cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
VZV gB Endocytosis and Golgi Localization Are Mediated by YXXφ Motifs in Its Cytoplasmic Domain

Abstract The cytoplasmic domains of many membrane proteins contain sorting signals that mediate their endocytosis from the plasma membrane. VZV gB contains three consensus internalization motifs within its cytoplasmic domain: YMTL (aa 818–821), YSRV (aa 857–860), and LL (aa 841–842). To determine whether VZV gB is internalized from the plasma membrane, and whether these motifs are required for its endocytosis, we compared the internalization of native gB to that of gB containing mutations in each of the predicted internalization motifs. VZV gB present on the surface of transfected cells associated with clathrin and was efficiently internalized to the Golgi apparatus within 60 min at 37°C. VZV gB containing the mutation Y857 failed to be internalized, while gB-Y818A was internalized but did not accumulate in the Golgi. These data indicate that the internalization of VZV gB, and its subsequent localization to the Golgi, is mediated by two tyrosine-based sequence motifs in its cytoplasmic domain.
On-line optimization of stochastic processes using Markov Decision Processes

One of the most important objectives in a fed-batch operation is that of finding the input feed profile that optimizes the production/consumption of a desired component. If systems are better represented in a stochastic framework, as may be the case with bioprocesses, an approach different from classical optimization based on differential equations, can be used. In this work, a stochastic input/output model is used to describe the fed-batch fermentation for ethanol production. A transformation of the model into a Markov chain is made for posterior use in the problem definition of the Markov Decision Process aimed at maximizing the ethanol production. The results obtained from a real time experiment show satisfactory results.
Pharmacologic relevance of K(+)Channel remodeling in atrial fibrillation.

Experimental studies have demonstrated that AF Introduction requires both a tissue substrate that can sustain the arrhythmia, and a trigger to evoke it. Much Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common chronic arrhythmia, affecting more than 2 million Amevidence now supports the notion that AF is largely a re-entrant arrhythmia, with multiple circulating ericans. AF increases the risk of stroke, and is an independent risk factor for mortality. Commonly wavelets of electrical activity. Tissue area, conduction velocity, and refractory period thus deterused antiarrhythmic drugs have a relatively low success rate, and only a minority of cases is amenmine whether re-entrant rhythms are spontaneously terminated or can be maintained. Given able to surgical or ablative therapies. Thus, development of novel, more effective pharmacological the absence of changes in other parameters, the refractory period is perhaps the most dynamic paratreatments for AF would have a substantial public health impact. AF generally reflects a diffuse pathmeter. Antiarrhythmic drug strategies based on ion channel blockade either slow conduction velocity ology, and predisposing factors include (but are not limited to): advanced age, hypertension, valvular (class I drugs such as flecainide) or prolong the refractory period (class III drugs such as sotalol or disease, thyroid disease, pulmonary disease and heart failure. AF typically progresses from a pardofetilide). oxysmal state (self-terminating) to a persistent (terminating only with external shock or drugs) or permanent status (persistent, and recurring rapidly after external cardioversion). The progression of AF Ionic determinants of the human atrial results from a series of phenotypic elecaction potential trophysiological and structural changes (remodeling) in the fibrillating atria. These include The refractory period largely reflects the duration of the atrial action potential. Thus, the determinants changes in the distribution of a variety of ion channels, loss of atrial myocytes, increasing fibrosis, of the refractory period are the inward and outward ionic currents that summate to form the action and increased atrial volume. The AF-induced remodeling processes have been under intensive inpotential. Both the inward sodium current (INa) and transient outward current (ITO) are activated and vestigation for the past decade. The result of these studies has been an increased understanding of the inactivate rapidly during the action potential. These two currents help to determine the conduction eventual impact of AF; useful insights into the mechanisms responsible for the initiation and pervelocity and the eventual height of the plateau, but have little impact on plateau duration (in nonpetuation of the arrhythmia have been more elusive. rodent species), since they are fully inactivated
Mechanism of localized corrosion of 7075 alloy plate

Investigation of localized corrosion in 7075 aluminum alloy plate shows that the mechanism of corrosion can be rationalized on the basis of potentiokinetic anodic polarization behavior. 7075 alloy in cold water quenched W temper has been shown to be susceptible to both pitting and intergranular corrosion. Aging to peak strength condition (T651 temper) increases the susceptibility to intergranular corrosion. The preferential anodic path is presumed to be solute enrichment (Zn and Mg) in the vicinity of grain boundaries. This is substantiated by the observation of two distinct pitting potentials in the anodic polarization curve for the T651 temper. Overaging to the T7351 temper decreases susceptibility, both by the reduction in the difference between the two pitting potentials and by the reduction in the amount of solute atoms segregated. Metallographic cross-sections of potentiostatically polarized specimens substantiate the proposed mechanism.
Calorimetric titration analysis of a coal-derived liquid: determination of phenolic, pyridinic and carboxylic compounds

Abstract The determination of the concentrations of acidic and basic compounds important in hydrogen bonding interactions is necessary to predict the thermodynamic and physical properties of coal liquids. A methanol/H 2 O extraction/calorimetric titration method is presented that determines: (a) the concentrations of phenolic, pyridinic, and carboxylic compounds in coal liquid distillates important in hydrogen bonding interactions, and (b) the fractions of phenolic, pyridinic, and carboxylic compounds that are (1) unassociated, (2) self-associated, and (3) hydrogen bonded with other groups. Polar compounds are extracted into a methanol/H 2 O phase, which may include HCl or NaOH, followed by titration of the aqueous extracts in the calorimeter. Concentrations of extracted compounds and enthalpy changes for protonation reactions of the compounds are calculated from the thermograms. Identification of the compounds is made from known Δ H and p K a values. The degree of association of each class of compound is determined from the extraction pattern.
An E/H Control Design for a Hydraulic Variable Displacement Axial Piston Motor

A simple and novel speed control scheme for variable displacement motors has been developed under the consideration of some system uncertainties. Theoretical analysis and experimental test results have shown that the proposed control strategy is capable of driving the swashplate to track its desired trajectory with robust stability and satisfactory performance. An adaptive learning algorithm enables the controls to automatically adjust for uncertainties in the control bias current. Compared with its hydro-mechanical counterpart, the provided E/H control results in a hydraulic variable displacement motor with lower cost and better performance.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Diencephalic syndrome revisited

This report details the histories of five patients with clinical diencephalic syndrome who collectively demonstrate the variability found in the syndrome with respect to: (1) clinical course, (2) site of the tumor, and (3) ease of obtaining radiologic confirmation of the presence of a tumor. A review of an additional 67 patients indicates that the observations are not unique. The anatomic variability combined with the fact that the course of those who are treated is infinitely better than those left untreated adds urgency to the establishment of a precise anatomic diagnosis. These considerations led to a critical review of the histories of the 72 patients. From this it can be stated that anteriorly and posteriorly placed tumors do exhibit subtle but significant differences in their clinical course, and roentgenograms of the optic foramina and analysis of the CSF cell and protein content appear warranted early in the investigation of emaciation from unknown cause. Further, an evaluation is made of the role of various radiologic techniques and of endocrine studies in establishing the diagnosis. Similarly, the relative merits of radiotherapy and/or surgery in the treatment of the disease are defined. Finally, the adequacy of the term diencephalic syndrome is discussed.
An application of the method of finite Markov chain imbedding to runs tests

Abstract The method of finite Markov chain imbedding developed by Fu and Koutras (1994) has become a popular and useful tool for studying runs and patterns-related problems. In this article, their approach is used as an alternative for obtaining the exact conditional distribution of the success runs statistic given the number of successes in a sequence of n i.i.d. Bernoulli trials, which, in the past, was computed mainly from traditional combinatorics.
Duration of spermatogenesis and relative frequency of each stage in the seminiferous epithelial cycle of the chimpanzee

To determine the duration of 1 spermatogenic cycle, a single pulse of tritiated thymidine was infused into a branch of the spermatic artery in each of 3 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Samples were recovered surgically prior to infusion, at 1 h, and at 3, 8, 14, 16, 17, 28, 30, 33, 40, 44, and 48 days postinfusion. Tissues were fixed in Bouin's solution, dehydrated, paraffin-embedded, sectioned at 5 micrometers, and stained. Pre-infusion samples were used in morphometric studies to estimate the percentage frequency of area occupied by each of the 6 cellular associations (stages I-VI) characteristic of chimpanzee spermatogenesis, and thus, to estimate the days duration of each stage. To estimate the duration of 1 spermatogenic cycle, pre- and post-infusion, tissue sections were coated with undiluted Kodak NTB2 liquid autoradiographic emulsion and incubated at 4 +/- 1 degree C. At optimum exposure times, slides were processed with Kodak D-19 and Fixer; light microscopic analyses were conducted to determine the most mature labeled cell in stage III for each of the sample times. The duration of the 6 stages (I-VI) are 4.2, 2.0, 4.3, 1.5, 1.3 and 0.6 days, respectively, and the duration of 1 spermatogenic cycle is approximately 14 days. Thus, the duration of spermatogenesis from the Ap spermatogonium to mature Sd2 spermatid is approximately 62.5 +/- 1.5 days or 4.46 spermatogenic cycles.
Female prairie voles show social and sexual preferences for males with longer avpr1a microsatellite alleles

In socially monogamous mammals, male behaviour can have important consequences on production and survival of offspring. Therefore, females in these species could enhance their reproductive success by discriminating among potential male social partners and mates on the basis of phenotypic cues correlated with male fidelity and paternal behaviour. Prairie voles, Microtus ochrogaster, are socially monogamous rodents that typically form pair bonds and show extensive biparental care. In male prairie voles, variation in the length of microsatellite DNA in the regulatory region of the avpr1a gene encoding the vasopressin 1a receptor (V1aR) underlies differences in V1aR neural expression and is correlated with significant differences in partner preference and paternal behaviour. Previous laboratory studies demonstrated that males possessing longer avpr1a microsatellite alleles spend more time with their female social partner, sire offspring with fewer females and provide more paternal care relative to males with shorter avpr1a microsatellite alleles. Our results from laboratory preference trials showed that female voles from populations in Illinois and Kansas displayed significant social and sexual preferences for males that possessed longer avpr1a microsatellite alleles. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that females are using phenotypic cues whose expression is correlated with a male’s avpr1a microsatellite genotype to discriminate among potential mates. These social and sexual preferences for males with longer avpr1a microsatellite alleles may result in increased female reproductive success.
Reduction of green color from soybean oil

The green color in a refined bleached soybean oil extracted from green soybeans was removed substantially by partially hydrogenating the oil with 1% copper chromite catalyst at 175 C and 30 psig. Hydrogenating the same oil to the identical IV (110) with 0.1% nickel at 150 C and 15 psig was ineffective.
Coming or going it’s another pretty picture for the λ-Int family album

The first entry in the λ-Int family album was an insightful sketch by Allan Campbell depicting a mechanism for the integration and excision of lambdoid phage chromosomes into and out of the chromosome of the host cell (1). Since that time the λ-Int family has grown to more than 100 site-specific recombinases whose biological roles also include the segregation of viral, plasmid, and cellular chromosomes, the control of gene expression, and the creation of novel gene combinations. From a distant perspective this family of pathways involves the alignment of two DNA target sites (e.g., att sites for λ and lox sites for the phage P1-encoded Cre targets), which then are cleaved, exchanged, and resealed as new DNA junctions. Depending on the arrangement of the recombination target sites the global result will be either the insertion of one DNA sequence into another or the inversion or deletion of DNA between two sites on the same chromosome. The products of recombination always reconstitute the recombination target sequences, thus setting the stage for recombination in the reverse direction (2).
States of Knowledge

Abstract When a group of people are thinking about some true formula A, one of them may know it, all of them may know it, or it might be common knowledge. But there are also many other possible states of knowledge and they can change when communication takes place. What states of knowledge are possible? What is the dynamics of such changes? And how do they affect possible co-ordinated action? We describe some developments in this domain.
Kinetics and metabolism of fomepizole in healthy humans

AbstractContext/objective. Fomepizole, a potent inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, has replaced ethanol as antidote for methanol and ethylene glycol intoxications because of a longer duration of action and fewer adverse effects. Prior human studies have indicated that single doses of fomepizole are eliminated by Michaelis–Menten kinetics, but two studies in poisoned patients have suggested that first order elimination occurs after multiple doses. Because of the contrast in fomepizole kinetics among existing studies and the lack of information regarding its metabolism in humans, kinetic and metabolic studies were conducted after single doses and after multiple oral doses in healthy human subjects. Materials/methods. In a single-dose, crossover study, healthy humans received fomepizole IV or orally (7 mg/kg). Also to define the metabolism and kinetics of fomepizole when administered over the presumed antidotal period, subjects were divided into three groups, which were given oral loading doses of 10–15 mg/...
Gene expression profiling of MicroRNAs in small-bowel transplantation paraffin-embedded mucosal biopsy tissue.

Abstract Background The molecular mechanisms and regulation of immune-mediated rejection of organ allografts remains unclear. Recent studies have reported that small non-coding RNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in the immune system via modulation of transcription and translation. Purpose We hypothesized that particular miRNAs provide regulation of an ensuing intragraft immune effector response. The aim of our study was to detect miRNAs involved in acute cellular rejection (AR) in human small intestinal allografts. Materials We examined 12 small intestinal mucosal biopsies (AR, 7 cases, all grade 2 or 3) and non-rejecting (NR) allografts (5 cases, all grade 0) obtained from recipients after small bowel or multivisceral transplantation. RNA was isolated from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsy samples and transcribed to cDNA. After preamplification we utilized a PCR based TaqMan Low Density Array (TLDA) containing 365 mature human miRNAs. Relative quantification was done based on pooled normal intestine using a comparative Ct method. Results We identified 62 miRNA upregulated genes in small bowels with ACR, and 35 were downregulated. Forty-two miRNA genes were upregulated in non-ACR small bowel biopsy samples (grade IND), and 45 were downregulated. The relative fold change ratio of ACR to non-ACR was calculated, and 50 upregulated and 8 downregulated miRNAs were detected as significant. Several interesting miRNAs will be evaluated further from this preliminary study. Our data suggests that intragraft miRNAs are potentially involved in the activation of a host alloimmune response to donor. These miRNAs may serve as targets for appropriate intervention and may be useful to monitor the allograft status.
Apple Scald Induction by Anaerobiosis

SCALD is a physiological disorder which seriously affects the appearance and utility of the apple fruit. It initially appears during, or following, cold storage as a brown discoloration of the epidermis of the green-coloured portion of the fruit. With advancement, it affects the anthocyanin-bearing epidermis, the hypodermis and the adjacent cortex. Extensive investigations over the past 60 years have provided several theories1–7; but relatively little knowledge pertaining to the cause of scald. Several means of control have been devised2,8,9. As early as 19031, it was observed that scald formation was influenced by the availability of oxygen to the fruit. Our results now provide a basis for defining the aetiology of apple scald in terms of basic cause and effect components, anaerobiosis and aerobiosis.
Methanol Absorption in Ethylene−Vinyl Alcohol Copolymers: Relation between Solvent Diffusion and Changes in Glass Transition Temperature in Glassy Polymeric Materials

The glass transition temperature of a series of ethylene−vinyl alcohol copolymers which have been exposed to methanol is determined by dynamic mechanical measurements as a function of methanol concentration. The results of a number of sorption and desorption measurements taken in the temperature range 21−60 °C for the same polymer−solvent system are also reported. An interpretation of these data, which relates these two sets of results, is presented. This interpretation differs considerably from those currently available in the literature for sorption data similar to those reported here. The need to deconvolute from the sorption data the effect of macroscopic elastic constraints arising during the swelling process and in particular to distinguish features of the sorption curves which reflect true material properties of the system as opposed to simple geometrical effects is pointed out. Once this is done, the main qualitative features of our results, namely, initial sorption ∼ presence of sharp concentrati...
Heteronormativity in Leisure Research: Emancipation as Social Justice

Leisure research has the capacity to contribute to social justice when it provides emancipatory spaces for the interrogation of pervasive heteronormative ideologies. Heteronormative ideologies permeate social practices much like infections pollute a body. Research is not immune to heteronormativity, given that assumed links among sex, gender, and sexual orientation can pervert empirical inquiry. In this essay I suggest that by interrogating categories and relational positions as practices of power, leisure scholars may better examine to what level heteronormative ideologies are corrupting socially just research. By exposing how social practices regulate bodies relationally, emancipatory space is created for describing, interrogating, and challenging how heteronormative regulatory practices simultaneously privilege and oppress. I conclude this essay by suggesting that emancipatory research can create opportunities for social justice when researchers and participants are transparent in recognizing and respe...
Effects of dietary aluminum on reproduction in Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica

Aluminum leached from granitic rocks by acidic precipitation has been implicated as a cause of reproductive failure in insectivorous passeriformes. Aluminum in emerging aquatic insects has been linked to elevated skeletal Al and reproductive failure in Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca nesting near an acidified Swedish lake. In this study, Al impaired reproduction in Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica at concentrations below those observed in aquatic insects emerging from that lake. Aluminum citrate was added to the diet of 65-day-old quail to obtain dietary Al concentrations of 120, 500, 1500 ppm at the onset of medullary bone formation and was continued for a period of three weeks after the onset of laying. Two basal diets containing differing concentrations of Ca and P were used. None of the diets was acutely toxic but the addition of Al significantly influenced eggshell thickness. Increasing dietary Ca and P was found to mitigate this effect.
Focusing crystal polarimeter designed for x-ray polarimetry: construction and performance

A method for the construction of a graphite crystal polarimeter designed for measuring linear polarization of X-ray continuum sources is described. The dependence of reflected intensity upon the polarization direction of the incident beam at Bragg angles of 45 deg is used to measure the polarization. The particular instrument described was designed for a satellite X-ray polarimeter. By using a focusing parabolic surface instead of a nonfocusing flat crystal, the signal-to-background ratio is improved by a factor of 30 as compared to a flat crystal polarimeter of the same effective area. The focusing properties of the reflector were tested both optically and with X-rays. The performance of the instrument as a polarimeter was tested with a continuum X-ray source of small polarization, which was independently measured by a single flat crystal polarimeter. The agreement between the two measurements is excellent, indicating that the instrument can measure polarizations as low as 0.3%.
Seasonal diminution of vitamin D stores in the United States. Can darker winters lead to lighter bones

Recent reports indicate that many older Americans have inadequate vitamin D sources and little to no seasonal increase in their body stores. The attendant secondary hyperparathyroidism of incipient and subtle osteomalacia could weaken cortical bone and aggravate the osteoporotic process linked to aging. Increased awareness, by physicians and our elderly, of the importance of avoiding mild, seasonal or perennial vitamin D deficiency could lead to better implementation of vitamin D supplementation schedules.
Electrocardiographic Studies in Subtotal Atelectasis and Pneumectomy in Dogs.

Changes in the shape of the complexes of the electrocardiogram have been observed in pathologic intrathoracic conditions not primarily cardiac. These conditions include pericarditis,1 pericardial effusion without demonstrable inflammation,2 and lobar pneumonia.3 Bettman and Priest4 described the electrocardiograms of patients before and after chest operations, including in their series 7 patients on whom extrapleural thoracoplasty was performed. One of the 7 developed the so-called “coronary type” T-wave and 3 others diminution in the amplitude of the QRS complex. These findings suggested a study of the electrocardiograms of dogs following the production of atelectasis or the removal of one or more lobes of lung. The operations were done as described elsewhere by Adams5 and the amount of functioning lung tissue calculated according to his table.Nine dogs were studied in which collapse of one or more of the pulmonary lobes had taken place more than a month previously. In this group 2 had sinoauricular bloc...
Cache-oblivious shortest paths in graphs using buffer heap

We present the Buffer Heap (BH), a cache-oblivious priority queue that supports Delete-Min, Delete, and Decrease-Key operations in O(1overB log2NoverB) amortized block transfers from external memory, where B is the (unknown) block-size and N is the maximum number of elements in the queue. As is common in cache-oblivious algorithms, we assume a 'tall cache' (i.e., M = Ω(B1 + e), where M is the size of the main memory). We also assume the Decrease-Key operation only verifies that the element does not exist in the priority queue with a smaller key value, hence it also supports the insert operation in the same amortized bound. The amortized time bound for each operation is O(log N). We also present a Cache-Oblivious Tournament Tree (COTT), which is simpler than the Buffer Heap, but has weaker bounds.Using the Buffer Heap we present cache-oblivious algorithms for undirected and directed single-source shortest path (SSSP) problems for graphs with non-negative edge-weights. On a graph with V vertices and E edges, our algorithm for the undirected case performs O(V + EoverB log2VoverB) block transfers and for the directed case performs O((V + EoverB) . log2VoverB) block transfers. The running time of both algorithms is O((V + E). log V).For both priority queues with Decrease-Key operation, and for shortest path problems on general graphs, our results appear to give the first non-trivial cache-oblivious bounds.
Shock magnetism in fine particle iron

— All solid solar system bodies have been affected by impact to varying degrees, and, thus, magnetic records in these bodies may have been modified by shock events. Shock events may have overprinted all primordial magnetic records in meteorites. Shock metamorphism stages ranging from very little to extreme, when melting takes place, have been identified in meteorites. We are examining the creation and destruction of magnetic remanence associated with shock. In this paper, we develop a preliminary framework for understanding the magnetic properties of fine-grained Fe particles (20–110 nm), which carry most of the remanent magnetization in lunar samples and, by extension, the kamacite phase in meteorite samples. Initial experiments on shock effects due to a first-order shock-induced crystallographic transformation are described. The first characterization of pre- and postshock magnetic properties for sized Fe particles and the first characterization of the transformation remanent magnetization (TMRM) associated with the face-centered-cubic (fcc) to body-centered-cubic (bcc) transformation in fine particle Fe spheres are described. This is equivalent to the 13 GPa transitions in bcc Fe. We show that the TMRM is in the same direction as the ambient magnetic field present during the shock, but is deflected from the field direction by 30–45° and that the remanence intensity is 1–2 orders of magnitude less than expected for thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) acquired during cooling through the Curie temperature. Isothermal remanence acquisition curves (RA) reveal the increasing magnetic hardness due to shock. Magnetic hysteresis loops are used to characterize the particle size and the shock-induced magnetic anisotropy. Thermal demagnetization experiments describe the probable presence of particle size effects and the effects associated with recovery-recrystallization due to the annealing that takes place during the thermomagnetic experiment. These observations have implications for paleofield determinations and the recognition of thermal unblocking. A TMRM mechanism could produce a shock overprint in a meteorite and might impart a significant directional feature in an asteroid magnetic signature.
Short pulse evolution in the Boeing APLE oscillator

Abstract The Boeing average power laser experiment (APLE) oscillator is investigated using two- and three-dimensional simulations. The evolution of optical pulses in the presence of an electron pulse energy slew is examined. The most stable operation of the oscillator is found for larger values of desynchronism where the electron energy spread is minimized in preparation for input into the high power amplifier.
Identifying Adolescent Patients at Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infections Development of a Brief Sexual Health Screening Survey

This study examined the association between survey responses to health behaviors, personality/psychosocial factors, and self-reported sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to create a brief survey to identify youth at risk for contracting STIs. Participants included 200 racially diverse 14- to 18-year-old patients from a pediatric primary care clinic. Two sexual behavior variables and one peer norm variable were used to differentiate subgroups of individuals at risk of contracting a STI based on reported history of STIs using probability (decision tree) analyses. These items, as well as sexual orientation and having ever had oral sex, were used to create a brief sexual health screening (BSHS) survey. Each point increase in total BSHS score was associated with exponential growth in the percentage of sexually active adolescents reporting STIs. Findings suggest that the BSHS could serve as a useful tool for clinicians to quickly and accurately detect sexual risk among adolescent patients.
REALLY BELIEVING IN FICTION

: How is it possible to respond emotionally to that which we believe is not the case? All of the many responses to this “paradox of fiction” make one or more of three important mistakes: (1) neglecting the context of believing, (2) assuming that belief is an all-or-nothing affair, and (3) assuming that if you believe that p then you cannot also reasonably believe that not-p. My thesis is that we react emotionally to stories because we do believe what stories tell us – not fictionally-believe, not make-believe, but believe in the ordinary way in which we believe anything at all.
Oxygen isotope fractionation between rutile and water

Synthetic rutile-water fractionations (1000 ln α) at 775, 675, and 575° C were found to be −2.8, −3.5, and −4.8, respectively. Partial exchange experiments with natural rutile at 575° C and with synthetic rutile at 475° C failed to yield reliable fractionations.
In vitro activity of BAY 12-8039, a new fluoroquinolone, against species representative of respiratory tract pathogens

Abstract The in vitro antibacterial activity of BAY 12-8039, a novel 8-methoxy-quinolone, was compared with those of other quinolones, amoxicillin/clavulanate, cefuroxime and erythromycin against species commonly implicated in respiratory tract infections as well as viridans group streptococci. The new compound was highly active against methicillin-susceptible staphylococci (MIC 90 0.125 μ g/ml), penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant pneumococci (MIC 90 0.5 and MIC 50 0.25 μ g/ml, respectively), penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant viridans group streptococci (MIC 90 0.5 and 0.25 μ g/ml, respectively), group A streptococci (MIC 90 0.25 μ g/ml), M. catarrhalis (MIC 90 0.125 μ g/ml) and H. influenzae (MIC 90 0.063 μ g/ml), irrespective of β- lactamase production. It was, however, less active against methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MIC 50 and MIC 90 , 2 and 4 μ g/ml, respectively). The new compound demonstrated bactericidal activity at concentrations 2, 4, 8 times the MIC against representative isolates of the above collection. At a concentration of eight times the MIC, the frequency of spontaneous resistance ranged from 2.5×10 −7 to −8 . These results suggested that BAY 12-8039 would be a promising agent for the eradication of respiratory tract pathogens and that clinical trials assessing its efficacy for the management of infections caused by these organisms are warranted.
Effect of Temperature on the Luminescence from Eu2O3

An effect of temperature on the shift of the Eu3 ion luminescence from the 5D0 → 7F0 transition has been studied experimentally for powdered C-type (bcc) and B-type (monoclinic) Eu2O3. Knowledge of both the temperature and the pressure dependencies enabled us to separate the temperature-derived and the volume-derived contributions to dvldT. Details of the temperature effect and a mechanism for the shift in luminescence are discussed.
Emergency general surgery outcomes at safety net hospitals

Abstract Background The United States hospital safety net is defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality as the top decile of hospitals, which see the greatest proportion of uninsured patients. These hospitals provide important access to health care for uninsured patients but are commonly believed to have worse outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of emergency general surgery procedures performed at safety net and nonsafety net hospitals. Material and methods The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2008–2010 was used to create a cohort of inpatients who underwent emergency appendectomy, cholecystectomy, or herniorrhaphy. Outcomes measured included length of stay, charge, cost, death in hospital, complications, and failure to rescue (FTR). Univariate and logistic regression analysis was performed to associate variables with outcomes. Results A total of 187,913 emergency general surgery cases were identified, 11.5% of which were performed at safety net hospitals. The safety net cohort had increased length of stay but lower mean charge and cost. Age, comorbidity score, black race, male gender, and Medicaid and Medicare insurance were associated with mortality, complication, and FTR. Lower socioeconomic status was associated with mortality and complication. Safety net status was positively associated with complication but not mortality or FTR. Conclusions Safety net hospitals had higher complication rates but no difference in FTR or mortality. This may mean that the hospitals are able to effectively recognize and treat patient complications and do so without increased cost.
Return of the EMC effect

The relationship between the properties of nuclear matter and structure functions measured in lepton-nucleus deep inelastic scattering is investigated using light front dynamics. We find that relativistic mean field models such as the Walecka, Zimanyi-Moszkowski (and point-coupling versions of the same), and Rusnak-Furnstahl models contain essentially no binding effect, in accord with an earlier calculation by Birse. These models are found to obey the Hugenholtz\char21{}van Hove theorem, which is applicable if nucleons are the only degrees of freedom. Any model in which the entire Fock space wave function can be represented in terms of free nucleons must obey this theorem, which implies that all of the plus momentum is carried by nucleons, and therefore that there will be essentially no binding effect. The explicit presence of nuclear mesons allows one to obtain a modified form of the Hugenholtz\char21{}van Hove theorem, which is equivalent to the often-used momentum sum rule. These results argue in favor of a conclusion that the depletion of the deep inelastic structure function observed in the valence quark regime is due to some interesting effect involving dynamics beyond the conventional nucleon-meson treatment of nuclear physics.
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Myocardial Interstitial Expansion in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a cardiovascular genetic disease with a varied clinical presentation and phenotype. Although mutations are typically found in genes coding for sarcomeric proteins, phenotypic derangements extend beyond the myocyte to include the extracellular compartment. Myocardial fibrosis is commonly detected by histology, and is associated with clinical vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Over the past decade, the noninvasive visualization of myocardial fibrosis by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) techniques has garnered much interest given the potential applications toward improving our understanding of pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease, as well as diagnosis and prognosis. Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging techniques are able to detect focal (typically replacement) fibrosis. Newer CMR techniques that measure absolute T1 relaxation time allow the quantification of the entire range of focal to diffuse (interstitial) fibrosis and may overcome potential limitations of LGE. This review will discuss the methodology and current status of these novel techniques, with a focus on extracellular volume fraction (ECV). Recent findings describing ECV measurement in HCM will be summarized.
Thymidine labeling of pyrimidine isostichs from human lymphocyte DNA during repair after damage with N-acetoxy acetylaminofluorene or nitrogen mustard.

Abstract Evidence for the faithfulness of DNA repair in mammalian cells is presented. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes with very low background levels of DNA synthesis were prepared by using populations that are 99.8 to 99.9% free of dividing cells and by further supressing DNA synthesis in these with hydroxyurea. These cells were damaged with nitrogen mustard or the proximate carcinogen N -acetoxy-2-acetylaminofluorene and allowed to undergo repair in the presence of tritiated thymidine. Pyrimidine isostichs were prepared from the DNA by formic acid and diphenylamine digestion and were separated on DEAE-cellulose. The distribution of counts in the pyrimidine isostichs from treated and control cells was found to be the same. The latter served as a measure of the frequency of various isostichs present in the normal DNA. Thus, it is suggested that during repair, bases are incorporated in a fashion which approximates their distribution in the original DNA.
International Managerial Performance Evaluation: A Five Country Comparison

This study does not support the generally accepted theory that transnational corporations (TNCs) use different criteria to evaluate managers based on their location (host or home country). If it is assumed that a major TNC strategy is to maximize profits, thus maximizing returns to shareholders, it follows that management decisions are made with this strategy as the desired outcome. Current theory does not address the more global view of the TNC where subsidiaries act in concert to maximize profits, and therefore can be evaluated in a similar fashion. There is some evidence, however, that specific performance evaluation criteria do vary in importance by country.
Fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) manual skills assessment: surgeon vs nonsurgeon raters

Objective The American Board of Surgery has recently started requiring completion of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) program for board certification in general surgery. Although most SAGES Testing Centers utilize nonsurgeons as FLS proctors, the effectiveness of using nonsurgeons as FLS proctors has not been evaluated. Methods Surgeons and nonsurgeons attending FLS proctor training workshops were studied. Participants reviewed training materials before course attendance. Subjects watched a videotaped FLS performance containing 9 “critical” errors, which participants were asked to identify. This assessment was repeated after hands-on training. Results Thirteen surgeon and 17 nonsurgeon subjects participated. At baseline, surgeons detected 66% of errors, vs 65% for nonsurgeons, with no statistical difference between groups. Analysis of individual tasks also showed no difference between groups, except for intracorporeal knot-tying (p = 0.049). Both groups improved after training (p Conclusions This study suggests that trained nonsurgeons may be as effective as surgeon proctors in detecting errors associated with the FLS manual test. This finding supports the utility of using trained nonsurgeons as FLS proctors as surgical training programs face increasing economic constraints.
SU‐GG‐J‐153: Voxel‐Based Phenomenological SUV‐Dose Response Model for the Human Parotid Glands

Purpose: The goal of this study is to evaluate SUV as an imaging biomarker of parotid function following radiotherapy (RT) and to develop a phenomenological model of SUV‐dose response, enabling prediction of the biomarker prior to RT. Method and Materials: As part of an ongoing study, patients (n = 8) with head and neck cancer (HNC) had 18F‐FDG PET/CT studies performed before (within 30 days) and following RT (∼50 days). In addition, resting and stimulated whole mouth saliva was collected. Next, a deformable image registration algorithm was utilized to map parotid contours from planning CT (PCT) images to pre‐ and post‐RT PET/CT studies, separately. Mean SUV was then calculated for the parotid glands at both time points and compared to collected saliva. The SUV‐dose response relationship was assessed in a separate cohort (n = 60) also treated for HNC. Pre‐ and post‐RT PET/CT images were deformably aligned to PCT images to achieve correspondence between SUV and planned dose. SUV response was then modeled using a single parameter, incorporating planned dose and pre‐RT SUV; defined as metabolic dose.Results: Post‐RT stimulated saliva and SUV decreased (59% and 20%, respectively) in seven patients. For one patient, stimulated saliva and SUV increased (14% and 11%, respectively). Fractional SUV correlated significantly with xerostomia grade, P < 0.01 and Spearman's ρ = −0.964. A second order polynomial provided an adequate fit to the log transformed SUV‐dose response curve, adjusted R2 = 0.95. Post‐RT SUV was predicted within 3% for an exemplary patient, but overestimated (50%) in the worst case. Conclusions: Pilot data suggest that SUV is significantly correlated with parotid saliva output. Furthermore, the feasibility of predicting reductions in SUV, prior to treatment delivery, has been demonstrated. Conflict of Interest: Research partially sponsored by Varian Medical Systems.
Simultaneous biplanar fluoroscopy for the surgical treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Background The current standard of care for treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is in situ placement of a single, cannulated screw across the physis under direct fluoroscopic guidance. Previous studies have reported the theoretical advantages of shorter operative time and improved accuracy of screw placement when 2 fluoroscopy units are used simultaneously. Methods A retrospective review was performed to compare the use of 1 versus 2 C-arms in the surgical stabilization of SCFE. Data analysis, including demographics, surgical setup times, operative times, and precision of screw placement was performed in 77 consecutive hips (69 patients). Results No significant differences were found between the single and dual C-arm techniques with respect to operating room setup and surgery times. Center-center positioning of the screw was more precise when using the simultaneous dual C-arm technique. Surgical times were longer in obese children, irrespective of the number of C-arms used. Conclusions Efficient operating room setup time for the dual C-arm technique is possible. Precision of screw placement is improved when using simultaneous biplanar fluoroscopy for the in situ pinning of SCFE. Level of Evidence Level IV.
BOUNDING THE NUMBER OF BASES OF A MATROID

Letb(M) andc(M), respectively, be the number of bases and circuits of a matroidM. For any given minor closed classℳ of matroids, the following two questions, are investigated in this paper. (1) When is there a polynomial functionp(x) such thatb(M)≤p(c(m)|E(M)|) for every matroidM inℳ? (2) When is there a polynomial functionp(x) such thatb(M)≤p(|E(M)|) for every matroidM inℳ? Let us denote byMMn the direct sum ofn copies ofU1,2. We prove that the answer to the first question is affirmative if and only if someMMn is not inℳ. Furthermore, if all the members ofℳ are representable over a fixed finite field, then we prove that the answer to the second question is affirmative if and only if, also, someMMn is not inℳ.
Cyanide‐resistant reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium and hydrogen peroxide production by the rabbit blastocyst

The ability of the rabbit blastocyst to reduce nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) to formazan in the presence of cyanide was assayed as an indicator of extramitochondrial oxidase activity capable of generating the superoxide radical. A cytochemical method initially developed for the detection and localization of hydrogen peroxide production at the ultrastructural level in phagocytosing leukocytes (Briggs et al.: J Cell Biol 67:566, 1975) was also applied to the blastocyst. The results demonstrate that the rabbit blastocyst acquires the ability to reduce NBT by a cyanide-insensitive process and to generate hydrogen peroxide between the fourth and fifth days postcoitum. The enzymatic activity responsible is apparently an NAD(P)H-dependent oxidase in the outer, microvillous plasma membrane of the trophoblast.
Process boundary approach to separations synthesis

A method for synthesizing separation processes for multicomponent mixtures is presented which identifies the regions, boundaries, and the lower dimensional varieties in an N-dimensional space. Both thermodynamic and equipment boundaries, which may block or limit a proposed separation step, are considered. To facilitate process synthesis, process boundaries are approximated as linear hyperplanes if appropriate, while nonlinear boundaries are represented using a set of linear hyperplanes. In conjunction with the available separation task selection methods, a step-by-step procedure is proposed to generate complete flowsheet alternatives, which allow bypassing both thermodynamic and equipment boundaries to achieve a given separations objective. Several example problems are solved using a spreadsheet program to illustrate the simplicity and applicability of this approach.
Interior Schwarzschild Solutions and Interpretation of Source Terms

The solutions of the Einstein field equations, previously used in deriving the self-energy of a point charge, are shown to be nonsingular in a canonical frame, except at the position of the particle. A distribution of "dust" of finite extension is examined as the model whose limit is the point particle. The standard "proper rest-mass density" is related to the bare rest-mass density. The lack of singularity of the initial metric ${g}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ is in contrast to the Schwarzschild type singularity of standard coordinate systems. Our solutions for the extended source are nonstatic in general, corresponding to the fact that a charged dust is not generally in equilibrium. However, the solutions become static in the point limit for all values of the bare-source parameters. Similarly, the self-stresses vanish for the point particle. Thus, a classical point electron is stable, the gravitational interaction cancelling the electrostatic self-force, without the need for any extraneous "cohesive" forces.