among eight histidines modified per enzyme molecule, only one is essential for H+-ATPase activity. Finally, ADP protects against inactivation by DEP, indicating that the essential residue modified may be located at or near the nucleotide binding site.
Spherical viscoelastic systems in fluid media

Abstract The response and stability of a single degree of freedom system are considered and the relationship between the restoring moment and the angular displacement is taken as that of a three-parameter solid (standard linear solid) which exhibits instantaneous elasticity.
Some analysis of the ω-Technique

The ω-Technique is one of a number of ways of improving on the Huckel model by introducing a dependence on atomic orbital populations into the matrix-elements of the effective Hamiltonian. It requires iterative solution of secular equations until the populations calculated from the solutions are consistent with the populations used in setting up the Hamiltonian matrix. We derive simple equations showing how thedeviations of the populations from their final self-consistent values change with successive iterations. The results of consideration of these equations in several special cases, imply that the populations oscillate about their final values on successive iterations, as has actually been found experimentally. This suggests a simple means of speeding up convergence.
Steric requirements of the alkene–carbocation alkylation in relation to the hydride transfer and proton cleavage of carbon–carbon bonds. Significance for the reactions of alkanes in zeolites

The reaction of the 2-propyl cation with propene has been investigated by MP2/6-31G** and B3LYP/6-31G** calculations. An ion–molecule complex stabilized by 10–11 kcal mol−1 over the isolated reactants was identified. It continued over a barrier and gave 1,1,3-trimethyl-1-protonated cyclopropane as the reaction product. The process read in the opposite direction represents the cracking of 2-methylpentane, occurring nominally from the 2-methyl-4-pentyl cation (open structure of 1,1,3-trimethyl-1-protonated cyclopropane). The geometries predicted by the MP2 and B3LYP calculations were characteristically different, both for the reaction product and for the ion–molecule complex, with the MP2 calculations showing a stronger stabilization of hydrogen- and carbon-bridged species. The calculated volumes (packed-cell dimensions) of the transition state for the isopropyl cation–propene alkylation and for the isopropyl cation–propane hydride exchange were compared. The former had higher steric requirements in the transversal cross-section. Therefore, in the cracking of alkanes on medium pore zeolites such as HZSM-5, the β cracking step should be more sensitive to the existence of methyl side-chains than the hydride transfer step. The cracking mechanism of alkanes and alkenes on medium-pore zeolites is discussed based on these findings.
Vibrational Excitation in Benzene by Electron Impact via Resonances: Selection Rules

The vibrational excitation in the energy ranges of the lowest resonances in benzene has been measured and it is found that only few fundamental modes become excited. This selectivity of the excitation process can be understood in terms of selection rules which are based on symmetry considerations. The angular distribution of scattered electrons in the range of the lowest shape resonance (approx.1.2 eV) is consistent with an f/sub delta/ wave as the dominant partial wave. (AIP)
The Simultaneity of the Effects of Devaluation: Implications for Modified Planned Economies

The paper attempts to provide a clearer conceptual basis for exchange rate policymaking in modified planned economies (MPEs), by clarifying the interactions involved in the simultaneous determination of the price level, terms of trade, real income and trade balance effects of a devaluation. Using a three-good model, it is shown that existing empirical estimates of trade elasticities in MPEs may be downwardly based, and that extreme pessimistic assessments of the effects of devaluation may not be entirely internally consistent. Although trade elasticities in MPEs probably are lower than in market economies, they could be raised by measures aimed at expanding factor mobility and enterprise autonomy.
Restrictive smoking policies in the workplace: effects on smoking prevalence and cigarette consumption.

Abstract Background . Thirty-two worksites participating in a randomized trial of worksite health promotion aimed at reducing smoking and obesity were categorized at baseline and 2 years later as having either restrictive or unrestrictive smoking policies. Between the two assessment points, 16 sites received health promotion interventions. Results . At baseline 15 sites had restrictive policies and 17 unrestrictive policies. Smoking restrictions were associated with significantly lower smoking prevalence and higher lifetime quit rates among ever smokers. They also were associated with more recent quit attempts and lower daily cigarette consumption, although these effects were not significant. Between baseline and follow-up, 9 of the 17 worksites that had few smoking restrictions at baseline became restrictive. Although neither baseline smoking policies nor changes in smoking policy predicted change in smoking prevalence or in the frequency of quit attempts, smokers in sites changing from unrestrictive to restrictive policies reported a significant reduction in daily cigarette consumption. Conclusions . The worksite health promotion program was successful in reducing smoking prevalence in intervention sites compared to controls. However, the existence of restrictive smoking policies neither helped nor hindered these intervention efforts. The present data are believed to support the idea that restrictive smoking policies have beneficial effects on the smoking habits of employees, but that the magnitude of this effect is modest.
Is There a Double Standard of Aging?: Older Men and Women and Ageism

This study was designed to determine current young adults' attitudes toward older adults and to explore, more specifically, whether they hold different attitudes towards older men and women. An additional objective was to examine the association between knowledge of aging processes and attitudes towards older adults. A total of 405 (210 males, 195 females) undergraduate students at a small Midwestern university were assessed on their attitudes toward an older male and an older female and on their knowledge of aging. Data analyses revealed that the participants showed more positive, rather than negative, attitudes towards older adults, and they rated older women significantly more positively than older men. No relationship was found between knowledge of aging processes and attitudes toward aging. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The American city : a social and cultural history

Preface and Acknowledgments. 1. What Makes the Good Society? 2. We Are a Bourgeois People Who Made an Urban World. 3. On Small Towns and Their 'Citified' Ways. 4. The Civic Culture of American Cities. 5. Belonging and Sharing. 6. Piety and Tolerance. 7. Private Lives and Public Worlds. 8. Doing Well by Doing Good. 9. Some Sort of Americans. 10. Articles of Faith: Personal Adornment as a Communal Accomplishment. 11. Private Entitlements as a Public Good. 12. Some Concluding Observations About the "Good Old Days". Further Reading. Index.
Visual pattern discovery using random projections

An essential element of exploratory data analysis is the use of revealing low-dimensional projections of high-dimensional data. Projection Pursuit has been an effective method for finding interesting low-dimensional projections of multidimensional spaces by optimizing a score function called a projection pursuit index. However, the technique is not scalable to high-dimensional spaces. Here, we introduce a novel method for discovering noteworthy views of high-dimensional data spaces by using binning and random projections. We define score functions, akin to projection pursuit indices, that characterize visual patterns of the low-dimensional projections that constitute feature subspaces. We also describe an analytic, multivariate visualization platform based on this algorithm that is scalable to extremely large problems.
We believe in freedom of the will so that we can learn

Wegner’s tactic of describing the conscious mind as if it inhabited a Cartesian Theater in the brain is a stopgap solution that needs to be redeemed by paying off these loans of comprehension. Just how does Wegner propose to recast his points? Three quotations from Wegner’s (2002) book, each not just defensible but, I think, importantly insightful, take out Cartesian loans that are now overdue. “We can’t possibly know (let alone keep track of) the tremendous number of mechanical influences on our behavior because we inhabit an extraordinarily complicated machine” (p. 27). These machines “we inhabit” simplify things for our benefit. Who or what is this “we” that inhabits the brain? A Cartesian ghost in the machine? Surely not, in spite of first appearances. “Conscious will is particularly useful, then, as a guide to ourselves” (p. 328). Again, who or what uses this handy guide? Does one part of the brain use another part? Is it as simple as that? “Illusory or not, conscious will is the person’s guide to his or her own moral responsibility for action” (p. 341). My body is causally responsible for whatever effects emanate from it, whether it is falling down a flight of stairs, or pulling the trigger of a gun, but I, the person “inhabiting” this body, am morally responsible only for my actions. Again, who is this person and what is he doing in my body? I have defended Wegner’s tactic of temporarily indulging in these ways of speaking, and sketched a way for him to recast his points without relying on the ominous image of a Cartesian Theater in which the Self sits as Witness and Decision-Maker (Dennett 2003a; 2003b; 2003c). But I would like to see how he himself proposes to pay off these comprehension-loans, since he may have some other tricks up his sleeve. We believe in freedom of the will so that we can learn
A spatial analysis of the 1989 Chilean presidential election

Abstract This study presents a spatial analysis of the 1989 Chilean presidential election. The Chilean election witnessed the military regime of Augusto Pinochet transfer power to the elected government of Christian Democrat Patricio Aylwin. I use survey data to estimate a Euclidian map that places voters, candidates, leading political figures and political parties in the same electoral space. The spatial map and multinomial probit analysis of voter choice clarify bases of candidate and party support, extent of voter polarization and the relationship between the pre and post authoritarian eras. The probit estimates confirm the importance of voters' views toward the military regime and spatial proximity in voter choice.
Models for Count Data With an Application to Healthy Days Measures: Are You Driving in Screws With a Hammer?

INTRODUCTION Count data are often collected in chronic disease research, and sometimes these data have a skewed distribution. The number of unhealthy days reported in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is an example of such data: most respondents report zero days. Studies have either categorized the Healthy Days measure or used linear regression models. We used alternative regression models for these count data and examined the effect on statistical inference. METHODS Using responses from participants aged 35 years or older from 12 states that included a homeownership question in their 2009 BRFSS, we compared 5 multivariate regression models--logistic, linear, Poisson, negative binomial, and zero-inflated negative binomial--with respect to 1) how well the modeled data fit the observed data and 2) how model selections affect inferences. RESULTS Most respondents (66.8%) reported zero mentally unhealthy days. The distribution was highly skewed (variance = 58.7, mean = 3.3 d). Zero-inflated negative binomial regression provided the best-fitting model, followed by negative binomial regression. A significant independent association between homeownership and number of mentally unhealthy days was not found in the logistic, linear, or Poisson regression model but was found in the negative binomial model. The zero-inflated negative binomial model showed that homeowners were 24% more likely than nonowners to have excess zero mentally unhealthy days (adjusted odds ratio, 1.24; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.43), but it did not show an association between homeownership and the number of unhealthy days. CONCLUSION Our comparison of regression models indicates the importance of examining data distribution and selecting models with appropriate assumptions. Otherwise, statistical inferences might be misleading.
Multiple scattering and charged-particle--hydrogen-atom collisions

Glauber-approximation scattering amplitudes for charged-particle - hydrogen-atom elastic and inelastic collisions are derived directly in terms of the known particle-electron and particle-proton Coulomb scattering amplitudes and the known hydrogen-atom form factors. It is shown that the particle-hydrogen amplitude contains no single-scattering term. The double-scattering term is obtained as a two-dimensional integral in momentum space. It is demonstrated how the result can be used as the starting point for an alternative and relatively simple derivation, in closed form, of the Glauber particle-hydrogen scattering amplitude for transitions from the ground state to an arbitrary (nlm) state.
Nonlinear dynamics and applications of semiconductor lasers with optoelectronic feedback

A semiconductor laser system with delayed optoelectronic feedback has very interesting nonlinear phenomena and important applications in optical communications. By controlling the operating conditions like bias current, feedback strength, and feedback delay time, the system is found to generate different states such as periodic pulsing, quasiperiodic pulsing and chaotic pulsing. With the system operating in periodic pulsing, a stable repetitive pulse stream is generated. The pulsing frequency can be tuned from hundreds of megahertz to a few gigahertz by simply adjusting the operating conditions. Therefore, we can make a new device which generates short optical pulses with a tunable pulsing frequency. Making use of the chaotic pulsing state, the system can be implemented in chaotic optical communications. Chaotic optical communications are of great current interests because of the advantages in improved communication security and bandwidth efficiency. In our chaotic communication experiment, the chaotic pulsing from a transmitter laser is used to encode messages, while at the receiver an identical semiconductor laser is used to reproduce the chaotic pulsing carrier for decoding. High quality of chaos synchronization between the transmitter and the receiver lasers is achieved in our experiment. Successful encoding and decoding of 2.5~Gbit/s NRZ signal is demonstrated.
Appropriate experimental ecosystem warming methods by ecosystem, objective, and practicality

The temperature of the Earth is rising, and is highly likely to continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The study of the effects of sustained heating on the ecosystems of the world is necessary so that we might predict and respond to coming changes on both large and small spatial scales. To this end, ecosystem warming studies have been performed for more than 20 years using a variety of methods. These warming methods fall into two general categories: active and passive. Active warming methods include heatresistance cables, infrared (IR) lamps and active field chambers. Passive warming methods include nighttime warming and passive field chambers. An extensive literature review was performed and all ecosystem warming study sites were compiled into a master list. These studies were divided by latitude and precipitation, as well as the method type used and response variables investigated. The goals of this study were to identify: (1) the most generally applicable, inexpensive and effective heating methods; and (2) areas of the world that are understudied or have been studied using only limited warming methods. It was found that the most generally applicable method, and the one that is most true to climate change predictions, is IR heating lamp installation. The least expensive method is passive chambers. The extreme lower and upper latitudes have been investigated least with ecosystem warming methods, and for the upper-mid-latitudes (60–808) there have been limited studies published using methods other than passive chambers. Ecosystem warming method limitations and recommendations are discussed.
Temperature dependence of the hyperfine interactions of Eu2+IN SrCL2

Abstract ESR spectra of enriched 151Eu2+ and 153Eu2+ in a host lattice of SrCl2 were observed at 9.3 GHz over the temperature range of 10 to 300°K. From the EPR spectra the Eu2+ hyperfine coupling constants and the Debye temperature have been obtained.
The Grammar Book: An ESL/EFL Teacher's Course

Helps teachers and future teachers grasp the linguistic system and details for English grammar structures and relate them to the everyday needs of ESL/EFL students.
Contextualizing the vulnerability standard.

In their article, “The Limitations of ‘Vulnerability’ as a Protection for Human Research Participants,” Levine et al. (2004) suggest that the concept of vulnerability is both too broad and too narr...
Anionic surfactant sensor based on a hetero-core structured optical fiber

A simple method of fiber optic spectrophotometric measurement for anionic surfactant is described. The probe was fabricated from hetero-core structured fiber optic that consisted of multi mode fibers and a short length of single mode fiber which was inserted in the multi mode fibers. The sensor surface was treated with octyltrimethoxysilane to adsorb the surfactant-methylene blue complex via hydrophobic interaction between the octyl group on the fiber surface and the hydrophobic group of the surfactant. Methylene blue—anionic surfactant complex adsorbed on the sensor surface caused propagating light loss because of evanescent wave interaction that was generated at the cladding. The propagating loss spectrum of the fiber showed a peak at around 610 nm. Absorbance increases with the concentration of the surfactant to reach an upper level at a concentration of 30 μm. The response time is within 30 min.
APMA (4-Aminophenylmercuric Acetate) Activation of Stromelysin-1 Involves Protein Interactions in Addition to Those with Cysteine-75 in the Propeptide†

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) can be activated in vitro by multiple mechanisms such as treatment with proteases, organomercurials, oxidants, and detergents. The proposed cysteine switch model for activation suggests that these multiple methods for activation cause the dissociation of the single cysteine residue in the propeptide from the active site zinc. In particular, it has been suggested that organomercurials such as 4-aminophenylmercuric acetate (APMA) work by directly reacting with the sulfhydryl group of this cysteine residue, resulting in its displacement from the active site. However, recent data by Chen et al. [(1993) Biochemistry 32, 10289-10295] demonstrated that modification of this cysteine residue in the propeptide of stromelysin-1 by sulfhydryl reagents did not result in an active enzyme as predicted. To investigate the roles that this cysteine residue and the propeptide salt bridge (R74 to D79) might play in the APMA-induced activation of stromelysin-1, we have changed these residues by site-directed mutagenesis. Wild-type stromelysin-1 and the mutants were all expressed at detectable levels using a recombinant vaccinia virus system and determined to be catalytically competent by zymography. The wild-type stromelysin-1 and the cysteine mutants (C75S and C75H) underwent APMA-induced activation as determined by the characteristic reduction in molecular weight associated with activation and by their ability to cleave casein only when activated. On the other hand, mutants R74K, D79A, and C75H/D79A did not undergo APMA-induced activation. These results demonstrate that APMA-induced activation of stromelysin-1 involves protein interactions in addition to those with cysteine-75 in the propeptide and also suggest that the R74 to D79 salt bridge may play a role.
Preparing Teachers and Consultants for the Challenge of Severe Problem Behavior

Student behavior and violence in schools has rapidly become an area of critical local and national concern in recent years. Teachers and schools are expected to cope with increasing student diversity along many dimensions, including cognitive and intellectual functioning, ethnic and linguistic background, and problem behaviors. School personnel will need expertise in effectively supporting teachers and other practitioners working with students with different labels and challenges (developmental disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders) and be able to work at multiple levels (classroom, school, community). This article describes the comprehensive behavior specialist (CBS) program, which is aimed at developing such expertise among teachers and other practitioners within school and community systems. The rationale, basic content, and organization of the program are described. Positive evaluation data are presented from two cohorts of school personnel who have experienced the program.
Epiglottitis: comparison of signs and symptoms in children less than 2 years old and older.

A 20-year retrospective review of 236 children with epiglottitis was performed to determine the frequency of occurrence of 21 presenting signs and symptoms. To determine the association of age with clinical presentation and diagnosis of epiglottitis, the signs and symptoms of children less than 2 years old were compared with those of children 2 years of age and older. Fifty-eight children (25%) were less than 2 years old. Sore throat was the only factor significantly different in the two age groups ( P Haemophilus influenzae . Analyses of patients with positive blood cultures gave similar results. The signs and symptoms that clinically support epiglottitis in children less than 2 years old are similar in older children.
Determinants of low birth weight in urban Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: To identify determinants of low birth weight (LBW) in Karachi Pakistan including environmental exposures and nutritional status of the mother during pregnancy. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.ParticipantsFive hundred and forty mother-infant pairs. We interviewed mothers about obstetric history diet and exposure to Pb. We measured birth weight and blood lead level (BLL). We performed multiple log binomial regression analysis to identify factors related to LBW. RESULTS: Of 540 infants 100 (18.5 %) weighed 208.7 mg/d) infants of mothers with MUAC less than or equal to the median and dietary vitamin C intake >208.7 mg/d (adjPR = 10.80; 95 % CI 1.46 79.76) mothers with MUAC above the median and vitamin C intake <or=208.7 mg/d (adjPR = 10.67; 95 % CI 1.50 76.02) and mothers with MUAC less than or equal to the median and vitamin C intake <or=208.7 mg/d (adjPR = 13.19; 95 % CI 1.85 93.79) more likely to give birth to an LBW infant. CONCLUSIONS: In Pakistan poor nutritional status and inadequate prenatal care were major determinants of LBW in this setting. Environmental factors including umbilical cord BLL were not significantly associated with LBW.
Perceiving Self-Interest: Power, Ideology, and Maintenance of the Status Quo

We explore the perception of self-interest based on the social position of the person making a persuasive argument, and whether the argument challenges people’s representation of the social world. More self-interest is perceived when it is made on behalf of a small rather than a large group (Experiment 1), comes from a low status rather than a high status group (Experiment 2), and when it benefits an outgroup more than an ingroup (Experiment 3). We show that attempting to change the political status quo, no matter whose interests it may serve, leads to perceptions of self-interest (Experiment 4). We discuss these findings in terms of beliefs, social ideologies, and attitudes, and argue that perceptions of self-interest are often a marker of the defense of the status quo from perceived threats.
Dynamic behavior of high-speed silicon nitride deformable mirrors

This paper presents experimental data illustrating the dynamic behavior of micromachined deformable mirrors operated as cyclical focus control elements. The mirrors used for this study are circular silicon nitride membranes 1 mm in diameter with a fundamental resonance at 144 kHz and a quality factor in air of 0.86. Electrostatic actuation of the mirrors is provided by two concentric electrodes to control focus and spherical aberration. Mirror displacement has been characterized in terms of frequency response and dynamic surface figure. Surface shape was examined for variation with frequency over a range from 1kHz to 180kHz for small mirror deflection. Intra-cycle variation of both quartic and quadratic surface curvature terms was also measured at 60kHz. Surface figure data are presented showing less than λ/10 spherical aberration for a mirror operating at 10kHz with a focal length varying cyclically from ∞ to 32mm.
A dual time-of-flight apparatus for an ion mobility-surface-induced dissociation-mass spectrometer for high-throughput peptide sequencing

Abstract A novel ion mobility (IM)-surface-induced dissociation (SID)-mass spectrometer consisting of two independent time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzers is described. The dual TOF instrument configuration facilitates high-throughput post-ionization separation and mass analysis of precursor and fragment ions, and the utility of 3D data acquisition is demonstrated for top-down proteomics by performing simultaneous acquisition of peptide mass maps and amino acid sequence determination.
Comparison of ganglioside profiles in nuclei and whole cells of NG108-15 and NG-CR72 lines: changes in response to different neuritogenic stimuli

The plasma and nuclear membranes of neural cells have been shown to express gangliosides to a limited extent before, and at increasing levels during, differentiation. Recent studies employing qualitative cytochemistry have shown that GM1 expression in particular is significantly elevated in both membranes by specific neuritogenic agents. The present study provides a more complete description of ganglioside patterns of the 2 membranes of NG108-15 cells and a mutated form of the latter lacking gangliotetraose gangliosides. Nuclei of wild type NG108-15 cells were found to contain predominantly GM1 and GD1a, whereas whole cells had those in addition to substantial amounts of GM2 and GM3. GM1 and GD1a levels increased 2--3.5-fold in both whole cells and nuclei following axonogenic stimulation, but changed little in response to dendritogenic agents. GM2 expression, limited to the plasma membrane, showed little if any change with axonogenic stimuli but a 1.5--2-fold increase following treatment with dendritogenic agents. GM3 resembled GM2 in being virtually absent from the nuclear membrane, while its presence in the plasma membrane showed only modest change at most with any of the stimuli. The gangliotetraose ganglioside-deficient mutant cell line, NG-CR72, had significantly higher basal levels of GM2 in the plasma membrane compared to wild type NG108-15 cells, and this level increased significantly on treatment with dendritogenic agents. Basal GM3 levels were greatly reduced in the mutant cells and changed little with any of the stimuli. As expected, nuclei of NG-CR72 cells were virtually devoid of gangliosides. These mutant cells were previously shown to extend well defined dendritic neurites but were incapable of forming stable axonal processes. This study thus demonstrates major differences in the ganglioside content of wild type and mutated NG108-15 cells and their nuclei, and in their response to different neuritogenic stimuli.
Biaixal Stress–Stretch Behavior of the Mitral Valve Anterior Leaflet at Physiologic Strain Rates

Characterization of the mechanical properties of the native mitral valve leaflets at physiological strain rates is a critical step in improving our understanding of MV function and providing experimental data for dynamic constitutive models. We explored, for the first time, the effects of strain rate (from quasi-static to physiologic) on the biaxial mechanical properties of the native mitral valve anterior leaflet (MVAL). A novel high-speed biaxial testing device was developed, capable of achieving in vitro strain rates reported for the MVAL (Sacks et al., Ann. Biomed. Eng. 30(10):1280–1290, 2002). Porcine MVAL specimens were loaded to physiological load levels with cycle periods of 15, 1, 0.5, 0.1, and 0.05 s. The resulting loading stress–strain responses were found to be remarkably independent of strain rate. The hysteresis, defined as the fraction of the membrane strain energy between the loading and unloading curves tension-areal stretch curves, was low (∼12%) and did not vary with strain rate. The results of the present work indicated that MVAL tissues exhibit complete strain rate insensitivity at and below physiological strain rates under physiological loading conditions. These novel results suggest that experimental tests utilizing quasi-static strain rates are appropriate for constitutive model development for mitral valve tissues. The mechanisms underlying this quasi-elastic behavior are as yet unknown, but are likely an important functional aspect of native mitral valve tissues and clearly warrant further study.
Trends in veterinary cancer imaging

With the recent advances in diagnostic imaging technology, cancer imaging in veterinary medicine has become more specific for disease diagnosis, more accurate for determining tumour margins and more sensitive for detecting metastatic disease. Ultrasound provides highly detailed images of parenchymal masses and infiltrative lesions while providing a means for aspiration or biopsy using real-time image guidance. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance-imaging techniques provide exquisite anatomical resolution that improves diagnostic accuracy, provides an accurate means of radiation or surgical treatment planning and a quantitative means for monitoring response to therapy. In addition to traditional anatomic imaging, new techniques are being developed for estimating functional parameters such as tumour perfusion, cell metabolism and gene expression. While conventional planar scintigraphy has been available for some time, newer nuclear imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography promise to further improve the accuracy of initial tumour diagnosis and staging and determination of response to therapy. Although many of these functional techniques are not yet clinically available, it is highly likely that some will be integrated into routine clinical practice in the near future.
Norms, Invariance, and Explanatory Relevance

Descriptions of social norms can be explanatory. The erotetic approach to explanation provides a useful framework. I describe one very broad kind of explanation-seeking why-question, a genus that is common to the special sciences, and argue that descriptions of norms can serve as an answer to such why-questions. I draw upon Woodward’s recent discussion of the explanatory role of generalizations with a significant degree of invariance. Descriptions of norms provide what is, in effect, a generalization regarding the kind of historically contingent system— a group or society, a generalization with a significant degree of invariance.
Angular distribution of neutrons from targets bombarded by 18-MeV deuterons

An investigation has been made of the spatial distribution of fast neutrons from targets of Be, Na, Cu, Ta, Pb, and Th bombarded with 18-MeV deuterons. Copper was used as a threshold detector and the target thicknesses were sufficient to stop the neutrons within the target. In all cases a fairly sharp forward peak in the distribution was observed. Curves of the experimental angular distributions of the neutrons from Be and Cu are shown and compared with theoretical curves calculated from Serber's stripping theory (Phys. Rev. 72, 1008(1947)). Although there seems to be a perceptible increase in the half-width with increase in atomic number, the rate of increase is definitely not in agreement with stripping theory.