cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
REVERSIBLE PARKINSONISM AND ATAXIA ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-DOSE OCTREOTIDE

Octreotide (Sandostatin, Novartis Pharmaceuticals) is a synthetic octapeptide analog of somatostatin or somatotropin release-inhibiting factor, a regulator of anterior pituitary release. It acts by inhibiting growth hormone, glucagon, and insulin. Octreotide is mainly used for the treatment of gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and acromegaly and its neurologic toxicity has been restricted to sleep disturbances, seizures, dizziness, depression, and headache. We here report the first case of dose-dependent reversible parkinsonism and ataxia in a young woman with carcinoid syndrome treated with a high dose of octreotide. ### Case report. This previously healthy 36-year-old woman developed impaired bilateral hand dexterity and overall slowness for about 1 year prior to her neurologic evaluation and 4 years after the initiation of treatment with octreotide and tyramine-restricted diet for carcinoid syndrome, diagnosed during her first pregnancy, at the age of 31 years. Then, she suffered paroxysmal swelling and redness in the upper body, hypoglycemia, and labile blood pressure, which forced an early vaginal delivery. She had been on escalating doses of octreotide, starting at 20 mg IM every 4 weeks and gradually increasing to 40 mg every 3 weeks. Two years prior to her presentation, physical exertion-induced recurrences prompted an additional dose …
Review of study on solid particle solar receivers

The solid particle solar receiver (SPSR) is a direct absorption central receiver that uses solid particles enclosed in a cavity to absorb concentrated solar radiation. The SPSR is a candidate for applications of solar energy in a thermo-chemical water-splitting process to produce hydrogen. This paper presents a review of the study on SPSRs, including the idea originality, design concepts, advantages and disadvantages, the solid particle identification, a conceptual design in Sandia National Laboratories and detailed studies performed on this design. The geometry, particle size, calculating domain selection, the wind effect, the aerowindow and other factors which influence the cavity efficiency have been studied and the results are presented.
A comparison of the inhibitory effects of taurine and GABA on identified Purkinje cells and other neurons in the cerebellar cortex of the rat

Abstract The microiontophoretic application of taurine and GABA was studied in the cerebellar cortex of the rat. Both taurine and GABA produced a dose-dependent depression of spike frequency of cerebellar neurons. GABA (2–42 nA, mean 27 nA) induced an inhibition of spike discharge on all 138 cells tested, including 29 Purkinje cells. Taurine (60–200 nA, mean 108 nA) induced an inhibition of spike discharge on 93 of the 106 cerebellar neurons tested, including inhibition on 22 of 25 Purkinje cells. Iontophoretic application of bicuculline and picrotoxin antagonized the inhibitory effects of both GABA and taurine on Purkinje cells as well as on cerebellar neurons in general. Strychnine did not antagonize the inhibition of either GABA or taurine. Simultaneous application of taurine and GABA produced a synergistic inhibitory effect on the firing rate of Purkinje cells. Taurine, in contrast to GABA, appeared to be more depressant when applied in the Purkinje cell dendritic zone than when applied near the soma. The data are discussed in terms of taurine functioning as a neurotransmitter in the cerebellum of the rat and having receptor sites distinct from those for GABA.
Role of body piercing in the induction of metal allergies.

Background: Metal allergies have been linked to body piercing in women, but few studies have explored this phenomenon in men. It has been postulated that nickel/cobalt and nickel/palladium exhibit coreactivity in patients allergic to metals. Objectives: (1) Determine the incidence rate and the source for the induction of metal allergy in 3 groups of men: unpierced, one site[mdash ]pierced, and multiple sites[mdash ]pierced; and (2) evaluate the degree of coreactivity between nickel/cobalt and nickel/palladium. Methods: Men aged 18 to 43 years (n = 118) were patch-tested using the North American Contact Dermatitis Group's protocol to nickel sulfate 2.5%, gold sodium thiosulfate 0.5%, cobalt chloride 1%, and palladium chloride 1%. Results: Eleven (9.3%) subjects had at least 1 positive reaction. When characterized by the number of pierced sites, positive reactions were seen in 2 of 50 (4.0%) unpierced, 3 of 27 (11.1%) one site[mdash ]pierced, and 6 of 41 (14.6%) multiply pierced men. The number of piercings was a statistically significant predictor of metal allergy (P = .04). Four (66.7%) cobalt and no palladium reactions occurred in nickel-positive subjects. The source for the induction of the allergic response was primarily jewelry, which accounted for 5 of 6 nickel allergies and 2 of 3 gold allergies. Silver jewelry was a significant predictor of an allergic response. Conclusion: This study represents the first report that the number of body piercings has positive bearing on the incidence of metal allergy in men. The data also support the theory of coreactivity for nickel/cobalt, but not for nickel/palladium.
Modularity in the design and standardisation of open systems

Abstract Some practical suggestions are made as to how data abstraction may be used to provide a modular framework for the design of open systems and their means of interconnection. This framework is technically advantageous in clarifying the interfaces between the parts of a large design, and would also help in planning and coordinating the work of standards committees. A reference model for languages applicable to local system function is compared with the reference model for open systems interconnection (OSI), and a clarification is suggested which would make the models compatible. Two major functional requirements are proposed for the application layer of the OSI model, namely the ability to transmit arbitrary operations to be performed on remote objects, and the option to specify whether objects or merely references to them should be transmitted.
Using functional connectivity analyses to investigate the bases of autism spectrum disorders and other clinical populations.

A historically predominant view of the organization of the human brain has been a modular view where individual, isolated brain regions receive information, carry out a specific process, and pass that information on to other brain regions. The advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
PATTERN FORMATION IN JANUS-MUTANT ZEBRAFISH EMBRYOS

Abstract Mechanisms that underlie the formation of the vertebrate body appear to be highly conserved between amphibia and teleosts. For teleosts, however, mesoderm induction and the establishment of dorsoventral polarity are poorly understood. In this study, we present an analysis of early pattern formation in the zebrafish maternal-effect mutation janus. This mutation frequently results in a separation of the cleavage stage blastoderm into two halves that undergo separate development until fusion occurs at the end of gastrulation. Here, we employ janus -mutant embryos to analyze the mechanisms of mesoderm formation and ventral specification in a teleost. Analysis of the expression of the panmesodermal marker no tail in janus -mutant embryos indicates that mesoderm induction depends on a marginal position. In an analysis of ventral specification, we show that the early expression of the ventral marker GATA-2 is confined to the area on both blastodermal halves opposite the dorsal shield region. Since, in janus -mutant embryos, the dorsal position is random with respect to the division plane bisecting the two blastodermal halves, a variety of dorsoventral asymmetries arise within individual embryos. In one constellation, the dorsal position is localized to the plane of bisection and two ventral positions develop at opposite ends of the blastodermal halves. Hence, ventral fates can be specified at any position around the blastodermal margins and are excluded from the dorsal position. The diblastodermic system of the janus -mutant embryo allows for the study of the interactions of dorsal and ventral determinants in varying spatial arrangements. We have studied pattern formation in dorsal half-blastoderms that contain the entire shield region but only a reduced ventrolateral marginal zone. As assessed by the presence of the most ventral cell type, blood, ventral specification within a dorsal half-blastoderm is not suppressed.
Energy relationships in optical and thermal electron transfer. Temperature dependence of an intervalence transfer absorption band

The temperature dependence of the intervalence transfer (IT) band for the transition [(bpy)[sub 2]ClRu[sup II](pz)RU[sup III]/(NH[sub 3])[sub 5]][sup 4+] [yields] [(bpy)[sub 2]/ClRu[sup III](pz)Ru[sup II](NH[sub 3])[sub 5]][sup 4+] (pz = pyrazine; bpy = pyrazine; bpy = 2,2[prime]-bipyridine) has been studied in CH[sub 3]OD and in a nitrile solvent mixture. The temperature dependences of E[sub 1/2] for the component Ru[sup III/II] couples in this complex were also studied by cyclic voltammetry. The temperature dependence of the absorption band, which was quite large, ([alpha]E[sub op]/[alpha]T) = -10 cm[sup [minus]1] K[sup [minus]1] in CH[sub 3]OD, [mu] = 0.035 M, was found to be the same, within experimental error, as the temperature dependence of the difference between the E[sub 1/2] values for the Ru[sup III/II] couples. This agreement provides experimental evidence that the absorption band energy includes the free energy change between the initial and final states and not just the change in enthalpy or internal despite the inability of the dielectric continuum model to account for the solvent-dependent behavior of this dimer. A quantum mechanical model is also found to predict that the absorption band energy should be temperature dependent because the band energy depends upon the free energy change. 49 refs., 7 figs.,more » 4 tabs.« less
Creating a biologically plausible model of recognition which generalizes multidimensional scaling

We present a method for reconstructing multidimensional scaling (MDS) as a biologically plausible algorithm for storing object data. To do so, we must make modifications in the definitions of stress, and in locating the process. We make these modifications by appealing to physical definitions of stress and deformation. In this system, classical MDS becomes the system in which these are modeled on perfectly elastic deformation, and a variety of systems can be created or trained which are, by contrast, viscoelastic. The resultant model is useful in applications in which the relationship between stress and the underlying metric used for MDS is complicated by local phenomena, or in which these quantities need to be modeled as learned or changing attributes.
UV–Visible Spectrometers: Versatile Instruments across the Chemistry Curriculum

This article describes a wide range of commercially available UV–vis spectrometers, with particular emphasis on educational models, and how this technique can be included in all aspects of the chemistry curriculum. Portable instrumentation and new software technologies are also highlighted.
An Ultrastructural Study of the Hepatopancreas of Procambarus Clarkii (Girard) (Decapoda, Astacidea) 1)

[1. Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am Hepatopankreas des Fluskrebses Procambarus clarkii haben ergeben, das dieser aus drei verschiedenen Zelltypen besteht. 2. Die absorptiven R-Zellen sind charakterisiert durch buschelige Rander und ungewohnliche Spezialisierungen der lateralen Plasmamembranen fur enge interzellulare Adhesion. Dichte Mitochondrieneinschlusse wurden in bestimmten R-Zellen beobachtet, die moglicherweise spezialisiert sind fur die Speicherung von Schwermetallen. 3. Die Fibrillarzellen enthalten ein umfangreiches granulares endoplasmatisches Reticulum und andere Organellen, die in Beziehung zu einer aktiven Proteinsynthese stehen; dieser Sachverhalt legt die Vermutung nahe, das dieser Zelltyp Verdauungsenzyme liefert. Grose, dichte Einschlusse in den Fibrillarzellen weisen auf ihre mogliche Funktion als Schwermetallspeicherer hin. 4. Grose, dilatierte Zellen ohne typische zytoplasmatische Organellen werden als nekrotische Formen der R-Zellen gedeutet; obgleich sie wahrscheinlich den "extrusion" Zellen der fruheren lichtmikroskopischen Literatur entsprechen, wird ihre Funktion im Zusammenhang mit der Sekretion von Verdauungsenzymen in Frage gestellt, und zwar wegen ihrer ultrastrukturellen Eigenarten., 1. Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen am Hepatopankreas des Fluskrebses Procambarus clarkii haben ergeben, das dieser aus drei verschiedenen Zelltypen besteht. 2. Die absorptiven R-Zellen sind charakterisiert durch buschelige Rander und ungewohnliche Spezialisierungen der lateralen Plasmamembranen fur enge interzellulare Adhesion. Dichte Mitochondrieneinschlusse wurden in bestimmten R-Zellen beobachtet, die moglicherweise spezialisiert sind fur die Speicherung von Schwermetallen. 3. Die Fibrillarzellen enthalten ein umfangreiches granulares endoplasmatisches Reticulum und andere Organellen, die in Beziehung zu einer aktiven Proteinsynthese stehen; dieser Sachverhalt legt die Vermutung nahe, das dieser Zelltyp Verdauungsenzyme liefert. Grose, dichte Einschlusse in den Fibrillarzellen weisen auf ihre mogliche Funktion als Schwermetallspeicherer hin. 4. Grose, dilatierte Zellen ohne typische zytoplasmatische Organellen werden als nekrotische Formen der R-Zellen gedeutet; obgleich sie wahrscheinlich den "extrusion" Zellen der fruheren lichtmikroskopischen Literatur entsprechen, wird ihre Funktion im Zusammenhang mit der Sekretion von Verdauungsenzymen in Frage gestellt, und zwar wegen ihrer ultrastrukturellen Eigenarten.]
“Apraxia” of eyelid opening: An involuntary levator inhibition

Apraxia of lid opening was described by Goldstein and Cogan as "a non paralytic motor abnormality characterized by the patient's difficulty in initiating the act of lid elevation." We studied six such patients with this finding accompanied by vigorous frontalis contraction and no evidence of ongoing orbicularis oculi contraction, dysfunction of the oculomotor nerve, or loss of ocular sympathetic innervation. Four patients had Parkinson's disease or atypical parkinsonism, one had progressive supranuclear palsy, and one had Shy-Drager syndrome. At onset of ocular symptoms, mean age was 64 years, and the mean duration of extrapyramidal symptoms was 9.7 years. By definition, the motor system must be intact in any apraxia. Therefore, this disorder of lid opening in patients with extrapyramidal motor dysfunction is not an apraxia, but rather involuntary levator palpebrae inhibition of supranuclear origin.
Surfactant effects in the Landau Levich problem

In this work we study the classical Landau–Levich problem of dip-coating. While in the clean interface case and in the limit of low capillary numbers it admits an asymptotic solution, its full study has not been conducted. With the help of an efficient numerical algorithm, based on a boundary-integral formulation and the appropriate set of interfacial and inflow boundary conditions, we first study the film thickness behaviour for a clean interface problem. Next, the same algorithm allows us to investigate the response of this system to the presence of soluble surface active matter, which leads to clarification of its role in the flow dynamics. The main conclusion is that pure hydrodynamical modelling of surfactant effects predicts film thinning and therefore is not sufficient to explain the film thickening observed in many experiments.
15N chemical-shift tensor of the imide nitrogen in the alanyl-prolyl peptide bond

In order to extract the information about molecular structure and dynamics that is inherent in the chemical-shift interaction, it is necessary to know the magnitudes and orientations of the principal elements of the chemical-shift tensor for each site of interest. While the 13C and “N chemical-shift tensors for most of the chemical groups in proteins have been described, the sites in the imino acid proline have not yet been characterized. This note describes the chemical-shift tensor for the “N imide nitrogen in the alanyl-prolyl peptide bond based on the analysis of 15N powder patterns resulting from the chemical shift and heteronuclear dipole-dipole coupling in the 13C,‘5N-labeled dipeptide Ala-Pro. The magnitudes and orientations of the principal elements of the chemical-shift tensor are generally determined from rotation studies of single crystals (I, 2). Amino acids and small synthetic peptides are useful as model systems for larger and less tractable biologically important peptides and proteins. The 13C and “N chemical-shift tensors of the amide peptide bond have been determined in single crystal studies of the dipeptide glycyl-glycine (3, 4). The magnitudes of the principal values of the chemical-shift tensor can be readily determined from the frequencies of the discontinuities of a powder pattern obtained from a polycrystalline sample, as long as the site of interest gives a well-defined and resolved powder pattern. However, the orientations of the principal elements in the molecular frame cannot be determined from the powder pattern of the chemical-shift interaction alone. If there is a strong dipole-dipole coupling to a bonded atom, then it is possible to establish the orientation of the principal axis system relative to the bond axis in the molecular frame from the perturbation of the chemical-shift powder pattern by the dipolar splittings associated with each orientation in the sample. This was first demonstrated for i3C coupled to i5N by Kaplan et al. (5) and has been subsequently applied to 13C coupled to ‘H (6), 15N coupled to ‘H (7) and 13C coupled to 13c (8). Proteins of bacterial origin can be readily labeled with 15N in backbone and side chain sites for solid-state NMR studies (9). Proline is present in most proteins and it forms an imide linkage in the protein backbone. The i5N imide chemical-shift tensor
Women's decision making about whether or not to use breast cancer chemoprevention.

ABSTRACT Background: Minimal research is available that examines how women at high risk for breast cancer make choices about chemoprevention. We examined how women decide whether to use chemoprevention within the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR), a non-placebo arm prevention trial. Design: We used in-depth, semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis. We interviewed 28 participants who chose to take chemoprevention and 23 STAR eligible women who declined participation and chemoprevention. Results: Most participants perceived themselves at heightened risk for and anxious about developing breast cancer and believed taking either trial medication was a reasonable way to reduce risk. More than half of non-participants did not perceive themselves at heightened risk for and felt little anxiety about breast cancer. More than half of non-participants felt at greater risk for developing other diseases. Conclusions: While breast cancer risk can be calculated with a fair degree of accuracy, its impac...
Comprehensive Alanine-scanning Mutagenesis of Escherichia coli CsrA Defines Two Subdomains of Critical Functional Importance *

Abstract The RNA-binding protein CsrA (carbon storage regulator) of Escherichia coli is a global regulator of gene expression and is representative of the CsrA/RsmA family of bacterial proteins. These proteins act by regulating mRNA translation and stability and are antagonized by binding to small noncoding RNAs. Although the RNA target sequence and structure for CsrA binding have been well defined, little information exists concerning the protein requirements for RNA recognition. The three-dimensional structures of three CsrA/RsmA proteins were recently solved, revealing a novel protein fold consisting of two interdigitated monomers. Here, we performed comprehensive alanine-scanning mutagenesis on csrA of E. coli and tested the 58 resulting mutants for regulation of glycogen accumulation, motility, and biofilm formation. Quantitative effects of these mutations on expression of glgCA`-'lacZ, flhDC `-'lacZ, and pgaA`-'lacZ translational fusions were also examined, and eight of the mutant proteins were purified and tested for RNA binding. These studies identified two regions of the amino acid sequence that were critical for regulation and RNA binding, located within the first (β1, residues 2-7) and containing the last (β5, residues 40-47) β-strands of CsrA. The β1 and β5 strands of opposite monomers lie adjacent and parallel to each other in the three-dimensional structure of this protein. Given the symmetry of the CsrA dimer, these findings imply that two distinct RNA binding surfaces or functional subdomains lie on opposite sides of the protein.
Structure and embryonic degradation of two native vitellins in the cockroach, Periplaneta americana

Abstract Multiple vitellogenins (VG) are found in species from all major families of cockroaches. Proof that observed multiple VGs are actually distinct proteins and not artifacts of differential processing requires careful examination. In Periplaneta americana two immunologically and electrophoretically distinct vitellins (VTs) of similar native size exist in the egg. VT1 is composed of four major peptides of molecular weights 170, 105, 92 and 78 K. VT2 is composed of three major peptides of molecular weights 105, 101 and 60 K. A peptide with molecular weight of about 105 K is found in both VG1 and VG2 and a similar sized peptide is also conserved in the VGs of all other Blatinae subfamily members examined despite the distant immunological relation of these proteins. The 170 K peptide of VT1 is likely to be a processing intermediate of the 92 K and the 78 K peptides. Each VT from a freshly ovulated egg is immunologically identical to and has essentially the same peptide substructure as its serum precursor. The cumulative M r of the constituent peptides of each VG is approx. 260 K, consistent with 17S native dimeric molecules of approx. 520 K M r . A specific and limited cleavage of VT major peptides occurs during early embryogenesis (at 30°C, 9 days after ovulation) resulting in a partial loss of immunological determinants. During subsequent yolk utilization the VTs undergo gradual degradation.
Perceptions of local and state law enforcement concerning the role of computer crime investigative teams

As computer and Internet‐related crimes continue to increase in prevalence and scope, some law enforcement agencies have developed specialized task forces to address the issue. Because of the relative newness of high‐tech deviance, however, it is not clear how to best proceed with the efficient, productive, and strategic allocation of resources, the provision of assistance to other departments, and the general development of policy. Research on a national level has provided some insight as to the requirements of law enforcement in dealing with computer crime, and has suggested deeper inquiry on a state and local level. Accordingly, survey research was conducted across Michigan to empirically assess the needs of state and local law enforcement resulting from the commission of these offenses. Some questions addressed the types of computer crimes most frequently encountered, the extent of training received, and the specific types of formal instruction desired by personnel to increase proficiency in investigations. It is hoped that the results will provide a basis of comparison to the national findings, and serve as an instructional tool for other agencies in other states and even other countries in their efforts to shape and direct fruitful computer crime control initiatives.
Average frobenius distributions for elliptic curves with 3-torsion

Abstract In this paper, we examine the Lang–Trotter conjecture for elliptic curves which possess rational 3-torsion points. We prove that if one averages over all such elliptic curves then one obtains an asymptotic similar to the one predicted by Lang and Trotter.
Observations on Vitamin A Deficiency in Young Dairy Bulls

Summary 1.The effects of varying levels of vitamin A on the reproductive development of 13 Holstein, 4 Jersey, and 3 Guernsey bulls were studied. 2.Complete blindness developed in bulls receiving 2,000 I.U. of vitamin A daily. Following supplementation of the ration with 4,000 and 6,000 I.U. of vitamin A daily, very slight spermatogenesis was observed; only moderate sperm production was found following 5 months of therapy with 100,000 I.U. of vitamin A daily. 3.Bulls which received 4,000 and 6,000 I.U. daily of vitamin A until 300lb. in weight, and then 8 and 16 I.U. daily per lb. of body weight, exhibited convulsions, showed evidence of night blindness, and three became totally blind. Sexual maturity was delayed, sex drive inhibited, and spermatogenesis limited. Cystic pituitary glands were observed in all bulls except the controls. Histological differences were observed, however, in both the anterior pituitary glands and the adrenal glands of the bulls. 4.Although moderate prepubertal vitamin A deficiency did not completely inhibit sperm production, fertility and reproductive capacity appeared to be seriously impaired, since sexual drive and spermatogenesis as measured by laboratory procedures and histological examination were reduced. The possibility that prepubertal damage may be permanent, especially when cystic pituitaries develop or total blindness occurs, should not be overlooked.
Stakeholder–firm power difference, stakeholders' CSR orientation, and SMEs' environmental performance in China

Abstract Although stakeholder power theory has been at the forefront of environmental studies, extant research has focused on stakeholders' power while firms' countering power has not been systematically examined. Furthermore, different stakeholders may prioritize social goals differently. In this paper, we propose that stakeholder–firm power difference determines firms' environmental performance and stakeholders' CSR orientation (i.e., the degree to which a stakeholder holds firms' engagement in CSR as important) moderates this relationship. Utilizing a sample of 144 Chinese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we found that governments-, competitors-, and the media-firm power difference indeed significantly affect Chinese SMEs' environmental performance. Besides, governments' and the media's CSR orientation moderate the relationship between stakeholder–firm power difference and firms' environmental performance. Research and practical implications are discussed.
Lentigines, laser, and melanoma: a case series and discussion.

Solar lentigines are considered one of the earliest signs of photoaging and are an extremely common cosmetic complaint. Successful removal of these lesions can be achieved with laser and non-laser light sources, and is one of the most frequently performed cosmetic procedures in laser centers. Distinguishing a benign lentigo from other pigmented lesions can sometimes be challenging, even for a trained dermatologist. We report a series of three patients who presented to our laser center within 2 months of one another for cosmetic removal of pigmented lesions that were found to be melanoma. One patient was referred by another dermatologist, one by a physician family member, and the other presented on his own. These cases highlight the need for careful evaluation of pigmented lesions prior to laser treatment, regardless of the source of the referral. In this article, we will review the diagnostic and treatment differences between lentigines and their malignant counterparts, and examine the role of laser in both. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:112–116, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Experimental use of semiconductor diode laser in contact transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in rabbits.

Acute and long-term effects of contact transscleral semiconductor diode laser cyclophotocoagulation were studied in rabbits. Immediately following cyclophotocoagulation, light microscopy revealed coagulation necrosis of the ciliary pigmented and nonpigmented epithelia and stroma; destruction increased in relation to power. There was architectural disruption with higher energy levels. The findings with diode and continuous-wave contact neodymium-YAG lasers were similar. In rabbits treated and followed up for 6 weeks there was a decrease in intraocular pressure during the observation period (P less than .05, paired Student's t test). The gross and light microscopic examination revealed focal atrophy and fibrosis of the ciliary processes, with pigment-laden macrophages on the ciliary processes and in the outflow pathways. Higher energy levels caused lens capsule damage and vitritis. The diode laser produced ciliary destruction similar to the continuous-wave contact neodymium-YAG laser in rabbits, with significant intraocular pressure lowering during the 6-week follow-up.
Sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) as a methanol-barrier layer in multilayer membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

Novel poly(arylene ether sulfone) copolymers containing different amount of pendant sulfonic acid groups have been synthesized by an aromatic substitution polymerization reaction. The properties of the synthesized sulfonated poly(diphenylsulfone-diphenol) (SDPS-DP) copolymers depend on the sulfonic acid group content in the copolymers. Although all the copolymers show good thermal stability, low liquid uptake, and low methanol crossover, they exhibit lower proton conductivity than Nafion or sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK). Taking advantage of the low methanol crossover, multilayer membranes consisting of the SDPS-DP copolymer as a methanol-barrier center layer and SPEEK as the proton-conducting outer layers have been fabricated and characterized. The SPEEK/SDPS-DP-60/SPEEK multilayer membranes with an optimized center layer thickness are found to exhibit better performance and higher power density in DMFC than plain SPEEK and Nafion 115 membranes.
uvby FCAPT Photometry of Six Small-Amplitude mCP Stars

If magnetic fields cause elemental abundances to change in the stellar photosphere, then all magnetic chemically peculiar (mCP) stars should exhibit signatures of this effect in both their spectra and flux distributions. Given that all stars rotate, these stars should be magnetic, spectrum, and photometric variables, albeit sometimes of low amplitude. We study differential Stromgren observations from the Four College Automated Photoelectric Telescope (FCAPT) of α Psc, HR 5857, and HR 6709, which are small-amplitude mCP stars, and AB Cet, HD 15890, and HR 8240, which were thought to be near-constant mCP stars, to determine the periods and amplitudes of their photometric variability. We construct the photometric amplitude distribution functions of the mCP stars studied by the first author to obtain statistics on their photometric variability in Stromgren photometry. The star α Psc has a period of 0.74552 days, with its largest amplitude in u of 0.030 mag. The largest amplitude (0.035 mag) for HR 5857 is also for u. We confirmed the period of 1.29957 days found by Hatzes using Doppler imaging. For HR 6709 the largest amplitude observed (0.010 mag) is for u photometry. Its period is 1.20352 days. AB Cet might be minimally variable. HD 15980 appears to be minimally variable, with a period of at least 5 yr. HR 8240 is variable with a b amplitude about 0.05 mag and a period that is several years long. Additional observations of these six stars would be useful to confirm their characteristics. Two apparently constant stars studied with FCAPT Stromgren data, HD 11187 and HD 50169, should be checked to see whether they are long-period variables. If additional observations show their variability, then all mCP stars observed photometrically by the first author with the FCAPT will be found to be variable.
Retention of internal experiences in juvenile and adult rats

An equal number of adult and juvenile female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 14) received one of four treatments during Phase 1 of the study. Phase 1 consisted of four sucrose-saline pairings (S), four illness experiences (I), four sucrose-illness pairings (SI), or four saline injections (C). After the last Phase 1 treatment, all subjects received a 30-min exposure to sucrose and water followed by a LiCl injection during the second phase of the experiment. Phase 2 began either 1 or 28 days following the last injection. Each subject continued to receive sucrose-illness experience until a suppression criterion was reached or for a maximum of 4 test days. Adult and juvenile animals that had received sucrose-illness pairings in Phase 1 and tested 1 or 28 days later drank significantly less sucrose than their appropriate control animals. The I treatment adult and juvenile rats at the 1-day retention interval developed the taste aversion more slowly than control animals. Furthermore, the adult, but not the juvenile, rats given sucrose exposures prior to conditioning drank more sucrose than their control rats on Day 2 of training at both intervals. At the 28-day retention test, suppression of sucrose intake was equivalent in adult and juvenile rats in I and C animals. These results show that young and adult animals can recall prior taste aversion experiences over a 28-day interval but apparently do not remember illness-alone experiences 28 days later.
Polymerization of Terminal Alkynes by Rare Earth Compound/Trialkylaluminum Catalysts

Rare earth naphthenates and phosphonates with trialkylaluminum compounds were investigated as catalysts for the polymerization of 1-alkynes. The neodymium naphthenate/ triisobutylaluminum system was found to promote high conversions to polymers of relatively high molecular weights in the case of alkyl-substituted acetylenes. The polymers obtained showed, by infrared spectroscopy, high cis content in the polyconjugated chains.
The ‘War on Terrorism’: What Does it Mean to Win?

AbstractThe war on al-Qaeda and its affiliates appears to be endless but every war must end. Winding down the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq has been difficult, but both were embedded in what was then called the ‘war on terrorism.’ What does ‘success’ in that war mean? With the death of bin Laden and the increase in drone operations, how far is the US from achieving it? Can this war end? The article analyzes the ongoing US response to the 9/11 attacks in historical context, revealing four patterns common to all prolonged wars: means become ends, tactics become strategy, boundaries are blurred, and the search for a perfect peace replaces reality. It concludes by laying out an effective strategy for ending the war.
Probing the cosmological constant and phase transitions with dark matter

The standard model and its extensions predict multiple phase transitions in the early universe. In addition to the electroweak phase transition, one or several of these could occur at energies close to the weak scale. Such phase transitions can leave their imprint on the relic abundance of TeV-scale dark matter. In this paper, we enumerate several physical features of a generic phase transition and parametrize the effect of each on the relic abundance. In particular, we include among these effects the presence of the scalar field vacuum energy and the cosmological constant, which is sensitive to UV physics. Within the context of the standard model Higgs sector, we find that the relic abundance of generic TeV-scale dark matter is affected by the vacuum energy at the order of a fraction of a percent. For scalar field sectors with strong first-order phase transitions, an order 1% apparent tuning of coupling constants may allow corrections induced by the vacuum energy to be of order unity.
Synthesis and solution properties of cholesterol end-capped poly(ethylene glycol)

Abstract A series of cholesterol end-capped poly(ethylene glycol) (Ch 2 PEG) were synthesized by coupling cholesterol at each end of PEG ( molecular weight =4000, 10 000, 20 000 and 35 000 g/mol) with hexamethylene diisocyanate. Unlike hydrophobically modified PEGs, which are end-capped with flexible hydrocarbons or fluorocarbons, Ch 2 PEGs are not soluble in water, although they do swell significantly, and the swelling ratio increases with molecular weight. Analysis of the swelling ratios via the Flory–Rehner equation indicates that, as PEG molecular weight increases, the Flory–Huggins interaction parameter decreases slightly from 0.53 4 to 0.49 5 and becomes constant within experimental error when the PEG molecular weight reaches 10 000 g/mol. Addition of small amounts of a co-solvent such as n -propanol converts this intractable opaque material to a completely homogeneous, optically transparent, highly elastic fluid whose viscoelastic properties are those of a transient network with relaxation times in the range from 0.1 to 10 s, depending on co-solvent content and temperature.
First-principles predictions of the structure, stability, and photocatalytic potential of Cu2O surfaces.

For a photocatalytic reaction to be thermodynamically allowed, a semiconductor’s band edges need to be placed appropriately relative to the reaction redox potentials. We apply a recently developed scheme for calculating band edges with density functional theory (DFT)-based methods to Cu2O, evaluating its available thermodynamic overpotential for redox reactions such as water splitting and conversion of CO2 to methanol. Because these calculations are surface dependent, we first study the low-index surfaces of Cu2O using periodic DFT+U theory to characterize and identify the most stable surface, which will be the most catalytically relevant. We employ various techniques to calculate the surface energy, including the method of “ab initio atomistic thermodynamics”. The Cu2O(111) surface with (1 × 1) periodicity and surface copper vacancies is identified as the most stable at all oxygen partial pressures, although the ideal stoichiometric Cu2O(111) surface is relatively close in energy under oxygen-poor condit...
The gossypol-cyclododecanone (1/2) inclusion complex.

Gossypol and cyclo­dodecanone crystallize at room temperature as an inclusion complex in a 1:2 molar ratio. This complex, viz. 1,1′,6,6′,7,7′-hexa­hydroxy-5,5′-diiso­pro­pyl-3,3′-di­methyl-2,2′-bi­naphthalene-8,8′-di­carbox­aldehyde–cyclo­do­deca­none (1/2), C30H30O8·2C12H22O, is unusual in that there is limited intermolecular hydrogen bonding within the structure. Each cyclo­dodecanone mol­ecule accepts a hydrogen bond from a gossypol mol­ecule, but there are no gossypol-to-gossypol hydrogen-bond interactions. The gossypol mol­ecules form a framework structure enclosing channels, and the cyclo­dodecanone mol­ecules lie in these channels. In terms of the number of non-H guest atoms, this is the largest gossypol inclusion complex reported to date.
A Study of Polyelectrolyte Brushes Formed from Adsorption of Amphiphilic Diblock Copolymers Using the Surface Forces Apparatus

Polyelectrolyte brushes were formed at the interface between hydrophobized mica and water by adsorbing amphiphilic diblock copolymers consisting of a hydrophobic and a charged block. We measured force−distance profiles with the surface force apparatus (SFA) for several polyelectrolyte brushes of different lengths as a function of aqueous 1:1 electrolyte concentration. Long-ranged electrostatic double-layer forces were not observed in the force curves, and our results suggest that more counterions than predicted by the Manning theory are condensed onto the polymer backbones inside the brush. The brush height observed with the SFA follows the predictions of the mean field theory: at low ionic strength the height is independent of the external salt concentration cs, whereas at high external ionic strength the height shrinks with a weak power law L0 ∝ cs-1/3. All force vs separation data for three different brushes, with various salt concentrations, collapse with reasonable accuracy into two reduced plots of...
Blue cones contribute to border distinctness

A conclusion reached by Kaiser and Boynton in wavelength discrimination experiments, that differential blue-cone excitation makes a small contribution to the distinctness of borders in small fields, was verified using a rating procedure for borders produced in the La Jolla Analytic Colorimeter.
The effect of angular momentum on charged particle-induced fission at moderate excitation energies

Abstract A study has been made of the effect of varying the amount of angular momentum possessed by the projectile particle on the fission probability of some elements lighter than polonium. The same compound nucleus with approximately the same excitation energy (±0·5 MeV) was produced by nuclear reactions using different charged particles, thus depositing varying amounts of angular momentum in the compound nucleus. All analyses were done using standard radiochemical techniques. The helium ion-induced fission of 195 Pt at an excitation energy of 32·7 MeV resulted in a total fission cross-section of 2·2 μbarn, while the deuterium ion-induced fission of 197 Au at the same excitation energy had a total fission cross-section of 4·6 μbarn for the same compound nucleus, 199 Hg ∗ . The helium ion-induced fission of 207 Pb at excitation energies of 33·5 and 25·6 MeV occurred with total fission cross-sections of 3080 μbarns and 27·2 μbarns respectively. The deuterium ion-induced fission of 209 Bi giving the same 211 Po ∗ compound nucleus at approximately the same average excitation energies had total fission cross-sections of 330 and 4·0 μbarn respectively. In the first case, the fission reaction induced by the lighter projectile nucleus occurred with a larger total fission cross-section, while in the second case, the fission reaction induced by the heavier projectile nucleus possessed the larger total fission cross-section. These results indicate that the angular momentum of the impinging nucleus contributes to but is not the only factor which influences the total fission cross-section at moderate excitation energies.
New values in domineering

Abstract We find previously unknown values in Domineering games by constructing a repeating Domineering position which has corners and kinks. By varying the construction, we find values which include arbitrarily small numbers, some hot switches and some infinitesimals.
Induction of normal prepubertal behavior in wolves with restricted rearing

A series of studies in which wolves were born and reared in a population field as members of a variety of captive packs had been previously undertaken in our laboratory. Two females were each isolated from conspecifics at 4 weeks of age and individually reared as pets until 6 months of age in a household containing a domestic dog. One of these was included in the socialization procedures to conspecifics used in the present study. Another female (previous study) was taken from the mother on the second day after birth and bottle-raised until 9 weeks, when it was isolated from conspecifics until 10 months of age and then socialized ( B. E. Ginsburg, in Communicative Behavior and Evolution , pp. 59–79, Academic Press, New York, 1976 ). In the present study, six wolf pups were subjected to a variety of regimes of rearing and handling beginning at 4 weeks of age. Two males were isolated from humans and conspecifics from 4 weeks to 6 months of age, with minimal human handling from weeks 4 to 6. One male was socialized to humans beginning at 4 weeks of age, but had no experience with conspecifics from 4 weeks to 6 months of age. Two females were pair-housed from 4 weeks of age to 6 months of age, with minimal human contact from weeks 4 to 6 and intensive socialization with humans thereafter. At 6 months of age, the animals, with the exception of one male isolate who died, were paired in a series of round-robin encounters lasting 1 day each and subsequently group-housed for 5 days. Videotapes of the interactions, obtained without humans present, revealed that after a variable period of adjustment the animals exhibited behaviors normally seen in wolves of this age on the first day of pairing. The group encounters also demonstrated that normal social behavior, including normal group structure, could develop within this time span. The animals, with the exception of the dominant male, reacted with appropriate submissive behavior to an adult female. The results are discussed with reference to the previous canid isolation literature, and it is concluded that normal social behavior in wolves is sufficiently well buffered from environmental effects to permit rapid recovery from aberrant conditions of rearing, under appropriate experimental circumstances.
Solvent dependent friction force response of polystyrene brushes prepared by surface initiated polymerization.

Polystyrene (PS) brushes were prepared on oxide passivated silicon by the surface initiated polymerization (SIP) technique. From an AIBN-type free radical initiator, which was silanized and immobilized on silicon wafers, styrene brushes were directly polymerized and grafted from the surface. The formation of the initiator monolayer and, subsequently, the polymer brush on the surface were monitored by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and ellipsometry. Friction force measurements were performed by atomic force microscopy (AFM), using a 5 μm SiO2 colloidal sphere tip and under systematically varied solvent environments (nonpolar to polar), to demonstrate the dependence of brush lubricity on solvation. The relative uptake of solvents in the PS brush was determined by quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), and it correlates well with friction data. It is surmised that, in poor solvent environments, the polymer brush exists in a collapsed conformation, giving rise to the higher observed friction response.
Determination of internal target volume using selective phases of a 4-dimensional computed tomography scan.

Abstract Purpose Internal target volume (ITV) is frequently determined by contouring of gross tumor volumes (GTV) on 10 phases of a 4-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) study set for lung cancer radiotherapy. This study aimed to investigate the possibility of generating ITV by using selective phases of a 4DCT scan. Methods and Materials The 4DCT scans of 20 patients with lung cancer were included in this study. GTVs were contoured on 10 phases in Focal4D (CMS, St Louis, MO). Different ITVs were derived by encompassing volumes of contours from selective phases. ITV 10 was the combination of GTVs on all of the 10 phases and served as the gold standard volume. All of the other ITVs were smaller and within ITV 10 . The ratios of the volumes of these ITVs to ITV 10 were calculated and used as a criterion to determine the similarity of different ITVs to ITV 10 . ITV 2 represented the ITV derived by using end-inhalation and end-exhalation (0% + 50%). ITV 3E was derived from contouring the 3 phases at end-inhalation, mid-exhalation, and end-exhalation (0% + 20% + 50%). ITV 3I was derived from contouring the 3 phases at end-inhalation, mid-inhalation, and end-exhalation (0% + 70% + 50%). ITV 4 was derived by contouring the 4 phases at end-inhalation, mid-inhalation, end-exhalation, and mid-exhalation (0% + 20% + 50% + 70%). ITV 6E was derived from contouring the 6 consecutive phases during exhalation (0% + 10% + 20% + 30% + 40% + 50%). ITV 6I was derived from contouring the 6 consecutive phases during inhalation (50% + 60% + 70% + 80% + 90% + 0%). The volumes of ITVs were calculated and compared. Results ITV 6I showed excellent agreement with ITV 10 (volume ratio ITV 6I /ITV 10 = 0.975). ITV 4 and ITV 6E showed good agreement with ITV 10 (ITV 6E /ITV 10 = 0.939, ITV 4 /ITV 10 = 0.944). The volume ratios ITV 3I /ITV 10 and ITV 3E /ITV 10 were 0.927 and 0.906, respectively. ITV 2 did not agree well with ITV 10 (ITV 2 /ITV 10 = 0.888). Conclusions Contouring all phases during inhalation provides a good estimate of the ITV. However, the ITV may be underestimated if only contouring on 2 extreme phases.