cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
No exit: thinking about leakage from geologic carbon storage sites

To function as an effective method to avoid build-up of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, storage of CO2 in geologic repositories must be designed and operated to minimize leakage. The design objectives include the obvious requirement to avoid large sudden releases and the more challenging task of keeping long-term leak rates to de minimis levels. Long-term retention requirements are a function of both the atmospheric stabilization target for greenhouse gases and the degree of reliance on CO2 capture and storage as a mitigation measure. A robust strategy will employ the CO2 capture and storage method as a component of a portfolio of programs that emphasize energy efficiency and use of renewable energy. To preserve options to stabilize greenhouse gases at prudent levels, it appears we will need to rely extensively on all three components of this portfolio. In developing criteria for management of leakage from geologic repositories, the policy and technical community will need to engage with environmental groups and the public at the earliest possible point in the process.
Stochastic Monotonicity of the Queue Lengths in Closed Queueing Networks

We study a Gordon-Newell type of closed queueing network that frequently arises in modeling manufacturing and computer systems. We are concerned with the transient and equilibrium behavior of the joint and individual queue lengths in the network when the job population increases. We show that increasing the job population will stochastically increase the queue-length vector process, provided that all stations have nondecreasing service rates. Single and multivariate likelihood ratio orderings are also established for the joint queue lengths in equilibrium. Our results extend the applicability of previously known results in the literature.
Social competence in opiate-addicted individuals : Gender differences, relationship to psychiatric diagnoses, and treatment response

Only one prior study has examined social competence (SC) in drug addicted individuals. That study of cocaine-addicted individuals found gender differences in SC as well as differences based on the type of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses given. This study attempts to replicate findings from that cocaine study in a sample of opiate-addicted individuals and explores the relationship of SC to short-term treatment response. Gender differences in SC were examined in 28 women and 44 men attending a community methadone maintenance program. The question of differences in SC based on comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and treatment response were examined in a sample of 198 men attending a Veterans Administration methadone program. Women were found to have significantly lower SC than men. No significant differences in SC were revealed based on the presence of specific psychiatric diagnoses. SC was not related to short-term treatment response.
Formation of Si-enriched metastable compounds in the Pt-Si system using ion bombardment and post annealing

Abstract Silicon-enriched Pt-Si mixed layers have been formed by implanting through a thin PtSi film on a Si substrate. Subsequent thermal annealing at 400–500°C resulted in the formation of well-defined phases. The compounds have compositions close to Pt 2 Si 3 and Pt 4 Si 9 and possess properties of metastable phases.
Equine herpesvirus in vivo: cyclic production of a DNA density variant with repetitive sequences.

Abstract The DNA of a strain of equine herpesvirus type 1 passed more than 500 times in Syrian hamsters (EHV-1ha) has been analyzed by CsCl equilibrium density gradient ultracentrifugation, analytical sedimentation, and DNA-DNA reassociation kinetics. The viral DNA consisted of light and heavy species having densities in CsCl of 1.716 and 1.724 g/cm3, which correspond to guanine plus cytosine contents of 56 and 64%, respectively. These values were confirmed by Tm measurements. Similar molecular weight values were obtained by analytical sedimentation for the light (87.9 × 106) and heavy (81.8 × 106) DNA species. The heavier species was produced in a cyclic manner. Hamsters infected with virus containing a high proportion of the heavy species gave reduced virus yields and survived longer. The genetic relatedness of the two viral DNA species of EHV-1ha was compared by examining the ability of each to reanneal with 32P-labeled viral DNA of the tissue culture strain (L-M cell) of EHV-1 (EHV-1tc). The lighter (1.716 g/cm3) species of EHV-1ha was composed of unique sequences completely homologous to the entire EHV-1tc genome, while the heavier species (1.724 g/cm3) consisted of sequences homologous to approximately 50% of the EHV-1tc genome. Of these homologous sequences, 40–60% (20–30% of the entire EHV-1tc genome) were reiterated. Further, analyses of the EHV-1tc genome (fragmented and unfragmented) by thermal chromatography on hydroxylapatite and in neutral preparative CsCl equilibrium density gradients revealed considerable intramolecular heterogeneity in nucleotide distribution. Finally, analysis of the structural polypeptides of virions of EHV-1ha which contained the heavy and light DNA species revealed that the following two major viral proteins were missing from virions containing the heavier DNA species: VP8, an envelope protein with a molecular weight of 173,000, and VP23, a nucleocapsid protein with a molecular weight of 38,000.
MUCOSAL AND SERUM ANTIBODY (Ab) RESPONSES TO PARENTERAL IMMUNIZATION OF 1-YR-OLD INFANTS WITH H. INFLUENZAE B CAPSULAR (PRP) ANTIGEN CONJUGATED TO A DIPH IHERIA PROTEIN CARRIER

MUCOSAL AND SERUM ANTIBODY (Ab) RESPONSES TO PARENTERAL IMMUNIZATION OF 1-YR-OLD INFANTS WITH H. INFLUENZAE B CAPSULAR (PRP) ANTIGEN CONJUGATED TO A DIPH IHERIA PROTEIN CARRIER
A new asymmetric inclusion region for minimum weight triangulation

As a global optimization problem, planar minimum weight triangulation problem has attracted extensive research attention. In this paper, a new asymmetric graph called one-sided β-skeleton is introduced. We show that the one-sided circle-disconnected $${(\sqrt{2}\beta)}$$ -skeleton is a subgraph of a minimum weight triangulation. An algorithm for identifying subgraph of minimum weight triangulation using the one-sided $${(\sqrt{2}\beta)}$$ -skeleton is proposed and it runs in $${O(n^{4/3+\epsilon}+\min\{\kappa \log n, n^2\log n\})}$$ time, where ? is the number of intersected segmented between the complete graph and the greedy triangulation of the point set.
Interspike intervals as a correlate of periodicity pitch in cat cochlear nucleus

Amplitude modulated (AM) signals have often been used as precisely defined partial analogs of speech sounds. This study considers the response to an AM complex with 200% sinusoidal modulation, that is, the amplitudes of the three AM components are equal. By varying the carrier frequency across the entire frequency range of unit response, it is shown that units in the cochlear nucleus of cat are relatively insensitive to variation in the carrier frequency, which is to say that population response to an AM signal at a fixed locus will be widespread. These stimuli and procedures result in the presentation of both harmonic and inharmonic complexes, and thus permit assessment of neural responses for the information needed to make spectral or time‐domain pitch matches. It is shown that the reciprocals of the modes (favored intervals) in the interspike interval histogram reflect the first effect of pitch shift, which is defined psychophysically as a proportional shift in pitch to the change in carrier frequency. In particular, interspike intervals of units with a widespread spectral response provide a basis to explain phase and dominant component pitch behavior that early narrow‐band pitch theories found problematical. The amplitude of phase locking to individual AM components varies systematically though there are some unexplained variations across the frequency‐intensity plane that could be due to combination tones. The unit response to a quasifrequency modulated (QFM) stimulus shows that if pitch is based on interspike intervals, it would remain the same as pitch for an AM signal. The magnitude of the synchrony response to QFM stimuli is less than to AM stimuli for the majority of cochlear nucleus units; however, there are exceptions.
Neuromuscular plasticity following limb immobilization

The effects of immobilization on the ultrastructure of the rat neuromuscular junction of type I and type II muscle fibres were studied both qualitatively and quantitatively. Muscle fibre areas were measured as well The plantaris muscle was immobilized in a shortened position by applying a plaster cast for three weeks. Immobilized muscles were then compared to normal litter mates. Both type I and type II immobilized muscle fibres atrophied. Endplates from type II muscle fibres exhibited greater amounts of degeneration than type I endplates. Degeneration consisted of nerve terminal disruption, exposed junctional folds, postsynaptic areas which contained little or no postjunctional folds, and subjunctional sarcoplasmic masses. In addition to degeneration, the type II endplates also exhibited regeneration in the same endplate consisting of small terminals associated with large expanses of junctional folds, several small terminals occurring within the same primary synaptic cleft, and several axons wrapped by the same Schwann cell. These observations suggest terminal axonal regeneration. Our results demonstrate that limb immobilization produces muscle atrophy as well as denervation-like changes at the neuromuscular junctions which leads to terminal axonal sprouting and an ultrastructural remodelling.
Transpassive Oxidation of Pyrite

The electrochemical behavior of mineral and coal pyrites in basic borate/sulfate solutions was investigated using cyclic voltammetry with both stationary and rotating disk electrodes. Emphasis was centered on transpassive oxidation. In the transpassive region, 0.4 to 0.8 V (SCE), aggressive oxidation of pyrite occurred. The reaction products in this region are Fe(III) oxides, sulfate ion, and partially oxidized sulfur intermediates. The formation of sulfur and polysulfides was identified by in situ Raman spectroscopy. Exposure of pyrite to anodic potentials higher than the transpassive region resulted in rapid oxidation of sulfur intermediates to sulfate ion. The effect of electrode rotation speed, electrode precondition time, and upper potential of the scan in the transpassive region was observed to be critical to the formation of sulfur intermediates. Sulfur intermediates, formed in the transpassive region, dramatically affected subsequent oxidation reactions occurring in the lower potential region. The magnitude of two dominant oxidation peaks, a ferrous hydroxide peak and an iron sulfide peak, observed in this region correlated directly with the quantity of sulfur intermediates formed in the transpassive region. This effect was less pronounced for coal pyrites compared to mineral pyrite.
Sufficient conditions for penalty formulation methods in analytical dynamics

The axiomatic derivation of constraints in analytical mechanics as the limiting case of motion in a potential field that grows asymptotically in strength has been known for years. However, with the emergence of the need for robust simulation methods for complex, multi-degree-of-freedom, nonlinear mechanical systems, researchers have shown renewed interest in these “penalty formulations” as practical computational schemes. While much empirical evidence has been collected regarding the efficiency of these methods, relatively few convergence results are available for a wide class of the nonlinear simulation methods.
Is the great attractor a loop of cosmic string

Recent measurements of galaxy velocities suggest that the observed large-scale streaming1,2 may be attributed to a massive (M ≃ 1016 M⊙) 'attractor' located at a distance D ≃45 h−1 Mpc (ref. 3; h = Hubble's constant in units of 100 km s−1 Mpc−1). We explore the idea that the streaming was induced by a large, moving loop of cosmic string. A stationary loop induces a velocity field that falls off as r−1 where r is the distance from the loop. This is somewhat modified by the motion of the loop, but the r−1 profile still persists in much of the wake of the string. The standard gaussian δ-field (density perturbation) inflationary models of cold or hot dark matter predict, on the other hand, a velocity that should fall off as r−3 away from the density peak. Extension of this model to the Local Supercluster (LSC) allows one to understand its Virgocentric velocity field of r−1.
Sediment redistribution by bottom currents in the central Pacific

Abstract Bottom currents have significantly influenced the sediment distribution pattern in an abyssal hills region of the central equatorial Pacific. Our data indicate that topographic irregularities at the sea floor modify the regional flow of bottom water. This modified flow then interacts with the available sediment supply to create differential sediment accumulation patterns. There is sediment ponding in wide areas between abyssal hills, and relatively slow net accumulation rates on the crest and upper slopes of the hills. At their base there may be erosion or non-deposition on the ‘upstream’ side, and relatively rapid deposition ‘downstream’. Both Quaternary sediments and those of the ‘transparent layer’ are asymmetrically distributed around the hills. Thus, the mean direction of flow of bottom water there has persisted for a considerable period of time, perhaps for much of the Tertiary.
Total Mesorectal Excision: What Are We Doing?

The introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer has reduced local recurrence rates and improved oncologic outcomes, although complication rates such as anastomotic leak have also been a consequence. With the advent of neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer, many are questioning how this development may change the role of TME. This review presents a history of how TME evolved and a description of this technique. Complication rates, the impact of neoadjuvant therapy on local recurrence, variations of TME such as nerve-sparing proctectomy and cancer-specific mesorectal excision, and a review of functional outcomes for various methods of reconstruction are presented.
Acceptance of tumour homografts by thymectomized mice.

RECENT experiments in guinea pigs1, rabbits2 and mice3,4 indicate that the thymus plays an important part in the development of immunological competence. Although the observations that patients with acquired agammaglobulinaemia often have a benign thymoma5,6 suggested a role for the thymus in immunological reactivity it was only very recent investigations which led to consideration of the thymus in immunological development. Glick et al.7 and Mueller et al.8,9 showed that removal of the bursa of Fabricius, a lymphoid organ developing as an outpouching of the posterior gut and an organ homologous to the thymus in several ways, interfered with the ultimate development of full immunological competence. Mueller et al.9 showed further that prevention of development of this lymphoid organ by treatment of chick embryos with progestational hormones, for example, 19-nortestosterone, provided potent inhibition of the development of immunological capacity.
Toward the de-subjugation of racially marked knowledges in communication

In this article, I offer some of my reflections on the concept of race in communication research. It is divided into three sections: (a) Racially Marked and Unmarked Knowledges in Communication, (b) Thick Intersectionalities, and (c) Without Guarantees: Some Reflective Practices.
Vibrational lifetime measurements of matrix isolated molecules by an optical “double resonance” method

Abstract An optical-optical “double-resonance” experiment has been developed and successfully applied to the study of vibrational lifetimes. This pulsed dual laser technique should be applicable to all species possessing resolvable allowed vibronic transitions and it permits the direct measurement of vibrational lifetimes which, at present, may be as short as 20 μs. Application of this technique to the υ″ = 1 and υ″ = 2 states of matrix isolated C 2 − yields half lifes of 0.2 and 1.2 ms, respectively, in an argon matrix at 16K, and 0.3 and 1.3 ms in an N 2 matrix at 14K. No significant temperature variation of these rate constants has been found in the range 14 to 24 K. This is the first direct measurement of the vibrational lifetime of a homonuclear diatomic molecule isolated in a matrix environment.
Delineation of separate brain regions used for scientific versus engineering modes of thinking

Powerful, latent abilities for extreme sophistication in abstract rationalization as potential biological adaptive behavioral responses were installed entirely through accident and inadvertence by biological evolution in the Homo sapiens sapiens species of brain. These potentials were never used, either in precursor species as factors in evolutionary increase in hominid brain mass, nor in less sophisticated forms within social environments characterized by Hss tribal brain population densities. Those latent abilities for unnatural biological adaptive behavior were forced to become manifest in various ways by growths in sophistication of communication interactions engendered by large growths in brain population densities brought on by developments in agriculture at the onset of the Holocene. It is proposed that differences probably exist between regions of the Hss brain involved in utilitarian, engineering types of problem conceptualization-solving versus regions of the brain involved in nonutilitarian, artistic-scientific types of problem conceptualization-solving. Populations isolated on separate continents from diffusive contact and influence on cultural developments, and selected for comparison of developments during equivalent stages of technological and social sophistication in matching 4000 year periods, show, at the ends of those periods, marked differences in aesthetic attributes expressed in cosmogonies, music, and writing (nonutilitarian thinking related to science and art). On the other hand the two cultures show virtually identical developments in three major stages of metallurgical technologies (utilitarian thinking related to engineering). Such archaeological data suggest that utilitarian modes of thought may utilize combinations of neuronal circuits in brain regions that are conserved among tribal populations territorially separated from each other for tens of thousands of years. Such conservation may not be true for neuronal circuits involved in nonutilitarian modes of thought. It is postulated that neuronal circuits involved in nonutilitarian modes of thought are located in specific regions of the brain that are divergent features between populations that have been territorially separated for tens of thousands of years. Anatomical PET and NMRI studies of brains of modern descendants of these cultures are proposed that would seek to define these inferred differences through proper protocols of stimulation devised by those investigators.
Cognitive processing and time perception

When a visual field is presented for 40 or 80 msec and a subject is asked to judge the duration of the stimulus, judged duration is found to be less when the field is blank than when the field contains three letters, but is the same whether the three letters form a word or not. The perceived difference between “filled” and “blank” fields increases when the subject is required to memorize the presented letters. These data are consistent with a theory which assumes,inter alia, that a stimulus is analyzed by a visual information processor and a timer, that attention is shared between these processors, and that temporal judgments are based on the output of both processors.
Rehabilitation after trauma; does age matter?

Abstract Background Variability exits in the ability to predict overall recovery after trauma and inpatient rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to identify factors predicting functional improvement in trauma patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Methods We performed a 3-y retrospective cohort analysis on a prospectively collected database of all trauma patients discharged from a level I trauma center to a single inpatient rehabilitation center. Patient's Functional Independence Measures (FIM) scores on hospital discharge and on discharge from the rehabilitation center were collected. Delta FIM was defined as the difference in FIM between rehabilitation center discharge and hospital discharge. Multiple linear regressions were performed to identify hospital admission factors associated with delta FIM. Results We included 160 patients, 69% were male, mean age 54.6 ± 22 y, and median Injury Severity Score 14 [10–50]. Based on rehabilitation admission FIM scores, 29 were totally dependent and 131 were partially dependent. The mean change in FIM was 39.4 ± 13. Age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale on presentation, Injury Severity Score, systolic blood pressure on presentation, and intensive care unit length of stay were not predictive of delta FIM. Hospital length of stay and head Abbreviated Injury Score on hospital admission were negative predictors of delta FIM. Conclusions In our study, age as an independent factor was not predictive of functional outcome after injury. The extent of head injury continues to negatively affect the overall functional improvement based on FIM.
Miasmas, germs, homeopathy and hormesis: Commentary on the relationship between homeopathy and hormesis

Is hormesis related to homeopathy? Despite the superficial similarity of the low dose of the applied stimulus, there are compelling reasons for maintaining hormesis and homeopathy as unrelated. Hom...
Lesions of the mesencephalic central gray depress ultrasound production and lordosis by female hamsters.

Abstract Lesions of the mesencephalic central gray (SGC) were used to examine the role of this structure in the control of ultrasound production and lordosis by female hamsters. Rates of ultrasound production by ovariectomized, hormone-primed, females were observed in separate tests with stimulus ultrasounds and males. The postoperative ultrasound rates of females with SGC lesions were compared with preoperative rates for the same females and with postoperative call rates of females with sham lesions. SGC lesions consistently caused decreases in rates of ultrasound production. These changes were most pronounced in tests with stimulus males, and in females with extensive damage to the caudal SGC. The females also were tested for lordosis using manual stimulation and stud males. The incidence of lordosis decreased significantly following SGC lesions, though some lesioned females continued to show lordosis of normal latency and duration. These results suggest that the SGC may help to integrate ultrasound production with other hormone-dependent reproductive behaviors.
Electron transport and redox reactions in carbon-based molecular electronic junctions

A unique molecular junction design is described, consisting of a molecular mono- or multilayer oriented between a conducting carbon substrate and a metallic top contact. The sp2 hybridized graphitic carbon substrate (pyrolyzed photoresist film, PPF) is flat on the scale of the molecular dimensions, and the molecular layer is bonded to the substrate via diazonium ion reduction to yield a strong, conjugated C–C bond. Molecular junctions were completed by electron-beam deposition of copper, titanium oxide, or aluminium oxide followed by a final conducting layer of gold. Vibrational spectroscopy and XPS of completed junctions showed minimal damage to the molecular layer by metal deposition, although some electron transfer to the molecular layer resulted in partial reduction in some cases. Device yield was high (>80%), and the standard deviations of junction electronic properties such as low voltage resistance were typically in the range of 10–20%. The resistance of PPF/molecule/Cu/Au junctions exhibited a strong dependence on the structure and thickness of the molecular layer, ranging from 0.13 Ω cm2 for a nitrobiphenyl monolayer, to 4.46 Ω cm2 for a biphenyl monolayer, and 160 Ω cm2 for a 4.3 nm thick nitrobiphenyl multilayer. Junctions containing titanium or aluminium oxide had dramatically lower conductance than their PPF/molecule/Cu counterparts, with aluminium oxide junctions exhibiting essentially insulating behavior. However, in situ Raman spectroscopy of PPF/nitroazobenzene/AlOx/Au junctions with partially transparent metal contacts revealed that redox reactions occurred under bias, with nitroazobenzene (NAB) reduction occurring when the PPF was biased negative relative to the Au. Similar redox reactions were observed in PPF/NAB/TiOx/Au molecular junctions, but they were accompanied by major effects on electronic behavior, such as rectification and persistent conductance switching. Such switching was evident following polarization of PPF/molecule/TiO2/Au junctions by positive or negative potential pulses, and the resulting conductance changes persisted for several minutes at room temperature. The “memory” effect implied by these observations is attributed to a combination of the molecular layer and the TiO2 properties, namely metastable “trapping” of electrons in the TiO2 when the Au is negatively biased.
Current International Perspectives on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Inherited Metabolic Disorders

Inherited metabolic disorders (IMD) or inborn errors of metabolism are a diverse group of diseases arising from genetic defects in lysosomal enzymes or peroxisomal function. These diseases are characterized by devastating systemic processes affecting neurologic and cognitive function, growth and development, and cardiopulmonary status. Onset in infancy or early childhood is typically accompanied by rapid deterioration. Early death is a common outcome. Timely diagnosis and immediate referral to an IMD specialist are essential steps in management of these disorders. Treatment recommendations are based on the disorder, its phenotype including age at onset and rate of progression, severity of clinical signs and symptoms, family values and expectations, and the risks and benefits associated with available therapies such as allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). This review discusses indications for HSCT and outcomes of HSCT for selected IMD. An international perspective on progress, limitations, and future directions in the field is provided.
Classical mixed partitions

Abstract Through a method given in Hirschfeld and Thas (General Galois Geometries, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1991), a mixed partition of PG(2 n −1, q 2 ) can be used to construct a (2 n −1)-spread of PG(4 n −1, q ) and, hence, a translation plane of order q 2 n . A mixed partition in this case is a partition of the points of PG(2 n −1, q 2 ) into PG( n −1, q 2 )'s and PG(2 n −1, q )'s which we call Baer subspaces. In this paper, we completely classify the mixed partitions which generate regular spreads and, hence, can be classified as classical .
Enthalpy conversion in sonic-nozzle expansions

Abstract A description of the increase of flow velocity with distance in sonic-nozzle expansions is presented. An important component is the continued geometric acceleration of the beam, even after cessation of collisions. Corroborating experimental evidence is cited.
Cascade Phase Lithic Technology: An Example from the Lower Snake River

Chipped stone artifact data from several Cascade phase sites located on the lower Snake River are analyzed to evaluate lithic technological characteristics of the early Cascade phase. Interpretatio...
Individual differences and reliability of information transmission in absolute judgments of loudness, brightness and line lengths.

Information transmission, as estimated from absolute judgments of loudness, brightness and line length, was measured in 35 normal Ss. Each S was tested on all modalities on each of three days. Individuals varied widely in their ability to transmit information and were consistent across modalities and days; reliabilities for loudness, brightness and line length between Days 2 and 3 were 0.72, 0.81, and 0.89 respectively. The mean intercorrelation between modalities was 0.40. WAIS Digit Span but no other intelligence scale was positively correlated with transmission of information. The results suggest the existence of a single information-processing facility in the central nervous system.
Glucose transporter gene expression: Regulation of transcription and mRNA stability

Abstract The facilitated diffusion of d -glucose across the plasma membrane is carried out by a set of stereospecific transport proteins known as the glucose transporters. These integral membrane proteins are members of a gene family where tissue-specific expression of one or more members will determine in part the net rate of glucose entry into the cell. The regulation of glucose transporter gene expression is a critical feature of cellular homeostasis, as defects in specific transporter expression can lead to profound alterations in cellular physiology. In this review, we provide a brief descriptive background on the family of glucose transporters and examine in depth the regulation of the two transporters expressed in adipose tissue, GLUT1, a basal growth-related transporter and GLUT4, the insulin-responsive glucose transporter.
pH-dependent fusion of reconstituted vesicular stomatitis virus envelopes with vero cells Measurement by dequenching of fluorescence

Reconstituted vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) envelopes were formed by solubilization of the viral envelope with Triton X-100 followed by removal of detergent by direct addition of SM2 biobeads. We provide direct demonstration of fusion of reconstituted VSV with cells using fluorescent lipid and aqueous probes incorporated into the VSV virosomes during reconstitution. We show a direct comparison of the kinetics and pH profile of fusion with cells between reconstituted VSV and fluorescently labeled intact virus. With this preparation it is now possible to gain additional information about the role of cooperativity in viral protein-mediated fusion, and to permit construction of efficient vehicles for delivery of drugs and other materials into cells.
Biofilm formation in an in vitro model of cochlear implants with removable magnets

Background Cochlear implant (CI) recesses, such as the removable magnet pocket, appear to harbor more biofilm than smooth surfaces. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of removable magnets on biofilm formation in an in vitro model. Methods Silastic models were constructed to represent CIs with and without a magnet pocket and with and without a titanium blank in the pocket. CIs were exposed to a culture of a biofilm forming strain of Staphylococcus aureus . Adherence of planktonic bacteria and biofilm formation were assessed with quantitative bacterial counts and scanning electron microscopy. Results Adherent bacterial counts were significantly higher in CI models with an empty magnet pocket ( P = 0.0097). Biofilm formation was significantly lower in CI models without a magnet pocket ( P = 0.0121). Conclusions CI magnet pockets harbor bacteria that can increase biofilm development in an in vitro model.
The Blood of the Lamb.

Peter De Vries (1910-1993)—writer for the New Yorker, Poetry editor, once widely acknowledged as the top American comic novelist of his era—was best known for his clever wordplay, irreverent humor, and extended riffs on a broad range of human foibles. But despite De Vries’ reputation for puckish wit and for the skewering bon mot, his greatest novel is a tragedy—one that is all the more haunting because it is stuffed with autobiographical detail. The Blood of the Lamb, published in 1961, describes the growing estrangement of the main character (Don Wanderhope) from his origins in a close-knit, blue-collar, Chicagoland Dutch immigrant community. The death of a sibling, parental mental illness, and the strains of a volatile marriage contracted too hastily were heavy stones that stressed the increasingly rickety structure of Wanderhope’s boyhood religious faith, until that faith finally collapsed beneath the crush of a singular and devastating loss, re-emerging as something more ambiguous. Emily De Vries—her literary counterpart is Carol Wanderhope—De Vries’ youngest child and a chief existential consolation, died in September 1960, just a few days before her 11th birthday and 2 years after she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Through the filter of his prodigious literary gifts, De Vries poured out the monstrous, idiosyncratic grief of a bereft father, of a man who has lost something that really matters. The Blood of the Lamb was published just a year after Emily’s death, and the rawness of emotion sears its pages: often bitter, sometimes elegiac, and with scattered patches where the writing is less polished, less subtle than is typical for De Vries. The author’s seething anger over the unfairness of the world is frequently channeled into frustration at a paternalistic and ultimately impotent medical establishment, which provided plenty of facile reassurances, even as it failed to save his innocent “lamb” of a daughter from her own poisoned blood. De Vries eventually returned to writing comic novels after The Blood of the Lamb, but always with darker undertones, echoing the futility and chaotic meaninglessness of life that he felt so acutely during Emily’s terminal illness. These stylistic changes parallel the intellectual evolution of Charles Darwin a century earlier, after a similar event: Darwin lost his beloved daughter Annie in 1851, also at age 10 years from an unexplained illness—possibly tuberculosis, which was just as frightening and incurable in the 1850s as leukemia a century later. Darwin’s great-grandson suggests that the feelings of randomness and lack of ultimate purpose engendered by Annie Darwin’s untimely death pushed the great naturalist towards a reluctant full acknowledgment of the terrifying metaphysical implications of his mechanism of natural selection. The legacy of a child’s premature death can be long indeed.
Brownian Dynamics Study of the Interaction between Plastocyanin and Cytochrome f

The electrostatic interaction between plastocyanin (PC) and cytochrome f (cyt f), electron transfer partners in photosynthesis was studied using Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations. By using the software package MacroDox, which implements the BD algorithm of Northrup et al. (Northrup, S. H., J. O. Boles, and J. C. L. Reynolds. 1987. J. Phys. Chem. 91:5991-5998), we have modeled the interaction of the two proteins based on crystal structures of poplar PC and turnip cyt f at pH 7 and a variety of ionic strengths. We find that the electrostatic attraction between positively charged residues (K58, K65, K187, and R209, among others) on cyt f and negatively charged residues (E43, D44, E59, and E60, among others) on PC steers PC into a single dominant orientation with respect to cyt f, and furthermore, that the single dominant orientation that we observe is one that we had predicted in our previous work (Pearson, D. C., E. L. Gross, and E. S. David. 1996. Biophys. J. 71:64-76). This dominant orientation permits the formation of hydrophobic interactions, which are not implemented in the MacroDox algorithm. This proposed complex between PC and cyt f implicates H87, a copper ligand on PC, as the residue that accepts electrons from the heme on cyt f (and possibly through Y1 as we proposed previously). We argue for the existence of this single dominant complex on the basis of observations that the most favorable orientations of the interaction between PC and cyt f, as determined by grouping successful BD trajectories on the basis of closest contacts of charged residues, tend to overlap one another and have very close distances between the metal centers on the two proteins (copper on PC, iron on cyt f). We use this knowledge to develop a model for PC/cyt f interaction that places a reaction between the two proteins occurring when the copper-to-iron distance is between 16 and 17 A. This reaction distance gives a good estimate of the experimentally observed rate constant for PC-cyt f interaction. Analysis of BD results as a function of ionic strength predicts an interaction that happens less frequently and becomes less specific as ionic strength increases.
Depression, the Family, and Family Therapy

Thepotentialcontribution offamily therapists to the treatment ofdepression remains underdeveloped. Family therapists need to articulate how changes infamily functioning might benefit depressed persons, as well as how otherproblemsin the families ofdepressedpersons tend to go unrecognised. Furthermore,family therapists need to be alert to how undetecteddepression in adults and children may interfere with their ability to meet their goals withfamilies who seek therapyfor otherpersons. This articleprovidesfamily therapists with (1) an overviewofthe natureandexperience ofdepression; (2) an introduction to antidepressantmedication; (3) a summaryofresearchfindings relatingdepression to itsfamily context and (4) a briefoverviewofdevelopments in the marital and family treatment ofdepression. Clinical depression tends to be a marker for families with a full range of other difficulties. The marital conflict, parenting difficulties, adjustment problems of offspring, and more generalised family dysfunction associated with depression in an adult would all seem to warrant a role for marital and family therapy in its treatment. There is also strong, even if largely circumstantial, evidence that inter­ vention with these relationships should be of direct benefit to the depressed person. Unfortunately, the potential contribution of family therapists to the treatment of depression remains largely ignored. By promoting an awareness of the family context of depression, family therapists could counter the reduc­ tionistic view that depression is merely a biological illness to be treated exclusively with medication or electrocon­ vulsive therapy (ECT). Yet, in general, family therapists tend to be ill-informed about advances in the study and treatment of depression from a biological perspective. Moreover, most family therapists need to develop a better knowledge of the complex relationship between depression and marital and family functioning before they could engage other mental health professionals in a dialogue about what they have to offer and how this approach is to be seen as either an alternative or a supplement to more established treatments. Family therapists must become more prepared if they are to take an active role in assuring that depressed persons and their families get the best possible treatment and that their full range of problems is addressed. This article has four related purposes. It is intended to provide family therapists with firstly, an overview of the nature and experience of depression; secondly, an
Cognitive and physical performance in patients with asymptomatic carotid artery disease

The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and occlusion demonstrate deficits in cognitive and physical performance. The relationship between cognitive measures and performance of instrumental activities of daily living was examined. Seventy-nine patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis of moderate and severe degrees or occlusion were tested. Cognition was assessed via the repeatable battery for the assessment of neuropsychological status (RBANS) and the executive interview (EXIT). Physical performance was assessed via the physical performance test (PPT) and the Lawton instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). Deficits in the RBANS visuospatial/constructional, attention, language and delayed memory domains were found for patients with occlusion. Deficits in all RBANS domains were found for the moderate stenosis subgroup, and deficits in all domains except language were found in the severe subgroup. No deficit was found in executive function in any group. Additionally, deficits were related to sidedness of involvement with visuospatial/constructional deficits related to right sided disease, and deficits in all cognitive domains except language were found in left sided and bilateral disease. Decreased performance on the PPT was identified in all three subgroups with the lowest scores in the moderate stenosis subgroup and the highest scores in the severe stenosis subgroup. The Lawton IADL did not identify any decrease in performance. Deficits in cognitive and physical function were found in this observational study of patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis and occlusion, indicating that asymptomatic patients may not be truly asymptomatic. These areas of function and the potential change in their status need to be considered when patients are being evaluated for interventions to manage their carotid artery disease.
Oxidative addition of acid chlorides to cationic rhodium(I) complexes of chelating diphosphines

Abstract The reaction of benzoyl chloride with [Rh(dppp) 2 ]Cl at 190°C and with [Rh(dppp)Cl] 1 or 2 at 25°C where dppp  1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane has been examined. In both cases the five coordinate compound RhCl 2 (COPh)-(dppp) was rapidly formed and isolated in high yield. This compound does not undergo phenyl migration to RhCl 2 (CO)(Ph)(dppp) even upon warming to 190°C in benzoyl chloride solution and no decarbonylation products are observed. This is in marked contrast to the reaction of RhCl(PPh 3 ) 3 with benzoyl chloride where the migrated product RhCl 2 (CO)(Ph)(PPh 3 ) 2 is formed with the eventual reductive elimination of chlorobenzene. The single crystal X-ray analysis of RhCl 2 (COPh)(dppp) has been carried out ( R  0.036). The compound is square pyramidal with the COPh group in the apical position. The Rh—C bond distance of 1.992(3) A is short for a Rh III —Cσ bond and indicates d π → π ★ back bonding.
New mechanisms for the base-catalyzed cleavage of SiSi bonds in organopolysilanes: the base-catalyzed solvolysis of pentaphenyldisilanecarboxylic acid and pentaphenyldisilanol in ethanol/water media

A kinetic investigation of the base-catalyzed decomposition of pentaphenyldisilanecarboxylic acid (1) and pentaphenyldisilanol (2) in ethanol/water media is reported. The solvolysis of the SiSi bond in 2, which also is formed on the base-catalyzed decarbonylation of 1, proceeds by concurrent first-order and second-order processes. At low base concentrations where the first-order process predominates, the intermediate, triphenylsilane (3), has been isolated. Solvent isotope effects and activation parameters have been determined. Mechanisms are proposed for the two kinetically distinguishable processes for SiSi bond cleavage in which the pentaphenyldisilanolate ion undergoes either an internal nucleophilic displacement reaction or nucleophilic attack at Si by base in the rate-determining step. A general mechanistic approach for the cleavage of Si bonds in polysilanes by aqueous-alcoholic base is proposed in which polysilanolate ions are formed by nucleophilic attack by base at Si which undergo internal nucleophilic attack resulting in cleavage of the SiSi bond adjacent to the anionic termini. Subsequently, polysilanolate ions are regenerated in which the number of Si atoms is reduced by one.
Strategies for Noninvasive Demineralized Tissue Repair

This article provides a state-of-the-art overview of clinically relevant evidence regarding effective, noninvasive management strategies to prevent, arrest, and remineralize caries lesions. With the rapidly increasing knowledge about oral biofilms and the process of caries in itself, the profession is embarking on new strategies. This is an exciting time, with several promising new agents and novel treatment modalities at the horizon to prevent and manage caries lesions. Some are already available in clinical practice. Studies, however, have yet to show conclusive evidence of clinical efficacy. None have shown to be more effective than fluoride and protection by sealant.
Sperm aging in the male and cytogenetic anomalies. An animal model.

Superovulated females, outbred ICR Swiss, were inseminated naturally with spermatozoa aged 6–20 days in the male genital tract by bilateral ligation of the corpus epididymis. Females inseminated by the males (also ICR Swiss) mating at 3-day intervals prior to ligation and those mated to sham-operated males served as controls. A total of 1167 fertilized one-cell zygotes of which 868 were at metaphase first cleavage were recovered 33–35 h post-HCG. First-cleavage divisions were analyzed in 631, or 72%, of all zygotes at metaphase and late prophase. The gametic origin of chromosome anomalies was determined on the basis of differential condensation of the chromosomes. The sex ratio of the zygotes was unaffected by aging sperm. In 321 zygotes from the controls the frequency of trisomy was 3.1%, monosomy 2.2%, triploidy 0.93%, and structural rearrangements 0.31%. Aging of sperm for 6 days did not significantly alter the number of heteroploid zygotes recovered. For the periods beyond day 6 and in the combined experimental series there was a highly significant increase in the number of all chromosome anomalies compared with controls. In the experimental zygotes, the incidence of trisomy was 9.7%, monosomy 7.4%, triploidy 3.9%, and structural anomalies 2.6%. There were also significant differences between control and experimental in the origin of the anomalies. The male genome was implicated significantly more often than the female in the origin of trisomies in the experimental series compared with the controls. It was also the direct source of all the structural anomalies and the majority of the triploids in the experimentals, where 8 of 9 were a result of diploid sperm. Therefore, the over-riding mechanism involved in the production of chromosomally anomalous offspring from aging sperm seems to be altered conditions of competition between chromosomally balanced and unbalanced sperm. Additionally, chromosomally normal sperm in an aging population may be affected in some aspects of their physiology so that they create preferential loss of maternally derived chromosomes leading to monosomy or nuclear fragmentation. The implications of these findings for the etiology of human chromosome anomalies are discussed.
Nonmetric calibration of wide-angle lenses and polycameras

Images taken with wide-angle cameras tend to have severe distortions which pull points towards the optical center. This paper proposes a simple method for recovering the distortion parameters without the use of any calibration objects. Since distortions cause straight lines in the scene to appear as curves in the image, our algorithm seeks to find the distortion parameters that map the image curves to straight lines. The user selects a small set of points along the image curves. Recovery of the distortion parameters is formulated as the minimization of an objective function which is designed to explicitly account for noise in the selected image points. Experimental results are presented for synthetic data as well as real images. We also present the idea of a polycamera which is defined as a tightly packed camera cluster. Possible configurations are proposed to capture very large fields of view. Such camera clusters tend to have a nonsingle viewpoint. We therefore provide analysis of what we call the minimum working distance for such clusters. Finally, we present results for a polycamera consisting of four wide-angle sensors having a minimum working distance of about 4 m. On undistorting the acquired images using our proposed technique, we create real-time high resolution panoramas.