cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Ruins of the New Argentina. Peronism and the Remaking of San Juan after the 1944 Earthquake .

In January 1944, an earthquake reduced the province of San Juan, Argentina, to rubble, leaving perhaps ten thousand dead and one hundred thousand homeless. In The Ruins of the New Argentina , Mark A. Healey argues that the disaster and the massive rebuilding project that followed transformed not only the province but also the nation. The earthquake was a shattering and galvanizing experience, an indictment of the old social order and an invitation to transform it. From the nation’s capital, an obscure colonel in a recently installed military regime launched a relief campaign and rapidly commissioned plans to rebuild the province, especially its capital city. The campaign was a rousing success, launching the public career of its director, Juan Domingo Peron, who would soon found a movement, reach the presidency, and transform the politics and social structure of the country. Dreaming and building the new city became the landmark project for a generation of modernist architects and planners, as well as an enduring challenge and controversy for local residents and the Peronist state. By exploring the struggle to rebuild, Healey shows how this destroyed province played a crucial role in forging, testing, and ultimately limiting the Peronist project of transforming the nation.
Organization of associative memory operations with lattice structures

Presents a simple and effective method of organization of a content-addressable access to dynamic sets using lattice structures. Various software components of this organization are described in the literature in a scattered form using the terminology of Young tableaux, sorted matrices, and biparental heaps. The practicality of the developed technique is novel. Although the presented organization has an overall O( square root N) performance, it works faster than the arrangements based on balancing binary search trees for sets of up to a thousand or so elements and remains competitive for sets of up to tens of thousands of elements where these arrangements may be expected to benefit from the asymptotic superiority of their O(log N) performance. >
Disease versus social-learning models of alcoholism in the prediction of alcohol problem recognition, help-seeking, and stigma.

Subjects (N = 254) were presented with either a disease or social-learning view of alcoholism and their subsequent attitudes were examined. Presentation of a disease view strengthened endorsement of that model, but attitudes toward alcoholics, treatment effectiveness, problem recognition, and help-seeking were not significantly different between the experimental conditions. Differences in attitudes between high and low disease and social-learning belief subjects were examined in 2 × 2 ANOVAs. Separate multiple regression analyses with alcohol problem recognition, help-seeking, and stigma as composite dependent variables and etiologic beliefs, drinking measures, family history of alcoholism, and responsibility for drinking problems as independent variables were performed. Results show that neither disease nor social-learning beliefs are particularly effective in predicting the dependent variables.
A statistical thermodynamic model for water near solid interfaces

Abstract A first approximation model for water near interfaces is constructed. Bulk water is considered in light of a bond percolation model. The hypothesis that the hydrogen bond probability for water is increased by propinquity to solid surfaces is then made. This hypothesis is shown to be consistent with the known thermodynamic and dynamic properties of water near surfaces.
Tuning Peptoid Secondary Structure with Pentafluoroaromatic Functionality: A New Design Paradigm for the Construction of Discretely Folded Peptoid Structures

Peptoids, or oligomers of N-substituted glycine, are an important class of non-native polymers whose close structural similarity to natural α-peptides and ease of synthesis offer significant advantages for the study of biomolecular interactions and the development of biomimetics. Peptoids that are N-substituted with α-chiral aromatic side chains have been shown to adopt either helical or “threaded loop” conformations, depending upon solvent and oligomer length. Elucidation of the factors that impact peptoid conformation is essential for the development of general rules for the design of peptoids with discrete and novel structures. Here, we report the first study of the effects of pentafluoroaromatic functionality on the conformational profiles of peptoids. This work was enabled by the synthesis of a new, α-chiral amine building block, (S)-1-(pentafluorophenyl)ethylamine (S-2), which was found to be highly compatible with peptoid synthesis (delivering (S)-N-(1-(pentafluorophenyl)ethyl)glycine oligomers). T...
The effect of calcaneal osteotomy on contact characteristics of the tibiotalar joint

Abstract To investigate the effect of calcaneal osteotomy on tibiotalar joint contact patterns in a normal and a flatfoot model, we axially loaded 11 fresh frozen cadaver legs with 700 N and quantified tibiotalar joint contact characteristics using Fuji superlow pressure film. For each testing sequence, the unconstrained foot was loaded in neutral, 10° dorsiflexion, and 10° plantarflexion. Tibiotalar joint loading was performed both with a materials tester (Group 1) and manually using a customized jig (Group 2). After calcaneal osteotomy, the calcaneus was translated medially or laterally by 10 mm, and the testing sequence was repeated. Each of these testing series was then repeated on a flatfoot model simulated by soft-tissue sectioning. Images were analyzed using a Bioquant R Video system for Group 1 and an Orthographics Digitizing Tablet for Group 2. For Group 1, there was no difference in the quantitative tibiotalar joint contact characteristics with the exception of all parameters evaluated with the foot in plantarflexion ( P = 0.062). For Group 2, in the normal foot, a lateral translational osteotomy had no effect, but a medial translational osteotomy was associated with a change in the tibiotalar contact ( P = 0.05). The flatfoot model (Group 2) was associated with a qualitative shift of pressure laterally and a quantitative alteration of the contact area in all positions when compared to the normal ankle ( P = 0.06). A medial translational osteotomy altered this contact area ( P = 0.001). We concluded that hindfoot alignment can adversely affect tibiotalar joint contact characteristics. A calcaneal osteotomy may be a useful alternative to tibiotalar arthrodesis in cases of early tibiotalar arthritis secondary to severe varus or valgus hindfoot deformity.
How bacterial communities expand functional repertoires.

Complex microbial communities, such as biofilms in the oral cavity and lumenal and mucosal communities in the gastrointestinal tract, play prominent roles in human health and disease [1]. Microbial communities in vivo include many different bacterial species that are in dynamic, intimate association with each other and with the human host. In humans, the intestinal microbiota is composed of well over 500 species [2], and the concept of humans as super-organisms [1,3] is highlighted by estimates that the human microbiome contains roughly 100 times as many genes as does the human genome. Increasingly, live microorganisms—probiotics—are being administered in order to promote human health. But much remains to be understood about the nature of the molecular interactions between newly arrived and resident microbial community members. Can microbial communities be effectively manipulated by administering defined dosages of a specific probiotic? How do probiotics affect the functional properties of indigenous microbial communities?
Heroin Addiction: A Quest for Power or Pleasure?

It was thought that several motivational theories might explain heroin use and account for the heterogeneity of personality traits found in the addict population. Greaves' existential theory and McClelland et al.'s conceptualization of the power motive were examined. These theories were operationalized and then compared with groups of addicts, alcoholics, and medical patients in a VA hospital. None of the hypotheses derived from the existential theory were supported. The power motivation theory gained considerable support in that addicts exhibited greater power concerns than the medical patients. It was found that addicts manifested an avoidance style of power concerns while the alcoholics showed more impulsive power strivings.
Characterization of human breast epithelial cells by confocal Raman microspectroscopy.

Abstract Background The past decade has seen an explosion of interest in utilizing Raman spectroscopy in cancer diagnosis, due to its capability to probe changes in the biochemical composition of tissue that accompany disease progression. However, most of the existing methods used multivariate statistical analysis/chemometrics to differentiate normal and diseased tissues, which did not identify the compositional and chemical changes associated with the tumorigenic transition explicitly; also the sub-cellular level spatial resolution achievable through Confocal Raman microscopy was not fully utilized. Methods Confocal Raman microspectroscopy was used to characterize normal and transformed human breast epithelial cell lines. Key molecular components (DNA, RNA, and proteins) were extracted from cell nuclei and their Raman spectra were measured and used as a basis set to fit the spectra of cell nuclei. Contributions of each component and their relative contents were evaluated based on the fitting coefficients. Results Spectrum-fitting revealed that DNA duplication activities in tumorigenic cell nuclei are significantly higher than in normal cells. The fitting coefficients could serve as good spectral markers for disease state identification. Conclusions A spectroscopic approach that yields compositional information of cell nuclei could be a powerful tool for rapid cell characterization and assessment of cellular activities at the sub-cellular level.
Identification and synthesis of novel biomaterials based on spider structural silk fibers

The diversity in function and mechanical behavior of spider silks, and the ability to produce these silks recombinantly, have tremendous potential in creating a new class of biomimetic materials. Here we investigate the structural and mechanical properties of pyriform silks from the golden orb-weaver, Nephila clavipes. Nanoscale indentation measurements using atomic force microscopy on natural pyriform silk suggests that this biomaterial has high toughness that may be suitable for dissipating high amounts of mechanical energy. We also observed the occurrence of highly organized nanocrystals within the pyriform silk fibers that may contribute to the remarkable energy dissipation capability of these silks. It has been demonstrated that poly-(Gly–Ala) and poly-Ala stretches within the internal block repeat modules of dragline silk fibroins form nanocrystals, and these nanocrystalline structures may be responsible for the high extensibility of the dragline silks. In contrast, amino acid sequence analysis shows that PySp2 does not contain the same motifs. In the absence of poly-(Gly–Ala) and poly-Ala repeats, we hypothesized that PySp2 contains new protein motifs sufficient to polymerize into functional structures. To investigate the functional contributions of these novel motifs during pyriform fiber formation, we expressed different recombinant PySp2 fibroins with various segments spanning its block repeat units. We demonstrate that PySp2 recombinant proteins with the Pro-rich sub-block domain (PXP motifs, where X= sub-set of the amino acids A, L, or R) and/or the Ser + Gln + Ala-rich sub-block domain (QQSSVAQS motifs) are sufficient for artificial fiber formation. Moreover, we show that recombinant PySp2 proteins that contain a single block repeat unit can self-assemble into foam-like nanostructures. Collectively, our findings support the use of PySp2 recombinant proteins for a wide range of biomimetic materials with morphologies ranging from fibers to porous structures.
Mobile optical detection system for counter-surveillance

There exists a current need to rapidly and accurately identify the presence and location of optical imaging devices used in counter-surveillance activities against U. S. troops deployed abroad. The locations of devices employed in counter-surveillance activities can be identified through detection of the optically augmented reflection from these devices. To address this need, we have developed a novel optical augmentation sensor, the Mobile Optical Detection System (MODS), which is uniquely designed to identify the presence of optical systems of interest. The essential components of the sensor are three, spectrally diverse diode lasers (1 ultraviolet/2 near-infrared) which are integrated to produce a single multi-wavelength interrogation beam and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) receiver which is used to detect the retroreflected, optical beam returned from a target of interest. The multi-spectral diode laser illuminator and digital receiver are configured in a pseudo-monostatic arrangement and are controlled through a customized computer interface. By comparison, MODS is unique among OA sensors since it employs a collection of wavelength-diverse, continuous-wave (CW) diode laser sources which facilitate the identification of optical imaging devices used for counter-surveillance activities. In addition, digital image processing techniques are leveraged to facilitate improved clutter rejection concomitant with highly-specific target location (e.g., azimuth and elevation). More, the digital output format makes the sensor amenable to a wide range of interface options including computer networks, eyepieces and remotely-located displays linked through wireless nodes.
The underuse of therapy in the secondary prevention of hip fractures

There is strong evidence to indicate that individuals who sustain a hip fracture are at a greater risk of developing another. The management of such patients should include efforts to prevent future fractures, including prescribing medications that have been shown to lower hip fracture risk. Such therapies that are currently available include calcium and vitamin D supplementation, alendronic acid and risedronic acid. In addition, there is epidemiological evidence to indicate that estrogen may also decrease the risk of hip fracture. Parathyroid hormone is another agent that has shown promise in this regard and is likely to be available for clinical use in the near future. However, the rates of utilisation of these therapies among patients with hip fractures are low. It is important to emphasise that secondary prevention of hip fractures should be an integral part of the management of individuals who sustain hip fractures.
Extremal length and rayleigh's reciprocal theorem

In a well-known paper R.J. Duffin [J. Math. Anal. Appl., 5 (1962) 200-215] extends the notion of extremal length to electrical networks, by allowing variable specific resistivity along the arcs of the network, and shows extremal length and extremal width are reciprocals for planar networks yielding Rayleigh's Theorem that conjugate* conductors have reciprocal resistances, Similar results are obtained by F. W. Gehring [Mich. Math. J., 9 (1962), 137-150] for continuous conductors with constant specific resistivity in 3-space, This paper unifies the continuous and discrete cases by obtaining the Reciprocity Theorem for p-capacities in n-space provided the specific resistivity satisfies certain realistic smoothness conditions, It follows that Rayleigh's Theorem holds for nonptanar networks confirming a conjecture of Duffin
EFFECT OF ANTIBODY ORIENTATION ON IMMUNOSORBENT PERFORMANCE

The impact of antibody orientation on immunosorbent efficiency was quantitatively assessed. A pH-dependent murine monoclonal antibody (Mab) against human protein C (hPC), recombinant hPC (rhPC) and two different immobilization chemistries and matrices were used as model systems. The lysyl groups of the rhPC were covalently modified with an acetic acid ester of N-hydroxysuccinimide and this modified rhPC was used as a Fab masking agent (FMA). The FMA was used to mask the antigen binding regions (Fab) of the Mab prior to and during covalent immobilization. Thereafter, the residual active sites of the support were inactivated and the FMA was removed. Mab was immobilizeed at low bead-averaged densities of about 0.4-1.1 mg Mab/mL matrix to minimize local density effects. Immunosorbents made using masked Mab (oriented coupling) gave antigen binding efficiencies (nAg) of 42-48% compared with 18-22% for those made by random coupling. The amount of (Fab)2 released from pepsin digestion of immunosorbents was about 3-4-fold higher for matrices having been made with FMA-masked Mab relative to unmasked Mab. Thus, the (Fab)2 accessibility to pepsin correlates well with higher functional efficiency (nAg) and serves as a measure of orientation. In summary, at low Mab density and a 2:1 molar rhPC to Mab binding stoichiometry, about 80% or more of the Mab randomly coupled through amino moieties was improperly oriented relative to oriented coupled Mab, which correlated with about 50% of lost Mab functionality upon immobilization.
Absence of Mutagenic Activity of Trifluoroethanol and its Metabolites in Salmonella Typhimurium

Abstract Trifluoroethanol, trifluoroacetaldehyde and trifluoroacetate were found to have no mutagenic activity in the standard Salmonella typhimurium reverse mutation assay (Ames test) using a closed incubation system. Negative results were also obtained when incubation mixtures included 9000 ×g supernatant fractions of rat liver or testes homogenates along with an NADPH generating system. Rats were pretreated with a polychlorinated biphenyl mixture to induce biotransforming enzyme activity. These results suggest that the previously reported mutagenic activity of fluoroxene is not due to metabolites arising from the trifluoroethyl side of the molecule and that inhibition of spermatogenesis in rats by trifluoroethanol is not mediated through a mutagenic mechanism.
Fragmentation and death (a.k.a. apoptosis) of ovulated oocytes

Accumulating evidence indicates that fragmentation of ovulated murine oocytes, resulting spontaneously or following exposure to lethal stimuli such as anticancer drugs during in-vitro culture, occurs with several hallmark features of apoptosis. However, recent work has failed to demonstrate a correlation between DNA cleavage, as assessed by DNA 3'-end-labelling, or of phosphatidylserine exposure on the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane, as measured by annexin V-staining, with fragmentation of ovulated mouse or human oocytes maintained in vitro. Consequently, these authors stated that it is 'premature to conclude that apoptosis occurs in ovulated oocytes or that such a mechanism is involved in the elimination or prevention of fertilization of oocytes with cytoplasmic or chromosomal defects'. Here, we have re-assessed DNA cleavage in normal and fragmented murine oocytes, have provided new evidence of an additional biochemical marker of apoptosis in fragmented oocytes (i.e. caspase activity), and have re-evaluated published reports regarding oocyte fragmentation, in an effort to clarify these discrepant findings. The results and discussions presented herein fully support previous conclusions reached by ourselves and others that fragmentation of ovulated oocytes is in fact an unequivocal example of apoptotic cell death.
Effects of glucose and saccharin solutions on subsequent food consumption

Abstract Twenty three hr water deprived animals were given access to various glucose and glucose + saccharin solutions during a 1 hr drinking session. Subsequent 1 hr and 22 hr food intakes were measured. Results indicate that more food was consumed during the first post drinking hour by the animals when receiving 3.5% GLU + 0.25% SACC while comparatively less food was consumed by them following the ingestion of 21% GLU and 21% GLU + 0.25% SACC. During the remaining 22 hr when the animals received 21% GLU and 21% GLU + 0.25% SACC they increased their food intake such that total 23 hr food intake was unaffected. Food intake was not related to the amounts of the different fluids consumed but appeared to be determined by other oral and post ingestion factors associated with the different solutions.
Isolation, localization, and physical mapping of a highly polymorphic locus on human chromosome 11q13.

Abstract A highly polymorphic repetitive sequence, D11S533, was isolated by oligonucleotide hybridization from an arrayed chromosome 11q-specific cosmid library. The DNA sequence of this element was determined and found to consist of a repetitive degenerate hexanucleotide sequence [T(Pu)T(Pu)T(Pu)]n extending over 438 bp. Southern blot analysis demonstrated that this element is relatively unique in the human genome. This sequence can be detected by amplification using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with oligonucleotide primers complementary to unique sequences flanking the repetitive element. This sequence displays a high degree of polymorphism, and analysis of 15 individuals demonstrated at least 10 alleles ranging in size from 300 to 900 bp. Fluorescence in situ hybridization was used to localize this sequence to 11q13 (FLpter 0.60 ± 0.02). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and the isolation of yeast artificial chromosomes established the long-range physical map surrounding the locus. Because various alleles of this polymorphic sequence can be easily detected by PCR amplification, this probe has potential usefulness in genetic linkage mapping as well as identity testing.
Rate of reaction of chlorine dioxide and hydrogen peroxide

Abstract Because of environmental concerns about molecular chlorine, chlorine dioxide is replacing chlorine in some important industrial applications. This situation has increased the interest in chlorine dioxide and has stimulated research related to its production. One process for manufacturing chlorine dioxide involves reducing sodium chlorate with hydrogen peroxide. In this process, there is a side-reaction in which some chlorine dioxide is consumed by reaction with hydrogen peroxide. Initial rates of this side-reaction were measured in a laboratory batch reactor. The side-reaction rate was compared with the rate that chlorine dioxide is produced under a typical set of industrial conditions: 80 °C, 2 M sulfuric acid, 3.4 M sodium chlorate and 3.2 M sodium sulfate. To make this comparison, an empirical kinetic model of the side-reaction was developed from the experimental data. The reaction approximately follows first-order kinetics for chlorine dioxide and for hydrogen peroxide; the activation energy is 12.4 kcal mol−1. At the cited industrial conditions, the reaction model predicts that chlorine dioxide is consumed by the side-reaction at about 0.8%–1.5% of the rate at which it is produced.
Prepper, PhD: DNA purification robotics system

This article describes the motivation and engineering trade-offs in the development process of a robot to greatly speed the handling of biological samples. The robot is called Prepper, PhD, (see H.R. Gamer et al., Scientific Computing and Automation, vol.9, no.4, p.61-8, 1993) named after the biological slang term-pop the process to extract and purify DNA from cells. The development of the Prepper, PhD, system started in 1991 with the construction of an alpha prototype that was merely a proof-of-principle. Since then, the author has advanced the system into a beta test unit that is being operated in the field. Soon, a full blown commercial unit will be introduced. The software is fault tolerant and capable of completely automatic operations as well as manual operations. The principle goal of the design is to perform biological manipulations rather than advance the state of the art of robotics. A study of the biological protocols involved was made prior to constructing any hardware. They were redesigned to integrate well on a robot and were simplified without any performance degradation. Simply integrating commercial robotics components would lead to an unacceptably expensive system. By limiting the motion of each component to only one direction, mechanical and control complexity was greatly reduced, yielding acceptable costs. >
N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor blockade differentially modifies regional cerebral metabolic responses to D1 and D2 dopamine agonists in rats with a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion

Dopamine and the excitatory amino acids play important roles in the control of motor behavior by the basal ganglia; elucidating the manner in which these transmitter systems interact may provide new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease. The 2-deoxyglucose autoradiographic technique was used to examine the effect of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade on regional cerebral metabolic responses to D1 and D2 dopamine receptor stimulation in rats with a unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine lesion of the nigrostriatal pathway. The D1 agonist SKF 38393 (5 mg/kg, i.v.) increased glucose utilization markedly in entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata ipsilateral to the lesion, while the D2 agonist quinpirole (1 mg/kg, i.v.) had no effect in these striatal output regions. SKF 38393 and quinpirole reduced 2-deoxyglucose uptake to a similar extent in the lateral habenula, a region which receives afferent input from entopeduncular nucleus; quinpirole also decreased glucose utilization bilaterally in nucleus accumbens. Pretreatment with the noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg, i.v.), which had little effect on cerebral metabolism by itself, reduced the effect of SKF 38393 in entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata and prevented the effect of quinpirole in nucleus accumbens. MK-801 did not alter the SKF 38393-induced reduction in glucose utilization in lateral habenula, but did reduce the effect of quinpirole in this structure. When these drugs were administered in the same manner to a separate group of lesioned animals, MK-801 did not affect rotational behavior elicited by SKF 38393, but completely eliminated contralateral rotation and actually caused some ipsilateral rotation in response to quinpirole. These findings indicate that D1 and D2 receptor-associated brain mechanisms are differentially influenced by N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor stimulation. D2-mediated behavioral and cerebral metabolic responses appear to require concurrent N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor stimulation. On the other hand, the preservation of D1-mediated rotational behavior and reduced lateral habenula glucose metabolism in the presence of MK-801 despite attenuation of the effects of the D1 agonist in entopeduncular nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata suggests that D1 receptor-regulated neuronal pathways exhibit varying degrees of sensitivity to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor blockade.
Finding a Single Defective in Binomial Group-Testing

Abstract The problem of finding a single defective item from an infinite binomial population is considered when group-testing is possible, i.e., when we can test any number of units x simultaneously and find out in one test if all x are good or if at least one of the x is defective. An optimal procedure is obtained in the sense that it minimizes the expected number of tests required to find one defective. Upper and lower bounds are derived using information theory and the relation of our procedure to the Huffman algorithm and the corresponding cost is studied.
Immobilized artificial membrane chromatography: Supports composed of membrane lipids

Cell membranes provide an environment for several types of molecular processes and we are attempting to mimic the cell membranes' environment on a chromatography solid support. Chromatography solid supports utilizing lecithin as the bonded phase were synthesized and the HPLC behavior of hydrophilic peptides evaluated. A diC14 lecithin containing a terminal carboxy group on the C2 fatty acid chain was amidated with the surface amines of Nucleosil-300 (7NH2) silica particles. Based on elemental analysis, lecithin was coupled to Nucleosil-300 (7NH2) at a surface density near that of lecithin found in biological membranes and this novel chromatographic support material is denoted as Nucleosil-lecithin, the prototype immobilized artificial membrane. Infrared difference spectra of Nucleosillecithin minus Nucleosil-300 (7NH2) clearly showed amide I (1653.1 cm−1) and amide II (1550.9 cm−1) bands, giving direct spectroscopic evidence for the amide linkage. Spectral deconvolution resolved two peaks for the amide I band, and three peaks for the amide II band. This demonstrates lecithin interchain amide hydrogen bonding and/or hydrogen bonds between the lecithin amide link and unreacted silica surface amines. Nucleosil-lecithin as a solid phase mimics membranes and can be used to study the interactions of biomolecules with membranes. Our primary objective is to develop HPLC methods for studying the interaction between cell membranes and peptide sequences found near the interfaces of cell membranes. A frequency distribution of amino acids bracketing ∼400 transmembrane peptide sequences showed Cys to be the least frequently occurring amino acid at this putative interfacial membrane region. Hydrophilic peptide analogs bearing Cys were used as model compounds to test Nucleosil-lecithin solid supports. Small peptides, six to eight amino acids in length, containing Cys bind ∼2× tighter to Nucleosil-lecithin compared to identical peptides without the Cys residue. Thus, Cys at the interface of cells may stabilize protein-lipid interactions.
Strain differences in fitness of Escherichia coli O157:H7 to resist protozoan predation and survival in soil.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 (EcO157) associated with the 2006 spinach outbreak appears to have persisted as the organism was isolated, three months after the outbreak, from environmental samples in the produce production areas of the central coast of California. Survival in harsh environments may be linked to the inherent fitness characteristics of EcO157. This study evaluated the comparative fitness of outbreak-related clinical and environmental strains to resist protozoan predation and survive in soil from a spinach field in the general vicinity of isolation of strains genetically indistinguishable from the 2006 outbreak strains. Environmental strains from soil and feral pig feces survived longer (11 to 35 days for 90% decreases, D-value) with Vorticella microstoma and Colpoda aspera, isolated previously from dairy wastewater; these D-values correlated (P<0.05) negatively with protozoan growth. Similarly, strains from cow feces, feral pig feces, and bagged spinach survived significantly longer in soil compared to clinical isolates indistinguishable by 11-loci multi-locus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis. The curli-positive (C+) phenotype, a fitness trait linked with attachment in ruminant and human gut, decreased after exposure to protozoa, and in soils only C− cells remained after 7 days. The C+ phenotype correlated negatively with D-values of EcO157 exposed to soil (rs = −0.683; P = 0.036), Vorticella (rs = −0.465; P = 0.05) or Colpoda (rs = −0.750; P = 0.0001). In contrast, protozoan growth correlated positively with C+ phenotype (Vorticella, rs = 0.730, P = 0.0004; Colpoda, rs = 0.625, P = 0.006) suggesting a preference for consumption of C+ cells, although they grew on C− strains also. We speculate that the C− phenotype is a selective trait for survival and possibly transport of the pathogen in soil and water environments.
Particle entrainment from rotating fluidized beds

Abstract Particle entrainment from a rotating fluidized bed of closely sized particles was measured in a cold flow test facility. At least two different values of the following variables were used: rpm, particle size, particle material, bed length, exit hole size, and exit hole configuration. The bed was 8.6 in in diameter and operated at room temperature and pressure. Data correlations were found that estimated the maximum bed velocity without substantial particle entrainment. A rotating exit pipe proved to be a good particle collector and could be designed to enhance particle capture by a calculation procedure presented in this work. Additionally, it was found that an obstruction introduced into the upper end wall boundary layer had only a minor effect on entrainment rates.
Updated guidelines for protection of mammalogists and wildlife researchers from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS)

The American Society of Mammalogists herein provides revised guidelines for personnel working with rodents potentially infected with viruses that cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in humans. We also clarify that previously published guidelines, including those of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), were not intended to apply to field-workers conducting nonviral-based research on rodents. Unfortunately, institutional animal care and use committees and other safety officers have assumed that current CDC recommendations are requirements for conducting safe field research. They then have misapplied the original CDC recommendations to field researchers conducting behavioral, ecological, taxonomic, and other research, making field research increasingly and unnecessarily difficult. Herein, we provide guidelines that have been modified from those published by the CDC to incorporate new information about HPS risk and to better match the level of personal protection to the level of risk associated with a wider array of field activities.
New experimental evidence on the relation between percussion flaking and flake variation

Abstract Controlled experiments in percussion flaking allowed for objective analysis of relationships between variables of flake production and those variables which are attributes of the final result. The independent variables, those controlled by the flintknapper in the production of stone tools, include force and angle of blow, platform thickness and exterior platform angle. The dependent variables are those attributes of the flakes which are often used in current lithic analyses and include interior platform angle, length, thickness and flake termination. The results clearly show that exterior platform angle is highly significant for understanding many aspects of flake production. These and other relationships between the independent and dependent variables are also discussed.
Potato Craving Secondary to Potassium Wasting in Bartter's Syndrome

It has long been thought that particular dietary cravings can be a physiological response to a pathologic or environmental deficiency.1-3We describe two boys with Bartter's syndrome who have insatiable appetites for potatoes. We suggest that since potatoes have an especially high potassium content, this craving may be a physiologic attempt to compensate for the potassium wasting associated with this syndrome. Report of a Case.—Case1.—This patient was a 4.0-kg male infant who was delivered after an uncomplicated pregnancy. At 2 months of age he began to vomit and have diarrhea. He was admitted twice to anotherer hospital, first at 9 months and again at 3 years of age. Each admission was prompted by dehydration coupled with failure to thrive. The serum electrolytes during each admission were characterized by a metabolic alkalosis and hypokalemia. During the second admission, because of persistence of the alkalosis and hypokalemia despite
Epidermal Apoptosis: Cell Deletion by Phagocytosis

Apoptosis is a process found in many tissues by which devitalized cells are eliminated in an orderly manner. In skin, apoptosis occurs following sunburn, in Bowen's disease and in basal cell carcinoma. Scattered cells are observed in which the cytoplasm has become condensed and dyskeratotic. These dyskeratotic cells are phagocytized, either in toto or in fragments by surrounding keratinocytes. This process involves the condensation, fragmentation, phagocytosis and digestion of individually degenerated cells. The mass of a tissue is thus related to the balance between cell formation (mitosis) and cell destruction (apoptosis). In epidermal and other surface tissues, the rate of exfoliation must also be considered.
Influence of optical source characteristics on the measurement of polarization-mode dispersion of highly mode-coupled fibers

A new theoretical analysis of the interferometric polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) measurement predicts, in the limit of large PMD, a new relationship to the highly mode-coupled principal states model. This theory is confirmed by computer simulation of the ratio of the mean differential group delay (DGD) to the interferometric PMD. Jones matrix eigenanalysis and wavelength scanning with extrema counting are shown to measure the mean DGD independently of the optical source spectrum, whereas interferometrically measured PMD is shown to depend on the optical source spectrum as well as on the characteristics of the fiber to be measured.
Rabbit and rat liver nuclei both contain proteins which bind to the regions controlling apolipoprotein A-I gene expression.

We have tested the 5′ flanking region of the apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I) gene, which controls its expression in hepatic cells, for the ability to bind protein factors from rat and rabbit liver nuclei. We found that nuclear extracts from each species contain proteins which bind to three sites in the region which have been shown to be important for control of apo A-I gene transcription. These results contrast with a previous report [Dai, P. H., Lan, S. S. F., Ding, X. H. & Chao, Y. S. (1990) Eur. J. Biochem. 190, 305–310] that no rabbit liver nuclear protein could be detected which binds to the rat apo A-I upstream region and that this lack of binding could explain the failure of the rabbit liver to express the apo A-I gene. We have also shown that the low levels of apo A-I mRNA in the rabbit liver correlate with decreased transcription. Our data suggest that the lack of apo A-I gene expression in liver is a result of transcriptional control but cannot be due to simple lack of protein binding to this region of DNA.
A photoionization and photoelectron study of vibrational and electronic cooling in metal molecular beams

Abstract Threshold photoionization and pulsed-field-ionization zero-electron-kinetic-energy photoelectron spectra have been used to study the vibrational cooling of Cu–N(CH 3 ) 3 and the electronic cooling of Al–NH 3 in helium and argon supersonic jets. The vibrational temperatures of Cu–N(CH 3 ) 3 are estimated to be ∼40 K in argon and ∼120 K in helium, whereas the electronic temperatures of Al–NH 3 are about 20 and 80 K, respectively. Argon more efficiently cools the internal degrees of freedom of the metal systems, but helium provides additional spectroscopic information about the neutral molecules. The differences in the observed spectra have greatly facilitated spectral assignments for these complexes.
Detecting pediatric nosocomial infections: how do infection control and quality assurance personnel compare?

Objective: To compare how well infection control (IC) and quality assurance (QA) personnel in a specialty setting identify the presence, type (nosocomial or community-acquired), and (if nosocomial) site of infection. Methods: In 1994, we mailed a survey that included 21 pediatric case histories to IC and QA personnel in pediatric settings in the United States (children's hospitals and medical school-affiliated hospitals with pediatric wards of >30 beds). From the case histories presented, the respondents were asked to determine whether an infection was present and, if so, whether it was nosocomial or community-acquired. If the infection was nosocomial, the respondent was asked to determine the site of the infection (e.g., urinary tract, bloodstream). Results: From the 289 hospitals to which surveys were mailed, 131 respondents (45.3%) completed 212 surveys. Of the 212 returned surveys, 120 (56.6%) were completed by IC personnel and 92 (43.4%) were completed by QA personnel. Among the 183 respondents from acute care pediatric settings, 92.3% of IC personnel (96104 and 54.4% of QA personnel (4379 correctly identified at least 75% of the nosocomial infection (n = 14; p < 0.0001). IC and QA personnel were similar in ability to identify community-acquired infection (88104 vs7079, respectively; p = 0.436). IC personnel were significantly more likely than QA personnel to accurately identify the following sites of infection: respiratory tract infection without secondary bloodstream infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, urinary tract infection with and without secondary bloodstream infection, primary bloodstream infection, surgical site infection, gastroenteritis, esophagitis, and clinical sepsis. Conclusions: Overall, IC personnel were more accurate than QA personnel in determining whether a nosocomial infection was present and in correctly determining most sites of infection. Both IC and QA personnel had difficulty identifying venous infection and respiratory tract infection with secondary bloodstream infection. Both IC and QA personnel could thus benefit from more concise definitions or further training in detection of these sites of nosocomial infections. In addition, QA personnel did not perform overall as well as IC personnel in identifying nosocomial infections and their sites; this finding suggests the need for QA personnel to be provided specific training on detection of nosocomial infections and validation of their ability to do so. Nosocomial infection surveillance should be the responsibility of those trained and proved capable of detecting these infections.
Computer-drawn flowcharts

To meet the need for improved documentation of written computer programs, a simple system for effective communication is presented, which has shown great promise. The programmer describes his program in a simple format, and the computer prepares flow charts and other cross-referenced listings from this input. The description can be kept up-to-date easily, and the final output clearly explains the original program. The system has also proved to be a valuable debugging and coding aid.
Distribution and characterization of antipenicillin activity in cheese.

Abstract Antipenicillin activity of different sections of blue mold-ripened cheese was measured, to determine if the activity originates at the cheese surface. Crude preparations were made according to an isolation scheme for penicillinase. Maximum activity was shown to reside at the cheese surface. Heating to 75C for 8min inactivated, and iodine (0.62 mg/ml) inhibited, the isolated activity, strongly suggesting the involvement of penicillinase. It is concluded that antipenicillin activity inherent in blue mold-ripened cheese is produced by surface microorganisms.
Cytokines in the Hypophysis: A Comparative Look at Interleukin-6 in the Porcine Anterior Pituitary Gland

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a multifunctional cytokine produced by a variety of cell types in tissues of both the immune and endocrine systems. Among the major functions described for IL-6 are its role in the maturation of B cells to high-output antibody-producing cells and its contribution to the acute physiological responses to infection and inflammation, notably production of hepatic acute phase proteins and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. In addition to these better known functions, IL-6 recently has been found within the pituitary of laboratory rats and also in the human pituitary. In rats, pituitary IL-6 mRNA is upregulated by peripheral exposure to bacterial endotoxin. However, the role of anterior pituitary IL-6 in host responses to infection and inflammation remains uncertain, although it may regulate pituitary hormone secretion. The following brief review summarizes the information available concerning cytokine production within the anterior pituitary of species of domestic livestock. To our knowledge, experiments conducted in our laboratory evaluating regulation of IL-6 mRNA expression and secretion from the porcine anterior pituitary provide most of the data in domestic species confirming the presence of IL-6 in the pituitary. Our data indicate that IL-6 mRNA is present in cultured porcine anterior pituitary cells and that the pituitary directly responds to stimulation with bacterial endotoxin by increasing secretion of IL-6. Furthermore, endotoxin-induced upregulation of IL-6 mRNA expression and secretion appears to be dependent upon production of cyclooxygenase products of arachidonic acid metabolism.
Steroidogenic factor 1 messenger ribonucleic acid expression in steroidogenic and nonsteroidogenic human tissues: Northern blot and in situ hybridization studies.

Steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1), a tissue-specific orphan nuclear receptor, regulates the genes of several steroidogenic enzymes, Mullerian inhibiting substance, and the gonadotrophins. Also, this transcription factor is crucial for hypothalamic, adrenal, and gonadal organogenesis in the mouse. We recently cloned the human SF-1 (hSF-1) complementary DNA (cDNA) and now report the distribution of this factor’s messenger RNA (mRNA) in human tissues. Northern blot analyses of peripheral tissues revealed high hSF-1 mRNA expression in the adrenal cortex and the gonads, but no hSF-1 mRNA was detected in the placenta. High hSF-1 mRNA expression also was seen in the spleen. In this tissue, in addition to the main transcript of 3.5–4 kb seen in the adrenal and gonads, two additional transcripts of 4.4 kb and 8 kb were noted. The additional 4.4-kb transcript also was seen in several peripheral tissues and various components of the brain. However, adult liver and heart showed only the 4.4-kb transcript. In the human br...
Fighting fire with fire: Establishment of a rumor control center

Rumors tend to proliferate in times of crisis. Recognizing the value of the informal rumor channel as a source of information dissemination, and realizing that more conventional channels may lose credibility in crisis, the authors attempted to co‐opt the rumor channel by squelching inaccurate rumors and spreading verified information. Unable to discover a suitable model in the literature for the operation of a rumor control center, the authors designed and tested a new procedure during the Graduate Employees' strike at the University of Michigan in 1975.
Vacancy formation parameters in organic crystals

Abstract Measurements of the temperature dependence of the X-ray and bulk densities of succinonitrile and of cyclooctane single crystals are reported. Actual and upper limiting values of the vacancy concentrations are calculated from these results. In addition, heat capacity data from the literature are analyzed to obtain the vacancy formation enthalpy and entropy of benzene, hexamethylethane, pentaerythrityl fluoride, perfluoropiperdine, 2,2,3-trimethylbutane, 1,1-dimethylcyclohexane, cyclooctane, and cis-1,2-dimethylcyclohexane. The vacancy triple point concentrations obtained range from less than 0·1 per cent in succinonitrile and benzene to as high as 0·76 per cent in 2,2,3-trimthylbutane. The corresponding vacancy formation enthalpies range from 0·52 to 1·2 of the triple point sublimation enthalpy, low fractions being found for compounds with low entropy of fusion, S m ≈ R . The effect of defect relaxation, zero point energy, and many body forces upon vacancy formation enthalpy is considered. For benzene and hexamethylethane, the ratios of experimental vacancy formation enthalpy to diffusion enthalpy are respectively 0·50 and 0·56, or about the same as is observed in f.c.c. metals. However, the experimental vacancy formation entropiesare significantly higher than is observed in metals. The entropic contribution from torsional lattice modes, which contributes to this difference, is calculated. For both vacancy formation and diffusion parameters in these organic crystals, a linear correlation exists between enthalpy, normalized to the melting point, and entropy. Despite the difference in bonding, one empirical equation correlates the available diffusion parameters in both metals and organic crystals.