cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immediate breast reconstruction using the skin expander: a modification in technique

A modification in the technique of immediate postmastectomy reconstruction of the small to moderate-size breast using the skin expander is presented. The advantage of the technique is that it simplifies the replacement of the expander with the permanent prosthesis while establishing a symmetrical inframammary crease and a laterally supported breast mound. Representative cases are shown.
Regulation of nitrate and nitrite reductase synthesis in enterobacteria

Enterobacteria use nitrate and nitrite both as electron acceptors and as sources of nitrogen for biosynthesis. Nitrate is reduced through nitrite to ammonium in both cases. The enzymes and structural genes for nitrate/nitrite respiration and assimilation are distinct, and are subject to different patterns of regulation. Respiratory enzyme synthesis is indifferent to the availability of ammonium, and is induced by anaerobiosis via the FNR protein. Respiratory enzyme synthesis is further induced by nitrate or nitrite via the NARL and NARP proteins, which are response regulators of two-component regulatory systems. The cognate sensor proteins NARX and NARQ monitor the availability of nitrate and nitrite, and control the activity of the NARL and NARP DNA-binding proteins accordingly. Additionally, nitrate represses the synthesis of respiratory nitrite reductase, and this control is mediated by the NARL protein. Assimilatory enzyme synthesis is indifferent to the availability of oxygen, and is induced by ammonium limitation via the NTRC protein. Assimilatory enzyme synthesis is further induced by nitrate or nitrite via the NASR protein, which may act as a transcription antiterminator. Even though the respiratory and assimilatory enzyme systems are genetically distinct and subject to different forms of regulation, the structural and regulatory genes are closely linked on the Klebsiella pneumoniae chromosome.
The Use of Glassy Films and Sol-Gel Matrices to Probe Nitrite Mediated Reactions of Met Hemoglobin

There have been growing indications that under certain conditions hemoglobin (Hb) can undergo nitrite mediated reactions that result in the formation of bioactive forms of nitric oxide (NO) capable of reversing vasoconstriction due to NO scavenging. This process is especially relevant for the design of Hb based blood substitutes that typically cause vasoconstriction when administered. In this presented work the use of both trehalose-derived glassy films and silane derived sol-gel matrices are used to isolate both reactive intermediates and key steps in nitrite-mediated reactions of met Hb. The glassy films allow for controlled production NO within the glass and controlled access of the NO into the distal heme pocket of the met nitrite derivative of Hb. The use of the sol-gel allows for trapping either the T or R state forms of Hb and for facile separation of products (e.g. nitrosothiols such as GSNO) from the Hb containing sol-gel phase. The contributions of added NO and small thiol containing molecules (L-cysteine and glutathione) are exposed. The results are consistent with the formation of a relatively stable intermediate capable of forming S-nitrosothiols such as GSNO. The intermediate has properties consistent with one proposed by Gladwin, Kim-Shapiro1 and coworkers which has the potent nitrosating agent N2O3 coordinated to a ferrous heme.1. Basu, S., et al, Nature Chemical Biology, (2007) vol. 3, p.785.
Self-selection of an optimum diet from a mixture of wheat fractions by the larvae of Tribolium confusum☆

Abstract Tribolium confusum was reared from the beginning of the first instar to the pupa on wheat bran, endosperm or germ or on a 1 : 1 : 1 mixture of these three fractions. The food intake of the larvae reared on the mixture included more or less similar proportions of the three wheat fractions, averaging 1·5 per cent bran, 17·1 per cent endosperm and 81·4 per cent germ. Past work on the nutrition of stored-product insects has involved the assumption that the insects cannot feed selectively from a finely powdered diet. Our findings show that this assumption may not be warranted. The mixed diet supported growth better than any one of the pure fractions or any wheat diet previously tested by us. It was superior to germ, the best of the pure fractions, because it was more digestible and because the digested portion was more efficiently utilized for growth. Endosperm, the poorest diet of the fractions, was highly digestible but was not efficiently utilized. Bran, better than endosperm but inferior to germ, was relatively indigestible although the digested portion was efficiently utilized. Germ was both digestible and efficiently utilized.
The prolongation of reserpine-induced cardiac norepinephrine depletion by metabolic inhibitors.

Abstract Levels of cardiac norepinephrine (NE) in the rat were determined at various times after the intraperitoneal administration of 2 mg/kg reserpine phosphate. The rate of repletion of NE was decreased by the administration of certain metabolic inhibitors [thioacetamide; 2,2-dichloro-N-(β-hydroxy-α-(hydroxymethyl) -p-methylsulfonyl-phenethyl) acetamide; β-diethylaminoethyl-diphenylpropyl acetate (SKF 525-A); actinomycin d ] in proper dosage schedules. None of these agents significantly affected the endogenous NE concentration in the heart of the nonreserpinized rat. In animals pretreated with phenobarbital prior to reserpine, the levels of cardiac NE returned to normal more rapidly than did those of animals receiving no prior barbiturate. SKF 525-A decreased the levels of 3H-reserpine found in the heart and liver, and did not affect the concentration of 3H-reserpine in the carcass of animals 4 days after 2 mg/kg 3H-reserpine. Thioacetamide did not alter the capacity of the heart to retain tritiated NE after i.v. administration. Actinomycin d did not interfere with the rate of NE synthesis in the heart, nor did it change the characteristics of the NE uptake process of isolated perfused hearts from reserpinized animals. Repletion of adrenal NE in reserpinized animals was not affected by administration of actinomycin d . It was concluded that the slow repletion of the cardiac NE after reserpine administration may be due to the necessity for the synthesis of new NE storage sites in the heart, and that the metabolic inhibitors retard the return of normal NE levels by inhibiting the synthesis of these storage sites.
Prevalence of Basic Information Technology Use by U.S. Physicians

BACKGROUND: Information technology (IT) has been advocated as an important means to improve the practice of clinical medicine.
Cloning proenkephalin from the brain of a urodele amphibian (Taricha granulosa) using a DOR-specific primer in a 3′RACE reaction

A large cDNA fragment that codes for proenkephalin (PENK) was cloned from the rough-skinned newt, Taricha granulosa (GenBank Accession: AY817670). This 1299-bp PENK cDNA extends from the poly(A) sequence on the 3' end into the 5'-UTR (221bp) upstream of an open reading frame that codes for 264 amino acids and a stop codon. Within the precursor are five Met-enkephalin sequences and two C-terminally extended forms of Met-enkephalin (YGGFMRGV and YGGFMRY). The organization of the opioid core sequences within the newt PENK closely resembles that reported for other vertebrates. In this urodele amphibian, as in anurans, PENK does not contain the penultimate Leu-enkephalin opioid sequence found in mammals, and instead has in this position Met-enkephalin. PENK cDNA was amplified from newt brain in a RACE PCR targeting the 3' end of the newt delta opioid receptor (DOR). It remains to be determined whether generating the cDNA for the newt PENK while cloning its receptor was serendipitous or the result of a meaningful coincidence between the DOR and PENK sequences.
Development of Rutting Model for Unbound Aggregates Containing Recycled Asphalt Pavement

The use of recycled materials for construction is beneficial to both the environment and the economy. Recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) is one of the most commonly used recycled materials. Different state departments of transportation allow the use of RAP in base materials using various RAP percentages. Unlike conventional crushed aggregate, RAP exhibits a high resilient modulus, but also low resistance to permanent deformation, which contradicts the relationship between the modulus and permanent deformation in the permanent deformation model for unbound materials found in the mechanistic-empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG). In this study, repeated triaxial tests are conducted on samples containing different percentages of RAP and crushed aggregate. Permanent deformation prediction models for granular base course materials, introduced in 1989 by Tseng and Lytton, are modified by adding the RAP percentage as a parameter for base course materials containing RAP. The results indicate that the proposed model accounts for the effects of RAP reasonably well. Further studies are needed to validate the new rutting model by including different virgin aggregates and RAP mixtures under various testing conditions.
Comparison of the enhancing effects of dehydroepiandrosterone with the structural analog 16α-fluoro-5-androsten-17-one on aflatoxin B1 hepatocarcinogenesis in rainbow trout

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is an adrenal steroid with chemoprotective effects against a wide variety of conditions including cancer, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, DHEA is also a carcinogen in laboratory animals, possibly through its function as a precursor of sex steroids or peroxisome proliferation. The structural analog 16 alpha-fluoro-5-androsten-17-one (8354) has been reported to have enhanced chemopreventive activity without the steroid precursor and peroxisome proliferating effects of DHEA. This study compares DHEA and 8354 in rainbow trout, a species that is resistant to peroxisome proliferation but is highly susceptible to the carcinogenic and tumor enhancing effects of DHEA. Trout were exposed as fry to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) or given a sham exposure, then were fed diets containing 444 ppm DHEA or 8354 for 6 months. Postinitiation treatment with DHEA significantly increased liver tumor incidence, multiplicity, and size compared to initiated controls. The analog 8354 slightly increased tumor incidence (p = 0.06) but had no effect on multiplicity or size. Six percent of trout treated with DHEA alone developed tumors, whereas no tumors occurred in noninitiated trout fed control or 8354-containing diets. Serum levels of androstenedione were elevated by DHEA (48-fold) or 8354 (6-fold) treatment. Serum beta-estradiol titers were increased in DHEA- but not 8354-treated trout. Vitellogenin was induced significantly by either DHEA (434-fold) or 8354 (21-fold). Peroxisomal beta-oxidation was not increased by either compound and catalase activity was decreased in DHEA-treated animals. Both steroids were potent inhibitors in vitro of trout liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase with IC50s of 24 and 0.5 microM for DHEA and 8354, respectively. This research suggests that in trout the tumor enhancing effects of DHEA may be due to its function as a sex steroid precursor and are unrelated to peroxisome proliferation. These carcinogenic properties are reduced in the analog 8354 which has been advocated as an alternative to DHEA for chemoprevention.
Manufacturing Mistrust: Issues in the Controversy Regarding Foster Children in the Pediatric HIV/AIDS Clinical Trials

The use of foster children as subjects in the pediatric HIV/AIDS clinical trials has been the subject of media controversy, raising a range of ethical and social dimensions. Several unsettled issues and debates in research ethics underlie the controversy and the lack of consensus among professional researchers on these issues was neither adequately appreciated nor presented in media reports. These issues include (1) the tension between protecting subjects from research risk while allowing them access to the possible benefits of research; (2) the blurring of the potentially conflicting roles of investigator and physician and the boundaries between research and therapy; (3) the adequacy of Institutional Review Board oversight; and (4) trust and the relationships among physicians, investigators and industry. The media controversy about the pediatric HIV/AIDS clinical trials can be seen as a means of “manufacturing mistrust” in health care, research and social services that have not always met the needs and expectations of the public. In an era of emerging infections, it is critical to the public’s health that people understand the role of rigorous and ethical research in the development of safe and effective care. Investigators, journalists and the public need to become knowledgeable about major ethical issues in the conduct of research in order to engage in dialogue about balancing research risks and benefits and to be able to distinguish fact from distortion in an era of multiple and rapid transmission of information.
Arteriohepatic dysplasia (Alagille syndrome): Extreme variability among affected family members

We describe a three-generation family in which five individuals have arteriohepatic dysplasia (Alagille syndrome) with striking differences in the degree of severity. Two sisters presented with neonatal jaundice, peripheral pulmonic stenosis, and characteristic facial appearance including a broad forehead, deep-set eyes, prominent nose, and pointed chin. One died at 5 years of cirrhosis with portal hypertension and the other at 18 months of congestive heart failure. Their asymptomatic 32-year-old mother and 35-year-old maternal aunt have a similar facial appearance, pulmonic stenosis, skeletal anomalies, and bilateral posterior embryotoxon. Neither has evidence of clinical liver disease. The maternal grandfather, who refused evaluation, has a similar appearance, a history of liver disease, and a heart murmur. Extreme intrafamilial variability has not been reported previously and most affected individuals described in the past have followed a benign course. The pattern of severity in this family suggests the possibility of a maternal factor augmenting the clinical expression in affected offspring. The skeletal anomalies and posterior embryotoxon are valuable signs in detecting asymptomatic but affected individuals who are at risk for having offspring with this potentially lethal condition.
Face recognition memory: Distribution of false alarms

The responses of subjects in six face recognition memory studies were analyzed to determine whether false alarms (FAs) to distractors were randomly distributed. Evidence from every study strongly supports the conclusion that FAs are nonrandom. For reasons still unclear, some faces are often mistakenly selected as targets, others are never selected. Possible explanations of these findings are discussed.
Graph matching a skeletonized theoretical morphospace with a cladogram for gomphonemoid-cymbelloid diatoms (Bacillariophyta)

A three-dimensional (3D) theoretical morphospace of gomphonemoid and cymbelloid diatoms was skeletonized using concepts from extended Reeb graph analysis and Morse theory. The resultant skeleton tree was matched to a cladogram of the same group of related taxa using adjacency matrices of the trees and ordinated with multidimensional scaling (MDS) of leaf nodes. From this, an unweighted path matrix based on the number of branches between leaf nodes was ordinated to determine degree of matched tree structures. A constrained MDS of the path matrix, weighted by ranked MDS leaf node groups as facets, was used to interpret taxon environmental tolerances and habitat preferences with respect to adaptive value. The methods developed herein provided a way to combine results from morphological and phylogenetic analyses and interpret those results with respect to an aspect of evolutionary process, namely, adaptation.
Bending Dynamics of Acetylene: New Modes Born in Bifurcations of Normal Modes†

Semiclassical techniques are used to analyze highly excited pure bending vibrational dynamics from spectra of C2H2. An analytic bifurcation approach is developed, based on critical points of a classical version of the quantum fitting Hamiltonian. At high energy four new types of anharmonic modes are born in bifurcations of the normal modes: local, orthogonal, precessional, and counter-rotator. Visual insight into their nature is obtained with the help of computer-generated three-dimensional animations. The connection between the local mode and the acetylene−vinylidene isomerization “reaction mode” is considered.
Ion Beam Channeling in Superlattices

Ion beam channeling analysis has recently been applied to lattice strain measurements on strained-layer superlattices (SLS). In this review talk, we outline three different methods of strain measurement: axial dechanneling, angular scans, and planar resonance. We describe the principles and illustrate them with examples; we also give a detailed theoretical treatment of the planar resonance effect in SLS's.
Process development for remediation of phenolic waste lagoons

Abstract Aqueous phenolic wastes from a phenolic resin production process were disposed in lagoons on the production site. Groundwater contamination in the area has exceeded state limits and thus mandated remedial action. Representative core samples from within and around the highly contaminated soil regions were collected. These samples were physically and chemically characterized to better determine the extent and nature of contamina- tion. Both in situ and on-site remediation scenarios were considered. The most promising scenario was in situ forced leaching with above- ground aerobic microbial treatment of the leachate. The treatment could be carried out with six months operation at a cost of approximately $170 per ton of treated soil, with the capability of reaching a final residual soil phenol concentration less than 20 mg/kg dry soil.
Structural Equation Models in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Model Building.

ANDERSON, JAMES G. Structural Equation Models in the Social and Behavioral Sciences: Model Building. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1987, 58, 49-64. Structural equation modeling techniques and associated computer programs are now widely available for use in the social and behavioral sciences. However, most reported applications are limited to simple models involving one-way causation among observed variables measured at 1 point in time. These models, and the theories on which they are based, generally fail to incorporate reciprocal causation, feedback, and measurement error. This article illustrates recent methodological developments that pennit investigators to construct, estimate, and test complex causal models. The model-building process has been illustrated by reformulating a series of models based on a published study of the effects of family socialization on achievement. The results have been presented in a way that should make this methodology more accessible to social scientists.
First-passage times for non-Markovian processes: Shot noise

The stochastic-trajectory-analysis technique is applied to the calculation of the mean\char21{}first-passage-time statistics for processes driven by external shot noise. Explicit analytical expressions are obtained for free and bound processes.
Pharmacological management of gestational diabetes: an overview.

OBJECTIVE —To provide a review of the background literature regarding the pharmacological management of gestational diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS —This is a literature review. RESULTS —Information is available regarding the use of some, but not all, oral antidiabetes agents in pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS —Available evidence supports the use of glyburide during pregnancy. Evidence is inadequate to support or refute the use of metformin, an agent that has been shown to cross the placenta and thus could be helpful or harmful to the developing fetus.
Alkanetelluroxide-protected gold nanoparticles.

The synthesis and characterization of the first air-stable tellurium-containing ligand-protected gold nanoparticles (NPs) are reported. Although the synthesis largely followed the well-known Brust two-phase approach, the starting ligand was dioctyl ditelluride rather than alkanetellurol, which is an analogue of the widely used alkanethiol. Dioctyl ditelluride was used because alkanetellurol is unstable. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra, as well as infrared spectra (IR) of the formed Au NPs, indicated that the Te−Te bond in the starting ligand was broken but the octyl group was intact. This was further corroborated by the solid-state 125Te NMR spectrum that displayed a very broad and significantly downfield-shifted peak, indicating that tellurium was directly bound to the Au core. Furthermore, the O 1s and Te 3d XPS spectra of the Au NPs indicated that the capping ligands were octanetelluroxide. An average particle size of 2.7 nm diameter as measured by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) corresponded to an A...
Cryosurgery of the fetal ductus arteriosus

The effects of cryosurgical treatment of the fetal ductus arteriosus (DA) on the structure and function of the neonatal DA are assessed for the first time. A cryosurgical probe, cooled with nitrous oxide, was used to freeze the wall of the DA in 5 fetal lambs. Six fetal lambs were used as control animals. After birth, all the cryosurgically treated lambs had a patent DA whereas all the control lambs had a closed DA. Only the cryosurgically treated group had these histologic findings: calcific deposits, necrosis, and focal ganglion cell necrosis in the outer one third to two thirds of the media with a decrease or loss of muscle cells and elastic fibers. This study suggests the feasibility of developing a cryosurgical approach for maintaining patency of the DA.
Paleogeography, Paleohydrology, and Diagenesis of Middle Trinity (Lower Cretaceous) Carbonate Beach Sequence, Texas: ABSTRACT

The Hammett Shale, Cow Creek Limestone, and overlying Hensel Sandstone represent a transgressive-regressive depositional cycle. Hammett shales and carbonates were deposited in low-energy marine lithotopes seaward of nearshore shoal, lagoonal, and beach environments represented in Cow Creek lithofacies. Fungalgal caliches and supratidal marshes developed in places in the beach backshore. Contemporaneously, smectitic red muds, caliches, and lenticular sands were deposited on the arid Hensel alluvial plain. Statistical analysis of matrix, cement, and allochems reveals that early diagenetic modifications in the marine carbonate sequence have distinctive vertical distributions. Fewer beds are dolomitized above the Hammett Shale. Lagoonal strata consist mainly of recrystallized pelleted nodules and pseudospar lime packstones; and beach grainstones are never dolomitized. Aragonitic bioclasts underwent dissolution in the beach but stabilized by inversion in lower facies. Iron-free calcites predominate in the beach foreshore beds; ferroan calcites predominate in underlying units. Micritized and enveloped grains are most abundant in mud-free beach sediments. The strandline meteoric-vadose zone and the mixed zone separating local and regional meteoric-phreatic waters from marine interstitial fluids were the loci of most diagenetic alteration. Caliche development, early cementation, and grain leaching were affected by equilibrating vadose waters. Cementation was inhibited and inversion allowed to proceed in the local mixed-phreatic zone, whereas dolomitization of Hammett carbonates took place in regional mixed-phreatic waters. Iron-free cements were precipitated in oxidized, phreatic, or vadose zones. End_of_Article - Last_Page 630------------
Our heritage from engineering education

American methods of engineering education are, in large part, responsible for our country's industrial status in the world today. AIEE President McMillan here compares the history of technical education in Europe and the United States.
A perspective on the Fluids and Catheters Treatment Trial (FACTT): Fluid restriction is superior in acute lung injury and ARDS

Restricting fluid intake and promoting fluid excretion (a "dry" or conservative strategy) is more effective than a "we or liberal strategy in patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. In a multicenter, randomized, prospective clinical comparison of the two strategies in 1000 patients, those in the conservative-strategy group experienced faster improvement in lung function and spent significantly fewer days on ventilation and in the intensive care unit (N Engl J Med 2006; 354:2564-2574). No significant differences were observed in the incidence of death by 60 days or of nonpulmonary organ failure at 28 days except for days of central nervous system failure, which were fewer in the conservative-strategy group.
On the E-optimality of certain class of block designs

Abstract In this paper we consider the problem of determining and constructing E-optimal block designs within an experimental setting where v treatments are arranged in b blocks of size k
Heteroduplex mapping of small plasmids derived from R-factor R12: in vivo recombination occurs at IS1 insertion sequences.

Abstract Small, autonomously replicating plasmids derived by in vivo recombination from R-factor R12 (= R100) have been structurally mapped by heteroduplex formation between the plasmids and an R-factor which is structurally closely related to R6-5. Recombination resulting in generation of the small resistance-free plasmids occurs between the (IS 1 ) b insertion sequence and various other sites on the opposite side of an origin of replication. A larger R12-derived plasmid pSM17, carrying streptomycin (Sm), sulfadiazole (Sa), and chloramphenicol (Cm) resistances, has recombined in a similar manner but at the (IS 1 ) a sequence. A new structural coordinate origin or R100 and for partially homologous R-factors is proposed based upon the location of the (IS 1 ) b sequence.
Measurement of disjoining pressure of Z-type perfluoropolyether lubricants on Si and SiNx surfaces

Abstract An AFM based measurement of the disjoining pressure ( Π ) is described. For the measurement of nano-thin fluids on hard substrates it was shown that specific experimental requirements are placed on the cantilever stiffness and probe radius. The disjoining pressure of Fomblin Z03 was then measured on a Si surface and found to be consistent with literature values. The disjoining pressures ( Π ) of 25 A Zdol on SiN x films deposited under a flowing-gas of N 2 was measured and a sharp decrease in Π was observed with increasing N 2 concentration (in the gas) that was assigned to the decrease in the polarizability and/or the density of polarizable species in the surface.
Acute hypothalamic instability in traumatic brain injury: A case report

Abstract Thorley RR, Wertsch JJ, Klingbeil GE. Acute hypothalamic instability in traumatic brain injury: a case report. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:246-9. Acute hypothalamic instability occurs in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). It usually occurs in the form of autonomic dysfunction syndrome (also known as diencephalic seizures or paroxysmal sympathetic storms); however, there are other causes of acute hypothalamic instability of which the clinician must be aware. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome, malignant hyperthermia, autonomic dysfunction syndrome, and lethal catatonia are all syndromes that clinically present as signs and symptoms of acute hypothalamic instability. Because of the lethal potential of these syndromes, clinicians who care for patients with TBI must be aware of the various syndromes, their clinical presentation, and their treatment. We present a case of life-threatening acute hypothalamic instability in a patient with TBI.
Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with Couples Facing Terminal Illness

Research on effective therapeutic interventions for couples dealing with terminal illness is scant. Changes in daily routine, added responsibilities, role changes, and the grief process are all contributors to the enormous stress and emotional strain felt by these couples. Couples where one partner is terminally ill may experience anger, depression, guilt, and anxiety. The authors propose that emotionally focused couple therapy (EFT), originally developed by Greenberg and Johnson (Emotionally focused therapy for couples, Guilford Press, New York, NY, 1988) may be effective in addressing this distress and in facilitating the grieving and support process in couples dealing with terminal illness. EFT is a systemic, experiential form of therapy that builds upon Bowlby’s (Attachment and loss: Volume I: Attachment, Basic Books, New York, NY, 1969) attachment theory. By exploring the emotional experience of both partners it may be possible to re-structure the couple’s emotional partnership and support the grief process for both partners.
Specific and Nonspecific Interaction Forces Between Escherichia coli and Silicon Nitride, Determined by Poisson Statistical Analysis

The nature of the physical interactions between Escherichia coli JM109 and a model surface (silicon nitride) was investigated in water via atomic force microscopy (AFM). AFM force measurements on bacteria can represent the combined effects of van der Waals and electrostatic forces, hydrogen bonding, steric interactions, and perhaps ligand-receptor type bonds. It can be difficult to decouple these forces into their individual components since both specific (chemical or short-range forces such as hydrogen bonding) and nonspecific (long-range colloidal) forces may be present in the overall profiles. An analysis is presented based on the application of Poisson statistics to AFM adhesion data, to decouple the specific and nonspecific interactions. Comparisons with classical DLVO theory and a modified form of a van der Waals expression for rough surfaces were made in order to help explain the nature of the interactions. The only specific forces in the system were due to hydrogen bonding, which from the Poisson analysis were found to be -0.125 nN. The nonspecific forces of 0.155 nN represent an overall repulsive interaction. These nonspecific forces are comparable to the forces calculated from DLVO theory, in which electrostatic-double layer interactions are added to van der Waals attractions calculated at the distance of closest approach, as long as the van der Waals model for "rough" spherical surfaces is used. Calculated electrostatic-double layer and van der Waals interactions summed to 0.116 nN. In contrast, if the classic (i.e., smooth) sphere-sphere model was used to predict the van der Waals forces, the sum of electrostatic and van der Waals forces was -7.11 nN, which appears to be a large overprediction. The Poisson statistical analysis of adhesion forces may be very useful in applications of bacterial adhesion, because it represents an easy way to determine the magnitude of hydrogen bonding in a given system and it allows the fundamental forces to be easily broken into their components.
’An apple of discord’: The woman question at the world's anti‐slavery convention of 1840

(1984). ’An apple of discord’: The woman question at the world's anti‐slavery convention of 1840. Slavery & Abolition: Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 244-266.
Docking and fusion in neurosecretion

A central issue in neurobiology concerns the mechanisms of membrane fusion that are essential for the rapid regulated delivery of neurotransmitters into the synapse. While many gene products are required for neurosecretion, recent research has focused on defining the core exocytotic machinery that is responsible for the docking of synaptic vesicles (SVs) and their fusion with the plasma membrane. N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF), soluble NSF attachment protein (SNAP) and SNAP receptor (SNARE) proteins are essential for fusion but may not be critical for SV docking. Current evidence suggests that NSF functions during an ATP-dependent step after docking but before fusion. NSF may function to liberate SNARE proteins from complexes so that the proteins on apposed membranes align in a parallel fashion to bring SVs into close contact with the plasma membrane for fusion.
My Recollections as a Student of Prof. R.E. Kalman and Life as a Student at His Center [Historical Perspectives]

I received my Ph.D. in 1979 from the University of Florida under the supervision of Prof. R.E. Kalman. While I was his student and a member of the Center for Mathematical System Theory, the Center attracted the world's best systems and control theory researchers. Visitors of high caliber were invited to speak at the Mathematical System Theory seminar as well as system theory-related courses. Some stayed for an extended period of time as members of the Center. The seminars were intensive and vibrant. The contents were rigorous, but intuitive ideas were also emphasized. It was understood that we needed to have clear ideas about the established body of knowledge to develop a new theory or method.
Direct demonstration of lymphocyte-macrophage cooperation in the absence of physical contact between the two cell types

Abstract To determine if contact is needed between peritoneal exudate macrophages (PE) and nonadherent cells (NA) the two populations were cultured in vitro in a parabiotic chamber separated by cell impermeable filters. It was found that PE and NA cells need not be in contact, and that the antigen (SRBC) need be in contact with the NA cell population but not with the PE population. The data show that the macrophage functions by elaborating a soluble substance which most likely acts upon the RBC antigen rather than the cells in the NA population.
Biology of the Impaired Endothelium

The endothelium is a regulatory organ that mediates hemostasis, contractility, cellular proliferation, and inflammatory mechanisms in the vessel wall. Injury to the endothelium from hypertension, smoking, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes mellitus disrupts normal regulatory properties and results in abnormal endothelial cell function. Clinically, endothelial cell dysfunction can be manifested as vasospasm, thrombus formation, atherosclerosis, or restenosis. The normal hemostatic properties of the endothelium include the maintenance of a nonadhesive luminal surface, antithrombotic properties, anticoagulant properties, and fibrinolytic properties. The endothelial cell regulates smooth muscle cell contractility by the production of relaxing and constricting factors in response to physiologic stimuli. Endothelial cell injury is also an initial event in the development of atherosclerosis and restenosis by facilitating platelet adhesion and aggregation and by signaling the release of mitogens from platelets, macrophages, and endothelial cells, which stimulate smooth muscle cell proliferation. In addition, endothelial cells undergo morphologic and functional alterations in response to cytokine signals, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of vasculitis and atherosclerosis. In sum, the normal endothelium performs many regulatory functions which become altered when the endothelium is injured.
Postextrasystolic alterations in refractoriness of the His-Purkinje system and ventricular myocardium in man.

The changes in refractoriness of the His-Purkinje system (HPS) and ventricular myocardium (VM) that are associated with the occurrence of postextrasystolic beats in man are unknown. Accordingly, using a pacing model of the cycle length changes created by a ventricular extrasystole-postextrasystole sequence, we measured retrograde HPS and VM relative and effective refractory periods (RRP and ERP) in 15 patients with the use of ventricular test extrastimuli during preextrasystolic basic control drive (method I) and after programmed extrasystolic (method II) and postextrasystolic (method III) beats. The basic cycle length (same for all three methods) ranged from 500 to 700 msec (mean 613 +/- 74 msec) and the extrasystolic coupling interval (identical for methods II and III) comprised 68 +/- 4% of the basic cycle length. In method III the postextrasystolic pause was programmed to equal the basic cycle length (i.e., noncompensatory) so that method I could serve as control for method III. RRP-HPS decreased from 331 +/- 37 msec in method I to 245 +/- 37 msec or less during the extrasystolic beat (p less than .001). A less dramatic corresponding shortening of ERP-VM and RRP-VM was observed, i.e., from 245 +/- 21 and 264 +/- 23 msec (method I) to 233 +/- 23 and 251 +/- 22 msec (method II), respectively (p less than .001). With the postextrasystolic beat, however, RRP-HPS increased to exceed the control value of method I by 23 +/- 11 msec (p less than .001). This greater-than-expected RP prolongation was also associated with significantly increased retrograde HPS conduction times (in method III vs method I) at both long and short test stimulus coupling intervals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A Multicycle Comparison of Dietary Zinc and Feed Removal Molting Procedures: Production and Income Performance

Abstract Two experiments were conducted to evaluate performance and income factors associated with zinc oxide and feed removal multicycle molt programs. Experiment 1 compared two strains of commercial White Leghorn layers molted with 20,000 ppm zinc oxide in the feed for 4 days with a feed removal program of 10 days followed by 10 days of cracked corn. Experiment 2 compared a single strain of White Leghorn layers molted with 20,000 ppm zinc oxide with feed removal for 4 and 10 days. Body weight loss during molt averaged 25 to 30% for the longer duration molt programs compared to 14 to 16% for the short duration programs. Differences in body weight loss between zinc oxide and feed removal programs employing the same durations of treatment were not significant (P>.05). In addition, no significant (P>.05) differences were observed between zinc oxide and feed removal programs for hen-housed egg production, days to reduce egg production to 0%, feed usage, or mortality rates. Differences in egg sizes and egg grade distributions were observed among molting programs and strains. Incomes over pullet and feed costs for the molted flocks were greatest during the first molt cycle. Incomes over pullet and feed cost during the second molt cycle were generally negative. The longer duration molt programs resulted in total incomes over feed and pullet costs averaging 5.0¢doz more than the shorter 4-day duration programs. Duration of molt-inducing periods had greater effects on performance and income results than did the method used to induce rest.
Knotted Elastic Curves in R3

One of the oldest topics in the calculus of variations is the study of the elastic rod which, according to Daniel Bernoulli's idealization, minimizes total squared curvature among curves of the same length and first order boundary data. The classical term elastica refers to a curve in the plane or IR which represents such a rod in equilibrium. While the elastica and its generalizations have long been (and continue to be) of interest in the context of elasticity theory, the elastica as a purely geometrical entity seems to have been largely ignored. Recently, however, Bryant and Griffiths [1, 3] have found the elastica and its natural generalization to space forms (where arc length is generally not constrained) to be an interesting example in the context of the general theory of exterior differential systems. Independently, the present authors have studied 'free' elastic curves in space forms and have drawn connections to well-known problems in differential geometry [4, 5]. From the geometric point of view, the closed elasticae and their global behaviour are naturally of particular interest. In the present paper we maintain this emphasis but return to the classical setting of Euclidean curves with fixed arc length. Specifically, we give a complete classification of closed elastic curves in U" and determine the knottedness of these elasticae. We note that the integrability of the equations for a classical elastica was known already to Euler in the planar case and (essentially) to Radon in the case of IR (see Blaschke's Vorlesungen iiber Differentialgeometrie I); to determine the closed elasticae, however, the chief problem is to understand the dependence of the resulting elliptic integrals on certain parameters. Since the closed planar elasticae were well described already by Euler, and since uniqueness of solutions in the initial-value problem implies that any elastica in U" must in fact lie in U, it will suffice to present the following.
A multiply parallel implementation of finite element-based discrete dislocation dynamics for arbitrary geometries

Discrete dislocation dynamics (DD) approaches have proven useful in modeling the dynamics of large ensembles of dislocations. Continuing interest in finite body effects via image stresses has extended DD numerical approaches to improve the handling of surfaces. However, a physically accurate, yet computationally scalable, implementation has been elusive. This paper presents a new framework and implementation of a finite element-based discrete DD code that (1) treats arbitrarily shaped non-convex surfaces through image tractions, (2) allows for systematic refinement of the finite element mesh both in the bulk and on the surface and (3) provides a platform to scale to relatively larger and lengthier simulations. The approach is based on the capabilities of the Parallel Dislocation Simulator coupled through a distributed shared memory implementation for the calculation of large numbers of dislocation segments interacting with an independently large number of surface finite elements. Surface tracking approaches enable topological features at surfaces to be modeled. We verify the computed results via comparisons with analytical solutions for an infinite screw dislocation and prismatic loop near a surface and examine surface effects on a Frank–Read source. Convergence of the image force error with h- and p-refinement is shown to indicate the computational robustness. Additionally, through larger numerical experiments, we demonstrate the new capabilities in a three-dimensional elastic body of finite extent.
Synthesis, stability, and cellular internalization of gold nanoparticles containing mixed peptide-poly(ethylene glycol) monolayers

Gold nanoparticles have shown great promise as therapeutics, therapeutic delivery vectors, and intracellular imaging agents. For many biomedical applications, selective cell and nuclear targeting are desirable, and these remain a significant practical challenge in the use of nanoparticles in vivo. This challenge is being addressed by the incorporation of cell-targeting peptides or antibodies onto the nanoparticle surface, modifications that frequently compromise nanoparticle stability in high ionic strength biological media. We describe herein the assembly of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and mixed peptide/PEG monolayers on gold nanoparticle surfaces. The stability of the resulting bioconjugates in high ionic strength media was characterized as a function of nanoparticle size, PEG length, and monolayer composition. In total, three different thiol-modified PEGs (average molecular weight (MW), 900, 1500, and 5000 g mol-1), four particle diameters (10, 20, 30, and 60 nm), and two cell-targeting peptides were e...
Effect of Supplementation of a Low-Protein Corn Molt Diet with Amino Acids on Early Postmolt Laying Hen Performance

Abstract Commercial White Leghorn hens (69, 61, or 67 wk of age in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were induced to molt by feed withdrawal until approximately 28% body weight loss occurred. All hens were then weighed, and seven replicate groups of 12 hens each were assigned to molt dietary treatments. Molt diets in Experiment 1 consisted of a corn basal diet (7.6% CP) or this diet supplemented with DL-Met, L-Lys, both Met and Lys, or a mixture of eight amino acids. In Experiment 2, L-Trp supplementation in addition to Met and Lys were evaluated, and in Experiment 3, L-Thr supplementation was also evaluated. Various levels of L-Glu supplementation were evaluated in all experiments, and a 16% CP corn-soybean meal diet was used as a positive control in all experiments. Six, seven, and five molt diets were fed for 16, 17, and 17 days and in Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and performance data were measured for 8 wk of production following initiation of feed removal. In all experiments, hens returned to egg production sooner and regained body weight faster when fed the 16% CP molt diet, compared with those fed the corn basal diet. In Experiment 1, supplementing the basal diet with Met and Lys together or with eight amino acids improved early egg production, egg yield, body weight gain, and feed efficiency compared with hens fed the basal diet. In Experiment 2, supplementation of Trp, Met, and Lys together slightly improved production performance compared with supplementation with only Met and Lys. The addition of Thr to the basal supplemented with Met, Lys, and Trp did not improve postmolt production performance factors in Experiment 3. Glutamic acid supplementation had no consistent effect on postmolt production. Thus, the present study indicated that supplementation of a low-protein corn molt diet with Met, Lys, and Trp enhanced early postmolt layer performance and yielded performance approaching that from the 16% CP diet. Amino acid supplementation of a corn molt diet may be more economical than feeding a high-protein molt diet.
Prevalence, Trajectories, and Risk Factors for Depression among Caregivers of Young Children Involved in Child Maltreatment Investigations.

This study examines depression among caregivers of young children involved in investigations of child maltreatment, in terms of 12-month prevalence of depression across 5 to 6 years. Data were from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, a national probability study of 5,501 children investigated for maltreatment. The study sample comprised 1,244 female caregivers (95.5% biological mothers) of children not placed out of home and younger than 5 years old. About a quarter of caregivers had, at any given point, a score indicating major depression in the previous 12 months; across all follow-ups, 46% of caregivers had a score indicating major depression at some point. Depression was associated with caregivers' report of intimate-partner violence and fair or poor health status. Caregivers of maltreated children are at substantial risk for depression that does not diminish over the course of 5 years. Assessing and providing assistance for intimate-partner violence and health problems may help decrease depression prevalence.
Epigenetics and transgenerational transfer: A physiological perspective

Epigenetics, the transgenerational transfer of phenotypic characters without modification of gene sequence, is a burgeoning area of study in many disciplines of biology. However, the potential impact of this phenomenon on the physiology of animals is not yet broadly appreciated, in part because the phenomenon of epigenetics is not typically part of the design of physiological investigations. Still enigmatic and somewhat ill defined is the relationship between the overarching concept of epigenetics and interesting transgenerational phenomena (e.g. 'maternal/parental effects') that alter the physiological phenotype of subsequent generations. The lingering effect on subsequent generations of an initial environmental disturbance in parent animals can be profound, with genes continuing to be variously silenced or expressed without an associated change in gene sequence for many generations. Known epigenetic mechanisms involved in this phenomenon include chromatin remodeling (DNA methylation and histone modification), RNA-mediated modifications (non-coding RNA and microRNA), as well as other less well studied mechanisms such as self-sustaining loops and structural inheritance. In this review we: (1) discuss how the concepts of epigenetics and maternal effects both overlap with, and are distinct from, each other; (2) analyze examples of existing animal physiological studies based on these concepts; and (3) offer a construct by which to integrate these concepts into the design of future investigations in animal physiology.