cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The cost-effectiveness of voluntary counseling and testing of Hospital patients for HIV

To the Editor. —We are concerned that readers of the article about the cost-effectiveness of HIV counseling and testing of hospital inpatients by Dr Lurie and colleagues 1 might misinterpret the purposes of the CDC recommendations for voluntary counseling and testing of inpatients. 2 In addition, we believe that Lurie et al underestimate the cost-effectiveness of the CDC recommendations and overestimate the rate of false-positive HIV test results that would occur with large-scale testing. Although Lurie et al refer to the purpose of CDC recommendations for voluntary counseling and testing of hospital patients, we would like to reiterate that CDC recommendations state that HIV testing programs must not be used as a substitute for universal precautions and other infection control techniques. 2 The purpose of the recommendations was not to decrease transmission to health care workers; rather, their purposes were to assist in the differential diagnosis of medical conditions, to
Transport ATPase: further studies on the properties of the thimerosal-treated enzyme.

Abstract Our previous studies showed that when ethylmercurithiosalicylate (thimerosal) interacts with the transport ATPase of the guinea pig kidney under specified conditions, the Na+ + K+-dependent ATPase activity is inhibited, while the Na+-dependent ATPase, the Na+ + ATP-dependent phosphorylation of the enzyme, and the K+-dependent discharge of the phosphoenzyme seem to be unaffected. Here we describe other properties of the thimerosal-treated enzyme: Na+-dependent ADP-ATP exchange, Na+-dependent UTPase, and K+-dependent p-nitrophenylphosphatase activities of the modified enzyme are not inhibited. Kinetics of the Na+ effect on the UTPase activities of the native and the modified enzyme are the same. However, K+ has a greater inhibitory effect on the Na+-UTPase of the modified enzyme than on the Na+-UTPase of the native enzyme. The increase in the apparent affinity of the thimerosal-treated enzyme for K+ is also evident from the kinetics of the K+ effect on p-nitrophenylphosphatase. Neither the native enzyme nor the modified enzyme catalyzes a P1-ATP exchange. The uninhibited activities of the thimerosal-treated enzyme are sensitive to ouabain. These data provide further support for those reaction mechanisms in which the existence of two ATP sites within the enzyme is assumed.
Quinupristin/dalfopristin: a therapeutic review.

Abstract Background: The proliferation of multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREF), has created a pressing need for effective alternative antibiotics. Quinupristin/dalfopristin is a new combination streptogramin product with a selective spectrum of antibacterial activity, mainly against gram-positive aerobic bacteria. It has been assessed primarily in emergency-use protocols, in hospitalized patients with skin and skin-structure infections, and in patients with VREF bacteremia. Objectives: The objectives of this review were to summarize important results of in vitro microbiologic studies; to provide information on relevant pharmacokinetic parameters, drug interactions, and Y-site compatibility; and to assess efficacy and safety data from clinical studies of quinupristin/dalfopristin. Methods: Articles included in this review were identified by a MEDLINE ® search of the literature published between 1966 and September 2000 using the terms Synercid ® , quinupristin , and dalfopristin . Additional articles were retrieved from the reference lists of articles identified in the MEDLINE search. Results: In vitro analysis of the spectrum of activity of quinupristin/dalfopristin has confirmed its relatively selective coverage of gram-positive aerobic bacteria. Both quinupristin and dalfopristin undergo hepatic metabolism and are extensively excreted in the feces. Combination quinupristin/dalfopristin inhibits the cytochrome P450 3A4 pathway, and caution is warranted with concomitant use of other medications eliminated via this pathway. In trials in patients with VREF infections, treatment success with quinupristin/dalfopristin varied depending on the site of infection, ranging from 51.9% in bacteremia of unknown origin to 88.9% in urinary tract infections. The results of comparative clinical trials suggest that quinupristin/dalfopristin has similar efficacy to that of commonly used antibiotics, including cefazolin, oxacillin, and vancomycin, in patients with skin and skin-structure infections or nosocomial pneumonia. The most frequently reported adverse effects with administration of quinupristin/dalfopristin were infusion-site inflammation, pain, and edema; other infusion-site reactions; and thrombophlebitis. Arthralgia, myalgia, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and rash occurred in 2.5% to 4.6% of patients and were the most frequently reported systemic adverse events. Conclusions: Outcomes data from clinical trials indicate that quinupristin/dalfopristin has the potential to play an important role in the treatment of bacteremia, complicated skin and skin-structure infections, and nosocomial pneumonia caused by VREF. Issues of bacterial resistance to quinupristin/dalfopristin and other appropriate uses of this combination agent remain to be elucidated.
113 TWO-DIMENSIONAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY (2D ECHO) IN THE CLOSED CHEST NEWBORN LAMB: METHODOLOGY AND ANATOMICAL OBSERVATIONS

Echocardiography has not been applied to investigation of cardiac anatomy or function in newborn experimental animals. Consequently, we have investigated the feasibility of 2D Echo for cardiac imaging in the conscious closed chest lamb. M-mode and 2D Echo studies were obtained from 16 closed-chest recumbant lambs: (age=120 days gestation-term-3 weeks; wt=1.8-8 kg). All cardiac chambers and valves were consistently and successfully imaged by transducer angulation from a left and a right precordial position. Cardiac structures were verified by constrast echo using selective injections of green dye and echocineangiographic studies. In addition, postmortem examinations demonstrated anatomical relationships and the orientation of cardiac chambers to the echo transducer. The ventricles are in a “side by side” position and optimal imaging of the left ventricular “long axis” was obtained from a right thoracic position. Complete study was readily accomplished in 10-20 minutes. We have examined the relevant anatomical relationships and developed a method for chronic M-mode and 2D echo study of the conscious closed chest lamb. It is believed that echo can be used for the investigation of cardiac function in animal models simulating human neonatal cardiopulmonary distress. Such application could potentially expand the role of echocardiography in the human neonate.
Anatomy of the Frontotemporal Branch of the Facial Nerve and Indications for Interfascial Dissection

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have been conducted of the surgical anatomy of the frontotemporal branch of the facial nerve (FTBFN). However, very few have addressed the indications for interfascial dissection. When the zygomatic arch needs to be exposed, the interfascial approach is recommended to protect the FTBFN. With the transbasal or subfrontal approaches, however, when a bicoronal skin incision is used, the need for the interfascial approach is not clear. METHODS: We studied 10 temporal regions (5 cadaveric heads). We dissected the recognized fascial layers of the temporal region and the FTBFN. We performed a histological study in a sixth specimen. RESULTS: We observed the following. 1) The galea and the superficial layer of the deep temporal fascia become fused in a curved line from the lateral orbital border 2.8 cm above the zygomatic arch to a point 3 cm posterior to the inferolateral angle of the orbit. 2) After this transitional area of adherence, the subgaleal loose cellular layer is lost and is replaced by a fibrofatty tissue. 3) The FTBFN in its course above the zygomatic arch runs in this tissue layer without being protected by the galea. 4) Over the superolateral angle of the orbital rim, the galea protects FTBFN, and there are no subgaleal adhesions in that area. CONCLUSION: Above the zygomatic arch, the FTBFN is not protected by the galea. During bicoronal approaches, if only the superolateral angle of the orbital rim needs to be exposed and not the zygomatic arch, there is no need to protect the FTBFN using an interfascial approach.
Effects of Spin-Orbit Coupling in Si and Ge

A treatment of spin-orbit effects in some semiconductors is given using the effective-mass method and orthogonalized-plane-wave type wave functions. In this formalism, the spin-orbit splitting of valence states in the crystal is expressed directly in terms of either experimental or calculated values of the spin-orbit splitting of the atomic-core states. The calculation yields values in good agreement with experiments for the splitting at ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{{25}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ for Si and at both ${\ensuremath{\Gamma}}_{{25}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ and ${L}_{{3}^{\ensuremath{'}}}$ for Ge. A demonstration is given of the enhancement of the spin-orbit splitting of valence states in the crystal over the corresponding atomic value.The shift in the $g$ tensor due to spin-orbit interactions is studied in Si and Ge. Because of crystal selection rules, the usual two-band approximation to the effective-mass sum rule is inadequate for Si and, in particular, the core state must be considered. When all important states are included, the calculations yield values in good agreement with experiment. In the case of Ge, it is found that core states do not contribute appreciably to the $g$ tensor. However, the calculated value for the shift in the transverse component of the $g$ tensor has an opposite sign to the measured one.A certain matrix element of the deformation potential for Si is also evaluated based on the measured shift in the $g$ value due to strain. The result is compared with other deformation potentials in Si.
Model predictions and comparisons for three toxicokinetic models for the systemic transport of trichloroethylene

In this paper, we present and compare three physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for the systemic transport of trichloroethylene (TCE), a common environmental toxicant. Of particular interest is the disposition of TCE in the adipose tissue, where TCE is known to accumulate. The first two systemic models utilize standard ODE-based adipose compartments that assume rapid equilibrium and uniformity. The third model includes a PDE-based axial dispersion model that is designed to capture the heterogeneous physiology of adipose tissue and the expected transport of TCE there. Using numerical methods and model simulations, we compare the predicted concentration profiles of TCE in the adipose tissue for the three systemic models. Our results suggest that the dispersion-based adipose compartmental model is best able to capture the physiological heterogeneities of adipose tissue and their expected effects on TCE adipose concentrations.
Synthesis of substituted pyrrolo[1,2-α]pyrimidines

A facile route for the synthesis of pyrrolo[ 1,2-α]pyrimidine derivatives and data for structural assignment are reported.
CORR Insights®: Spectroscopic and chromatographic quantification of an antioxidant-stabilized ultrahigh-molecular-weight polyethylene.

This CORR Insights® is a commentary on the article “Spectroscopic and Chromatographic Quantification of an Antioxidant-stabilized Ultrahigh-molecular-weight Polyethylene” by Narayan and colleagues available at: DOI: 10.1007/s11999-014-4108-6. The author certifies that he, or any member of his immediate family, has no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request. The opinions expressed are those of the writers, and do not reflect the opinion or policy of CORR ® or the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons®. This CORR Insights® comment refers to the article available at DOI: 10.1007/s11999-014-4108-6.
Effect on Thrombolysis and its Complication of Graft Occlusion and Specific Risk Factors

The objective of this study was to correlate the initial outcome of thrombolytic therapy in patients with specific risk factors who presented with an occluded synthetic graft. Seventy-seven angiographically documented occluded synthetic grafts were treated with urokinase. All patients presented within thirty days of occlusion. The cases were investi gated according to specific risk factors: smoking (SM), hypertension (HT), coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus (DM). A high number of occlusions occurred in patients had a history of heavy smoking (84.4%). Complete thrombolysis was achieved in 46 of 77 (59.7%) graft occlusions. Thirty-eight of 65 (58.5%) occlusions in patients who smoked, 29 of 47 (61.7%) occlusions in patients with HT, 22 of 36 (61.1%) occlu sions in patients with CAD, and 18 of 25 (72.0%) occlusions in patients with DM were completely lysed. When comparison was made between the specific risk factors, no signif icant difference was found in complete lysis. Forty-seven complic...
Octahedral hybrid orbitals

Abstract It is pointed out, correcting the opposite statement by Boyle, that the original description of the shape of d2sp3 octahedral hybrid orbitals is correct.
Political Culture and African Americans' Forgiveness of Elected Officials

A noticeable component of African American political behavior is a tendency to support some elected officials who were involved in earlier scandals. This political forgiveness has also been seen among urban white ethnics, whose political culture tolerated occasional misbehavior among elected officials, provided the officials worked to meet the material needs of their supporters. African Americans have similar expectations of their elected officials, but also forgive errant politicians who have been forceful advocates on behalf of issues that are of great concern to their constituents.
Immunohistochemical staining of lentigo maligna during Mohs micrographic surgery using MART-1.

Abstract Background: Lentigo maligna (LM) often displays extensive subclinical spread. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) has been proposed to help delineate the true histologic margin; however, visualizing atypical melanocytes on frozen section is challenging and often requires confirmatory permanent paraffin sections. Objective: Our aim was to use a monoclonal antibody to rapidly stain frozen sections during MMS to facilitate better visualization of atypical melanocytes. Methods: Frozen sections of LM during MMS were stained with MART-1 ( m elanoma a ntigen r ecognized by T cells) and compared with paraffin-embedded sections. Results: We found 100% correlation between frozen sections stained with MART-1 and paraffin-embedded sections. Conclusions: Atypical melanocytes can be better visualized on frozen sections of LM by using MART-1 rather than hematoxylin and eosin. This allows for easier identification during MMS and better chance of complete removal of LM lesions. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2002;46:78-84.)
Interfacing to a virtualized network infrastructure through network service abstractions

Virtualization is the base for a diversified next-generation network architecture design. Much work has been done on virtualization infrastructure, but it is still unclear how to easily instantiate a network slice that meets a high-level description of network functionality. Our work addresses this problem that occurs at the interface between network service providers and virtualized infrastructure providers. The proposed Service-based Network Virtualization System (SNVS), which is based on our previously developed network service architecture, provides a comprehensive and extensible interface to ease the development of new network services, protocols, and applications in virtualized networks.
Structure of vertebrate genes: A statistical analysis implicating selection

This paper conducts a statistical analysis of the size distributions of exons and six other gene parts [the transcription unit, introns, intervening DNA (sum of introns), mRNA (sum of exons), and leader and trailer regions of mRNA] as well as the number of exons, the percentage of introns, the placement of introns within the gene, and the potential for frameshifts from coding exon shifts. The first seven variables measured in base pairs fit lognormal distributions. Significant correlations between the sizes of intervening DNA and mRNA, the sizes of leader and trailer regions, and the sizes of introns and flanking exons exist. Introns occur at nonrandom frequencies within the codon frame, in untranslated regions, and relative to the frameshift potential from exon movement or duplication. These nonrandom patterns in gene structure demonstrate that models of gene evolution must incorporate selective processes.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Rietveld Refinement of Tungsten-Framework-Doped Porous Manganese Oxide (K-OMS-2) Material

Tungsten was successfully doped at 1 and 2 mol % tungsten into the K-OMS-2 framework. Sodium tungstate and tungsten pentabromide were used in a reflux synthesis preparation. The data collected from the characterization methods collectively affirm the substitution of tungsten into the K-OMS-2 framework. Conductivity measurements showed an increase in the resistivity. Conversion of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde had a conversion of 25 and 15% for the sodium tungstate and tungsten pentabromide, respectively, while retaining 100% selectivity. Properties such as the resistivity, thermal stability, and crystallinity of the material were altered depending on the amount and type of starting reactants used.
Naturality in Conformal Field Theory

We discuss constraints on the operator product coefficients in diagonal and nondiagonal rational conformal field theories. Nondiagonal modular invariants always arise from automorphisms of the fusion rule algebra or from extensions of the chiral algebra. Moreover, when the chiral algebra has been maximally extended a strong form of the naturality principle of field theory can be proven for rational conformal field theory: operator product coefficients vanish if and only if the corresponding fusion rules vanish; that is, if and only if the vanishing can be understood in terms of a symmetry. We illustrate these ideas with several examples. We also generalize our ideas about rational conformal field theories to a larger class of theories: “quasi-rational conformal field theories” and we explore some of their properties.
Understanding Global Climate Variability and Its Effects on Marine Ecosystems: Marine Ecosystems and Climate: Modeling and Analysis of Observed Variability; Boulder, Colorado, 2–14 August 2009

Despite evidence of significant impacts from climate change, relatively few published papers in ecology, conservation biology, and biodiversity research deal with marine systems. This stark fact motivated a recent colloquium, hosted by the Advanced Study Program (ASP) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). The goal was to encourage graduate students to undertake research studies on understanding and predicting global climate variability and its impacts on marine ecosystems. An invited group of 18 international experts worked closely with 26 students from the climate, marine ecosystem, and impact communities.
Discovering Disagreeing Epistemic Peers and Superiors

Abstract Suppose you know that someone is your epistemic peer regarding some topic. You admit that you cannot think of any relevant epistemic advantage you have over her when it comes to that topic; you admit that she is just as likely as you to get P’s truth-value right. Alternatively, you might know that she is your epistemic superior regarding the topic. And then after learning this about her you find out that she disagrees with you about P. In those situations it appears that the confidence with which one holds one’s belief should be significantly reduced. My primary goal in this essay is to present and reflect upon a set of cases of disagreement that have not been discussed in the literature but are vital to consider. I argue that in the new cases one is reasonable in not lowering one’s confidence in the belief. Then I articulate and defend an ambitious principle, the Disagreement Principle, meant to answer the question ‘Under what conditions am I epistemically blameworthy in retaining my belief with...
Science Teachers' Beliefs about the Influence of Their Summer Research Experiences on Their Pedagogical Practices.

This study sought to determine the beliefs that tenured, in-service high school science teachers hold about how their participation in a large mid-Atlantic university’s 6-week summer research experiences for teachers (RET) program might influence their pedagogical practices. The findings show a number of factors that teachers believed helped them to be successful during their summer RET program that center on science content knowledge, laboratory experiences, cognitive skills, and mentor dispositions. Teachers further believed that the successes they experienced during their summer RET program influenced how they would plan to teach their own students science. The findings suggest that having science teachers conduct research might help to facilitate changes in their beliefs about their pedagogical practices.
Predicting Well Performance in Naturally Fractured Reservoir

Multiple hydraulic fracture treatments in reservoirs with natural fractures create complex fracture networks. Predicting well performance in such a complex fracture network system is an extreme challenge. The statistical nature of natural fracture networks changes the flow characteristics from that of a single linear fracture. Simply using single linear fracture models for individual fractures, and then summing the flow from each fracture as the total flow rate for the network could introduce significant error. In this paper we present a semi-analytical model by a source method to estimate well performance in a complex fracture network system. The method simulates complex fracture systems in a more reasonable approach. The natural fracture system we used is fractal discrete fracture network model. We then added multiple dominating hydraulic fractures to the natural fracture system. Each of the hydraulic fractures is connected to the horizontal wellbore, and some of the natural fractures are connected to the hydraulic fractures through the network description. Each fracture, natural or hydraulically induced, is treated as a series of slab sources. The analytical solution of superposed slab sources provides the base of the approach, and the overall flow from each fracture and the effect between the fractures are modeled by applying the superposition principle to all of the fractures. The fluid inside the natural fractures flows into the hydraulic fractures, and the fluid of the hydraulic fracture from both the reservoir and the natural fractures flows to the wellbore. This paper also shows that non-Darcy flow effects have an impact on the performance of fractured horizontal wells. In hydraulic fracture calculation, non-Darcy flow can be treated as the reduction of permeability in the fracture to a considerably smaller effective permeability. The reduction is about 2% to 20%, due to non-Darcy flow that can result in a low rate.The semi-analytical solution presented can be used to efficiently calculate the flow rate of multistage-fractured wells. Examples are used to illustrate the application of the model to evaluate well performance in reservoirs that contain complex fracture networks.© 2013 ASME
A Note on the Use of "Ethno-Tests" and Western Projective Tests in a Peruvian Amazon Slum.

Traditional psychological tests as the Rorschach and TAT have been shown to yield less than adequate date on non-Western populations or groups undergoing rapid culture change. The author, working among an urbanized Mestizo group in the Peruvian Amazon city of Iquitos, focuses upon what she calls an ethno-projec-tive device - in this case, a deck of fortune-telling cards, locally called naipes, which can be used to tap thematic materials present in a sample more adequately than a similar group to whom TATs were administered. She hypothesized that the use of Western projective tests would yield data of limited use when compared to a device such as the one under discussion, which has a history of over 400 years in Latin American culture. Her data did not enable her to confirm nor reject the original hypothesis, since it was virtually impossible to utilize the same sample in both testing situations. She compared TAT themes elicited from a sample of 45 female slum residents to card readings she made of the nai...
Development of an information system for the child abuse and neglect service system

A plan for developing an information system that provides a basis for improved decision making and planning at all levels in a child abuse and neglect service system is offered. The goal attainment scaling method (GAS) is suggested as a means for assisting the client and social worker in identifying needs and in developing a treatment plan for meeting these needs. The proposed information system is outlined using the goal attainment scaling instrument as the basic informational unit.
Effects of Altered Phosphorylation Sites on the Properties of CTP:Phosphocholine Cytidylyltransferase

To investigate the role of phosphorylation and dephosphorylation in modulating the activity and location of CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase, we used site-directed mutagenesis to construct four mutant forms of cytidylyltransferase. These forms were 5SP ⟶ AP, in which five of the seven Ser-Pro sequences were converted to Ala-Pro; 7SP ⟶ AP, in which all of the seven Ser-Pro sequences converted to Ala-Pro; 16S ⟶ A, in which all sixteen Ser residues that can be phosphorylated in wild type cytidylyltransferase were converted to Ala; and 16S ⟶ E, in which all sixteen Ser residues were converted to Glu. The mutant enzymes were expressed in the strain 58 Chinese hamster ovary cell line, which is temperature-sensitive for growth and cytidylyltransferase activity. All mutant enzyme forms were enzymatically as active as the wild type when assayed under optimal conditions. In untreated cells, more of the Ser ⟶ Ala mutants were membrane-associated than in cells expressing wild type enzyme, consistent with the phosphorylation state of the enzyme affecting its affinity for membranes. About half of the 16S ⟶ A mutant remained soluble, however, indicating that dephosphorylation alone does not trigger membrane association. Although the amount of membrane-associated enzyme in the 16S ⟶ A mutant was about 10-fold greater than that of wild type, phosphatidylcholine synthesis was increased by only about 75%, suggesting that membrane association does not necessarily cause full activation. All mutant forms, including the 16S ⟶ E mutant, translocated to the particulate fraction upon oleate treatment, indicating that a high negative charge in the phosphorylation region does not preclude association of cytidylyltransferase with membranes. All mutant enzymes were able to support growth of strain 58 at 40°C, and the rate of phosphatidylcholine synthesis was not greatly altered in the cell lines expressing mutant cytidylyltransferase forms. These results are consistent with a role for phosphorylation in the equilibrium distribution of cytidylyltransferase but suggest that changes in enzyme activity and location are not triggered exclusively by changes in the phosphorylation state.
Treatment of Voice Hyperfunction in the Pre-Adolescent

Children with hyperfunctional voice disorders may respond readily to behavioral voice therapy based on education, voice conservation strategies, direct vocal function exercises, family and peer sup...
Neutralizing the Political Threat of the Marginal Woman: Lesbians' Beliefs About Bisexual Women

One might expect lesbian and bisexual women to form a strong alliance because of their common marginalization in a heterosexist and sexist society. But previous research has shown that tension exists between lesbian and bisexual women and that some segments of the lesbian community consider bisexuality a threat to lesbian politics. In this article I report data on beliefs about bisexual women gathered from 346 self‐identified lesbians via self‐administered questionnaires and discuss the relationship between lesbian and bisexual women as a special case of intergroup relations. Most lesbian respondents believed that bisexual identity is more likely than lesbian identity to be a phase or a way of denying one's true sexuality and that bisexual women are less personally and politically loyal and more willing and able to pass as heterosexual than are lesbians. Lesbians’ beliefs about bisexual women were uncorrelated with demographics, but lesbians who reported having some heterosexual feelings were less incline...
Investigating the Impact of Bisphosphonates and Structurally Related Compounds on Bacteria Containing Conjugative Plasmids

Bacterial plasmids propagate through microbial populations via the directed process of conjugative plasmid transfer (CPT). Because conjugative plasmids often encode antibiotic resistance genes and virulence factors, several approaches to inhibit CPT have been described. Bisphosphonates and structurally related compounds (BSRCs) were previously reported to disrupt conjugative transfer of the F (fertility) plasmid in Escherichia coli. We have further investigated the effect of these compounds on the transfer of two additional conjugative plasmids, pCU1 and R100, between E. coli cells. The impact of BSRCs on E. coli survival and plasmid transfer was found to be dependent on the plasmid type, the length of time the E. coli were exposed to the compounds, and the ratio of plasmid donor to plasmid recipient cells. Therefore, these data indicate that BSRCs produce a range of effects on the conjugative transfer of bacterial plasmids in E. coli. Since their impact appears to be plasmid type-dependent, BSRCs are unlikely to be applicable as broad inhibitors of antibiotic resistance propagation.
Reduction of cytochrome b5 by NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase.

Abstract The reduction of mammalian cytochrome b 5 ( b 5 ) by NADPH–cytochrome P450 (P450) reductase is involved in a number of biological reactions. The kinetics of the process have received limited consideration previously, and a combination of pre-steady-state (stopped-flow) and steady-state approaches was used to investigate the mechanism of b 5 reduction. In the absence of detergent or lipid, a reductase– b 5 complex is formed and rearranges slowly to an active form. Electron transfer to b 5 is rapid within this complex (>30 s −1 at 23 °C), as fast as to cytochrome c . With excess b 5 present, a burst of reduction is observed, consistent with rapid electron transfer to one or two b 5 molecules per reductase, followed by a subsequent rate-limiting event. In detergent vesicles, the reductase and b 5 interact rapidly but electron transfer is slower (∼3 s −1 at 23 °C). Experiments with dimyristyl lecithin vesicles yielded results intermediate between the non-vesicle and detergent systems. These steady-state and pre-steady-state kinetics provide views of the different natures of the reduction of b 5 by the reductase in the absence and presence of vesicles. Without vesicles, the encounter of the reductase and b 5 is rapid, followed by a slow reorganization of the initial complex (∼0.07 s −1 ), very fast reduction, and dissociation. In vesicles, encounter is rapid and the slow step (∼3 s −1 ) is reduction within a complex less favorable for reduction than in the non-vesicle systems.
Validation of ICD-9-CM coding algorithm for improved identification of hypoglycemia visits

Accurate identification of hypoglycemia cases by International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes will help to describe epidemiology, monitor trends, and propose interventions for this important complication in patients with diabetes. Prior hypoglycemia studies utilized incomplete search strategies and may be methodologically flawed. We sought to validate a new ICD-9-CM coding algorithm for accurate identification of hypoglycemia visits. This was a multicenter, retrospective cohort study using a structured medical record review at three academic emergency departments from July 1, 2005 to June 30, 2006. We prospectively derived a coding algorithm to identify hypoglycemia visits using ICD-9-CM codes (250.3, 250.8, 251.0, 251.1, 251.2, 270.3, 775.0, 775.6, and 962.3). We confirmed hypoglycemia cases by chart review identified by candidate ICD-9-CM codes during the study period. The case definition for hypoglycemia was documented blood glucose 3.9 mmol/l or emergency physician charted diagnosis of hypoglycemia. We evaluated individual components and calculated the positive predictive value. We reviewed 636 charts identified by the candidate ICD-9-CM codes and confirmed 436 (64%) cases of hypoglycemia by chart review. Diabetes with other specified manifestations (250.8), often excluded in prior hypoglycemia analyses, identified 83% of hypoglycemia visits, and unspecified hypoglycemia (251.2) identified 13% of hypoglycemia visits. The absence of any predetermined co-diagnosis codes improved the positive predictive value of code 250.8 from 62% to 92%, while excluding only 10 (2%) true hypoglycemia visits. Although prior analyses included only the first-listed ICD-9 code, more than one-quarter of identified hypoglycemia visits were outside this primary diagnosis field. Overall, the proposed algorithm had 89% positive predictive value (95% confidence interval, 86–92) for detecting hypoglycemia visits. The proposed algorithm improves on prior strategies to identify hypoglycemia visits in administrative data sets and will enhance the ability to study the epidemiology and design interventions for this important complication of diabetes care.
A comment on alternative derivations of the two input production function with constant elasticity of substitution

Two alternative derivations of a two input production function with constant elasticity of substitution have recently appeared in the literature. The function was first derived by Arrow, Chenery, Minhas, and Solow1 and then independently derived by Brown and de Cani2. In this paper an alternative proof of the Brown-de Cani derivation will be presented and the relationship between the alternative derivations will be clarified.
Pragmatism and virtue ethics in clinical research.

While research ethics has recently been described as a specific area of focus within bioethics itself (Kaebnick 2008), insofar as the delivery of care is inextricably linked with the products of cl...
INCREMENTAL COSTS AND BENEFITS SHAPE NATAL DISPERSAL: THEORY AND EXAMPLE WITH HEMILEPISTUS REAUMURI

Incremental (distance-dependent) costs and benefits of dispersal have received less attention than those that are qualitative. We present a dynamic programming model of settling behavior using parameters estimated from a field study of dispersal in desert isopods, Hemilepistus reaumuri, which walk up to thousands of meters before settling in new or already-established burrows each spring. The model shows that incremental costs of dispersal lead to right-skewed population dispersal patterns, in contrast to cost-free systems or those with unitary costs (i.e., a one-time cost of leaving a group or patch). In the model, continuous variation in habitat quality, as opposed to discrete suitable vs. unsuitable sites, allows for trade-offs with dispersal costs that lead to shifts in the likelihood of settling in a patch of a given quality. Thus, measurement of quantitative costs and benefits of movement are needed to understand population dispersal distributions. These costs or benefits may be observable during or after movement, and we examined both pre- and postsettling incremental consequences of dispersal. The daily mortality rate of traveling isopods was 4.2% during the dispersal season, higher than that of settled individuals. Successful settlers traveled more slowly, but burrows started in midseason were most likely to succeed. More distant burrows failed more often, suggesting either an additional cost of movement or a difference in the quality of individuals traveling different distances. The predicted mean dispersal duration from the simulations matched observed values closely, but was based on an unrealistic assumption of perfect knowledge of habitat quality, suggesting some other factor favors longer times before settling. Reproductive success was much higher in re-used burrows than in new burrows, making them a possible incentive for long-distance movements.
Monovalent Cation Binding by Curved DNA Molecules Containing Variable Numbers of A-Tracts

Monovalent cation binding by DNA A-tracts, runs of four or more contiguous adenine or thymine residues, has been determined for two curved ∼200 basepair (bp) restriction fragments, one taken from the M13 origin of replication and the other from the VP1 gene of SV40. These two fragments have previously been shown to contain stable, centrally located bends of 44° and 46°, respectively, located within ∼60 bp “curvature modules” containing four or five irregularly spaced A-tracts. Transient electric birefringence measurements of these two fragments, sequence variants containing reduced numbers of A-tracts in the SV40 curvature module or changes in the residues flanking the A-tracts in the M13 curvature module, have been combined with the free solution electrophoretic mobilities of the same fragments using known equations to estimate the effective charge of each fragment. The effective charge is reduced, on average, by one-third charge for each A-tract in the curvature module, suggesting that each A-tract binds a monovalent cation approximately one-third of the time. Monovalent cation binding to two or more A-tracts is required to observe significant curvature of the DNA helix axis.
Crosslinking of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) by buckminsterfullerene

An EPDM (ethylene-propylene-ethylidene norbornene terpolymer) rubber has been dissolved in o-dichlorobenzene with 1 phr of C60. When cast onto a glass slide and dried, an insoluble film exhibiting reversible elasticity forms.
Living Wage Considerations in the Right-to-Work State of South Carolina

In a time of economic crisis, when unemployment and food insecurity have increased dramatically in South Carolina, is a living wage movement more or less likely? This article does not investigate this question ethnographically, but discusses the conditions for a living wage movement in this southern U.S. state, including the right-to-work legislation and logics that frame understandings and policies regarding employment and economic well-being in the state. Interpretive and political economic anthropological perspectives are employed in this analysis.
The effects of fatigue and residual strain on the mechanical behavior of poly(ethylene terephthalate) unreinforced and nanocomposite fibers

Abstract Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) control fibers (nominal diameter ∼24 ± 3 μm) and PET fibers with embedded vapor-grown carbon nanofibers (PET-VGCNF) (nominal diameter ∼25 ± 2 μm) were exposed to cyclic loading and monotonic tensile tests. The control fibers were processed through a typical melt-blending technique and the PET-VGCNF samples were processed with approximately 5 wt.% carbon nanofibers present in the sample. Under uniaxial fatigue conditions, the fibers were subjected to a maximum stress that was approximately 60% of the fracture stress of the sample at an elongation rate of 10 mm/min in uniaxial tension. The fibers were subjected to a frequency of 5 Hz. Subsequent to non-fracture fatigue conditions, the fibers were tested under uniaxial stress conditions for observation of the change in mechanical properties to assess the effects of fatigue loading. The elastic modulus, hardening modulus, fracture strength, work done, and yield strain of both PET control and PET-VGCNF samples in uniaxial tension subsequent to fatigue were shown to be dependent on the residual fatigue strains. Relative mechanical properties were used to quantify the difference in PET and PET-VGCNF samples as a function of residual strain. In most cases, the results indicated a strengthening mechanism (strain hardening effect) in the low residual strain limit for fatigued PET samples and not for fatigued PET-VGCNF samples. In comparison with the unreinforced PET sample, the PET-VGCNF fibers showed greater degradation of mechanical properties as a function of residual strain due to fatigue when cycled at 60% of the fracture stress. The effects of the fatigue process on the change in mechanical properties have been quantified and supported through existing qualitative, quantitative, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques.
Scaling relations and the δ expansion

Abstract The δ expansion is an expansion of a quantum field theory in a parameter describing the degree of non-linearity of the theory. We show how to use engineering scaling relations to enforce the correct functional dependence of physical quantities on the coupling constant g when calculated order by order in δ and thus improving the accuracy of the δ expansion. To illustrate this idea we study the equal-time correlation functions for supersymmetric quantum mechanics, and the effective potential for a generalized Gross-Neveu model: g 2 ( ovbarΨΨ ) 2 δ in the large- N limit.
Practical application of seminal plasma.

Natural mating deposits a large number of sperm in a high volume of seminal plasma. Semen processed for AI has the seminal plasma greatly diluted, and processing of boar sperm for cryopreservation removes all seminal plasma. Boar sperm were evaluated for the impact of seminal plasma on the functional status of boar sperm. Seminal plasma prevented or reversed capacitation in frozen–thawed boar sperm. However, supplementing frozen–thawed semen doses with 10% seminal plasma did not significantly affect the number of sperm found in the utero-tubal sperm reservoir, nor did it affect farrowing rates.
Inhibition of the Na/Bicarbonate Cotransporter NBCe1-A by diBAC Oxonol Dyes Relative to Niflumic Acid and a Stilbene

Na/HCO3 cotransporters (NBCs) are important regulators of intracellular pH (pH i ) in a variety of organ systems where acid-base status is critical for tissue function. To characterize the pharmacology of NBCs in more detail, we used the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique to examine the effect of previously identified inhibitors of anion exchanger 1 (AE1) on the activity of rat NBCe1-A expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes. NBC-expressing oocytes voltage-clamped at −60 mV and exposed to a 5% CO2/33 mM HCO 3 − solution displayed NBC-mediated outward currents that were inhibited by either niflumic acid or one of the two bis-oxonol dyes diBA(3)C4 and diBA(5)C4. NBCe1-A was less sensitive to niflumic acid (apparent K i of 100 μM) than 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS, apparent K i of 36 μM) but more sensitive to the diBAC dyes (apparent K i of ∼10 μM). Based on current-voltage relationships, the diBAC dyes inhibited HCO 3 − -induced NBCe1-mediated inward currents more so than outward currents. NBCe1 sensitivity to the dyes was (1) lower in the presence of 40 μM DIDS, (2) unaffected by changes in external HCO 3 − concentration and (3) only modestly higher at an external Na+ concentration of 5, but not 15 or 33, mM. Therefore, the diBAC dyes compete with DIDS but not appreciably with Na+ or HCO 3 − for binding. The mechanism of diBAC inhibition of NBCe1 appears similar to that previously reported for AE1.
Fatal ingestion of plastic resin catalyst.

A 46-year-old man ingested approximately 50 ml of a plastic resin catalyst He developed persistent gastrointestinal bleeding, renal and hepatic failure, pneumonitis, and septicemia, and died four weeks later. Autopsy revealed chronic esophagitis and gastritis with massive intraluminal gastrointestinal hemorrhage. This case emphasizes the potential danger of ingestion of such substances.
Relationship between plasma delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol concentration and pharmacologic effects in man.

The relationship between each of two pharmacologic effects (tachycardia and psychological “high”) of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and plasma THC concentration was investigated in three male and three female experienced marihuana smokers. Each subject smoked one 1% THC cigarette on two occasions separated by 2 h. Heart rate and subjective psychological self-rating were determined frequently throughout the 4 h study period. Data were analyzed by calculating the area under the parameter versus time curves, constructing hysteresis plots, and calculating the decay rate constants from pharmacologic effect versus time plots. In both males and females, dose inhaled and psychological response were apparently equivalent for the first and second cigarettes. While all subjects exhibited marked tachycardia in response to the first cigarette, heart rate in both male and female subjects was not increased as markedly during the second cigarette. Interestingly, female subjects had less tachycardiac response than males during the second cigarette. Hysteresis plots revealed that both heart rate and subjective psychological effects were elicited in an effect compartment which was “deep” relative to the reference plasma compartment. The time courses of tachycardiac and psychological responses lagged behind the plasma THC concentration-time profile. Zero-order decay rate constants for subjective psychological rating did not change substantially from the first to second cigarette. This study suggests that plasma THC concentration is a poor predictor of simultaneously occurring physiological and psychological pharmacologic effects.
Impact of carbon and nitrogen conditions on E. coli surface thermodynamics

Abstract Escherichia coli cultured under different carbon and nitrogen conditions was measured for growth and surface thermodynamics to examine the impact of C/N ratio on E. coli growth and its surface thermodynamics. Among the three carbon sources, glucose grown cultures had the greatest specific growth rate (0.67 and 0.44 h −1 with ammonia and nitrate serving as the nitrogen source, respectively, and no carbon or nitrogen limitation), and yielded the least hydrophilic surface (31.49 and 22.23 mJ m −2 of the total interfacial free energy of interaction); propionate grown cultures had the greatest stoichiometric yield coefficient (0.61 and 0.49 g biomass per g substrate), lipopolysaccharide production efficiency (0.161 and 0.149 g per g biomass), and yielded the most hydrophilic surface (46.32 and 39.32 mJ m −2 of the total interfacial free energy of interaction). For the same carbon source, ammonia-grown cultures yielded a greater specific growth rate, growth yield and lipopolysaccharide production efficiency, and a more hydrophilic surface than nitrate grown cultures. In carbon-limited cultures, a smaller specific growth rate and lipopolysaccharide production efficiency and greater growth yield were observed as compared with cultures grown with no carbon and nitrogen limitation. In addition, under carbon-limited growth, the cells exhibited a less hydrophilic surface. When nitrogen was the limiting factor, E. coli displayed a smaller specific growth rate and growth yield, greater lipopolysaccharide production efficiency and a more hydrophilic surface as compared with cultures grown with no carbon and nitrogen limitation.
A WNK in the kidney controls blood pressure.

Precise control of sodium excretion by the kidney is critical for maintaining fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. A new mouse model provides compelling evidence that a kinase, WNK4, provides key signals for regulating blood pressure and potassium balance by controlling the structure and function of the distal convoluted tubule.