cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Secreted Pyomelanin Pigment of Legionella pneumophila Confers Ferric Reductase Activity

The virulence of Legionella pneumophila is dependent upon its capacity to acquire iron. To identify genes involved in expression of its siderophore, we screened a mutagenized population of L. pneumophila for strains that were no longer able to rescue the growth of a ferrous transport mutant. However, an unusual mutant was obtained that displayed a strong inhibitory effect on the feoB mutant. Due to an insertion in hmgA that encodes homogentisate 1,2-dioxygenase, the mutant secreted increased levels of pyomelanin, the L. pneumophila pigment that is derived from secreted homogentisic acid (HGA). Thus, we hypothesized that L. pneumophila-secreted HGA-melanin has intrinsic ferric reductase activity, converting Fe3+ to Fe2+, but that hyperpigmentation results in excessive reduction of iron that can, in the case of the feoB mutant, be inhibitory to growth. In support of this hypothesis, we demonstrated, for the first time, that wild-type L. pneumophila secretes ferric reductase activity. Moreover, whereas the hyperpigmented mutant had increased secreted activity, an lly mutant specifically impaired for pigment production lacked the activity. Compatible with the nature of HGA-melanins, the secreted ferric reductase activity was positively influenced by the amount of tyrosine in the growth medium, resistant to protease, acid precipitable, and heterogeneous in size. Together, these data represent the first demonstration of pyomelanin-mediated ferric reduction by a pathogenic bacterium.
Oral literacy demand of health care communication: Challenges and solutions

Literacy deficits are widespread; one-quarter of the U.S. population has below basic literacy skills and the health consequences of literacy deficits are well-known and significant. While the need to simplify written health education print material is widely recognized, there has been little attempt to describe or reduce the literacy demand of health care dialogue. Patients with limited literacy complain they are not given information about their problems in ways they can understand, leaving them uninformed, frustrated, and distrustful. The purpose of this article is to review a conceptual approach to describing oral literacy demand in health care dialogue, to review several key studies that support the predictive validity of the conceptual framework in regard to patient satisfaction and recall of information, and to propose several practical ways to diminish literacy demand and facilitate more effective health care exchanges with patients.
Administrative Data Fail to Accurately Identify Cases of Healthcare-Associated Infection

objective. Some policy makers have embraced public reporting of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) as a strategy for improving patient safety and reducing healthcare costs. We compared the accuracy of 2 methods of identifying cases of HAI: review of administrative data and targeted active surveillance. design, setting, and participants. A cross-sectional prospective study was performed during a 9-month period in 2004 at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a 418-bed academic pediatric hospital. “True HAI” cases were defined as those that met the definitions of the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System and that were detected by a trained infection control professional on review of the medical record. We examined the sensitivity and the positive and negative predictive values of identifying HAI cases by review of administrative data and by targeted active surveillance. results. We found similar sensitivities for identification of HAI cases by review of administrative data (61%) and by targeted active surveillance (76%). However, the positive predictive value of identifying HAI cases by review of administrative data was poor (20%), whereas that of targeted active surveillance was 100%. conclusions. The positive predictive value of identifying HAI cases by targeted active surveillance is very high. Additional investigation is needed to define the optimal detection method for institutions that provide HAI data for comparative analysis. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006; 27:332-337
Simulated public speaking as a model of clinical anxiety

Normal male volunteers took single acute doses of either diazepam or placebo under double-blind conditions in three simulated public speaking experiments. Measures of palmar sweating and subjective anxiety showed that anticipation of speaking in public increased anxiety relative to baseline and prestress conditions, and performance of public speaking further increased anxiety. A dose-related anxiolytic effect of diazepam on subjective anxiety supported the model's clinical relevance. Moreover, the intensity of the subject's public speaking phobia predicted both degree of prestress anxiety relief from 10 mg diazepam and overall anxiety level, regardless of medication, throughout the experimental session. A measure of traditionalism predicted placebo and 5 mg diazepam response during prestress: As in previous clinical trials, high traditionalism scorers reported more relief from placebo, whereas low scorers showed more relief from diazepam.
The synaptic origins of receptive field properties in the cricket cercal sensory system

1. The synaptic connections made by identified sensory neurons were studied electrophysiologically in the cercal sensory system of the cricket (Acheta domestica). 2. The results confirmed that the synaptic connections made by a particular sensory neuron were correlated with the precise topographic projection of the sensory neurons and the location of the postsynaptic dendrites within this afferent projection. Where an afferent axon overlapped the dendrites of an interneuron a monosynaptic connection was often found, where there was no overlap there was no connection. 3. However, the synaptic connections expected, based on anatomical overlap, were not always detected and the present study has revealed two factors that account for this difference between expectation and reality. 4. First, the synaptic connections made by a particular sensory neuron were not invariant, rather they were probabilistic. For a given sensory neuron-interneuron pair, there was a certain probability that a synapse between the two neurons would be detected in any given animal and this probability was seldom 100%. 5. Second, the size of the receptor hair was directly correlated with the interneurons with which the sensory neuron formed synapses. For example, one interneuron, MGI, received input only from sensory neurons associated with small receptor hairs. In contrast, interneuron 10-3 received input from sensory neurons associated with large hairs. These results confirm the hypothesis of Shimozawa and Kanou (1984). 6. Our conclusion was that two properties of the receptive fields of cricket giant interneurons, directional sensitivity and acceleration/velocity sensitivity, are the direct result of the monosynaptic inputs from sensory neurons.
The effects of addition on the crystallization temperatures of amorphous Fe82−xMxB18 alloys

Abstract Nickel, cobalt, chromium, vanadium, platinum, molybdenum, gold, niobium, silicon and dysprosium were added singly to the base amorphous alloy Fe 82− x M x B 18 . Amorphous ribbons were prepared from alloys containing up to 6 wt.% (12 at.% for nickel) of the addition element. The crystallization temperatures were measured by differential scanning calorimetry and were related to the difference between the radius of the addition atom and the radius of the iron atom. There was found to be a direct correlation between the atomic radius (determined from the atomic volume per atom of the crystalline form of the element) and the increase in crystallization temperature. The effect is related to the viscosity of the alloy. That is, the larger the addition atom, the greater is the increase in viscosity and, therefore, the higher will be the crystallization temperature.
Bond durability between dentinal bonding agents and tooth structure

Glass-ionomer cements and dentinal bonding agents have made possible cavity preparations without mechanical retention. However, durability of bond strength is critical to the longevity of these restorations. This research evaluated the durability of the chemical bond formed by four materials attached directly to tooth structure. Tenure bonding agent recorded the strongest bond at each thermocycling time. In addition, whereas the bond strength remained unchanged for Scotchbond bonding agent, Ketac-Bond glass-ionomer cement, and GC lining cement, bond strength for Tenure bonding agent increased with thermocycling.
Volcanic components in pelitic sediments

The origin of the clay minerals present in pelitic sediments has been widely debated. Weaver1 suggests that illite and interstratified illite/smectite (I/S) dominate. The association of illite with marine sediments2 and the proposal3,4 that illite forms from smectite (an expandable clay mineral sometimes referred to as montmorillonite) in the marine environment has also been discussed. Weaver5 argues for a continental origin of illite, produced by weathering of K-feldspar. Others6–9 have shown that smectite and I/S (20–50% illite) are converted to I/S of higher illite content (60–80%) in pelitic sediments by low-grade metamorphism. Per cent illite will always refer to the per cent illite in I/S. The designation should not be confused with the content of discrete illite or mica commonly present in these sediments. Here we present clay mineral and K–Ar data for Cretaceous marine shales from the Western Interior of North America demonstrating a volcanic origin for much of these sediments. This observation is correlated with eustatic sea-level rise, increased volcanic activity, sedimentary preservation of organic matter, and incorporated into a petrogenetic/tectonic model for pelitic sediments.
New Roles for Conserved Regions within a ς54-dependent Enhancer-binding Protein

Abstract 23 amino acid substitutions were made in the C7 and C3 regions of pspFΔHTH, a protein required to convert ς54 closed promoter complexes to open complexes. These mutants were assayed for transcriptional competence, for the ability to hydrolyze ATP, for their multimerization state, and for their ability to interact with ς54 and its holoenzyme. C7 region mutants caused the protein to assume a compact form. This property could be mimicked by the addition of ATP, implying that compaction via C7 and ATP is part of the activation process. A number of C3 mutants were important for energy coupling, as indicated previously for several members of this activator family (1, 2). However, a patch within C3 influenced oligomerization. The C3 region was especially important in interacting with ς54 during the transition state but not important in inducing ς54holoenzyme to engage the nontemplate strand of the promoter. It is proposed that both regions contain deterrent functions that prevent premature activation. Overall, the results imply unexpected roles for the C7 and C3 regions of this protein family during promoter activation.
Estrogen receptor-beta mediates cyclooxygenase-2 expression and vascular prostanoid levels in human placental villous endothelial cells

Objective Regulation of fetoplacental blood flow is likely mediated by factors such as prostanoids. Estrogen and its receptors affect prostanoid biosynthesis. Previously, we demonstrated that villous endothelial cells express estrogen receptor-beta (ESR2), and we sought to determine its role in the mediation of fetoplacental vascular function. Study Design Villous endothelial cells from uncomplicated pregnancies were isolated, cultured, and treated with estrogen. RNA interference, real-time polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and enzyme immunoassays were performed. Results Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression levels were not altered consistently by estrogen. RNA interference of ESR2 led to a concomitant decrease in COX-2 messenger RNA (P Conclusion ESR2 mediates COX-2 expression levels and both prostacyclin and thromboxane concentrations in the basal state, which suggests the possibility of ligand-independent regulation of COX-2 activity and prostaglandin H2 substrate availability. Further investigation regarding ESR2 regulation of prostanoid biosynthesis and its effects on the fetoplacental vasculature is warranted.
The detection and influence of problematic item content in ability tests: An examination of sensitivity review practices for personnel selection test development

Abstract In organizational and educational practices, sensitivity reviews are commonly advocated techniques for reducing test bias and enhancing fairness. In the present paper, results from two studies are reported which investigate how effective individuals are at detecting problematic test content and the influence such content has on important testing outcomes. In Study 1, signal detection analyses are used to examine the role of individual differences in the identification of insensitive test items, while Study 2 investigates the extent to which insensitivity differentially influences item performance and reactions. Results revealed small but significant differences in the overall accuracy and response tendencies of student test reviewers on the basis of demographics and key individual differences variables. Contrary to predictions however, problematic items did not exhibit differential item functioning across sex nor did their presence engender negative test taker reactions. Implications and suggestions for future research and sensitivity review practices are discussed.
Intramolecular dials‐alder cyclization of N‐furfurylpropargylamines: A novel general synthesis of isoindoles

Benzotriazole mediated synthesis from furfurylamines, aldehydes and lithium acetylides readily provides high yields of N-furfurylpropargylamines. These undergo intramolecular Diels-Alder cyclization to give isoin-doles, which are characterized as their Diels-Alder reaction products with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate.
A synthetic and structural study of the zirconium-antimony system

Ten phases have been examined in the Zr-Sb system using arc-melting, annealing, powder sintering, vapor-phase transport, vaporization, and metal flux methods. In addition to the previous reported compositions (and structure types) Zr/sub 3/Sb (Ni/sub 3/P), Zr/sub 5/Sb/sub 3/ (Mn/sub 5/Si/sub 3/), and ZrSb/sub 2/), there also exist Zr/sub 2/Sb(La/sub 2/Sb), high temperature Zr/sub 5/Sb/sub 3/ (Y/sub 5/Bi/sub 3/), ZrSb/sub 1-x/ (FeSi), ZrSb (ZrSb-Cmcm), and low temperature ZrSb/sub 2-x/ (PbCl/sub 2/). There are also phases of unknown structure near the Zr/sub 2/Sb composition at high temperatures and for Zr/sub 2/Sb/sub 3/ that are provisionally primitive orthorhombic and tetragonal, respectively. The Mn/sub 5/Si/sub 3/-type phase Zr/sub 5/Sb/sub 3+x/ is a true binary and nonstoichiometric over the ranges 0.0 less than or equal to x 0.4. Guinier lattice constant data are reported for all the phases.
Comparison of stricture rates using three different gastrojejunostomy anastomotic techniques in laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

No single gastrojejunostomy anastomosis technique (GJA) in Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) is currently preferred over another. Bendewald et al. confirmed that there was no difference in anastomotic stricture rates when comparing hand-sewn (HS), linear-stapled (LS), and circular-stapled (CS) GJA techniques. We present and analyze our own institutional data to readdress stricture rates. From January 2010 to January 2013, 860 consecutive patients underwent LRYGB using HS, LS, and CS anastomotic techniques at a single institution. All patients in this study were followed to see if they had a complication of a stricture within this time period. Hospital records were retrospectively reviewed and those who had stricture complications shown on endoscopy requiring intervention were compiled and compared using univariate analysis. Patient demographics did not differ substantially between the three groups. The most common technique employed was LS (n = 429, 49.8 %), followed by CS (n = 254, 29.5 %) and HS (n = 177, 20.6 %), respectively. Using multivariate analysis, there was a significant difference in the rate of strictures between the anastomotic techniques (LS 4.42 %, HS 2.82 %, CS 1.18 %, p = 0.0163). Our data show that the discussion of which anastomotic technique is superior should be reopened given the statistically significant low rate of strictures in patients who underwent LRYGB with a CS anastomosis in comparison with LS and HS anastomoses.
Sites of inhibition of steroidogenesis by activation of protein kinase-C in swine ovarian (granulosa) cells.

We tested the hypothesis that low density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism and cellular concentrations of gene transcripts of cytochrome P450 cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (P450scc mRNA) are sites of significant protein kinase-C (PKC) action in the long term (48-h) inhibitory modulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis in ovarian granulosa cells. To this end, we used 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as an activator of PKC and a monolayer culture system of immature swine granulosa cells responsive to insulin and lipoprotein under serum-free conditions. Insulin-regulated LDL metabolism was identified as a major site of TPA-mediated inhibition of steroidogenesis in granulosa cells. Treatment with TPA (30 ng/ml), but not inactive phorbol base, effectively decreased insulin-stimulated [125I]iodo-LDL binding by 75%, internalization by 90%, and degradation by 75%, as well as delivery and utilization of the [3H]cholesterol moiety of LDL in progesterone biosynthesis by intact granulosa cells. Cellula...
Monotone method for nonlinear boundary value problems arising in transport processes

Recently, monotone iterative methods have been successfully employed to prove existence of multiple solutions and point-wise bounds on solutions of nonlinear boundary value problems for both ordinary and partial differential equations. Because of the importance of this problem in other physical applications, we extend in this paper the monotone technique to a general class of nonlinear boundary value problem which includes the transport problem treated as a special case.
IBM-Fortran computer calculations for analytical ultracentrifuge data.

Abstract Weight-average sedimentation coefficients, Sapp, from the second moment of the total gradient curve (Goldberg equation), diffusion coefficients, Dapp, from σ2 = 2Dt, and molecular weight determination from approach to sedimentation equilibrium may be calculated on a computer. Gilbert-Jenkins algebraic boundary analysis is also programed and the validity of the conservation equation for a reversibly interacting system (A + B ⇆ C) has been tested. The results of computer calculations are shown, and the usefulness of the programing is demonstrated with the bovine serum albumin-pepsin interaction. Among the protein-protein interactions to which such a computer program can be applied are β-lactoglobulin-casein, casein-casein, trypsinovomucoid, conalbumin-lysozyme, DNA-bovine serum albumin, RNA-ovomucoid, RNA- or DNA-protein, antigen-antibody complex, and numerous others.
Some Recent Advances in Linear and Nonlinear Dynamical Modeling of Elastic and Piezoelectric Plates

A previous review has covered our early efforts in dynamics and vibration of homogeneous and layered elastic plates and shells, including sandwiches. As an update, the present review summarizes our recent efforts in the same general area, now further including laminated composite and piezoelectric plates. These reflect the increasing importance of laminates, the growing interest in distributed active vibration control through the use of piezoelectric layers and often a combination of both. The main purpose of this paper is to again provide a systematic overview of linear and nonlinear dynamical modeling of both homogeneous and layered plates. As many of our contributions have been made by means of the variational equations of motion in three-dimensional elasticity and piezoelectricity, an extended discussion of these equations is included as an integral part of this review. Recent applications of these to the linear and nonlinear dynamical modeling of elastic laminates and piezoelectric layers are described.
Power and area reduction using carbon nanotube bundle interconnect in global clock tree distribution network

The gigahertz frequency regime together with the rising delay of on-chip interconnect and increased device densities, has resulted in aggravating clock skew problem. Skew and power dissipation of clock distribution networks are key factors in determining the maximum attainable clock frequency as well as the chip power consumption. The traditional skew balancing schemes incur additional cost of increased area and power. In this paper, we propose a novel skew reduction mechanism using dissimilar interconnect materials for balancing the non-uniform loads in a clock network. Single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) bundles have been shown to have high electrical conductivity for future process technology nodes. We design a H-tree clock network made up of both SWCNT bundles and copper interconnect at 22nm technology node. Our experiments show that such a network saves an average of 65% in area and 22% of power over a pure copper distribution network.
Improved pulse transit time estimation by system identification analysis of proximal and distal arterial waveforms.

We investigated the system identification approach for potentially improved estimation of pulse transit time (PTT), a popular arterial stiffness marker. In this approach, proximal and distal arteri...
Dynamics of urea transport between blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

Abstract Blood and cisternal cerebrospinal fluid urea levels during and after a two hour infusion of a 30 per cent urea solution were studied in normal dogs. A three compartment mathematical model was used to describe the transport dynamics of urea between the blood, intracellular fluid and cerebrospinal fluid. Blood urea levels were increased by infusion and reduced by normal renal function in the same animal during a single experiment. This yielded measures of the transport rate in both directions (bi-directional). The values for the blood to intracellular fluid (K1) and blood to CSF (K2) transport coefficients were obtained by finding the solution of the model equations which gave the best fit to the experimental data. The best fit was found using a combination of analog and digital computer methods. The magnitude of K1 was independent of the magnitude of K2. The transport coefficients can be interpreted as the product of the inherent membrane permeability for urea and the surface area available for mass transfer. The average values obtained in this study are 17·5 ± 2·8 l./hr for the extracellular to intracellular space urea transport and 8·6 × 10−3 ± 4·1 × 10−3 l./hr for extracellular to CSF urea transport. These values and their significance are discussed.
Depth from magnification and blurring

A new method of constructing 3D maps based on the relative magnification and blurring of a pair of images is presented, where the images are taken at two camera positions of a small displacement. The method, referred to here as 'depth from magnification and blurring,' aims at generating a precise 3D map of local scene of objects to be manipulated by a robot arm with a hand-eye camera. The method uses a single standard camera with telecentric lens, and assumes neither active illumination nor active control of camera parameters. The proposed depth extraction algorithm is simple in computation. Fusing the two disparate sources of depth information, magnification and blurring, the proposed method provides more accurate and robust depth estimation. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Strictly contractive quantum channels and physically realizable quantum computers

We study the robustness of quantum computers under the influence of errors modeled by strictly contractive channels. A channel T is defined to be strictly contractive if, for any pair of density operators \ensuremath{\rho}, \ensuremath{\sigma} in its domain, $\ensuremath{\Vert}T\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}T\ensuremath{\sigma}{\ensuremath{\Vert}}_{1}l~k\ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\rho}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\sigma}{\ensuremath{\Vert}}_{1}$ for some $0l~kl1$ (here $\ensuremath{\Vert}\ensuremath{\cdot}{\ensuremath{\Vert}}_{1}$ denotes the trace norm). In other words, strictly contractive channels render the states of the computer less distinguishable in the sense of quantum detection theory. Starting from the premise that all experimental procedures can be carried out with finite precision, we argue that there exists a physically meaningful connection between strictly contractive channels and errors in physically realizable quantum computers. We show that, in the absence of error correction, sensitivity of quantum memories and computers to strictly contractive errors grows exponentially with storage time and computation time, respectively, and depends only on the constant k and the measurement precision. We prove that strict contractivity rules out the possibility of perfect error correction, and give an argument that approximate error correction, which covers previous work on fault-tolerant quantum computation as a special case, is possible.
Stabilization of the Aggregation of Cyanine Dyes at the Molecular and Nanoscopic Level

The J-aggregation phenomenon of cyanine dyes has important commercial applications in the photographic industry. A typical cyanine dye was appended to poly-l-lysine in order to stabilize its J-aggregation at the molecular level. Molecular modeling was used to provide information on the conformation of the dye−polymer formed. Possible orientations of poly-l-lysine with cyanine dyes appended to it based on molecular modeling calculations and physical measurements are discussed and evidence for a β-pleated sheet conformation of the poly-l-lysine is shown. Also, for the first time J-aggregated monomer dyes and dye−polymers are used to build layer-by-layer assemblies in combination with inorganic clay sheets. The newly created architectures are used to fabricate three-dimensional structures on a solid support and have potential applications in building layered systems for optical signal processing. Microscopy measurements provide information about the organization of the J-aggregated cyanine dye−clay composite...
Cerebrospinal fluid parameters and auditory brainstem responses following meningitis

Auditory brainstem responses were measured in 94 children under 24 months of age immediately following treatment for bacterial meningitis. Evidence of peripheral hearing loss (thresholds of 30 dB HLn or greater) was found in 47% of the patients. In addition, 9% had prolonged interwave latencies, indicating the possible presence of retrocochlear pathology. Other clinical data were examined as well. CSF glucose concentration correlated with both the presence and magnitude of hearing loss (as measured by auditory brainstem responses). Magnitude of hearing loss also was associated with the presence of seizures. Although all children recovering from meningitis should be assessed for hearing loss, those who have had low CSF glucose concentrations and seizures appear to be at high risk.
“Hybrid” myosin filaments from smooth and striated muscle

Reconstituted myosin filaments from vertebrate smooth muscle are shorter than those from striated muscle ( Hanson & Lowy, 1964 ; Kaminer, 1969 ). In this investigation filaments were made from mixtures of the two types of soluble myosin in varying proportions. Mixtures were made of chicken gizzard myosin and either rabbit skeletal or chicken breast myosin. The filaments were made by rapid dilution of the KCl concentration to 0·1 m at pH 6·5. Negative staining was used for electron microscopy. Histograms showed no bimodal distribution of lengths. Thus the two types of myosin co-assemble to form “hybrid” filaments presumably through the association of complementary specific bonds in the two types of myosin. These “hybrid” filaments showed a progressive decrease of length with increasing proportions of smooth muscle myosin. Hence the smooth muscle myosin in some ways limits the length of the “hybrid” filaments. This limitation is observed when smooth muscle myosin constitutes as little as 5% of the mixture. Possible factors are discussed on the limitation of length of filaments including the possibility that smooth muscle myosin may have less specific bonds available for assembly.
Porous silica glasses doped with quantum-confined cadmium selenide

The formation of stable cadmium selenide-doped silica glasses, via semiconductor diffusion into a porous glass obtained using a sol-gel process, is described. Exposure of quantum-confined (‘Q-state’) CdSe clusters, of average diameter 30 A and dissolved in an ethylpyridine solution, to a colorless sol-gel disk possessing an average pore diameter of 35 A yields an intense red-green glass within hours. Subsequent drying and heat treatment up to 200°C does not degrade the samples. These CdSe-doped glasses are characterized by both absorption and emission (photoluminescence) spectroscopy as well as surface area measurements. The effect of different functional groups present in the gel pores, Cl − versus OH − , on the properties of the diffused CdSe is also reported.
Effect of steroid hormones on biochemical characteristics of blastocysts in ovariectomized rabbits.

Groups of nulliparous pregnant rabbits were bilaterally ovariectomized on the third, fifth, sixth or seventh days of gestation; some groups were then treated daily with 40 mg of progesterone alone or with 4 mg progesterone alone or in combination with estradiol at a ratio of 1:400 or 1:4000. Animals ovariectomized 3 days post coitum (p.c.) were autopsied four days later; those ovariectomized five, six, or seven days p.c. were autopsied 24 hours later. The number of viable blastocysts per doe was greatly decreased following ovariectomy; however, the number was increased by treatment with progesterone alone or in combination with estradiol (1:400 or 1:4000). The weight of blastocyst and embryonic matter (trophoblast and embryonic disc), and the volume of blastocoelic fluid in the blastocyst at six or seven days p.c. were neither affected by ovariectomy nor by injection of 4 mg of progesterone. The weight of the blastocysts was significantly reduced when ovariectomy was performed seven days p.c. The concentration of the biochemical compounds in the blastocoelic fluid was not altered by ovariectomy at five or seven days p.c. In contrast, the concentration of glucose, lactic acid, protein N and nonprotein in the blastocyst was greatly lowered by ovariectomy at six days p.c., being partly alleviated by daily injections of progesterone, alone or in combination with estradiol. Ovariectomy at three days p.c. was no more detrimental than later ovariectomy if steroids were administrated.
Giant transmission and dissipation in perforated films mediated by surface phonon polaritons

We propose an idea for a lumped nanocircuit element that can effectively act as a “diode”, rectifying optical field displacement currents. This element can be formed by juxtaposing an epsilon-negative nanostructure with a nonlinear element.
Inverse scattering transform for 3-level coupled Maxwell–Bloch equations with inhomogeneous broadening

Abstract In this paper we study the propagation of optical pulses in an optical medium with coherent three-level atomic transitions. The interaction between the pulses and the medium is described by the coupled Maxwell–Bloch equations, which we investigate by applying the method of inverse scattering transform. The details of the inverse scattering method and the non-trivial evolution of the associated scattering data are discussed. The one- and two-soliton solutions, polarization shifts due to two-soliton interactions, and the explicit form of the transmission matrix associated with pure soliton solutions are also derived.
Diversity of ecological communities of the United States

Biodiversity, although recongnized as encompassing several levels of biological organization, is often thought of as species diversity. Three diversity estimates were calculated for the conterminous United States using satellite data acquired from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR): land cover richness, vegetation richness, and vegetation clustering. Vegetation richness and vegetation clustering showed a scale-dependent relationship to elevation across the range of quadrat sizes from 500 to 50,000 mi2. All diversity measures increased east to west, with a rather abrupt transition at the Colorado Front Range. The longitudinal diversity gradients found in this study are in contrast to the reported latitudinal and longitudinal gradients for species diversity.
Group theory for unified model building

Abstract The results gathered here on simple Lie algebras have been selected with attention to the needs of unified model builders who study Yang-Mills theories based on simple, local-symmetry groups that contain as a subgroup the SUw2 × Uw1 × SUc3 symmetry of the standard theory of electromagnetic, weak, and strong interactions. The major topics include, after a brief review of the standard model and its unification into a simple group, the use of Dynkin diagrams to analyze the structure of the group generators and to keep track of the weights (quantum numbers) of the representation vectors; an analysis of the subgroup structure of simple groups, including explicit coordinatizations of the projections in weight space; lists of representations, tensor products and branching rules for a number of simple groups; and other details about groups and their representations that are often helpful for surveying unified models, including vector-coupling coefficient calculations. Tabulations of representations, tensor products, and branching rules for E6, SO10, SU6, F4, SO9, SU5, SO8, SO7, SU4, E7, E8, SU8, SO18, SO22, and for completeness, SU3 are included. (These tables may have other applications.) Group-theoretical techniques for analyzing symmetry breaking are described in detail and many examples are reviewed, including explicit parameterizations of mass matrices.
Obliteration of pain at the site of reference by intradermal infiltration anesthesia in first-stage labor; preliminary report.

FOR many decades obstetricians have concerned themselves with finding newer drugs and combinations of drugs to alleviate the pain of the first stage of labor. The purpose of this paper is to sugges...
Infarct expansion: the "second event" after acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract This 57-year-old man suffered a large transmural anteroseptal myocardial infarct. After an initial stable period of several days, he developed episodes of chest pain, hypotension, and congestive failure. The left-sided congestive failure persisted until death. Study of the heart at autopsy showed that the worsened clinical state could be explained by expansion of the area of infarcted myocardium. Infarct expansion may be regarded as a subtle form of myocardial rupture. Intramural tearing of necrotic muscle may occur abruptly or insidiously and may lead to worsened cardiac function and symptoms and signs suggestive of new infarction. The phenomenon of expansion should be distinguished from extension, defined as additional myocardial necrosis, since it may have important long-term effects on the heart's topography and function.
A mitochondrial plasmid from the plant pathogenic fungus Cochliobolus heterostrophus

Twenty-three strains of Cochliobolus heterostrophus were examined for the presence of plasmid DNA. One isolate, T40, contained a 1.9 kb sequence which occurred as a series of circular head-to-tail multimers with from 1 to 17 or more monomers per plasmid molecule. The plasmid was cloned in pBR322 to facilitate analysis. It was homologous to the mitochondrial chromosome of isolate T40 as well as to the mitochondrial DNAs of C. heterostrophus isolates that did not contain the plasmid; each isolate, including T40, had only one copy of the plasmid sequence integrated into the mitochondrial chromosome and the sequence mapped at the same location in all isolates tested. In the T40 isolate there were about 30 excised copies per chromosome in addition to the single integrated sequence. Presence of the plasmid had no apparent effect on the structural integrity of the mitochondrial chromosome. There was no detectable homology between the plasmid and either C. heterostrophus nuclear DNA or plasmids that have been isolated from mitochondria of Neurospora or Podospora. A circular map was constructed which has 6 sites for hexan-ucleotide-recognizing enzymes and the region of the splice site; no sites were detected in the plasmid for an additional 17 restriction enzymes. The plasmid functioned as an ARS (autonomously replicating sequence) in yeast, although it was highly unstable compared to other ARSs.
Treatment of nodal disease in thyroid carcinoma

Abstract Most thyroid carcinomas have a predisposition for metastases to regional lymph nodes. These are best treated by surgical removal to control morbidity. At the time of thyroidectomy, centrally located lymph nodes near the thyroid gland and in the anterior superior mediastinum should also be removed where appropriate. Excision of midjugular lymph nodes for frozen section study for micrometastases guides the need for lateral neck dissection for patients without lymphadenopathy. Evident lateral neck metastases are best treated surgically by a modified radical cervical lymph node dissection, with the objective of preserving structures other than the fibroareolar tissue containing lymph nodes. The extent of operation should adjust to the evident extent of disease. Lateral neck dissection is justified for all clinically evident medullary thyroid carcinomas; for those detected by screening only, biopsy of midjugular lymph nodes can direct the need for lateral neck dissection. One internal jugular vein should be preserved in a bilateral lateral neck dissection.
Clinical ocular abnormalities in infants with trisomy 13.

Purpose Previous reports of ocular abnormalities associated with trisomy 13 have described pathologic abnormalities, with minimal descriptions of clinical findings. This report describes the clinical findings in four infants with trisomy 13. Design Retrospective noncomparative case series. Methods Review of medical records of four infants with trisomy 13. One patient underwent cataract surgery and treatment of Coats disease. Results All four infants had inferonasal iris colobomas with unilateral inferonasal cataracts, primarily involving the posterior lens surface. Two patients had pigmented tissue associated with the cataracts. Cataract surgery was performed in one of the patients with good results. This patient also developed a unilateral exudative retinal detachment with peripheral telangiectatic vessels. This resolved after treatment with cryotherapy. Conclusions The cataracts in these infants with trisomy 13 had similar clinical features, which were different than those seen in other types of cataracts in infants. In addition, one patient had Coats disease, which has not been previously described in association with trisomy 13. The presence of inferonasal iris colobomas and adjacent sectoral cataracts in patients with other dysmorphic findings should prompt chromosomal analysis for trisomy 13.
Chloraminosilanes II. Preparation and spectroscopic studies on alkyl-(dimethylamino)chlorosilanes

Abstract Several new compounds containing both chloro and dimethylamino groups linked to silicon have been prepared. The general method involved reacting a solution of the appropriate polychlorosilane in ether at ca . - 50° with a chilled ethereal solution of dimethylamine. Prepared in this fashion were CH 3 Si(NMe 2 )Cl 2 , CH 3 Si(NMe 2 ) 2 -Cl, PhSi(NMe 2 )Cl 2 , PhSi(NMe 2 ) 2 Cl, CH 3 (H)Si(NMe 2 )Cl, (CH 3 ) 2 Si(NMe 2 )Cl, CH 2 CH(CH 3 )Si(NMe 2 )Cl, and Ph 2 Si(NMe 2 )Cl. Comparison of the spectra of these compounds with those in the perhalo and peramine series showed that replacement of NMe 2 for Cl resulted in an upfield shift of the resonances of the other groups linked to silicon, a shift which parallels that observed upon substitution of CH 3 for Cl. The relationship of ν(SiH) in the IR and δ(SiH) in the NMR spectra was linear.
CRT-811 The Impact of Obstructive versus Restrictive Lung Disease on Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to estimate force vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) has increasingly being used in patients evaluated for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). The impact of obstructive versus restrictive lung disease on mortality remains
A mixed-valency lead oxyiodide

A new, mixed-valency lead oxyiodide of variable composition, Pb(II)4−x Pb(IV)xO4O2x, has been synthesized by different routes and identified by X-ray diffraction. The reaction of massicot (yellow, orthohombic PbO) with I2 and water at room temperature produced a brown powder which consisted of crystals of almost colloidal dimensions with the above stoichiometry where 1<x<2. The crystals appear to have body-centered tetragonal symmetry with a0 = 4.10 and c0 = 13.6 A. The reaction of PbI2 and Pb3O4 at 500°C produced better crystallized specimens most likely with similar stoichiometry, Pb4O4I2 but always mixed with a considerable amount of at least one other phase, e.g. Pb(II)5O4I2( = “4PbO·PbI2”). The reaction of PbO2 with PbI2 in the temperature range of 430–550°C produced crystallized specimens with higher iodine content, e.g. Pb(II)2.5Pb(IV)1.5O4I3 (or 32 < × <2 in the above general formula), while an oxyiodide with the ideal composition, Pb(II)2Pb(IV)2O4I4 = 4PbOI (corresponding to BiOI) was never obtained. Some general reactions of the above compounds are described.
Effects of prolonged exposure to nanomolar concentrations of methylmercury on voltage-sensitive sodium and calcium currents in PC12 cells.

The neurotoxicant methylmercury (CH3Hg+) inhibits voltage-sensitive Na+ and Ca2+ currents in neuronal preparations following acute, in vitro, exposure. In the present study, effects on voltage-sensitive Na+ (INa) and Ca2+ (ICa) currents in pheochromocytoma (PC12) cells were examined following prolonged exposure to CH3Hg+. When PC12 cells cultured in the presence of nerve growth factor (NGF) for 7 days (‘primed’) were replated in the presence of NGF and 30 nM CH3Hg+, ICa, but not INa, amplitude was reduced (29%) significantly ∼24 h later. Quantitative assessment of morphology indicated that this ∼24 h exposure to CH3Hg+ significantly reduced neurite length. The N-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channel (VSCC) antagonist ω-conotoxin GVIA (500 pM) was without significant effect on current amplitude or morphology in this exposure protocol. When undifferentiated cells were cultured in the presence of NGF and 10 nM CH3Hg+ for 6 days, ICa and INa amplitude were reduced by 36 and 52%, respectively. ICa at the end of a 150 ms test pulse was also reduced by 40% in CH3Hg+-treated cells. Thus, both inactivating and non-inactivating ICa were reduced equally. There was no change in [3H]saxitoxin or ω-[125I]conotoxin GVIA binding, nor were there any morphological alterations in cells treated with CH3Hg+ for 6 days. Omega-conotoxin GVIA (500 pM, 6 days), reduced significantly ICa, but not INa, but was without effect on morphology. These results demonstrate that prolonged exposure to low concentrations of CH3Hg+ reduces cationic currents in differentiating PC12 cells, but that current reduction is not always associated with morphological alteration.
Differential nuclear scaffold/matrix attachment marks expressed genes†

It is well established that nuclear architecture plays a key role in poising regions of the genome for transcription. This may be achieved using scaffold/matrix attachment regions (S/MARs) that establish loop domains. However, the relationship between changes in the physical structure of the genome as mediated by attachment to the nuclear scaffold/matrix and gene expression is not clearly understood. To define the role of S/MARs in organizing our genome and to resolve the often contradictory loci-specific studies, we have surveyed the S/MARs in HeLa S3 cells on human chromosomes 14-18 by array comparative genomic hybridization. Comparison of LIS (lithium 3,5-diiodosalicylate) extraction to identify SARs and 2 m NaCl extraction to identify MARs revealed that approximately one-half of the sites were in common. The results presented in this study suggest that SARs 5' of a gene are associated with transcript presence whereas MARs contained within a gene are associated with silenced genes. The varied functions of the S/MARs as revealed by the different extraction methods highlights their unique functional contribution.
Electrical Simulation Techniques

The features of circuit or electrical simulation are extremely important in mixed-mode simulation as they determine the overall speedup and efficiency of the simulator. This chapter describes the basic theory and foundations for the electrical simulation techniques. First the circuit equations are formulated in Section 2.1 and the standard techniques are described in Section 2.2. The issues pertaining to time step selection and simulation accuracy are also addressed. The limitations of these techniques for large problems are identified and alternative approaches are described in the next chapter.
Phylogenetic relationships among actinorhizal plants. The impact of molecular systematics and implications for the evolution of actinorhizal symbioses

A review of recent molecular systematic studies of actinorhizal plants and their Frankia endosymbionts is presented. For comparative purposes, a discussion of recent studies pertaining to the evolution of nodulation in the legume-rhizobium system is included. Molecular systematic studies have revealed that actinorhizal plants are more closely related than current taxonomic schemes imply. Broad-based analyses of the chloroplast gene rbcL indicate that all symbiotic root-nodulating higher plants belong to a single large clade. More focused molecular analyses of both legume and actinorhizal hosts within this large clade indicate that symbioses have probably arisen more than once. By comparing host phylogenies and recently published bacterial phylogenies, we consider the coevolution of bacterial symbionts with their actinorhizal hosts.
Behavioral biometric verification of student identity in online course assessment and authentication of authors in literary works

Keystroke and stylometry behavioral biometrics were investigated with the objective of developing a robust system to authenticate students taking online examinations. This work responds to the 2008 U.S. Higher Education Opportunity Act that requires institutions of higher learning undertake greater access control efforts, by adopting identification technologies as they become available, to assure that students of record are those actually accessing the systems and taking the exams in online courses. Performance statistics on keystroke, stylometry, and combined keystroke-stylometry systems were obtained on data from 30 students taking examinations in a university course. The performance of the keystroke system was 99.96% and 100.00%, while that of the stylometry system was considerably weaker at 74% and 78%, on test input of 500 and 1000 words, respectively. To further investigate the stylometry system, a separate study on 30 book authors achieved performance of 88.2% and 91.5% on samples of 5000 and 10000 words, respectively, and the varied performance over the population of authors was analyzed.