cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The molal dissociation quotients of water in sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate solutions to high temperatures

The molal dissociation quotients and corresponding thermodynamic quantities for water were determined from potentiometric measurements at 25°C intervals from 25 to 250°C in the presence of sodium trifluoromethanesulfonate at six molalities ranging from 0.2 to 6.5. These quantities are compared with published results for the dissociation of water in sodium chloride solutions and an estimate is made of the ion-pair association quotient for HCl.
Studies of the Binding and Structure of Adrenocorticotropin Peptides in Membrane Mimics by NMR Spectroscopy and Pulsed-Field Gradient Diffusion

The partition and structure of three adrenocorticotropic hormone peptides ACTH(1-10), ACTH(1-24), and ACTH(11-24) in water and in sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) and dodecylphosphocholine (DPC) micelles were studied by 2D NMR and NMR gradient diffusion measurements. The diffusion rates, the NH chemical shifts, and the nuclear Overhauser effect patterns provided a coherent picture of binding of these peptides. All three peptides are significantly partitioned in the negatively charged SDS micelles and possess definite secondary structure, as opposed to random structures in water. For ACTH (1-24), the hydrophobic 1-10 segment is partitioned in DPC micelles, but the charged 11-24 segment prefers to remain in the aqueous region. ACTH(11-24) does not bind significantly to the DPC micelles. The binding of the ACTH peptides in these two widely used "membrane mimics" are substantially different from that in 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC) bilayers obtained by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy and from our preliminary diffusion studies of the same peptides in POPC vesicles. This study showed that, in a given micellar medium, all corresponding segments of these peptides are located in the same membrane environment in the system, regardless of whether these segments exist by themselves or are attached to other segments. This result may contradict the membrane-compartments concept of Schwyzer, which suggests that ACTH(1-10) and ACTH(1-24) are located in different membrane compartments because they have different address segments, and consequently, bind to different receptors. The present results also suggest that the assumption that micelles are good membrane mimics should be carefully examined.
Tricyclization of an Epoxypolyene Utilizing Zeolites as Next-Generation Biomimetic Cyclization Promoters: Evidence of Surface and Pore Selectivity in the Cyclization Process†

A new approach for the biomimetic polyene cyclization of epoxyolefins is demonstrated by the zeolite-promoted tricyclization of 1. Reaction of 1 with a variety of zeolitic materials, including Zeolite A, Mordenite, Faujasite, and ZSM-5, yielded variable amounts of cyclic and acyclic epoxide-rearranged materials. Small-pore Zeolite A, in either the Na or Li form, caused the exclusive formation of ketone 3, while both H−Mordenite and H−ZSM-5 were sufficiently reactive to provide tricyclic products in modest yields. Low recovery of polyene 1 was observed when larger-pore zeolites of type Beta and H−Faujasite were utilized as cyclization promoters, suggesting that decomposition products had been included within the zeolite cavity. Dramatic improvement in reaction selectivity was achieved after surface dealumination of H−ZSM-5, which gave 52% (isolated yield) of tricycle 2. Compared to the Lewis acid cyclization of 1 by Ti(OiPr)Cl3 or MeAlCl2, the reaction is highly stereoselective, producing the all-trans tri...
The Anxiety Sensitivity Index for Children: factor structure and relation to panic symptoms in an adolescent sample.

Abstract This study examines the factor structure underlying the Anxiety Sensitivity Index for Children (ASIC, J Anxiety Disord, 12 (1998) 307) in an adolescent sample. Three-hundred-and-eight adolescents, aged 12 to 18, completed the ASIC and measures of anxiety and depression. Factor analysis of the ASIC items resulted in a two-factor structure that is similar to that reported by Laurent et al. These two factors included a physical concerns dimension and a mental concerns dimension similar to those found in studies of adult anxiety sensitivity. Subscales measuring these two factors demonstrated concurrent validity, showing particularly close associations with measures of panic symptoms. In addition, both of these subscales showed incremental validity in predicting panic symptoms after controlling for the other anxiety sensitivity subscale and a measure of depression. These results provide evidence that the anxiety sensitivity construct is applicable during adolescence and support the use of the ASIC.
Getting the most from MBA internships: Promoting intern learning and job acceptance

MBA internships are commonly used for training and recruiting management talent. Yet, research overlooks what makes them effective. A longitudinal study investigates the relationships that goal clarity, autonomy, and prior experience have with MBA intern learning and job acceptance intentions. Results show learning partially mediates the relationship of goal clarity to job acceptance intentions, and that less experienced MBA interns learn more under conditions of high goal clarity and low autonomy (i.e., when their roles are more structured). We discuss how role structures and learning can inform effective training and recruiting of interns, and management of short-term workers in general. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Role of Psychological Reactance in Drinking Following Alcohol Prevention Messages1

Two experiments tested whether a dogmatic alcohol prevention message may, by arousing psychological reactance (the motivation to reassert a threatened freedom) result in more subsequent alcohol consumption, compared to a neutral message. In Study 1, 535 college students received either a high-threat (dogmatic) or low-threat (neutral) message recommending either abstinence or controlled drinking. Results indicated that high-threat messages were rated more negatively and resulted in more drinking intentions compared to low threat. The negative effect of high threat on message ratings was most pronounced for habitually heavy drinkers and an abstinence-espousing message. In Study 2, under the guise of a "memory study," 74 college students received either a high- or low-threat message recommending abstinence from alcohol. Then, under the guise of a "perception study," all subjects participated in a taste-rating task in which their beer consumption was unobtrusively measured. Results indicated that the effect of high threat was most negative for male heavy drinkers, who drank significantly more beer compared to low-threat controls. These results suggest that the persuasive ability of alcohol prevention efforts depend to a considerable extent on the reactance-arousing properties of the materials and that dogmatic alcohol prevention materials may have counterproductive effects for some college students.
Microstructure of Poly(lactide). Phase-Sensitive HETCOR Spectra of Poly(meso-lactide), Poly(rac-lactide), and Atactic Poly(lactide)

We report the synthesis and 1H, 13C{1H}, and phase-sensitive HETCOR NMR spectra of atactic poly(lactide), poly(meso-lactide) and poly(rac-lactide). The new and existing spectroscopic data are discussed in terms of four alternative explanations: (i) Kricheldorf's tetrad assignments with the presumption that the adjacent chiral units exert an asymmetric influence on chemical shifts which is propagated in opposite directions along the polymer chain for 1H and 13C nuclei, respectively, (ii) alternative tetrad assignments we have recently proposed, (iii) assignments based on pentad stereosequences, and (iv) assignments based on the observation of triad and pentad stereosequences rather than tetrads. We show that the available data are insufficient to unequivocally distinguish between explanations i or iv.
Load balancing fictions, falsehoods and fallacies☆

Effective use of a parallel computer requires that a calculation be carefully divided among the processors. This load balancing problem appears in many guises and has been a fervent area of research for the past decade or more. Although great progress has been made, and useful software tools developed, a number of challenges remain. It is the conviction of the author that these challenges will be easier to address if programmers first come to terms with some significant shortcomings in their current perspectives. This paper tries to identify several areas in which the prevailing point of view is either mistaken or insufficient. The goal is to motivate new ideas and directions for this important field.
High-resolution study of FO infrared chemiluminescence

Abstract Vibrationally excited FO radicals generated by the reaction F + O 3 → FO * + O 2 have been observed in emission for levels up to v ′ = 9 in the ground electronic state. An infrared spectrum for Δ v = 1 quantum transitions has been recorded at a nominal resolution of 0.008 cm −1 (125-cm path difference) using a high-resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. Transitions for Δ v = 2 and 3 up to 9-6 were also observed at lower resolution but were not used in the analysis. An analysis of the X 2 Π 1/2 and X 2 Π 3/2 Δ v = 1 transitions up to v ′ = 8 has yielded new information about the vibrational state dependencies of the molecular parameters. Transition intensities and instrumental lineshapes have also been investigated.
Analysis of short-period waveforms of P phases from deep-focus earthquakes beneath the Fiji Islands

Summary. Analysis of seismograms from 70 deep-focus earthquakes recorded at nearby stations in the Fiji Islands has yielded estimates of the waveforms of P waves radiated from deep sources and of the seismic moments of the events. The earthquake sample consists of all well-recorded events in 1965–66 located in a limited hypocentral region within 4° of the stations and at depths of 500 to 700 km. The spatial distribution restricts the angle of incidence for the incoming direct P waves to less than about 25°, thereby reducing the extent to which the early portion of the observed P wave is contaminated by crustal effects. A study of nuclear explosions recorded by these stations indicates that the effects of the mantle, crust and seismograph on the shape of the P wave are reasonably well-accounted for in the seismogram synthesis employed in this study. The magnitudes (mb) of the events studied ranged from 3.5 to 5.9. The character of the seismograms for these events ranged from small-amplitude, high-frequency, short-duration P waves for the smallest events to large-amplitude and low-frequency or multiple events for some of the largest events. However, 60 of the 70 events, spanning nearly the entire magnitude range, have P waveforms which, during the first 1.2s, are quite similar to one another. Synthetic seismograms were computed for these events, and the best fit is obtained with a triangular farfield displacement pulse, with a 0.6 s rise time and a 0.4 s decay tune. To describe the seismograms of these 60 events, only the pulse height (proportional to seismic moment) need vary; the duration of the triangular pulse form remains nearly constant and implies a spectral ‘corner frequency’ of 0.7 Hz. Thus, although for the entire sample of earthquakes the duration of the source is found to be somewhat dependent on seismic moment, there is a range of two orders of magnitude in moment (1022 to 1024 dyne cm) over which the source duration does not significantly vary. This cannot be accounted for by variations of focal mechanism orientations but indicates large variations in stress drop among the deep events. Published studies of shallow-focus earthquakes in California have indicated that a wide range of seismic moments is associated with a small range of source durations or corner frequencies, particularly for samples of earthquake populations within limited areas. This study shows a similar variation of moment and source duration within a localized region of deep earthquakes. The similarity is in both the range and location on a moment versus source duration plot, indicating similar ranges of stress drops for the shallow California and deep Fiji events.
Phylogenetic Relationships of Triplaris and Ruprechtia: Re-Delimitation of the Recognized Genera and Two New Genera for Tribe Triplarideae (Polygonaceae)

Abstract Recent phylogenetic work has increased our knowledge of the relationships within Polygonaceae. However, few studies have explored the generic relationships within Eriogonoideae. Two understudied genera are Triplaris and Ruprechtia (tribe Triplarideae), a group of approximately 55 Neotropical species of trees, shrubs, and lianas. The generic classification of Triplaris and Ruprechtia has been unstable mostly due to different taxonomic interpretations and the difficulty of characterizing each genus morphologically. Although some studies have proposed diagnostic morphological characters for each, most have exceptions. In this study, we explored the phylogenetic relationships of 32 species of Triplaris and Ruprechtia using four chloroplast (matK, ndhF, rpsl6-trnK, ndhC-trnV), and two nuclear regions (ITS, second intron of Leafy). Results confirm the monophyly of Triplaris, but Ruprechtia is polyphyletic. To maintain monophyletic genera, two new names are proposed: Magoniella and Salta . The two new g...
Post-admission glucose levels are associated with healthcare-associated bloodstream infections and pneumonia in hospitalized patients with diabetes.

Abstract Objective We conducted a case–control study to examine if short-term glucose control is related to healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (BSI), urinary tract infections (UTI), and pneumonia in hospitalized adults with diabetes. Setting and Patients We analyzed 205 BSI, 510 UTI, and 109 pneumonia cases and 989, 2463, and 543 controls matched by age, sex and hospital stay seen at a large healthcare system in Manhattan from 2006 to 2008. Methods We examined whether infection risk was associated with serum glucose measured at admission and within 2 days to infection, using conditional logistic regression. Co-morbidities, immunosuppressive medications, prior hospitalizations, and insertion of indwelling devices were considered as potential confounders. Results Admission glucose level was not associated with infection. Glucose levels of ≥ 110 mg/dL measured within 2 days to infection were associated with BSI (Odds ratios from 2.04 to 2.67). Glucose level of ≥ 180 mg/dL was associated with pneumonia (Odds ratio = 2.30). Decrease in glucose levels from admission to the infection was greater for controls than for infected cases. Conclusion Healthcare-associated BSI and pneumonia were associated with glucose levels prior to infection diagnosis, but not with glucose levels at admission. Persistently high glucose level could be an indication of an underlying undiagnosed infection.
Noncovalent π−π Stacking and CH---π Interactions of Aromatics on the Surface of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes: An MP2 Study

The magnitude and nature of interactions between small aromatic systems (benzene and naphthalene) and various single-wall carbon nanotubes are examined by MP2 theory. π−π stacking configurations are more strongly bound than CH---π analogues. There is a small preference for placement of the aromatic directly above a C═C bond center in the nanotube. All of these complexes are dominated by dispersion forces. Mobility of adsorbed benzene on the tube surface is considered in terms of rotating, tilting, and sliding. As noted previously for covalent modification of nanotubes, the computationally efficient same level different basis set protocol is reliable for studying noncovalent interactions. Previously reported DFT (LDA or GGA) binding energies for π−π stacking arrangements are underestimated, whereas dispersion-corrected methods overestimate these binding energies.
Mechanism of Group IVA Cytosolic Phospholipase A2 Activation by Phosphorylation

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) has been shown to play a critical role in the agonist-induced release of arachidonic acid. To understand the mechanism by which phosphorylation of Ser505 and Ser727 activates cPLA2, we systematically analyzed the effects of S505A, S505E, S727A, S727E, S505A/S727A, S505A/S727E, and S505E/S727E mutations on its enzyme activity and membrane affinity. In vitro membrane binding measurements showed that S505A has lower affinity than the wild type or S505E for phosphatidylcholine membranes, which is exclusively due to faster desorption of the membrane-bound S505A. In contrast, neither S727A nor S727E mutation had a significant effect on the phosphatidylcholine vesicle binding affinity of cPLA2. The difference in in vitro membrane affinity between wild type (or S505E) and S505A increased with the decrease in Ca2+ concentration, reaching >60-fold at 2.5 microm Ca2+. When HEK293 cells transfected with cPLA2 and mutants were stimulated with ionomycin, the wild type and S505E translocated to the perinuclear region and caused the arachidonic acid release at 0.4 microm Ca2+, whereas S505A showed no membrane translocation and little activity to release arachidonic acid. Further mutational analysis of hydrophobic residues in the active site rim (Ile399, Leu400, and Leu552) indicate that a main role of the Ser505 phosphorylation is to promote membrane penetration of these residues, presumably by inducing a conformational change of the protein. These enhanced hydrophobic interactions allow the sustained membrane interaction of cPLA2 in response to transient calcium increases. On the basis of these results, we propose a mechanism for cPLA2 activation by calcium and phosphorylation.
SOME ASPECTS OF RESIDUAL POROSITY IN POWDER METALLURGY

(1964). SOME ASPECTS OF RESIDUAL POROSITY IN POWDER METALLURGY. Powder Metallurgy: Vol. 7, No. 13, pp. 68-93.
Oxetanes from [2+2] Cycloaddition of Stilbenes to Quinone via Photoinduced Electron Transfer†

The photochemical coupling of various stilbenes (S) and chloranil (Q) is effected by the specific charge-transfer (CT) activation of the precursor electron donor−acceptor (EDA) complex [S, Q], and the [2+2] cycloaddition is established by X-ray structure elucidation of the crystalline trans-oxetanes formed selectively in high yields. Time-resolved (fs/ps) spectroscopy reveals the (singlet) ion-radical pair 1[S•+, Q•-] to be the primary reaction intermediate and thus unambiguously establishes for the first time the electron-transfer pathway for this typical Paterno−Buchi transformation. The alternative cycloaddition via the specific activation of the carbonyl component (as a commonly applied procedure in Paterno−Buchi couplings) leads to the same oxetane regioisomers in identical molar ratios. As such, we conclude that a common electron-transfer mechanism applies via the quenching of the photoactivated quinone acceptor by the stilbene donor to afford triplet ion-radical pairs 3[S•+, Q•-] which appear on th...
HSP22, a New Member of the Small Heat Shock Protein Superfamily, Interacts with Mimic of Phosphorylated HSP27 (3DHSP27)

Abstract Most of the members of the superfamily of mammalian small heat shock or stress proteins are abundant in muscles where they play a role in muscle function and maintenance of muscle integrity. One member of this protein superfamily, human HSP27, is rapidly phosphorylated on three serine residues (Ser15, Ser78, and Ser82) during cellular response to a number of extracellular factors. To understand better the role of HSP27, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screen of a human heart cDNA library for HSP27-interacting proteins. By using the triple aspartate mutant, a mimic of phosphorylated HSP27, as “bait” construct, a protein with a molecular mass of 21.6 kDa was identified as an HSP27-binding protein. Sequence analysis revealed that this new protein shares an overall sequence identity of 33% with human HSP27. This protein also contains the α-crystallin domain in its C-terminal half, a hallmark of the superfamily of small stress proteins. Thus, the new protein itself is a member of this protein superfamily, and consequently we designated it HSP22. According to the two-hybrid data, HSP22 interacts preferentially with the triple aspartate form of HSP27 as compared with wild-type HSP27. HSP22 is expressed predominantly in muscles. In vitro, HSP22 is phosphorylated by protein kinase C (at residues Ser14 and Thr63) and by p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (at residues Ser27 and Thr87) but not by MAPKAPK-2.
The effect of regular hemodialysis on the nutritional status of children with end-stage renal disease

Growth failure is one of the most common and profound clinical manifestation of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in infants, children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of Egyptian children with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on regular hemodialysis (HD). The study included 50 Egyptian children with ESRD on regular HD, following-up at the Pediatric Nephrology unit, Cairo University. History, including dietary history, was taken for all patients and clinical examination was performed on all of them. Body weight, standing height, height or length SD score, the skin fold thickness, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference and mid-arm muscle circumference area were also assessed. The height of the patients was the most affected anthropometric parameter, as 78% of the patients were shorter (height SDS below -3). Body weight is less affected than height, as body weight SDS of 34% of patients was less than -3 SDS. In addition, the body mass index of 16% of the patients was 97 th percentile. Although most ESRD patients received adequate protein and caloric intake, their growth was markedly affected, especially with longer period on HD. We suggest that assessment of growth parameters should be performed at a minimum period of every six months in children with CKD stages 2-3. For children with more advanced CKD (stages 4-5 and 5D), more frequent evaluation may be warranted due to the greater risk of abnormalities.
Thermal and mechanical properties of plastics molded from urea-modified soy protein isolates

Soy protein has been considered as a potential alternative of some petroleum polymers in the manufacture of plastics. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize the thermal and mechanical properties of plastics made from urea-modified soy protein. Soy protein isolate was separated from the defatted soy flour, modified with various urea concentrations, and compression-molded into plastics. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the temperatures of denaturation and the enthalpies of denaturation of the modified soy protein decreased as urea concentrations increased above 1 M. At the same urea concentration, molded plastics made from the modified soy proteins showed a similar temperature of denaturation as the modified soy protein, but a lower enthalpy of denaturation. Tensile strength and Young's modulus of the molded plastics from the modified soy proteins increased as urea concentration increased and reached their maximum values at 8 M urea modification. Both storage modulus and glass transition temperature of the plastics from the modified soy proteins increased as urea concentration increased. The plastics made from the 2 M urea-modified soy proteins showed improvements in elongation, tough fracture behavior, and water resistance. The urea may function as a denaturant, a plasticizer, and a filler.
Spatial Navigation: Why is Active Exploration Better than Passive Exploration?

Purpose • Actively walking around a new city seems to yield better spatial knowledge than passively riding in a taxi. • But the literature is mixed, in part because it confounds di erent notions of "active". • Here we test the contributions of several components of active exploration to route learning: • Motor/Proprioceptive information • Vestibular information • Cognitive decision-making • (Allocation of attention)
Serum testosterone quantitation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: interference from blood collection tubes

Abstract Objectives During the development of a testosterone assay by LC-MS/MS, we encountered significant assay interference introduced by blood collection tubes. We examined a number of commonly used blood collection tubes for the presence of interference and its impact on testosterone quantitation. Design and methods A number of commonly used blood collection tubes were examined by incubation of zero, low and high testosterone concentration samples with them over time, followed by sample preparation using liquid–liquid extraction and analysis by LC-MS/MS. Source of interference was identified by separately incubating blood collection tube coating, stopper and separator gel in clean glass tubes containing zero calibrator. Results Significant interference was found in some blood collection tubes, with the separator gel identified as the main source. The magnitude of the interference increases over time and mainly affected one of the two testosterone mass transitions used in the quantitation, making it readily detected by the discrepant results obtained by each of the two testosterone mass transitions. We were unable to eliminate the interference by adjustment of the sample preparation procedure, and by changing LC or MS parameters. Accurate quantitation of testosterone is possible when the problematic tubes are avoided, and blood collection tubes free of interference are used instead. Conclusions Significant LC-MS/MS testosterone assay interference that originated from certain type of blood collection tubes hampered testosterone analysis. Examination of blood collection tube and any other laboratory test tubes for interference should therefore be an integral part of the development and validation of any LC-MS/MS assay used in a clinical diagnostic laboratory.
Development of the mechanism regulating the preovulatory surge of luteinizing hormone in sheep.

Development of the mechanism conboiling cyclic LH secretion in the sheep was studied by examining the ability of estradiol to elicit LH surges in lambs at various ages. Silastic capsules containing estradiol were implanted SC for a 96-hour period at 3, 7, 12, 20, and 27 weeks of age. (First spontaneous ovulation occurs between 30 and 50 weeks.) Although administration of estradiol failed to elicit a discharge of LH at 3 weeks of age, LH surges of progressively increasing magnitude (36 ± 15, 73 ± 28, 107 ± 19 ng⁄ml) were elicited by estradiol as the lambs became older (7, 12, 20 weeks). By 27 weeks, the maximal serum LH level attained during the induced surge (123 ± 29 ng⁄ml) was similar to that of the estrogen-induced LH surge in anestrous adults (179 ± 23 ng⁄ml). Ovulation, however, did not occur in response to the induced LH surges. An additional experiment was performed to determine whether, as in the adult, progesterone can block the estradiol-induced LH discharge in the immature (12-week old) female....
High-rate layered space-time transmissions based on constellation-rotation

Recent theoretical and experimental studies have shown that with affordable complexity, layered space-time (LST) transmissions can attain very high spectral efficiency in a rich-scattering environment. In this paper, we propose a novel high rate linearly precoded LST system, which allows for any number of transmit and receive antennas, and offers flexibility in trading performance with bandwidth efficiency and decoding complexity. Even with sub-optimum decoding, the system enjoys considerable transmit diversity gains. Its superior performance over existing uncoded V-BLAST and linear dispersion (LD) codes is confirmed by simulations.
Comparison of plutonium systemic distribution in rats and dogs with published data in humans

AbstractPurpose: This manuscript compares the behavior of monomeric 239Pu4+-citrate injected intravenously in rats and dogs with a comparison of available humans’ data.Material and methods: The experimental design for these two studies consisted of eight groups sacrificed at predetermined time-points post exposure. All organs and tissues as well as daily urinary and fecal excretion were analyzed.Results: Liver and skeleton were the organs with the highest 239Pu uptake in both species; 76% in dogs and 70% in rats at 24 hours (h) post IV administration. By the end of the study (28 days, d), the activity in skeleton and liver was 85% in dogs and 65% in rats. The urinary excretion function seems to be similar for rats, dogs and humans but the daily fecal to urinary excretion ratio differs between species.Conclusion: A rapid clearance from the liver of rats was observed compared to dogs. Skeleton-to-liver ratios are variable between species. Urinary and fecal excretion patterns for dogs are consistent with hum...
Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 plays a key role in stellate cell activation and liver fibrogenesis in vivo.

Background & Aims Hepatocyte apoptosis and activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are critical events in fibrogenesis. We previously demonstrated that phagocytosis of apoptotic hepatocytes by HSC is profibrogenic. Based on this, as well as the observation that reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase (NADPH) oxidase induction is central to fibrogenesis, our aim was to study the phagocytic NADPH oxidase NOX2. Methods An in vivo phagocytosis model was developed by injecting wild type (wt) or NOX2 −/− mice with lentiviral-green fluorescence protein (GFP) containing a hepatocyte-specific promoter, and adeno-tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (ad-TRAIL). Fibrosis was evaluated in bile duct ligated (BDL) wt and NOX2 −/− mice with or without gadolinium treatment. NOX2 expression was studied in human liver samples and in HSC isolated from fibrotic livers. The fibrogenic activity of NOX2 was assessed by collagen reporter assays. Results In the phagocytosis model, engulfment of GFP-labeled apoptotic bodies was seen, and the expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen I increased significantly in the wt but not in the NOX2 −/− mice. Inhibiting apoptosis decreased the profibrogenic response. NOX2 −/− animals exhibited significantly less fibrosis following BDL. Inactivating macrophages in wt BDL mice did not lower collagen production to the level observed in NOX2 −/− mice, suggesting that NOX2-expressing HSC are important in fibrogenesis. NOX2 was up-regulated in HSC from fibrotic livers, and phagocytosis-induced NOX2 expression and activity were demonstrated. Based on reporter assays, production of NOX2-mediated reactive oxygen species directly induced collagen promoter activity in HSC. Conclusions Apoptosis and phagocytosis of hepatocytes directly induce HSC activation and initiation of fibrosis. NOX2, the phagocytic NADPH oxidase, plays a key role in this process and in liver fibrogenesis in vivo.
Risk and safety assessment in child welfare: Instrument comparisons

The assessment of risk is a critical part of child welfare agency practice. This review of the research literature on different instruments for assessing risk and safety in child welfare focuses on instrument reliability, validity, outcomes, and use with children and families of color. The findings suggest that the current actuarial instruments have stronger predictive validity than consensus-based instruments. This review was limited by the variability in definitions and measures across studies, the relatively small number of studies examining risk assessment instruments, and the lack of studies on case decision points other than the initial investigation.
Mask ventilation, hypocapnia, and seizure duration in electroconvulsive therapy

Abstract Study Objective To compare the Mapleson D circuit and the bag-valve-mask device for mask ventilation of patients undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Design Cross-over study. Setting Single-center academic medical center. Patients 18 patients undergoing ECT for major depressive disorder. Interventions Patients were randomized to undergo mask ventilation by the Mapleson D circuit or the bag-valve-mask device. Measurements End-tidal CO 2 , seizure duration, and airway pressure values were recorded. Main Results End-tidal CO 2 was significantly lower with the bag-valve-mask device. When compared with the bag-valve-mask device, ventilation with the Mapleson circuit resulted in rebreathing of CO 2 in nearly all patients, shorter expiratory time, and lower pressure ramp slope. Conclusions Hypocapnia was not associated with longer seizures, and the user-device interaction might affect device performance.
How Goes CSE? Thoughts On The IEEE CS Workshop At Purdue

The young field of CSE is making exciting progress, but needs to overcome some problems: a lack of well-trained people and some serious deficiencies in software practice. An observer/participant distills some wisdom from the Purdue workshop and calls for closer interdisciplinary collaboration.
Electronic Cigarettes: The New Face of Nicotine

* Abbreviations: e-cigarette — : electronic cigarette FDA — : US Food and Drug Administration A rugged actor with a prematurely lined face and raspy voice expounds on the virtues of regaining our freedom. A flaxen-haired actress waxes poetic on the sex appeal of puffing up in a bar. These are not images pulled from the archives of the golden age of television, when advertising tobacco products on the airwaves was unregulated, but rather from a new, and relatively unregulated, chapter in the saga of nicotine-containing products: electronic cigarettes.1 Electronic cigarettes, or “e-cigarettes,” have been on the market since 2007 and are catapulting into the mainstream. As their popularity skyrockets, however, so too does the need for product and marketing regulations at the federal level and sales restrictions to minors at the state and local levels. In lieu of tobacco, e-cigarettes consist of a liquid cartridge, which typically contains nicotine derived from tobacco, with an atomizer and a rechargeable battery; when the user draws on the device, it atomizes the liquid and delivers a vapor, in lieu of smoke, to the user. E-cigarette users “vape” the atomized contents of the cartridge, which can have flavors ranging from “plain tobacco” to bubble gum or peach schnapps. (Of note, the sale of flavored cigarettes [other than menthol] has been banned since the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act because of their known appeal to young buyers.) Once rare, these products have become much more visible over the past few years, particularly with the aid of television commercials for “blu eCigs” (owned by the Lorillard Tobacco Company), filling a … Address correspondence to Emily K. Duffy, MD, Department of General Pediatrics, Pediatric Residency Program, Suite 9NW55, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19103. E-mail: duffye1{at}email.chop.edu
Low gap Amorphous (Si,Ge) Solar Cells

We report on the growth and fabrication of low-gap a-(Si,Ge) solar cells, including cells made from a-Ge:H. The cells were deposited from silane and germane, or germane alone, using a high dilution of hydrogen in a remote ECR plasma reactor. We have been able to achieve a Tauc gap of as low as 1.15 eV with good device properties. The fill factors were in the 50%-60% range, and the Urbach energies measured in devices were in the range of 45 meV. The devices were of the p/i/n type with light entering the p layer. The devices were fabricated on stainless steel substrates. We also report on experiments to improve graded gap solar cells in a- (Si,Ge) using a novel combination of ppm-boron dopant and bandgap grading. It is shown that this grading significantly improves the device performance, both voltage and fill factor.
Comparison of the Elastic–Plastic Indentation Response of MgAl2O4, AlON, and AlN

Contact damage in the form of localized cracking and inelastic deformation is of concern in the utilization of ceramics and is often studied using hard indenters; an approach that has spawned the field of indentation mechanics. This approach was taken in the current work to study the penetration resistance at low strain rates of four candidate ceramic armor materials: MgAl2O4 with two grain sizes, AlON and AlN. Spherical indentation was chosen as this allows the elastic–plastic behavior to be studied and the indentation stress–strain curves to be determined. To further quantify these data, the elastic and plastic indentation work contributions were measured. On empirical grounds, it was postulated that the area under the indentation stress–strain curves, termed the indentation strain energy density, was related to the total indentation work could be used to quantify the penetration resistance. As a test of this hypothesis, it was shown that the total indentation work correlated with the strain energy density and acted over a volume similar to that of the stress field. A simple figure of merit, derived from the indentation strain energy density, was suggested as a means to quantify the penetration resistance of materials at low strain rates and to identify the material parameters that control this process.
Safety practices and depression among farm residents

Abstract Purpose To examine the association between workload, health status, social support, depression, and safety practices among farm residents. Depression may lead to inattention when performing farm tasks and may reduce the likelihood of engaging in safe practices. There is a paucity of studies examining factors that influence engaging in safety practices among farmers. Methods Personal interviews were conducted with farm operators and spouses in an eight-county area in Colorado. The Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale was used to assess depression. Ten safety practices were assessed for those involved in farm work. Proportional odds and logistic regression were used to model the relationship between safety practices and modifiers of safety behavior. Results A total of 761 individuals were enrolled, of these 710 were actively involved in farm work. In logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age and gender, CES-D scale depression was significantly associated with being in a high-risk category for: being calm around animals (OR, 3.13; 95% CI, 1.23, 7.99); reading instruction manuals for farm machinery (OR, 2.73; CI, 1.14, 6.59); and keeping moving equipment parts shielded (OR, 5.38; CI, 1.96, 14.8). Conclusions Depression increased the probability of not exercising specific safety behaviors.
Using the middle tier to understand cross-tier delay in a multi-tier application

Understanding the cause of poor performance in a multi-tier enterprise application is challenging, because a performance bottleneck on any tier may cause the whole system to be under utilized, and to fail its throughput or quality of service goals. This paper presents an approach that focuses on the application server to identify bottlenecks in a multi-tier application that are caused by tiers other then the application server. The approach uses a performance tool, named SLICE, that selectively tracks method invocations that cross tier boundaries, and extracts contextual information associated with these invocations. SLICE also collects information from the operating system's scheduler to determine when a thread is blocked. Using the contextual information from method invocations and the information of when a thread is blocked from the operating system, SLICE computes cross tier delay. Experiments on DayTrader, a multi-tier application, show that performance bottlenecks caused by clients or database servers can be identified using cross tier delay.
NEUROIMAGING IN PSYCHIATRY

The promise of neuroimaging as an aid to diagnosis is discussed, and findings from the most accessible imaging techniques are reviewed. In addition, some of the earliest findings from functional MR imaging and other technologies are presented with several illustrations. Strategies for interpretation, critique of imaging techniques, and review of major findings for brain injury, mood, anxiety, schizophrenia, and attention deficit disorders are offered. Examples of normal and pathologic images illustrate actual cases and examples of the newer imaging technologies.
Ad insertion in automatically composed documents

We consider the problem of automatically inserting advertisements (ads) into machine composed documents. We explicitly analyze the fundamental tradeoff between expected revenue due to ad insertion and the quality of the corresponding composed documents. We show that the optimal tradeoff a publisher can expect may be expressed as an efficient-frontier in the revenue-quality space. We develop algorithms to compose documents that lie on this optimal tradeoff frontier. These algorithms can automatically choose distributions of ad sizes and ad placement locations to optimize revenue for a given quality or optimize quality for given revenue. Such automation allows a market maker to accept highly personalized content from publishers who have no design or ad inventory management capability and distribute formatted documents to end users with aesthetic ad placement. The ad density/coverage may be controlled by the publisher or the end user on a per document basis by simply sliding along the tradeoff frontier. Business models where ad sales precede (ad-pull) or follow (ad-push) document composition are analyzed from a document engineering perspective.
Store and Brand Type Influences on the Perception of Apparel Quality: A Congruity Theory Approach:

The purpose of this study was to use perceptual data to test hypotheses based on congruity theory. Changes in the perception of apparel quality when two brand types were associated with four store types were measured. A national probability sample was used for the study. Six hundred and four individuals (who met the criterion ofbeing the person who did most of the household shopping for apparel) were interviewed by telephone. Results indicated that the perception of quality for name brand apparel was significantly lowered by association with national chain, off-price, and discount stores. There was not a corresponding improvement in the quality perception of national chain, off-price, and discount stores when associated with name brand apparel. Implications for manufacturers and retailers are discussed.
Evaluation of CSF Leaks: High-Resolution CT Compared with Contrast-Enhanced CT and Radionuclide Cisternography

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Radiologic evaluation of CSF leaks is a diagnostic challenge that often involves multiple imaging studies with the associated expense and patient discomfort. We evaluated the use of screening noncontrast high-resolution CT in identifying the presence and site of CSF rhinorrhea and otorrhea and compared it with contrast-enhanced CT cisternography and radionuclide cisternography. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging studies and medical records of all patients who were evaluated for CSF leak during a 7-year period. Forty-two patients with rhinorrhea and/or otorrhea underwent high-resolution CT of the face or temporal bone and then had CT cisternography and radionuclide cisternography via lumbar puncture. The results of the three studies were compared and correlated with the surgical findings in 21 patients. RESULTS: High-resolution CT showed bone defects in 30 of 42 patients (71%) with CSF leak. High-resolution, radionuclide cisternography and CT cisternography did not show bone defects or CSF leak for 12 patients (29%) who had clinical evidence of CSF leak. Among the 30 patients with bone defects, 20 (66%) had positive results of their radionuclide cisternography and/or CT cisternography. For the 21 patients who underwent surgical exploration and repair, intraoperative findings correlated with the defects revealed by high-resolution CT in all cases. High-resolution CT identified significantly more patients with CSF leak than did radionuclide cisternography and CT cisternography, with a moderate degree of agreement. CONCLUSION: Noncontrast high-resolution CT showed a defect in 70% of the patients with CSF leak. No radionuclide cisternography or CT cisternography study produced positive results without previous visualization of a defect on high-resolution CT. CT cisternography and radionuclide cisternography may be reserved for patients in whom initial high-resolution CT does not identify a bone defect or for patients with multiple fractures or postoperative defects.
Evaluation of ground resistance of a grounding grid of any shape

A large number of grounding grids in substations have shapes other than a square or a rectangle, whereas the formulas and graphs for the ground resistance of a grounding grid available in the literature are applicable only to nearly square or rectangular grids. A new simple equation for the estimation of ground resistance applicable to any practical shape of the grid is presented. The results obtained with this equation have been compared with accurate results obtained via computer and with the results of analog model tests. The value of ground resistance obtained with the proposed method closely approximates that obtained from elaborate and time-consuming computer methods. >
Access to Italian legal literature: integration between structured repositories and web documents

The problems of accessing legal information and, in particular, legal literature are examined in conjunction with the creation of a portal to Italian legal doctrine. The design and implementation of services such as integrated access to a wide range of resources are described, with a focus on the importance of exploiting metadata assigned to disparate legal material. On the basis of the results of a survey of legal users' requirements, the main features of the planned system are presented: accurate selection of resources, user profiling and assistance in the search process, reliance on rich and consistent metadata, navigation facilities for legal literature, legislation and case-law sources. The strategies devised have been experimented, such as the mapping of both the UNIMARC format and a proprietary citation format for journal articles to the Dublin Core unqualified metadata set and to DCMI cite. These formats are extracted respectively from OPACs and from a well-established legal bibliographic database, DoGi. Specific semantic problems of legal literature indexing are tackled, mainly concerning classification systems. Similar issues are present in legal doctrine available on the web. In particular web documents usually lack metadata and, where present, they do not usually conform to well-established metadata patterns. A research study was therefore carried out, followed by the creation of a prototype and testing with the aim of automatically providing web documents with DC metadata, thereby supporting the intellectual activity of a service provider in organizing qualified access services to web documents. The integration of structured repositories and web documents is the main purpose of the portal: it is constructed on the basis of a federation system with service provider functions, aiming at creating a centralized index of such resources. The index is based on a uniform metadata view created for structured data by means of the OAI approach and for web documents by a machine learning approach.