cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measurement of chemotaxis in the slime mold Physarum polycephalum.

Abstract A method is described for assaying chemotaxis in the acellular slime mold Physarum polycephalum. It consists of measuring the amount of plasmodium that moves on a strip of nitrocellulose membrane filter Millipore in response to a gradient of an attractant. Time course of chemotactic response of the slime mold is described. Different factors that affect chemotaxis in the slime mold such as: culture care and stage of growth of microplasmodia, substratum used for cell movement, nature of the gradient, effect of salts, pH and temperature are described. From concentration-response curves for different attractants several parameters of the chemotactic effect, such as threshold concentration, half maximal concentration, and maximal effective concentration can be determined. As a group, sugars are more effective chemotactic agents than amino acids. Glucose and galactose, which support the growth of the slime mold, are shown to have high positive chemotactic effect. 3-O-Methyl- d -glucose and 2-deoxy- d -glucose are two sugars that do not support growth but are very effective attractants. Conversely, fructose which supports slime mold growth is at best a weak attractant. The results support the view that the chemotactic effects of different sugars are not dependent on their growth-supporting value.
EGFR–STAT3 signaling promotes formation of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNSTs) develop sporadically or in the context of neurofibromatosis type 1. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression has been implicated in MPNST formation, but its precise role and relevant signaling pathways remain unknown. We found that EGFR overexpression promotes mouse neurofibroma transformation to aggressive MPNST (GEM-PNST). Immunohistochemistry demonstrated phosphorylated STAT3 (Tyr705) in both human MPNST and mouse GEM-PNST. A specific JAK2/STAT3 inhibitor FLLL32 delayed MPNST formation in an MPNST xenograft nude mouse model. STAT3 knockdown by shRNA prevented MPNST formation in vivo. Finally, reducing EGFR activity strongly reduced pSTAT3 in vivo. Thus, an EGFR-STAT3 pathway is necessary for MPNST transformation and establishment of MPNST xenografts growth but not for tumor maintenance. Efficacy of the FLLL32 pharmacological inhibitor in delaying MPNST growth suggests that combination therapies targeting JAK/STAT3 might be useful therapeutics.
Detection of a high-affinity binding site for the globular head regions of the C1q complement protein on a human diploid fibroblast subtype.

Abstract A cultured fibroblast subtype with growth and synthetic properties expected of cells residing in healing wounds and in inflammatory lesions binds the C1q component of complement with a functional affinity much higher than that of the remaining cell population. In this study we examined the optimal conditions that favor the interaction between purified 125I-labeled C1q and this cell subtype, following its isolation from the parent culture using a cell sorter, and assessed the biologic consequences of binding. Binding of 125I-C1q to the cell surface is specific, saturable and reversible. It is maximal between pH 5.5 and 8.5 at an ionic strength of μ. = 0.10 and decreases as a function of increasing salt concn, with half saturation near physiologic ionic strength. Scatchard analysis of binding data indicates a single class of sites with an average association constant in the order of 1.5 × 109/M and an average number of 2.5 × 106 binding sites per cell. Unlabeled globular fragments of C1q inhibit intact 125I-C1q binding by 64%, while unlabeled collagen-like fragments have no effect. Thus it appears that binding of C1q to this high-affinity site is mediated by a region of the globular domain of the molecule. Only the fibroblast subtype with binding sites for the globular domain of C1q appear to have the capacity to induce non-immune activation of the classical complement cascade, as assessed by the generation of C4a and C4d fragments in normal AB serum following exposure to the cells. This activation may generate products that account for a previously reported complement mitogenicity for fibroblasts.
Tandem mass spectrometry of mirex

Product-ion spectra derived from the major fragment ions of the polychloro-cyclobutapentalene pesticide, Mirex, under ammonia chemical ionization have indicated that previous conclusions of a nucleophilic gas-phase reaction with neutral ammonia were incorrect.
The relation of DNA synthesis and mitosis in tobacco pith tissue cultured in vitro.

DNA synthesis and mitosis were initiated in cultured tobacco pith tissue by means of IAA and kinetin. DNA classes were determined by microspectrophotometric measurements (Feulgen); autoradiographs (tritiated thymidine) served to ascertain whether or not nuclei had undergone DNA synthesis during culture. All mitoses in “new” cells (resulting from divisions in culture) were diploid and had been preceded by DNA synthesis in culture. Whereas many of the “old” cells (which had not previously divided in culture) found in diploid or polyploid mitosis had undergone DNA synthesis during culture, others had not. Such non-radioactive mitoses still occurred after 16 days. In view of this, a 4 C nucleus in differentiated tissue should be considered as potentially both diploid and tetraploid, for it appears impossible to predict whether it would, upon restoration of conditions conducive to DNA synthesis and mitosis, enter a diploid mitosis or, after undergoing DNA synthesis, a tetraploid one. A high nuclear DNA content seems to have a much more inhibiting effect on the onset of DNA doubling than on that of mitosis. Somatic polyploidization is understood as the result of two DNA doublings between which mitosis was omitted, or aborted, or in effect undone by a failure of cytokinesis leading to fusion during a later mitosis.
The influence of a perceptually linearized display on observer performance and visual search.

Rationale and Objectives. The purpose of this study was to determine whether perceptual linearization of the tone scale affects the detection and visual search behaviors of radiologists searching mammograms for masses and microcalcifications. A perceptually linearized display is designed to match the capabilities of the human visual system more closely than a nonlinearized display. Materials and Methods. Six radiologists viewed 50 pairs of mammograms, once on a perceptually linearized cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor and once on a nonlinearized CRT monitor. Eye position also was recorded as the observers searched the images for masses and microcalcifications. Results. Observer performance was significantly (P = .003) better with the perceptually linearized display. Dwell times associated with true-negative decisions were significantly longer with use of the nonlinearized display. The number of fixation clusters generated during search was also greater with use of the nonlinearized display for the lesion-free images. Conclusion. A perceptually linearized display yields better detection performance and a more efficient visual search. Perceptually linearized displays should be used for reading radiographs displayed on CRT monitors.
Purified human SUV3p exhibits multiple-substrate unwinding activity upon conformational change.

Suv3 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been classified as a mitochondrial RNA helicase. However, the helicase domain in both yeast and human SUV3 varies considerably from the typical RNA helicase motifs. To investigate its enzymatic activities, a homogeneously purified preparation of SUV3 is required. Expression of a processed form of human SUV3 carrying an N-terminal deletion of 46 amino acids (SUV3ΔN46) in a yeast suv3 null mutant, which otherwise fails to grow in a nonfermentable carbon source and forms petite colonies in glucose medium, rescues the null phenotype. Through a five-step chromatographic procedure, an 83 kDa SUV3ΔN46 protein (SUV3−83) and a partially degraded 70 kDa product (SUV3−70) containing amino acids 68−685 were purified to homogeneity. Single- or double-stranded DNA and RNA stimulated ATPase activity of both proteins. SUV3−70, which retains core catalytic domains, can bind and unwind multiple duplex substrates of RNA and DNA with a 5‘−3‘ directionality over a wide range of pH, while S...
In vitro androgen metabolism in mouse kidney, high 3-keto-reductase (3alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase) activity relative to 5alpha- -reductase.

Abstract The in vitro metabolism of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone was studied in slices and cell fractions of mouse kidney. When testosterone was used as substrate, very little metabolism to dihydrotestosterone occurred suggesting very low 5α-reductase activity. When dihydrotestosterone was substrate, it was rapidly converted to 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol by a potent 3-keto-reductase. Ninety-five percent of this latter enzyme is located in cytosol and it requires NADPH as cofactor. The 3-keto-reductase may exist in two molecular forms which can be separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Form A and B have mean molecular radii which correspond to molecular weights of 38, 700 and 28, 700, respectively. Sufficient 3-keto-reductase activity is present in cytosol at 0°C to reduce physiological concentrations (2×10−9 M) of dihydrotestosterone without the addition of cofactor. 3-Keto-reductase activity is higher in intact male than in castrate male or female mice and increases with androgen treatment. From these studies we conclude: (a) The virtual absence of 5α-reductase in mouse kidney is consistent with the thesis that testosterone rather than dihydrotestosterone may be the intracellular androgen in this organ. (b) Kinetic studies which depend upon the in vitro uptake and retention of dihydrotestosterone by receptor proteins may be difficult to interpret due to rapid metabolism of ligand.
An abnormality of hepatic lipogenesis in a mutant strain of acatalasemic mice.

Abstract Previous work demonstrating a relationship between acatalasemia and hypolipidemia prompted the present investigation, in which an in vitro assessment of rates of sterol and fatty acid synthesis was undertaken. A mutant strain of mice harboring the acatalasemic defect was studied, together with normal control animals and mice heterozygous for the abnormality. Incubation of liver slices from homozygous animals with [ 14 C]acetate demonstrated an approximately 80 % mean depression in rates of incorporation of isotope into cholesterol (as digitonin-precipitable sterol) and de novo fatty acid, and less but still significant depression in heterozygotes. Formation of metabolic 14 CO 2 was not significantly reduced by the presence of the acatalasemic defect. The data indicate that the hypolipidemia of acatalasemia is closely related to a diminished rate of lipogenesis in the liver of the affected animal.
Pulmonary parenchymal ossific nodules in idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis

Abstract Attention is called to the occurrence of pulmonary parenchymal ossific nodules in 2 siblings, both young adults, with idiopathic hypertrophic subaortic stenosis. This association has not been described previously.
RETARDATION OF CLOT RETRACTION AFTER INCUBATION OF PLATELETS WITH COLCHICINE AND HEAVY WATER.

Retardation of Clot Retraction after Incubation of Platelets with Colchicine and Heavy Water
The effects of colony differences and olfactory bulb lesions on muricide in rats

A series of four experiments was performed to study the effects of colony differences in rats either with or without olfactory bulb damage. Olfactory bulb damage was found to have the opposite effect upon muricide in rats from two different colonies, with OB damage causing an increase from a low initial rate in one colony and a decrease from a high rate in the other. In addition, one experiment dealt with the possibility that the high initial rate of killing in one colony was due to deprivation during shipping. The results did not provide conclusive evidence for an artifact. The overall results were discussed in terms of generalizing from studies employing rats from different colonies, and suggestions for improving generality were made.
La via fascista alla democrazia americana: Cultura e propaganda nelle comunità italo-americane

Matteo Pretelli, (2012) (Viterbo: Edizioni Sette Citta), 118 pp, ISBN 9788878532915, €12.00, soft cover In La via fascista alla democrazia americana, Matteo Pretelli, a research adjunct at the Univ...
A noninteractive model for dual phosphorescence in aromatic carbonyls

Abstract A non-interactive density of states model is presented to explain the observed anomalous dual phosphorescences of certain aromatic carbonyl compounds. Although the experiments are in rigid media the model is in terms of the free molecule. The phenomenon of dual phosphorescence in a large molecule violates the well-known Kasha rule: emission can occur only from the lowest excited electronic state of a given multiplicity. For a small energy gap between the second triplet state (T 2 ) and the first triplet state (T 1 ), the sparse density of T 1 vibronic levels isoenergetic with the T 2 vibrationless level leads to a slow T 2 ⇝ T 1 radiationless process which is unable to quench the T 2 emission completely. Two cases: T 1 = 3 nπ * , T 2 = 3 ππ * ; and T 1 = 3 ππ * , T 2 = 3 nπ * are discussed at both low and high temperature limits. An important result is that raising the temperature in the former case is predicted to increase the intensity of the T 1 emission at the expense of the T 2 emission, and conversely for the latter case. According to the model dual phosphorescence should also be observable in certain azines.
Reestablishment of the Southern California Rocky Intertidal Brown Alga, Silvetia compressa: An Experimental Investigation of Techniques and Abiotic and Biotic Factors That Affect Restoration Success

Previous research has indicated that many rocky intertidal macrophyte communities in southern California, and other locations around the world, have shifted from larger, highly productive, fleshy seaweeds toward a smaller, less productive, disturbance-tolerant flora. In widespread decline are ecologically important, canopy-forming, brown seaweeds, such as the southern California rockweed species Silvetia compressa. Restoration efforts are common for depleted biogenic species in other habitats, but restoration within rocky intertidal zones, particularly on wave-exposed coasts, has been largely unexplored. In two phases, we attempted to restore Silvetia populations on a southern California shore by transplanting live plants and experimentally investigating factors that affect their survival. In Phase I, we implemented a three-way factorial design where juvenile Silvetia thalli were transplanted at four sites with a combination of simulated canopy and herbivore exclusion treatments. Transplant survival was low, although enhanced by the presence of a canopy; site and herbivore presence did not affect survival. In Phase II, we used a two-way factorial design, transplanting two size classes of rockweeds (juveniles and reproductive adults) on horizontal and partially shaded, north-facing vertical surfaces at a target location where this rockweed has been missing since at least the 1970s. Transplant survival was moderate but lower than natural survival rates. Larger thalli exhibited significantly higher survival rates than smaller thalli in both the transplanted and naturally occurring populations, particularly on vertical surfaces. Higher mortality on horizontal surfaces may have been due to differences in desiccation stress and human trampling. Transplanting reproductive adults resulted in the subsequent recruitment of new individuals.
Experiencing the impact of weight loss on work capacity prior to initiation of a weight loss program enhances success

Background A number of psychological interventions have been employed prior to and/or during exercise and weight loss interventions in an attempt to influence exercise adherence, compliance, and/or success. However, few studies have evaluated whether these types of efforts influence program efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine whether having sedentary and overweight individuals experience the impact of losing weight on work capacity prior to initiation of an exercise and/or weight loss program would influence weight loss success.
Cytotoxicity and characterization of particles collected from an indium-tin oxide production facility.

Occupational exposure to indium compound particles has recently been associated with lung disease among workers in the indium–tin oxide (ITO) industry. Previous studies suggested that excessive alveolar surfactant and reactive oxygen species (ROS) may play a role in the development of pulmonary lesions following exposure to indium compounds. However, toxicity at the cellular level has not been comprehensively evaluated. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess which, if any, compounds encountered during ITO production are toxic to cultured cells and ultimately contribute to the pathogenesis of indium lung disease. The compounds used in this study were collected from eight different processing stages at an ITO production facility. Enhanced dark field imaging showed 5 of the compounds significantly associated with cells within 1 h, suggesting that cellular reactions to the compound particles may be occurring rapidly. To examine the potential cytotoxic effects of these associations, ROS generation, cell viability, and apoptosis were evaluated following exposures in RAW 264.7 mouse monocyte macrophage and BEAS-2B human bronchial epithelial cell lines. Both exhibited reduced viability with exposures, while apoptosis only occurred in RAW 264.7 cells. Our results suggested that excessive ROS production is likely not the predominant mechanism underlying indium-induced lung disease. However, the effects on cell viability reveal that several of the compounds are cytotoxic, and therefore, exposures need to be carefully monitored in the industrial setting.
The effective potential and supersymmetry breaking in superstring models

Abstract We study radiative corrections to an N = 1 supergravity model suggested by a particular compactification of superstring theories, including non-perturbative supersymmetry breaking effects. We argue that there is a range of parameters such that the one-loop effective potential has a global minimum for finite values of the scalar fields that determine the gravitino mass. When the potential is minimized with respect to all relevant expectation values, the cosmological constant necessarily vanishes and no soft supersymmetry breaking terms are generated in the gauge non-singlet scalar potential. We also discuss the determination of the gaugino masses at one loop.
1H NMR Investigation of the Distal Hydrogen Bonding Network and Ligand Tilt in the Cyanomet Complex of Oxygen-avidAscaris suum Hemoglobin

The O2-avid hemoglobin from the parasitic nematode Ascaris suum exhibits one of the slowest known O2 off rates. Solution 1H NMR has been used to investigate the electronic and molecular structural properties of the active site for the cyano-met derivative of the recombinant first domain of this protein. Assignment of the heme, axial His, and majority of the residues in contact with the heme reveals a molecular structure that is the same as reported in the A. suumHbO2 crystal structure (Yang, J., Kloek, A., Goldberg, D. E., and Mathews, F. S. (1995) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 92, 4224–4228) with the exception that the heme in solution is rotated by 180 ° about the α,γ-meso axis relative to that in the crystal. The observed dipolar shifts, together with the crystal coordinates of HbO2, provide the orientation of the magnetic axes in the molecular framework. The major magnetic axis, which correlates with the Fe-CN vector, is found oriented ∼30 ° away from the heme normal and indicates significant steric tilt because of interaction with Tyr30(B10). The three side chain labile protons for the distal residues Tyr30(B10) and Gln64(E7) were identified, and their relaxation, dipolar shifts, and nuclear Overhauser effects to adjacent residues used to place them in the distal pocket. It is shown that these two distal residues exhibit the same orientations ideal for H bonding to the ligand and to each other, as found in the A. suumHbO2 crystal. It is concluded that the ligated cyanide participates in the same distal H bonding network as ligated O2. The combination of the strong steric tilt of the bound cyanide and slow ring reorientation of the Tyr30(B10) side chain supports a crowded and constrained distal pocket.
Non-linearity, periodicity and patterning in plasticity and fracture

The role and implications of microstructure heterogeneity and non-linearity in interpreting a variety of experimental observations during plastic flow and fracture are outlined. Traditionally, these observations were not related to theoretical modelling efforts as recent techniques in non-linear dynamics were not available and usual applications were limited to standard materials and processes where micro- and macroscales do not interact and can be treated independently. Advanced technology has imposed the need for the development of models accounting for scale coupling effects. One class of such models, the so-called gradient models, will be described in the paper in connection with the phenomena of dislocation and strain patterning, as well as with existing observations on oscillatory fracture.
Pediatric Outpatient VAD Experience at Stanford

Purpose With recent advances in pediatric ventricular assist devices (VADs), patients are able to be discharged from the hospital. However, the course of outpatient care following outpatient VAD placement is not well described. Methods and Materials We retrospectively reviewed all patients with the Thoratec Heartmate II LVAS (HMII) at our institution between June 2010 and November 2012. Results Seven patients received HMII; patient age ranged from 10 to 18 (mean, 15). All patients had dilated cardiomyopathy; three had an underlying diagnosis of Becker’s muscular dystrophy and one with congenital heart disease. Two patients were transplanted prior to discharge and one patient is currently still hospitalized. Four patients were successfully discharged to the outpatient transition home 1.3 miles away. Average length of stay was 38 days with clinic visits every five days. Once discharged home, patients were seen every one to three months depending on clinical stability. The distance from the implanting center to each patient’s home ranges from 14 to 231 miles away. These four patients have been supported for 87, 583, 169, and 75 outpatient days respectively. There were a total of six re-hospitalizations for rule out infection, rule out hemolysis, post cardiac catherization recovery, knee effusion and rule out hemearthrosis, bilateral pleural effusions, and decompensated cardiogenic shock and multi-system organ failure. Thus far, three patients continue to be supported on outpatient VADs and one is deceased. Conclusions Pediatric VADs can be successfully transitioned to outpatient care even despite distance from implanting center, however, close follow-up and a multidisciplanry highly coordinated approach are absolute requirements.
Multiwavelength analyzer for the determination of diffusion lengths

The minority carrier diffusion length Ln in the base or substrate region is an important parameter which governs a solar cell's performance. The present investigation is concerned with the development of a multiwavelength analyzer (MWA) technique for the nondestructive spatial testing of polycrystalline solar cells. The MWA method is based on the utilization of the short-circuit current generated by two or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs) operating at different wavelengths and modulated 180 deg out-of-phase. For a determination of Ln by the MWA technique, it is necessary to know the value of the absorption coefficient.
Reply to ``Comment on `Constraints on biological effects of weak extremely-low-frequency electromagnetic fields' ''

Kirschvink [preceding Comment, Phys. Rev. A 46, 2178 (1992)] objects to my conclusions [Phys. Rev. A 43, 1039 (1991)] that weak extremely-low-frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields cannot affect biology on the cell level. He argues that I did not properly consider the interaction of such fields with magnetite (${\mathrm{Fe}}_{3}$${\mathrm{O}}_{4}$) grains in cells and that such interactions can induce biological effects. However, his model, designed as a proof of principle that the interaction of weak 60-Hz ELF fields with magnetite domains in a cell can affect cell biology, requires, by his account, a magnetic field of 0.14 mT (1400 mG) to operate, while my paper purported to demonstrate only that fields smaller than 0.05 mT (500 mG) must be ineffective. I then discuss ELF interactions with magnetite generally and show that the failure of Kirschvink's model to respond to weak fields must be general and that no plausible interaction with biological magnetite of 60-Hz magnetic fields with a strength less than 0.05 mT can affect biology on the cell level.
Unsupervised Segmentation of Audio Speech Using the Voting Experts Algorithm

Human beings have an apparently innate ability to segment continuous audio speech into words, and that ability is present in infants as young as 8 months old. This propensity towards audio segmentation seems to lay the groundwork for language learning. To artificially reproduce this ability would be both practically useful and theoretically enlightening. In this paper we propose an algorithm for the unsupervised segmentation of audio speech, based on the Voting Experts (VE) algorithm, which was originally designed to segment sequences of discrete tokens into categorical episodes. We demonstrate that our procedure is capable of inducing breaks with an accuracy substantially greater than chance, and suggest possible avenues of exploration to further increase the segmentation quality.
Effectively Communicating with Your Clients

The successful ability to efficiently collect diet histories, convey appropriate health messages, and discuss client concerns about the safe feeding of pets requires excellent communication skills. In addition to understanding what the client wants for their pet, thorough nutritional interviewers gather information pertaining to animal factors, dietary factors, and feeding management factors. With the expansion of the Internet, increasing advances in medical care, and the health concerns associated with pet food recalls, small animal clients are looking to veterinarians for guidance and information on dietary recommendations in ever increasing numbers. Evaluating current information on changes in the pet food industry should be a periodic learning objective for all members of the veterinary health care team. Consistent, effective communication between veterinarians, their staff, and their clients can improve compliance, increase satisfaction levels, and improve patient outcomes.
Cyclic voltammetric, fluorescence and biological analysis of purified aeruginosin A, a secreted red pigment of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomomas aeruginosa produces multiple pigments during in vitro culture and in vivo during colonization of burn wounds and in the airways of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. One pigment is a deep ‘merlot’-coloured compound known as aeruginosin A (AA). However, the red pigment(s) of P. aeruginosa are often collectively called pyorubrin, of which there is no known chemical composition. Here, we purified and confirmed by MS and assessed the physicochemical properties of AA (2-amino-6-carboxy-10-methylphenazinium betaine) by first focusing on its ability to redox-cycle using cyclic voltammetry and its spectroscopic (as well as fluorescent) properties, experiments that were conducted at physiological pH. AA exhibited reversible electrochemistry at a glassy carbon electrode within a potential range of −500 to −200 mV. Electrochemical anodic and cathodic peak currents were observed at −327 and −360 mV, respectively, with a low formal reduction potential of −343.5 mV versus Ag/AgCl. AA absorbed at 516 nm and fluoresced at 606 nm. Results from the spectro-electrochemistry of pyorubrin revealed that its strongest fluorescence was in its parent or oxidized form. Production of AA by P. aeruginosa was found to be controlled by the rhl component of the intercellular signalling system known as quorum sensing and was produced maximally during the stationary growth phase. However, unlike its downstream blue redox-active toxin, pyocyanin, AA had no adverse effects on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus USA300, Escherichia coli DH5-α or human keratinocytes. We close with some thoughts on the potential commercial use(s) of AA.
Evaluation of a new pretreatment reagent for use with the EMIT 2000 cyclosporine assay.

Abstract Objective Evaluate the performance of the new pretreatment (NPT) reagent for use with the EMIT® cyclosporine A (CsA) assay. Design and methods Samples from transplant patients receiving CsA were tested using a COBAS MIRA S®. Results A downward shift in target values for commercial controls was observed using the NPT reagent. There was excellent correlation for patient results when comparing the NPT reagent with methanol pretreatment. Conclusion The NPT reagent is an acceptable substitute for methanol in the EMIT® extraction procedure for CsA.
Microgravity and Charge Transfer in the Neuronal Membrane: Implications for Computational Neurobiology

Evidence from natural and artificial membranes indicates that the neural membrane is a liquid crystal. A liquid-to-gel phase transition caused by the application of superposed electromagnetic fields to the outer membrane surface releases spin-correlated electron pairs which propagate through a charge transfer complex. The propagation generates Rydberg atoms in the lipid bilayer lattice. In the present model, charge density configurations in promoted orbitals interact as cellular automata and perform computations in Hilbert space. Due to the small binding energies of promoted orbitals, their automata are highly sensitive to microgravitational perturbations. It is proposed that spacetime is classical on the Rydberg scale, but formed of contiguous moving segments, each of which displays topological equivalence. This stochasticity is reflected in randomized Riemannian tensor values. Spacetime segments interact with charge automata as components of a computational process. At the termination of the algorithm, an orbital of high probability density is embedded in a more stabilized microscopic spacetime. This state permits the opening of an ion channel and the conversion of a quantum algorithm into a macroscopic frequency code.
Evaluation of the optical isomers of tetrahydroisoquinolines in rat adipose tissue and guinea pig aorta

Abstract The adrenoceptive properties of tetrahydroisoquinoline (THI) stereoisomers were evaluated in rat adipose tissue and guinea pig aorta, in vitro. The rank order of lipolytic activity observed for the more potent S-(−)-isomers of the THI's tested was trimetoquinol > 1-benzyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-THI > tetrahydropapaveroline > salsolinol. The stereoisomers of trimetoquinol and racemic 1-benzyl-6,7-dihydroxy-1,2,3,4-THI were found to be equally active as competitive antagonists of noradrenaline-induced contraction of guinea pig aortic strips.
Inexpensive d-dimensional matchings

Suppose that independent U(0, 1) weights are assigned to the (3/16)n2 edges of the complete d-partite graph with n vertices in each of the d maximal independent sets. Then the expected weight of the minimum-weight perfect d-dimensional matching is at least 3/16n1-(2/d). We describe a randomized algorithm that finds a perfect d-dimensional matching whose expected weight is at most 5d3n1-(2/d)+ d15 for all d ≥ 3 and n ≥ 1.
Oil price shocks and stability of the demand for international reserves

Abstract The stability of the demand for international reserves has received some attention in the past. Previous authors have attributed the instability of the reserve demand function to the change in the exchange rate regime of 1973. However, 1973 was also the year in which the world experienced its first major oil price shock. By selecting 1973: i –1985: iv , a period in which there was no change in the exchange rate regime but another oil price shock occurred, we show that the demand for reserves experienced a structural shift in the early 1980s after late 1979 oil price shock.
Covariance function diagnostics for spatial linear models

Case deletion diagnostics are developed for detecting observations that are influential in estimating the covariance function of a spatial random field. Diagnostics are developed within the context of universal kriging. Computational formulae are given that make the procedures feasible and the diagnostics are illustrated in an example.
Delay-induced instabilities in self-propelling swarms

We consider a general model of self-propelling particles interacting through a pairwise attractive force in the presence of noise and communication time delay. Previous work by Erdmann et al. [Phys. Rev. E 71, 051904 (2005)] has shown that a large enough noise intensity will cause a translating swarm of individuals to transition to a rotating swarm with a stationary center of mass. We show that with the addition of a time delay, the model possesses a transition that depends on the size of the coupling amplitude. This transition is independent of the initial swarm state (traveling or rotating) and is characterized by the alignment of all of the individuals along with a swarm oscillation. By considering the mean field equations without noise, we show that the time-delay-induced transition is associated with a Hopf bifurcation. The analytical result yields good agreement with numerical computations of the value of the coupling parameter at the Hopf point.
A Pharmacognostical Study of Rauwolfia

The history of the drug Rauwolfia Serpentina and of Rauwolfia canescens is reviewed. A description is given of Rauwolfia serpentina, R. canescens, R. micrantha, and R. densiflora plants and their distribution. The histoloy of the roots of these species and of R. perakensis is described.
Mechanisms That Cause Protein and Amino Acid Catabolism in Uremia

Anorexia and/or a protein- and calorie-restricted diet can cause protein wasting by limiting the intake of essential amino acids (EAA) and, hence, protein synthesis. By this mechanism plus the effects of inadequate calories, restricted diets could contribute to the loss of lean body mass of uremic patients. Uremia also impairs the normal metabolic responses that must be activated to preserve body protein, thereby augmenting the adverse effects of anorexia. The responses impaired are those that conserve EAA and protein, which results in catabolism of EAA and muscle protein. An important factor that initiates abnormal adaptive responses in uremia is metabolic acidosis, because acidosis stimulates muscle protein degradation and increases the activity of branched-chain ketoacid dehydrogenase and, hence, the catabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). The effects of acidosis could be mediated by impaired regulation of intracellular pH and/or an increase in glucocorticoid production. Research directed at identifying the specific proteolytic pathways that are activated by metabolic acidosis has excluded a major role for Ca 2+ -activated or lysosomal proteases and suggests activation of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP)- and ubiquitin-dependent proteolytic pathway. The mechanism of activation of this pathway includes an increase in mRNA for enzymes involved in protein and amino acid catabolism.
Simple Geometric Model for Assessing Whisker Orientation in Axisymmetric SiC-Whisker-Reinforced Composites

The nonuniform crystal structure of SiC whiskers complicates the interpretation of X-ray texture data collected from whisker-reinforced composites. A simple model for assessing whisker textures in alumina matrix composites which is able to account for the mixed polytype structure of SiC whiskers is discussed. Synchrotron X-ray radiation was used to quantitatively measure SiC whisker texture in hot-pressed and hot-forged Al2O3–SiC whisker composites. Pole figures of the 2.51 A reflection ({111} cubic, (001) hexagonal) were obtained and compared to pole figures calculated from hypothetical whisker axis disribution describing the whisker orientation distribution within the axisymmetric composites. The X-ray data suggest that the degree of reinforcement phase texture in hot-worked specimens is dependent upon final specimen strain. The data also demonstrate that for conventionally hot-pressed composites the whiskers are angularly distributed about the compression plane, having an average orientation which does not approximate a two-dimensionally random distribution.
The influence of insurance status on access to and utilization of a tertiary hand surgery referral center.

The impact of insurance status on patient access to medical care is a regular subject in the popular press, with predictions of decreased access if Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement is reduced. The associated topic of patient transfers to tertiary care trauma centers has been a recent subject of interest in the medical literature1-4, with reports of inappropriate transfer of patients who were uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid in the absence of an association between transfer and injury severity1,2. These studies have suggested that the reluctance of community hospitals to care for patients who are underinsured (i.e., patients with Medicaid insurance or no insurance) leads to patient transfers and an inappropriate utilization of health-care resources. Similar concerns with regard to access to specialty care have been raised in one examination of outpatient care at a tertiary orthopaedic center5. Weiner et al.5 examined the impact of insurance status on patients’ need to travel to a tertiary center for orthopaedic spine care. The authors reported that, for patients who were seen from 2003 to 2006, those who had Medicaid insurance traveled fifty-one miles for appointments compared with those who had private insurance and had spine problems, who traveled fourteen miles for appointments5. The purpose of this study was to systematically examine the impact of insurance status on the provision of specialty hand surgical care. Our first aim was to quantify the impact of insurance status on outpatient evaluations at a tertiary hand center. We hypothesized that patients who were underinsured would account for a disproportionate percentage of patients seen at a tertiary care center with an open scheduling policy and no restrictions based on insurance. Our second aim was to critically assess the impact of insurance status on hand surgical care access. This assessment included quantifying appointment arrival rates and rates of surgical and nonoperative management and investigating the experience of primary care physicians when attempting to obtain hand surgical care for their patients according to patient insurance status. We hypothesized that patients with Medicaid insurance and those without insurance coverage would face greater challenges accessing care than those with private insurance.
Asthma: 2015 and Beyond

Asthma is a multifactorial, chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. The knowledge that asthma is an inflammatory disorder has become a core fundamental in the definition of asthma. Asthma's chief features include a variable degree of air-flow obstruction and bronchial hyper-responsiveness, in addition to the underlying chronic airways inflammation. This underlying chronic airway inflammation substantially contributes to airway hyper-responsiveness, air-flow limitation, respiratory symptoms, and disease chronicity. However, this underlying chronic airway inflammation has implications for the diagnosis, management, and potential prevention of the disease. This review for the respiratory therapy community summarizes these developments as well as providing an update on asthma epidemiology, natural history, cause, and pathogenesis. This paper also provides an overview on appropriate diagnostic and monitoring strategies for asthma, pharmacology, and newer therapies for the future as well as relevant management of acute and ambulatory asthma, and a brief review of educational approaches.
Approximate Quasi-likelihood Estimation in Models with Surrogate Predictors

Abstract We consider quasi-likelihood estimation with estimated parameters in the variance function when some of the predictors are measured with error. We review and extend four approaches to estimation in this problem, all of them based on small measurement error approximations. A taxonomy of the data sets likely to be available in measurement error studies is developed. An asymptotic theory based on this taxonomy is obtained and includes measurement error and Berkson error models as special cases.
Fertility and infertility information resources on the Internet

Consumer health information pertaining to fertility and infertility is well represented on the World Wide Web. The article describes the scope of such information and introduces selected Internet resources in the context of four categories: infertility education and support sites, professional organization sites, fertility service provider sites, and general purpose consumer health sites. Sources of information on surrogacy are also briefly addressed.
Drop size and continuous‐phase mass transfer in agitated vessels

Continuous-phase mass transfer coefficients and drop sizes in agitated vessels are correlated with operating variables and physical properties of liquid-liquid systems. In formulating mass transfer coefficients, a realistic mechanism has been developed, involving periodically varying rates of surface renewal associated with droplet circulation through varying degrees of turbulence around the vessel. Relationships are obtained for optimized design and scale-up.
Processing of Frequency-Modulated Sounds in the Cat's Posterior Auditory Field

1. Single-neuron activity was recorded from the anterior auditory field (AAF) in the cortex of gas-anesthetized cats. 2. Tone bursts and broad-band complex sounds were used for auditory stimulation. Responses to frequency-modulated (FM) sounds, in particular, were studied systematically. 3. Linear FM sweeps were centered around the best frequency (BF) of a neuron and had an excursion large enough to cover its whole frequency tuning range. Rate and direction of change of the FM sweeps were varied. 4. In 69% of the FM responses, a peak was found at an instantaneous frequency that corresponded to the BF in the pure-tone response. Thirty-three percent of the units had multiple maxima in their FM response. These secondary maxima were not always reflected in the pure-tone response of the same neurons. 5. The vast majority of AAF neurons showed one of two types of selectivity for FM rate. Depending on the criterion, almost half of the cells (46%) preferred fast changes of > 200 Hz/ms (high-pass) in both FM directions. Forty-eight percent of all neurons showed band-pass behavior with a clear preference in the middle range of FM rates in one or both directions. Low-pass or all-pass neurons made up only a small proportion (4 and 1%, respectively) of AAF neurons. 6. When both directions of an FM sweep (low-to-high and high-to-low-frequency) were tested, 66% of the neurons clearly were selective for one direction. This selectivity was not present necessarily at the preferred FM rate. In general, FM direction selectivity was most pronounced at slower FM rates. 7. The selectivity of AAF neurons for the rate and direction of FM sounds makes these neurons suitable for the detection and analysis of communication sounds, which often contain FM components with a particular sweep rate and direction.
From Nuremberg to Guantánamo: Medical Ethics Then and Now

On October 25, 1946, three weeks after the handing down of the verdicts of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, the United States established Military Tribunal I for the trial of twenty-three Nazi physicians. The charges, delivered by Brigadier General Telford Taylor on December 9, 1946, form a seminal chapter in the history of medical ethics and, specifically, medical ethics in war. The list of noxious experiments condemned as war crimes and crimes against humanity on civilians and prisoners of war is by now more or less familiar—high-altitude experiments; freezing experiments; malaria experiments; sulfanilamide experiments; bone, muscle, and nerve regeneration and bone transplantation experiments; sea water experiments; jaundice and spotted fever experiments; sterilization experiments; experiments with poison and with incendiary bombs.
When Social Context Matters: The Influence of Long–Term Contact and Short–Term Exposure to Admired Outgroup Members on Implicit Attitudes and Behavioral Intentions

Past research has shown specific situational interventions can reduce implicit prejudice against outgroups, but nothing is known about who is most sensitive to these situations and whether they influence behavior. The present study examined the combined influence of short–term situational exposure to admired outgroup members (gays and lesbians) and individual differences in prior long–term contact on implicit antigay attitudes and discriminatory behavioral intentions (voting). Results showed that in the absence of any intervention, participants with little contact with gays and lesbians showed more implicit antigay attitudes and discriminatory voting intentions than participants with high contact. However, after the short–term intervention, participants, regardless of prior contact, showed low levels of implicit prejudice and discriminatory voting intentions. The observed reduction of bias in implicit attitudes and behavioral intentions occurred independently; attitude change did not mediate behavioral ch...
Dissecting the teacher monolith: Experiences of beginning basic school teachers in Zambia

Abstract This article explores the multifaceted experiences of beginning basic school teachers in Southern Province, Zambia, through a qualitative study comprised of interviews with 35 basic school teachers. Our research examines the uniqueness of beginning teacher experiences in the global South, and points to the need to recognize the implications of ‘Education for All’ for this particular sub-group of the teaching population. We found that these teachers faced significant personal and professional difficulties, while receiving little support. Nevertheless, teachers expressed a commitment to the profession. Recommendations are provided to suggest improvements to the transition and socialization process for future beginning teachers.
Virus Dilution Affects the Anti-Rous Sarcoma Response of Progressor but not Regressor Major Histocompatibility (B) Complex Genotypes

Abstract Responses to tumors induced by three dilutions of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) were studied in UNH 105, a noninbred line of New Hampshire chickens. Single-male matings produced progeny of three B genotypes: B23/B23 (tumor regressor) and B23/B24 and B24/B24 (tumor progressors). A total of 223 6-wk-old chicks were wingweb inoculated with one of three dilutions (10−3, 4 × 10−3, and 10−4) of a pseudotype of Bryan high titer RSV designated as BH RSV (RAV-1). A tumor profile index (TPI), an indicator of antitumor response, was assigned to each chick based on six postinoculation tumor size scores. Incidence of mortality was itemized for B genotypes at each virus dilution and the number of days to death (DTD) was recorded for 44 chicks with terminal tumors. Analysis of mean TPI revealed a virus dilution × B genotype interaction, with significant differences among B24/B24 chickens at a 10−3 virus dilution (TPI 3.1), a 4 × 10−3 virus dilution (TPI 2.6), and all other subclasses (TPI 1.8 or less). Both virus dilution and B genotype affected the incidence of mortality as shown by chi-square analysis. These data demonstrate that virus dilution influenced the antitumor response in progressor but not in regressor B complex genotypes.