cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatial Correlations in Growing Films

Detailed analyses of non-equilibrium lattice-gas models of island nucleation and growth during film deposition (or etching) have been invaluable in elucidating basic issues in nucleation theory, deviations from mean-field predictions, and experimental observations. Particularly interesting and useful is the behavior of spatial correlations in the adlayer which develop during island (or pit) formation. In particular, a strong depletion in the population of island pairs at separations smaller than the average follows from depletion in the density of diffusing adspecies near islands. This feature delays percolation of clusters of coalesced islands. Another recently discovered and more subtle feature is a strong correlation between the width of the island-free region surrounding an island and the size and growth rate of that island. This direct correlation between island sizes and separations controls the shape of the island size distribution. If incorporated into rate-equation descriptions, it recovers the exact form of the scaling function for the island size distribution.
Focused pulses of regional metamorphism

Growing evidence is emerging to support the idea that metamorphism, even in a regional context, may be punctuated – or dominated – by relatively short pulses of heating, fluid flow, and/or mineral growth. Here, we describe data from two Barrovian metamorphic terranes which test this idea. In the Barrovian zones of Scotland, garnet Sm/Nd geochronology from the garnet and sillimanite zones yield the same peak metamorphic ages [1] (~465 Ma). The age is similar to the age of crystallization of large igneous bodies in the area. The contemporaneity of peak ages is explained by an efficient, advective component of heating, perhaps mediated by synchronous fluid flow [2]. The duration of this regionwide pulse of peak metamorphism is constrained by new Srin-apatite diffusion modeling. Apatite grains have detrital cores and metamorphic overgrowths and are included within porphyroblasts (e.g. garnet, staurolite). Modeling of intragrain diffusion of Sr constrains the duration of peak metamorphism to <250 kyr for garnet through staurolite zone samples. Garnet multi-component diffusion modeling from the sillimanite zone corroborates this brief pulse duration. The Wepawaug Schist of Connecticut USA, also yields contemporaneous peak-T garnet Sm/Nd ages from different grades across the terrane (~380 Ma). This age matches a population of texturally young zircons associated with igneous intrusions in these rocks. Garnet cores from the kyanite zone, which have growth textures indicative of extremely rapid growth [3], have been dated by Sm/Nd at 388.6 Ma. This age is matched by another population of zircons also associated with igneous intrusions. This earlier prograde growth event may be related to another pulse of metamorphic growth, brought on by magmatic fluid and heat. Brief pulses of metamorphic heating and mineral reactions, perhaps catalyzed by the introduction of fluids, may be superimposed on regional scale conductive heating at tectonic rates. Such short pulses could help explain the discrepancy between rapid lab-based reaction kinetics and much slower time-integrated field-based reaction kinetics [4].
Political Institutions and Corruption: The Role of Unitarism and Parliamentarism

A raft of new research on the causes and effects of political corruption has emerged in recent years, in tandem with a separate, growing focus on the effects of political institutions on important outcomes such as economic growth, social equality and political stability. Yet we know little about the possible role of different political institutional arrangements on political corruption. This article examines the impact of territorial sovereignty (unitary or federal) and the composition of the executive (parliamentary or presidential) on levels of perceived political corruption cross-nationally. We find that unitary and parliamentary forms of government help reduce levels of corruption. To explain this result, we explore a series of seven potential causal mechanisms that emerge out of the competing centralist and decentralist theoretical paradigms: (1) openness, transparency and information costs, (2) intergovernmental competition, (3) localism, (4) party competition, (5) decision rules, (6) collective action problems, and (7) public administration. Our empirical findings and our analysis of causal mechanisms suggest that centralized constitutions help foster lower levels of political corruption.
Depression, antidepressants, and the shrinking hippocampus

Throughout human history, it has been apparent that few medical maladies are as devastating in their effects as major depression. And since the 1950s, with the advent of the first generation of antidepressants, it has been apparent that depression is a biological disorder. This has generated the tremendous intellectual challenge of how to understand the material, reductive bases of a disease of malignant sadness.
‘Not every wrong is done with pride’: Augustine's proto-feminist anti-Pelagianism

This paper provides a reading of the late Augustine which supports the hypothesis that, while the early Augustine believed that pride is the basic sin, he changes his views during the Pelagian controversies, and advocates instead (contra Pelagius) the thesis that sin, post-fall, does not take on any one form. Augustine makes some key, though rarely discussed, statements about the nature of sin that, particularly when his views are put into perspective within his larger doctrine of sin, indicate that Augustine does not think all sin can be reduced to pride. Indeed, Augustine's controversial views about original sin incline him to believe that, far from being self-aggrandising, sin often takes the form of (and is often a sign and result of) ignorance and weakness. Thus, a careful reading of Augustine's doctrine of sin shows that he has significant commonalities with his feminist critics, precisely at one of the points on which he has been most criticised.
How to Fix the Edge Effect of Catheter-Based Radiation Therapy in Stented Arteries

Background— Edge stenosis remains a serious limitation of catheter-based vascular brachytherapy (VBT). This study aims to identify the mechanisms and evaluate strategies to minimize edge restenosis in patients treated with VBT. Methods and Results— Thirty-four porcine stented coronary arteries were irradiated (doses of 15 or 22 Gy) with 192Ir trains of either 6 seeds (23 mm) with 0 mm coverage at the distal stent edge and 10 mm at the proximal stent edge or 14 seeds (55 mm) centered at the distal edge of the stent with 27.5 and 14.5 mm coverage at the distal and proximal edges, respectively. After VBT, an additional 13-mm stent was positioned overlapping the distal margin of the first stent. Animals were killed at 28 days, and arteries were analyzed. Longer radiation margins were associated with reduced intimal area (IA) at the stent edge: 2.3±0.9, 3.6±2.0, and 5.3±2.2 mm2 with 15 Gy for a radiation margin of 14.5, 10, and −13 mm (−13 versus 10, P=0.06; 10 versus 14.5, P=0.06). Additional stenting was ass...
Prospective study of fatigue in localized prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.

The objectives were to (1) prospectively evaluate fatigue utilizing validated instruments in patients with localized prostate cancer, and (2) examine the relationships between fatigue, depression, quality of life, and sleep disturbance. The instruments used included: Piper Fatigue Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Prostate Scale. Data on cancer stage, prostate specific antigen levels, hematocrit, patient's body weight and radiation dosage were recorded. Patients were evaluated preradiotherapy, middle of radiotherapy, completion of radiotherapy, and at 4–5 weeks follow-up. Thirty-six veterans with localized prostate cancer were studied. Mean age was 66.9 years (range 55–79). Duration of treatment was 7–8 weeks. Univariate procedure and Wilcoxon Signed Rank-test were used to examine changes in pretreatment scores for each of the three subsequent study periods. To adjust for multiple comparisons Bonferroni test was used. Spearman Correlations were calculated among parameters. No significant changes were noted in mean scores of hematocrit and body weight during the study period. On the Piper Fatigue Scale, adjusted for multiple comparisons, the median scores were significantly higher at completion of radiotherapy as compared with preradiotherapy values. Three patients (8%) were experienced fatigue according to Piper Fatigue Scale before treatment as compared to nine patients (25%) at completion of radiotherapy. On Prostate Cancer Specific and Physical Well Being sub-scales of the Functional Assessment for Prostate Cancer Therapy, the scores were significantly lower at middle and completion of radiotherapy than at pretreatment. At preradiotherapy, middle of radiotherapy, completion of radiotherapy and follow-up evaluation, patients scoring higher on the Piper Fatigue Scale were more likely to report a poorer quality of Physical Well Being on Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy for Prostates. No significant changes were noted in the Beck Depression Inventory and Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores during treatment. Eight patients scored 10 or more on the Beck Depression Inventory before starting radiotherapy, suggesting depressive symptomatology. Of these, only seven patients scored 10 or more at completion of treatment. The incidence of fatigue is lower in our study than in previously published data. A relationship exists between fatigue scores and physical well being subscale scores. Higher scores on the Piper Fatigue Scale at the completion of radiotherapy, as well as no changes on depression and sleepiness scales, suggest that fatigue may not be the result of depression or sleep disturbance. Based upon our previous work, we propose that the physical expression of fatigue may be secondary to a decline in neuromuscular efficiency and enhanced muscle fatigue. Radiat. Oncol. Invest. 7:178–185, 1999. Published 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Using Pi soil test to estimate available phosphorus in biosolids-amended soil*

The Pi soil test uses iron (Fe)-oxide coated filter paper strips as an ion sink. This method has been used successfully to assess phosphorus (P) availability in a variety of soils. However, information on its effectiveness in biosolids-amended soils is limited. This study was conducted to determine the potential of Pi test in assessing P-availability in a biosolids-amended acid soil, and compare the assessment with chemical extractants, such as the Mehlich I and a salt solution (1 M KCl). Soil and plant samples were analyzed for P from a field study where bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) was grown in a sandy Spodosol, amended with two Class A biosolids at three rates. Biosolids supplied significant amounts of extractable P to the soil, particularly at higher application rates, and the effects persisted even 3.5 y after initial application. Plant P uptake decreased over time, but varied significantly with biosolids application rates. Best correlations between plant and extractable soil P were obtained ...
Diagnosis of canine hyperadrenocorticism

Canine hyperadrenocorticism is one of the most common endocrinopathies in dogs. Diagnosis remains difficult in some cases due to factors such as the presence of non-adrenal illness and limitations in the tests. Differentiation between the pituitary and adrenal forms is important for providing accurate prognostic information and delineating treatment options and protocols. This article reviews the tests available for diagnosis (screening) and differentiation and evaluates their advantages and disadvantages. Recommendations for testing are made.
The Role of Ect2 Nuclear RhoGEF Activity in Ovarian Cancer Cell Transformation

Ect2, a Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factor (RhoGEF), is atypical among RhoGEFs in its predominantly nuclear localization in interphase cells. One current model suggests that Ect2 mislocalization drives cellular transformation by promoting aberrant activation of cytoplasmic Rho family GTPase substrates. However, in ovarian cancers, where Ect2 is both amplified and overexpressed at the mRNA level, we observed that the protein is highly expressed and predominantly nuclear and that nuclear but not cytoplasmic Ect2 increases with advanced disease. Knockdown of Ect2 in ovarian cancer cell lines impaired their anchorage-independent growth without affecting their growth on plastic. Restoration of Ect2 expression rescued the anchorage-independent growth defect, but not if either the DH catalytic domain or the nuclear localization sequences of Ect2 were mutated. These results suggested a novel mechanism whereby Ect2 could drive transformation in ovarian cancer cells by acting as a RhoGEF specifically within the nucleus. Interestingly, Ect2 had an intrinsically distinct GTPase specificity profile in the nucleus versus the cytoplasm. Nuclear Ect2 bound preferentially to Rac1, while cytoplasmic Ect2 bound to RhoA but not Rac. Consistent with nuclear activation of endogenous Rac, Ect2 overexpression was sufficient to recruit Rac effectors to the nucleus, a process that required a functional Ect2 catalytic domain. Furthermore, expression of active nuclearly targeted Rac1 rescued the defect in transformed growth caused by Ect2 knockdown. Our work suggests a novel mechanism of Ect2-driven transformation, identifies subcellular localization as a regulator of GEF specificity, and implicates activation of nuclear Rac1 in cellular transformation.
An experimental study on discriminative concept classifier combination for TRECVID high-level feature extraction

In this paper, we present an experimental study on using high-dimensional image features to perform discriminative classifier combination for TRECVID concept detection. We combine a multi-class classifier with binary-class classifiers. After training a multi-class classifier, we train binary-class classifiers by decomposing a multi-class problem into several binary-class classification problems, and fuse them together using a discriminative classifier combination approach. This idea leverages on each classifier's properties; multi-class classifiers emphasize on segmenting a decision space optimally in terms of some overall performance criteria whereas binary classifiers focus on detecting corresponding positive samples locally. Testing on the TRECVID2005 development set with 39 LSCOM-Lite concepts by adding an additional set of 39 pairs of binary concept classifiers, the mean average precision was improved by 34.1% over our baseline system with only 39 multi-class concept classifiers. When compared with state-of-the-art systems our proposed method is quite competitive especially for concepts with a relatively small number of positive samples.
The 2012 Abuse of Dominance Draft Guidelines: An Economic Review

In September 2012, the Competition Bureau of Canada finalized the new Abuse of Dominance Guidelines, outlining its general approach to enforcement actions under Sections 78 and 79 of the Canadian Competition Act. Several concerns were raised by interested parties about the new approach and interpretation. This article examines the economic principles underlying these concerns and evaluates whether the Bureau’s approach in each regard is appropriate in light of economic theory and practice.
Importance of Tilt Angles of Adsorbed Aromatic Molecules on Nanoparticle Rattle SERS Substrates

Solution-phase nanoparticles are extensively used as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates, but signal intensities depend on dynamic nanoparticle optical properties and stabilities as well as molecular identity and orientation. To evaluate how these contributions influence the detection of aromatic thiols, internally etched silica encapsulated gold-coated silver (IE Ag@Au@SiO2) nanoparticles are used. First, localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) spectroscopy is implemented to estimate molecular tilt angle. Different tilt angles are then related to functional group induced surface density differences. Next, evaluation of SERS intensities and vibrational modes suggest that molecular tilt angle and surface selection rules govern the behavior observed in SERS intensities. Finally, concentration-dependent SERS signals are modeled using the Langmuir adsorption model. Equilibrium constants and free energies associated with adsorption are consistent with differences from London dispersion force...
Constitutive model of shape memory alloy based on plastic theory:experiment and simulation

In this paper,the superelastic deformation behavior of the NiTi shape memory alloy wires subjected to cyclic loading under variable amplitudes is investigated experimentally.According to the test data,a constitutive model for the shape memory alloys is presented based on the Graesseramp;Cozzarelli model that is a widely-used model of SMA hysteresis behavior for seismic applications,which captures the characteristics under small amplitudes but does not include the martensitic hardening characteristic of SMA under amplitudes.Then,a comparison of the numerical results with the extended model to experimental data is given,which shows good agreement and verifies that the model is able to satisfactorily predict the response of SMA under variable amplitudes.Also,with simple formulation,definite concept and easily obtained parameters,the model is useful for practical engineering application of SMA.
Views on Political Democracy

Frank’s thoughts on the subject of democracy and American government are not as systematic as his thoughts in the areas of the law, philosophy, and, as we shall see later, in economics. His political ideas were fragmented and are scattered among other subjects with which he was more vitally concerned. His only work devoted exclusively to the subject of American government, If Men Were Angels, dealt at great length with the narrow topic of the independent regulatory commissions.
Morbidity and Mortality in Pediatric Anesthesia

This article reviews specific considerations for greater anesthetic mortality in the first year of life as well as significant differences in pediatric anesthetic morbidity associated with routine anesthetic management. Clinical conditions such as upper respiratory tract infection, congenital heart disease, and muscle disease are addressed. Loss experience suggests a different profile for pediatric anesthesia.
VfoldCPX Server for RNA/RNA Complex Structure Prediction

RNA/RNA interactions are essential for genomic RNA dimerization and regulation of gene expression. Predicting the structure and folding stabilities of RNA/RNA complexes is a biologically significant problem. We recently developed a new web server, VfoldCPX, to predict two-dimensional (2D) structures of RNA/RNA complexes from the sequence. The server is based on a new Vfold model that employs coarse-grained entropy parameters for the different structural motifs. By taking into account both the intra- and inter-molecular interactions, the model can predict RNA/RNA structures with cross-linked tertiary contacts. Furthermore, in addition to the minimum free energy structure, the server can predict multiple energetically stable structures ranked by their stabilities. The predicted structures can offer users with extensive insights into the folding and conformational switches in RNA biological functions. The web server is freely accessible at “http://rna.physics.missouri.edu”.
Using cost-benefit analysis and social return on investment to evaluate the impact of social enterprise: Promises, implementation, and limitations

Since the early 2000's there has been growing interest in using the Social Return on Investment (SROI) as a measure for assessing the performance of social enterprises. By analogy with its business counterpart, the Return on Investment (ROI), the SROI is a metric that compares the monetized social costs of a program with the monetized social benefits of achieving an outcome (or set of outcomes). For example, calculating the SROI of a nonprofit half-way house for drug addicts might involve estimating the reduced social costs attributable to successful rehabilitation of addicts, and comparing this to the social costs of operating the half-way house. Alternatively, the total return of a for-profit social enterprise providing affordable housing might consist both of the traditional private return on investment along with the economic value of meeting the housing needs of lower income households. Early descriptions of the methodology for calculating the SROI suggest that the approach initially evolved from standard methodologies found in the business finance literature for evaluating investments, with the important twist that nonprofit sector returns/payoffs are defined in broader social terms (Thornley, Anderson, & Dixon, 2016). Yet, someone who is familiar with the economic literature on cost benefit analysis (CBA) as it is applied to the evaluation of public programs cannot help but be struck by the similarity between the outcomes that CBA is intended to measure, and those that are the object of efforts to calculate the SROI. One implication is that the literature on the theory and practice of cost benefit analysis offers useful lessons about how to measure the social return on investment, as well as about potential caveats and limitations that need to be confronted when attempting to undertake an analysis of the SROI. The paper discusses the potential uses and limitations of CBA and SROI as tools that governments, private donor/investors, and foundations can use to help set funding priorities, and evaluate performance. It summarizes: (1) the conceptual foundations of CBA and its application to SROI analysis, (2) issues raised in the implementation of CBA and SROI in practice, and (3) discusses when CBA and/or SROI approaches are a useful lens for setting priorities and/or evaluating performance, as well as important limitations of such methods.
Assessment of EchoMRI-AH versus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry by iDXA to measure human body composition.

Assessment of EchoMRI-AH versus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry by iDXA to measure human body composition
When Women are Urged to have Casual Sex More than Men are: Perceived Risk Moderates the Sexual Advice Double Standard

Sociocultural and biological frameworks suggest a Sexual Advice Double Standard (SADS; wherein heterosexual men are encouraged to have causal sex more than heterosexual women are) motivated by intransigent factors (e.g., patriarchy or evolved dispositions). Alternatively, people generally perceive casual sex as riskier for women, who may be discouraged from sex to protect them from stigma and danger (Rudman et al. 2013). If so, manipulating perceived risk to reduce or reverse the costs of casual sex for men and for women should eliminate or reverse the SADS, respectively. Results investigating American adults (N = 180) supported risk assessment’s explanatory power. When costs to both partners were mild, the SADS was eliminated, but when costs to men were higher, women were urged to have casual sex more than men were. The SADS emerged only when costs to women were higher. The findings have implications for gender equality and sexuality theories, but also practitioners (e.g., therapists, sex educators, and physicians). The SADS is far from intractable, but believing in rigid sexual double standards creates psychological conflict in women caught between motives to be seen as moral and sexually desirable, which negatively impacts their sexual health (e.g., Katz and Farrow 2000).
A Statistical Mechanical Model for Microemulsions

A microscopic statistical mechanical lattice model for microemulsions is presented whose energy parameters represent interactions among oil, water and surfactant molecules. Solving the model in the mean-field approximation allows phase diagrams and critical loci to be calculated. Features important in microemulsions are found in the model as well. These include ordinary critical, critical double point, critical endpoint, and tricritical loci, as well as three-phase equilibrium. The homogeneity assumption is checked against the possibility of a stable lamellar phase.
Anchoring and Scaffold Proteins for Kinases and Phosphatases

Many hormones mediate their intracellular actions by triggering signal transduction pathways that alter the phosphorylation state of key regulatory proteins. Protein phosphorylation is a reversible process involving two classes of signaling enzymes: protein kinases, which catalyze the transfer of phosphate from ATP onto substrate proteins, and phosphoprotein phosphatases, which perform the dephosphorylation step. To insure tight control of hormonally initiated phosphorylation events, the activity of multifunctional kinases and phosphatases is precisely regulated and responds to fluctuations in diffusible second messengers such as Ca2+, phospholipid, and cAMP. Another mechanism that contributes to their regulation is to restrict the location of these enzymes to certain subcellular compartments. Subcellular targeting enhances the selectivity of serine/threonine phosphatases and kinases by favoring their accessibility to certain substrate proteins. Compartmentalization is achieved through a "targeting moiety," which is defined as that part of a phosphatase or kinase that directs the catalytic subunit to a certain subcellular environment. The targeting moiety restricts the location of a phosphatase or kinase through association with a "targeting locus." These are often structural membrane proteins, cytoskeletal components, or cellular organelles. Targeting subunits for the type I phosphatase and protein kinase C have been identified; however, the focus of this chapter centers around a family of anchoring proteins, called AKAPs, that localize the type II cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Structure-function analysis suggest that each anchoring protein binds to the RII dimer through a conserved amphipathic helix region and is tethered to specific subcellular sites via association of a targeting domain with structural proteins or cellular organelles. Peptides patterned after the amphipathic region have been used to probe the functional significance of PKA anchoring inside cells and have begun to be established by that disruption RII/AKAP interaction in vivo has concomitant effects on certain PKA-mediated phosphorylation events. In addition, multivalent binding proteins such as AKAP79 and AKAP250 have been characterized and appear to serve as platforms for the assembly of kinase/phosphatase signaling complexes. Collectively, these studies suggest that the AKAPs represent a growing family of regulatory proteins that provide a molecular architecture that organizes the intracellular location of a single or multiple multifunctional kinase.
A multiple ion counter total evaporation (MICTE) method for precise analysis of plutonium by thermal ionization mass spectrometry

This paper presents a total evaporation method for the analysis of sub-picogram quantities of Pu, utilizing an array of multiple ion counters. Data from three standards are presented to assess the utility of the technique. An external precision of 1.5% RSD (2σ) was achieved on aliquots approaching 100 fg for the minor 240Pu isotope. Accurate analysis of <1 femtogram of 240Pu, is achievable, with an external reproducibility of better than 10% RSD (2σ). This new technique represents a significant advance in the total evaporation method and will allow routine measurement of femtogram sized Pu samples by thermal ionization mass spectrometry.
Chemical Kinetics and Reacting Flows

Chemical kinetics plays a crucial role in many high-temperature flows of engineering and scientific interest, particularly including combustion and propulsion systems. Despite significant progress in the fundamental theories associated with chemical kinetics, this field still relies very heavily on experimentation and shock tubes have become a primary source of fundamental and applied chemical kinetic data, and virtually the only source of data at temperatures above about 1500 K. Most shock tube kinetics experiments are conducted behind reflected shock waves, where the reacting gases are effectively stagnated and utilize either in situ optical diagnostics or sampling-based analysis via mass spectrometry or gas chromatography. Of particular value are laser-based measurements of species and temperature using absorption of light in quantum-specific atomic or molecular transitions, which combines both fast time resolution and high species specificity, including ability to monitor critical radical species. Here we present an overview of the state-of-the-art of shock tube methodologies for generating uniform, accurately known reaction conditions, and we discuss the range of laser absorption diagnostics now available for monitoring species time histories.
Algorithmic investigation of the actual and virtual design space of historic hexagonal-based Islamic patterns:

This research challenges the long-standing paradigm that considers compositional analysis to be the key to researching historical Islamic geometric patterns. Adopting a mathematical description sho...
28 – Scoring Systems for Trauma Research

This chapter provides an overview of the Injury Severity Score (ISS), an Organ Injury Scaling (OIS) system, and a Multiple Organ Failure (MOF) score. Scoring systems in clinical research provide a language to facilitate decisions and offer an investigative basis for this decision-making. For example the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) classification for malignancies standardizes the reporting of clinical data for cancer. Many trauma scoring systems have been developed over several decades with the goal of quantitatively describing injuries, ascribing to them relative severities, and facilitating prognosis. Scoring systems are meant to promote the evaluation of trauma care quality and efficiency and validate predictors of outcome. One of the objectives of injury severity scoring is the ability to stratify patients for clinical trials. The Abdominal Trauma Index (ATI) and Penetrating Abdominal Trauma Index (PATI) have found their greatest utility in predicting infectious complications, and thus have been useful in selecting high-risk patients for studies of nutritional support.
Volume Changes During Contraction of Isolated Frog Muscle Fibers

A microscope objective and electronic imaging system were used to determine how isolated frog skeletal muscle fibers adjust their volume during an isometric tetanus. Crosssectional area and volume of the middle third of a fiber increased rapidly with the development of active tension, which indicates that contraction produced components of force perpendicular to the long axis. The extreme ends are known to shorten whether or not the middle of a fiber is isometric or stretched. Shortening of the ends may shift water towards the middle, which could account for the volume changes we observed. The cytoskeletal matrices of muscle evidently adjust rapidly during contraction to maintain a dynamic equilibrium between the axial and radial forces that stabilize the whole cell. The Z disks have been shown to expand during active, but not passive, tension development. Z disks might be the elastic elements of the muscle cytoskeleton primarily involved in rapid balancing of the radial components of active force.
OCHRATOXINS: OCCURRENCE, BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS AND CAUSAL ROLE IN DISEASES

ABSTRACT Ochratoxin A is a fungal metabolite (mycotoxin) with pronounced nephrotoxic potency in all species of animals studied. It has shown teratogenic properties in three rodent species, and is a renal carcinogen in the mouse. Protein synthesis and RNA synthetase is competitively inhibited by the toxin. Ochratoxin A is a major disease determinant of mycotoxic porcine nephropathy, a disease occurring endemically in several countries. This disease resembles Balkan endemic nephropathy in man, suggesting a common causal relationship. Ochratoxin A has been found in foodstuffs in many countries, and the highest contamination frequency in foods has been encountered in an area of Yugoslavia, where Balkan endemic nephropathy is prevalent. As seven percent of the people in that area had ochratoxin A in the blood, compared to none in the controls, increasing evidence is provided supporting the suggestion, that ochratoxin A is a nephrotoxin in man.
Validity of Continuous Cardiac Output Measured by a Doppler Pulmonary Artery Catheter Versus Thermodilution, and Effect of Distal Angle on the Variance Between Methods

Continuous monitoring of cardiac output in patients with cardiac dysfunction or hemodynamic instability is desirable, especially if the patient is in critical condition. For the anesthesiologist, continuous monitoring of cardiac output may be helpful because it provides information which may allow more appropriate management of events during critical periods, such as weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass in cardiac surgery, or cross-clamping and declamping of the aorta in vascular surgery. A pulmonary artery catheter that allows both intermittent and continuous Doppler measurements of cardiac output has been developed (Flocath, Cardiometrics Inc., CA). In high-risk patients, we tested the hypothesis that the Doppler-estimated cardiac output (DECO) was identical to the thermodilutional cardiac output (TDCO), and that the DECO changed similarly in direction and magnitude when the TDCO changed. Further, we investigated the change in cardiac output with both techniques when the distal angle of the Flocath was altered.
Effect of Nerve Stimulation, K+ Saline and Hypertonic Saline on Classes of Quanta, Quantal Content and Synaptic Vesicle Size Distribution of Torpedo Electric Organ

The Torpedo electric organ is an extremely useful preparation for the study of cholinergic mechanisms because of its easy accessibility to biochemical, morphological and physiological methods. A kilogram of electric organ can be obtained from one animal of which 10% are synaptic terminals. At least 3 classes of synaptic vesicles have been described based on density (Stadler and Kiene, 1987) and 2 classes based on diameter (Zimmermann and Whittaker, 1974, 1977). Its unique structure of vertical columns of stacked electrocytes enables one to uniformly field stimulate the tissue and obtain reliable quantitative end-plate potential.
False Memories and True Memories of Childhood Trauma: Balancing the Risks:

How often do clinical psychologists discuss with their adult clients the possibility that the clients might have been abused as children but had repressed the memory? If during the course of therap...
A Pore Scale Study of Non-Newtonian Effect on Foam Propagation in Porous Media

CO2 injection is one of the most promising techniques to enhance oil recovery. However, an unfavorable mobility ratio, reservoir heterogeneity and gravity segregation can reduce the macroscopic sweep efficiency. In situ foaming of injected CO2 is the method that has the most potential for improving sweep efficiency based on controlling CO2 mobility. This study investigates the foaming behavior of N,N,N′-trimethyl-N′-tallow-1,3-diaminopropane (DTTM) surfactant with CO2 in a transparent porous microflow model with natural rock pore structures. It focuses on the effect of the salinity induced non-Newtonian behavior of DTTM solution on foam propagation. The performance of foams stabilized by 0.5 wt% DTTM solution over the viscosity range from 0.71 (at 5 wt% NaCl) to 41 cp (at 20 wt% NaCl) was compared with conventional polymer-enhanced foams whose liquid phase contained a commonly used foaming surfactant, C15–18 Internal Olefin Sulfonate (C15–18 IOS) and a hydrolyzed polyacrylamide. Such comparisons have also provided insight into the respective impacts of liquid phase viscosification by worm-like surfactant micelles and polymer on foam texture associated with its rheological characteristics. It was found that at low aqueous phase viscosity (injection liquid viscosity of 0.71 cp) the maximum achievable viscosity of DDTM foam was around 1000 cp, which was 80 times IOS stabilized foam. The interfacial tension of DTTM was higher than that of IOS, resulting coarser foam texture and higher individual lamella resistance. An increase in DTTM solution viscosity by a factor of 33 decreased foam generation and viscosity for gas injection. This was not observed for the simultaneous injection of gas and DTTM solution. Overall, the effect of liquid phase viscosity on transient foam behavior during gas injection is similar for both DTTM and IOS regardless of the difference in the nature of viscosifying agents (WLM vs 3330 s polymer). An increase in gas injection pressure without liquid injection delayed foam propagation and reduced the magnitude of foam viscosity. The results from this study indicated that DTTM surfactant is an important alternative to commercially available polymers that have been used to enhance foam performance in porous media. This particular surfactant type also overcomes several disadvantages of polymers such as limited temperature and salinity tolerance, shear degradation, and filtering in low permeability formations.
On equilibria in games with imperfect recall

Abstract We generalize the modified multiselves approach of Piccione and Rubinstein to (multiplayer) games of imperfect recall. Four solution concepts are introduced: the multiselves agent equilibrium, the multiselves Nash equilibrium, the multiselves sequential equilibrium, and the multiselves perfect equilibrium. These modified equilibrium notions satisfy two important properties not fulfilled by the original ones. First, they always exist: every finite extensive game has at least one multiselves equilibrium of each type. Second, they form a strict hierarchy: every multiselves perfect equilibrium is a multiselves sequential equilibrium, every multiselves sequential equilibrium is a multiselves Nash equilibrium, and every multiselves Nash equilibrium is a multiselves agent equilibrium—but not conversely. Finally, in games of perfect recall, the multiselves equilibrium notions reduce to their original counterparts.
Overlapping retinal phenotypes in a consanguineous family harboring mutations in CRB1 and RS1.

Purpose: To describe and distinguish overlapping retinal phenotypes in a consanguineous family harboring mutations in CRB1 and RS1, two different genes that are associated with splitting of the cen...
Customizing Morphology, Size, and Response Kinetics of Matrix Metalloproteinase-Responsive Nanostructures by Systematic Peptide Design

Overexpression and activation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is associated with multiple diseases and can serve as a stimulus to activate nanomaterials for sensing and controlled release. In order to achieve autonomous therapeutics with improved space-time targeting capabilities, several features need to be considered beyond the introduction of an enzyme-cleavable linker into a nanostructure. We introduce guiding principles for a customizable platform using supramolecular peptide nanostructures with three modular components to achieve tunable kinetics and morphology changes upon MMP-9 exposure. This approach enables (1) fine-tuning of kinetics through introduction of ordered/disordered structures, (2) a 12-fold variation in hydrolysis rates achieved by electrostatic (mis)matching of particle and enzyme charge, and (3) selection of enzymatic reaction products that are either cell-killing nanofibers or disintegrate. These guiding principles, which can be rationalized and involve exchange of just a fe...
2 D Object Recognition Using the Hough Transform

The objective of this paper is to identify 2D object features in object recognition in order to ensure quality assurance. In this paper we use Hough transform technique to identify the shape of the object by mapping the edge points of the image and also to identify the existing straight lines in the image. The Edge Detection Algorithm is applied to detect the edge points by the sharp or sudden change in intensity. Object recognition is usually performed using the property of shape as a discriminator. The shape of the edges, their size, orientation, and location can be extracted from the objects, which is used for object recognition.
Engineering mechanics for successive states in canine left ventricular myocardium. II. Fiber angle and sarcomere length.

The relations between end-diastolic ( D ) and end-systolic ( S ) fiber angles (α) and sarcomere lengths ( s ) have been previously studied at different sites in canine left ventricular myocardium. However, no postulates have been advanced for predicting a and s in successive states of the ejection cycle ( D or S) or at different sites in one state when the semimajor ( Z ) and semiminor (R) axes of the wall surfaces for successive states and the fiber orientations and sarcomere lengths at one site in one state are known. In this study, the myocardial fibers were regarded as the matrix of a myocardial continuum: they are prisoners of the heart wall and must comply with the movements of the wall. Using the same values as in the preceding article, the wall was treated as a nested set of truncated ellipsoidal shells of revolution with shell volumes preserved from D to S. Both confocal and nonconfocal configurations were analyzed. In each shell, the fibers were assumed to follow a "helical" path with a constant advance in each turn about the Z axis (the simplest possible path). The results of this assumption were compatible with previously reported values of a and s measured at various sites in the left ventricular free wall in states D and S . These results suggest a postulate for the heart wall: in the beating heart, each muscle fiber changes direction and length uniquely as the wall changes shape.
Analysis of single-position for revision surgery using lateral interbody fusion and pedicle screw fixation: feasibility and perioperative results.

Background: To analyze perioperative and radiographic outcomes following revision surgery using lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) performed entirely in the lateral position. Traditionally, patients undergoing interbody fusion in the lateral decubitus position are placed prone for pedicle screw fixation. However prone positioning carries known risks and may increase surgical time due to the need to re-drape and reposition. Little is published regarding revision surgery in a single position. Methods: Sixteen patients over the age of 18 with degenerative lumbar pathology who underwent a revision of previous lumbar fusion using interbody fusion via lateral access and revision of posterior instrumentation from a single surgeon met inclusion criteria. Patients who underwent combined procedures requiring repositioning or had inadequate preoperative imaging were excluded. Patients remained in the lateral decubitus position for the entirety of the procedure including interbody placement, revision of prior instrumentation, and pedicle screw fixation. Demographics, surgical details, and perioperative outcomes were reported. Results: The mean operative time was 211 minutes for all cases, 161 minutes for single-level procedures and 296 minutes for two-level procedures. Mean estimated blood loss was 206 cc. The mean patient age was 66, 70% of which were male. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.4 and Charleson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was 3. All cases were performed on the lumbar spine (T12/L1–L4/L5), with the majority of procedures performed at the L2/3 level (44%). The mean pelvic incidence (PI) was 60 degrees (range, 41–71 degrees) with mean preoperative PI/lumbar lordosis (LL) mismatch of 23.9 degrees. Mean postoperative PI/LL mismatch was 12 degrees. Conclusions: Revision surgery in the lateral position is feasible with complication rates comparable to published literature. The need to reposition is eliminated and single position surgery reduces operative time.
Compromised Exercise Capacity and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Murine (oim) Mouse Model

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable connective tissue disorder that most often arises from type I collagen-COL1A1 and COL1A2-gene defects leading to skeletal fragility, short stature, blue-gray sclera, and muscle weakness. Relative to the skeletal fragility, muscle weakness is much less understood. Recent investigations into OI muscle weakness in both patients and mouse models have revealed the presence of an inherent muscle pathology. Understanding the mechanisms responsible for OI muscle weakness is critical, particularly in light of the extensive cross-talk between muscle and bone via mechanotransduction and biochemical signaling. In the following study we initially subjected WT and oim/oim mice, modeling severe human OI type III, to either weight-bearing (voluntary wheel-running) or non-weight-bearing (swimming) exercise regimens as a modality to improve muscle strength and ultimately bone strength. The oim/oim mice ran only 35% to 42% of the distance run by age- and sex-matched WT mice and exhibited little improvement with either exercise regimen. Upon further investigation, we determined that oim/oim gastrocnemius muscle exhibited severe mitochondrial dysfunction as characterized by a 52% to 65% decrease in mitochondrial respiration rates, alterations in markers of mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, and the electron transport chain components, as well as decreased mitochondrial citrate synthase activity, relative to age- and sex-matched WT gastrocnemius muscle. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction in the oim/oim mouse likely contributes to compromised muscle function and reduced physical activity levels. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
How Comprehensive Are Media-Based Data on Police Officer–Involved Shootings?:

In the absence of systematic data collection by the state and federal governments, efforts to collect information on officer-involved shootings (OIS) have been assumed by the public and news agencies. In a combination of journalistic reporting and what is known as crowdsourcing, media and masses of individuals volunteer their time to identify OIS incidents and enter them into online databases. These efforts are invaluable in describing interpersonal violence between citizens and law enforcement, but it is not well known to what extent the media-based datasets are comprehensive. In the present study, we compared data from three major media-based websites to official data from five police departments that made their data available-Dallas, Denver, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Knoxville. We found a higher rate of matches than discrepancies with regard to fatalities but a much lower rate with regard to non-fatal shootings. Systematically recording and reporting OIS incidents should be the function of the government. Before-and if-that happens, our findings add to the growing evidence that media-based efforts, combined with crowdsourcing, can be useful though limited alternatives.
Comprehensive Three-dimensional Computational Model Enables Design of Nanostructured Infrared Detectors

Due to the unique three-dimensional (3-D) geometries of nanowire-i.e., large surface-to-volume ratios and smaller cross-sections at the nanowire-substrate interfaces-their carrier dynamics are much more complicated than those of thin films. Therefore, analytical solutions cannot be found for these nanostructures and a more comprehensive scheme of 3-D modeling is necessary to interpret their intrinsic carrier dynamics. To date, most modeling studies for nanowires have focused on electromagnetic properties (e.g. optical modes and optical absorption). However, very few studies have combined optical and electrical simulations together to probe the temporal and spatial carrier motions within nanowires. In this work, we present a comprehensive nanowire optoelectronic transient model and photoresponse model, allowing us to investigate carrier lifetimes and their fundamental correlations with material properties, as well as responsivities and detectivities for nanowire-based optical devices for photodetection (i.e., photodetectors). We believe this work can stimulate further experimental and theoretical work and unveil the real strength of 3-D computational models for exploring carrier dynamics in nanowires and nanostructured materials.