cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of a novel lysosomal trafficking peptide using phage display biopanning coupled with endocytic selection pressure.

Methods to select ligands that accumulate specifically in cancer cells and traffic through a defined endocytic pathway may facilitate rapid pairing of ligands with linkers suitable for drug conjugate therapies. We performed phage display biopanning on cancer cells that are treated with selective inhibitors of a given mechanism of endocytosis. Using chlorpromazine to inhibit clathrin-mediated endocytosis in H1299 nonsmall cell lung cancer cells, we identified two clones, ATEPRKQYATPRVFWTDAPG (15.1) and a novel peptide LQWRRDDNVHNFGVWARYRL (H1299.3). The peptides segregate by mechanism of endocytosis and subsequent location of subcellular accumulation. The H1299.3 peptide primarily utilizes clathrin-mediated endocytosis and colocalizes with Lamp1, a lysosomal marker. Conversely, the 15.1 peptide is clathrin-independent and localizes to a perinuclear region. Thus, this novel phage display scheme allows for selection of peptides that selectively internalize into cells via a known mechanism of endocytosis. The...
Acentrosomal Drosophila epithelial cells exhibit abnormal cell division, leading to cell death and compensatory proliferation

Mitotic spindles are critical for accurate chromosome segregation. Centrosomes, the primary microtubule nucleating centers of animal cells, play key roles in forming and orienting mitotic spindles. However, the survival of Drosophila without centrosomes suggested they are dispensable in somatic cells, challenging the canonical view. We used fly wing disc epithelia as a model to resolve these conflicting hypotheses, revealing that centrosomes play vital roles in spindle assembly, function, and orientation. Many acentrosomal cells exhibit prolonged spindle assembly, chromosome missegregation, DNA damage, misoriented divisions, and eventual apoptosis. We found that multiple mechanisms buffer the effects of centrosome loss, including alternative microtubule nucleation pathways and the spindle assembly checkpoint. Apoptosis of acentrosomal cells is mediated by JNK signaling, which also drives compensatory proliferation to maintain tissue integrity and viability. These data reveal the importance of centrosomes in fly epithelia and demonstrate the robust compensatory mechanisms at the cellular and organismal level.
Early changes in excitation-contraction coupling: transition from compensated hypertrophy to failure in Dahl salt-sensitive rat myocytes

Objective: The aims were to (1) define the early changes in excitation-contraction coupling during the transition from cardiac hypertrophy to heart failure, and (2) to clarify the causal relationship between mechanical dysfunction and abnormal Ca2+ handling in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat model. Methods: Myocardial contractile function was assessed in whole heart perfusion studies. In separate experiments, isolated left ventricular myocytes from Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and Dahl salt-resistant (DR) rats were paced at a physiological rate of 5Hz and cell shortening (CS) and [Ca2+]i measured simultaneously by video-edge detection and fura-2 fluorescence. Results: DS hearts developed hypertrophy after 4 weeks of a high-salt diet (4WHSD), as indicated by a 26% increase ( p <0.01) in the heart to body weight ratio and a 21% increase ( p <0.01) in cell width. Heart failure developed after 12 weeks of a high-salt diet (12WHSD), as indicated by an 11% increase ( p <0.01) in the lung wet to dry weight ratio. Furthermore, in DS-12WHSD hearts, the diastolic pressure-volume relationship had shifted rightward. DR rats did not develop hypertension and served as age-matched controls. A 31% ( p <0.05) increase in the %CS in DS-4WHSD myocytes compared to DR-4WHSD myocytes with a trend of a parallel increase in Ca2+ transient amplitude was found. There was no difference in the Ca2+ transient parameters between DR and DS at 12WHSD, but an 18% ( p <0.01) decrease occurred in peak [Ca2+]i in DS myocytes between 4WHSD and 12WHSD. In DS-12WHSD, the time to peak shortening and the time from peak shortening to 50% and 90% relaxation was significantly prolonged by 27%, 44%, and 38%, respectively, as compared to the age-matched DR myocytes. Conclusion : Our results indicated that: (1) normal Ca2+ homeostasis is preserved at the stage of compensated hypertrophy; (2) the early signs of isolated myocyte dysfunction were a prolongation of the shortening and relaxation time course without an abnormal time course of the Ca2+ transient. Thus, in the hypertensive Dahl salt rat model, abnormal Ca2+ handling appears neither to precede nor initiate the transition to failure.
A Myosin XI Tail Domain Homologous to the Yeast Myosin Vacuole-Binding Domain Interacts with Plastids and Stromules in Nicotiana benthamiana

The actin cytoskeleton plays a role in mobility of many different organelles in plant cells, including chloroplasts, mitochondria, Golgi, and peroxisomes. While progress has been made in identifying the myosin motors involved in trafficking of various plant organelles, not all of the cargoes mobilized by different members of the myosin XI family have yet been identified. The involvement of myosins in chloroplast positioning and mitochondrial movement was demonstrated by expression of a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) construct in tobacco. When VIGS with two different conserved sequences from a myosin XI motor was performed in plants with either GFP-labeled plastids or mitochondria, chloroplast positioning in the dark was abnormal, and mitochondrial movement ceased. Because these and prior observations have implicated a role for myosins and the actin cytoskeleton in plastid and stromule movement, we searched for myosin tail domains that could associate with plastids and stromules. While a yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) fusion with the entire tail region of myosin XI-F was usually found only in the cytoplasm, we observed that an Arabidopsis or Nicotiana benthamiana YFP::myosin XI-F tail domain homologous to the yeast myo2p vacuole-binding domain associated with plastids and stromules after transient expression in N. benthamiana. Taken together, these observations implicate myosin motor proteins in dynamics of plastids and stromules.
Development of Intrinsically Photoluminescent and Photostable Polylactones

A method of introducing intrinsically photo luminescent properties to biodegradable polymer is introduced, exemplified by the synthesis of intrinsically photoluminescent polylactones that enable non-invasive monitoring and tracking of material degradation in vivo in realtime, as well as the formation of theranostic nanoparticles for cancer imaging and drug delivery.
Immunological studies in mice infected with the larvae of Ascaris lumbricoides; criteria of immunity and immunizing effect of isolated worm tissues.

serum of experimentally infected laboratory mammals (Coventry, 1929) although the parasite never attains the adult stage in these hosts. In addition, acquired resistance to reinfection is conferred by repeated infection with ascaris larvae even when the parasite fails to attain maturity (Wagner, 1933; Roberts, 1934; de Boer, 1935; Kerr, 1938; Baudet, 1941; and Fallis, 1948). This condition, according to Fallis, is due to an inhibiting effect on the migration of the larvae as shown by a diminution in the number of larvae which reaches the lungs and a retardation of the growth of the larvae. Taliaferro and Sarles (1939) demonstrated that acquired immunity to Nippostrongylus muris in the rat depends largely upon precipitins formed against the secretions and excretions of the worm. The actual precipitate was observed not only in vivo, but in vitro (Sarles, 1938) and after passive immunization (Taliaferro and Sarles, 1942). Similar precipitates were observed by Oliver-Gonz alez against trichina (1940) and ascaris (1943). Various isolated tissues of ascaris have been found to act as antigens (Canning, 1929; Campbell, 1936 and 1937; Oliver-Gonzalez, 1944b, and 1946a and b), and the body of the worm probably contains a multiplicity of antigens which may cause the formation of several immunologically distinct antibodies in infected animals. Oliver-
Regulation of neurotensin receptor function by the arachidonic acid-lipoxygenase pathway in prostate cancer PC3 cells.

Abstract Neurotensin (NT) elevates leukotriene levels in animals and stimulates 5-HETE formation in prostate cancer PC3 cells. PC3 cell growth is stimulated by NT and inhibited by lipoxygenase (LOX) blockers. This led us to test LOX blockers (NDGA, MK886, ETYA, Rev5901, AA861 and others) for effects on NT binding and signaling. LOX blockers dramatically enhanced 125 I-neurotensin binding to NT receptor NTR1 in PC3 cells, whereas they inhibited NT-induced inositol phosphate formation. These effects were indirect (binding to isolated membranes was unaffected), receptor-specific (binding to β 2 -adrenergic, V1 a -vasopressin, EGF and bombesin receptor was unaffected) and pathway-specific (cyclooxygenase inhibitors were inactive). NT receptor affinity was increased but receptor number and % internalization were unchanged. Also supporting the involvement of arachidonic acid metabolism in NTR1 regulation was the finding that inhibitors of PLA2 and DAG lipase enhanced NT binding. These findings suggest that NTR1 is regulated by specific feedback mechanism(s) involving lipid peroxidation and/or LOX-dependent processes.
An X-Ray Omnicon - A New Tool In Radiology

It has been estimated that in 1970, 129 million people in this country were exposed to 210 million medical and dental X-ray examinations. According to the U.S. Bureau of Radiological Health, about 30% of the X-ray exposure does not contribute any useful information to the radiologist. There is no doubt in the mind of anyone that the advantages gained from X-ray examinations far exceed any possible late biological effects resulting from this exposure. All radiologists employ equipment and techniques designed to decrease X-ray exposure as much as possible while providing adequate diagnostic information. Still, there is increasing concern on the part of radiation scientists that medical and dental X-ray examinations are a significant public health hazard because of their increased frequency of application.© (1972) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A New Proof of the Lebesgue-Stieltjes Representation Theorem for Cumulative Distribution Functions*

and lim f(x)= 0.) Conversely, if we begin with a cumulative distribution X--¢. -- CO function f, then the Lebesgue-Stieltjes representation theorem states that there is a unique probability measure v on R such that f(x) = v(- oo, x] for each x in R. (See [6], Section 12.3.) The main purpose of this article is to present a new proof of this result. Our proof depends on the Krein-Milman theorem and on a result (Theorem 2.5) of independent interest. Theorem 2.5 improves an integral representation theorem for monotone functions originally due to Choquet by giving a necessary and sufficient condition for the uniqueness of the representing measure. A sketch of the contents of this article follows. The first and second sections contain background material. We begin in Section 1 by recalling the statement of the integral foml of the Krein-Milman theorem. Section 2 deals with an application of that result. Specifically, if A denotes a partially ordered set with a largest element, we consider the family M(A) of all normalized, nondecreasing, and nonnegative real-valued functions on A. The Krein-Milman theorem is then applied to show that functions in M(A) can be represented by probability measures on F(A), where F(A) denotes the space of all nonempty final sets in A, equipped with a suitable compact Hausdorff topology. This representation is shown to be unique if and only ifA is a totally ordered set. In the third and final section we apply this representation theorem to obtain our new proof of the Lebesgue-Stieltjes theorem. We accomplish this by choosing A to be (~, where ~) denotes the totally ordered set of rational numbers together with a largest element + ~. If f is a cumulative distribution function and g denotes the restriction of f to Q, then the (unique) probability measure which represents g on F((~) is restricted to a copy of R to obtain the desired (unique) probability measure v.
HIV-1 gp120 envelope protein modulates proliferation of human glomerular epithelial cells.

Glomerular epithelial cells (GEC) have been demonstrated to undergo morphological alterations in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated focal glomerulosclerosis. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of HIV-1 gp120 envelope protein on the growth of cultured human (H) GEC. gp120 protein enhanced (P < 0.001) the proliferation of HGEC at lower concentrations. The mitogenic effect of gp120 protein on HGEC was further confirmed by enhanced accumulation of proliferating nuclear cell antigen (PCNA) by gp120 protein-treated cells, as compared with control cells. On the contrary, gp120 protein at higher concentrations suppressed (P < 0.001) the growth of HGEC. To evaluate the mechanism of gp120 protein-induced HGEC growth suppression, we examined the effect of gp120 protein on HGEC apoptosis. gp120 protein at higher concentrations promoted the apoptosis of HGEC. At higher concentrations, gp120 protein also enhanced DNA fragmentation of HGEC. Anti-gp120 antibody attenuated the proliferative as well as the apoptotic effects of gp120 protein on HGEC. Because protein kinase C as well as tyrosine kinase inhibitors partially inhibited gp120-induced proliferation, gp120 appears to be activating both the protein kinase C and tyrosine kinase pathways. In addition, gp120 protein at lower concentrations enhanced mRNA expression of c-fos and at higher concentrations promoted mRNA expression of c-jun. We conclude that gp120 has a bimodal effect on proliferation of HGEC. This effect may be mediated through the activation of early growth genes. J. Cell. Biochem. 76:61–70, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Religious Life‐Styles and Mental Health: A Follow‐Up Study

This study is part of a longitudinal research project designed to discover more about the relations between religious involvement and mental health. It represents a 3-year follow-up on a group of religious young adults. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and by means of a psychological test battery. The results are discussed.
Applications of neutron activation analysis to the study of age-related neurological diseases.

Although the etiology and pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, Pick’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis are still unknown, it has been suggested that perturbations in element metabolism may play a role. Even if not causative factors, these imbalances may prove to be markers that could aid in diagnosis. We have employed a sequential neutron activation analysis (NAA) procedure to determine elemental concentrations in brain, hair, fingernails, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of these patients and age-matched controls. Samples are first irradiated with accelerator-produced 14-MeV neutrons for determination of nitrogen and phosphorus, then with reactor thermal neutrons for the instrumental determination of 16–18 minor and trace elements, and, finally, reactor-irradiated again, followed by a rapid radiochemical separation procedure (RNAA) to determine four additional elements. Major advantages of NAA are: (1) its simultaneous multielement capability; (2) the relative freedom from reagent and laboratory contamination; (3) the absence of major matrix effects; and (4) an adequate sensitivity for most elements of interest. Ranges of concentrations by INAA and RNAA in selected control tissues and interelement correlations in control brain are presented to illustrate results obtained by the procedure. Longitudinal studies of tissues from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients are still in progress.
Further analysis of employment interview validity: a quantitative evaluation of interviewer-related structuring methods

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the relationship between four interviewer-related factors and the validity of the employment interview. Using a regression approach to meta-analysis, an analysis of 120 interview studies with a total sample size of 18,158 suggested that: (1) training should be provided to interviewers regardless of whether the interview itself (i.e. the questions and rating scales) is structured; (2) the same interviewer should be used across all applicants, especially when the interview itself is not highly structured; and (3) using a panel of interviewers does not contribute to validity, and may actually have a detrimental effect. Results for the fourth interviewer factor, taking notes during the interview, were inconclusive. Limitations and directions for future research are noted. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Anti-branding on the internet

Abstract Anti-brand web sites are online spaces that focus negative attention on a specific targeted brand. Although anti-consumption movements on the internet have been gaining in numbers and in strength, research has not fully uncovered the nature of such sites and their impact on brand value and consumer anti-consumption. We present a conceptual framework describing online anti-branding and investigate causal relationships in two empirical studies. Study 1 investigates the brand value's impact on likelihood of the presence of anti-brand sites. Strong brands are more likely to have anti-brand sites. Study 2 is a content analysis of a representative sample of anti-brand sites that assesses the nature of the language used by such sites. Anti-brand sites use three types of language — market, ideological and transactional speech. The study finds that market speech is most prevalent and relates to brand value.
The GSK-3 Inhibitor BIO Promotes Proliferation in Mammalian Cardiomyocytes

The maintenance of self-renewal in stem cells appears to be distinct from the induction of proliferation of the terminally differentiated mammalian cardiomyocytes because it is believed that the latter are unable to divide. However, proliferation is a necessary step in both processes. Interestingly, the small molecule 6-bromoindirubin-3'-oxime (BIO) is the first pharmacological agent shown to maintain self-renewal in human and mouse embryonic stem cells. To determine whether a molecule that can maintain stem cell properties can also participate in controlling the proliferative capability of the highly differentiated cardiomyocytes, we examine the effect of BIO in postmitotic cardiac cells. Here, we show that BIO promotes proliferation in mammalian cardiomyocytes. Our demonstration of a second role for BIO suggests that the maintenance of stem cell self-renewal and the induction of proliferation in differentiated cardiomyocytes may share common molecular pathways.
Host-symbiont specificity during onset of symbiosis between the dinoflagellates Symbiodinium spp. and planula larvae of the scleractinian coral Fungia scutaria

Many corals which engage in symbioses with dinoflagellates from the genus Symbiodinium (zooxanthellae) produce offspring which initially lack zooxanthellae. These species must choose their symbionts from numerous genetically distinct strains of zooxanthellae co-occurring in the environment. In most cases, symbiosis onset results in an association between a specific host coral and a specific strain of algal symbiont. This is the first study to examine host-symbiont specificity during symbiosis onset in a larval cnidarian, and the first to examine such events in a scleractinian of any life stage. We infected planula larvae of the solitary Hawaiian scleractinian Fungia scutaria with both homologous zooxanthellae, freshly isolated from F. scutaria adults, and heterologous zooxanthellae, isolated from Montipora verrucosa, Porites compressa, and Pocillopora damicornis, three species of scleractinians which co-occur with F. scutaria. We found that homologous zooxanthellae were better able to establish symbioses with larval hosts than were heterologous isolates, by two separate measures: percent of a larval population infected, and densities of zooxanthellae per larva. We also measured algal densities in larvae over a 4-day period until the onset of settlement and metamorphosis. We found no changes in zooxanthella population densities, regardless of zooxanthella type or the light environment in which they were incubated. Strong infection of host larvae with homologous algae compared to heterologous algae suggests that there is a specificity process which occurs sometime during the early stages of infection between the partners, and which results in the establishment of a specific symbiosis.
Stresses in a semi-infinite strip

Abstract In this paper the problem of a semi-infinite strip subject to general symmetrical tractions along all the three edges is solved analytically by the method of images based on Fourier integral and series approach. The stress function is constructed in three parts. When the boundary conditions are adjusted, the solution is reduced to a set of algebraic equations, which can be solved by the method of successive approximations. The integrals involved in the solution are evaluated and numerical results are given.
Biliary and Pancreatic Duct Access after Bariatric Surgery

A variety of techniques are available to gain access to the biliary and pancreatic ducts after gastric bypass surgery. The best approach begins with a complete understanding of the patient's altered anatomy. Radiologic imaging of the ducts with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography or computed tomography is usually adequate for diagnostic information; however, if therapy is required, direct access to the ampulla is necessary. Trying to approach the duodenum using only endoscopic means may be successful in properly selected patients and is reasonable to pursue as a first line of attack, keeping in mind the risk of perforation when attempting to traverse long, angulated limbs of jejunum. If endoscopic access is not possible and the indication is not emergent, percutaneous placement of a gastrostomy tube with the help of an interventional radiologist is an excellent approach to gain access to the gastric remnant. This tube can be upsized to 24 Fr over time to accommodate a pediatric duodenoscope. For more emergent indications, laparoscopic access to the gastric remnant is an elegant minimally invasive approach. Whatever the method of access, it is important to understand the indications for the procedure and the patient's anatomy, and have good communication with your interventional radiologist and minimally invasive surgeon to assure success.
Anomalous low-temperature elasticconstant behavior in Fe-13 Cr-19 Mn

Primarily, Mn content controls the anomalous behavior. Higher Mn means a higher Neel transition temperature, T/sub N/, and larger elastic-constant changes at T/sub N/. Studying the limiting case - Mn and N substituted completely for Ni - becomes of considerable interest. Such an alloy should show a high T/sub N/ and a large, anomalous elastic-constant change. A soviet steel - Fe-13Cr-19Mn - approximates this limiting case and therefore was studied. The actual chemical composition, by wt %, is: 13.40 Cr, 19.0 Mn, 0.82 Ni, 0.16 N, 0.055 C, 0.38 Si, 0.07 Cu, 0.020 P, 0.011 S, 0.10 V, 0.01 Mo, < 0.01 Ti, 0.0005 B, balance Fe. Besides its scientific importance, this steel has technological applications. Intended for liquefied-natural-gas tankage, it shows good low-temperature fracture-mechanics parameters. The present communication represents the first study of its physical properties.
Development of learning and memory in mice after brief paradoxical sleep deprivation.

Abstract The effects of three hour paradoxical sleep deprivation (3 hr PSD) via the water tank procedure to produce retrograde amnesia of active avoidance and inhibitory avoidance learning was examined in mice. Results indicated no memory impairment in experimentally treated groups. An attempt was then made to induce amnesia by administering ECS immediately after 3 hr PSD thereby increasing the susceptibility of the memory trace to disruption. This procedure, however, also results in good retention. We conclude that the paradoxical sleep (PS) phase immediately after aversively motivated training is not essential for subsequent development of learning and memory. These results do not, however, detract from previously reported protracted PSD effects on memory storage processes.
Educational Vouchers for Universal Pre-Schools.

Abstract This article considers two issues regarding preschool education. First, it provides a brief set of arguments for government funding of universal, pre-school education. Second, it explores the applicability of a voucher plan using a regulated market approach for the funding of universal, pre-school education. Four criteria are used to assess the approach: freedom of choice, equity, productive efficiency, and social cohesion. The analytic framework is then applied to the Georgia Pre-K program, a statewide and universal approach based upon market competition that enlists government, non-profit, and for-profit educational providers. We conclude that, according to the four criteria set out, the highly regulated Georgia pre-school approach appears to produce superior results than one built upon exclusive production of pre-school services by government entities.
1.55-μm InP-based monolithically integrated multichannel photoreceiver arrays

We have investigated the performance characteristics of InP- based 1.55 micrometer single and multi-channel photoreceiver arrays consisting of a front-end p-i-n photodiode and a 3- stage HBT-based transimpedance amplifier and realized by single-step epitaxy. The single-channel photoreceiver circuits are characterized by an optical bandwidth of 20 GHz and transimpedance gain of 46 dB(Omega) . Sixteen-channel arrays, made with the same circuit, demonstrate individual channel bandwidth of 11 GHz. By using a novel monolithically integrated radiation shield, we have been able to reduce the crosstalk to minus 35 dB at 11 GHz. These parameters represent the best performance in multi-channel integrated photoreceiver arrays. We have performed an electromagnetic full-wave solution of the array, which shows that the measured crosstalk in arrays without the radiation shield could be dominated by radiation crosstalk. The magnitude of the electrical crosstalk in the arrays has also been determined. These results are presented and discussed.
Foulkes mechanism in optimal plastic design for alternative loads

Abstract The paper is concerned with beams and frames with segmentwise constant cross-sections. Chan3 has recently given an optimality criterion for a structure of this kind when neither one of two alternative loadings is to exceed the plastic load carrying capacity. In the present paper, Chan's results, which were derived by means of linear programming theory, are rederived by purely structural arguments.
Ultra-high-Q air-core slab inductors for on-chip power conversion

Air-core slab inductors with specially designed current return paths are proposed to achieve the ultra-high Q required for on-chip power delivery and management at >90% efficiency. Uniquely optimized for buck converter circuits, this CMOS-compatible structure avoids the challenges of thin-film magnetics. Q∼25–30 at 200–300MHz is experimentally demonstrated.
Dynamic information and host acceptance by a tephritid fruit fly

. 1. Female apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh) flies held in field cages usually oviposited in an unparasitized (non-pheromone marked) fruit when it was encountered. 2. Oviposition in a previously parasitized (pheromone marked) fruit depended upon the time since the last oviposition (TSLO) and the percentage of infested fruit encountered during search for oviposition sites. 3. Previous theories of host acceptance suggest that the acceptance or rejection of a host should depend dichotomously on time since last oviposition and the fraction of marked hosts in the last five encounters. The experiments, however, show considerable variability and are thus not consistent with the theory. 4. A new theory for the experiments is introduced. This model involves physiological (egg complement) and informational state variables and leads to intuitive understanding of the experimental results. In particular, the model shows how the plasticity in oviposition site selection may arise from fitness maximizing behaviour. Alternative models are also discussed. All of the models stress the importance of physiological and informational states.
The other side of silence: Levinas, medicine, and literature.

While medicine is surely among humanity's greatest works, the nature of this greatness is beyond its own power to judge. Medicine must answer to ethics. For Immanuel Levinas, ethics is the primordial call of the Other, whose alterity—beyond appropriation, possession or mastery—originally challenges my unquestioning ipseity and thus precedes all forms of knowledge. This recognition of the priority of the Other is quintessentially manifest in my encounter with his suffering and death. Out of this encounter arises the original demand for curative help—for medicine. Unfortunately, medicine, like all forms of knowledge, by nature veils the ethical imperative presupposed by its very existence. Literature helps lift this veil. With its power to bring close, or reflect, distance as such, literature helps medicine face the absolute alterity of the Other's suffering. Paradoxically, it is through its mirroring that literature points medicine beyond its own reflection.
Morphological study of the Al–Ti ohmic contact to p-type SiC

Abstract The composition 70 wt.% Al was recently reported to provide low resistance Al–Ti ohmic contacts with excellent electrical uniformity on p-type SiC. Using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy, an investigation of the surface morphology and edge definition of the annealed contacts was conducted, and the morphology of the buried metal/semiconductor interface was examined by etching away the contact metallization and imaging the freshly exposed SiC surface. This information provides guidance on the suitability of the contact for devices with small feature sizes and shallow p-type epilayers. Patterned contacts exhibited good edge definition, a root-mean-square surface roughness of 11 nm, and a root-mean-square interfacial roughness of 12 nm. The deepest observed penetration of the metallization into the SiC was 65 nm, and the lateral length scale of the morphological features at the buried metal/semiconductor interface was sufficiently small compared to the active area of the contact to allow good contact-to-contact reproducibility. The interfacial reactions and ohmic contact formation mechanism are considered from the point of view of the materials characterization study presented here and the binary Al–Ti and quaternary Al–C–Si–Ti phase diagrams.
Chromium(III), manganese(II), iron(III), and zinc(II) complexes of some substituted aromatic amine n-oxides

Abstract Complexes of the type M(4-Zquinoline N-oxide)6(ClO4)n where Z = CH3O, CH3, H, Cl, and NO2, and M = Cr3+, Fe3+ with n = 3, M = Mn2−, Zn2+ with n = 2, have been studied. Also a series of Zn(4-Zpyridine N-oxide)6(ClO)4)2 complexes are reported (Z = same as above). These new complexes have been characterized via elemental analyses, magnetic moments, molar conductance, conventional infrared spectra, and electronic absorption spectra. Low frequency infrared studies of the metal-oxygen vibrations have been carried out on these complexes and also on the cobalt and nickel quinoline N-oxide complexes previously reported. Comparisons with the complexes of the 4-substituted pyridine N-oxide are made.
Finite element analyses of anisotropic poroelasticity : A generalized Mandel's problem and an inclined borehole problem

The finite element equations for non-linear, anisotropic poroelasticity are cast in the form of measurable engineering constants. Two problems of importance to the rock and petroleum industry are analysed by the FEM. First, the classical Mandel's problem with an extension to transversely isotropic case is investigated. Second, the problem of an inclined borehole is explored. In particular, the effect of material anisotropy on stress concentration near the wall with implication to borehole instability is examined in detail.
Geometric Influences on Radial Indentation of Microtubules

Microtubules assembled in vitro exist in a variety of configurations that vary in number of protofilaments, radius, and skew angle of protofilaments relative to the main microtubule axis. Such variations affect microtubule stability, energetics, and assembly/disassembly dynamics. Further, the most abundant microtubule geometries observed in vitro are influenced by assembly conditions and stabilization methods. We have studied the relationship between microtubule geometry and mechanical properties using finite element modeling (FEM). Specifically, we have examined the effects of protofilament number, microtubule radius, and protofilament skew on the radial stiffness (effective radial spring constant of the microtubule wall) of microtubules as measured in atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments. Our previous AFM work determined that microtubules assembled in the presence of a slowly-hydrolysable GTP analog, GMPCPP, have enhanced radial stiffness relative to those stabilized with paclitaxel. We surmise that in vitro populations of GMPCPP-microtubules and paclitaxel microtubules contain distinct distributions of microtubule geometries, so we have used FEM to examine the relative effect of microtubule geometry on stiffness values we measure. Our modeling results indicate that the changes in stiffness that we have observed experimentally are not simply a result of changes in protofilament number or orientation but instead are likely due to a relative change in material properties (e.g. effective Young's modulus) of the tubulin polymers.
Corrosion of an amorphous indium tin oxide film on polyethylene terephthalate at low concentrations of acrylic acid

Abstract The corrosion behavior of ITO film deposited at low temperature on a polymer substrate by DC magnetron sputtering is studied in 0.05 M acrylic acid to investigate possible corrosion in contact with acrylic adhesives, which are employed in the fabrication of flexible optoelectronic devices. The shift in steady state open circuit potential (OCP) to negative values in electrochemical measurements suggests the increase in dissolution of ITO film with increasing immersion time. The potentiodynamic polarization results show an increase in E corr and a decrease in I corr to lower values with time. This suggests that the electro-activity of ITO film decreases with increasing immersion time. Scanning electron microscopy shows corrosion of the ITO film. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicates a gradual removal of indium from the ITO layer. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis reveals two time constants and an increase in the charge transfer resistance of the Nyquist plot which suggests a decrease in the conductivity of ITO film with increasing immersion time. Both the electrochemical and surface characterization studies suggest a degradation of the conductivity of ITO film with increasing immersion time in 0.05 M acrylic acid.
Anxiety disorders in Parkinson's disease: insights into the neurobiology of neurosis.

It is within living professional memory that mental states in clinical medicine were understood as radically demarcated from their underlying neuroanatomy, neurochemistry, and neuropsychology. The behavioral disorders were relegated to the realm of the “functional,” whereas all the rest of clinical medicine was navigated to the “organic” subcontinents of neurology, cardiology, and general medicine. The bridging insights of neuropsychiatry over the past 20 years have greatly improved our insights about the interactive nature of neurology and psychiatry [1]. First in the aphasias, then in the dementias, and later in the affective disorders, neuropsychiatry has helped us to understand how thought, feeling, and action can be directly influenced by the neurobiology of certain neurologic diseases. The anxiety disorders may be the most common of the psychiatric disorders [2]. Lifetime prevalence rates for DSM-III-R-diagnosable anxiety disorders are as high as 30.5% for women and 19.2% for men [3]. These disorders occur across the lifespan, from childhood to later years. They include a variety of distressing symptoms including nervousness, sleeplessness, hypochondriasis, and many somatic symptoms. They tend to persist, and they are difficult to diagnose and treat. One might wonder whether these disorders will become the mood disorders of the next century. The observation that persons suffering from certain neurological diseases develop certain behavioral syndromes at incidence rates greater than expected has been a most useful insight for neuropsychiatry. Such observations have substantially shaped our theoretical understanding of the affective disorders [4], obsessive‐ compulsive disorder [5], and the psychoses [6]. The anxiety disorders, however, have not received analogous clinical neuropsychiatric investigation. We do have certain neurobiological insights concerning the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry which is of importance to the clinical expression of generalized or episodic anxiety [7]; however, these insights derive primarily from animal experiments, or from functional imaging in humans. Disease-based neuropsychiatry has yet to make its contributions to our understanding of the anxiety disorders.
Dielectric study of pharmacologically important drugs in ethanol at different temperatures using time domain technique

The dielectric relaxation study of pharmacologically important drugs in ethanol has been carried out at various temperatures and concentrations in the frequency range of 10 MHz to 10 GHz using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technique. Dielectric properties i.e. dielectric constant and relaxation time were obtained from the complex permittivity spectra using nonlinear least squares fit method. From the values of relaxation time, thermodynamic parameters were determined. The results obtained are used to interpret the nature and kinds of solute-solvent interactions.
Single file diffusion in mordenite channels: neopentane conversion and H/D exchange as catalytic probes

Abstract When small molecules inside one-dimensional micropores of zeolites are unable to pass along each other, transport is limited by single file diffusion . Product molecules generated inside such micropores are unable to escape to the gas phase if the pores are plugged with physisorbed molecules. As a consequence, the apparent activation energy, E app , is higher than the true activation energy. This is experimentally confirmed by comparing neopentane reactions (H/D exchange, isomerization and hydrogenolysis) over Pt/H-mordenite and Pt/SiO 2 catalysts. At 150°C the Arrhenius line for Pt/H-mordenite shows a break, indicating the switch from the single file diffusion controlled to the chemically controlled regime. The isosteric heat of physisorption of neopentane is −11.5 kcal/mol on Na-mordenite, whereas physisorption on SiO 2 is negligible. In the regime of significant physisorption of neopentane, the increase in E app caused by single file diffusion overcompensates the decrease in E app caused by pre-equilibration between gaseous and physisorbed neopentane.
Modeling of power generation from the mixing of simulated saline and freshwater with a reverse electrodialysis system: The effect of monovalent and multivalent ions

A reverse electrodialysis (RED) system utilizes the transport of cations and anions from controlled mixing of saline water (e.g., seawater) and freshwater (e.g., river water) through selective ion exchange membranes for power generation. Sodium chloride alone has been widely used to create power via salinity gradients in lab-scale RED systems. In an effort to simulate realistic salinity conditions in the natural water environment, in this study a new RED model was developed to quantify the power generation with coexisting monovalent and multivalent salt ions. The effects of different flow rate ratios (saline water flow, OS, over freshwater flow, OF) and intermembrane distance ratios on power density (amount of power per unit membrane area) were investigated. Our results indicated that magnesium sulfate, sodium sulfate, and magnesium chloride in the feed solutions of the RED system led to a 9–20% lower power density than when sodium chloride was the single ion source, largely because of the higher internal stack resistance of the multivalent ions. Higher power densities could be achieved with higher flow rates in the saline water compartment and shorter intermembrane distances in the freshwater compartment. For example, the power density increased by approximately 11% when the flow rate ratio was 5 compared with 1; similarly, an intermembrane distance ratio of 8 yielded an approximately 85% increase in power density compared with a ratio of 1. The goal of the present work is to advance our understanding of RED systems working in realistic salinity environments.
New alternatives in the management of gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abstract Background To date the mainstay of surgical treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) has been achieved with either open or laparoscopic fundoplication. Several new treatment modalities are attempting to augment the gastroesophageal (GE) junction function by various endoscopic means. Methods The Medline database from 1980 to 2002 was searched for studies on endoscopic techniques for antireflux procedures. Product investigators were contacted for data presented in abstract form only. Results Recent improvements in equipment and technique with excellent long-term follow-up have made laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication the gold standard in antireflux surgery. New techniques include using radiofrequency energy, injection of silicon type polymer and using endoluminal sutures to narrow the gastroesophageal junction. Early results have encouraging aspects, but should be evaluated thoroughly and with caution before widespread use. Conclusions Endoscopic treatment of gastroesophageal reflux has future promise. However, more experience and perhaps further improvement in techniques and technology must occur before wide application can be encouraged.
Nucleus accumbens responses differentiate execution and restraint in reward-directed behavior

Our behavior is powerfully driven by environmental cues that signal the availability of rewarding stimuli. We frequently encounter stimuli—a bowl of candy or an alert from our smartphone—that trigg...
3D Finite Element Meshing from Imaging Data

This paper describes an algorithm to extract adaptive and quality 3D meshes directly from volumetric imaging data. The extracted tetrahedral and hexahedral meshes are extensively used in the Finite Element Method (FEM). A top-down octree subdivision coupled with the dual contouring method is used to rapidly extract adaptive 3D finite element meshes with correct topology from volumetric imaging data. The edge contraction and smoothing methods are used to improve the mesh quality. The main contribution is extending the dual contouring method to crack-free interval volume 3D meshing with feature sensitive adaptation. Compared to other tetrahedral extraction methods from imaging data, our method generates adaptive and quality 3D meshes without introducing any hanging nodes. The algorithm has been successfully applied to constructing the geometric model of a biomolecule in finite element calculations.
Krein-Space Representations of Arithmetic Functions Determined by Primes

In this paper, we study representations of the algebra \(\mathcal {A}\) generated by all arithmetic functions, determined by fixed primes (or prime numbers). The main purposes of this paper are (i) to establish nice representational models of \(\mathcal {A}\) under primes, (ii) to study fundamental properties of such representations, (iii) to investigate how \( \mathcal {A}\) is acting as operators in representations, and (iv) to consider new free probability models on Krein-space operator algebras.
Common bile duct injuries during laparoscopic cholecystectomy that result in litigation

Background: Iatrogenic common bile duct injury is the worst complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The goal of this study is to increase awareness of the problem and educate surgeons about the consequences of these injuries.
The Elimination of Redundant Constraints in Surprisal Analysis of Unimolecular Dissociation and Other Endothermic Processes

It is well understood that energy rich polyatomic molecules do not dissociate promptly because the number, P, of their energy states far exceeds the number, N, of the decay channels. In the simples...
Enantioselective ethylation of N-(amidobenzyl)benzotriazoles catalysed by chiral aminoalcohols

Abstract In the presence of the chiral amino-alcohol (−) N,N-dibutylnorephedrine (DBNE), N-(amidobenzyl)benzotriazoles react with diethylzinc to give the corresponding amides with up to76% ee.
Slashed and burned: war, environment, and resource insecurity in West Borneo during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

European colonial efforts to pacify ‘rebellious’ Iban in western Borneo during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries produced chronic resource insecurity and may have contributed to the recorded destructiveness of Iban swidden cultivation. Negative European opinions towards swiddening may have thus been reinforced by a context that the Europeans themselves created. Drawing on anthropological theories linking swidden cultivation and Iban warfare, this article presents a historical case for the relationship between pacification, resource insecurity, and swidden destructiveness. It also re-evaluates Derek Freeman's original diagnosis of Iban as ‘prodigal’ farmers, suggesting that there may have been more to Iban pioneering destruction than the wide availability of ‘virgin’ forest.
Ontogenetic studies of cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase enzymes from mouse heart and other tissues.

Cyclic AMP is one of the factors which regulate cell differentiation. In animals the apparent mechanism of action of cyclic AMP is the activation of protein kinase enzymes. Postnatal changes in cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase enzymes were therefore examined. Determinations were made of the protein kinase and cyclic AMP-binding specific activities and of the isozyme content (as analyzed by DEAE-cellulose chromatography) for cytosol fractions from different neonatal and adult mouse tissues. Slight or negligible differences in enzymatic activity and isozyme distribution were observed in comparisons between neonatal and adult samples obtained from brain, liver and lung. In contrast to these tissues, however, major ontogenetic changes were observed with heart. The protein kinase and cyclic AMP-binding I activities were constant from birth until the end of postnatal week 2. Protein kinase activity decreased 40% between days 12 and 21, and cyclic AMP-binding activity decreased 30% between days 17 and 25. Both activities then decreased gradually with age. By ten months the kinase activity had decreased 75%, and the cyclic AMP-binding activity 60%, from the perinatal levels. In addition to these changes in specific activity there were also age-dependent changes in the heart isozyme distribution. The apparent amounts of the Type I and Type II isozymes decreased 75% and 25%, respectively, with age. Thus, while neonatal heart cytosol contained two to three times more Type I activity than Type II, the relative activities of the two isozymes in adults were nearly equal. The fact that the most dramatic changes in the protein kinase and cyclic AMP-binding specific activities occur at that time period when cardiac growth shifts from a mainly hyperplastic to a predominantly hypertrophic process suggests that this enzyme may have a regulatory role in heart development.