cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NanoCurcumin inhibits TNF-α in Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected macrophages (MPF3P.821)

Background: Host response to M. tuberculosis (M.tb) infection leads to tissue destruction and impairs the ability of drugs to reach the bacteria. New anti-inflammatory adjuvant therapies could enhance bacterial clearance. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a lipophilic phytochemical present in turmeric (Curcuma longa). Encapsulation of curcumin with polymers (NanoCurcuminTM) increased absorption and bioavailability of curcumin and is being investigated as host-directed therapies for the treatment various diseases. Methods and Results: We investigated the effect of free and encapsulated NanocurcuminTM on M.tb induced host inflammatory responses in M.tb infected J774 macrophages. Bacterial burden and cytokine levels were enumerated by standard microbiological and immunological methods. We utilized physiologically achievable levels of NanocurcuminTM (based on prior in vivo studies) and found a dose dependent decrease in the levels of TNF-α in M.tb infected J774 macrophages. Conclusions: NanoCurcumin™ can modulate TNF-α and could be utilized as a host-directed therapy to enhanced bacterial clearance and potentially shorten TB drug regimen.
Comparison of electron ionization and chemical ionization sensitivities in an ion trap mass spectrometer

Abstract The factors that influence the sensitivity and detection limits under electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization (CI) conditions in an ion trap mass spectrometer have been examined. It was found that for benzophenone, EI had a three times lower detection limit than CI, and EI was approximately three times more sensitive for the detection of the molecular species. When sensitivities were compared on the basis of total ion current detected, using equal duty cycles, EI was observed to be fifteen times more sensitive than CI. Selected reagent ion CI is shown, by defining the kinetic as well as thermodynamic aspects of the ion/molecule reactions in the ion trap, to be particularly useful in sensitivity studies and should be exploited for certain analyses.
Determinants of the outcome of electrophysiologic study in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias

To determine those factors predictive of the ability to both initiate and suppress ventricular tachyarrhythmias during electrophysiologic study, the results of programmed cardiac stimulation were evaluated in 261 patients: 66 presenting with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, 91 with sustained ventricular tachycardia and 104 with ventricular fibrillation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the presenting arrhythmia was a potent and independent predictor of the ability to provoke ventricular arrhythmias at electrophysiologic study; a history of myocardial infarction and male sex were also significant independent predictors. Of patients presenting with sustained ventricular tachycardia, 89% (81 of 91) had inducible ventricular arrhythmias compared with 61 (40 of 66) and 66% (69 of 104) of patients with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, respectively. Complete suppression of inducible arrhythmias could be achieved in only 52% (34 of 66) of patients with sustained ventricular tachycardia, compared with 73 (24 of 33) and 75% (46 of 61) of patients presenting with nonsustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that the major independent determinants of the ability to suppress inducible arrhythmias were the number of drug trials performed before electrophysiologic study (inversely correlated) and the nature of the induced arrhythmia. The nature of the presenting clinical arrhythmia is, therefore, a highly significant and independent predictor of the ability to induce ventricular arrhythmias during electrophysiologic testing and an important determinant of the ability to suppress induced arrhythmias in patients with spontaneous ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
Use of Data Comm by Flight Crew to Conduct Interval Management Operations to Parallel Dependent Runways

The Interval Management (IM) concept is being developed as a method to maintain or increase high traffic density airport arrival throughput while allowing aircraft to conduct near idle thrust descents. The Interval Management with Spacing to Parallel Dependent Runways (IMSPiDR1) experiment at NASA Langley Research Center used 24 commercial pilots to examine IM procedures to conduct parallel dependent runway arrival operations while maintaining safe but efficient intervals behind the preceding aircraft. The use of IM procedures during these operations requires a lengthy and complex clearance from Air Traffic Control (ATC) to the participating aircraft, thereby making the use of Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (CPDLC) highly desirable as the communication method. The use of CPDLC reduces the need for voice transmissions between controllers and flight crew, and enables automated transfer of IM clearance elements into flight management systems or other aircraft avionics. The result is reduced crew workload and an increase in the efficiency of crew procedures. This paper focuses on the subset of data collected related to the use of CPDLC for IM operations into a busy airport. Overall, the experiment and results were very successful, with the mean time under 43 seconds for the flight crew to load the clearance into the IM spacing tool, review the calculated speed, and respond to ATC. An overall mean rating of Moderately Agree was given when the crews were asked if the use of CPDLC was operationally acceptable as simulated in this experiment. Approximately half of the flight crew reported the use of CPDLC below 10,000 for IM operations was unacceptable, with 83% reporting below 5000 was unacceptable. Also described are proposed modifications to the IM operations that may reduce CPDLC Respond time to less than 30 seconds and should significantly reduce the complexity of crew procedures, as well as follow-on research issues for operational use of CPDLC during IM operations.
Numerical simulations of flame patterns supported by a spinning burner

Abstract Non-uniform methane diffusion flames, formed from a porous plug burner spinning in quiescent air, are investigated numerically in a three-dimensional context. Flames are simulated for Damkohler numbers on the upper branch of the S-shaped response curve close to the extinction point. Multi-dimensional instabilities appear in the form of holes and spirals at these near extinction Damkohler numbers, as observed in experimental studies of flames sustained by a rotating porous burner [V. Nayagam, F.A. Williams, Pattern Formation in Diffusion Flames Embedded in Von Karman Swirling Flows , NASA/CP 2001-21082; V. Nayagam, F.A. Williams, Pattern Formation in Diffusion Flames Embedded in Von Karman Swirling Flows , NASA/CR 2006-214057]. Simulation results from the constant density and constant viscosity model suggest that the non-uniform flames are a result of thermo-diffusional instabilities and are a function of the Damkohler number. The simulated flame holes have stationary edges while the single and double spirals have edges that rotate about the axis of the burner. It is found that boundary conditions such as the mixture strength and the injection velocity affect the range of Damkohler numbers within which the system is unstable.
Photophysics And Spectroscopy Of Surface Adlayers: Pyrene On Al 2 O 3 (1120)

Electronic absorption and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy were used to examine pyrene adsorbed on Al203(1120) in UHV as a function of surface coverage and adlayer order. The absorption maximum of the So->S2 transition shifted from λ = 337 nm at θ = 0.13 ML to λ = 349 nm at θ ≥ 3.0 ML. The observed frequency shifts were explained in terms of dispersion interactions that stabilize the energy of the excited state due to the polarization of the surrounding dielectric. The fluorescence spectrum at 21 K exhibited both monomer and excimer emission. The relative amount of excimer emission increased as the coverage was increased from θ = 0.30 ML to θ = 4.5 ML. Likewise, the fluorescence spectrum was temperature-dependent between 21 and 150 K. As the temperature was increased, the monomer fluorescence intensity decreased while the excimer fluorescence intensity increased. This temperature dependence, together with xenon overlayer studies, suggested that the excimer formation was dependent on pyrene surface mobility. Absorption and fluorescence measurements also indicated that the pyrene adlayer crystallized on the Al203(1120) surface when the adlayer was annealed above 230 K.
Stock Identification of Walleye via Otolith Chemistry in the Eleven Point River, Arkansas

Abstract Otolith chemistry was used to identify two hatchery stocks (Missouri State Hatchery and Arkansas Federal Hatchery) and a possible wild stock of walleye Sander vitreus in the Eleven Point River in northeastern Arkansas. Previous population estimates by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission using traditional tag-and-release techniques failed to identify the relative survival of these stocks or their spatial and temporal persistence. Using chemical analysis of otoliths combined with a priori knowledge of the hatchery source, we identified otolith chemical signatures unique to each stock. We collected 51 walleyes that bore the physical tag of a known hatchery, along with 46 nontagged walleyes. The efficacy of otolith chemistry in classifying walleyes to known stocks was assessed by analyzing unknowns via discriminant function analysis. Fish were classified to their respective stocks based on otolith chemistry, and 92% were assigned to known stocks. Fishery managers can assess the persistence of indiv...
Serum Total Bilirubin Level and Prevalent Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999 to 2004

Background— Bilirubin, with recently recognized antioxidant and antiinflammatory activity, has emerged as a candidate for atheroprotection. We hypothesized that higher levels of bilirubin would reduce susceptibility to peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Methods and Results— We analyzed 7075 adults with data available on the ankle brachial index, serum total bilirubin level, and PAD risk factors in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999 to 2004), a nationally representative cross-sectional examination of the United States population. A 0.1 mg/dL increase in bilirubin level was associated with a 6% reduction in the odds of PAD (OR 0.94 [95% CI 0.90 to 0.98]) after adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, chronic kidney disease, CRP, and homocysteine. This result was not dependent on bilirubin levels above the reference range, liver disease, or alcohol intake. The inverse association of bilirubin with PAD tended to be stronger among men (OR 0.90 [95% CI 0.85 to 0.96]) compared with women (OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.91 to 1.04]; P interaction=0.05), and was stronger among active smokers (OR 0.81 [95% CI 0.73 to 0.90]) compared with nonsmokers (OR 0.97 [95% CI 0.93 to 1.02]; P interaction<0.01). Conclusions— Increased serum total bilirubin level is associated with reduced PAD prevalence. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that bilirubin is protective from PAD.
Factor market distortions and backward incidence of pollution control

This paper analyzes the backward incidence of stronger pollution control into factors of production using a two-sector general equilibrium model in which the economy experiences perfect capital mobility but norigid factor price differential. In this context we conclude that higher levels of wage and capital rental differentials may act as an effective control over the pollution emission in the economy when factor price differentials directly depend on the pollution level.
Human chorionic gonadotropin beta-subunit is encoded by at least eight genes arranged in tandem and inverted pairs.

The β-subunit of the human placental glycoprotein hormone, chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), is coded for by at least eight different genes or pseudogenes, four of which are arranged in inverted pairs while the other four are arranged in tandem pairs. The genes are each 1.45 kilobases (kb) long and have two short introns located in identical positions.
Oxidative azidonation of glycals using the reagent combination PhIOTMSN3: Synthesis of diaminopyrans

Dihydropyran and derivatives react with (PhIO)nTMSN3 to give 3-azido adducts and with (PhIO)n/TMSN3/TEMPO(cat) to give 2,3-bis-azido adducts which can be further elaborated into aminopyrans.
Aesthetics, Opera, and Alterity in Herzog's Work

In his article "Aesthetics, Opera, and Alterity in Herzog's Work" Jacob-Ivan Eidt analyses Werner Herzog's 1982 film Fitzcarraldo. Eidt's analysis is executed in the context of opera, cinema, and aesthetics. Eidt argues that Herzog uses opera as a romantic motif with which he creates a selfcritical process whereby elements of the Romantic vision are called into question thus providing a nuanced reading of the main character and the Indigenous world he encounters. This process, Eidt argues, produces a complex narrative of colonial alterity where colonial self-inscription upon an Other is ultimately doomed to failure. Jacob-Ivan Eidt, "Aesthetics, Opera, and Alterity in Herzog's Work" page 2 of 9 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 14.1 (2012):
Is it time to stop checking frozen section neck margins during pancreaticoduodenectomy

Background Residual disease after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) adversely impacts survival. The value of taking additional neck margin after a positive frozen section (FS) to achieve a negative margin remains uncertain.
Stratigraphical significance of the Tulu Bor Tuff of the Koobi Fora Formation

The Tulu Bor Tuff, a major marker horizon in the Koobi Fora Formation, has been misidentified in previous studies. Identification of this tuff in sediments previously mapped as the Kubi Algi Formation requires re-evaluation of the existing Stratigraphical framework of the Koobi Fora region.
Reduction in Legionella pneumophila through heat flushing followed by continuous supplemental chlorination of hospital hot water.

An increase in endemic rate of nosocomial Legionella pneumophila pneumonia prompted an investigation that revealed 16.2% (12/74) of patient care hot-water sites surveyed were culture-positive for L. pneumophila. No positive cultures were recovered from cooling towers, air intakes, or construction areas. Heat flushing of hospital hot-water outlets to temperatures greater than 60 degrees C for 30 min achieved a 66% reduction in positive Legionella cultures. After 4 1/2 months, different serotypes recurred in previously eradicated areas and there were new positive cultures. Continuous supplemental chlorination of the hot-water system (2 parts per million [ppm]) significantly reduced the number of culture-positive samples from 37.4% (43/115) to 7.0% (8/115) after 6 weeks (P less than .005). Of 30 sites surveyed 6 months after hot-water chlorination, 67% (20) were still culture-negative. Of those positive, 70% had less than or equal to 150 L. pneumophila/ml and 90% were from bathtubs. Adverse effects of chlorination on users and plumbing have not been seen. There have been no definite cases of nosocomial L. pneumophila in areas served by supplemental chlorine during the first 17 months of the chlorination project. Technology allowing tighter regulation of chlorine and use of silicates to control corrosion have made continuous hot-water chlorination a safe and effective option in Legionella control.
Photoinduced electron transfer in binary blends of conjugated polymers

Abstract : We report observation of photoinduced electron transfer between two n-conjugated polymers in binary mixtures. Picosecond transient absorption and fluorescence spectroscopies of mixtures of n-type (electron accepting) poly (benzimidazobenzophenanthroline ladder) (BBL) and p-type (electron donating) poly (p- phenylene benzobisthiazole) (PBZT) or poly(p-(2-hydroxy)-phenylene berizobisoxazole) (HPBO) evidence intermolecular electron transfer when BBL is selectively photoexcited. The results suggest that blends of n-conjugated polymers are supramolecular materials which have novel features such as delocalized radical ion pairs or diion pairs, - novel properties, and- implications for organic p-n junction devices, photodiodes, photovoltaic cells, photoreceptors, and molecular electronic devices.
Cancer patient perception of the living will: report of a pilot survey.

A pilot survey of sixty-four patients with late stage malignancy, all of whom had signed a living will, was conducted. The purpose of the living will was to have resuscitative measures withheld when cardiorespiratory arrest occurred. Of those patients 70.3 percent surveyed, were grateful for the opportunity to sign a living will and thereby maintain autonomy over their terminal care; 20.3 percent were apparently either indifferent or unwilling to discuss their having signed a living will; and 9.4 percent appeared disturbed by their recent signing of this document. The implications of these data are discussed.
3,5,3'-Triiodothyronine (T3) sulfate: a major metabolite in T3 metabolism in man

Previous studies have suggested that T3 metabolism relies more on nondeiodinative conjugation than on direct deiodinative degradation for its disposal in man. To better define this process, tracer T3 kinetic studies were performed in five euthyroid subjects before and after iopanoic acid (IA) administration to selectively impair T3 deiodinative disposal. Both a low IA (0.5-g load, followed by 0.5 g/day for 7 days) and a high IA (3.0-g load, followed by 3.0 g/day for 7 days) dosing schedule were employed to achieve varying levels of deiodinase inhibition. Additionally, the high IA dose was repeated with simultaneous oral T3 administration (100 micrograms daily) to normalize serum T3 levels that were reduced by IA-induced inhibition of T4 to T3 conversion. The results demonstrated that baseline serum T3 (2.3 +/- 0.1 nmol/L) and T3/T4 (1.9 +/- 0.1 x 10(-2)) values were significantly reduced by both the low IA (1.5 +/- 0.1 nmol/L and 1.2 +/- 0.1 x 10(-2), respectively) and the high IA (1.5 +/- 0.1 nmol/L and 0.9 +/- 0.2 x 10(-2), respectively) dosing schedule and that the addition of oral T3 to the high IA regimen restored both the T3 and T3/T4 levels to near-normal values (2.9 +/- 0.3 nmol/L and 1.7 +/- 0.2 x 10(-2), respectively). Low IA also significantly decreased T3 clearance (30 +/- 4 to 18 +/- 2 L/day; P < 0.005) and fractional urinary tracer recovery (70 +/- 3% to 37 +/- 4%; P < 0.005), whereas high IA produced only a minimal further reduction in clearance (16 +/- 2 L/day; P < 0.01) and urinary tracer recovery (32 +/- 3%; P < 0.05). Surprisingly, oral administration of T3 to the high IA regimen significantly increased T3 clearance (23 +/- 4 L/day; P < 0.01) without changing urinary tracer recovery (34 +/- 5%) compared to the effects of high IA alone. Evaluation of the urinary T3 metabolite pattern demonstrated that the major products of T3 metabolism were T3 sulfate and 3,3-diiodothyronine sulfate. These observations confirm previous results suggesting that the majority of nondeiodinative T3 disposal occurs via T3 sulfate formation. The additional finding that such nondeiodinative disposal may also be influenced by the circulating T3 level leads us to propose that sulfotransferase enzyme systems may play an important role in regulating the prereceptor availability of this ligand.
Does the ILMA make sense in HEMS

Abstract As first reported by Brain 1 by the early 1980s, the laryngeal mask airway (LMA) represented a new approach to airway management. The LMA has been used to facilitate tracheal intubation by a variety of methods. In fact, the LMA has been used to intubate the patient with difficult tracheal access. A recent addition to this technique, the intubating laryngeal mask airway (ILMA), shown in Figure 1, first was proposed by Brain and coworkers in 1995. 1 , 2 Download : Download full-size image Fig. 1 . Components of the intubating laryngeal mask airway. An endotracheal tube may be passed through the airway tube. The ILMA incorporates the standard LMA cuff in sizes 3, 4, or 5, along with a metal airway tube and handle. The handle allows users to manipulate the device within the patient's airway. The airway tube component has a wider internal diameter and is shorter than the standard LMA tube. A silicone rubber bite block surrounds the upper portion of the stem.
The effects of commercial mechanised selective logging on a transect in lowland rainforest in the Lopé Reserve, Gabon

Plots of 1.25 and 11.25 ha were enumerated for trees and lianes ≥10 cm and trees ≥70 cm dbh respectively along a line transect in the Lope Reserve, Gabon. In the small plot 511 trees and lianes of 116 species were found, and 175 trees of 48 species were present in the large plot. The plots were then subject to commercial mechanised logging and the enumerations were repeated once logging had been completed. The extraction rate was two trees ha−1 and in the large plot a total of 31 (17.7%) trees representing 20.6% of the total original basal area died. Incidental damage in the small plot resulted in the loss of 10.8% of trees and lianes present, and 12.9% of the original basal area. Canopy cover was reduced by 10%. Damage levels were low compared with figures from most other tropical regions. The relevance of these figures to forest management in Gabon are discussed.
Discovery of non-carbohydrate inhibitors of aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes

Chemical modification and inactivation of aminoglycosides by many different enzymes expressed in pathogenic bacteria are the main mechanisms of bacterial resistance to these antibiotics. In this work, we designed inhibitors that contain the 1,3-diamine pharmacophore shared by all aminoglycoside antibiotics that contain the 2-deoxystreptamine ring. A discovery library of molecules was prepared by attaching different side chains to both sides of the 1,3-diamine motif. Several of these diamines showed inhibitory activity toward two or three different representative aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes (AGMEs). These studies yielded the first non-carbohydrate inhibitor N-cyclohexyl-N'-(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-propane-1,3-diamine (Compound G,H) that is competitive with respect to the aminoglycoside binding to the enzyme aminoglycoside-2''-nucleotidyltransferase-Ia (ANT2''). Another diamine molecule N-[2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)-ethyl]-N'-(3-dimethylamino-propyl)-propane-1,3-diamine (Compound H,I) was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of two separate enzymes (aminoglycoside-3'-phosphotransferase-IIIa (APH3') and ANT2'') with respect to metal-ATP. Thermodynamic and structural-binding properties of the complexes of APH3' with substrates and inhibitor were shown to be similar to each other, as determined by isothermal titration calorimetry and NMR spectroscopy.
Lasting Legacies: Conservation and Communities at Huascaran National Park, Peru

This article uses a case-study approach to investigate the challenges of protected area (PA) management for Huascaran National Park in the Peruvian Andes. The park is analyzed by situating the timing of establishment of the park boundaries within the context of two historical Peruvian events: agrarian reform (1969) and an earthquake (1970). Interviews and narratives from community members and stakeholders associated with park delimitation and management were used for the study. Analysis of narratives revealed that the establishment of park boundaries, the legal definition used for the park, and land use restrictions contribute to diminished support for the park from surrounding communities. Community and national institutions negotiate the spatial boundary of conservation in Huascaran National Park while engaging with historical narratives that invoke environmental constraints and acts of resistance.
Risk-sensitive control under a Markov modulated Denial-of-Service attack model

This paper considers the problem of risk-sensitive stochastic control under a Markov modulated Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack strategy in which the attacker, using a hidden Markov process model, stochastically jams the control packets in the system. For a discrete-time partially observed stochastic system with an exponential running cost, we provide a solution in terms of the finite-dimensional dynamics of the system through a chain of measure transformation technique which surprisingly satisfies a separation principle, i.e., the recursive optimal control policy together with a suitably defined information state constitutes an equivalent fully observable stochastic control problem. Moreover, on the transformed measure space, the solution to the optimal control problem appears as if it depends on the average path of the DoS attacks in the system.
Ground relaying of generators in unit connection

A-C GENERATORS in modern power plants usually are operated in unit connection directly on high-voltage bus bars, that is, alternator and transformer form one unit so that the circuit breaker at generator voltage is eliminated. A preferred method of ground protection for such units has been indirect high-resistance neutral grounding by connecting the primary winding of a distribution transformer between generator neutral and ground, and by loading the secondary of this transformer with a resistance of such magnitude that the resulting primary ground current for a solid ground fault at machine terminals becomes 10 to 20 amperes. This grounding method was first suggested1 in this country by L. F. Hunt as a means of minimizing fault damage within generators. The sensitivity of this scheme of protection depends on the lowest permissible pickup current of a relay activated by the current through the resistance. This pickup current indicates the parts of the machine windings which are protected. The straight line in Figure 1 shows that the assumed relay setting would lead to relay operation for faults anywhere between machine terminal (100) and location a, whereas ground faults between the neutral (0) and a would lie in the unprotected or dead zone.
Abundance differences in solar wind double streams

Eight examples of persistent double ion streams with simultaneously resolved protons and alpha particles have been found in the 1971 and 1972 data from the Los Alamos plasma analyzer on IMP 6. The proton streams are observed to have greater velocity separations than their alpha particle counterparts and the secondary stream is the higher velocity stream in each of these examples. Helium to hydrogen abundance ratios for the two streams observed simultaneously differ by up to a factor of ∼ 4; the average is 2.3. The secondary, higher velocity stream usually has the larger fraction of helium. Selection criteria may bias these results to some degree. Observations of double streams at 1 AU with large abundance differences in the separate streams provide evidence that their origin is in a corona with an inhomogeneous distribution of helium, although the evidence may not be considered conclusive at present. Several conceptual models are suggested for the formation of double streams which account for these abundance differences.
An exploratory study of bar and nightclub expectancies.

Objective: The authors identified the principal components of bar and nightclub expectancy in college students and the associations between these factors and the risk behavior of night-clubbing. Participants: A total of 4,384 undergraduates enrolled at a large, public university participated. Methods: In the first phase (July-September 2007), the authors collected preliminary data from a convenience sample. In the second phase (March 2008), the authors collected data from a separate probability sample. Results: A principal components analysis revealed 4 reliable and distinct expectancy factors. Regression analyses revealed that after adjusting for the effects of alcohol and demographic variables, expectancies explained a significant proportion of variance in bar/nightclub attendance. Different expectancy profiles distinguished high-frequency nightclubbers from the most common bar attendance practice and nonmonogamous nightclubbers from monogamous nightclubbers. Conclusions: From a developmental perspectiv...
Bifunctional molecules that receive two electrons sequentially and reversibly through only one of their two reducible groups

Abstract The electrochemical reduction mechanism of four bifunctional molecules ( 2 , 5 – 7 ) has been investigated. Each of these compounds contains a kinetically fast electron-accepting group ( p -cyanobenzoate function) and a kinetically slow electron-accepting group (2-nitroprop-2-yl), but each of these groups has an almost identical formal potential for reduction to the radical anion. Compounds 2 , 5 and 6 are reduced in the following pathway: (1) initial introduction of an electron into the “fast” end; (2) intramolecular electron transfer from the “fast” to the “slow” end and (3) introduction of the second electron into the fast end. For 2 and 5 , the rate of the intramolecular electron transfer reaction is too fast to measure, its rate constant exceeding 10 6 s −1 . However, for 6 , which features a long steroidal group that separates the “fast” and “slow” ends, the rate constant was of the order of 10 3 s −1 at 298 K and the effect of the slower intramolecular electron transfer is clearly evident in the cyclic voltammograms. The reduction of 7 is complicated by a relatively rapid double cleavage reaction occurring at the state of the diradical dianion.
Toluene effects on oxidative stress in brain regions of young-adult, middle-age, and senescent Brown Norway rats.

Abstract The influence of aging on susceptibility to environmental contaminants is not well understood. To extend knowledge in this area, we examined effects in rat brain of the volatile organic compound, toluene. The objective was to test whether oxidative stress (OS) plays a role in the adverse effects caused by toluene exposure, and if so, if effects are age-dependent. OS parameters were selected to measure the production of reactive oxygen species (NADPH Quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), NADH Ubiquinone reductase (UBIQ-RD)), antioxidant homeostasis (total antioxidant substances (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), γ-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γ-GCS), glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GRD)), and oxidative damage (total aconitase and protein carbonyls). In this study, Brown Norway rats (4, 12, and 24 months) were dosed orally with toluene (0, 0.65 or 1 g/kg) in corn oil. Four hours later, frontal cortex, cerebellum, striatum, and hippocampus were dissected, quick frozen on dry ice, and stored at − 80 °C until analysis. Some parameters of OS were found to increase with age in select brain regions. Toluene exposure also resulted in increased OS in select brain regions. For example, an increase in NQO1 activity was seen in frontal cortex and cerebellum of 4 and 12 month old rats following toluene exposure, but only in the hippocampus of 24 month old rats. Similarly, age and toluene effects on glutathione enzymes were varied and brain-region specific. Markers of oxidative damage reflected changes in oxidative stress. Total aconitase activity was increased by toluene in frontal cortex and cerebellum at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Protein carbonyls in both brain regions and in all age groups were increased by toluene, but step-down analyses indicated toluene effects were statistically significant only in 12 month old rats. These results indicate changes in OS parameters with age and toluene exposure resulted in oxidative damage in frontal cortex and cerebellum of 12 month old rats. Although increases in oxidative damage are associated with increases in horizontal motor activity in older rats, further research is warranted to determine if these changes in OS parameters are related to neurobehavioral and neurophysiological effects of toluene in animal models of aging.
Self-efficacy among hospitalized mentally ill patients.

General self-efficacy and social self-efficacy were measured in a psychiatric inpatient population of 105 and compared with Sherer's 477 college students. Patients have lower self-efficacy than college students. A small but significant correlation of .38 was noted between general self-efficacy and social self-efficacy. Age was related to general self-efficacy but not social self-efficacy in this population.
The use of ASTER satellite imagery in archaeological contexts

Multispectral ASTER satellite imagery has recently become available for scholarly research. The overall bandwidth and spatial resolution of the system give it an advantage over older Landsat satellites. In northern Mesopotamia, modern day north Iraq, hollow ways, sites and canals have all been located using the ASTER system. This system has proven to be useful in both verifying results found in CORONA satellite data and locating potential archaeological features that cannot be easily distinguished on CORONA imagery. Spectral signatures and visual manipulation can both be used to assist in the identification of distinct feature types. Reflectance information obtained from imagery can also be checked with ASTER's spectral library With proper analytical methods applied, significant benefits for landscape archaeology can be achieved. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A position tracer for navigation in a manned satellite.

Onboard device locating present and future orbital satellite position through microfilm map dependent on satellite motion equation
LibGuides and Web-Based Library Guides in Comparison: Is There a Pedagogical Advantage?

This study investigates whether the platform used to deliver a tutorial matters in online information literacy instruction and assesses the overall quality of an information literacy tutorial assignment given to an undergraduate survey class. The study asks whether there is any pedagogical advantage between information literacy tutorials created in the LibGuides library guide creation software and tutorials created as Web pages. This research question is relevant to current studies of online information literacy tutorials, particularly given the increasingly dominant but under-researched position of LibGuides in the academic library world for delivering guides and tutorials. Two separate groups of students completed LibGuides and Web page versions of the same information literacy tutorial assignment in a university undergraduate communication course. Survey results of these 89 students indicated that both the LibGuides and Web page platforms deliver online instruction content effectively and achieve learn...
Nutritional Indicators of Postburn Bacteremic Sepsis

The potential of nutritional assessment parameters in predicting sepsis in burn patients was investigated. Sixty-two consecutive patients (mean age 41 years) with an average burn size of 19% were studied. Values were obtained on postburn day 10 for serum albumin, transferrin, nitrogen balance, total lymphocyte count, skin test reactivity, and percentage of ideal body weight. Parameters predictive of imminent septic episode included serum albumin less than 3.0 g/dl (p less than 0.001), total lymphocyte count less than 1500/mm3 (p less than 0.001), anergy (p less than 0.001), and serum transferrin less than 150 mg/dl (p less than 0.001). Nitrogen balance and percentage of ideal body weight were not found to contribute to group discrimination.
Site concentration determination in liquid ion exchange membranes

Abstract Equations are derived describing the effects of Donnan Exclusion Failure on the potentiometric responses of mobile site, ion exchange membranes. Analysis of response character to changing bathing activities on one side, follows most readily from concomitant site profile variations. Changing interfacial site concentrations after co-ion penetration leads to the possibility of three linear regions of potential response. The slopes, positions along the activity axis, and number of linear response regions are shown to be dependent on penetrating ion mobilities, external bathing activities, and a quantity linearly related to total average site concentration. As a consequence of these findings, a new method for determining the quantity related to site concentration is proposed.
Selenocysteyl-tRNA occurs in the diatom Thalassiosira and in the ciliate Tetrahymena.

Summary Selenocysteyl-tRNAs that decode UGA were identified previously in animal and bacterial cells and the genes for these tRNAs have been shown to be widespread in animals and eubacteria. In the present study, we identify a selenocysteyl-tRNA that codes for UGA in Thalassiosira pseudonana, which is a diatom, and in Tetrahymena borealis, which is a ciliate. The fact that these very diverse unicellular organisms also contain a selenocysteyl-tRNA suggests that selenocysteine-containing proteins and the use of UGA as a codon for selenocysteine are widespread, if not ubiquitous, in nature.
Atomic Emission Characteristics of Laser-Induced Plasmas in an Argon Atmosphere at Reduced Pressure

The emission characteristics of laser-induced plasma, with the use of a Q-switched ruby laser of 1.5 J, were studied in argon atmosphere at reduced pressure. The time- and spatially resolved emission profiles were measured. In argon atmosphere at reduced pressure, the emission period of plasma is elongated to over a hundred microseconds, and the emissive region expands to more than a few tens of millimeters above the sample surface. The emission intensities of atomic lines increase severalfold in an argon atmosphere, in comparison with those obtained in air at the same pressure. Moderate confinement of plasmas and a resultant increase of emission intensities are achieved at 50 Torr. These results are explained by the chemical inertness and the thermal characteristics of the argon atmosphere and the decrease in absorption of the laser pulse by the plasma plume. The re-excitation of emissive species by collisions with metastable argon atoms seems to be less important.
Longitudinal Split Tears of the Ulnotriquetral Ligament

Unlike tears of the peripheral triangular fibrocartilage or avulsions of the distal radioulnar ligaments, longitudinal split tears of the ulnotriquetral (UT) ligament do not cause any instability to the distal radioulnar joint or the ulnocarpal articulation. It is mainly a pain syndrome that can be incapacitating. However, because the UT ligament arises from the palmar radioulnar ligament of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), it is by definition, an injury of the TFCC. The purpose of this article is to describe the cause of chronic ulnar wrist pain arising from a longitudinal split tear of the UT ligament.
Correlations between the Stanford-Binet: Fourth Edition and the WISC—R with a learning disabled population.

The Fourth Edition of the Stanford-Binet and the WISC-R were compared as instruments for assessing the intellectual strengths and weaknesses of students classified as learning disabled in the primary and secondary grades. Results found only a 3.28-point difference (p≥.0001) between the S-B Composite score and the WISC-R Full Scale score. Correlations between the four broad areas of the S-B and the three scales of the WISC-R ranged from .494 (S-B Abstract/Visual Reasoning with WISC-R Verbal) to .920 (S-B Composite with WISC-R Full Scale). All correlations were found to be significant. Implications of the research findings were discussed.
Reduction Semantics and Formal Analysis of Orc Programs

Orc is a language for orchestration of web services developed by J. Misra that offers simple, yet powerful and elegant, constructs to program sophisticated web orchestration applications. The formal semantics of Orc poses interesting challenges, because of its real-time nature and the different priorities of external and internal actions. In this paper, building upon our previous SOS semantics of Orc in rewriting logic, we present a much more efficient reduction semantics of Orc, which is provably equivalent to the SOS semantics thanks to a strong bisimulation. We view this reduction semantics as a key intermediate stage towards a future, provably correct distributed implementation of Orc, and show how it can naturally be extended to a distributed actor-like semantics. We show experiments demonstrating the much better performance of the reduction semantics when compared to the SOS semantics. Using the Maude rewriting logic language, we also illustrate how the reduction semantics can be used to endow Orc with useful formal analysis capabilities, including an LTL model checker. We illustrate these formal analysis features by means of an online auction system, which is modeled as a distributed system of actors that perform Orc computations.
Animal Resource Exploitation among the Virgin River Puebloans in the American Southwest

Abstract A review of the literature documenting faunal remains recovered from 16 archaeological sites attributed to the Virjin River Puebloan (VRP) tradition (ca. 300 B.C.–A.D. 1200) of the American Southwest was conducted to identify the importance of wild animal resources to the subsistence strategy. The Number of Individual Specimens (NISP) was counted (NISP = 16,386) and sorted by taxa and animal size categories to explore differences in the distributions of faunal remains by archaeological recovery strategy, site type, physiographic location, and chronology. The most significant factor in the differential use of animal resources among the VRPs was physiographic location. Desert lowland sites had greater species diversity. Sites in the intermediate St. George Basin had more large mammals such as deer, and sites located on the higher plateau had more small mammals such as lagomorphs. These results indicate that the subsistence strategy varied across diverse environmental conditions, but animal resource...
Evaluation of perennial Glycine species for resistance to soybean fungal pathogens that cause Sclerotinia stem rot and sudden death syndrome

The cultivated soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has a relatively narrow genetic base and most commercial cultivars are susceptible to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary and Fusarium solani (Mart.) Sacc. f. sp. glycines, which, respectively cause Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR) and sudden death syndrome (SDS). The objective of this study was to screen all the available accessions of the perennial Glycine species for resistance to the pathogens that cause SSR and SDS. For SSR evaluations, five seedlings of each of 787 accessions were screened once in a series of eight non-replicated runs. Seedlings were inoculated with an agar plug cut from the edge of a 1-d-old fungal culture by placing the plug next to the stem. Of the 787 accessions, 183 had partial resistance with 144 of these accessions being G. tabacina (Labill.) Benth. A selected set of 53 accessions was further screened in two replicated trials with five plants per each of four replications. Glycine tabacina had several accessions that were consistently rated as partially resistant. For SDS evaluations, five plants of each of 767 accessions were screened once in a series of eight runs. Plants were inoculated by a layered technique in which infested sorghum seed were placed below the transplanted seedlings. In the initial evaluation of 767 accessions, 134 had partial resistance with 65 of these accessions being G. tomentella Hayata. In a replicated set of selected accessions, G. tomentella had several accessions that were consistently rated as partially resistant. These perennial Glycine species represent potential untapped sources for improving disease resistance in soybean.
Computational investigations of protein denaturation : apomyoglobin and chaotrope-arene interactions

Molecular dynamics (MD) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations are being used to investigate protein denaturation. The calculations use the AMBER/OPLS force field with explicit representation of the solvent via the TIP3P and TIP4P models of water. The thermal denaturation of apomyoglobin has been followed in two 500 ps MD simulations at 85 °C. The resultant structures provide a detailed model of a molten globule, and close agreement is obtained with experimental data on the helical content of both native apomyoglobin and the low pH folding intermediate. The mechanism of protein denaturation by chaotropic agents is also being pursued. The possibility of direct contact between the chaotropes and aromatic sidechains is supported by MC computations of free energy profiles for the approach of urea and guanidinium ion to aromatic hydrocarbons in water.
Modified Tat peptide with cationic lipids enhances gene transfection efficiency via temperature-dependent and caveolae-mediated endocytosis

The HIV-1 Tat peptide has been successfully used for intracellular gene delivery. Likewise, various lipid-based methods have shown increased endocytosis and can influence endosomal escape. This study combines the favorable properties of Tat peptide with that of lipid systems for DNA delivery. We combined the lipid FuGENE HD (FH) with the Tat peptide sequence modified with histidine and cysteine residues (mTat). mTat/FH transfection was evaluated by luciferase expression plasmid in five cell types. mTat/FH produced significant improvement in transfection efficiency of all cell lines when compared to FH or mTat. Treatment with chloroquine, associated with energy-dependent endocytosis, significantly increased transfection efficiency with mTat/FH while incubation at low temperature decreased it. The zeta potential of mTat/FH/DNA was significantly higher compared to FH, mTat, or their DNA combination in the presence of serum, and it was correlated with transfection efficiency. The particle size of the FH/DNA complex was significantly reduced by addition of mTat. Filipin III, an inhibitor of caveolae-mediated endocytosis, significantly inhibited mTat/FH transfection, but transfection was increased by chlorpromazine, an inhibitor of clathrin-mediated endocytosis. These findings demonstrated the feasibility of using a combination of mTat with lipids, utilizing temperature-dependent and caveolae-mediated endocytosis, as a potentially attractive non-viral gene vector.
Statin use is associated with decreased prostate cancer recurrence in men treated with brachytherapy.

Recent in vitro and in vivo evidence has suggested that statin medications may have anticancer activity. We sought to determine whether statin use was associated with improved clinical outcome in men treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer. A database of men with prostate cancer treated with permanent Iodine-125 brachytherapy between January 1999 and February 2009 was retrospectively analyzed. Standard guidelines (i.e., American Brachytherapy Society selection criteria) were used for selecting patients for brachytherapy. Biochemical failure was defined using the Phoenix definition. From a total of 247 men with prostate adenocarcinoma treated with brachytherapy, 174 patients (70 %) were identified as using statin medications, either during initial visit or during follow-up. Median PSA follow-up was 51 months after date of implant (range 9.4–140.35). Overall biochemical failure rate was 7.3 % (18 patients). On univariate analysis, statin use was associated with significantly improved freedom from biochemical failure [hazard ratio (HR) 0.28; 95 % CI 0.10–0.72; p < 0.01 by log-rank test]. In multivariate Cox analysis performed with the variables statin use, pretreatment PSA, clinical T stage, Gleason score, and D90 or V100, statin use remained significantly associated with improved freedom from biochemical failure (HR 0.288; 95 % CI 0.086–0.886; p = 0.0299). Statin use was associated with a significant improvement in freedom from biochemical failure in this cohort of men treated with brachytherapy for prostate cancer. Further investigation into the favorable effect of statin use on brachytherapy and radiation therapy in general is warranted, including prospective trials.