cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Photosynthetic Reactions by Lysed Protoplasts and Particle Preparations from the Blue-Green Alga, Phormidium luridum.

Reactions of photosynthetic electron transport and photophosphorylation were studied in preparations from the blue-green alga, Phormidium luridum. Osmotic lysis of protoplasts proved to be a superior technique for the production of cell-free preparations with high enzymatic activity. Such lysed protoplasts sustain high rates of photophosphorylation coupled to the photo-reduction of NADP(+) or ferricyanide. P/2e(-) ratios close to unity were routinely observed. The same preparations, and also those prepared by grinding the cells in solutions containing sucrose or ethylene glycol, are active in cyclic photophosphorylation mediated by phenazine methosulfate or dichloro-phenolindophenol. The particles prepared by grinding the cells are, however, inactive in non-cyclic photophosphorylation.Extensive washing of the membranes with solutions containing sucrose removes the majority of the residual soluble fraction of the algal cell which includes cytochromes C(554) and C(549) and phycocyanin. Cyclic photophosphorylation activity is unimpaired by this treatment, but is abolished when the membranes are washed with very dilute buffers. This activity is restored by the addition of a soluble protein which is not a known redox constituent such as cytochrome C(554) or plastocyanin, and may be a coupling factor.Analysis of the well-washed membranes by low temperature (77 degrees K) difference spectrophotometry reveals the presence of cytochrome b(6) and a bound form of cytochrome C(554) in proportions similar to that found in higher plant chloroplasts. The concentration of the membrane-bound cytochrome C(554), relative to cytochrome b(6) is not altered by extensive washing, sonication or treatment with 1% digitonin. This indicates that this cytochrome is an integral component of the cytoplasmic lamellae and we suggest that it is of functional significance. The soluble form of cytochrome C(554), which is present in concentrations about 3-fold higher than the bound form, depending upon growth conditions, is not essential for cyclic photophosphorylation. The concentration of cytochrome b(6): chlorophyll a was found to be 1:500.Under the conditions employed, we were unable to detect a bound form of the low potential cytochrome C(549).
Nonparametric regression estimation for dependent functional data: asymptotic normality

We consider the estimation of a regression functional where the explanatory variables take values in some abstract function space. The principal aim of the paper is to establish the asymptotic normality of such estimates for dependent functional data.
Agar well diffusion assay testing of bacterial susceptibility to various antimicrobials in concentrations non-toxic for human cells in culture

Previously, we showed that microbial susceptibility to antimicrobials in concentrations non-toxic for human cells in culture could be tested using the wet disc topical antimicrobial assay. In this report, wet disc assay and agar well diffusion assay results were compared testing the susceptibility of Ps. aeruginosa isolates from burn patients to concentrations of Polymyxin B non-toxic for cultured cells. Both assays were performed on the same agar plates. No differences in results were observed. Further agar well diffusion assay testing showed that susceptibility/resistance could be demonstrated when testing several antimicrobials in concentrations non-toxic for cultured cells against a variety of bacteria isolated from burn patients. Therefore, the more familiar agar well diffusion as well as the wet disc assay can be used to test microbial susceptibility to these concentrations of antimicrobials.
Error Structure of Multiparameter Radar and Surface Measurements of Rainfall. Part III: Specific Differential Phase

Abstract Parts I and II of this three part paper dealt with the error structure of differential reflectivity and X-band specific attenuation in rainfall as estimated by radar and surface disdrometers. In this Part III paper we focus on the error structure of the specific differential phase (KDP, °km−1) measurement in rainfall. This allows us to analyze three estimators of rainfall rate, the first based on the reflectivity factor ZH, the second based on combining reflectivity and ZDR, [R(ZH, ZDR)], and the third based on KDP alone, R(KDP). Simulations are used to model random errors in ZH, ZDR and KDP. Physical variations in the raindrop size distribution (RSD) are modeled by varying the gamma parameters (N0, D0, m) over a range typically found in natural rainfall. Thus, our simulations incorporate physical fluctuations onto which random measurement errors have been superimposed. Radar-derived estimates of R(ZH, ZDR) and R(KDP) have been intercompared using data obtained in convective rainfall with the NSS...
Vitamin D supplementation protects against bone loss following inhalant organic dust and lipopolysaccharide exposures in mice

Systemic bone loss is associated with airway inflammatory diseases; yet, strategies to halt disease progression from inhalant exposures are not clear. Vitamin D might be a potentially protective approach against noxious respirable environmental exposures. We sought to determine whether vitamin D supplementation represents a viable lung- and bone-protective strategy following repetitive inhalant treatments with organic dust extract (ODE) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mice. C57BL/5 mice were maintained on diets with low (1 IU/D/g) or high (10 IU/D/g) vitamin D for 5 weeks and treated with ODE from swine confinement facilities, LPS, or saline daily for 3 weeks per established intranasal inhalation protocol. Lungs, hind limbs, and sera were harvested for experimental outcomes. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were tenfold different between low and high vitamin D treatment groups with no differences between inhalant agents and saline treatments. Serum calcium levels were not affected. There was no difference in the magnitude of ODE- or LPS-induced inflammatory cell influx or lung histopathology between high and low vitamin D treatment groups. However, high vitamin D treatment reversed the loss of bone mineral density, bone volume, and bone micro-architecture deterioration induced by ODE or LPS as determined by micro-CT analysis. Bone-resorbing osteoclasts were also reduced by high vitamin D treatment. In the low vitamin D treatment groups, ODE induced the greatest degree of airway inflammatory consequences, and LPS induced the greatest degree of bone loss. Collectively, high-concentration vitamin D was protective against systemic bone loss, but not airway inflammation, resulting from ODE- or LPS-induced airway injury.
Characterization and quantification of aquifer heterogeneity using outcrop analogs at the Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario, Canada

Accurate characterization of internal structures and geometries of aquifers is critical for evaluation of plume migration and dispersion of contaminants. For this reason, high-resolution transport study field sites, such as the Waterloo Groundwater Research Site at the Canadian Forces Base Borden, Ontario, Canada, have been established. However, geological characterization at this site is based primarily on cores and shallow geophysical data. Outcrop analog studies offer detailed horizontal data that can help to build quantified models of aquifer heterogeneity. We used a combination of ground-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and high-resolution photographs at a sand quarry cut into Borden aquifer sediment to evaluate and quantify the distribution of lithofacies and hydrofacies that control flow properties in the Borden aquifer. We exposed sixteen ∼20 m × 1.5 m outcrops, LiDAR surveyed, photographed, and field mapped lithofacies at each exposure, and segmented the lithofacies from photographs to produce maps of facies distributions. We grouped different lithofacies into hydrofacies based on overall facies geometry and estimated hydraulic properties. We used LiDAR scans and the segmented facies maps to produce a digital outcrop model (DOM) of the site. The resultant DOM combines lithofacies and hydrofacies derived from field observations with high-resolution (5 mm) LiDAR data to reconstruct hydrofacies distributions in a three-dimensional (3-D) geomodel. The DOM offers a relatively complete horizontal correlation structure that was used in transition probability geostatistical modeling to create realizations of hydrofacies distributions in the aquifer at the study site.
Dispersal Patterns in Tarsius spectrum

One of the most widely accepted explanations for the difference in the sex bias between mammals and birds is that male-biased dispersal in mammals is due to the preponderance of polygynous mating systems exhibited by this class, whereas birds are predominantly monogamous. Spectral tarsiers (Tarsius spectrum) are unusual in that they exhibit variation in its mating system. Although the majority of spectral tarsier groups are monogamous, ca. 15% are polygynous. If mating system influences dispersal, then I predicted that the polygynous groups would exhibit male biased dispersal whereas I predicted that the dispersal patterns of the monogamous groups would be analogous to that exhibited by birds, specifically female biased. Alternatively, I hypothesized that ecological variation may influence dispersal habits in this species. Specifically, I predicted that polygynous groups would exhibit greater habitat quality than monogamous groups. The 2 hypotheses are not mutually exclusive. On the basis of 14 individuals birdbanded between 1994 and 1999, I determined that individuals of both sexes were equally likely to disperse (males, n = 5; females, n = 9). Males dispersed twice as far as females did. The mean dispersal distance for males was 660 m, and for females it was 266 m. Females (77%) were more likely to form a territory adjacent to the parental territory than were males (20%). Individuals exhibited relatively high amounts of site fidelity (86%) that were related to physical characteristics of the sleeping site. Adults that dispersed a second time (n = 4) initially resided in trees that were shorter and had a smaller diameter-at-breast height than the trees of individuals that exhibited site fidelity. The results of my study partly support the parental mating system hypothesis and also support the habitat quality hypothesis.
Changes in the "get-off": social process and intervention in risk locales.

Because of ongoing resistance in Florida's legislature to interventions involving exchanges of sterile syringes for contaminated ones, Miami/Dade County's population of injection drug users (IDUs) reduce risk of HIV and hepatitis C infection by buying illegal syringes, participating in illegal syringe exchanges, or decontaminating their paraphernalia. Although it is completely legal, wherewithal for decontamination of injection paraphernalia, including sodium hypochlorite (laundry bleach), water, and cotton for filtering drugs, only appears sporadically in Miami/Dade's risk locales (called “get-off” houses). To ensure consistent decontamination, our intervention instituted regular delivery of these goods to known risk locales. In addition, personnel in half of the locales received training in techniques for optimal decontamination. RNA polymerase chain reaction measured impact of this intervention in terms of viral load found on harvested paraphernalia. Regular delivery of cleansing paraphernalia provided...
Possible Consequences of Shaking Hands With Your Patients With Epidemic Keratoconjunctivitis

Purpose We evaluated patients' hands as a possible vector for the spread of epidemic keratoconjunctivitis. Methods The hands and conjunctivas of 26 patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis and the hands of 26 uninfected control patients were cultured for infectious adenovirus. Results In 12 (46%) of 26 patients with epidemic keratoconjunctivitis, cultures from the hands were positive for adenovirus, whereas cultures from the hands of all uninfected control patients were negative. Conclusions Simultaneous coinfection of patients' hands and eyes with adenovirus may contribute to office epidemics. Ophthalmologists and coworkers should not shake the hands of patients suspected of having epidemic keratoconjunctivitis unless properly gloved.
Smoking, smoking cessation, and risk of hip fracture in women.

Abstract PURPOSE: To examine the effects of cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on the risk of hip fracture in women. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 116,229 female nurses, 34 to 59 years of age at baseline in 1980, who were followed for up to 12 years. Smoking habits and the occurrence of incident hip fractures (n = 377) due to low or moderate trauma were self-reported on biennial mailed questionnaires. RESULTS: Compared with women who had never smoked, the age-adjusted relative risk (RR) of hip fracture among current smokers was 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0 to 1.7). The risk of hip fracture increased linearly ( P = 0.09) with greater cigarette consumption (RR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.3 for 25 or more cigarettes per day). These associations were somewhat reduced by adjusting for other risk factors for osteoporosis (menopausal status, use of postmenopausal estrogen, physical activity, and intakes of calcium, alcohol, and caffeine): RR=1.2, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.3 for all current smokers; RR=1.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.1 for 25 or more cigarettes per day. Relative risks were further reduced when body mass index was added to the model. There was no apparent benefit from quitting smoking until 10 years after cessation. After 10 years, former smokers had a reduced risk of hip fracture (adjusted RR=0.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.9) compared with current smokers. CONCLUSION: Smokers are at increased risk of hip fracture and their risk rises with greater cigarette consumption. Risk declines among former smokers, but the benefit is not observed until 10 years after cessation. Both the increased risk among current smokers and the decline in risk after smoking cessation are in part accounted for by differences in body weight.
Pornography, Relationship Alternatives, and Intimate Extradyadic Behavior

Two studies tested the hypothesis that exposure to pornography among romantically committed individuals would increase the likelihood of intimate extradyadic behavior and that this effect would be mediated by heightened perceptions of romantic alternatives. Study 1 (n = 74) found that participants primed with sexually explicit material reported having higher quality romantic alternatives. Study 2 (n = 291) showed that initial pornography consumption predicted intimate extradyadic behavior 12 weeks later even after controlling for initial extradyadic behavior, sociosexuality, relationship length, baseline relationship satisfaction, social desirability, and participant gender and race. The relationship between pornography and intimate extradyadic behavior was mediated by perceptions of the quality of romantic alternatives. These results suggest that sexually explicit material can provoke intimate extradyadic behavior via its effect on perceptions of alternative partners.
Resolving international construction disputes

Abstract An examination of alternative methods of resolving disputes arising in international construction contracting is made. The disadvantages associated with these methods are highlighted. Avoiding disputes through implementation of documentation policies and cooperative communication among parties is considered.
Electron microscopy of crystalline micelles in cellulose elementary fibrils of Dictyostelium discoideum.

In negatively stained preparations the cellulose of Dictyostelium discoideum appears in the form of 35 A wide fibrils of undetermined length. Upon mild acid hydrolysis a periodic pattern may be observed along the fibrils, in the form of fine, electron-dense bands across the full diameter of the fibril spaced apart from each other by electron-transparent segments approximately 100 A long. We propose that the electron-transparent segments represent the crystalline micelles of the elementary cellulose fibril, whereas the electron-opaque bands represent the amorphous regions.
Error reduction in small sample averaging through the use of the median rather than the mean.

Abstract Some of the pitfalls of averaging small samples of evoked potentials with commercially available electronic devices are discussed, and an alternate method, utilizing a general purpose digital computer, is described.
Photo-oxidation of polymeric-inorganic nanocomposites: chemical, thermal stability and fire retardancy investigations

Nanocomposites of polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride/clay and polypropylene/clay were prepared by melt blending using two different approaches. X-Ray diffraction results showed an intercalated structure. Samples of nanocomposites were exposed to UV light under atmospheric oxygen and their photo-oxidative stability was studied using FTIR and UV spectroscopy. The consequences of this photo-oxidation on the thermal stability and fire retardant performance of the nanocomposites were also addressed from thermogravimetry analysis and Cone calorimetry.
Accuracy of the Simultaneous-Approximation-Term Boundary Condition for Time-Dependent Problems

The simultaneous-approximation-term (SAT) approach to applying boundary conditions for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations is analyzed with respect to the errors associated with the formulation’s weak enforcement of the boundary data. Three numerical examples are presented which illustrate the relationship between the penalty parameters and the accuracy; two examples are fundamentally acoustic and the third is viscous. The viscous problem is further analyzed by a continuous model whose solution is known analytically and which approximates the discrete problem. From the analysis it is found that at early times an overshoot in the boundary values relative to the boundary data can be expected for all values of the penalty parameters but whose amplitude reduces with the inverse of the parameter. Likewise, the long-time behavior exhibits a t −1/2 relaxation towards the specified data, but with a very small amplitude. Based on these data it is evident that large values of the penalty parameters are not required for accuracies comparable to those obtained by a more traditional characteristics-based method. It is further found that for curvilinear boundaries the SAT approach is superior to the locally one-dimensional inviscid characteristic approach.
Impact of subtle gaze direction on short-term spatial information recall

The ability to direct a viewer's gaze about a scene has important applications in computer graphics and data visualization. The Subtle Gaze Direction (SGD) technique developed by Bailey et al. [2009] provides the ability to guide a viewer's gaze to specific regions of a display. The technique, which combines real-time eye-tracking with subtle image-space modulation, has minimal impact on viewing experience as it does not change the overall appearance of the scene being viewed. Subtlety is achieved by presenting the modulations only to the low-acuity peripheral regions of the field of view so the viewer is never allowed to scrutinize the modulations. The technique has been shown to be quite fast and accurate: viewers typically attend to target regions within 0.5 seconds of the onset of the modulation and the resulting fixations are typically within a single perceptual span of the target. While this shows that the technique is successful at directing gaze, it does not necessarily mean that the viewer fully processed the visual details of those regions or remembered them. To gain a better understanding of the level of visual processing involved, we conducted a study to determine the impact of SGD on short-term spatial information recall.
Ventricular septal defect related to ice-pick injury of the heart: report of a case studied by cardiac catheterization.

Abstract This appears to be a case of ventricular septal defect directly related to ice-pick injury of the heart. The site of defect seems well localized by right heart catheterization.
Rutherford's enlarged: a content-embedded activity to teach about nature of science

This paper describes an activity that could be used to help middle and secondary school students develop more informed understandings of some important aspects of nature of science in the context of teaching them about Rutherford's experiments and atomic structure.
Evidence for a Radical Relay Mechanism during Reaction of Surface-Immobilized Molecules

The impact of restricted mass transport on high-temperature, free-radical reactions has been explored through the use of organic compounds immobilized on silica surfaces by a thermally robust Si-O-C{sub aromatic} linkage. The rate of thermolysis of surface-immobilized 1,3-diphenylpropane(=DPP) at 375{degree}C under vacuum, by a free-radical chain pathway, was found to be very sensitive (factor of 40 variation) to the structure and orientation of a second, neighboring spacer molecule on the surface. Compared with the inert aromatic spacers, (e.g., biphenyl) it was found that spacer molecules containing reactive benzylic C-H bonds (e.g., diphenylmethane) are capable of accelerating the =DPP thermolysis by a process that is unique to diffusionally constrained systems. A mechanism involving rapid serial hydrogen transfer steps on the surface is proposed, which results in radical intermediates being relayed across the surface and hence overcoming classical diffusional limitations. 33 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.
Last Resort or Roll of the Die? Exploring the Role of Metaphors in Cancer Clinical Trials Education Among Medically Underserved Populations

Improving communication about cancer clinical trials may help increase patients' understanding of medical research and their interest in participating. It is unfortunate that there is little empirical research to provide guidance on how to adapt clinical trial messages to maximize cultural sensitivity. This study examines (a) how medically underserved women conceptualize clinical trials by examining the language they use to describe them and (b) how this audience interprets metaphorical language used to explain randomization in the context of Phase III cancer clinical trials. The author conducted in-depth interviews and focus groups with 41 rural, low-income older women who either had been diagnosed with cancer or were caregivers for a person with cancer. The most commonly used lay metaphors for clinical trials had strong negative connotations and included treatment by trial and error, patients are guinea pigs, and treatment of last resort. Participants also expressed strong, unfavorable responses to conv...
Notes on Soviet Urban Attitudes Toward Leisure

formed the recent Twenty-First Congress of the Communist Party that by 1964 "the U.S.S.R. will have the shortest working week in the world with a simultaneous rise in the standard of living." By the end of the current Seven Year Plan, he asserted, the majority of Soviet workers will have a five day work week with a six or seven hour day.' How will the Soviet citizen use his increased leisure time? What does he conceive to be the ideal uses of leisure? In what ways are his attitudes peculiarly Soviet? What problems will the grant of increased leisure time raise for the regime? I shall attempt to suggest general answers to these questions on the basis of impressions gathered in the course of a year's residence in the U.S.S.R. So little has been written on the subject of leisure in the U.S.S.R. that even such answers
Wound splinting modulates wound cell proliferation

Abstract Introduction: Rigid anchorage of the extracellular matrix is important for fibroblast survival and proliferation in vitro. We hypothesized that rigid matrix anchorage in a wound splinting model would modulate wound cell proliferation in vivo. Methods: Male rats (age = 3 months; N = 12) were excisionally wounded (4 cm 2 square of dermis + panniculus from the dorsum), and a square stainless steel splint was sutured to the wound edge. The splint was removed on day 5 from 6 rats. The animals were injected with BrdU 18 hr later, and then the granulation tissue with surrounding dermis was excised 24 hr after desplinting. BrdU- and propidium iodide-labeled nuclei were quantified on frozen sections of granulation tissue, cut at three different levels. Results: A total of 201 microscopic sections were counted (about 16 per rat), representing about 37,000 nuclei. The rate of BrdU-positive nuclei in the splinted vs. desplinted animals was 6.15 ± sd 2.45 vs. 3.03 ± 1.58%∗, and the total number of nuclei per microscopic field was 175 ± 27 vs. 197± 38∗, respectively (∗p Conclusions: Removal of the rigid wound splint decreased the rate of BrdU-labeled cells in the granulation tissue by 50%; there was a slight increase in the cell population density, which may be explained by the contraction which occurs after desplinting. Wound cell proliferation is modulated by anchorage of the wound edge.
Integrating borehole logs and aquifer tests in aquifer characterization

Integration of lithologic logs, geophysical logs, and hydraulic tests is critical in characterizing heterogeneous aquifers. Typically only a limited number of aquifer tests can be performed, and these need to be designed to provide hydraulic properties for the principle aquifers in the system. This study describes the integration of logs and aquifer tests in the development of a hydrostratigraphic model for the surficial aquifer system in and around Big Cypress National Preserve in eastern Collier County, Florida. Borehole flowmeter tests provide qualitative permeability profiles in most of 26 boreholes drilled in the study area. Flow logs indicate the depth of transmissive units, which are correlated across the study area. Comparison to published studies in adjacent areas indicates that the main limestone aquifer of the Tamiami Formation in the study area corresponds with the gray limestone aquifer in western Dade County and the water table and lower Tamiami Aquifer in western Collier County. Four strategically located, multiwell aquifer tests are used to quantify the qualitative permeability profiles provided by the flowmeter log analysis. The hydrostratigraphic model based on these results defines the main aquifer in the central part of the study area as unconfined to semiconfined with a transmissivity as high as 30,000 m2/day. The aquifer decreases in transmissivity to less than 10,000 m2/day in some parts of western Collier County, and becomes confined to the east and northeast of the study area, where transmissivity decreases to below 5000 m2/day.
Advanced damage-free photomask cleaning for 45/32nm technology nodes

High particle removal efficiency (PRE) up to 99%+ without damage to sub-50 nm linewidth features has been demonstrated using a mixed fluid jet technology and sulfur-free chemistry. This high PRE was achieved with several types of deposited particles, including polystyrene latex spheres. Damage-free cleaning was demonstrated on binary and phase shift masks with Cr and MoSi structures. All masks were processed using the Tetra TM mask cleaning tool configured with the NanoDroplet TM mixed fluid jet technology.
Anthocyanins in cones of Abies, Picea, Pinus, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga (Pinaceae)

The anthocyanin content of male and female cones of 27 species of Abies, Picea, Pinus, Pseudotsuga and Tsuga (Pinaceae) was determined. Only four anthocyanins were found: cyanidin 3-glucoside, delphinidin 3-glucoside, peonidin 3-glucoside and petunidin 3-glucoside. Cyanidin 3-glucoside was the major anthocyanin in most of the species analyzed. The methylated anthocyanins (peonidin 3-glucoside and petunidin 3-glucoside) were rare and found in low concentrations in half of the species analyzed.
Easy post-hoc spatial recalibration of eye tracking data

The gaze locations reported by eye trackers often contain error resulting from a variety of sources. Such error is of increasing concern to eye tracking researchers, and several techniques have been introduced to clean up the error. These methods, however, either compensate only for error caused by a particular source (such as pupil dilation) or require the error to be somewhat constant across space and time. This paper introduces a method that is applicable to error generated from a variety of sources and that is resilient to the change in error across the display. A study shows that, at least in some cases, although the change in error across the display appears to be random it in fact follows a consistent pattern which can be modeled using quadratic equations. The parameters of these equations can be estimated using linear regression on the error vectors between recorded fixations and possible target locations. The resulting equations can then be used to clean up the error. This regression-based approach is much easier to apply than some of the previously published methods. The method is applied to the data of a visual search experiment, and the results show that the regression-based error correction works very well.
Dispersion of pollutants in an asymmetric flow through a channel

Abstract The longitudinal dispersion of a pollutant due to asymmetric flow through a two-dimensional (2-D) channel has been studied for two different inputs: (i) instantaneous uniform line source and (ii) oscillatory source. This study reveals the process whereby the dispersion reaches a stationary state after the release of pollutant as an instantaneous line source; and an estimate is obtained for the axial distance along which fluctuations in concentration decay in the case of low frequency release.
Visualization of Shape Motions in Shape Space

Analysis of dynamic object deformations such as cardiac motion is of great importance, especially when there is a necessity to visualize and compare the deformation behavior across subjects. However, there is a lack of effective techniques for comparative visualization and assessment of a collection of motion data due to its 4-dimensional nature, i.e., timely varying three-dimensional shapes. From the geometric point of view, the motion change can be considered as a function defined on the 2D manifold of the surface. This paper presents a novel classification and visualization method based on a medial surface shape space, in which two novel shape descriptors are defined, for discriminating normal and abnormal human heart deformations as well as localizing the abnormal motion regions. In our medial surface shape space, the geodesic distance connecting two points in the space measures the similarity between their corresponding medial surfaces, which can quantify the similarity and disparity of the 3D heart motions. Furthermore, the novel descriptors can effectively localize the inconsistently deforming myopathic regions on the left ventricle. An easy visualization of heart motion sequences on the projected space allows users to distinguish the deformation differences. Our experimental results on both synthetic and real imaging data show that this method can automatically classify the healthy and myopathic subjects and accurately detect myopathic regions on the left ventricle, which outperforms other conventional cardiac diagnostic methods.
Intermolecular interactions and the nature of orientational ordering in the solid fullerenes C60 and C70

We have proposed an intermolecular potential for C 60 molecules that not only reproduces the correct low-temperature structure, but also correlates a wide range of experimental properties, including the molecular reorientational time in the room-temperature rotator phase, the volume change at the orientational ordering transition, and the librational frequencies in the low-temperature phase. The low- pressure phases in solid C 70 have been explored using constant-pressure molecular dynamics and an intermolecular potential derived from one that gives an excellent account of the properties of solid C 60 . The molecular dynamics calculations predict three low-pressure phases: a high-temperature rotator phase, a partly ordered phase with trigonal symmetry, and an ordered monoclinic phase. The calculations on C 70 were carried out on a cluster of IBM RS/6000s, operating in parallel.
Accessory Nerve Palsy - A Painful Cranial Neuropathy: Surgical Cure

SYNOPSIS The accessory nerve can be inadvertently traumatized at the time of lymph node biopsy. The resulting shoulder and occipital pain is severe and disabling. The pain from damage to the Eleventh Cranial nerve can be as agonizing as the painful syndromes relating to the trigeminal and glossopharyngeal nerves. In addition to the severe pain, patients suffer from motor disability and cosmetic deformity associated with a drooping shoulder.
Responses to Targets in the Visual Periphery in Deaf and Normal-Hearing Adults

The purpose of this study was to compare the response times of deaf and normal-hearing individuals to the onset of target events in the visual periphery in distracting and nondistracting conditions. Visual reaction times to peripheral targets placed at 3 eccentricities to the left and right of a center fixation point were measured in prelingually deafened adults and normal-hearing adults. Deaf participants responded more slowly than normal-hearing participants to targets in the near periphery in the nondistracting condition and to targets in the near and distant periphery when distracting stimuli were present. One interpretation of these findings is that deaf individuals may be more deliberate than normal-hearing individuals in responding to near peripheral events and to peripheral events that occur in the presence of distracting stimuli.
Recognition of Mycoplasma arthritidis membrane antigens by rats and rabbits: comparison by immunoblotting and radioimmunoprecipitation.

Abstract Sera from rats convalescing from infection with Mycoplasma arthritidis were tested for their ability to react with M. arthritidis membrane antigens by immunoblotting and radioimmunoprecipitation. The absence of metabolism-inhibition (MI) antibody activity in these sera suggested that rats might fail to recognize those membrane antigens involved in eliciting MI antibodies therefore rabbit antisera, which are strongly MI positive for M. arthritidis , were used for comparison. Antigenic recognition patterns of M. arthritidis surface and membrane antigens were not identical for rats and rabbits. The most striking and reproducible differences was the failure of rats to produce IgG antibodies against a surface antigen migrating in the 47 000–50 000 molecular weight range on SDS-polyacrylamide gels. However, rats recognized at least 2 antigens which we had previously shown to be “MI antigens”, therefore the inability to express MI antibodies probably cannot be explained by their inability to recognize M. arthritidis “MI antigens”.
Combinatorial Effects of Double Cardiomyopathy Mutant Alleles in Rodent Myocytes: A Predictive Cellular Model of Myofilament Dysregulation in Disease

Inherited cardiomyopathy (CM) represents a diverse group of cardiac muscle diseases that present with a broad spectrum of symptoms ranging from benign to highly malignant. Contributing to this genetic complexity and clinical heterogeneity is the emergence of a cohort of patients that are double or compound heterozygotes who have inherited two different CM mutant alleles in the same or different sarcomeric gene. These patients typically have early disease onset with worse clinical outcomes. Little experimental attention has been directed towards elucidating the physiologic basis of double CM mutations at the cellular-molecular level. Here, dual gene transfer to isolated adult rat cardiac myocytes was used to determine the primary effects of co-expressing two different CM-linked mutant proteins on intact cardiac myocyte contractile physiology. Dual expression of two CM mutants, that alone moderately increase myofilament activation, tropomyosin mutant A63V and cardiac troponin mutant R146G, were shown to additively slow myocyte relaxation beyond either mutant studied in isolation. These results were qualitatively similar to a combination of moderate and strong activating CM mutant alleles αTmA63V and cTnI R193H, which approached a functional threshold. Interestingly, a combination of a CM myofilament deactivating mutant, troponin C G159D, together with an activating mutant, cTnIR193H, produced a hybrid phenotype that blunted the strong activating phenotype of cTnIR193H alone. This is evidence of neutralizing effects of activating/deactivating mutant alleles in combination. Taken together, this combinatorial mutant allele functional analysis lends molecular insight into disease severity and forms the foundation for a predictive model to deconstruct the myriad of possible CM double mutations in presenting patients.
THE EMBRYONIC HEART SUBJECTED TO RADAR.

It is known that microwaves can damage tissue but the cause is poorly understood, e.g., can tissue be damaged in the absence of undesirable heat levels? To answer this question 106 isolated 72 hour embryonic chick hearts were subjected to radar waves at a frequency of 24,000 megacycles, a wave length of 1.25 cm and exposures of 478, 297, 167 and 74 mw/cm2 for lengths of time varying between a few seconds and three minutes. Electrocardiograms were taken as a continuous run before, during and after radar treatment. The hearts were planted in blood plasma on the surface of saran sheet and microwaves were directed through the sheet at the heart. Where necessary a stream of cold air was used to offset undesirable elevation of heat. At exposures of 478 and 297 mw/cm2 damage was swift and devastating. No conclusion seemed justified. However, at an exposure of 167 mw/cm2 it was possible to prevent elevation of temperatures above 38°C. Significantly the hearts showed damage in the ECG, i.e., shortening of the QT interval, increased height and breadth of the T wave and the appearance of a large U wave. Finally at 74 mw/cm2 it was possible to control heat merely by maintaining an ambient temperature below 25°C. Of twenty-five hearts so exposed, all showed ECG changes mentioned in the previous paragraph. The conclusion seems justified, that radar waves can damage tissue at exposures which do not raise the temperature to a harmful level.
Teratology studies on food colourings. Part I. Embryotoxicity of amaranth (FD & C Red No. 2) in rats

Abstract The red dye, amaranth (the trisodium salt of 1-(4-sulpho-1-naphthylazo)-2-naphthol-3,6-disulphonic acid; FD & C Red No. 2; 94% pure), was administered by stomach tube to female Osborne-Mendel rats at dose levels of 0 (control), 7·5, 15, 30, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day during days 0–19 of pregnancy. No adverse clinical signs were observed in any dams. One litter was aborted at the highest dose level. The number of live foetuses per litter was dose-related. At dose levels of 7·5–100 mg/kg, all deaths were classed as early deaths, but at 200 mg/kg there were late deaths and a greater number of early deaths, indicating either systemic effects or foetotoxicity of the compound. The numbers of litters with one or more and two or more resorptions and the number of litters totally resorbed increased with increasing doses of amaranth. No effect was seen in the average weight of the foetuses. No gross terata appeared and neither skeletal nor soft-tissue abnormalities were seen in the experimental animals. There was no sex-related foetal effect.
Femtosecond Fluorescence Upconversion Study of the Rotations of Perylene and Tetracene in Hexadecane

The rotational relaxation of perylene and tetracene in hexadecane has been studied at several temperatures by femtosecond fluorescence upconversion. The initial emission anisotropy values of both D2h symmetric fluorophores are now found to be very close to the theoretical value of 0.4, and the anisotropy decay observed with subpicosecond time resolution can no longer be described as a biexponential. The traditional in-plane and out-of-plane rotational diffusion time constants of perylene in hexadecane are verified to be linearly dependent on viscosity/temperature. Moreover, a third, ultrafast rotation, empirically fit to a time constant of ∼ 450 fs for perylene and ∼600 fs for tetracene, has been found. It is independent of temperature and viscosity, and the amplitude (“βfast”) explains the previously described “r0 defect ”. Since βfast is ∼0.03 for tetracene vs ∼0.05 for perylene, we presently suggest that “in-plane” femtosecond libration of the molecules within a solvent pocket yields the observed aniso...
Chemical constituents and antimicrobial activity of a traditional herbal medicine containing garlic and black cumin

A combination of crushed garlic (Allium sativum) and black cumin seeds (Nigelia sativum) has been used as a traditional remedy for urinary tract infections. In-vitro antimicrobial testing suggested that the mixture of two spices in the ratio of 1:1 has antimicrobial effects on both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli species. Analyses of the extract of garlic and black cumin by GC-MS as well as LC–MS & MSP2P confirmed that the main components of garlic were allicin, γ-glutamyl-S-allylcysteine and allicin transformed products such as diallyldisulfide and vinyldithiins. Components of black cumin were thymoquinone, p-cymene, p-tert-butylcatechol, and pinene. Isolated samples of allicin by preparative HPLC from garlic extract and reference samples of diallyldisulfide and thymoquinone were tested individually and in combination for their antimicrobial activities against S. aureus and E. coli. All of these compounds showed modest antimicrobial effects individually (except diallyldisulfide against E. coli) and in combination.
Generating a staircase starshaped set and its kernel in {{\mathbb R}^3} from certain staircase convex subsets

Let \({\mathcal{C} = \{C_{1}, \ldots, C_{n}\}}\) be a family of distinct boxes in \({\mathbb{R}^3}\) whose intersection graph is a tree, and let \({S = C_{1}\cup \cdots \cup C_n.}\) Assume that S is starshaped via staircase paths with corresponding staircase kernel K, and let A denote the smallest box containing K. Then K is staircase convex and \({S \cap A = K}\) . When S ≠ K, for every point p in S\K define Wp = {s : s lies on some staircase path in S from p to a point of K }. Each set Wp is staircase convex. Further, there is a minimal collection \({\mathcal{W}}\) of Wp sets whose union is S. The collection \({\mathcal{W}}\) is unique and finite, and \({\mathcal{W}}\) is exactly the collection of maximal Wp sets in S. Finally, \({\cap \{ W : W\, {\rm in}\, \mathcal{W} \}}\) is exactly the kernel K.
LRRK2 and the Stress Response: Interaction with MKKs and JNK-Interacting Proteins

Increasing evidence supports a putative link between LRRK2 function and the MAP kinase cascades. We recently demonstrated that LRRK2 binds to MKK6, -3, and -7. Previous studies demonstrated that scaffold proteins are essential in the regulation of subcellular localization of stress kinase complexes. The c-jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK)-interacting proteins (JIPs) are a group of scaffold proteins that play an important role in the regulation of MAP kinase signaling cascades. JIP1–3 are known to regulate the specificity and localization of the JNK pathway, while JIP4 is a specific scaffolding protein for the p38 pathway. We demonstrate that LRRK2 binds to JIP1–4, and is associated with increased levels of total JIP1, -3, -4, oligomeric JIP and ubiquitinated JIP. These results are consistent with a putative role of LRRK2 in regulating the stress kinase cascade.
Single-Port Laparoscopy, NOTES, and Endoluminal Surgery

Minimally invasive surgery has become the standard treatment for many disease processes. In the last decade, numerous studies have demonstrated that laparoscopic approaches to various conditions have improved the quality of life with comparable surgical and oncologic outcomes to standard open procedures. Recently, an alternative to conventional laparoscopy or robotic surgery has been developed: laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (LESS), also known as single-port surgery. Single-port laparoscopy is an attempt to further enhance the cosmetic benefits of minimally invasive surgery while minimizing the potential morbidity associated with multiple incisions. In this special issue, we will focus on 2 articles relevant to the advancement and practice of LESS. This new modality presents unique challenges, such as instrument crowding and the need to move and control a flexible camera and articulating instruments together, requiring even more advanced laparoscopic skills. Information about training and education on single-port laparoscopy is scarce in the current literature: Ramalingam et al. present their initial experience and methodology in training and education regarding this new technique. Formal training in this technique is not widely available. Expensive ports and instrumentation may be factors deterring the training. The authors address a major gap in the literature, how to train surgeons in this technique? They modified the standard laparoscopic endotrainer with improvised ports, to make it suitable for single-port laparoscopic training. For the animal lab training, they improvised ports and low-cost instruments. Thus, the overall cost of the training in LESS was reduced, and better confidence levels were achieved prior to human applications. Perhaps this will stimulate others to look at adopting this relatively low-tech technique for training in LESS. Emerging data on LESS has been reported in general surgical, gynecologic, and urologic procedures. LESS, for renal surgery, was first reported in 2007, and, since then, a handful of authors have described variations of their techniques. Derweesh and coauthors present the first prospective report in the literature of LESS radical nephrectomy with renal vein thrombectomy and cytoreductive nephrectomy. As such, this report further corroborates that increasingly complex procedures can be safely performed with the LESS platform. The feasibility of LESS for complex surgical procedures is no longer an issue. Current research and development in single-port robotics is ongoing. A single-port robotic platform may overcome technical limitations of single-site surgery (instrument crowding, lack of triangulation, and loss of depth of perception/instability with current 2D flexible optics). More importantly, it may play an essential role in the reproducibility and diffusion of LESS. Prospective studies are needed to assess the relative benefits of LESS compared with more conventional minimally invasive approaches. Pedro F. Escobar Jihad H. Kaouk Daniel Geisler Matthew Kroh Amanda Nickles Fader Tommaso Falcone
Guest Editorial: Special Section on Photorefractive Nonlinear Optics

This PDF file contains the editorial “Guest Editorial: Photorefractive Nonlinear Optics” for OE Vol. 34 Issue 08
An Electronic Distance Relay Using a Phase-Discrimination Principle [includes discussion]

An electronic distance relay is described which uses a principle whereby the phase angle of voltage components is compared. A relay time of 1 cycle or less has been realized on tests of a laboratory model. The relay has the feature of simplicity, since only one tube and two diode rectifiers are used per phase.
Wireless medical devices: A review of current research and commercial systems

Wireless medical devices have flooded the commercial market in recent years. The projected growth of wireless biosensors predicts there will be 100 million wireless medical devices within the U.S. alone by 2016. This paper presents an overview of current research and commercial devices. Examples of commercial systems help to provide context for the breadth of wireless medical devices available today. An overview of current research efforts helps to understand where the future of this industry is headed. Wireless systems will play an important part of future healthcare technology. Wireless medical devices are making telemedicine systems a reality. This includes remote monitoring of patients in their homes and even remote monitoring as they move about during their normal day-to-day activities.