cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Detailed analysis of kinetic reactions in soot oxidation by simulated diesel exhaust emissions

Abstract Development of an advanced diesel particulate filter system requires efficient regeneration strategies, which, in turn, require a comprehensive understanding of soot oxidation kinetics. A goal of this study is first to define the effect of inert balance gases and heating rates used for thermogravimetric analyses on soot oxidation, with applying different analytic methodologies to the calculation of kinetic parameters. We identified an inert gas-independent activation energy value of surrogate soot to be 155 kJ/mole, evaluated at a heating rate of 1 °C/min, and proposed the differential method for evaluating kinetic parameters. Using the results, we conducted subsequent non-isothermal soot oxidation experiments to characterize the effects of reactant gases (NO, NO 2 , CO 2 , and O 2 ) in the various compositions of gas mixtures simulating diesel exhaust emissions. Notable results include the following. With no O 2 in the mixtures, NO gases rarely affected soot oxidation, while CO 2 effects also appeared to be minor. In the presence of a constant NO 2 concentration, the increased O 2 concentration (particularly up to 4%) significantly enhanced soot oxidation. In the case of a constant O 2 concentration, increasing the NO 2 concentration promoted soot oxidation in a fairly low temperature range of 200–580 °C. These O 2 and NO 2 effects turned out to be quite significant and temperature dependent. Overall, a higher degree of oxidation was observed with the mixture composition simulated for the higher engine load. The Arrhenius plots exhibited two distinct linear regression lines as NO 2 was present in the mixture, where the low temperature linearity range was extended with increasing NO 2 concentration. The activation energy quite significantly decreased from 153 to 39 kJ/mole in the low temperature range, as NO 2 concentration increased from 0 to 1250 ppm. In the high temperature range, however, the activation energy changed only slightly between 153 and 159 kJ/mole, indicating negligible dependence on mixture compositions.
Experimental measurement of an effective temperature for jammed granular materials

A densely packed granular system is an example of an out-of-equilibrium system in the jammed state. It has been a longstanding problem to determine whether this class of systems can be described by concepts arising from equilibrium statistical mechanics, such as an effective temperature and compactivity. The measurement of the effective temperature is realized in the laboratory by slowly shearing a closely packed ensemble of spherical beads confined by an external pressure in a Couette geometry. All of the probe particles considered in this study, independent of their characteristic features, equilibrate at the same temperature, given by the packing density of the system.
Erythropoietin after Focal Cerebral Ischemia Activates the Janus Kinase–Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription Signaling Pathway and Improves Brain Injury in Postnatal Day 7 Rats

Erythropoietin (Epo) plays a central role in erythropoiesis but also has neuroprotective properties. Recently, Epo-related neuroprotective studies used a hypoxic-ischemic neonatal model, which is different from focal stroke, a frequent cause of neonatal brain injury. We report on the effects of Epo treatment given after focal stroke and its potential neuroprotective mechanisms in postnatal day 7 rats with focal cerebral ischemia (FCI) achieved by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. The experimental groups included sham operation, FCI plus vehicle, and FCI plus Epo. In the Epo-treated group, pups received a single intraperitoneal injection of 1000 U/kg 15 min after FCI or three injections of 100, 1000, or 5000 U/kg, starting at 15 min and repeated at 1 and 2 d after FCI. Epo treatment produced significant reductions in the mean infarct area and volume at 1 and 3 d after FCI, demonstrated by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated 2'-deoxyuridine 5'-triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining showed a markedly reduced number of TUNEL-positive cells in the Epo-treated group when compared with the vehicle control 3 d after FCI (p<0.01). The most effective dose after FCI was 1000 U/kg for 3 d. Immunoanalyses showed that Epo induced a significant increase in phosphorylated Janus kinase 2 and signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 expressions at 1 and 3 d and up-regulated Bcl-xL expression by 24 h after FCI but did not affect Epo receptor or NF-kappaB expression. In conclusion, Epo given after FCI in neonatal rats provides significant neuroprotection, mediated possibly by activation of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription-Bcl-xL signaling pathways.
Sensitivity approaches for direct computation of critical parameters in a power system

In this paper we propose two techniques to estimate critical values of parameters of interest in a power system such as clearing time of circuit breakers, mechanical input power, etc. One is via the sensitivity of the transient energy function (TEF) and the other through computation of the norm of the trajectory sensitivities. Both these methods require some a-priori information about the range of the critical parameters. In real time operation, this information is generally available to the operator. A changing operating condition will result in new values of the critical parameters and the proposed technique can thus monitor them closely without the use of direct methods. The advantage of the first technique lies in not having to compute the unstable equilibrium point (uep) while in the second technique even the computation of stable equilibrium (sep) is not needed. However, there are additional computational costs involved in both the techniques, which can be addressed by faster algorithms for computing the sensitivities.
Mechanisms for initiation of reentry in acute regional ischemia phase 1B.

Background During phase 1B of acute regional ischemia, the subepicardial and subendocardial layers coupled to the inexcitable midmyocardium remain viable. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine how the degree of hyperkalemia in the surviving layers, the lateral width of border zone between the normal tissue and the central ischemic zone, and the degree of cellular uncoupling between the surviving layers and the midmyocardium contribute to initiation of reentry. Methods Simulations were conducted on the state-of-the-art model of rabbit ventricles with realistic representation of the spatial distribution of the ischemic insult. Results Hyperkalemia in the surviving layers led to induction of reentry by increasing refractoriness and slowing conduction in the layers. Such reentries were formed solely in the subepicardium. A minimal level of hyperkalemia was required for induction of reentry. Progress increase in hyperkalemia led to a biphasic change in vulnerability to reentry. For each level of hyperkalemia, increased cellular uncoupling between subepicardium and midmyocardium increased inducibility of reentry by restoring subepicardial tissue excitability via blocking midmyocardial electrotonic effect. In addition, increased lateral width of the border zone prevented inducibility of reentry as conduction block occurred in the central ischemic zone when the wave propagated across the border zone from the normal zone. Conclusion The degree of hyperkalemia in the surviving subepicardium, the lateral width of border zone, and cellular uncoupling between the subepicardium and midmyocardium determine dispersion of refractoriness, conduction velocity, excitability, and, therefore, inducibility of reentry during phase 1B.
Frequency-based load control in power systems

Maintaining demand-supply balance and regulating frequency are key issues in power system control. Conventional approaches focus on adjusting the generation so that it follows the load. However, relying on solely regulating generation is inefficient, especially for power systems where contingencies like a sudden loss in generation or a sudden change in load frequently occur. We present a frequency-based load control scheme for demand-supply balancing and frequency regulation. We formulate a load control optimization problem which aims to balance the change in load with the change in supply while minimizing the overall end-use disutility. By studying the power system model that characterizes the frequency response to real power imbalance between demand and supply, we design decentralized synchronous and asynchronous algorithms which take advantage of local frequency measurements to solve the load control problem. Case studies show that the proposed load control scheme is capable of relatively quickly balancing the power and restoring the frequency under generation-loss like contingencies, even when users only have the knowledge of a simplified system model instead of an accurate one.
Confirming and disconfirming theories about ideomotor compatibility in dual-task performance: a reply to Greenwald (2005).

Because small dual-task costs with ideomotor-compatible tasks do not necessarily indicate the absence of a bottleneck, M.-C. Lien, R. S. McCann, E. Ruthruff, and R. W. Proctor (2005) considered additional sources of evidence regarding bottleneck bypass. This evidence argued against complete bottleneck bypass and, instead, supported an engage-bottleneck-later model in which early bottleneck substages are bypassed but late substages are not. A. G. Greenwald (2005), however, contended that M.-C. Lien et al. did not use the procedures needed to produce complete bottleneck bypass and that a complete bottleneck bypass hypothesis, combined with additional assumptions, could explain their data. The authors contend that this disagreement stems from Greenwald's focus on confirming predictions of complete bottleneck bypass (small dual-task costs) without disconfirming predictions of bottleneck presence. In particular, Greenwald neglects to consider the possibility that a latent bottleneck limitation could also produce small dual-task costs. Language: en
Time‐resolved x‐ray absorption spectroscopy on microsecond timescales: Implications for the examination of structural motions

We demonstrate a system for collecting high quality x‐ray absorption spectroscopy data on microsecond and longer timescales. The method uses a fast‐multiscaling board to partition output pulses from a germanium energy resolving detector into a microsecond timebase. Full spectra accumulation and kinetic spectrophotometry are demonstrated for 1–4 mM biological samples. The use of an energy resolving detector promises that the dynamic behavior of a wide range of chemical elements (in conjunction with photochemical, rapid mixing, and temperature jump perturbations) can be observed with this method. We have successfully tested the system by examining the structural evolution of the iron atom of a myoglobin‐carbon monoxide complex subsequent to photolysis at low temperature.
Towards a user-oriented thesaurus for non-domain-specific image collections

This study explored how user-supplied tags can be applied to designing a thesaurus that reflects the unique features of image documents. Tags from the popular image-sharing Web site Flickr were examined in terms of two central components of a thesaurus-selected concepts and their semantic relations-as well as the features of image documents. Shatford's facet category and Rosch et al.'s basic-level theory were adopted for examining concepts to be included in a thesaurus. The results suggested that the best approach to Color and Generic category descriptors is to focus on basic-level terms and to include frequently used superordinate- and subordinate-level terms. In the Abstract category, it was difficult to specify a set of abstract terms that can be used consistently and dominantly, so it was suggested to enhance browsability using hierarchical and associative relations. Study results also indicate a need for greater inclusion of Specific category terms, which were shown to be an important tool in establishing related tags. Regarding semantic relations, the study indicated that in the identification of related terms, it is important that descriptors not be limited only to the category in which a main entry belongs but broadened to include terms from other categories as well. Although future studies are needed to ensure the effectiveness of this user-oriented approach, this study yielded promising results, demonstrating that user-supplied tags can be a helpful tool in selecting concepts to be included in a thesaurus and in identifying semantic relations among the selected concepts. It is hoped that the results of this study will provide a practical guideline for designing a thesaurus for image documents that takes into account both the unique features of these documents and the unique information-seeking behaviors of general users.
ANTICIPATING COMPETITIVE REACTION: MARKETING STRATEGY IN THE 1980s

The main focus of marketing strategists is increasingly aimed toward coping with competition, despite continuing challenges in markets themselves. Competition is a key factor that marketing strategists face. Competitors' market moves demand timely and creative reaction. To get usable advance estimates of such probable moves, it is essential to have a system for careful monitoring of competitors. All proactive strategic actions should anticipate the market reactions that competitors are likely to make to them. Unfortunately, ways to cope with actual and potential competition, however, still receive only brief treatment in the pertinent literature. This article examines the competitive features of modern market environments and considers how marketing strategists attempt to cope with them.
Yield Curve Inversion and the Incidence of Recession: A Dynamic IS-LM Model with Term Structure of Interest Rates

This paper attempts to explain why yield curve inversion may serve as a leading indicator of recessions. It employs an IS-LM model with the term structure of interest rates and provides a formal phase-diagram analysis of dynamic adjustment process. It demonstrates that the occurrence of yield curve inversion is an off-equilibrium phenomenon after an adverse shock in the adjustment process of interest rates and output, and that an inverted yield curve may lead, but does not lead to, a recession.
An unprincipled ethics?: The missing morality of the ASA code

It is argued that the present incarnation of the American Sociological Association’s “Code of Professional Ethics” supplants moral precepts of sociological practice with particularistic procedures and restrictions. This drift from moral reflection to intraprofessional control mechanisms is compared with various ethical theories applicable to social sciences, and explained in terms of perceived structural conditions within and external to the discipline.
Linking abundances of the dung fungus Sporormiella to the density of bison: implications for assessing grazing by megaherbivores in palaeorecords

Summary Megaherbivores likely had important influences on past vegetation dynamics, just as they do in modern ecosystems. The exact nature of megaherbivores' role can be studied using a relatively new suite of palaeoecological techniques, including the quantification of fossil spores from Sporormiella and other coprophilous fungi as indicators of megafaunal biomass in sediment records. However, a quantitative linkage of spore abundance with megaherbivore biomass or grazing intensity has been lacking. Konza Prairie Biological Station (Kansas, USA), located in the midcontinent of North America, contains native tallgrass prairie grazed by a herd of bison (Bison bison) in a 1000-ha enclosure, providing an excellent opportunity to test the effects of megaherbivores on grassland community composition and their potential signature in the palynological record. We collected pollen and spores during 2009 and 2010 from a network of 28 modified Tauber traps. The precise locations of the bison herd were recorded using GPS collars; we calculated bison grazing intensity (kg m−2 year−1) to high spatial precision within concentric circles around each trap (radii from 25 to 500 m). Both relative (per cent) and absolute (concentration) abundances of Sporormiella were significantly higher in traps inside the enclosure and were positively correlated with bison grazing intensity. The cut-off for distinguishing between bison-grazed and ungrazed traps was determined to be 2.8% Sporormiella of the total pollen and spore sum, consistent with previous palaeoecological reconstructions. The relationship between Sporormiella abundances and available grazing area around each trap was strongest at short radii (25–100 m), suggesting that spores do not disperse far from their source. Sporormiella should thus be considered a local-scale indicator of megaherbivore presence. Traps in the grazed area had significantly higher percentages of Ambrosia and lower percentages of Poaceae pollen than traps from ungrazed areas. This suggests that the pollen record has the potential to detect the ecological effects of bison grazing on grassland community composition. Synthesis. This study refines the use of Sporormiella as a proxy for local megaherbivore presence, especially in grassland systems. Multiproxy Sporormiella and pollen analyses may help elucidate the past drivers of grassland dynamics, including the possible role of bison in mediating grass–forb interactions during the variable moisture regimes of the last 12,000 years.
Attosecond optics-from genesis to revelation

Attosecond optics emerged in 2001. It deals with the generation, characterization and application of extreme ultraviolet pulses shorter than one optical cycle of visible light. The duration of isolated attosecond pulses has recently reached 67-as.
A field-additive pathway detects brief-duration, long-wavelength incremental flashes

Abstract This paper reports tests of the hypothesis that a 10 msec, 667 nm, foveal test flash, presented upon a steady, 8° background, is detected by a pathway whose sensitivity is monotonically related to a linear functional of photoreceptor quantum catch. The hypothesis is tested by (1) measuring incrementthreshold curves for various background wavelenghts, and (2) measuring threshold upon mixtures of two backgrounds with different wavelengths. The data are consistent, within measurement error, with the hypothesis. We argue, on grounds of plausibility, that the pathway's sensitivity to the 10 msec test flash is controlled not by an arbitrary linear functional, but by the quantum catch of a single class of photoreceptors.
Hierarchical beamformer and cross-talk reduction in electroneurography

Electroneurography (ENG) is a method of recording neural activity within nerves. Using nerve electrodes with multiple contacts the activation patterns of individual neuronal fascicles can be estimated by measuring the surface voltages induced by the intraneural activity. The information about neuronal activation can be used for functional electric stimulation (FES) of patients suffering from spinal chord injury, or to control a robotic prosthetic limb of an amputee. However, the ENG signal estimation is a severely ill-posed inverse problem due to uncertainties in the model, low resolution due to limitations of the data, geometric constraints and the difficulty in separating the signal from biological and exogenous noise. In this paper, a reduced computational model for the forward problem is proposed, and the ENG problem is addressed by using beamformer techniques. Furthermore, we show that using a hierarchical statistical model, it is possible to develop an adaptive beamformer algorithm that estimates directly the source variances rather than the voltage source itself. The advantage of this new algorithm, e.g., over a traditional adaptive beamformer algorithm, is that it allows a very stable noise reduction by averaging over a time window. In addition, a new projection technique for separating sources and reducing cross-talk between different fascicle signals is proposed. The algorithms are tested on a computer model of realistic nerve geometry and time series signals.
Protein Communication System: Evolution and Genomic Structure

We develop a mathematical model of the genetic information storage and transmission system and investigate its properties. Breaking with tradition, whereas the genetic information storage and transmission apparatus is conventionally modelled as an engineering communication system with the DNA sequence as the input and the amino acid chain as the output, in this paper the genetic communication model is viewed as one between proteins. A connection in a series of protein communication systems is equivalent to a channel through time: the Channel of Evolution. We investigate the dynamics of the channel of evolution in both cases of a constant and time-variant point mutation rates. We prove that the distribution of amino acids converges geometrically to a specific distribution which matches nearly perfectly an estimate of the natural abundance of amino acids in Nature today. Moreover, based on the highly redundant structure of the encoded genetic message (i.e., DNA), we demonstrate that the role of introns in eukaryotic genomes is to maintain a fine balance between two competing yet complementary forces: stability and adaptability. The stability role is evaluated by showing that introns play the role of a decoy in absorbing mutations. We derive the optimal exon length distribution, which minimizes the probability of error in eukaryotic genomes. Furthermore, to understand how Nature can physically achieve such a distribution, we propose a diffusive random walk model for exon generation throughout evolution. This model results in an alpha stable distribution, which is asymptotically equivalent to the optimal distribution. Experimental results on various eukaryotic organisms spanning the phylogenetic tree from unicellular organisms to plants to vertebrates show that both distributions accurately fit the biological data.
Is carotid endarterectomy cost-effective in symptomatic patients with moderate (50% to 69%) stenosis? ☆ ☆☆

Abstract Objective: Recently published data from the North American Carotid Endarterectomy Trial revealed a benefit for carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in symptomatic patients with moderate (50% to 69%) carotid stenosis. This benefit was significant but small (absolute stroke risk reduction at 5 years, 6.5%; 22.2% vs 15.7%), and thus, the authors of this study were tentative in the recommendation of operation for these patients. To better elucidate whether CEA in symptomatic patients with moderate carotid stenosis is a proper allocation of societal resources, we examined the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. Methods: A decision-analytic Markov process model was constructed to determine the cost-effectiveness of CEA versus medical treatment for a hypothetical cohort of 66-year-old patients with moderate carotid stenosis. This model allowed the comparison of not only the immediate hospitalization but also the lifetime costs and benefits of these two strategies. Our measure of outcome was the cost-effectiveness ratio (CER), defined as the incremental lifetime cost per quality-adjusted life year saved. We assumed an operative stroke and death rate of 6.6% and a declining risk of ipsilateral stroke after the ischemic event with medical treatment (first year, 9.3%; second year, 4%; subsequent years, 3%). The hospitalization cost of CEA ($6420) and the annual costs of major stroke ($26,880), minor stroke ($798), and aspirin therapy ($63) were estimated from a hospital cost accounting system and the literature. Results: CEA for moderate carotid stenosis increased the survival rate by 0.13 quality-adjusted life years as compared with medical treatment at an additional lifetime cost of $580. Thus, CEA was cost-effective with a CER of $4462. Society is usually willing to pay for interventions with CERs of less than $60,000 (eg, CERs for coronary artery bypass grafting at $9100 and for dialysis at $53,000). CEA was not cost-effective if the perioperative risk was greater than 11.3%, if the ipsilateral stroke rate associated with medical treatment at 1 year was reduced to 4.3%, if the age of the patient exceeded 83 years, or if the cost of CEA exceeded $13,200. Conclusion: CEA in patients with symptomatic moderate carotid stenosis of 50% to 69% is cost-effective. Perioperative risk of stroke or death, medical and surgical stroke risk, cost of CEA, and age are important determinants of the cost-effectiveness of this intervention. (J Vasc Surg 1999;30:1024-33.)
A hypercircle method of frame analysis—I. Theory

Abstract The hypercircle method of Synge and Prager is applied to the structural analysis of rigid-jointed planar frames. In Part I theoretical foundations of the method are developed and bounding formulae derived. These provide upper and lower bounds, as narrow as desired, on strain energy, local deformation and internal stress. A new procedure for reducing the number of statical and kinematical degrees of freedom is introduced.
High Molecular Weight Poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s by Alkyne Metathesis Utilizing “Instant” Catalysts: A Synthetic Study

In this contribution, alkyne metathesis of 1,4-dipropynylated benzenes 3 is reported. High-molecular weight poly(p-phenyleneethynylenes) 4 form from 3 under concomitant evolution of butyne. The highly active catalyst system employed in this polymerization reaction forms from commercially available Mo(CO)6 and 4-chlorophenol or 4-trifluoromethylphenol in situ at 140 °C in off-the-shelf quality 1,2-dichlorobenzene. Introduction of dry nitrogen into the reaction vessel serves to remove the byproduct, 2-butyne. Several dipropynylated benzenes 3 carrying solubilizing alkyl (hexyl, nonyl, dodecyl, 2-(ethyl)hexyl, ethylbutyl, isopentyl, 3,7-dimethyloctyl, 2,5,5-trimethylhexyl, cyclohexyl, isopentyloxy) or alkoxy substituents were prepared starting from 1,4-dichlorobenzene (alkyl substituted) or hydroquinone (alkoxy substituted). Polymerization of the monomers 3 furnished the yellow and highly fluorescent poly(p-phenyleneethynylene)s 4 in excellent to quantitative yields and high purity. For soluble derivatives, ...
22. Effects of shelter on plant water use

Abstract Windbreaks and shelterbelts are often used in agriculture to modify crop environments, because it is widely believed that plant survival, growth and reproduction are improved above that which would be expected of unsheltered plants. A substantial part of the effect of shelter has been ascribed to a beneficial change in the way in which sheltered plants use water, particularly during periods when water is greatly limited. We have reviewed the concept of plant water-use efficiency (WUE), the ratio of carbon gained to water lost through the stomata and have tried to explain how shelter might influence WUE due to changes in the microclimate around the plants in its lee. Because the microclimate around shelters is so complex, we have relied heavily on conceptual models, in particular the idea that shelter might “decouple” plants from their atmospheric environment. It seems certain that the reduction in turbulent transfer contributes to improved water-use efficiency in shelter under many situations; however, this improvement cannot be assumed to hold for all shelter conditions.
Ab initio study of hydration and proton dissociation in ionomer membranes

We present a comparative study of proton dissociation in various functional acidic units that are promising candidates as building blocks for polymeric electrolyte membranes. Minimum energy structu...
Role of nitric oxide in hematosuppression and benzene-induced toxicity.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that nitric oxide plays a multifunctional role in regulating inflammatory processes in the body. Although nitric oxide and its oxidation products are cytotoxic ...
High-density lipoprotein cholesterol is reduced in patients with sarcoidosis.

Abstract purpose: Sarcoidosis is a disease in which the proliferation of monocyte-macrophage-derived cells is observed. In other disease characterized by expansion of the monocyte-macrophage system, such as Gaucher's disease and myeloid metaplasia, abnormalities in lipoprotein metabolism have been demonstrated. To determine whether similar abnormalities in lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations could be identified in patients with sarcoidosis, we studied total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol as well as triglyceride levels in 52 patients with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis. patients and methods: Patients had no other medical disorders and were not being treated with corticosteroids or antimalarial agents. Blood samples were collected by venipuncture after an overnight fast. Plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured using enzymatic techniques. Lipoprotein cholesterol was quantified by lipoprotein fractionation. HDL cholesterol was measured as cholesterol remaining in the supernatant after precipitation of LDL and very-low-density lipoprotein from whole plasma by the heparin-maganese chloride method. Computation was used to determine the level of LDL cholesterol. results: We found significantly reduced levels of total cholesterol (183.9 ± 27.6 versus 194.3 ±16.5 mg/dl, means ± SD, p=0.021) and HDL cholesterol (41.2 ± 13.0 versus 51.9 ± 6.1 mg/dl, p=0.0001) in sarcoid patients versus an age-, sex-, and racematched reference group. Differences were not observed in triglyceride or LDL cholesterol levels (p >0.05) conclusion: These findings are similar to those observed in the myeloproliferative diseases, Gaucher's functional role of monocytes-macrophages in the regulation of serum lipoprotein cholesterol levels.
Vanadium-doped acid-prepared mesoporous silica : Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic studies on the oxidation of a mustard gas analogue

The room temperature, liquid-phase oxidation of 2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide (CEES), an analogue of mustard gas, was investigated using vanadium-doped acid-prepared mesoporous silica (“V−APMS”) as a solid catalyst. The V−APMS samples were prepared by wet impregnation with NH4VO3, followed by calcination. XRD, N2 physisorption, SEM, and EPR were used to characterize the solid products. Samples with lower V contents (0.1−10 wt %) were found to contain isolated vanadyl species and were highly effective for oxidation of CEES to the corresponding sulfoxide and sulfone using tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as the oxidant. Surface area and pore volume decreased significantly at higher loadings of V due to formation of V2O5 within the pores of the solid. The mechanistic route involved V5+/V4+ redox cycles during the catalysis process, as revealed by EPR studies.
Homology model and targeted mutagenesis identify critical residues for arachidonic acid inhibition of Kv4 channels

Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (AA) exhibit inhibitory modulation of Kv4 potassium channels. Molecular docking approaches using a Kv4.2 homology model predicted a membrane-embedded binding pocket for AA comprised of the S4-S5 linker on one subunit and several hydrophobic residues within S3, S5 and S6 from an adjacent subunit. The pocket is conserved among Kv4 channels. We tested the hypothesis that modulatory effects of AA on Kv4.2/KChIP channels require access to this site. Targeted mutation of a polar residue (K318) and a nonpolar residue (G314) within the S4-S5 linker as well as a nonpolar residue in S3 (V261) significantly impaired the effects of AA on K+ currents in Xenopus oocytes. These residues may be important in stabilizing (K318) or regulating access to (V261, G314) the negatively charged carboxylate moiety on the fatty acid. Structural specificity was supported by the lack of disruption of AA effects observed with mutations at residues located near, but not within the predicted binding pocket. Furthermore, we found that the crystal structure of the related Kv1.2/2.1 chimera lacks the structural features present in the proposed AA docking site of Kv4.2 and the Kv1.2/2.1 K+ currents were unaffected by AA. We simulated the mutagenic substitutions in our Kv4.2 model to demonstrate how specific mutations may disrupt the putative AA binding pocket. We conclude that AA inhibits Kv4 channel currents and facilitates current decay by binding within a hydrophobic pocket in the channel in which K318 within the S4-S5 linker is a critical residue for AA interaction.
A general model of consensus and accuracy in interpersonal perception.

Consensus refers to the extent to which 2 judges agree in their ratings of a common target. A general model of interpersonal perception based on Anderson's (1981) weighted -average model is developed. The model shows that increased acquaintance does not always lead to large changes in consensus. Degree of overlap between the target behaviors observed by the judges and similarity of meaning systems are key but neglected parameters. The model can also be used as a basis for determinnig the accuracy of person perception. In some cases, accuracy can increase with greater acquaintance, whereas consensus may not
Glutathione content but not gamma glutamyl cysteine synthetase mRNA expression predicts cisplatin resistance in head and neck cancer cell lines

Purpose: To correlate cellular glutathione content and γ-glutamyl cysteine synthetase (γGCS) mRNA expression with cisplatin sensitivity in a panel of seven head and neck squamous cancer cell lines. Methods: Cisplatin IC50 was determined for each cell line using a sodium tetreazolium (XTT) assay. Cellular glutathione content was measured by using a previously reported enzymic method. γGCS mRNA expression was measured using an RNase protection assay. Results: Total cellular glutathione was an excellent predictor of cisplatin sensitivity in this series of cell lines. The IC50 for cisplatin in the cell line with the highest glutathione concentration was approximately 90 times higher than in the cell line with the lowest glutathione concentration. Regression analysis showed a highly statistically significant positive correlation between cisplatin IC50 and cellular glutathione (coefficient of determination R 2=0.81, P=0.0012). Somewhat surprisingly, in contrast to previous studies in ovarian cancer, γGCS mRNA expression in these cell lines was not significantly predictive of either total cellular glutathione or cisplatin sensitivity (R 2=0.005, P=0.84). As expected, treatment of resistant cell lines with buthionine sulfoximine resulted in decreased cellular glutathione and enhanced cisplatin sensitivity. Conclusions: Our results suggest that glutathione may be an important determinant of cisplatin sensitivity in clinical head and neck cancer. Since cisplatin is the most active chemotherapy drug for the treatment of this disease, this correlation may have important clinical relevance. The lack of correlation between glutathione level and γGCS expression suggests that salvage or alternate synthetic pathways may be critical in these cells.
Structure model of the Al-Cu-Co decagonal quasicrystal.

Structure model for decagonal quasicrystals AlCuCo and AlNiCo is proposed. The model agrees with available experimental data: the results of three-dimensional and five- dimensional Patterson analysis of X-ray diffraction data and with direct space atomic patterns found by high resolution electron microscopy. The model allows for a dualistic description: it can be viewed as both a set of specifically decorated overlapping decagonal clusters and as cutting and projecting only two simple “atomic surfaces”.
Methane Partial Oxidation over Vanadyl Pyrophosphate and the Effect of Fe and Cr Promoters on Selectivity

Abstract Partial oxidation of methane by molecular oxygen over Cr- and Fe-promoted, as well as unpromoted, vanadyl pyrophosphate catalysts has been studied in the temperature range of 573–698 K and atmospheric pressure. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and water were found to be the principal reaction products over unpromoted vanadyl pyrophosphate. Over both the Fe- and Cr-promoted catalysts high formaldehyde selectivity was observed at very low methane conversion levels with HCHO space time yields in the range of 0.5 to 2.0 g/kg-h. As the extent of the reaction was increased selectivity to formaldehyde decreased rapidly and changes in selectivities with conversion indicate a sequential conversion of methane to formaldehyde, CO, then CO2, Macrokinetic parameters for the methane oxidation reaction were determined for the unpromoted catalyst. A simple power law rate expression fit the rate data well over the whole temperature range. The rate of reaction of methane was 0.08±0.02 order in oxygen partial pressure, 0.73±0.07 order in methane partial pressure, and the activation energy was found to be 102±6 kJ/mole. Activation energy was unchanged by promotion with Fe and Cr. Analysis by XPS and ICP-AA indicates that promoters were incorporated equally into the bulk and surface of these catalysts. XPS indicates an increase in the average surface oxidation state of vanadium in the promoted catalysts and XRD shows that promotion causes oxidation of a small fraction of the pyrophosphate to form αII-VOPO4.31P NMR spin-echo mapping confirms the enhanced formation of V5+in the promoted samples. The presence of V5+may therefore be required for the formation of selective products. It is proposed that the role of promoters is to increase the rate of formation of V5+during activation, or to stabilize V5+containing domains under the highly reducing methane oxidation conditions.
Cancer of the oral cavity and medical malpractice.

Objective To analyze malpractice litigation initiated by patients with cancer of the oral cavity as a result of allegations concerning their diagnosis and treatment. Study Design Retrospective review. Methods Jury verdict reviews from 1984 to 2000 were obtained from a computerized legal database and analyzed. Reviews compile pertinent data on defendants, plaintiffs, verdict outcomes, indemnity payments, and allegations of wrongdoing and provide case summaries. Fifty cases from 21 of all 50 states were obtained. Data were entered into a spreadsheet for analysis. Results Overall, a young age (mean age, 45 y) and poor oncological outcome (47% dead) were seen. The younger age group (<47 y) had a better outcome (65% without disease), were more often misdiagnosed (19%), won awards (60%), and had higher awards (average award, $755,824) as compared with those older than 47 years of age, who had 39% without disease, 0% misdiagnosed, and 52% who won awards that were less, on average, at $495,417. Failure to diagnose the cancer was alleged, overall, in 43 of 50 cases (86%), and in general practice, dentists, and otolaryngologist in 100%, 85%, and 89%, respectively. Suits alleging a delay in diagnosis of less than 3 months were defendant verdicts in 86%, and of more than 3 months, in 40%. Failures to perform biopsy and to refer were common allegations. Conclusions Young age of patients bringing litigation is seen in patients with oral cancer. These patients frequently have poor oncological outcomes. Risk management goals to prevent delays in diagnosis may help prevent subsequent litigation.
Solar cars race for the future results of the GM Sunrayce USA and the world solar challenge

Abstract In July 1990, 32 North American university teams gathered in Orlando, FL to compete in GM Sunrayce USA, a 1650 mile transcontinental race of solar powered cars. Using only sunlight for power, the cars had to travel through eight states over eleven days before reaching the finish line in Detroit, MI. Created as a student competition to strengthen hands-on science and engineering skills, Sunrayce was a triumph of higher learning. Students were motivated to learn skills and excel at challenges they never thought possible. Their hard work, creativity and innovation surpassed everyone's expectations. What started out as a race of students ended as a race of scientists and engineers better prepared for their nature. The prize for the three winners of Sunrayce was an all expenses paid trip to compete in the 1990 World Solar Challenge (WSC) in Australia. The WSC is a 1870 mile solar car race across the Australian outback. This year's event had 36 competitors from around the world, including eleven entries from Japan, eight from the U.S.A., and five from Europe. In total, 62 different solar racing teams competed in the two events in 1990. Both events are described in detail in this paper. Vehicle specifications, race results and day-by-day descriptions of how the race developed are provided. Technical details of the three winning teams in GM Sunrayce USA are given in individual design reports written by the teams and following this paper. Pictures and summaries of each Sunrayce vehicle are given in Appendix A, which follows the design reports.
The role of polarizability in determining metal ion affinities in polymer-supported reagents: Phosphorylated ethylene glycol

Abstract This is the first of a series of reports that probes the polarizabilities of different immobilized ligands in order to build toward a rational design of ion-selective polymer-supported reagents. In this report, the polarizabilities of four ligands on a polystyrene backbone (phosphorylated ethylene glycol (pEG1), ethylene glycol (EG1), sulfonic acid, and dimethylamine (DMA)) are evaluated with Au(III) and Eu(III) as representative of soft and hard ions, respectively. Interactions are followed by the extent of sorption, the effect of acid concentration, band shifts in FTIR spectra, and Langmuir plots. The phosphoryl oxygen, hydroxyl OH, and amine show an affinity of Au(III) > Eu(III) while Eu(III) > Au(III) is evident with the sulfonic acid. The P O stretching frequency shifts from 1263 to 1249 cm−1 upon Au(III) binding. The affinities indicate that oxygen can be considered soft and hard, depending on its microenvironment: neutral oxygen is soft while anionic oxygen may be classified as hard. Though Eu(III) prefers ionic binding with a strong acid ligand, it is also capable of weak binding with a neutral oxygen donor at pH 3 and 4. Sorption is affected by solution acidity despite the absence of ion exchange. Three routes to enhancing ion–interactions thus emerge: preparing single-site ligands whose polarizability matches the targeted metal ion, preparing ligands with multiple binding sites each of which bind weakly on their own, and preparing single-site ligands with dual ion exchange/coordination character.
The effects of electrode orientation on electromyographic amplitude and mean power frequency during cycle ergometry.

Abstract The purposes of this study were threefold: (1) to compare the power output related patterns of absolute and normalized EMG amplitude and MPF responses for electrode orientations that were approximately parallel and perpendicular to the muscle fibers of the vastus lateralis muscle (VL); (2) to examine the influence of electrode orientation on mean absolute EMG amplitude and MPF values; and (3) to determine the effects of normalization on mean EMG amplitude and MPF values from parallel and perpendicular electrode orientations. Twenty adults (10 men and 10 women mean ± SD age = 23.4 ± 3.6 years) performed incremental cycle ergometry tests to exhaustion. Two sets of bipolar surface EMG electrodes were placed approximately parallel and perpendicular to the muscle fibers over the VL. Paired t-tests indicated that absolute EMG amplitude values for the parallel electrode orientation were greater (p
Correlations Among the Hiskey, K-Abc Nonverbal Scale, Leiter, and Wisc-r pErformance Scale With Public-School Deaf Children

The Hiskey-Nebraska (H-NTLA), K-ABC Nonverbal Scale (NS), Leiter, and the WISC-R Performance Scale (using Anderson and Sisco deaf norms), were administered to 31 hearing-impaired (HI) children enrolled in self-contained, hearing- handicapped programs in a public school setting. Testing spanned a 3-month interval. The group mean score on the K-ABC NV (M = 94.10) was significantly lower than the Leiter mean score (M = 100.71) or the WISC-R PIQ mean score (M = 103.00), as demonstrated by significant dependent t-test analyses (p < .01, p < .001, respectively). All other t-test results, including the K-ABC NV to the H-NTLA (M = 99.21), were nonsignificant. The Pearson product-moment cor relations among the four instruments were all significant and ranged from .57 (K-ABC NV with H-NTLA, p < .01) to .78 (K-ABC NV with Leiter, p < .0001). While results showed the K-ABC NV to have ample construct validity, it appeared to underestimate the intellectual skills of the HI population. Separate deaf norms on the K-ABC N...
A personality-based description of maturing out of alcohol problems: Extension with a Five-Factor model and robustness to modeling challenges

Abstract Aim To examine the relation of changes in Five-Factor personality traits (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience; Costa & McCrae, 1985), drinking motives, and problematic alcohol involvement in a cohort of college students (N = 467) at varying risk for alcohol use disorders from ages 21 to 35. Method Parallel process latent growth models were estimated to determine the extent that prospective changes in personality and alcohol problems covaried as well as the extent to which drinking motives appeared to mediate these relations. Results Changes in neuroticism and conscientiousness covaried with changes in problematic alcohol involvement. Specifically, increases in conscientiousness and decreases in neuroticism were related to decreases in alcohol from ages 21 to 35, even after accounting for marriage and/or parenthood. Change in coping (but not enhancement) motives specifically mediated the relation between changes in conscientiousness and alcohol problems in addition to the relation between changes in neuroticism and alcohol problems. Discussion Personality changes, as assessed by a Five-Factor model of personality, are associated with “maturing out” of alcohol problems. Of equal importance, change in coping motives may be an important mediator of the relation between personality change and the "maturing out" of alcohol problems.
The exploration of implicit aspects of self-esteem in vulnerability – stress models of depression

Research investigating vulnerable self-esteem as a risk factor for depression has largely relied on self-report measures, which are susceptible to self-presentational biases and neglect individuals' automatic, nonconscious self-attitudes. Accordingly, the current study incorporated implicit self-esteem techniques, along with traditional self-report measures, into a longitudinal investigation of depressive vulnerability. Findings revealed that in contrast to the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Initials-Preference Task, the self – other Implicit Association Test was the only self-esteem measure to yield the hypothesized three-way interaction with cognitive risk and negative events in predicting depressive symptoms over time. Specifically, for individuals at high cognitive risk for depression, the effects of life stress on depressive symptoms were especially pernicious for those demonstrating lower self – other Implicit Association Test scores.
Selection or indoctrination: Why do economics students donate less than the rest? ☆

Abstract A substantial body of research suggests that economists are less generous than other professionals and that economics students are less generous than other students. Following Frey and Meier (2003) , we address this question using administrative data on donations to social programs by students at the University of Washington. Our data set allows us to track student donations and microeconomics training over time in order to distinguish selection effects from indoctrination effects. We find that there is a selection effect for economics majors, who are less likely to donate than other students, and that there is an indoctrination effect for non-majors but not for majors. Women majors and non-majors are less likely to contribute than comparable men.