cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rapid kinetics investigations of peracid oxidation of ferric cytochrome P450cam: Nature and possible function of compound ES☆

Abstract Previously, we reported spectroscopic properties of cytochrome P450cam compound I, (ferryl iron plus a porphyrin π-cation radical (FeIV = O/Por +)), as well as compound ES (FeIV = O/Tyr ) in reactions of substrate-free ferric enzyme with m-chloroperbenzoic acid [T. Spolitak, J.H. Dawson, D.P. Ballou, J. Biol. Chem. 280 (2005) 20300-9]. Compound ES arises by intramolecular electron transfer from nearby tyrosines to the porphyrin π-cation radical of Compound I, and has been characterized by rapid-freeze-quench-Mossbauer/EPR spectroscopy; the tyrosyl radical was assigned to Tyr96 for wild type or to Tyr75 for the Tyr96Phe variant [V. Schunemann, F. Lendzian, C. Jung, J. Contzen, A.L. Barra, S.G. Sligar, A.X. Trautwein, J. Biol. Chem. 279 (2004) 10919–10930]. Here we report rapid-scanning stopped-flow studies of the reactions of peracids with substrate-free ferric Y75F, Y96F, and Y96F/Y75F P450cam variants, showing how these active site changes influence electron transfer from nearby tyrosines and affect formation of intermediates. Curiously, rates of generation of Compounds I and ES for both single mutants were not very different from wild type. Contrasting with the earlier EPR results, the Y96F/Y75F variant was also shown to form an ES-like species, but more slowly. When substrate is not present, or is improperly bound, compound I rapidly converts to compound ES, which can be reduced to form H2O and ferric P450, thus avoiding the modification of nearby protein groups or release of reactive oxygen species.
Inflation, New Homeowners and Downgrading in the 1970s

This paper uses data from four successive Annual Housing Surveys, 1974 to 1977, to assess the degree to which households moving from rented to owner occupied housing responded to housing price inflation by purchasing smaller, more delapidated units in less choice locations. The data indicate that, while the size of the structures acquired by new homeowners declined, the quality of these structures and the surrounding neighborhoods did not change. Regression analyses suggest that the prospective homeowners' deteriorating economic position had a significant effect on the size of the homes which they purchased.
Domains and domain walls in graphite intercalation compounds.

The structure of domains and domain walls in the low-temperature solid phase of stage-2 alkali-metal graphite intercalation compounds is studied using molecular-dynamics (MD) simulation and a model potential obtained from fitting to the liquid structure data. For RbC24, we find small domains of (√7 × √7 ) structure containing mostly seven Rb atoms and with domain walls consisting of (2×2) and (2×3) elemental plaquettes. These nanostructures provide a clear picture of the discommensurations and a consistent understanding of the x-ray-diffraction measurements. Based on the simulation results, we propose a periodic domain-wall model that explains very well the dominant features of the x-ray structure factor for both RbC24 and CsC24 when we allow for small changes in the planar density.
Unbounded probabilistic sophistication

Abstract I extend Machina and Schmeidler ’s ( 1992 ) model of probabilistic sophistication to unbounded uncertain prospects (acts) and derive risk preferences over the induced probability distributions (lotteries) with unbounded support. For example, risk preferences can be derived over normal, exponential, and Poisson families of probability distributions. My extension uses a version of Arrow ’s ( 1970 ) Monotone Continuity, which implies countable additivity for subjective beliefs and a novel property of tail-continuity for the revealed risk preferences. On the other hand, I do not assume P6 (Small Event Continuity) that is used both by Savage (1954) and Machina–Schmeidler.
Shockwave tensile phase transmission depends on the gas concentration of the coupling medium

Previous research shows that a shockwave’s tensile phase can be strongly attenuated as a function of gas concentration in the coupling medium. Here, we seek to elucidate the relationship between tensile attenuation and gas concentration via pressure measurements at the focus and highspeed imaging. By performing in vitro experiments with water of varying gas concentrations (2.05 mg/L, 4.30 mg/L, and 6.50 mg/L), the negative impulsive pressure is correlated to the density of the bubble cloud that occurs in the beampath. It is found that for gas contents below 4 mg/L the bubble cloud remains sparse and the shockwave’s tensile phase is successfully transmitted with no loss in impulsive pressure. For gas contents 4 mg/L and above the bubble cloud becomes highly dense and prevents transmission with up to a 75% loss in impulsive pressure. Corresponding stone comminution experiments show that the treatment efficiency sharply decreases with increasing gas concentration. These results underlie the importance of degassing the water used in the coupling medium before treatment.
A new method to compute size independent fracture toughness values for brittle materials

Abstract Generally, linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is inadequate for fracture toughness (KIc) characterizations of brittle or quasi-brittle materials such as ceramics, concretes, and rocks, because large process zones exist. In order to obtain a valid, size independent KIc value (or to satisfy the small scale yielding criterion), huge specimen sizes are required. For this reason, a testing method based on the nonlinear tension-softening behavior has been proposed. A new computational scheme for determining size independent fracture toughness of brittle materials is presented in detail. This scheme is direct, accurate and it eliminates several numerical steps (including curve fitting and taking derivatives of fitted curves) and the associated errors from the original experimental technique. All theoretical concepts and the experimental technique of this new and more efficient method of deducing the tension-softening curve for brittle and quasi-brittle materials are presented. Results and comparisons of a fracture toughness investigation of sandstone and basalt using both tension-softening and LEFM concepts are also presented.
Accounting for a Nonviolent Mass Demonstration

A 1963 nonviolent mass demonstration for civil rights at Durham, N.C., is here described on the basis of interviews with participants, businessmen, and political figures. A utility model to help account for the personnel, form, and site of such a protest includes the processes of evolution, contagion, and reinforcement.
Oxidative and thermal stabilities of genetically modified high oleic sunflower oil

Abstract The oxidative and thermal stabilities of genetically modified high oleic sunflower oil (87% oleic acid) were compared with those of regular sunflower (17% oleic acid), soybean, corn, and peanut oils during storage at 55 °C and simulated deep fat frying at 185 °C. Oxidative stability was evaluated by measuring the oxygen content and volatile compounds in the sample bottle headspace and peroxide value. The coefficient variations (CVs) for volatile compound, headspace oxygen, and peroxide value analyses were 2.02%, 1.41%, and 3.18%, respectively. The oxidative stability of high oleic sunflower oil was greater than those of regular sunflower and soybean oil (P 0.05). The thermal stabilities of oils during deep fat frying were evaluated by measuring the infrared absorption at 2.9 μm and conjugated diene content. The CV of conjugated diene content was 1.07%. Infrared and conjugated diene results showed that the high oleic sunflower oil had greater thermal stability than had regular sunflower, soybean, corn, and peanut oils (P
Prophets, Friends, Conversationalists: Quaker Rhetorical Culture, Women's Commonplace Books, and the Art of Invention, 1775–1840

This essay examines the rhetorical significance of commonplace books kept by twenty-two Quaker women. Artifacts of remembrance, these books provide us with a detailed portrait of Quaker rhetorical culture during that era. The women who keep these books do more than just catalog and copy rhetorically significant texts. They participate in and help shape their rhetorical culture by reenacting invention practices central to the creation of powerful Quaker discourse. More specifically, they reveal the potential of three practices—prophecy, friendship, and conversation—to function as sites of rhetorical invention. As they weave into their books texts where prophecy, friendship, and conversation frequently give rise to powerful discourse, they affirm the value of these practices to their community, but they also provide insight into the particular purposes and processes at work when a creator engages in such practices. In this essay I analyze these frequent occurrences of prophecy, friendship, and conversation,...
An analytical MOSFET breakdown model including self-heating effect

Abstract This paper presents an analytical breakdown model including self-heating effect (SHE) for NMOSFET devices. Model evaluation is taken for a wide ambient temperature range, from room temperature to 200°C. It is found that the device self-heating effect is suppressed when ambient temperature is increased. In addition, our results suggest that the conventional MOSFET breakdown model without considering the self-heating effect can overestimate the breakdown characteristics for the short-channel devices.
Feasts in Motion: Archaeological Views of Parades, Ancestral Pageants, and Socio-Political Process in the Hueda Kingdom, 1650–1727 AD

This paper examines the socio-political processes surrounding spectacular religious parades and more private acts of veneration and supplication within the Hueda Kingdom (c. 1650–1727 AD) in the Republic of Benin, West Africa. The first goal of this paper is to posit the role that such public and private ceremonies played in framing negotiations of political and moral authority. It argues that ceremonial hosts and assembled audience members worked to channel toward their own interests the social, political, and economic outpouring that resulted from ritually sanctioned performances of wealth. The second goal of the paper is to illustrate material and spatial dimensions of such ceremonial spaces. These themes, drawn from a historically well-known polity, work together to aid in comparative theory building on feasting and the politics of spectacle in the deeper archaeological past.
Characterization of Dermacentor variabilis molecules associated with rickettsial infection

To ultimately define the virulence factors of rickettsiae, an understanding of the biology of the organism is essential. Comprehension of the pathogen-human interaction is critical to the development of control measures; and, in the case of vector-borne diseases, the role of the vector in maintaining and transmitting pathogens to vertebrate hosts is crucial to ultimate control. Recent studies have identified tick molecules that are likely involved in the tick-rickettsiae interchange, including tick response to infection and possible molecules exploited by rickettsiae during transmission events. We have further characterized several tick-derived molecules, including a histamine release factor, serine proteases, and lysozymes.
Early Regeneration of Thymic Progenitors in Rhesus Macaques Infected with Simian Immunodeficiency Virus

The thymus plays a critical role in the maturation and production of T lymphocytes and is a target of infection by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the related simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV). Using the SIV/macaque model of AIDS, we examined the early effects of SIV on the thymus. We found that thymic infection by SIV resulted in increased apoptosis 7–14 d after infection, followed by depletion of thymocyte progenitors by day 21. A marked rebound in thymocyte progenitors occurred by day 50 and was accompanied by increased levels of cell proliferation in the thymus. Our results demonstrate a marked increase in thymic progenitor activity very early in the course of SIV infection, long before marked declines in peripheral CD4+ T cell counts.
Raman scattering from MeV-ion implanted diamond.

Single-crystal diamond has been irradiated with 4-MeV carbon ions to doses in the range (0.5--130){times}10{sup 16} ions/cm{sup 2}. With increasing implantation damage, the triply degenerate one-phonon Raman mode at 1332 cm{sup {minus}1} broadens and shifts down to around 1300 cm{sup {minus}1}. This corresponds to a broad peak in the one-phonon density of states predicted for Raman scattering from an amorphous {ital sp}{sup 3} carbon network. Additional Raman peaks appear at 1451, 1498, and 1634 cm{sup {minus}1}. These do not correspond to any previously observed peaks in carbon materials and may be unique to implantation above 1 MeV. These three peaks, together with the Raman scattering below 1300 cm{sup {minus}1}, correspond well with the density of states of an amorphous carbon network of mostly fourfold bonded carbon with some localized threefold bonding.
The Photophysics and Dynamics of Diphenylbutadiene in Alkane and Perfluoroalkane Solvents

Absorption and emission spectral characteristics, quantum yields, radiative and nonradiative rates, and rotation times of trans,trans-1,4-diphenyl-1,3-butadiene (DPB) in perfluoroalkane and alkane solvents are reported. The emission spectra and radiative rates show a continuous change in the character of the emitting state of DPB with solvent polarizability, presumably due to solvent-induced changes in the relative energies of the 2Ag and 1Bu states. Rotation times measured in these nonpolar solvents do not conform to any available theory of rotational friction; however, deviations from hydrodynamic predictions can be roughly correlated with the solute/solvent size ratio. Nonradiative decay rates are assumed to reflect an adiabatic trans -cis isomerization process. The rates measured here, together with collected literature data in alkane and alcohol solvents, are analyzed using a Kramers’ barrier crossing model coupled to a simple dielectric description of how the reactive potential varies with solvent. By using estimates of friction obtained from rotation times, we can reasonably model the data in all solvents if it is assumed that the scaling between reactive friction and rotational friction (œ/œrot) differs among the various solvent classes: alkanes (œ/œrot) 1, perfluoroalkanes (œ/œrot) 0.2, and n-alcohols (œ/œrot) 0.4
Children's False Memories: A Test of the Dissociability of Cognitive and Social Processes

In this reflection on "Fuzzy-Trace Theory and Children's False Memories" by Brainerd and Reyna (1998, this issue), I describe aspects of the historical and theoretical context of fuzzy-trace theory and the usefulness of fuzzy-trace theory in organizing false memory phenomena. I also suggest some limitations of fuzzy-trace theory concerning the representation of child intentionality and of social and affective phenomena.
Heterogeneous Interactions of OH and HO2 Radicals with Surfaces Characteristic of Atmospheric Particulate Matter

The heterogeneous interactions of OH and HO2 radicals with a number of surfaces characteristic of atmospheric particulate matter have been studied by using a low-temperature flow tube coupled to a resonance fluorescence detector. In particular, the mass accommodation coefficients (α) of both OH and HO2 on supercooled sulfuric acid solutions have been measured: for OH, α > 0.2 for 45−96 wt % solutions from 220 to 295 K, and for HO2, α > 0.2 on 55 wt % solutions doped with 0.1 M CuSO4 at 223 K. Radical uptake coefficients (γ) were also measured on a variety of solid surfaces prevalent in the atmosphere: water ice, NH4HSO4 and (NH4)2SO4. On water ice, although it was found that the uptake coefficients of both OH and HO2 were relatively small on conditioned surfaces (γOH = 0.03 ± 0.02 from 205 to 230 K, γHO2 = 0.025 ± 0.005 at 223 K), it was observed that the OH uptake coefficient could be significantly increased by either adsorbing HNO3 to the surface or melting the ice surface by exposure to relatively hi...
Measuring effectiveness of a dynamic artificial neural network algorithm for classification problems

Classification is the process of assigning an object to one of a set of classes based on its attributes. Classification problems have been examined in fields as diverse as biology, medicine, business, image recognition, and forensics. Developing more accurate and widely applicable classification methods has significant implications in these and many other fields. This paper presents a dynamic artificial neural network (DAN2) as an alternate approach for solving classification problems. We show DAN2 to be an effective approach and compare its performance with linear discriminant analysis, quadratic discriminant analysis, k-nearest neighbor algorithms, support vector machines, and traditional artificial neural networks using benchmark and real-world application data sets. These data sets vary in the number of classes (two vs. multiple) and the source of the data (synthetic vs. real-world). We found DAN2 to be a very effective classification method for two-class data sets with accuracy improvements as high as 37.2% when compared to the other methods. We also introduce a hierarchical DAN2 model for multiple class data sets that shows marked improvements (up to 89%) over all other methods, and offers better accuracy in all cases.
Quantifying the Effects of Ion Condensation on the Conformations of Molecular Type I Collagen

The polyampholytic nature of type I molecular collagen continues to exhibit a rich and complex molecular behavior. It has been known for some time that, due to the charge structure of the molecule, ions condense on the collagen triple helix. This ion condensation has been shown to exhibit preferential binding of certain ions. in this work we have shown that not only does preferential ionic binding occur but that the condensation of the ions on the molecule causes drastic conformational changes.Bovine dermal type I collagen molecules are suspended in solutions with varying ionic species and concentration. The conformations of the molecules are measured by imaging with AFM as deposited onto mica substrates. It is found that with all ionic species tested, increasing the ionic concentration corresponds with a straightening of the molecule, calculated as a persistence length using the worm-like chain model.The complex behavior of the collagen molecule appears in the comparison of the rates of persistence length increase with ionic concentration. At the low salt concentrations used here, 0.001-0.1M, this rate of increase presents as a power law. The salt species chosen for this work aimed to elucidate the effects of mono- versus divalent salts and changing the anion or cation species.The dependence of persistence length on ionic species correlates with the degree of ionic condensation reported in previous results. Now, not only do we know that ionic condensation occurs, but it also plays a significant role in the conformations of the molecules.
ESCA study of fractional monolayer quantities of chemisorbed gases on tungsten

Abstract X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ESCA) has been used in a study of CO and O2 chemisorbed on a polycrystalline tungsten sample. Working under ultra-high vacuum conditions, the surface was cleaned and then covered with known monolayer and fractional monolayer quantities of adsorbed CO and O2. The O(ls) and C(ls) spectral features were detected, and the influence of an adsorbed layer on the tungsten spectral features was determined. A chemical shift of 3.4 eV in the O(ls) line from chemisorbed CO is related to the different modes of bonding of CO to tungsten. A model calculation of the photoelectron yields expected from an adsorbed monolayer is in good agreement with the experimental results.
Effect of solvation on the dynamics of H + CH3 association

The gas phase association of CH3 with the HAr2 cluster to form a vibrationally/rotationally excited CH 4 * molecule is used as a model to study microscopic solvation dynamics. A potential energy surface for the reactive system is constructed from a previously fitted H + CH3 ab initio potential and 12-6 Lennard-Jones Ar-Ar, Ar-C, and Ar-H potentials. Classical trajectory calculations performed with the chemical dynamics computer program VENUS are used to investigate the CH3 + HAr2 → CH 4 * + Ar2 reaction dynamics. Reaction is dominated by a mechanism in which the CH3 “strips” the H-atom from HAr2 during large impact parameter collisions. For a large initial relative translational energy the CH3 + HAr2 → CH 4 * + Ar2 cross section is the same as that for H + CH3 association, so that HAr2 acts like a “heavy” H-atom. However, at a low initial relative translational energy, the long-range Ar2—CH3 attractive potential apparently makes the CH3 + HAr2 association cross section larger than that for H + CH3. Partitioning of energy to the CH 4 * and Ar2 products is consistent with a stripping mechanism. The initial and final relative translational energies are nearly identical and the CH 4 * rotational energy is controlled by the initial CH3 rotational energy. The velocity and orbital tilt scattering angles, θ(v i ,v f ) and θ(l i ,l f ), respectively, are consistent with the stripping mechanism. On average only a small amount of the product energy is partitioned to Ar2 vibration/rotation and CH 4 * + Ar2 relative translation.
Biodegradable Ferulic Acid-Containing Poly(anhydride-ester): Degradation Products with Controlled Release and Sustained Antioxidant Activity

Ferulic acid (FA) is an antioxidant and photoprotective agent used in biomedical and cosmetic formulations to prevent skin cancer and senescence. Although FA exhibits numerous health benefits, phys...
Dynamic association of gammaherpesvirus DNA with core histone during de novo lytic infection of primary cells

Association of herpesvirus DNA with histones has important implications for lytic and latent infections; thus herpesviruses arbitrate interactions with histones to productively infect host cells. While regulation of alpha and betaherpesvirus chromatin during lytic infection has been actively investigated, very little is known about interaction of gammaherpesvirus DNA with histones upon de novo lytic infection. Murine gammaherpesvirus-68 (MHV68) is a rodent pathogen that offers a tractable system to study gammaherpesvirus lytic infection in primary cells. In this study we report that MHV68 promoter and orilyt sequences underwent dynamic association with histone H3 during de novo lytic infection of primary macrophages and fibroblasts. Similar to HSV-1, the degree of MHV68 DNA association with histone H3 was dependent on the multiplicity of infection and was further regulated by viral DNA synthesis. Our work sets a precedent for future studies of gammaherpesvirus chromatin during de novo lytic infection.
Diagnosing Appendicitis: Evidence-Based Review of the Diagnostic Approach in 2014

Introduction: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency requiring emergency surgery. However, the diagnosis is often challenging and the decision to operate, observe or further work-up a patient is often unclear. The utility of clinical scoring systems (namely the Alvarado score), laboratory markers, and the development of novel markers in the diagnosis of appendicitis remains controversial. This article presents an update on the diagnostic approach to appendicitis through an evidence-based review. Methods: We performed a broad Medline search of radiological imaging, the Alvarado score, common laboratory markers, and novel markers in patients with suspected appendicitis. Results: Computed tomography (CT) is the most accurate mode of imaging for suspected cases of appendicitis, but the associated increase in radiation exposure is problematic. The Alvarado score is a clinical scoring system that is used to predict the likelihood of appendicitis based on signs, symptoms and laboratory data. It can help risk stratify patients with suspected appendicitis and potentially decrease the use of CT imaging in patients with certain Alvarado scores. White blood cell (WBC), C-reactive protein (CRP), granulocyte count and proportion of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells are frequently elevated in patients with appendicitis, but are insufficient on their own as a diagnostic modality. When multiple markers are used in combination their diagnostic utility is greatly increased. Several novel markers have been proposed to aid in the diagnosis of appendicitis; however, while promising, most are only in the preliminary stages of being studied. Conclusion: While CT is the most accurate mode of imaging in suspected appendicitis, the accompanying radiation is a concern. Ultrasound may help in the diagnosis while decreasing the need for CT in certain circumstances. The Alvarado Score has good diagnostic utility at specific cutoff points. Laboratory markers have very limited diagnostic utility on their own but show promise when used in combination. Further studies are warranted for laboratory markers in combination and to validate potential novel markers. [West J Emerg Med. 2014;15(7):–0.]
Audience Awareness and Internet Publishing: A Qualitative Analysis of Factors Influencing How Fourth Graders Write Electronic Text.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate how 23 fourth-grade students with different writing abilities translated their teacher's literacy instruction into an understanding of audience awareness when writing for Internet publication. As part of their classroom literacy instruction, students learned the textual features indicative of different types of texts. The students then wrote three versions of the same research report using traditional and electronic textual features to communicate to different audiences. A content analysis of the three electronic versions was completed in conjunction with a qualitative analysis of verbal protocols and semistructured interviews. Data analysis revealed three factors that influenced the fourth graders' decisions: Text levels, appearance, and computer challenges. Findings indicate that (1) writing ability was not a factor in students' decisions about how to use electronic features and (2) explicit literacy instruction on the features of different types of ...
Low‐Temperature Properties of a Heisenberg Antiferromagnet

It is shown how the propagator formalism can be used to obtain the low‐temperature expansion of the free energy of an isotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnet. The lowest‐order terms in such an expansion can be calculated using the proper self‐energy evaluated at zero temperature. The analytic properties of this quantity are investigated by expressing it in terms of time ordered diagrams. The low‐temperature expansion of the free energy is shown to be of the form AT4+BT4+CT8, where A, B, and C are given by Oguchi correctly to order 1/S. For spin ½ the term in 1/S2 gives a 2% reduction in A for a body‐centered lattice.
Can Pharmacologic Agents Slow Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Growth

Multiple medical therapies have been proposed to prevent abdominal aortic aneurysm expansion. Use of these medications, hormones, vitamins, and dietary products is based on their ability to alter the pathophysiology of continued aortic wall growth. In this review, the explanation of how these medications can achieve suppression of abdominal aortic aneurysm is explained in relation to their effect on the various aspects of aortic wall inflammation. Despite the large number of animal and observational studies, there remain very few randomized clinical trials to support use of any of these agents. However, there may be sufficient evidence to suggest that statins, doxycycline, vitamin E, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin II receptor blockers can prove beneficial in some individuals.
Examining the effects of the TASER on cognitive functioning: findings from a pilot study with police recruits

Despite its widespread adoption by more than two-thirds of police departments in the US, there has not been a single study examining the effects of the TASER on cognitive functioning. This inquiry is important for two reasons. First, research has consistently documented cognitive deficits following exposure to electricity (the TASER is an electrical device). Second, questions have emerged regarding whether TASER exposure impairs suspects’ ability to understand and waive their Miranda rights. To explore this issue, the authors carried out a pilot study with 21 police recruits who received a TASER exposure as part of their training at the San Bernardino County (CA) Training Center. Each recruit was given a battery of cognitive tests 3–4 h before TASER exposure, within 5 min after exposure, and again 24 h after exposure. Recruits experienced statistically significant reductions in several measures of cognitive functioning following TASER exposure. However, all recruits had returned to their baseline levels of functioning within 24 h. Learning effects were documented in several of the cognitive tests. The questions driving this study involve serious issues including constitutionally protected rights of the accused, use of force by police, and previously unexamined effects of the TASER on the human body. The pilot study represents a critical first step in exploring the effects of the TASER on cognitive functioning. Moreover, the results provided the authors with important information that will guide their larger study, a randomized controlled trial where healthy human volunteers will be randomly assigned to four groups, two of which receive a TASER exposure.
Calcium gradients during excitation-contraction coupling in cat atrial myocytes.

1. Confocal microscopy in combination with the calcium-sensitive fluorescent probe fluo-3 was used to study spatial aspects of intracellular Ca2+ signals during excitation-contraction coupling in isolated atrial myocytes from cat heart. 2. Imaging of [Ca2+]i transients evoked by electrical stimulation revealed that Ca2+ release started at the periphery and subsequently spread towards the centre of the myocyte. 3. Blocking sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ release with 50 microM ryanodine unmasked spatial inhomogeneities in the [Ca2+]i was higher in the periphery than in central regions of the myocyte. 4. Positive (or negative) staircase or postrest potentiation of the 'whole-cell' [Ca2+] transients were paralleled by characteristic changes in the spatial profile of the [Ca2+]i signal. With low SR Ca2+ load [Ca2+]i transients in the subsarcolemmal space were small and no Ca2+ release in the centre of the cell was observed. Loading of the SR increased subsarcolemmal [Ca2+]i transient amplitude and subsequently triggered further release in more central regions of the cell. 5. Spontaneous Ca2+ release from functional SR units, i.e. Ca2+ sparks, occurred at higher frequency in the subsarcolemmal space than in more central regions of the myocyte. 6. Visualization of the surface membrane using the membrane-selective dye Di-8-ANEPPS demonstrated that transverse tubules (t-tubules) were absent in atrial cells. 7. It is concluded that in atrial myocytes voltage-dependent Ca2+ entry triggers Ca2+ release from peripheral coupling SR that subsequently induces further Ca2+ release from stores in more central regions of the myocyte. Spreading of Ca2+ release from the cell periphery to the centre accounts for [Ca2+]i gradients underlying the whole-cell [Ca2+]i transient. The finding that cat atrial myocytes lack t-tubules demonstrates the functional importance of Ca2+ release from extended junctional (corbular) SR in these cells.
Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infections of the central nervous system (CNS) can occur within weeks after birth (neonatal HSV disease) or in childhood or adulthood [herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE)]. Most cases of neonatal HSV disease are caused by HSV type 2, whereas virtually all cases of HSE are caused by HSV type 1. Diagnostic advances made during the past decade include the application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology to cerebrospinal fluid from patients with suspected HSV CNS disease to evaluate for the presence of HSV DNA. Although not foolproof, PCR is a powerful diagnostic tool that has supplanted brain biopsy as the modality of choice for diagnosing HSV CNS disease, in no small part because of the invasiveness of brain biopsy. PCR also can provide information regarding the therapeutic response to antiviral therapy. Efforts made during the past decade to improve the outcome of HSV CNS disease have focused on increased doses of intravenous acyclovir administered for longer durations of time. Although advances have been achieved, morbidity and mortality rates from neonatal HSV disease and HSE remain unacceptably high.
Dietary factors and the survival of women with breast carcinoma.

models. RESULTS. In multivariate analyses of diet after diagnosis, no apparent association was found between fat intake and mortality. The relative risk (and 95% confidence interval) of mortality comparing the highest with the lowest quintile of protein intake was 0.65 (0.47‐ 0.88). There was no association between red meat and mortality. These associations were similar in analyses with breast carcinoma death as the outcome. CONCLUSIONS. No survival advantage was found for a low fat diet after a diagnosis of breast carcinoma. However, increased survival was observed among women eating more protein, but not red meat. The findings suggest that differences in diet may affect survival after a diagnosis of breast carcinoma and should be examined in greater detail. [See also editorial counterpoint on pages 751‐3 and reply to counterpoint on pages 754 ‐5, this issue.] Cancer 1999;86:826 ‐35. © 1999 American Cancer Society.
Incidence of antibiotic and metal resistance and plasmid Carriage in Aeromonas isolated from brown bullhead (latalurus nebulosus)

G.W. PETTIBONE, J.P. MEAR AND B.M. SAMPSELL. 1996. Seventy-four strains of Aeromonas were isolated from skin, intestine, kidney and liver of 16 brown bullhead (Ictalurus nebulosus). All strains demonstrated multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) with most strains resistant to rifampin (97%), novobiocin (96%) and vancomycin (85%). The minimum inhibitory concentration of eight metals to selected strains of Aeromonas revealed an apparent toxicity of chromium > copper > cadmium > nickel > mercury > zinc > cobalt > lead, based on the percentage of isolates sensitive to each concentration of metal. Plasmid DNA was found in 36% (27) of the isolates and most plasmid-containing strains had multiple plasmids less than 12 kilobase pairs (kbp) in size. No relationship between plasmid content and antibiotic or metal resistance was found. Plasmid incidence in bacteria isolated from five fish indicated that plasmids were more likely to occur in strains isolated from kidney and liver than in strains isolated from skin and intestine.
Capsule commentary on Gidwani et al., CMS reimbursement reform and the incidence of hospital-acquired pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis.

Gidwani and Bhattacharya investigated the impact of reimbursement structure on hospital-acquired pulmonary embolism (PE) or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).1 A Medicare pay-for-performance initiative no longer reimburses hospitals for care of PE or DVT acquired as the result of surgery. This reform may reduce payer costs while improving patient outcomes. Previously, payment mechanisms had perverse incentives; hospitals were paid more when patients acquired these surgical complications. Previous analyses of the impact of Medicare pay-for-performance schemes on patient outcomes have largely focused on voluntary participation programs2 where hospitals may have selected into the treatment groups based on anticipated benefits, making control groups difficult to establish. This initiative covers all hospitals. The authors compared PE and DVT rates before and after reform between a treated group (Medicare enrollees aged 65–69 years), and three comparison groups: privately insured patients aged 65–69 years, patients aged 60–64 years, and non-Medicare enrollees aged 65–69 years. The authors found a 35% decrease in PE and DVT rates when comparing Medicare enrollees to the younger group, but no differences when comparing to control groups of similar ages. The key assumption for this differences-in-differences method is that the trends in the control group reflect what would have happened in the treatment group in the absence of treatment. The payment reform roughly coincides with the most recent recession, and PE and DVT rates are higher for those working-age adults in quarters unaffected by the recession. The authors posit they that find no effect using the same-age control group since hospitals may provide prophylaxis to all patients over 65 after Medicare reform after intervention. Symmetrically, the impact of the policy may have decreased prophylaxis rates in the under-65 age group; there was a dramatic increase in these potentially hospital acquired conditions in the control group. Previous examination of this payment reform also found no impact on catheter-associated infections within the treated group.3 If costly hospital resources (such as nurse’s time for mechanical prophylaxis) were diverted from patients under the age of 65 in favor of the Medicare enrollees, pay-for-performance schemes may have unexpected consequences and thus limited implications for promoting efficiency in hospital settings.
Asymmetric manifestations of an apparently new syndrome: depressed and pitted skin, facial tumors, syndactyly, and other congenital defects.

Summary A male patient is reported with bands of depressed hypopigmented skin, many small skin pits, lesions of the nipple, streaks of linear pigmentation, cryptorchidism, an apparent branchial cyst, polydactyly, and other congenital defects, all but one of which were on the left side. Although this combination may represent a mild and atypical case of focal dermal hypoplasia, it appears more likely that it is an example of a new syndrome. The origin of marked asymmetry in this and similar cases may be due to: (1) the clonal origin of variant cells with unilateral effect, and/or (2) the existence of a differential right-left teratogenic threshold.
Natural approach for geometric non‐linear analysis of thin‐walled frames

A new stiffness matrix for geometrically non-linear analysis of three-dimensional beam-columns with bisymmetrical, thin-walled, I-type cross-sections is presented. The displacement field is described in terms of natural and rigid-body displacements and both Cartesian and natural matrices are derived. A novelty of the resulting method is the use of this dual description in all aspects of the analysis including the computer implementation. A companion paper1 that introduces the plastic behaviour of the material also justifies the need for this dual approach as a means to separate nodal forces from stress resultants in the cross-section of the 3D beam-column element. The current development uses the updated Lagrangian formulation and corrections in the element matrix are made to properly consider the behaviour under finite rotation. It is shown that accuracy and convergence of the solution process can be improved if the natural matrices derived here are used in a new force recovery process that is insensitive to rigid-body displacements.
INCORPORATION OF FATTY ACIDS INTO MILK GLYCERIDES.

Abstract Palmitic, oleic, octanoic and hexanoic acids were incorporated by lactating goat mammary particulate fraction into glycerides. The distribution of radio-activity in the different glyceride fractions shows that the synthesis follows the scheme suggested by Weiss, Kennedy and Kiyasu (12). The data further indicate that the incorporation of the third molecule of fatty acid is influenced by the nature of the diglyceride acceptor.
Mini-black-holes are forming now

It has been thought that mini-black-holes could only be formed in the very early stages of a big-bang universe. We show how they can be formingtoday in the cores of condensed, stellar-mass objects. The unique interactions of such “contemporary mini-black-holes” with their environment, their courses of evolution, and their astrophysical implications are then described briefly. These latter effects are critically dependent upon the existence of Hawking's “quantum evaporation” process for black holes. A rich and challenging new fieldmini—black-hole physics-is thereby introduced.
“You Can't Cross a River Without Getting Wet” A Feminist Standpoint on the Dilemmas of Cross-Cultural Research

This article discusses the knotty methodological and epistemological issues raised while doing research in rural communities in South Africa. Using entries from the author's field journal and conversations with rural Black women, this article explores the tensions between theory and experience, insiders and outsiders, and writing and orality. Rather than reconciling these tensions, feminist method resides amid the contradictions, wedged in the methodological and epistemological between spaces that open up the possibility of multiple interpretations and dialogue.
The development and validation of a charge-coupled device laser reflectance system to measure the complex cross-sectional shape and area of soft tissues

Determination of the stresses in soft tissues such as ligaments and tendons under uniaxial tension require accurate measurement of their cross-sectional area. Of the many methods available, there are concerns regarding contact methods which exert external loads and deform the cross-sectional shape of soft tissues. Hence, the area measurements are affected. On the other hand, non-contact methods have difficulties in dealing with complex shapes, especially with concavities. To address these problems, a new measurement system using a charge-coupled device (CCD) laser displacement sensor has been developed and tested. This system measures the complete surface profile of the object by rotating the laser 360 degrees around the soft tissue. Then, the cross-sectional shape is reconstructed and the cross-sectional area determined via Simpson's rule. The system's accuracy was first verified with objects of various cross-sectional shapes and areas (cylinder: 23.1, 76.5, 510.3 mm(2); cuboid: 34.3, 163.8, 316.7 mm(2), and cylinder with concavities: 121.4 mm(2)). The CCD laser reflectance system's accuracy was within 2.0% for these objects. To test biological application, the goat Achilles tendon and the anteromedial bundle of the porcine anterior cruciate ligament specimens were measured and compared to values obtained using another accepted technique, the laser micrometer system. The areas obtained using the CCD laser reflectance system were 4.4% and 9.7% lower than those obtained with the laser micrometer system respectively. These differences could be mainly attributed to concavities. Thus, the CCD laser reflectance system is an improved method for measuring the cross-sectional shape and area of soft tissues since it can detect and account for concavities without physically contacting the specimen.
Separation of seawater by Soret diffusion

Abstract Samples of artificial seawater were separated in a Clusius-Dickel (thermogravitational) column at temperatures from 5 to 40°C at atmospheric pressure. The ions represented were sodium, magnesium, potassium, calcium, chloride and sulfate. The samples were analyzed by atomic absorption for the positive ions, and by titration for the negative ions. From the separations, ionic Soret coefficients were calculated. A multi-component effect was found, that is, the ionic coefficients were not the same as those we measured previously for the same ions in binary salts, but, except for the sulfate ions, the Soret coefficients were similar to those in binary salts. Because the difference between binary salts and this complex solution affects the coefficients only moderately, the results should be applicable to a wide range of natural waters. In the interfaces above the Red Sea brines, Soret diffusion opposes Fickian diffusion, tending to keep the sulfate in the normal Red Sea waters from penetrating to the sulfate-depleted brines.
The effect of mild post-stroke exercise on reactive neurogenesis and recovery of somatosensation in aged rats

Exercise impacts the cellular response and behavioral recovery following stroke, but has not been widely investigated in aged animals. We tested the hypothesis that gentle post-stroke exercise could enhance recovery of somatosensory function and influence survival and phenotype of newly generated cells in the peri-infarct region after focal cortical ischemia in aged rats. Focal stroke was induced in the forelimb area of the sensorimotor cortex in 18-month old male rats using the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1. Beginning 1 week after stroke or sham surgery, half of the animals walked 100-300 m daily, 5 days per week. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered on days 6-8 post-stroke in order to label proliferating cells, the survival and phenotype of which were examined 4 weeks later using confocal microscopy. Post-stroke exercise enhanced recovery of somatosensory function as measured by the Adhesive Removal Test. Stroke, but not exercise, increased the number of BrdU+ cells in the peri-infarct region. In aged rats, mild post-stroke exercise enhances recovery of somatosensation, but has little effect on survival and phenotype of cells born in response to ischemia. Our results underscore the need for further study of clinically relevant post-stroke exercise regimens.
Uptake of (3H)cortisol by chick embryo retina as a function of age.

Abstract [3H]Cortisol is rapidly taken up by chick embryo retinas placed in culture medium containing the steroid. The accumulation of cortisol within the retina increases with time up to about 30 min. Retinas used were from embryos ranging from 7 to 17 days of development. Although retinas from younger embryos are relatively refractory to induction by cortisol, accumulation of the steriod at equilibrium is higher in the younger tissues than in the older, more inducible ones.
The integrin coactivator Kindlin-2 plays a critical role in angiogenesis in mice and zebrafish

Kindlin-2, a widely distributed cytoskeletal protein, has been implicated in integrin activation, and its absence is embryonically lethal in mice and causes severe developmental defects in zebrafish. Knockdown of kindlin-2 levels in endothelial cells resulted in defective adhesive and migratory responses, suggesting that angiogenesis might be aberrant even with partial reduction of kindlin-2. This hypothesis has now been tested in the kindlin-2+/− mice. RM1 prostate tumors grown in kindlin-2+/− mice had fewer blood vessels, which were thinner and shorter and supported less tumor growth compared with wild-type littermates. The vessels that did form in the kindlin-2+/− mice lacked smooth muscle cells and pericytes and had thinner basement membranes, indicative of immature vessels. VEGF-induced angiogenesis in matrigel implants was also abnormal in the kindlin-2+/− mice. Vessels in the kindlin-2+/− mice were leaky, and BM transplantation from kindlin-2+/− to WT mice did not correct this defect. Endothelial cells derived from kindlin-2+/− mice had integrin expression levels similar to WT mice but reduced αVβ3-dependent signaling, migration, adhesion, spreading, and tube formation. Developmental angiogenesis was markedly impaired by kindlin-2 morpholinos in zebrafish. Taken together, kindlin-2 plays an important role in pathologic and developmental angiogenesis, which arises from defective activation of integrin αVβ3.
The use of thromboelastography for the peripartum management of a patient with platelet storage pool disorder

We describe the peripartum management of a 26-year-old primigravida with a platelet storage pool disorder who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery of twins with epidural analgesia. Postpartum hemorrhage from uterine atony, and cervical and vaginal lacerations were treated successfully with 1-desamino-8D-arginine vasopressin and blood products. The use of thromboelastography in the assessment and management of bleeding risk in the setting of platelet storage pool disorder is described.