cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Charge Transfer or J-Coupling? Assignment of an Unexpected Red-Shifted Absorption Band in a Naphthalenediimide-Based Metal–Organic Framework

We investigate and assign a previously reported unexpected transition in the metal–organic framework Zn2(NDC)2(DPNI) (1; NDC = 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate, DPNI = dipyridyl-naphthalenediimide) that displays linear arrangements of naphthalenediimide ligands. Given the longitudinal transition dipole moment of the DPNI ligands, J-coupling seemed possible. Photophysical measurements revealed a broad, new transition in 1 between 400 and 500 nm. Comparison of the MOF absorption spectra with that of a charge transfer (CT) complex formed by manual grinding of DPNI and H2NDC led to the assignment of the new band in 1 as arising from an interligand CT. Constrained density functional theory utilizing a custom long-range-corrected hybrid functional was employed to determine which ligands were involved in the CT transition. On the basis of relative oscillator strengths, the interligand CT was assigned as principally arising from π-stacked DPNI/NDC dimers rather than the alternative orthogonal pairs within the MOF.
An optical biosensor using a fluorescent, swelling sensing element

Abstract An optical sensor based on coupling the swelling of a polymer gel to a change in fluorescence intensity is discussed. A fluorophore, an amine functional group and the enzyme glucose oxidase were each incorporated into a crosslinked polymer gel, which was formed on the end of a fibre optic rod. While the amount of fluorophore remains constant, the gel volume changes in response to a change in the ionization state of the amine moiety. This change is related to glucose concentration. These effects were examined along with subsequent changes in the fluorescence of the gel.
Preliminary Findings from an Outcome Evaluation of an Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Program for Adjudicated, African American, Adolescent Males

This study evaluated the efficacy of a five-session intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention program for adjudicated African American male adolescents. The program was guided by feminist theory and was culturally focused and gender specific. An experimental design was used to assess changes in knowledge of IPV and patriarchal attitudes at posttest and to test for the moderating effects of committing IPV and witnessing parental IPV. Results indicated higher levels of knowledge and less patriarchal attitudes among the intervention group as compared to the control group. Committing violence was not a significant moderator of intervention effectiveness; a witnessing parental violence by group interaction revealed that adolescents in the intervention group had significantly lower patriarchal attitudes compared with adolescents in the control group, but only for those who witnessed high levels of parental male-to-female violence.
Robust process simulation using interval methods

Ideally, for the needs of robust process simulation, one would like a nonlinear equation solving technique that can find any and all roots to a problem, and do so with mathematical certainty. In general, currently used techniques do not provide such rigorous guarantees. One approach to providing such assurances can be found in the use of interval analysis, in particular the use of interval Newton methods combined with generalized bisection. However, these methods have generally been regarded as extremely inefficient. Motivated by recent progress in interval analysis, as well as continuing advances in computer speed and the availability of parallel computing, we consider here the feasibility of using an interval Newton/generalized bisection algorithm on process simulation problems. An algorithm designed for parallel computing on an MIMD machine is described, and results of tests on several problems are reported. Experiments indicate that the interval Newton/generalized bisection method works quite well on relatively small problems, providing a powerful method for finding all solutions to a problem. For larger problems, the method performs inconsistently with regard to efficiency, at least when reasonable initial bounds are not provided.
Approximate Bayesian Computation for Exponential Random Graph Models for Large Social Networks

We consider the issue of sampling from the posterior distribution of exponential random graph (ERG) models and other statistical models with intractable normalizing constants. Existing methods based on exact sampling are either infeasible or require very long computing time. We study a class of approximate Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling schemes that deal with this issue. We also develop a new Metropolis–Hastings kernel to sample sparse large networks from ERG models. We illustrate the proposed methods on several examples.
The reaction of vinylboronic acids with vinylmercuric acetates; A new synthesis of divinylmercurials

Abstract The reaction of vinylboronic acids with vinylmercuric acetates produces symmetrical divinylmercurials in high yield. The reaction can be utilized to prepare functionally substituted mercurials. Attempts to prepare unsymmetrical divinylmercurials resulted in redistribution products yielding symmetrical and unsymmetrical divinylmercury compounds.
1612 BRAINSTEM AUDITORY EVOKED POTENTIALS IN NEWBORNS: Peripheral and Central Conduction Time

Forty low risk newborn infants were studied with conceptual ages between 28 and 42 weeks. They were distinguished from high risk infants on the basis of neonatal medical complications. Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were recorded from vertex-ipsilateral and contralateral ear reference sites. Monaural 70 dBHL rarefaction clicks were presented at a repetition rate of 11 per second. Both ears were tested. The peak and interpeak latencies of waves I, III and V were measured in term and preterm infants. These intervals were analyzed in relationship to conceptual age in order to assess the relative contributions of the peripheral and central portions of the auditory system to the process of infant development. Since it is expected that BAEPs will have increasing diagnostic and prognostic significance for the neurologic and otologic outcome of newborns, a short term study of these responses in relationship to risk factors is underway in our laboratory. This data forms, in part, a basis for comparison of auditory brainstem function in low and high risk infants. (Supported by USPHS Grant NS15254).
Quality of Building Construction Materials (Cement) in Developing Countries

The aim of the project reported in this paper is to determine the quality of cement used in building construction operations in a typical developing country, Bangladesh. Comparison is made to the strength required in the standard ASTM specifications. Cement is the basic binding material in concrete, and the quality of concrete is dependent upon the quality of the cement used. In developing countries such as Bangladesh, the quality of construction materials, including cement, may not conform to international standards because of poor quality control, governmental corruption, and problems associated with transportation and storage. Investigations involving cement mortar show that 26.67% of test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 3 days, 6.67% of test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 7 days, and no test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 28 days. The aforementioned data indicate that there is a distinct problem with the quality of cement in a typical developing country such as Bangladesh. The results of this study may alert contractors and engineers to concerns about the quality of cement and assist local governments to take the necessary action to control the quality of this important construction material.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use by Primary Care Patients with Chronic Pain

Objectives. To describe the characteristics and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use among primary care patients with chronic pain disorders and to determine if CAM use is associated with better pain control. Design. Cross-sectional survey. Subjects. Four hundred sixty-three patients suffering from chronic, nonmalignant pain receiving primary care at 12 U.S. academic medical centers. Outcome Measure. Self-reported current CAM usage by patients with chronic pain disorders. Results. The survey had an 81% response rate. Fifty-two percent reported current use of CAM for relief of chronic pain. Of the patients that used CAM, 54% agreed that nontraditional remedies helped their pain and 14% indicated that their individual alternative remedy entirely relieved their pain. Vitamin and mineral supplements were the most frequently used CAM modalities. There was no association between reported use of CAM and pain severity, functional status, or perceived self-efficacy. Patients who reported having at least a high school education (odds ratio [OR] 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–1.19, P = 0.016) and high levels of satisfaction with their health care (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.13–1.91, P = 0.004) were significantly more likely to report using CAM. Conclusions. Complementary and alternative therapies were popular among patients with chronic pain disorders surveyed in academic primary care settings. When asked to choose between traditional therapies or CAM, most patients still preferred traditional therapies for pain relief. We found no association between reported CAM usage and pain severity, functional status, or self-efficacy.
Optimal estimation of the response of internally damped beams to random loads in the presence of measurement noise

Abstract A technique is suggested to determine an optimal estimate of beam response to random loads when a set of response measurements with random measurement noise is available. A beam with internal damping represented by a frequency dependent Kelvin-Voigt model is considered. This model introduces both viscoelastic and hysteretic internal damping. Kalman filter theory is used in solving the stochastic estimation problem. A numerical example is given at the end to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Characterization of T-DNA integration in creeping bentgrass

Abstract Agrobacterium -mediated transformation provides a powerful tool for plant biotechnology. Great efforts have been made to unravel the underlying mechanisms of T-DNA integration. Creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis palustris Huds.), an economically important turfgrass species, has been widely studied for genetic transformation. In order to characterize T-DNA integration in this species, we analyzed T-DNA junction sequences in transgenic bentgrass obtained by transformation with A. tumefaciens strain EHA101 carrying a pPZP201-derived plasmid. Using T-DNA specific primers, inverse polymerase chain reaction (IPCR) and standard PCR were performed to identify T-DNA/plant junctions and T-DNA/T-DNA junctions, respectively. Sequence comparisons revealed that T-DNA right border (RB) termini were more intact, represented by a smaller range of border deletions and no backbone integration, compared to T-DNA left border (LB) termini. Multiple T-DNA arrays inserted at a single chromosome locus were detected in various configurations. It was shown that the formation of the multiple T-DNA arrays was governed by illegitimate recombination (IR), with sequence microsimilarities over and/or close to the T-DNA breaking points. It was also demonstrated that the fusion of two T-DNA copies was frequently associated with the formation of filler DNA and significant T-DNA truncation. Compositional analysis over the bentgrass sequences revealed a similar A / T ( A + T ) content but a polarized distribution of A and T associated with LB flanking sequence tags (FSTs) and RB FSTs, which was further documented in Arabidopsis T-DNA FSTs. DNA folding analysis on T-DNA FSTs suggested that the T-DNA target region had a potential of forming secondary structures, which may designate an active region for T-DNA integration. The results presented in this study shed new light on microsimilarity-based illegitimate recombination and advance our understanding of T-DNA integration.
Protein Kinase Cθ Is Required for Autophagy in Response to Stress in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Autophagy is an evolutionally conserved process for the bulk degradation of cytoplasmic proteins and organelles. Recent observations indicate that autophagy is induced in response to cellular insults that result in the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). However, the signaling mechanisms that activate autophagy under these conditions are not understood. Here, we report that ER stress-induced autophagy requires the activation of protein kinase Cθ (PKCθ), a member of the noveltype PKC family. Induction of ER stress by treatment with either thapsigargin or tunicamycin activated autophagy in immortalized hepatocytes as monitored by the conversion LC3-I to LC3-II, clustering of LC3 into dot-like cytoplasmic structures, and electron microscopic detection of autophagosomes. Pharmacological inhibition of PKCθ or small interfering RNA-mediated knockdown of PKCθ prevented the autophagic response to ER stress. Treatment with ER stressors induced PKCθ phosphorylation within the activation loop and localization of phospho-PKCθ to LC3-containing dot structures in the cytoplasm. However, signaling through the known unfolded protein response sensors was not required for PKCθ activation. PKCθ activation and stress-induced autophagy were blocked by chelation of intracellular Ca2+ with BAPTA-AM. PKCθ was not activated or required for autophagy in response to amino acid starvation. These observations indicate that Ca2+-dependent PKCθ activation is specifically required for autophagy in response to ER stress but not in response to amino acid starvation.
Purification and Properties of a Keratan Sulfate Hydrolyzing Enzyme, An Endo-β-Galactosidase

A keratan sulfate hydrolyzing enzyme was isolated from Coccobacillus, Chase, ATCC 13939, a non-gram-negative soil organism. The crude enzyme u as extracted by disruption of the cells, purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation, followed by DEAE- and CM-cellulose column chromatography and Bio-Gel P-100 gel filtration. The final preparation showed 113 times the specific activity of the original extract. The enzyme IS a basic protein, has an optimum pH at 5.5 and a temperature optimum at 32°C. It is an endo-β-D-galactosidase and splits KS§ into a series of sulfated oligosaccharides and sulfated peptido-oligosaccharides. The enzyme activity is inhibited by heavy metal ions, but not by EDTA anti dithiothreitol.The enzyme was assayed by measuring the trubidity produced by the reaction of KS with Hyamine. The enzyme unit was expressed as half turbidity, after 30 minutes or incubation with 200 μg of KS at pH 5.5 and 31°C. One unit of enzyme activity was contained in 9.7 μg of the purified enzyme fraction. The ass...
Microbial growth in the polar oceans — role of temperature and potential impact of climate change

In this Analysis, Kirchman and colleagues compare microbial processes in the western Arctic Ocean and other polar waters with low-latitude oceans to attempt to understand the role of heterotrophic bacteria in oceanic biogeochemical cycles. This may further our understanding of the changes that could occur as these waters warm. Heterotrophic bacteria are the most abundant organisms on the planet and dominate oceanic biogeochemical cycles, including that of carbon. Their role in polar waters has been enigmatic, however, because of conflicting reports about how temperature and the supply of organic carbon control bacterial growth. In this Analysis article, we attempt to resolve this controversy by reviewing previous reports in light of new data on microbial processes in the western Arctic Ocean and by comparing polar waters with low-latitude oceans. Understanding the regulation of in situ microbial activity may help us understand the response of the Arctic Ocean and Antarctic coastal waters over the coming decades as they warm and ice coverage declines.
Selective D1 and D2 dopamine receptor antagonists produce differential effects on reaction time in the rat.

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether selectively blocking D 1 and D 2 dopamine receptors produces a differential effect on the characteristics (speed and success) of the reaction time response in rats. Animals were shaped to release a lever in response to an auditory/visual stimulus to avoid mild foot shock. The selective D 1 antagonist SCH 23390 (0, 70, and 100 μg/kg, IP) and the selective D 2 antagonists spiperone (0, 1, and 10 μg/kg, IP) and haloperidol (0, 10, and 100 μg/kg, IP) were studied for their effects on successful avoidance and response latency. SCH 23390 impaired successful avoidance and increased response latencies in a dose-dependent manner. Spiperone and haloperidol also produced dose-related decreases in successful avoidance. In contrast to the dose-related increase in response latencies produced by SCH 23990, 1 μg/kg spiperone and 10 μg/kg haloperidol significantly decreased the latencies of successful responses. Spiperone (10 μg/kg) had little effect on response latencies, while 100 μg/kg haloperidol increased them. The results of these experiments demonstrate that reaction time is differentially affected by selective dopamine receptor blockade and that the speed and success of reaction time responses can be independently modulated by D 1 vs. D 2 receptor activity.
Paradoxical Worsening of Tuberculosis in HIV-Infected Persons

Objective To determine the incidence of paradoxicalworsening of tuberculosis (TB) in HIV-infected persons. Design Observational cohort study. Setting Public, urban TB clinic. Patients HIV-infected persons treated for TB between January 1, 1996, and December 31, 1999, and followed through June 30,2000. Intervention Patients receivedstandard anti-TB therapy. Antiretroviral therapy was provided byprimary medical providers. Patients receiving antiretroviral therapywere given nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors alone or highlyactive antiretroviral therapy (HAART; nucleoside reverse transcriptaseinhibitors in combination with a protease inhibitor or a nonnucleosidereverse transcriptase inhibitor). Main outcomemeasure Paradoxical worsening of TB. Results There were 82 TB cases in 76 patients. Paradoxical worsening wasidentified in 6 of 82 cases (7%; 95% confidence interval, 3 to 15%). Paradoxical worsening occurred in 3 of 28 cases (11%) in patientsreceiving HAART and in 3 of 44 cases (7%) in patients not receivingantiretroviral therapy (p = 0.67). Cases complicated by paradoxicalworsening were more likely to have both pulmonary and extrapulmonarydisease at initial diagnosis than cases without paradoxical worsening(83% vs 24%; p = 0.006). TB relapse occurred in 2 of 6 cases (33%)in patients with paradoxical worsening and in 4 of 76 cases (5%) inpatients without paradoxical worsening (p = 0.06). Conclusions Paradoxical worsening of TB occurred lessfrequently than in previous reports and was not associated with HAART. Paradoxical worsening also appeared to be associated with an increasedrisk of TB relapse. Further studies are warranted to bettercharacterize the risk factors for paradoxical worsening and theappropriate duration of anti-TB therapy in patients in whom itoccurs.
Phenylbutazone-warfarin interaction in the dog.

The administration of phenylbutazone together with warfarin to dogs resulted in an elevation of the free fraction of warfarin in the plasma from 2·6 to 8·0% thus providing direct support for the notion that phenylbutazone induced inhibition of warfarin binding to plasma proteins. This inhibition as evaluated by a kinetic method was accompanied by a two-fold decrease in the plasma half-life of warfarin from 18·4 h in control animals to 9·6 h in phenylbutazone-treated animals. Marked increases in warfarin-induced hypoprothrombinaemia were observed when at doses up to 8 mg kg−1 (orally) it was given with phenylbutazone (50 mg kg−1, orally). The unbound fraction of warfarin in canine plasma ranged from 1·7 to 4·3% indicating individual differences in the extent of the plasma binding of warfarin in the dog.
Tracking Partially Occluded Two Dimensional Shapes

A method for tracking partially occluded two dimensional polygonal shapes undergoing unknown two dimensional translational and rotational motion has been developed based on Kalman filtering. Observation of a robotic workspace by a machine vision system presents many situations in which known objects may be occluded partially or completely by other objects, fixtures, or the robot itself. Tracking such objects using non-occluded, visible features is an important problem. The method assumes object corners, or some other feature set, can be identified to known accuracy by another technique, and that feature occlusion (absence) can also be detected or recognized. A linear, constant acceleration model is assumed for shape translational and rotation motion in which the shape centroid and angular orientation, as well as their velocities and accelerations, comprise the state. A nonlinear observation model is assumed where the corner or feature locations are measured. The proposed method is investigated under a variety of conditions, including non-constant acceleration, substantial, and total occlusion. Conditions under which tracking is lost are examined.
Resuscitation decisions for "fetal infants".

In Miller v HCA, Inc 1 the Texas Supreme Court overturned a $60 million verdict against a hospital for resuscitation over the parent’s objections of a 23-weeks’ gestational age, 615-g infant. The “emergent circumstances” standard articulated by the court established an exception for children to the long-standing rule that unconsented touching constitutes battery.2 Under the exception, a physician may use life-sustaining treatment even over parental objection if, in the physician’s judgment, the infant is potentially viable and failure to treat would result in death. Once the child is stabilized and a full examination and assessment of the … Address correspondence to John J. Paris, SJ, PhD, Department of Bioethics, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467. E-mail: john.paris{at}bc.edu
The influence of estradiol-17β dipropionate-progesterone ratios on uterine glycogen in the rat

Abstract Ovariectomized Holtzman rats were injected subcutaneously for three consecutive days with either oil, 1 μg of estradiol-17β dipropionate or 1 μg of estrogen plus 1, 5, 10 or 15 mg of progesterone. The animals were killed 24 hr after the last injection and uterine glycogen was determined. The estrogen increased uterine glycogen (both total and concentration) markedly over the control values, while all doses of progesterone given with estrogen suppressed the estrogen-induced total glycogen, but not the glycogen concentration. No dose of progesterone was more effective than another in altering the estrogen response. These data indicate that the E/P ratio is not as critical in evaluating uterine glycogen after three concurrent injections as it is after a single concurrent injection of the hormones.
Triple gauge boson decay of new neutral gauge bosons

Abstract The decay of new heavy neutral gauge bosons (Z′) into three gauge boson final states (e.g., W + W − Z) is examined within the context of E 6 superstring-inspired models. We find that the ratio of decay rates Γ(Z′→W + W − Z)/Γ(Z′→W + W − ) grows quadratically with the Z′ mass and can be as large ≅0.43 for a Z′ mass of 3 TeV. Suuch final states should be observable above the continuum at both e + e − and hadron colliders.
Clinical significance of a high ankle-brachial index: insights from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study.

Abstract Background The clinical significance of a high ankle-brachial index (ABI), defined by the associated risk factor burden and ischemic risk, is largely unknown. Methods Using data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study, we categorized 14,777 participants into normal (ABI between 0.9 and 1.3) and high ABI groups (ABI > 1.3, >1.4, and >1.5) and compared the risk factor profile and CVD event rates of the normal ABI group to each high ABI group. Results The prevalence of high ABI was 5.5% for ABI > 1.3, 1.2% for ABI > 1.4, and 0.37% for ABI > 1.5. Compared with participants with a normal ABI, those with ABI > 1.3 had a lower prevalence of hypertension and current smoking. The ABI > 1.3 group had a greater mean body mass index, but was characterized by fewer pack years of smoking and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the normal ABI group. The prevalence of diabetes, left ventricular hypertrophy, claudication, and coronary heart disease and mean values of fibrinogen, factor VIII activity, von Willebrand factor, lipoprotein (a), and carotid and popliteal intimal-medial thickness were similar between the two ABI groups. The risk factor profiles of the ABI > 1.4 and >1.5 groups were also not statistically significantly different from that of the normal ABI group. Over a mean follow-up time of 12.2 years, the age, sex, and race-adjusted CVD event rates per 1000 person years were 8.1 in the normal ABI group, 7.6 in the ABI > 1.3 group, 7.6 in the ABI > 1.4 group, and 7.4 in the ABI > 1.5 group. The CVD event rates of the high ABI groups were similar to that of the normal ABI group. Conclusion Individuals with a high ABI are not characterized by a more adverse atherosclerosis risk factor profile and do not suffer greater CVD event rates than those with a normal ABI.
Laser fluorometric analysis of plants for uranium exploration

ABSTRACT Harms, T.F., Ward, F.N. and Erdman, J.A., 1981. Laser fluorometric analysis of plants for uranium exploration. In: A.W. Rose and H. Gundlach (Editors), Geochemical Exploration 1980. J. Geochem. Explor., 15: 617–623. A preliminary test of biogeochemical exploration for locating uranium occurrences in the Marfa Basin, Texas, was conducted in 1978. Only 6 of 74 plant samples (mostly catclaw mimosa, Mimosa biuncifera) contained uranium in amounts above the detection limit (0.4 ppm in the ash) of the conventional fluorometric method. The samples were then analyzed using a Scintrex UA-3 uranium analyzer * – an instrument designed for direct analysis of uranium in water, and which can be conveniently used in a mobile field laboratory. The detection limit for uranium in plant ash (0.05 ppm) by this method is almost an order of magnitude lower than with the fluorometric conventional method. Only 1 of the 74 samples contained uranium below the detection limit of the new method. Accuracy and precision were determined to be satisfactory. Samples of plants growing on mineralized soils and nonmineralized soils show a 15-fold difference in uranium content; whereas the soils themselves (analyzed by delayed neutron activation analysis) show only a 4-fold difference. The method involves acid digestion of ashed tissue, extraction of uranium into ethyl acetate, destruction of the ethyl acetate, dissolution of the residue in 0.005% nitric acid, and measurement.
The medial cerebellar nucleus in the rat: Nuclear volume, cell number, density and orientation

Abstract Nuclear volume, neuronal and glial numbers, neuronal and glial density, neuronal shape and neuronal orientation were studied in the rat medial cerebellar nucleus. A statistical analysis of the data obtained from measurements of neuronal lengths, widths and areas indicated that two classes of neurons are present in the nucleus with a separation into a set of small cells and a set of larger cells occurring at the 176–199 μm 2 interval. The large neurons range in width from 10 to 22 μm and in length from 18 to 42 μm, while the small cells range from 4 to 16 μm in width and from 7 to 24 μm in length. On the basis of quantitative cytoarchitectonic studies of the neurons present, four longitudinal rostro-caudal zones were defined within the medial nucleus: two zones containing elliptical cells, located on the medial and lateral aspect of the nucleus; an intervening zone containing round cells and a caudomedial zone containing a mixture of round and elliptical neurons. The significance of these sagittal zones with regard to the scheme of longitudinal zonation within the cerebellum is discussed. A comparison of the arrangement of neurons in the caudal and rostra] halves of the nucleus revealed that the caudal neuronal population displays a predominant diagonal arrangement with their perikarya oriented from caudolateral to rostromedial. The majority of cells in the rostral part of the medial nucleus, however, show either a diagonal orientation preference from caudomedial to rostrolateral or a longitudinal rostral to caudal arrangement. The results provide quantitative data concerning nuclear volume, cell density and cell shape in the medial cerebellar nucleus of the rat, and in addition, demonstrate a difference in neuronal arrangement between anterior and posterior portions of the nucleus. These two morphologically different portions of the medial cerebellar nucleus are comparable to the areas of the nucleus that have been previously demonstrated in the literature to be functionally separable.
University computing services in 1995

For me to talk to you about what computing centers will be like in the future is rather like bringing coals to Newcastle. On the other hand, that doesn't preclude me from having opinions --- neither does lack of knowledge. You must understand from whence I come. I have spent my faculty life at Wayne State University, the University of Missouri at Columbia and Iowa State University, three large midwestern state universities that between them educate 85,000 students a year. They are the heartland universities. They are the major institutions, the kinds of institutions that are responsible for educating the leadership of our nation; they tend not to be cutting, or bleeding, edge, universities, but they have a major need for integrating technology.
Women with the Alzheimer's risk marker ApoE4 lose Aβ-specific CD4⁺ T cells 10-20 years before men.

Adaptive immunity to self-antigens causes autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and type 1 diabetes; paradoxically, T- and B-cell responses to amyloid-β (Aβ) reduce Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-associated pathology and cognitive impairment in mouse models of the disease. The manipulation of adaptive immunity has been a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of AD, although vaccine and anti-Aβ antibody approaches have proven difficult in patients, thus far. CD4+ T cells have a central role in regulating adaptive immune responses to antigens, and Aβ-specific CD4+ T cells have been shown to reduce AD pathology in mouse models. As these cells may facilitate endogenous mechanisms that counter AD, an evaluation of their abundance before and during AD could provide important insights. Aβ-CD4see is a new assay developed to quantify Aβ-specific CD4+ T cells in human blood, using dendritic cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells. In tests of >50 human subjects Aβ-CD4see showed an age-dependent decline of Aβ-specific CD4+ T cells, which occurs earlier in women than men. In aggregate, men showed a 50% decline in these cells by the age of 70 years, but women reached the same level before the age of 60 years. Notably, women who carried the AD risk marker apolipoproteinE-ɛ4 (ApoE4) showed the earliest decline, with a precipitous drop between 45 and 52 years, when menopause typically begins. Aβ-CD4see requires a standard blood draw and provides a minimally invasive approach for assessing changes in Aβ biology that may reveal AD-related changes in physiology by a decade. Furthermore, CD4see probes can be modified to target any peptide, providing a powerful new tool to isolate antigen-specific CD4+ T cells from human subjects.
Result‐Based Compensation in Health Care: A Good, But Limited, Idea

David Hyman and Charles Silver are quite right. Opinion 6.01 in the American Medical Association's (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics is difficult to defend. Ties between compensation and outcomes need not mislead patients into thinking that results are guaranteed; they are widely used in other fields with considerable success, even if they have some disadvantages; they can potentially bring patients more actively into decision-making about whether and from whom to purchase which medical care; and, if carefully tuned, they can promote quality by aligning providers’ welfare more closely with patients’. The purpose of this commentary is thus not to disagree with the fundamental thesis that result-based compensation arrangements (RBCAs) can be appropriate and useful in the health-care setting. Rather, the objective is to “cut the next swath,” so to speak. While Hyman and Silver are right that RBCAs have potential to do good, they may be overly optimistic about benefits, while underestimating the potential limitations and hazards.
Fine line lithography using ion beams

Abstract The characteristics of resist-ion interactions are reviewed and the influence of such interactions on the properties of conventional ion beam lithography discussed. Ion beam exposure profiles in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) using protons and doubly charged silicon ions are presented and shown to verify the attributes of ion beam lithography. It is also demonstrated that ion beam lithography can be used to fabricate lines as small as 30 nm in dimension. The application of ion beam lithography to the fabrication of submicrometer-gate GaAs FETs is discussed and the results of fabricated devices presented.
Cytogenetic analysis of the L5178Y/TK+/− → TK−/− mouse lymphoma mutagenesis assay system

Abstract The L5178Y/TK+/− → TK−/− mouse lymphona mutagen assay, which allows selection of forward mutations at the autosomal thymidine kinase (TK) locus, uses a TK+/− heterozygous cell line, TK+/− 3.7.2C. Quantitation of colonies of mutant TK−/− cells in the assay forms the basis for calculations of mutagenic potential of test compounds. We have evaluated the banded karyotypes of the parent TK+/− heterozygous cell line, as well as homozygous TK−/− mutants, in order to relate the genetic and morphological properties of mutant colonies. The parent cell line displays karyotype homogeneity, all cells containing normal mouse chromosomes, readily identifiable chromosome rearrangements, and cell line specific marker chromosomes. Mutant TK−/− colonies of the TK+/− 3.7.2C cell line form a bimodal frequency distribution of colony sizes for most mutagenic or carcinogenic test substances. Large-colony (λ) TK−/− mutants with normal growth kinetics appear karyotypically identical within and among clones and with the TK+/− parental cell line. In contrast, most slow-growing small-colony (σ) TK−/− mutants have readily recognizable chromosome rearrangements involving chromosome 11, which contains the thymidine kinase gene locus. It is possible that the heritable differences in growth kinetics and resultant colony morphology in λ and σ mutants are related to the type of chromosomal damage sustained. Large-colony mutants receive minimal damage, possibly in the form of point mutations at the TK locus, while small-colony mutants receive damage to other genetic functions coordinately with loss of TK activity, implying gross insult to chromosomal material. It seems likely that λ and σ mutants result from 2 different mutational mechanisms that may be distinguished on the basis of mutant colony morphology.
Younger Siblings Can Be Good for Your Health: An Examination of Spillover Benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a food assistance program designed to help pregnant (or postpartum) women and young children consume a nutritious diet. With WIC’s emphasis on providing healthy foods, and food being (generally) a communal commodity, age-ineligible children may benefit from living with a WIC participant. This paper used data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to examine whether age-ineligible children who lived in WIC households were in better health than similar children who lived in households that did not participate in the program. Results suggested that older males received a health benefit as a result of living in a WIC household; however, no similar effect was found for younger males or for female children.
An EPR determination of the asymmetric and antisymmetric exchange in the two-dimensional ferromagnetic (NH3CH2CH2COOH)2CuX4 salts

Abstract The crystal structures of (NH 3 CH 2 CH 2 COOH) 2 CuX 4 with X = Cl and Br have been determined. The structures consist of two-dimensional layers of planar CuX 2- 4 ions lying in the crystallographic ab plane with adjacent layers separated by (NH 3 CH 2 CH 2 COOH) 2 dimers. Single crystal magnetic susceptibility studies show the isotropic intralayer coupling is ferromagnetic ( J Cl / k = 13.8 K and J Br / k = 21.2 K). The contribution of the asymmetric [ D(S i x S j x + S i y S j y )] and the antisymmetric [( D · S i × S j )] exchange were determined from the EPR linewidths. The EPR linewidth analysis also demonstrates the existence of two-dimensional spin diffusive behavior. Inclusion of ligand spin-orbit coupling is necessary to explain the temperature dependence of the linewidths.
Toward an Intermediate Position on Corporate Moral Personhood

Models of moral responsibility rely on foundational views about moral agency. Many scholars believe that only humans can be moral agents, and therefore business needs to create models that foster greater receptivity to others through ethical dialog. This view leads to a difficulty if no specific person is the sole causal agent for an act, or if something comes about through aggregated action in a corporate setting. An alternate approach suggests that corporations are moral agents sufficiently like humans to be treated as persons, which leads to questions of intentionality and the organizational structure required to support the claim. In this article, I make an intermediate claim combining Goodpaster and Matthews' (60:132–141, 1982) view that a corporation may have a moral culture which affects subjective choices, with those of Painter-Morland (17(3):515–534, 2007) who points out that we should move from a model that posits discrete persons acting on each other to one where morality comes about through shared experience between agents who participate in each other’s lives. I argue that the discussion has been trapped in traditional dichotomies, and is better served by language that more accurately represents the dynamic interplay between organization and individual. I underwrite this claim by looking at recent changes in British and American legal approaches to corporate responsibility. These provide greater incentives for owners and business leaders to encourage employees to discuss the reflexive nature of legal and moral responsibility in business, facilitate workers to voice their moral concerns, and create structures and processes that allow those concerns to be heard.
Topographic Generation of Mesoscale Vortices in Mixed-Layer Models

Abstract The fundamental assumptions underlying mesoscale mixed-layer models of the atmospheric boundary layer are that 1) the flow is hydrostatic, and 2) the Reynolds-averaged potential temperature and horizontal velocity are vertically well mixed. These assumptions determine completely the Reynolds-stress profile, which to a good approximation is a quadratic function of height, and has curvature proportional to the horizontal buoyancy gradient. The only significant source of the vertical component of vorticity in mesoscale mixed-layer models is the curl of the divergence of the Reynolds stress, which can generate quasi-stationary vortices downstream of three-dimensional topography in flow containing buoyancy gradients. We provide quantitative guidance about conditions sufficient for these vortices to form under the mixed-layer modeling assumptions. We caution that observations do not appear to support strongly the assumption that velocity is vertically well mixed in baroclinic, convective boundary layer...
The Strange Fate of Whitman's Brain

Investigates the circumstances surrounding the removal of Whitman's brain at his autopsy and the subsequent loss of the brain by the American Anthropometric Society; offers a historical, medical, and cultural context for the story, involving the Wistar Institute and the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, anatomist Edward Anthony Spitzka, alienist Edward Charles Spitzka, doctors and scientists Henry Cattell, Francis X. Dercum, Joseph Leidy, Andrew J. Parker, Daniel Longaker, Harrison Allen, Alexander McAlister, William Osler, Henry Donaldson, and others
Restoration of cross-sections to constrain deformation processes of extensional terranes☆

Abstract Restoring balanced cross-sections constrains the possible deformation processes affecting extensional terranes with a ductile substratum, such as salt, and syndeformational sedimentation. Cross-sections are divided into fault blocks and shear domains, each of which can be undeformed with a different set of parameters. The success of restorations is judged by compatibility between the blocks and the reasonableness of the restored structures. Fault blocks in physical models restore with simple shear at about 60° dipping in the direction which removes extension, corresponding to an antithetic orientation in the hangingwalls of normal growth faults and subparallel to the fault in the footwall. Other components of the deformation are rigid rotation, translation and decompaction. Shear angles inferred from natural examples are more varied, ranging from vertical to moderately inclined, nearly always dipping in a direction that removes extension.
Occult Vertebral Osteomyelitis, a Diagnostic Conundrum

Vertebral osteomyelitis is a well-known but uncommon condition. Typical presenting features include fever, back pain with local tenderness and neurologic symptoms. In absence of these typical findings, vertebral osteomyelitis can be difficult to diagnose. Staphylococcus species are the most common causes. In most cases, inflammatory markers are elevated. Blood cultures can be very useful to identify the culprit organism(s). Though various imaging modalities are available, an MRI is considered gold standard for the diagnosis. Our patient presents with non-specific abdominal pain that masqueraded vertebral osteomyelitis leading to paralysis. J Med Cases. 2014;5(9):505-508 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc1753w
“No Ugly Women” Concepts of Race and Beauty among Adolescent Women in Ecuador

Current research on construction of the female body focuses on non-Hispanic women in the United States. The idealized Latina body, however, is rapidly becoming commodified and objectified in global popular culture. Using standardized and open-ended surveys and group and individual interviews, the author examines the negotiation of sociocultural ideals and body image by adolescents at the intersection of gender, race, and beauty. These young women hold racist beauty ideals but are flexible when judging the appearance of real-life women. They perceive two competing or complementary prototypes of beauty, one white and one Latina. This study fills a gap in the literature on beauty and the body by examining a non-U.S. sample that does not fit into the usual Black-white dichotomy of race.
Transannular Deactivation in Tetrafluoro[2.2]Paracyclophane. Electrophilic Reactivity of its Open-Chain Analog

Abstract The open-chain analog (3) which most closely resembles the structure of 4,5,7,8-tetrafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane (1) has been prepared. In contrast to (1), (3) undergoes acetylation of the phenyl ring. This observation provides further evidence that the failure of (1) to undergo electrophilic substitution can be attributed primarily to transannular deactivation of the phenyl by the tetrafluorophenyl ring and much less to an inductive effect through the sigma bond network.
Biphasic effects of interleukin-1β on osteoblast differentiation in vitro

A rat calvarial cell model of osteoblast differentiation using the formation of bone nodules in vitro as an endpoint was used to assess the effects of IL-1beta on osteoblast differentiation. Short-term treatment (2 days) with IL-1beta early in culture resulted in increased nodule number and size as well as calcium content in contrast to long-term treatment (6 days) in cultures assessed at 10-12 days. This increase in bone formation was blocked by IL-1 receptor antagonists. Short-term treatment increased COX-2, prostaglandin (PGE(2)), and iNOS production. Exogenous PGE(2) with IL-1beta enhanced this effect. COX-2 inhibitors, indomethacin and N-39, blocked 50% of nodule formation. NO donor did not modify effects of IL-1beta, but iNOS inhibitor (1400W) partially blocked the effects. However, PGE(2) and NO donors could not rescue the decreased nodule number resulting from long-term IL-1beta treatment. The results of this study suggest a biphasic effect of IL-1beta on bone nodule formation activated by IL-1beta binding with IL-1 receptors, and the anabolic effect of early short-term treatment with IL-1beta is likely mediated by PGE without ruling out nitric oxide.
Insecure attachment and depressive symptoms: The mediating role of rumination, empathy, and forgiveness

Abstract The authors investigated the associations between attachment, empathy, rumination, forgiveness, and depressive symptoms via the framework of attachment theory. Participants ( N = 221; 141 F and 80 M) completed a battery of questionnaires. We hypothesized that (a) anxious and avoidant attachment would be negatively linked to dispositional forgiveness; (b) the anxious attachment–forgiveness link would be mediated through excessive rumination; (c) the avoidance attachment–forgiveness link would be mediated through lack of empathy; and (d) the insecure attachment–depression relation would, in turn, be partially mediated by the forgiveness process. SEM modeling confirmed these propositions, revealing the potential deleterious outcomes associated with insecure attachment and unforgiving responses to offenses.
Viewpoints in the Translation of the Holy QURAN

There is too much literature about the untranslatability of the Quran from its Arabic text into another language. Most Muslims: Arab and Non-Arab, and almost everyone with Arabic language background, will not find any difficulty to prove the untranslatability of the Holy Quran into another language. The Quran is the Word of Allah Almighty to his messenger Mohammed (PBUH) in Arabic. It was intentionally revealed in Arabic to serve specific purpose: To defy the Arabs in their own trade and craftsmanship of producing highly rhetorical and poetic composition in their literature. Although all the scientific, geographical and historical facts mentioned in the Quran have been found true, nevertheless, the Quran remains a book of miracles, but its miraculous ability is in its inimitability (as no one has made similar sura the like of it since its revelation) and untranslatability into another form of reproduction in other languages (as hundreds of translations were made and are still made, but would not come to the absolute final perfect form of translation. These translations are incomplete, as they are mere human efforts). This paper aims to shed some light on the opinions of some Islamic scholars on this issue, as well as to suggest some strategies to help in coming out with some sound translations to help Non-Arab Muslims and other Non-Arabic speakers to understand the truth about the Quran as a true WORD from Allah to all human beings on Earth.
Classic Maya Mortuary Anniversaries at Piedras Negras, Guatemala

In her studies of Maya hieroglyphs at the site of Piedras Negras, Guatemala, Tatiana Proskouriakoff (1960) observed that Maya rulers often celebrated the anniversary of their accession. She recognized that a number of repeated dates were not associated with accession, but could offer no explanation for them. Recent study of the inscriptions associated with these dates has revealed a wealth of ritual information: the rulers of Piedras Negras commemorated the anniversaries of births, deaths, and mortuary activities with a number of ceremonies. This report addresses those ceremonies at Piedras Negras and examines the hieroglyphic and archaeological evidence for similar events at other Classic Maya sites.