cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A common-path optical coherence tomography distance-sensor based surface tracking and motion compensation hand-held microsurgical tool

Microsurgery requires constant attention to the involuntary motion due to physiological tremors. In this work, we demonstrated a simple and compact hand-held microsurgical tool capable of surface tracking and motion compensation based on common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) distance-sensor to improve the accuracy and safety of microsurgery. This tool is miniaturized into a 15mm-diameter plastic syringe and capable of surface tracking at less than 5 micrometer resolution. A phantom made with Intralipid layers is used to simulate a real tissue surface and a single-fiber integrated micro-dissector works as a surgical tip to perform tracking and accurate incision on the phantom surface. The micro-incision depth is evaluated after each operation through a fast 3D scanning by the Fourier domain OCT system. The results using the surface tracking and motion compensation tool show significant improvement compared to the results by free-hand.
Requirement for the POZ/BTB protein NAC1 in acute but not chronic psychomotor stimulant response

NAC1 is a novel member of the POZ/BTB (Pox virus and Zinc finger/Bric-a-bracTramtrack Broad complex) but varies from other proteins of this class in that it lacks the characteristic DNA-binding motif, suggesting a novel role. We have employed constitutive gene deletion to elucidate the role of NAC1 in vivo. Nac1 mutant mice are viable with no obvious developmental or physiological impairments. Previous studies suggest a role for NAC1 in cocaine-mediated behaviors. Therefore, we evaluated a variety of behaviors associated with psychomotor stimulant effects in Nac1 mutant mice. Acute locomotor activating effects of cocaine or amphetamine are absent in Nac1 mutant mice, however longer exposure to these psychomotor stimulants result in the development of behavioral sensitization. Acute rewarding properties of cocaine and amphetamine are also blunted in mutant mice, yet repeated exposure resulted in conditioned place preference similar to that observed in wild-type mice. Lastly, increases in extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens, which accompany acute cocaine administration, are blunted in mutant mice, but following chronic cocaine extracellular dopamine levels are increased to the same extent as in wild-type mice. Together these data indicate involvement of NAC1 in the acute behavioral and neurochemical responses to psychomotor stimulants.
Molecular Dissection of the Humoral Immune Response to Individual Varicella-Zoster Viral Proteins During Chickenpox, Quiescence, Reinfection, and Reactivation

The sequence of antibody formation to molecularly defined varicella-zoster virus (VZV) proteins was examined during the course of chickenpox, quiescence, and subsequent VZV reactivation and reinfection. The first antibodies produced after primary VZV infection were to two virion envelope glycoproteins, gp66 and gp118 , and the nucleocapsid protein p155 . Within one to two months, antibodies to a greater array of viral proteins and glycoproteins were observed. Antibodies to the immunodominant viral proteins ( gp66 , gp118 , and p155 ) persisted for years after varicella and were, therefore, excellent markers of prior VZV infection. Subclinical VZV reinfection also was associated with transient rises in levels of the same polypeptide-specific antibodies as during primary disease. The immunoglobulin response to zoster appeared more rapidly than that to chickenpox or reinfection and was to the broadest complement of viral proteins, including the distinctive VZV polypeptide p32. These radioimmune-precipitation profiles could be subdivided into six different patterns characteristic of the following clinical states: acute- and convalescent-phase chickenpox, quiescence, acute- and convalescent-phase zoster, and postzoster quiescence.
On the EPR spectrum of the matrix stabilized hydronium radical

A previous report of the discovery of the EPR spectrum of H3O in UV-irradiated perchloric acid glass has been reinvestigated. The EPR spectrum previously assigned to H3O has been compared with an authentic spectrum of CH3 and has been found to be identical within experimental error in hyperfine splitting, g-factor, lineshape and linewidth. It is concluded that the existence of H3O has not yet been experimentally demonstrated.
Influence of estrogenic pesticides on membrane integrity and membrane transfer of monosaccharide into the human red cell

Some natural and synthetic estrogens inhibit carrier-mediated transport of glucose into human red blood cells and membrane vesicles from the placenta. The inhibitory action of these estrogens on transport appears to be a direct effect at the membrane and does not involve receptor binding and protein synthesis. It is not clear, however, whether such inhibition is a common feature among estrogenic agents. Several chlorinated hydrocarbon pesticides have been shown to possess estrogenic activity. These pesticides could have inhibitory effects on the human sodium-independent glucose transporter. Owing to the apparent importance of this membrane transporter in human tissues, direct interaction of hormones and xenobiotics with the glucose transporter is of fundamental significance. Some pesticides have been shown to alter membrane structure directly and alter the passive permeability of membranes. Whether the estrogenic pesticides influence passive diffusion of sugars across membranes has not been established. Finally, preliminary observations have suggested that some estrogens and pesticides have lytic effects on intact cells. Consequently, this study focuses on the ability of several estrogens and estrogenic pesticides to disrupt the cell membrane, influence the monosaccharide transporter, and alter the rate of monosaccharide permeation through the membrane by simple diffusion.
Isolation of novel coregulatory protein networks associated with DNA-bound estrogen receptor alpha

DNA-bound transcription factors recruit an array of coregulatory proteins that influence gene expression. We previously demonstrated that DNA functions as an allosteric modulator of estrogen receptor α (ERα) conformation, alters the recruitment of regulatory proteins, and influences estrogen-responsive gene expression and reasoned that it would be useful to develop a method of isolating proteins associated with the DNA-bound ERα using full-length receptor and endogenously-expressed nuclear proteins. We have developed a novel approach to isolate large complexes of proteins associated with the DNA-bound ERα. Purified ERα and HeLa nuclear extracts were combined with oligos containing ERα binding sites and fractionated on agarose gels. The protein-DNA complexes were isolated and mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify proteins associated with the DNA-bound receptor. Rather than simply identifying individual proteins that interact with ERα, we identified interconnected networks of proteins with a variety of enzymatic and catalytic activities that interact not only with ERα, but also with each other. Characterization of a number of these proteins has demonstrated that, in addition to their previously identified functions, they also influence ERα activity and expression of estrogen-responsive genes. The agarose gel fractionation method we have developed would be useful in identifying proteins that interact with DNA-bound transcription factors and should be easily adapted for use with a variety of cultured cell lines, DNA sequences, and transcription factors.
Metallic nickel colloids in plastically deformed nickel-doped MgO crystals

Abstract Heat treatment of nickel-doped MgO crystals in a reducing atmosphere produces metallic nickel colloids. The presence of these colloids is characterized by two very broad optical absorption bands centring at about 2·2 and 5·0eV. The threshold temperature for the nickel colloid formation in chemically polished (dislocation-free) crystals was determined to be 1440·30K. A lower threshold temperature (subthreshold) for colloid production in mechanically deformed crystals was found to be about 1320K. Optical and transmission electron microscopy showed that regions of high dislocation density were decorated with the colloids. These results indicate that dislocations and/or their debris serve as nucleating sites for metallic colloids. These colloids are stable even at 1300 K in oxygen. The simple method of producing metallic colloids and the high thermal stability of the colloids, as demonstrated in this study, lend themselves to many useful applications such as solar absorbers.
Remediating RDX-Contaminated Water and Soil Using Zero-Valent Iron

Soil and water contaminated with RDX (hexahydro-1,3,3-trifluoro-1,3,5-triazine) pose a serious threat to the environment and human health. Our objective was to determine the potential for using zero-valent iron (Fe 0 ) to remediate RDX-contaminated water and soil. Mixing an aqueous solution of 32 mg RDX L -1 (spiked with 14 C-labeled RDX) with 10 g Fe 0 L -1 resulted in complete RDX destruction within 72 h. Nitroso derivatives of RDX accounted for approximately 26% of the RDX transformed during the first 24 h; these intermediates disappeared within 96 h and the remaining 14 C products were water soluble and not strongly sorbed by iron surfaces. When RDX-contaminated soil (30 mg RDX kg -1 spiked with 14 C-RDX) was treated with a single amendment of Fe 0 (20 g kg -1 soil) in a static soil microcosm, more than 60% of the initial 14 C-RDX was recovered as 14 CO 2 after 112 d. Treating surface and subsurface soils containing 3600 mg RDX kg -1 with 50 g Fe 0 kg -1 at a constant soil water content (0.35-0.40 kg H 2 O kg -1 soil) resulted in a 52% reduction in extractable RDX following 12 mo of static incubation. A second Fe 0 addition at 12 mo further reduced the initial extractable RDX by 71% after 15 mo. These results support the use of zero-valent iron for in situ remediation of RDX-contaminated soil.
Reduced ATP concentration as a basis for synaptic transmission failure during hypoxia in the in vitro guinea-pig hippocampus

1. Experiments were performed to determine whether a decrease in tissue ATP contributes to the rapid failure of cerebral synaptic transmission during hypoxia. Transmission between the perforant path and the dentate granule cells in the in vitro hippocampus was studied. 2. Hippocampal slice ATP is decreased by ∼ 15% at the time that the evoked response begins to diminish in standard Krebs bicarbonate buffer. This is about 2 min after the onset of hypoxia. 3. When transmission failure is accelerated by increasing extracellular K+ from 4·4 to 13·4 mM, the evoked response begins to decay about 30 sec after exposure to hypoxia. There is no decrease in hippocampal slice ATP at this time. 4. However, ATP in the molecular layer (the synaptic region of the tissue) is decreased by ∼ 15% at the time the evoked response begins to decay in the slices exposed to elevated K+ concentration. 5. Exposing the hippocampal slice to 25 mM-creatine for 3 hr elevates molecular layer phosphocreatine fourfold. Synaptic transmission during hypoxia survives three times as long as it does in the absence of creatine. 6. In the creatine fortified medium, molecular layer ATP no longer declines within 30 sec of hypoxia. However the molecular layer ATP does decline within 90 sec of hypoxia, the time at which the evoked response begins to decay in this creatine-fortified buffer. 7. The results establish that ATP in the region of the active synapses is lowered when the first signs of electrophysiological failure appear during hypoxia. They also show that maintaining ATP for longer than normal during hypoxia is associated with a prolonged maintenance of the evoked response. They thus suggest that a decline in ATP is one factor causing hypoxic block of synaptic transmission. 8. It is further suggested that the very rapid failure of the electroencephalogram during anoxia may also result from a decline in ATP.
Gentamicin Sulfate Pharmacokinetics: Lower Levels of Gentamicin in Blood during Fever

The effect of fever on serum concentrations and urinary excretion of gentamicin sulfate was studied in humans and dogs. Endotoxin-induced fever in dogs resulted in a decrease of approximately 25% in levels of gentamicin in serum 30 and 60 min after intravenous injection of the antibiotic (1.5 mg/kg) when compared with corresponding afebrile values. In six volunteers with etiocholanolone-stimulated fever, serum concentrations of gentamicin was reduced by an average of 40% in all measurements made 1.2, and 3 hr after intramuscular injection (1.5 mg/kg) as compared with afebrile control values in the same subject. Fever was thought to be the principal factor associated with lower levels of gentamicin, although the half-life of gentamicin in serum and renal clearance of the antibiotic were not significantly affected. These findings emphasize the need for frequent measurements of gentamicin in serum as a guide to adjustment of gentamicin treatment in febrile subjects, and perhaps in all patients receiving the antibiotic.
Self-force of a scalar field for circular orbits about a Schwarzschild black hole

The foundations are laid for the numerical computation of the actual worldline for a particle orbiting a black hole and emitting gravitational waves. The essential practicalities of this computation are illustrated here for a scalar particle of infinitesimal size and small but finite scalar charge. This particle deviates from a geodesic because it interacts with its own retarded field ψret. A recently introduced Green’s function GS precisely determines the singular part ψS of the retarded field. This part exerts no force on the particle. The remainder of the field ψR=ψret−ψS is a vacuum solution of the field equation and is entirely responsible for the self-force. A particular, locally inertial coordinate system is used to determine an expansion of ψS in the vicinity of the particle. For a particle in a circular orbit in the Schwarzschild geometry, the mode-sum decomposition of the difference between ψret and the dominant terms in the expansion of ψS provide a mode-sum decomposition of an approximation for ψR from which the self-force is obtained. When more terms are included in the expansion, the approximation for ψR is increasingly differentiable, and the mode sum for the self-force converges more rapidly.
The Warden procedure for partially anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the superior caval vein.

Purpose: When there is partially anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the superior caval vein, intracardiac repair alone can result in obstruction. Although the Warden procedure involving translocation of the superior caval vein is commonly performed as an alternative to atriocavoplasty, follow-up of a larger number of patients in the modern era is lacking. We report and discuss the experience of a single institution with the Warden procedure for correction of partially anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the superior caval vein. Methods: Since 1995, all 16 patients presenting with partially anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the superior caval vein underwent the Warden procedure at a mean age of 7.1 ± 4.2 years, with a range from 0.2 to 14.3 years, and a mean weight of 24.7 ± 14.0 kg, with a range from 4.1 to 52.9 kg. There were 9 males and 7 females. In 8 patients, we performed 10 concomitant procedures, including closure of an atrial or ventricular septal defect in 7, and advancement of the aortic arch in the other. Results: There were no deaths, and only one episode of postoperative sinus bradycardia with intermittent junctional rhythm, which resolved spontaneously during temporary atrial pacing. All patients were discharged home in normal sinus rhythm at an average of 4.1 ± 2.2 days after the procedure, with a range from 2 to 10 days. All are currently in the first grade of the New York Heart Association up to 5.6 years postoperatively. There is currently no evidence of sinus nodal dysfunction, nor obstruction of the superior caval vein, in any patient. Conclusion: The Warden procedure for partially anomalous pulmonary venous connection to the superior caval vein produces excellent results, preserves the function of the sinus node, and should be routinely considered for the repair of this lesion.
Quantitative regional curvature analysis: A prospective evaluation of ventricular shape and wall motion measurements

Abstract To overcome the assumptions and approximations mandated by the use of traditional wall motion methodologies, a method was recently developed for measuring ventricular shape based on quantitative curvature analysis of ventricular outlines. This study was designed to assess prospectively the performance of this algorithm, to compare it to traditional wall motion measurements (centerline method), and to determine the comparative degree to which each method mimicked the interpretation of wall motion by clinical observers. Semiquantitative visual grading of regional function in 52 patients was performed by four independent observers on two occasions. Anterior, apical, or inferior segments were judged to be normal (0 points) or abnormal (1 point) based on viewing nonrealigned, end-diastolic and end-systolic ventricular silhouettes from cineventriculograms obtained in the 30-degree right anterior oblique projection. Each segment was assigned a collated score ranging from 0 (all observers felt the region was normal on both readings) to 8 (all observers felt the region was abnormal on both readings). Quantitative regional curvature analysis and wall motion analysis (centerline method) were performed. Quantitative shape and wall motion scores correlated equally well with the semiquantitative visual scores. When a visual score of ≥4 was used to designate an abnormal segment, both quantitative approaches demonstrated comparable sensitivity, specificity, and concordance rates. Both methods achieved optimal performance when maximum and minimum deviations from normal were recorded. Under these circumstances, the shape analysis demonstrated a greater concordance with the clinical diagnosis than did wall motion analysis (99% vs 93%, p
Interactions Between the Lipid Core and the Phospholipid Interface in Emulsions and Solid Lipid Nanoparticles

This study evaluates interactions between the lipid core and the phospholipid interface in oil in water emulsions and solid lipid nanoparticles. Interactions between the core and the interface are characterized based on changes in structural order and lateral mobility of the phospholipid interface as a function of physical state of the lipid core (solid vs. liquid) and composition of phospholipids and bile salts at the interface. Changes in structural order of the lipid core are also evaluated as a function of composition of the interface. Emulsions (liquid core) and solid lipid nanoparticles (solid core) are formulated using an eicosane lipid core. Phospholipid with long carbon chain (C16)-high melting phospholipids (41 °C) and short carbon chain (C12)-low melting phospholipid (−1 °C) are selected as emulsifiers. The results of fluorescence anisotropy measurements show that physical state of the lipid core does not significantly influence molecular order of the phospholipid interface. These measurements also demonstrate that molecular order of the lipid core is only marginally impacted by composition of the interface. Excimer formation measurements with pyrene labeled phospholipids illustrate that the composition of phospholipid and bile salts has a significant impact on lateral mobility of emulsifiers at the interface. Results also show that physical state of the lipid core has no significant influence on lateral mobility of emulsifiers at the interface. In summary, these results highlight that properties of phospholipid emulsion interface are a strong function of composition of emulsifiers and co-emulsifiers and are independent of physical state of the lipid core.
High society (of nematologists)

A report on the 43rd annual meeting of the Society of Nematologists (SON), Estes Park, USA, 7-11 August 2004.
Algorithms for association study design using a generalized model of haplotype conservation

There is considerable interest in computational methods to assist in the use of genetic polymorphism data for locating disease-related genes. Haplotypes, contiguous sets of correlated variants, may provide a means of reducing the difficulty of the data analysis problems involved. The field to date has been dominated by methods based on the "haplotype block" hypothesis, which assumes discrete population-wide boundaries between conserved genetic segments, but there is strong reason to believe that haplotype blocks do not fully capture true haplotype conservation patterns. In this paper, we address the computational challenges of using a more flexible, block-free representation of haplotype structure called the "haplotype motif" model for downstream analysis problems. We develope algorithms for htSNP selection and missing data inference using this more generalized model of sequence conservation. Application to a dataset from the literature demonstrates the practical value of these block-free methods.
Pregnant Woman with Markedly Increased Iron Binding Capacity

A 39-year-old woman who was 15 weeks pregnant was found to be iron deficient, with very high unsaturated iron binding capacity (UIBC)2 and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) concentrations (Table 1). View this table: Table 1. Serum results on a gold-top tube. 1. What changes in TIBC are expected in pregnancy? 2. How are UIBC and TIBC measured? 3. What could explain the unusually high TIBC and UIBC results, …
Electronic Transitions in Transition Metal Compounds at High Pressure

Very high pressure is becoming increasingly important for investigating electronic structure. The relative shift in energy of electronic orbitals which is commonly observed at high pressure can frequently lead to a new ground state for the system. These electronic transitions may result in changes in electrical, optical, or magnetic properties as well as changes in chemical reactivity. Electronic transitions in metals and insulator-metal transitions have been widely studied by physicists. Recently, it has been found that electronic transitions in aromatic hydrocarbons and their electron donor-acceptor complexes can induce chemical reactivity and lead to the formation of new classes of hydrocarbons. Electronic transitions in transition metal complexes may lead to changes in spin state; both increase and decrease in multiplicity with increasing pressure have been observed. In addition, it has been shown that Fe(III) and Cu(II) reduce at high pressure in a variety of compounds. The behavior of these transition metal ions is described in some detail in relation to the general area of high pressure and electronic structure.
University Student Shopping Patterns: Internet vs. Brick And Mortar

In today’s retail environment there are some who enjoy shopping and some who do not. People have many options when it comes to where they shop; they can shop from home or venture out to the store. Shopping has never been as fast and convenient as it is today. Technology is more advanced and internet usage is rapidly increasing. Retailers are realizing internet shopping is a phenomenon that is not going to disappear. It is a rare retailer who has no web presence. In order to satisfy customers, managers need to examine how people shop. College students have their own shopping behavior as this study examines.
Contextual priming: Where people vote affects how they vote

American voters are assigned to vote at a particular polling location (e.g., a church, school, etc.). We show these assigned polling locations can influence how people vote. Analysis of a recent general election demonstrates that people who were assigned to vote in schools were more likely to support a school funding initiative. This effect persisted even when controlling for voters' political views, demographics, and unobservable characteristics of individuals living near schools. A follow-up experiment using random assignment suggests that priming underlies these effects, and that they can occur outside of conscious awareness. These findings underscore the subtle power of situational context to shape important real-world decisions.
Ceftobiprole medocaril (BAL5788) treatment of experimental Haemophilus influenzae, Enterobacter cloacae, and Klebsiella pneumoniae murine pneumonia.

Abstract Ceftobiprole (BAL9141) is an investigational cephalosporin active against methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant staphylococci administered as a water-soluble prodrug, ceftobiprole medocaril (BAL5788). Using an immunocompetent murine pneumonia model of Haemophilus influenzae , Enterobacter cloacae , or extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) nonproducing or producing Klebsiella pneumoniae pneumonia, we compared results of treatment with ceftobiprole medocaril (71 mg/kg, sc, qid), ceftriaxone (50 mg/kg, im, bid), or cefepime (50 mg/kg, ip, q.i.d.). Results were expressed as median and 25th to 75th percentile log 10 colony forming units per gram of lung tissue. Ceftobiprole, ceftriaxone, and cefepime were each more active than was no treatment and were equally active for treatment of experimental H. influenzae , E. cloacae , or ESBL-nonproducing K. pneumoniae pneumonia. For ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae , no differences were detected between no treatment and treatment with ceftobiprole, ceftriaxone, or cefepime. Ceftobiprole is active against H. influenzae , E. cloacae , and ESBL-nonproducing K. pneumoniae in an immunocompetent experimental murine pneumonia model.
The Diversity Rationale for Affirmative Action in Employment After Grutter: The Case for Containment

The Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger suggested that the government had affixed its seal of approval on the widespread use of affirmative action in employment. It created a potentially expansive diversity rationale for affirmative action that reaches beyond higher education and extends to employment in both the public and private sectors. Other courts anticipated this doctrinal shift before Grutter and also cautiously expanded it after Grutter. The Supreme Court will be forced to contend with these severe implications at some time in the future. Though an expanded diversity rationale is a plausible result of the reasoning in Grutter, it is not a necessary outcome. Grutter concerned a factual context with arguable countervailing constitutional considerations that the employment contexts do not present. Therefore, the Supreme Court will confront a clear choice: Will it preserve the guarantee of protection from racial discrimination, or will it instead adopt the more expansive components of its earlier diversity rationale in new areas? The latter more permissive course appears consistent with the Grutter Court's policy views of the benefits of racial diversity, but the course of containment is more in line with the Court's longer established policy of confining the permissible bounds of exceptions to equal protection and Title VII. Furthermore, affirmative action in employment offers only marginal operational benefits to employers, needlessly injures innocent individuals, and promotes insidious group polarization. Accordingly, if it retains Grutter, the Supreme Court should confine Grutter to the context of higher education. The Court should declare affirmative action in public sector employment to be unconstitutional under equal protection, and it should declare affirmative action in private sector employment to be illegal under Title VII.
Protein kinase C-induced activation of a ceramide/protein phosphatase 1 pathway leading to dephosphorylation of p38 MAPK.

Recently we showed that, in human breast cancer cells, activation of protein kinase C by 4β-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) produced ceramide formed from the salvage pathway (Becker, K. P., Kitatani, K., Idkowiak-Baldys, J., Bielawski, J., and Hannun, Y. A. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. 280, 2606-2612). In this study, we investigated intracellular signaling events mediated by this novel activated pathway of ceramide generation. PMA treatment resulted in transient activation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38) followed by dephosphorylation/inactivation. Interestingly, fumonisin B1 (FB1), an inhibitor of the salvage pathway, attenuated loss of phosphorylation of p38, suggesting a role for ceramide in p38 dephosphorylation. This was confirmed by knock-down of longevity-assurance homologue 5, which partially suppressed the formation of C16-ceramide induced by PMA and increased the phosphorylation of p38. These results demonstrate a role for the salvage pathway in feedback inhibition of p38. To determine which protein phosphatases act in this pathway, specific knock-down of serine/threonine protein phosphatases was performed, and it was observed that knock-down of protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) catalytic subunits significantly increased p38 phosphorylation, suggesting activation of PP1 results in an inhibitory effect on p38. Moreover, PMA recruited PP1 catalytic subunits to mitochondria, and this was significantly suppressed by FB1. In addition, phospho-p38 resided in PMA-stimulated mitochondria. Upon PMA treatment, a mitochondria-enriched/purified fraction exhibited significant increases in C16-ceramide, a major ceramide specie, which was suppressed by FB1. Taken together, these data suggest that accumulation of C16-ceramide in mitochondria formed from the protein kinase C-dependent salvage pathway results at least in part from the action of longevity-assurance homologue 5, and the generated ceramide modulates the p38 cascade via PP1.
Psychological issues in orthodontic practice

RELATIONSHIPS between psychology and dentistry, orthodontics included, have traditionally been either ignored or dealt with in mechanical, rather sterile, and largely technique-determined ways. There is really no accepted or acceptable body of scientific knowledge dealing with relationships in this area, although interest does now seem to be stirr5ng.l It is also unfortunate that this is an area in which speculation and guesswork, sometimes of a wild, trivial, unenlightened, and even irresponsible kind, have sometimes taken the place of inquiry based on solid and reliable knowledge about factual and technical matters. With one or two exceptions, there have been no psychologically trained and psychologically sophisticated observers patiently sitting down, watching, observing, and communicating what they saw, did, and thought with respect to the psychological problems of orthodontic patients. I believe that the problem is not. simply that of psychologists or psychiatrists being unawa,re of or indifferent to such problems, although this disregard is significant. There is also an understandable, if unfortunate, disposition on the part of at least some orthodontists to be impatient with the rather slow, primarily fact-finding and fact-organizing rather than technique-oriented investigations of most research workers in psychology. I believe that somewhat self-indulgent enthusiasm over the prospects of psychology solving refractory orthodontic problems quickly and briskly, with no tag ends or emotional messes left over, has often been rapidly spent. I mean that the rush for psychological services, and only services, is somewhat unrealistic and premature at this time, since there is so little other than intuition and ordinary good judgment on which to rely. This is not to say, however, that there can be no action until we have perfect understanding of our subject or that all judgment and interest in implementing
High fertilization success in a surface-brooding Caribbean gorgonian.

Colonies of the Caribbean gorgonian Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae release eggs that are retained on the colony surface where they are fertilized and then develop. In December 2001, spawning on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, occurred over 6 d, with spawning by any one colony limited to 1–3 d. With the exception of the first and last days of the spawning period, fertilization success was high, often greater than 90%. Eggs collected in December 2001 had an overall fertilization success of more than 66%. At one site, the increase in fertilization after the first day of spawning correlated with male spawning, but male gonad index was a poor predictor of fertilization success. The number of male colonies close to a female was not correlated with fertilization success. Surface brooding is an efficient mechanism for “harvesting” sperm released upstream of female colonies. By maintaining their eggs at a single location, surface-brooding species can extend the period over which eggs are likely to encounter sperm. As...
On the calculation of noise in multistage amplifiers

It is shown that it can be a fallacy that the noise figure of a multistage amplifier is primarily determined by the noise figure of the first stage if the available power gain of the first stage is sufficiently high. The expression for the equivalent input noise voltage of a multistage amplifier is derived, where each stage is represented by the V/sub n/-I/sub n/ amplifier noise model. It is shown that the noise contributed by stages following the first stage is lowest when the first stage has a high transconductance, an input resistance that is high compared to the source resistance, and a high open-circuit voltage gain. In addition, the second stage must have a low input current noise. Circuit topologies which meet these conditions are described. >
Reciprocal Gut Microbiota Transplants from Zebrafish and Mice to Germ-free Recipients Reveal Host Habitat Selection

The gut microbiotas of zebrafish and mice share six bacterial divisions, although the specific bacteria within these divisions differ. To test how factors specific to host gut habitat shape microbial community structure, we performed reciprocal transplantations of these microbiotas into germ-free zebrafish and mouse recipients. The results reveal that communities are assembled in predictable ways. The transplanted community resembles its community of origin in terms of the lineages present, but the relative abundance of the lineages changes to resemble the normal gut microbial community composition of the recipient host. Thus, differences in community structure between zebrafish and mice arise in part from distinct selective pressures imposed within the gut habitat of each host. Nonetheless, vertebrate responses to microbial colonization of the gut are ancient: Functional genomic studies disclosed shared host responses to their compositionally distinct microbial communities and distinct microbial species that elicit conserved responses.
Competitive Inhibition of Enzyme Activity by Urea

SUMMARY Urea Inhibition of fifetallo-enzymes--From the data here presented, it appears that, in general, urea is relatively ineffective as an inhibitor of those metallo-enzymes whose metal component is involved in the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex. Thus, hexokinase and alkaline phosphatase which show an ab- solute dependence upon the presence of Mg++, and the ferri- porphyrin proteins, peroxidase and cytochrome oxidase, are com- pletely unaffected by urea even at 2 M concentration. Uricase, a copper-protein (45), carboxypeptidase, a zinc protein (46), catalase, a hemoprotein, and inorganic pyrophosphatase which is dependent upon Mg++ in the medium are inhibited only at very high concentrations of urea. Much evidence suggests that the metal of many metal-requiring or metal-containing enzymes serves as a bridge between enzyme and substrate in the formation of the enzyme-substrate complex (47). It is extremely unlikely that urea can prevent chelation or coordination of the enzyme or substrate by a metal. Similarly, it is unlikely that urea could competitively inhibit the action of enzymes on inorganic sub- strates such as pyrophosphate, sulfite or peroxide since, in these instances, electrostatic forces rather than hydrogen-bonding or van der Waals’ forces must be involved in formation of the en- zyme-substrate complex. Xanthine oxidase has been found to be competitively inhibited by low levels of urea. Analysis of urea inhibition of a series of diverse enzymes indicates that urea is, in general, a competitive inhibitor of enzymes which act upon organic substrates. Guani- dine is much more effective than urea as a competitive inhibitor of the same group of enzymes. Relatively higher concentrations of urea are required to effect inhibition of enzymes which act upon inorganic substrates and such inhibitions are either “non- competitive” or “uncompetitive.” In general, enzymes which require metal ions as cofactors or which contain a metal as an integral part of the enzyme molecule were found to be resistant to inhibition by urea.
Numerical scattering analysis for two dimensional dense random media

In microwave and millimeter wave remote sensing of the environment and target classification, modeling of radar backscatter from, and propagation into random media is of great importance. The article considers the volume scattering aspect of the scattering process. A Monte-Carlo simulation of scattering from a two dimensional random medium is discussed. This numerical model is capable of serving three purposes: (1) to establish a benchmark for determining the range of validity for existing theoretical scattering models, (2) to derive intermediate parameters used in theoretical models for the purpose of extending their range of validity, and (3) to derive empirical models for specific problems of interest.
The use of quetiapine for treatment-resistant bipolar disorder: a case series.

Objective: To determine if quetiapine, an atypical antipsychotic agent approved for the treatment of schizophrenia, is effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder. Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review identified six patients with DSM-IV bipolar disorder, type I, who received open uncontrolled treatment with quetiapine in the setting of nonresponse or intolerance to traditional mood-stabilizing treatments. Treatment response was based on moderate to marked improvement on the Clinical Global Impression-Bipolar Disorder (CGI-BP) scale. Results: Two of six patients showed evidence of response. The main side effect noted was sedation. Conclusions: Quetiapine may be a useful treatment for some patients with treatment-resistant bipolar disorder. Further studies are needed to assess quetiapine's effect more rigorously.
Symmetries and Polarization

In unpolarized cross sections constraints imposed by symmetries produce only quantitative changes which, in the absence of the precise knowledge of dynamics, cannot be used to test the validity of those symmetries. In polarization observables, in sharp contrast, imposition of symmetries produces qualitative changes, such as the vanishing of some observables or linear relationships among observables, which can be used to check the validity of symmetries without a detailed knowledge of dynamics. Such polarization observables can also separate the different constraints caused by different symmetries imposed simultaneously. This is illustrated for the two cases when Lorentz invariance and parity conservation, and Lorentz invariance and time reversal invariance, respectively, hold. It is also shown that it is impossible to construct, in any reaction in atomic, nuclear, or particle physics, a null experiment that would unambiguously test the validity of time-reversal invariance independently of dynamical assumptions. Finally, for a general quantum mechanical system undergoing a process, it is shown that one can tell from measurements on this system whether or not the system is characterized by quantum numbers the existence of which is unknown to the observer, even though the detection equipment used by the observer is unable to distinguish among the various possible values of the “secret” quantum number and hence always averages over them. This allows us to say whether the spin of a particle in a reaction is zero or not even if we can measure nothing about that particle’s polarization.
TROUBLE WITH GYPSIES IN EARLY MODERN ENGLAND

This article explores the social, legal, and administrative response in Tudor and early Stuart England to people known in law as ‘Egyptians’ or ‘counterfeit Egyptians’ but commonly called ‘Gypsies’. It argues that such people differed from ordinary poor vagrants in their heritage, their language, and such activities as horse dealing and fortune-telling. Elizabethan and Jacobean publications placed Gypsies on the fringes of fecklessness, criminality, and the picaresque, and established a stereotype of deceit and imposture that has not yet disappeared. Acts of Parliament in 1531, 1554, and 1563 criminalized ‘Egyptians’, forbidding their entry, ordering their expulsion, and eventually making them liable to the death penalty. Enforcement, however, was haphazard, and repression co-existed uneasily with growing registers of tolerance. This is a neglected topic in early modern social history, with links to international and interdisciplinary Romani studies as well as work on itinerancy, ethnicity, and marginality.
Interaction of cells with polyurethane scaffolds

Biodegradable polyurethane scaffolds have been used to control cell fate and tissue regeneration. Scaffold properties including chemical, mechanical, and structural affect cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, and differentiation. These properties are determined by the chemistry of biodegradable polyurethanes, scaffold fabrication techniques, and surface modification approaches. In this chapter, we review the effect of chemical, mechanical, and structural properties of nanofibrous scaffolds, microporous scaffolds, multilayered scaffolds, and scaffolds with nanostructured surfaces, on cell fate and tissue regeneration. Current challenges in determining the relationship of scaffold properties and cell fate are discussed and future perspectives are addressed.
An Examination of Hospital Nurse Staffing and Patient Experience with Care: Differences between Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Estimates.

Objective To study the association between hospital nurse staffing and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores. Data Sources State hospital financial and utilization reports, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases, HCAHPS survey, and American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals. Study Design Retrospective study using cross-sectional and longitudinal models to estimate the effect of nurse staffing levels and skill mix on seven HCAHPS measures. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Hospital-level data measuring nurse staffing, patient experience, and hospital characteristics from 2009 to 2011 for 341 hospitals (977 hospital years) in California, Maryland, and Nevada. Principal Findings Nurse staffing level (i.e., number of licensed practical nurses and registered nurses per 1,000 inpatient days) was significantly and positively associated with all seven HCAHPS measures in cross-sectional models and three of seven measures in longitudinal models. Nursing skill mix (i.e., percentage of all staff who are registered nurses) was significantly and negatively associated with scores on one measure in cross-sectional models and none in longitudinal models. Conclusions After controlling for unobserved hospital characteristics, the positive influences of increased nurse staffing levels and skill mix were relatively small in size and limited to a few measures of patients' inpatient experience.
Effects of mutations in aspartate 14 on the spectroscopic properties of the [Fe3S4]+,0 clusters in Pyrococcus furiosus ferredoxin.

The properties of [Fe3S4]+,0 clusters in wild-type and mutant forms of Pf Fd with Asp, Ser, Cys, Val, His, Asn, and Tyr residues occupying position 14, i.e., proximal to the three μ2-S atoms of the cluster, have been investigated by the combination of EPR, variable-temperature magnetic circular dichroism (VTMCD), and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopies. Two distinct types of [Fe3S4] clusters are identified on the basis of the breadth of the S = 1/2 [Fe3S4]+ EPR resonances and the marked differences in the VTMCD spectra of the S = 2 [Fe3S4]0 clusters. On the basis of the available NMR data for [Fe3S4]+,0 clusters in ferredoxins, the distinctive properties of these two types of [Fe3S4] clusters are interpreted in terms of different locations of the more strongly coupled pair of irons in the oxidized clusters and the valence-delocalized pair in the reduced clusters. Near-IR VTMCD measurements indicate the presence of S = 9/2 valence-delocalized pairs in both types of [Fe3S4]0 clusters, and the spin-dependent...
Threshold dose for discrimination of nicotine via cigarette smoking.

Rationale The lowest nicotine threshold “dose” in cigarettes discriminated from a cigarette containing virtually no nicotine may help inform the minimum dose maintaining dependence.
Indomethacin prophylaxis for heterotopic ossification after acetabular fracture surgery increases the risk for nonunion of the posterior wall.

Objectives To determine if indomethacin has a positive clinical effect for the prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification (HO) after acetabular fracture surgery. To determine whether indomethacin affects the union rate of acetabular fractures. Design Prospective randomized double-blinded trial. Setting Level 1 regional trauma center. Patients Skeletally mature patients treated operatively for an acute acetabular fracture through a Kocher-Langenbeck approach. Intervention Patients were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups comparing placebo (group 1) to 3 days (group 2), 1 week (group 3), and 6 weeks (group 4) of indomethacin treatment. Main outcome measurements Factors analyzed included the overall incidence, Brooker class and volume of HO, radiographic union of the acetabular fracture, and pain. Patients were followed clinically and radiographically at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year. Serum levels of indomethacin were drawn at 1 month to assess compliance. Computed tomographic scans were performed at 6 months to assess healing and volume of HO. Results Ninety-eight patients were enrolled into this study, 68 completed the follow-up and had the 6-month computed tomographic scan, and there was a 63% compliance rate with the treatment regimen. Overall incidence of HO was 67% for group 1, 29% for group 2 (P = 0.04), 29% for group 3 (P = 0.019), and 67% for group 4. The volume of HO formation was 17,900 mm for group 1, 33,800 mm for group 2, 6300 mm for group 3 (P = 0.005), and 11,100 mm for group 4. The incidence of radiographic nonunion was 19% for group 1, 35% for group 2, 24% for group 3, and 62% for group 4 (P = 0.012). Seventy-seven percent of the nonunions involved the posterior wall segment. Pain visual analog scores (VASs) were significantly higher for patients with radiographic nonunion (VAS 4 vs. VAS 1, P = 0.002). Conclusions Treatment with 6 weeks of indomethacin does not appear to have a therapeutic effect for decreasing HO formation after acetabular fracture surgery and appears to increase the incidence of nonunion. Treatment with 1 week of indomethacin may be beneficial for decreasing the volume of HO formation without increasing the incidence of nonunion. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Effects of Aluminum Foil Packaging on Elemental Analysis of Bone

Burned skeletal material is often very fragile and at high risk for fragmentation during packaging and transportation. One method that has been suggested to protect bones in these cases is to carefully wrap them in aluminum foil. Traces of aluminum, however, are known to transfer from foil packaging materials to food products. If such transfer occurs between aluminum foil and bones, it could interfere with subsequent chemical, elemental and isotopic analyses, which are becoming more common in forensic anthropological investigations. This study examined aluminum levels in bones prior to and following the use of aluminum foil packaging and storage for a 6-week period. Results indicate no significant change in the detected levels of aluminum (p > 0.05), even when packaged in compromised foil and exposed to elevated temperatures. Aluminum foil can therefore continue to be recommended as a packaging medium without affecting subsequent chemical examinations.