cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Results from a novel Cellular Dynamics Simulator reveal a quantitative mechanism for Ca2+-CaM activation in dendritic spines

Particle-based Monte-Carlo simulations are an important tool for the analysis of microscopic molecular physiology. One of the major challenges in the field is how to accurately simulate molecular diffusion, interaction, and multi-protein complex assembly in the cellular environment. Here we present a novel event-driven simulation scheme (Cellular Dynamics Simulator, CDS) that can address how volume exclusion and molecular crowding impact signaling cascades in small subcellular compartments such as dendritic spines. We contend that the exact molecular collision detection scheme used in this simulator is essential to understand the spatio-temporal pattern of Ca2+-CaM activation during synaptic stimulations. from Seventeenth Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS*2008 Portland, OR, USA. 19–24 July 2008
Ultrafast Spectroscopic Study of Pheomelanin: Implications on the Mechanism of Superoxide Anion Formation

UV-A excitation of pheomelanin results in the activation of molecular oxygen through the production of the superoxide radical anion (O2•-). Formation of this species has been attributed to rapid re...
Effect of correlated flights on particle mobilities during single-file diffusion

When large adsorbates diffuse in the pores of zeolites and molecular sieves, they can undergo single-file diffusion. The mean-square displacement of particles during single-file diffusion, 〈${\mathrm{x}}^{2}$(t)〉, is proportional to ${\mathrm{t}}^{1\mathrm{/}2}$. By contrast, in the absence of other particles, an isolated adsorbate will perform normal diffusion with a tracer diffusion coefficient ${\mathrm{D}}_{0}$. An important goal of theoretical treatments of single-file diffusion is to relate ${\mathrm{D}}_{0}$ and the single-file mobility, F=〈${\mathrm{x}}^{2}$(t)〉/${2\mathrm{t}}^{1\mathrm{/}2}$. One physical feature that is ubiquitous in activated diffusion in periodic potentials, such as the diffusion of adsorbates in zeolites, is the appearance at sufficiently high temperatures of correlated flights that pass through multiple binding sites. We show that when isolated particles can perform multisite flights, the expression usually used to relate ${\mathrm{D}}_{0}$ and F is not exact, and we investigate methods that can lead to more accurate expressions. We discuss how the existence of long flights affects equilibrium adsorbate structures and comment on the implications of our results for the interpretation of experimental measurements of single-file diffusion.
Measurement of Solution Viscosity via Diffusion-Ordered NMR Spectroscopy (DOSY)

Increasingly, the undergraduate chemistry curriculum includes nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Advanced NMR techniques are often taught including two-dimensional gradient-based experiments. An investigation of intermolecular forces including viscosity, by a variety of methods, is often integrated in the undergraduate physical and organic laboratory curricula. An experiment is described that couples advanced NMR techniques with the investigation of viscosity, a physical property based on molecular structure.
Functional compatibility risk and consumer preference for product bundles

The authors report the results of an experiment examining the effect of functional compatibility risk on consumer’ preference for product bundles vis-a-vis separate items. In a laboratory experiment, 90 undergraduate business students were asked to choose bundled or unbundled stereo equipment after reading product information that either did or did not prime fears of functional compatibility risk. The results indicate that heightening the salience of functional compatibility risk may be a practical way for marketers to increase consumer’ choice of bundled products, particularly among consumers who are more uncertain of their product knowledge.
Optimal learning strategies and their spontaneous use: The importance of task-appropriate processing

College students were given three verbal learning tasks to perform, with some subjects instructed to use a particular verbal or imaginal encoding strategy for all three tasks and other subjects not instructed to use any particular strategy. It was found that the relative effectiveness of the assigned encoding strategies varied as a function of the learning task. In addition, “uninstructed” subjects, for the most part, spontaneously employed strategies that produced recall comparable to that observed for subjects assigned the most effective strategy for a particular learning task. In Experiment 2, subjects were instructed to perform a different encoding strategy for each learning task. Subjects who were assigned the strategies in a “task-appropriate” fashion recalled more, in general, than subjects who were assigned the same strategies paired with the learning tasks in a haphazard fashion. Subjects not instructed to use a particular strategy again demonstrated relatively high recall and were found to vary processing across learning tasks. It was concluded that optimal learning for a range of tasks can require deployment of several semantic/elaborative strategies in a task-appropriate fashion. Furthermore, mature learners seem to spontaneously utilize semantic and imaginal strategies and do so task appropriately.
Observations on the combustion of boron slurry droplets in air

Abstract Single fiber-supported slurry droplets composed of boron in JP-10 were ignited and burned in room-temperature air. Initial droplet diameters ranged from 1.2 to 3.0 mm and initial boron weight fractions f from 0 to 0.7. It was observed that although the liquid fuel apparently burns completely the boron does not ignite under these experimental conditions. For the pure liquid the combustion is smooth with a measured burning-rate constant of 0.43 mm2/s. At low f there is periodic swelling of the droplet with mildly disruptive emission of gas from the interior; the severity of this irregularity is greatest for f ≈ 0.1 and negligible for f ≳ 0.2. For f ≲ 0.4 a reduction in droplet diameter, according to a d2 law, is observed for a period of time, followed by a burning period of essentially constant diameter. For f ≳ 0.5, the droplet diameter remains practically constant during combustion, although the measured burning time conforms to a d2 law. These observations are compared quantitatively with theoretical predictions and are found to agree within accuracies ranging from 10% to 25%.
Simple approach to reflectance analysis of birefringent stratified films

A simple analysis is presented of reflectance from a stratified uniaxial media with the optic axes parallel or perpendicular to the plane of incidence.
Gratitude Toward God, Stress, and Health in Late Life:

The purpose of this studywas to see if feeling grateful to God reduces the deleterious effects of stress on health in late life. In addition, an effort was made to test for gender differences in this process. Three main findings emerged from the analysis of data provided by a nationwide sample of older adults. First, the data suggest that olderwomen are more likely to feel grateful to God than older men. Second, the results revealed that the effects of stress (e.g., living in a deteriorated neighborhood) on health are reduced for older people who feel more grateful to God. Finally, the analyses indicated that the potentially important stress-buffering properties of gratitude toward God emerge primarily among older women but not older men.
The carpus: Surgeon's perspective

D uring the last decade, m any significant advances in the treatment of disorders of the carpus have been made. The anatomy, biomechanics, and kinematics of the wrist have been clarified, and methods of treatment that had been the purview of a handful of the surgeons have become mainstays of treatment. As important as the advances in diagnosis and surgical treatment of disorders of the wrist has been our improved understan d in g of indications for various hand therapy m odalities and the development of rehabilitation protocols, both preoperative and postoperative, for sp ecific di sorders of the wrist. This article and the accom p anying commentary review some of the more important advances made in the last decade with regard to disorders of the wrist and provide a p erspective on preoperative, operative, and postoperative treatment for these conditions.
Approximate reasoning and possibilistic models in classification

We introduce some ideal from the theory of approximate reasoning and from possibility theory based on fuzzy sets. We shown how these ideas can form the basis for building classification models which enable one to use imprecise information in their construction.
Nd–Fe–B permanent magnets a quarter century later: implications for patentability

Abstract Events are described that precede the announcement of the high performance permanent magnets based on the neodymium-iron boride Nd2Fe14B. When accounts of innovations stem from the principals initiating them, they can be distorted in the interest of establishing a patent position of high commercial value. The problems of finding objective criteria to assess inventiveness in this technological breakthrough are discussed.
A Characterization of Unique Tournaments

We call a tournamentunique, if there is no other tournament (barring isomorphic ones) which shares the same score vector. In this note, we provide a simple characterization of such unique tournaments.
Effect of X-ray treatments on inoculated Escherichia coli O157: H7, Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in ready-to-eat shrimp

This study was conducted to evaluate the inactivation effect of X-ray treatments on Escherichia coli O157: H7, Salmonella enteric (S. enterica), Shigella flexneri (S. flexneri) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) artificially inoculated in ready-to-eat (RTE) shrimp. A mixed culture of three strains of each tested pathogen was used to inoculate RTE shrimp. The shrimp samples were inoculated individually with selected pathogenic bacteria then aseptically placed in sterile plastic cups and air-dried at 22 degrees C for 30 min (to allow bacterial attachment) in the biosafety cabinet prior to X-ray treatments. The inoculated shrimp samples were then placed in sterilized bags and treated with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kGy X-ray at ambient temperature (22 degrees C and 60% relative humidity). Surviving bacterial populations were evaluated using a non-selective medium (TSA) with the appropriate selective medium overlay for each bacterium; CT-SMAC agar for E. coli O157: H7, XLD for S. enterica and S. flexneri and TCBS for V. parahaemolyticus. More than a 6 log CFU reduction of E. coli O157: H7, S. enterica, S. flexneri and V. parahaemolyticus was achieved with 2.0, 4.0, 3.0 and 3.0 kGy X-ray, respectively. Furthermore, treatment with 0.75 kGy X-ray significantly reduced the initial microflora on RTE shrimp samples from 3.8 +/- 0.2 log CFU g(-1) to less than detectable limit (<1.0 log CFU g(-1)).
Sensitivity analysis of multi-layered C-axis inclined zigzag zinc oxide thin-film resonators as viscosity sensors

This paper presents a theoretical analysis of a new zigzag C-axis inclined multi-layer ZnO thin-film bulk acoustic wave resonator (FBAR) as a viscosity sensor to monitor the lubrication performance of engine oil and other liquids. Free vibration and forced vibration for the FBAR loaded with liquids are analyzed. Equations necessary to calculate the sensitivity are derived. The numerical analysis shows that as the number of layers increases, the absolute sensitivity increases as well. The influences on the sensitivity of C-axis inclined angle, Q-factor, and thickness are also investigated. The results provide a foundation for further design of multi-layer FBAR viscosity sensors.
Comparative Technical Evaluation Of Solar Collectors

A comparative technical evaluation of the four primary solar collecting configurations, namely, the central receiver, parabolic trough, paraboloidal dish, and "Winston" collector, is made. Subsystem and overall efficiencies are presented, and technical descriptions and performance characteristics are discussed. Comparisons are made on a solar thermal conversion basis. Applicability of the "Winston" collector for photovoltaic conversion is summarized. The most attractive candidate for solar thermal applications from a technical viewpoint is the central receiver configuration with the overall efficiency of 19.2%. The "Winston" collector is more applicable for photovoltaic conversion than for solar-thermal conversion.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
AICAR potentiates ROS production induced by chronic high glucose: Roles of AMPK in pancreatic β-cell apoptosis

Abstract We previously demonstrated that chronic high glucose (33.3 mM) induced β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis through glucokinase (GCK) downregulation, but the exact mechanisms involved remain unclear. Here, we show that prolonged exposure of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide (AICA)-riboside potentiated apoptosis induced by high glucose in MIN6N8 pancreatic β-cells, correlating with enhanced GCK downregulation and decreased production of ATP and insulin. These events are potentiated in AMPK-overexpressing cells, but are prevented in cells transfected with mutant dominant-negative AMPK (AMPK-K45R). Furthermore, AMPK activation increases production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and loss of mitochondria membrane potential induced by high glucose, which is significantly inhibited by treatment with compound C or by AMPK-K45R overexpression. Overexpression of GCK prevents apoptosis; decreased cellular ATP and insulin secretion, and ROS production enhanced by AICAR, but does not affect AMPK activation. Similar results are obtained using isolated primary islet cells. Collectively, these data demonstrate that AMPK activation potentiates β-cell apoptosis induced by chronic high glucose through augmented GCK downregulation mediated by enhanced ROS production.
Measurement and correction of transverse chromatic offsets for multi-wavelength retinal microscopy in the living eye.

A special challenge arises when pursuing multi-wavelength imaging of retinal tissue in vivo, because the eye’s optics must be used as the main focusing elements, and they introduce significant chromatic dispersion. Here we present an image-based method to measure and correct for the eye’s transverse chromatic aberrations rapidly, non-invasively, and with high precision. We validate the technique against hyperacute psychophysical performance and the standard chromatic human eye model. In vivo correction of chromatic dispersion will enable confocal multi-wavelength images of the living retina to be aligned, and allow targeted chromatic stimulation of the photoreceptor mosaic to be performed accurately with sub-cellular resolution.
Distributed soil loss estimation system including ephemeral gully development and tillage erosion

Abstract. A new modelling system is being developed to provide spatially-distributed runoff and soil erosion predictions for conservation planning that integrates the 2D grid-based variant of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, version 2 model (RUSLER), the Ephemeral Gully Erosion Estimator (EphGEE), and the Tillage Erosion and Landscape Evolution Model (TELEM). Digital representations of the area of interest (field, farm or entire watershed) are created using high-resolution topography and data retrieved from established databases of soil properties, climate, and agricultural operations. The system utilizes a library of processing tools (LibRaster) to deduce surface drainage from topography, determine the location of potential ephemeral gullies, and subdivide the study area into catchments for calculations of runoff and sheet-and-rill erosion using RUSLER. EphGEE computes gully evolution based on local soil erodibility and flow and sediment transport conditions. Annual tillage-induced morphological changes are computed separately by TELEM.
Arrest characteristics of an impacted crack dissipating plastic energy

Abstract When a structural member is accidentally struck, an initial defect may grow and then arrest. An estimate of its size increase is made by considering the geometry of a centrally cracked panel subjected to a step function load in time. Two load amplitudes differing by a factor of five are considered. Under impact, the crack accelerates and then decelerates prior to arrest. The dynamic characteristics depend on the interaction of the elastic-plastic stress waves intervening with the physical boundaries. This effect is assessed quantitatively by computing for the energy stored in a unit volume of material and by incorporating sliding nodes in the finite element method. The energy dissipated by plastic deformation must be accounted for as it is no longer available for creating new macrocrack surface. Obtained are the near tip normal stresses that are found to change from compression to tension. Their magnitude is considerably larger than the corresponding static values. Increase in crack length changes from 0.87% to 20.6% when the magnitude of the impact load is raised five times. The rate of change of the strain energy density factor ΔS with crack growth Δa is found to be governed by the condition ΔS/Δa = const. during loading while dynamic relaxation corresponded to a nonlinear behavior. The physical implication of this remains to be clarified in view of the fact that plasticity theory may not adequately explain the near tip crack behavior.
Childhood hyperactivity, gender, and Cloninger's personality dimensions in alcoholics

Cloninger described a classification system for subtyping alcoholics based on personality dimensions of novelty seeking (NS), harm avoidance (HA), and reward dependence (RD). The relationship between these dimensions and childhood hyperactivity was examined. Mild to moderate alcohol-dependent adults (68 male and 34 female) were administered Tarter's HK/MBD Childhood Symptom Checklist, Cloninger's Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory. Alcoholics with childhood hyperactivity (38% of sample), regardless of gender, exhibited greater NS than did alcoholics without childhood hyperactivity. Female alcoholics scored significantly higher on RD compared to males. Findings suggest that high NS, proposed by Cloninger as a predominantly male feature, is related to childhood hyperactivity, independent of gender.
Wire sizing as a convex optimization problem: exploring the area-delay tradeoff

An efficient solution to the wire sizing problem using the Elmore delay model is proposed. Two formulations of the problem are put forth. In the first, the minimum interconnect delay is sought, while in the latter, we minimize the net delay under delay constraints at the leaf nodes; previous approaches solve only the former problem. Theoretical results on these problems are proved, and two algorithms are presented. One is a sensitivity-based heuristic, while the other is a rigorous convex optimization problem. It is shown experimentally that the sensitivity-based heuristic gives near-optimal results with reasonable runtimes. A smooth area-delay tradeoff is shown, and results are presented to illustrate the fact that sizing for minimum delay is not a good engineering goal. Instead, a delay goal of even 15% over the minimum provides significantly better engineering solutions.
Protein-protein and protein-salt interactions in aqueous protein solutions containing concentrated electrolytes.

Protein-protein and protein-salt interactions have been obtained for ovalbumin in solutions of ammonium sulfate and for lysozyme in solutions of ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride, potassium isothiocyanate, and potassium chloride. The two-body interactions between ovalbumin molecules in concentrated ammonium-sulfate solutions can be described by the DLVO potentials plus a potential that accounts for the decrease in free volume available to the protein due to the presence of the salt ions. The interaction between ovalbumin and ammonium sulfate is unfavorable, reflecting the kosmotropic nature of sulfate anions. Lysozyme-lysozyme interactions cannot be described by the above potentials because anion binding to lysozyme alters these interactions. Lysozyme-isothiocyanate complexes are strongly attractive due to electrostatic interactions resulting from bridging by the isothiocyanate ion. Lysozyme-lysozyme interactions in sulfate solutions are more repulsive than expected, possibly resulting from a larger excluded volume of a lysozyme-sulfate bound complex or perhaps, hydration forces between the lysozyme-sulfate complexes.
Pharmacokinetic interaction between voriconazole and efavirenz at steady state in healthy subjects

Aim Voriconazole (VORI), a triazole antifungal agent, is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 CYP2C19, CYP2C9 and to a lesser extent by CYP3A4. Efavirenz (EFAV), a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, is primarily metabolized by the CYP3A4. This study was conducted to evaluate the pharmacokinetic interactions between these two compounds. Methods A randomized, subject and investigator blinded with respect to VORI, placebo controlled, parallel two-period multiple-dose study was conducted in 34 healthy male subjects. In Period 1, subjects received therapeutic doses of VORI (400 mg twice daily (BID) on day 1 followed by 200 mg BID) or placebo for 3 days. After a 7-day washout, subjects received 400 mg once daily (QD) EFAV for 19 days in Period 2. After 10 days of EFAV alone, therapeutic doses of VORI or placebo were co-administered for the next 9 days. The steady state pharmacokinetics of VORI and EFAV following 9 days of co-administration were compared to those of VORI alone and EFAV alone. Results EFAV decreased the mean steady state area under the concentration-time curve from time 0 to tau (AUC0–12) of VORI by 77% (26300 vs. 5710 ng·hr/mL, P <0.001), and peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of VORI by 61% (3060 vs. 1150 ng/mL, P <0.001). While VORI increased the mean steady state AUC0–24 and Cmax of EFAV by 44% and 38%, respectively. Conclusions Co-administration of VORI with EFAV should be contraindicated due to the clinically significant effect of EFAV on VORI pharmacokinetics. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P40–P40; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.12.046
Sardinia: the “Greatest Poem” and its Maritime Face

The Mediterranean Sea contributes to the vital rediscovery of meaning advocated by Giambattista Vico’s poetic geography and Sardinian writers search for roots by interjecting a sense of movement in the otherwise immobile Sardinian landscape. First, we see this feature at work in Grazia Deledda’s Cosima and Salvatore Satta’s Il giorno del giudizio. In their novels the movement of the landscape still concretizes in what Deleuze and Guattari call “faciality” (visageite). This characteristic tends to vanish in the writers of the younger generations. In Alberto Capitta’s Creaturine, Giulia Clarkson’s La citta d’acqua and Marcello Fois’s Nel tempo di mezzo the “faciality” of the landscape tends to disappear, wrecked by violent history or submerged in a sort of Heraclitean flow of things. Finally, in Giulio Angioni’s Il mare intorno the sea recovers its double and contradictory nature of agent of both isolation and communication.
Evaluating Parallel I/O Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency and parallel I/O performance are two primary constraints in high performance computing (HPC). Large scale computing systems consume vast amounts of energy and require scalable I/O performance to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of data intensive scientific applications. However, little research has provided an in-depth understanding of energy efficiency in parallel I/O subsystems. In this paper, we experimentally investigate the efficiency impact of a wide range of variables including the application's access patterns, parallel file system deployment, and processor frequency scaling. Our studies lead to several key findings on parallel I/O energy efficiency. First, the application's I/O access pattern significantly affects system energy efficiency. By aggregating file accesses and choosing appropriate data sizes, we can both improve performance and reduce energy use. Second, parallel file systems, such as PVFS, not only increase the I/O scalability but also are more energy efficient. Matching the application's I/O buffer size to the file system strip size will lead to much higher efficiency than poorly chosen I/O buffer sizes. Third, DVFS can further reduce energy use of parallel I/O operations with little performance impact. These findings are useful to guide the development of energy efficient HPC systems and software.
BYPASS and PARALLEL modes for JPEG2000 compression of natural imagery

In this paper, the BYPASS and PARALLEL modes of JPEG2000 are investigated and implemented in a software compression system for verification and validation. BYPASS and PARALLEL modes in JPEG2000 are options in the standard to facilitate fast compression and parallel computation for embedded applications.
The Effect of Changes in Population Characteristics on Breastfeeding Trends in Fifteen Developing Countries

Background. Extended breastfeeding is known to benefit the health of children in developing countries and despite widespread expectations of a decline in breastfeeding in these countries, it has been demonstrated that the incidence and duration of breastfeeding are in fact increasing in many countries. Methods. In this paper, trends in breastfeeding duration are examined in 15 developing countries, using data from two comparable surveys for each country, the World Fertility Survey (conducted in the late 1970s) and the Demographic and Health Survey (conducted in the late 1980s). Multivariate regression models are used to examine differentials in breastfeeding behaviour across population subgroups in these countries for each time period, and these differentials are used to determine the extent to which the observed trends are due to changes in population characteristics and to what extent behaviour has changed within population subgroups. Results. Results show that changes in the characteristics of the population have almost universally pushed breastfeeding durations in a downward direction. On the other hand, trends within population subgroups have been positive in all but two of the 15 countries examined. Conclusions. Changes in population characteristics can be expected to continue for most developing countries, exerting a downward pressure on breastfeeding. Policies that promote breastfeeding are needed to counter these changes, especially in the most vulnerable population subgroups.
Moving beyond the cannabis controversy into the world of the cannabinoids.

Cannabis remains the most widely used illegal substance in the USA and most other developed countries that regulate its use. Controversy regarding its addictive potential, health consequences, medi...
Differential targeting of Shaker-like potassium channels to lipid rafts.

Ion channel targeting within neuronal and muscle membranes is an important determinant of electrical excitability. Recent evidence suggests that there exists within the membrane specialized microdomains commonly referred to as lipid rafts. These domains are enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids and concentrate a number of signal transduction proteins such as nitric-oxide synthase, ligand-gated receptors, and multiple protein kinases. Here, we demonstrate that the voltage-gated K+ channel Kv2.1, but not Kv4.2, targets to lipid rafts in both heterologous expression systems and rat brain. The Kv2.1 association with lipid rafts does not appear to involve caveolin. Depletion of cellular cholesterol alters the buoyancy of the Kv2.1 associated rafts and shifts the midpoint of Kv2.1 inactivation by nearly 40 mV without affecting peak current density or channel activation. The differential targeting of Kv channels to lipid rafts represents a novel mechanism both for the subcellular sorting of K+ channels to regions of the membrane rich in signaling complexes and for modulating channel properties via alterations in lipid content.
Five Definitions of Critical Point at Infinity

This survey paper discusses five equivalent ways of defining a “critical point at infinity” for a complex polynomial of two variables.
Inactivation of Cephalothin and Cephaloridine by Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract Benner, Ernest J. (University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle), John V. Bennett, Jean L. Brodie, and William M. M. Kirby. Inactivation of cephalothin and cephaloridine by Staphylococcus aureus. J. Bacteriol. 90:1599–1604. 1965.—Marked differences were observed in the susceptibility of penicillinase-producing staphylococci to cephalothin and cephaloridine. All of 100 strains of penicillin G-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with the use of a large inoculum, were found to be susceptible to 2 μg/ml of cephalothin, whereas only 50% were susceptible to this concentration of cephaloridine, and 15% required 15 μg/ml or more for inhibition. In contrast, penicillin G-sensitive strains were more susceptible to cephaloridine and did not show the marked inoculum effect observed with the cephaloridine-resistant strains. These differences were due to a much greater destruction of cephaloridine than of cephalothin by staphylococcal penicillinase. Cephaloridine-resistant staphyloccoci were stronger penicillinase producers than were susceptible strains, and the resistant strains were found to inactivate cephaloridine by hydrolysis of the β-lactam ring. In population studies, cephaloridine-resistant cells differed from methicillin-resistant cells in that they decreased in numbers as the drug concentration was increased, and the survivors in higher drug concentrations were no more resistant than was the parent strain. Treatment with acriflavine eliminated resistance of the cells to both penicillin G and cephaloridine. It was concluded that cephaloridine resistance was due to hydrolysis by penicillinase, and that this was related to the pyridine ring substitution in the cephalosporanic acid nucleus.
Closing the gap between viral and noninfectious arthritis

Worldwide, mosquito-borne alphaviruses are a major cause of infectious arthritis-like disease, but this has not yet significantly impacted the Americas (1). The arthritogenic alphaviruses include Ross River virus (RRV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), Sindbis-like viruses (SINV), Barmah Forest virus (BFV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), and o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), which are typically found from Europe to central Africa, southern Asia, and in portions of northern South America (2). Infection with these viruses begins as a febrile illness, which in a high percentage of cases, can progress to rheumatic disease, which has been described as polyyarthralgia and/or polyarthritis and can be chronic, flaring, and potentially debilitating (2). In PNAS, Chen et al. (3) present evidence that joint pain and associated symptoms of arthritogenic alphavirus infection (in this case a mouse model of RRV) are strikingly similar to a classical arthritis manifestation, exhibiting cytokine induction profiles reminiscent of rheumatoid arthritis and disruption of osteoblast/osteoclast homeostasis, leading to bone loss.
Effects of alcohol on the import of aldehyde dehydrogenase precursor into rat liver mitochondria.

We previously showed that incubation of rat liver mitochondria with alcohols resulted in the inhibition of the import of aldehyde dehydrogenase precursor but not that of ornithine transcarbamylase precursor (Wang TTY, Farres J, and Weiner H: Arch Biochem Biophys 272:440-449, 1989). The time required for inhibition of import to occur was now measured with ethanol (200 mM) and butanol (100 mM) at 0 degree and 30 degrees C. It required approximately 30 min to achieve 50% inhibition with butanol and 50 min with ethanol. To further substantiate the membrane perturbing effects of alcohols, we also examined the effect of oleic acid on import. We found that incubation of mitochondria with oleic acid (0-100 microM) resulted in inhibition of aldehyde dehydrogenase precursor import in a dose response fashion. In addition to in vitro effects of alcohols on import, we conducted a preliminary study on import of protein into liver mitochondria isolated from rats fed ethanol. We found that the rate of aldehyde dehydrogenase precursor import into liver mitochondria isolated from ethanol fed rats was identical to that from control. The results are consistent with finding that the activity and amount of aldehyde dehydrogenase was the same in mitochondria isolated from the alcohol-fed or control animals.
Influence of viscosity, surface tension, and inclination angle on motion of long bubbles in closed tubes

An experimental study has been made of the motion oflong bubbles in closed tubes. The influence of viscosity and surface tension on the bubble velocity is clarified. A correlation of bubble velocities in vertical tubes is suggested and is shown to be useful for the whole range of parameters investigated. In addition, the effect of tube inclination angle on bubble velocity is presented, and certain features of the flow are described qualitatively.
Spatial Texture Models for Video Compression

In this paper we integrate several spatial texture tools into a texture-based video coding scheme. We implemented texture techniques and segmentation strategies in order to detect texture regions in video sequences. These textures are analyzed using temporal motion techniques and are labeled as skipped areas that are not encoded. After the decoding process, frame reconstruction is performed by inserting the skipped texture areas into the decoded frames. We are able to show an improvement over previous texture-based implementations in terms of compression efficiency.
Effect of band 3 subunit equilibrium on the kinetics and affinity of ankyrin binding to erythrocyte membrane vesicles

The membrane-spanning protein, band 3, anchors the spectrin-based membrane skeleton to the lipid bilayer via the bridging protein, ankyrin. To understand how band 3 subunit stoichiometry influences this membrane-skeletal junction, we have induced changes in the band 3 association equilibrium and assayed the kinetics and equilibrium properties of ankyrin binding. We observe that band 3 oligomers convert slowly to dimers and ultimately monomers following removal of ankyrin. Addition of excess ankyrin back to these membranes enriched in dissociated band 3 then shifts band 3 almost entirely to tetramers, confirming that the tetrameric form of band 3 constitutes the preferred oligomeric state of ankyrin binding. 4,4′-Diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid (DIDS) labeling of band 3, which is shown to shift most of the band 3 population to dimers, eliminates the majority of ankyrin-binding sites on the membrane and greatly reduces retention of band 3 in detergent-extracted membrane skeletons. Furthermore, DIDS− modified membranes lack all low affinity ankyrin-binding sites and roughly half of all high affinity sites. Since labeled membranes lack the rapid kinetic phase of ankyrin binding and exhibit only half of the normal amplitude of the slow kinetic phase, it can be concluded that the rapid phase of ankyrin association involves low affinity sites and the slow phase involves high affinity sites. A model accounting for these data and most previous data on ankyrin-band 3 interactions is provided.
Synthesis, characterization and surface properties of poly(lactic acid)–perfluoropolyether block copolymers

Laboratory-scale synthesis and morphological and surface energy characterization of triblock A–B–A copolymers based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA; A segment) containing various block lengths of perfluoropolyether (PFPE; B segment) at 5 wt% PFPE content are reported. Incorporation of PFPE segments in PLA lowers significantly both the polar and dispersive components of total surface energy. Total surface energy is lowered from ca 35 to ca 17 mN m−1 on copolymerization of PLA with 5 wt% PFPE. Thermal analysis data reveal that lower molecular weight PFPE segments lower significantly the glass transition, crystallization and melting temperatures of the PLA matrix. Although block length variation of the PFPE segment does not affect surface energies of copolymer films, smaller PFPE segments increase significantly the low-temperature modulus as observed from dynamic mechanical analysis. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
Streptozotocin-induced diabetes in the rat is associated with changes in vaginal hemodynamics, morphology and biochemical markers

Diabetes is associated with declining sexual function in women. However, the effects of diabetes on genital tissue structure, innervation and function remains poorly characterized. In control and streptozotocin-treated female rats, we investigated the effects of diabetes on vaginal blood flow, tissue morphology, and expression of arginase I, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), key enzymes that regulate smooth muscle relaxation. We further related these changes with estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR) expression. In addition to significantly elevated blood glucose levels, diabetic rats had decreased mean body weight, lower levels of plasma estradiol, and higher plasma testosterone concentration, compared to age-matched controls. Eight weeks after administration of buffer (control) or 65 mg/kg of streptozotocin (diabetic), the vaginal blood flow response to pelvic nerve stimulation was significantly reduced in diabetic rats. Histological examination of vaginal tissue from diabetic animals showed reduced epithelial thickness and atrophy of the muscularis layer. Diabetic animals also had reduced vaginal levels of eNOS and arginase I, but elevated levels of PKG, as assessed by Western blot analyses. These alterations were accompanied by a reduction in both ERα and AR in nuclear extracts of vaginal tissue from diabetic animals. In ovariectomized (estrogen deficient) animals, previous reports from our lab and others have documented changes in blood flow, tissue structure, ERα, arginase I and eNOS that parallel those observed in diabetic rats. We hypothesize that diabetes may lead to multiple disruptions in sex steroid hormone synthesis, metabolism and action. These pathological events may cause dramatic changes in tissue structure and key enzymes that regulate cell growth and smooth muscle contractility, ultimately affecting the genital response during sexual arousal.
Impact of entity disambiguation errors on social network properties

Entities in social networks may be subject to consolidation when they are inconsistently indexed, and subject to splitting when multiple entities share the same name. How much do errors or shortfalls in entity disambiguation distort network properties? We show empirically how network analysis results and derived implications can tremendously change depending solely on entity resolution techniques. We present a series of controlled experiments where we vary disambiguation accuracy to study error propagation and the robustness of common network metrics, topologies and key players. Our results suggest that for email data, not conducting deduplication, e.g. when operating on the level of email addressed instead of individuals, can make organizational communication networks appear to be less coherent and integrated as well as bigger than they truly are. For co-publishing networks, improper merging as caused by the commonly used initial based disambiguation techniques can make a scientific sector seem more dense and cohesive than it really is, and individual authors appear to be more productive, collaborative and diversified than they actually are. Disambiguation errors can also lead to the false detection of power law distributions of node degree; suggesting preferential attachment processes that might not apply.
Temporal transitions in narrative production with wordless picture books

We present empirical results that demonstrate temporal intervals in story time affect narrative structure. Eight native English-speaking adults estimated the duration of intervals between events depicted in consecutive pictures in Mercer and Marianna Mayer’s wordless picture books, and a separate group of 37 adults wrote stories to accompany these picture books. Analyses revealed that adults used significantly more temporal connectives (when, while, etc.) after long intervals than short ones. We argue that writers use temporal anchors to help readers update the temporal dimension of discourse representation, and that situation models (Zwaan, 1999) are relevant to narrative production.
Location of Receptors for Oviposition-Deterring Pheromone in Rhagoletis pomonella Flies

Through structural ablation, we demonstrated that also be present on the mid and hind tarsi, but are not receptors of oviposition-deterring fruit marking pheromone in Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) flies are located on the fore tarsi. Additional receptors may present in behaviorally detectable numbers on the antennae, mouthparts, or ovipositor.
Partisan Polarization and Legislators’ Agendas

Partisan polarization in legislators’ roll call voting is well established. In this article, we examine whether partisan and ideological differentiation extends to legislators’ agendas (i.e., the issue content of the bills and resolutions they introduce and cosponsor). Our analyses, focusing on the 101st–110th Congresses, reveal that differentiation occurs both across and within parties (e.g., Democrats and Republicans tend to pursue different issues in their legislative activity, as do moderate and more ideologically extreme copartisans), but that these differences are not typically large in magnitude and did not increase between the late 1980s and late 2000s. These findings suggest that the dynamics of polarization differ for roll call voting and agenda activities in ways that have important implications for our assessments of its consequences. In particular, they highlight that the polarization that has occurred is less a result of differing priorities between Democrats and Republicans and more a function of different preferences on those priority issues. This differentiation may bubble up in part from the true preferences of the rank-and-file, but it is also likely a function of the polarized choices that are presented to them on roll call votes.
Trastuzumab 6 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg can be infused safely over 30 minutes.

Abstract #3150 Background: Trastuzumab (T) is a humanized monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of breast cancers which overexpress the HER2 protein. Infusion-related hypersensitivity reactions (HSRs) have been reported in patients receiving T. Since T became commercially available in 1998, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) guidelines recommended that 4 and 6 mg/kg doses be infused over 90 minutes, as outlined in the product monograph. Based on more recent pharmacokinetic data of T and the experience at other institutions, it was postulated that a more rapid infusion of T would be well tolerated, even at doses greater than 2 mg/kg. As a result, in June 2007, the guideline at MSKCC was revised to infuse initial loading doses (8, 6 or 4 mg/kg) over 90 minutes and, if tolerated, all subsequent maintenance doses of 2, 4, and 6 mg/kg over 30 minutes. In this review, we sought to evaluate the safety and tolerability of T administered as a 30 minutes infusion. Methods: Our institutional adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting program was used to identify HSRs possibly related to T after implementation of the new infusion time guidelines. Computerized pharmacy records were used to retrospectively identify all patients who received T at MSKCC 1 year prior to implementation of new guideline (6/06 – 5/07), as well as the period of 10 months after the implementation of the revised guideline (7/07 - 4/08). The ADRs reported before and after implementation were reviewed and compared. Additionally, patient medication administration records were reviewed to confirm reactions reported via the ADR reporting program. Results: Of the 2,633 4 and 6 mg/kg maintenance doses administered over 30 minutes, 2451 were given without concurrent administration of diphenhydramine, dexamethasone, or acetaminophen. 165 doses were escalated from 2 to 4 or 6 mg/kg and the infusion rate was kept at 30 minutes. The 2 patients with loading dose-associated HSRs, that occurred after the change in the guideline, were able to tolerate subsequent doses of T (4 and 6 mg/kg) infused over 30 minutes when rechallenged. Conclusion: Trastuzumab can be safely infused over 30 minutes for 4 and 6 mg/kg maintenance doses and this is the current practice at our institution. This change has resulted in improved efficiency and patient convenience, and decreased cost associated with the longer duration infusions. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 3150.
Medical Debt and Related Financial Consequences Among Older African American and White Adults.

Objectives. To evaluate African American–White differences in medical debt among older adults and the extent to which economic and health factors explained these.Methods. We used nationally representative data from the 2007 and 2010 US Health Tracking Household Survey (n = 5838) and computed population-based estimates of medical debt attributable to economic and health factors with adjustment for age, gender, marital status, and education.Results. African Americans had 2.6 times higher odds of medical debt (odds ratio = 2.62; 95% confidence interval = 1.85, 3.72) than did Whites. Health status explained 22.8% of the observed disparity, and income and insurance explained 19.4%. These factors combined explained 42.4% of the observed disparity. In addition, African Americans were more likely to be contacted by a collection agency and to borrow money because of medical debt, whereas Whites were more likely to use savings.Conclusions. African Americans incur substantial medical debt compared with Whites, and m...
SIRT6: a new guardian of mitosis

The sirtuin family protein SIRT6 is a stress-responsive NAD-dependent histone deacetylase with key roles in glucose homeostasis, DNA repair and cellular lifespan. SIRT6 is now shown to mediate deacetylation of histone H3 Lys18 specifically at pericentric chromatin, thus maintaining transcriptional silencing of satellite repeats in a manner independent of HP1 and trimethylated H3 Lys9, thereby assuring correct segregation of chromosomes.
Surgical emergencies in newborns and infants.

Congenital conditions requiring surgery are classified and discussed according to the degree of urgency they represent and the type of management which is today considered optimal.
Early Changes in Cortical Emotion Processing Circuits after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury from Motor Vehicle Collision

Abstract Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) patients frequently experience emotion dysregulation symptoms, including post-traumatic stress. Although mTBI likely affects cortical activation and structure, resulting in cognitive symptoms after mTBI, early effects of mTBI on cortical emotion processing circuits have rarely been examined. To assess early mTBI effects on cortical functional and structural components of emotion processing, we assessed cortical activation to fearful faces within the first 2 weeks after motor vehicle collision (MVC) in survivors who did and did not experience mTBI. We also examined the thicknesses of cortical regions with altered activation. MVC survivors with mTBI (n = 21) had significantly less activation in left superior parietal gyrus (SPG) (−5.9, −81.8, 33.8; p = 10−3.623), left medial orbitofrontal gyrus (mOFG) (−4.7, 36.1, −19.3; p = 10−3.231), and left and right lateral orbitofrontal gyri (lOFG) (left: −16.0, 41.4, −16.6; p = 10−2.573; right: 18.7, 22.7, −17.7; p = 10−2.7...