cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The average XH stretching frequency as a measure of XH bond properties

Abstract The extent to which an XH stretching mode is decoupled from the rest of the vibrational modes in a molecule has been investigated quantitatively by means of second-order perturbation theory. The average of the XH frequencies from a set of equivalent XH bonds in a molecule can be shown to be an accurate measure of the XH force constant. Other bond properties such as internuclear distance and bond dissociation energy which are believed to be very nearly single-valued functions of the force constant are expected to correlate with the average XH frequency. Such correlations for the average frequencies of CH, NH and OH, groups in a variety of molecules have been made with bond distance and bond strength. It seems likely that the XH bond distance may be evaluated from vibrational frequencies with about the same over-all accuracy as from high resolution spectroscopic structure determinations. It is possible also to evaluate radical stabilization energies as well as XH bond dissociation energies from the average XH stretching frequency.
Antarctic “Larsen B” Ice shelf shatters

The break-up of a Connecticut-sized ice shelf on Antarctica in just about a month's time is not cause for alarm in itself, but suggests that some other ice shelves “are closer to the limit than we thought,” according to Ted Scambos, glaciologist with the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. On 18 March, Scambos and other scientists announced the loss of more than 3,200 square kilometers of the ice shelf, known as “Larsen B,” located on the eastern side of the Antarctic Peninsula. The ice shelf began breaking up in January, and analysis of a 7 March image from NASA's Terra satellite confirmed the disintegration. With this recent event, the 220-meter-thick Larsen ice shelf has lost 5,700 square kilometers in the past 5 years, according to NSIDC.
Pain and the primary somatosensory cortex

Dr. Backonja raises some interesting questions concerning the role of the primary somatosen­ sory cortex (81) in pain perception. He exam­ ines three basic questions concerning the involvement of 81 in pain perception. Is 81 necessary for pain perception? Is it a pain center? Why do so few neurons respond to noxious stimulation? This commen­ tary addresses some of the issues, from the perspec­ tive of experiments on primate primary somatosensory cortex performed in my laboratory.
Improving the quality of business reference service

Business librarianship is affected by a combination of forces. Among them are the nature of business as a discipline, the characteristics of business publications, and the needs and expectations of business patrons. Business reference queries are almost always complex. To handle them well, the librarian must spend considerable time with each patron. Bibliographic expertise and subject knowledge are also requued. Ways to improve the quality of business reference service include a willingness to help patrons devise appropriate search strategies, assisting them in understanding and evaluating search results, investing in self-education, developing service-oriented reference policies, implementing flexible reference desk schedules, and establishing formal staff training programs.
Reconstructing sediment age profiles from historical bathymetry changes in San Pablo Bay, California

Abstract Sediment age profiles reconstructed from a sequence of historical bathymetry changes are used to investigate the subsurface distribution of historical sediments in a subembayment of the San Francisco Estuary. Profiles are created in a grid-based GIS modeling program that stratifies historical deposition into temporal horizons. The model's reconstructions are supported by comparisons to profiles of 137 Cs and excess 210 Pb at 12 core sites. The predicted depth of the 1951 sediment horizon is positively correlated to the depth of the first occurrence of 137 Cs at sites that have been depositional between recent surveys. Reconstructions at sites that have been erosional since the 1951 survey are supported by a lack of detectable 137 Cs and excess 210 Pb below the upper 6–16 cm of the core. A new data set of predicted near-surface sediment ages was created to illustrate an application of this approach. Results demonstrate other potential applications such as guiding the spatial positioning of future core sites for contaminant measurements.
Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Needs an Additional Trigger, beyond Proteolytic Priming for Membrane Fusion

BACKGROUND Ebolavirus belongs to the family filoviridae and causes severe hemorrhagic fever in humans with 50-90% lethality. Detailed understanding of how the viruses attach to and enter new host cells is critical to development of medical interventions. The virus displays a trimeric glycoprotein (GP(1,2)) on its surface that is solely responsible for membrane attachment, virus internalization and fusion. GP(1,2) is expressed as a single peptide and is cleaved by furin in the host cells to yield two disulphide-linked fragments termed GP1 and GP2 that remain associated in a GP(1,2) trimeric, viral surface spike. After entry into host endosomes, GP(1,2) is enzymatically cleaved by endosomal cathepsins B and L, a necessary step in infection. However, the functional effects of the cleavage on the glycoprotein are unknown. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We demonstrate by antibody binding and Hydrogen-Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (DXMS) of glycoproteins from two different ebolaviruses that although enzymatic priming of GP(1,2) is required for fusion, the priming itself does not initiate the required conformational changes in the ectodomain of GP(1,2). Further, ELISA binding data of primed GP(1,2) to conformational antibody KZ52 suggests that the low pH inside the endosomes also does not trigger dissociation of GP1 from GP2 to effect membrane fusion. SIGNIFICANCE The results reveal that the ebolavirus GP(1,2) ectodomain remains in the prefusion conformation upon enzymatic cleavage in low pH and removal of the glycan cap. The results also suggest that an additional endosomal trigger is necessary to induce the conformational changes in GP(1,2) and effect fusion. Identification of this trigger will provide further mechanistic insights into ebolavirus infection.
Kinetic intermediates in the folding of gaseous protein ions characterized by electron capture dissociation mass spectrometry.

Alternative mechanisms propose that protein folding in solution proceeds either through specific obligate intermediates or by a multiplicity of routes in a “folding funnel”. These questions are examined in the gas phase by using a new method that provides details of the noncovalent binding of solvent-free protein ions. Capture of an electron by a multiply charged cation causes immediate dissociation (ECD) of a backbone bond, but with negligible excitation of noncovalent bonds; thus ECD of a linear protein ion produces two measurable fragment ions only if these are not held together by noncovalent bonds. Thermal unfolding of 9+ ions of cytochrome c proceeds through the separate unfolding of up to 13 backbone regions (represented by 44 bond cleavages) with melting temperatures of <26 to 140 °C. An 0.25 s laser IR pulse induces unfolding of 9+ ions in <4 s in six of these regions, followed by their refolding in 2 min. However, for the 15+ ions a laser IR pulse causes slower unfolding through poorly defined i...
Factors contributory to success in prosthodontic practice

Summary Success is dependent upon personal and professional integrity and the possession of various clinical skills, knowledges, and experience associated with appropriate professional and business methods and routines. The building blocks of success are familiarity with the objectives of a denture service, the reaction of tissues to dentures, the real and imaginary needs of edentulous patients, the fundamental principles and procedure routines employed in clinical and laboratory phases of denture treatments, the execution of postinsertion adjustments, and the adoption of appropriate business methods and routines which supplement and complement appropriate professional methods and routines.
Early language development and use

Abstract Language development is presented as a multidimensional dynamic process which is intimately related to all of the organism's experiences. Non-linguistic factors are an integral part of the communicative act and serve as a foundation for the development and continual use of language. There are many sensorimotor experiences before verbal symbols are established, and the process is a gradual one. There is continual reciprocity of input and output at all levels. The child's receptive language proceeds through stages in which stimulus events are identified, associated, and labeled. Expressive language is viewed as a process of increased differentiation of output. The relationships between intellect, language and emotion require further investigation before we can understand the problems of language-impaired children.
Intelligent Dispatch for Distributed Renewable Resources

Time of use (TOU) pricing is considered by many to be a key part of creating a more energy-efficient and renewable-energy-friendly grid. TOU pricing is also an integral part of the smart grid and is already available to customers of some electric utilities. With TOU pricing becoming a reality, intelligent dispatching systems that utilize energy storage devices (ESDs) to maximize the use of renewable resources, such as energy produced by small, customer owned wind generators and roof-top solar generators, and grid energy while determining the most economic dispatch schedule could play an important role for both the customer and the utility. The purpose of this work is to create an algorithm upon which these dispatching systems can be based. The details of one proposed algorithm are presented. Several case studies are presented to show the effectiveness of the algorithm from both a technical standpoint and an economic standpoint. The case studies show that while the algorithm developed is successful from a technical standpoint, the high cost of energy storage at this time limits its widespread deployment.
Modulating Protein Folding Rates in Vivo and in Vitro by Side-chain Interactions between the Parallel β Strands of Green Fluorescent Protein

We have identified pairs of residues across the two parallel beta strands of green fluorescent protein that facilitate native strand register of the surface-exposed beta barrel. After constructing a suitable host environment around two guest residues, minimizing interactions of the guest residues with surrounding side-chains yet maintaining the wild-type protein structure and the chromophore environment, we introduced a library of cross-strand pairings by cassette mutagenesis. Colonies of Escherichia coli transformed with the library differ in intracellular fluorescence. Most of the fluorescent pairs have predominantly charged and polar guest site residues. The magnitude and the rate of fluorescence acquisition in vivo from transformed E. coli cells varies among the mutants despite comparable levels of protein expression. Spectroscopic measurements of purified mutants show that the native protein structure is maintained. Kinetic studies using purified protein with fully matured chromophores demonstrate that the mutants span a 10-fold range in folding rates with undetectable differences in unfolding rates. Thus, green fluorescent protein provides an ideal system for monitoring determinants of in vivo protein folding. Cross-strand pairings affect both protein stability and folding kinetics by favoring the formation of native strand register preferentially to non-native strand alignments.
Factors affecting in vitro lipogenesis by bovine mammary tissue slices.

Abstract An in vitro system of fatty acid synthesis by bovine mammary tissue slices was developed and characterized. Mamary tissue slices were prepared wih a hand microtome and 120 to 150-mg slices incubated in Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer (pH 7.4) at 37 C. Acetate incorporation into fatty acids and acetate and glucose oxidation to carbon dioxide were linear for 3 h. Mammary tissue was stable and lost no lipogenic capacity for 60 min prior to slicing and incubation if maintained in isotonic sucrose at 5 or 25 C. Fatty acid synthesis from acetate was maximum at an acetate concentration of 10 mM and a glucose concentration of 5 to l0 mM. Insulin had no effect on acetate incorporation into fatty acids by cow mammary tissue slices when varied from physiological to pharmacological concentrations. An examination of lipids synthesized by bovine mammary slices indicated that over 70% of the synthesized fatty acids were located in triglycerides with the pattern of fatty acids similar to that produced in vivo. The use of the in vitro system of bovine mammary tissue slice incubations offer an excellent tool for investigation of cellular metabolism and biosynthesis of fatty acids.
Efficient parallel extraction of crack-free isosurfaces from adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) data

We present a novel extraction scheme for crack-free isosurfaces from adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) data that builds on prior work utilizing dual grids and filling resulting gaps with stitch cells. We use a case-table-based approach to simplify the implementation of stitch cell generation. The most significant benefit of our new approach is that it uses ghost data to handle parallel isosurface extraction efficiently. We further present the results of applying this method to large scale data sets and analyze its computation time on parallel high-performance computing (HPC) platforms.
High-Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Assay of Netilmicin in Plasma

Abstract A high-pressure liquid chromatographic method for the quantitative determination of netilmicin in plasma was developed. The procedures involve acetonitrile protein precipitation, methylene chloride extraction, and dansylation to form the fluorescent dansyl derivative of netilmicin, which is extracted into ethyl acetate and chromatographed on a reverse-phase column with aqueous acetonitrile as the mobile phase. A good linear relationship between peak height measurements and netilmicin concentrations was found. This method is sensitive and reproducible; a netilmicin concentration as low as 0.5 μg/ml can be measured with only 0.1 ml of plasma sample. The results of assays of plasma or serum samples by this high-pressure liquid chromatographic method correlate well with those obtained by microbiological assays.
Relationship between insulin resistance, weight loss, and coronary heart disease risk in healthy, obese women.

Several popular books have recently been published stating that being insulin-resistant favors weight gain and/or prevents weight loss. Because this view seems to have gained widespread support in the general population, we thought it important to perform the current study testing the hypothesis that differences in insulin-mediated glucose disposal do not affect weight loss in response to calorie-restricted diets. For this purpose, we studied the change in weight and risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) in healthy women volunteers, defined as being obese on the basis of a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30.0 kg/m(2). The insulin suppression test was used to stratify obese women at baseline into insulin-resistant and insulin-sensitive subgroups on the basis of their steady-state plasma glucose (SSPG) concentration at the end of a 180-minute infusion of octreotide, exogenous insulin, and glucose. They were then instructed on a calorie-restricted diet plus sibutraminine (15 mg/day) for a total period of 4 months. Baseline measurements also included determination of fasting lipid and lipoprotein concentrations, and hourly (8 AM to 4 PM) determinations of plasma glucose and insulin concentrations before and after breakfast and lunch. Twenty-four women completed the 4-month period of calorie restriction: 13 classified as insulin-resistant (SSPG = 219 +/- 7 mg/dL) and 11 as insulin-sensitive (SSPG = 69 +/- 6 mg/dL). The insulin-resistant group also had higher (P =.03) plasma triglyceride (TG) concentrations and a higher ratio of total to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration (P =.02) at baseline. Both groups lost a significant amount of weight during the study, and there was no difference between the weight loss in the insulin-resistant (8.6 +/- 1.3 kg) and insulin-sensitive (7.9 +/- 1.4 kg) groups. Weight loss in the insulin-resistant group was also associated with a significant decrease in SSPG concentration (219 +/- 7 to 144 +/- 14 mg/dL), associated with significantly lower fasting TG concentrations (P <.001) and day-long concentrations of plasma glucose and insulin (P <.005). None of these variables changed in the insulin-sensitive group. These results indicate that: (1) CHD risk factors in obese women vary as a function of being insulin-resistant or insulin-sensitive; (2) dramatic variations in insulin-mediated glucose disposal do not modulate weight loss in response to calorie-restricted diets, and (3) weight loss is effective in reducing CHD risk in insulin-resistant, obese women. Given these data, it seems obvious that attempts to reduce CHD risk factors by weight loss should focus on obese individuals who are also insulin-resistant.
On the structural parameters and vibrational spectra of CH3NCS, SiH3NCS and GeH3NCS

Abstract The infrared spectra (3500–400 cm−1) of CH3NCS in gas, xenon solution (−60 to −100 °C) and solid phases have been recorded. The effect of free internal rotation of the methyl group is observed on the CH3 antisymmetric stretch and deformation bands from which zeta values have been obtained. The band centers for the degenerate CH3 vibrations have also been determined from the low-temperature spectra in liquid xenon and their values are significantly different from the ones in the gas. By combining previously reported rotational constants for CH3NCS, SiH3NCS and GeH3NCS with the ab initio MP2(full)/6-311+G(d,p) predicted parameters, adjusted r0 parameters have been obtained. The structural parameters for CH3NCS (Cs) are: r(C N) = 1.441(5), r(N C) = 1.206(5), r(C S) = 1.586(5), r(C Hs) = 1.090(2) and r(C Ha) = 1.093(2) A with ∠CNC of 143.9(3) and ∠NCS of 175.5(2)°; for SiH3NCS (C3v): r(Si N) = 1.704(5), r(N C) = 1.197(5), r(C S) = 1.567(5), r(Si H) = 1.476(3) A with ∠NSiH = 108.5(3)°; for GeH3NCS (Cs): r(Ge N) = 1.843(5), r(N C) = 1.209(5), r(C S) = 1.576(5), r(Ge Hs) = 1.519(3) and r(Ge Ha) = 1.517(3) A with ∠GeNC = 149.9(5) and ∠NCS = 176.5(2)°. These parameters are significantly different from the values previously reported for all three molecules. Ab initio calculations by the Moller-Plesset perturbation method to the second order MP2(full) and density functional theory calculations by the B3LYP method utilizing a variety of basis sets have been carried out for all three molecules to predict barriers to rotation and linearity as well as force constants, vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, Raman activities, depolarization ratios and centrifugal distortion constants which are compared to the experimental quantities. Some significant changes have been made for the assignments of some of the fundamentals for CH3NCS which has been clearly shown to have Cs symmetry in the ground vibrational state as well as for GeH3NCS with Cs symmetry. The results are discussed and compared to corresponding quantities of some similar molecules.
A system for acquiring simultaneous electron energy-loss and X-ray spectrum-images.

Summary A compositional imaging system based on simultaneous scanning electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) was developed. This system utilizes the combined power of EELS and EDS for quantitative compositional imaging at nanometre resolution. The system is particularly suitable for, but not limited to, biological research, as it simultaneously provides sensitive maps of an element such as Ca or P from EELS and of many other elements from EDS. Degradation of resolution by specimen drift is prevented by correcting for drift during data acquisition, using image cross-correlation. Several advanced features are implemented for real-time and/or off-line quantitative analysis, and the performance of the system is illustrated with practical applications to compositional imaging of cardiac muscle.
Efficiency-limiting defects in silicon solar cell material

The precipitation rate of intentionally introduced iron during low-temperature heating is studied among a variety of single-crystal and polycrystalline silicon solar cell materials. A correlation exists between the iron precipitation rate and the carrier recombination rate in dislocation-free as-grown material, suggesting that diffusion-length-limiting defects in as-grown material are structural defects which accelerate iron precipitation. Phosphorous diffusion gettering was found to be particularly ineffective at improving diffusion length after intentional iron contamination in materials with high iron precipitation rates. We propose that intragranular structural defects in solar cell silicon greatly enhance transition metal precipitation during cooling from the melt and become highly recombination-active when decorated with these impurities. The defects then greatly impair diffusion length improvement during phosphorus gettering and limit carrier lifetimes in as-grown material.
Four myths surrounding U.S. biofuels

The rapid growth of biofuels has elicited claims and predictions concerning the current and future role of these fuels in the U.S. vehicle-fuel portfolio. These assertions are at times based on a false set of assumptions concerning the biofuel's market related to the petroleum and agricultural commodities markets, and the nonmarket consequences of our automobile driving. As an aid in clarifying these market relations, the following four biofuel myths are presented: (1) biofuels will be adopted because we will soon run out of oil, (2) biofuels will solve the major external costs associated with our automobile driving, (3) biofuels cause food price inflation (the food before fuel issue), and (4) biofuels will become a major vehicle fuel.
Size, space, and adaptation in some subfossil lemurs from Madagascar

We examine several explanations for the geographic pattern of body size variation exhibited by the subfossil lemur Archaeolemur. Part and partial correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis are applied in a stepwise, hierarchical fashion to help to determine variable interdependencies. Variance in site means for body size is best explained by the richness of the plant community and by several correlated climatic variables (bioclimatic zone and mean annual rainfall). Body size differentiation in Archaeolemur roughly mirrors patterns observed among many other Malagasy lemur species and subspecies groups. This consistency alone suggests that common ecological factors have strongly affected size differentiation in lemurs, most probably (as suggested by our correlation analyses) by uniformly influencing the productivity of their niches. Smaller individuals tend to inhabit arid regions, and larger individuals tend to inhabit wetter regions. The interplay between selective differentiation and allopatric speciation appears to have yielded the concordant pattern of size variation observed in Malagasy lemurs.
On the possibility of fractional superstrings

Abstract We explore the possibility of string theories based on a world sheet symmetry that corresponds to an extension of the Virasoro algebra by fractional spin currents. For the special case of world sheet symmetries related to SU (2), the explicit operator algebra satisfied by the symmetry currents is derived. Critical central charges and slope intercepts are proposed.
Turning privacy leaks into floods: surreptitious discovery of social network friendships and other sensitive binary attribute vectors

We study methods for attacking the privacy of social networking sites, collaborative filtering sites, databases of genetic signatures, and other data sets that can be represented as vectors of binary relationships. Our methods are based on reductions to nonadaptive group testing, which implies that our methods can exploit a minimal amount of privacy leakage, such as contained in a single bit that indicates if two people in a social network have a friend in common or not. We analyze our methods for turning such privacy leaks into floods using theoretical characterizations as well as experimental tests. Our empirical analyses are based on experiments involving privacy attacks on the social networking sites Facebook and LiveJournal, a database of mitochondrial DNA, a power grid network, and the movie-rating database released as a part of the Netflix Prize contest. For instance, with respect to Facebook, our analysis shows that it is effectively possible to break the privacy of members who restrict their friends lists to friends-of-friends.
A review of psychosocial outcomes of surgery for morbid obesity

There is consistent evidence to support the notion that morbid obesity poses serious risks to physical health and has a substantial impact on psychosocial well-being. Researchers agree that bariatric surgery is currently the most viable option for successful weight loss and maintenance in the morbidly obese individual. The drastic, major weight loss and alleviation of medical risks that patients typically experience post-surgically are accompanied by psychosocial changes that appear to be equally remarkable. These psychosocial changes have yet to be studied as systematically or diligently as the physical changes and therefore remain to be fully understood. This paper (1) reviews the literature of psychosocial outcomes of obesity surgery for the past 36 years; (2) provides a critical assessment of the methodology utilized; and (3) suggests future research directions.
A sensitive immunoassay to detect the α-chemokine GRO in rabbit blood and lung fluids

GRO-alpha, GRO-beta and GRO-gamma are closely related peptides that stimulate growth of tumor cells and activate leukocytes in acute inflammatory reactions. In order to study the biology of GRO peptides in the lungs of experimental animals, we have developed and characterized a sensitive and specific immunoassay for rabbit GRO, and used this assay to measure GRO in rabbit lung fluids and plasma. GRO was cloned from a rabbit cDNA library and expressed in Escherichia coli. Specific goat polyclonal antibodies were used to create an antigen-capture immunoassay. The assay is sensitive to approximately 30 pg/ml GRO and does not crossreact with rabbit IL-8 or MCP-1, or human GRO. The assay accurately measures GRO in rabbit bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, plasma and serum. Rabbit erythrocytes bind little GRO and do not interfere with the detection of GRO in lung fluids. Circulating GRO was detected in the plasma of 4 of 6 pathogen-free rabbits, but the function of circulating GRO in normal animals is uncertain. This immunoassay will facilitate the study of the biology of GRO in rabbits with acute and chronic inflammation in the lungs and other tissues.
Increasing prevalence of diabetes in middle or low income residents in Louisiana from 2000 to 2009.

Abstract Objective To examine the trends in the prevalence of diabetes in patients who received medical care from the Louisiana State University Health Care Services Division (LSUHCSD) hospital system between 2000 and 2009. Methods The study population included 969,609 unique outpatients and inpatients between 2000 and 2009. The diabetes cases were identified by using ICD-9 code (250*). The annual diabetes prevalence was calculated as the number of unique individuals with an ICD-9 diabetes during the year divided by the number of unique individuals visiting the LSUHCSD hospitals during the year. Results The age-standardized prevalence of diabetes in LSUHCSC hospital patients aged ≥20 years increased by 36.2% during 2000–2009, from 10.5% to 14.3%. The rise in age-standardized prevalence of diabetes from 2000 to 2009 occurred in men (from 8.9% to 13.3%) and women (from 11.5% to 15.0%), and in white (from 8.9% to 13.1%), African (from 11.7% to 15.8%) and other race Americans (from 8.2% to 10.4%). The age-standardized prevalence of diabetes was higher in women than in men ( p Conclusion The annual prevalence of diabetes has dramatically increased from 2000 to 2009 in both men and women and in all races of the population served by the LSUHCSD hospitals.
Fast, transient energy extraction from high-frequency AC alternators for use in electromagnetic launch applications

This paper describes work toward transient energy extraction from high-frequency alternators to drive electromagnetic launchers through intelligent triggering of thyristors or silicon controlled rectifiers (SCR). The work was done using a three-phase, 75 kVA level motor-generator set with a dc machine acting as the load. This system serves as a scale model to develop control techniques for full-scale, multimegajoule applications. With the use of a microcontroller and advanced sensors, the system is able to maintain synchronization of the SCR converter with the generator voltage despite dynamically changing frequency and voltage distortion.
A public access defibrillation programme in non-inpatient hospital areas

Summary Introduction Automatic external defibrillators (AED) have proven to be valuable and life saving for out of hospital cardiac arrests. Their use in hospital arrests is less well documented, but they offer the opportunity to improve survival in the hospital setting also. Methods The implementation of a public access defibrillation (PAD) programme at a tertiary care hospital is described, with reference specifically to targeting areas where time from arrest to arrival of defibrillation would be greater than 3 min. Results Nine AEDs were placed in areas of the hospital distant from inpatient or outpatient floors. The locations of the AEDs were chosen based on a 3 min walk from currently available defibrillators to all areas of the hospital, including parking garages and walkways from building to building. In this programme AED use in non-inpatient hospital locations resulted in the resuscitation of a patient in ventricular fibrillation. Conclusion PAD in non-inpatient hospital settings can be life saving and similar programmes should be considered for other hospitals.
Three-dimensional cultures of prostatic cells : Tissue models for the development of novel anti-cancer therapies

This review addresses the application of three-dimensional cultures of prostatic cells to the development of novel anti-cancer therapies. A variety of therapeutic agents to combat prostate cancer are currently under development. These include cytotoxins, differentiation agents and, more recently, genetically modified tumor vaccines. Three-dimensional cultures of prostatic cells are increasingly used in preclinical research in the design of new therapies and in the development of delivery strategies for these treatments. These tissue-like structures more realistically model the structural architecture and differentiated function of the human prostate than a cellular monolayer. In doing so, three-dimensional cultures produce an in vivo-like response to therapeutic agents. Advances in tissue engineering have improved the variety, fidelity and quantity of these prostate models. To date, they have been applied to estimate the dose of new drug therapies, evaluate drug penetration into solid tumors, assess the effectiveness of drug combinations, and develop tumor vaccines.
Protein Capture and Cultural Development in the Amazon Basin1

This paper examines the proposition that availability of animal protein limits the size, density, and permanence of settlements of the aboriginal societies of the Amazon Basin. Previous discussions have focused mainly on agricultural potential. Evidence is presented from ethnography and ecology suggesting that fish and game are scarce, particularly away from major rivers. Nine relatively unacculturated societies have relatively low but probably adequate per capita intake of animal protein. The effects which this limitation may have on Amazonian culture are discussed.
Evidence for Host Cells as the Major Contributor of Lipids in the Intravacuolar Network of Toxoplasma-Infected Cells

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii develops inside a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) that derives from the host cell plasma membrane during invasion. Previous electron micrograph images have shown that the membrane of this vacuole undergoes an extraordinary remodeling with an extensive network of thin tubules and vesicles, the intravacuolar network (IVN), which fills the lumen of the PV. While dense granule proteins, secreted during and after invasion, are the main factors for the organization and tubulation of the network, little is known about the source of lipids used for this remodeling. By selectively labeling host cell or parasite membranes, we uncovered evidence that strongly supports the host cell as the primary, if not exclusive, source of lipids for parasite IVN remodeling. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) microscopy experiments revealed that lipids are surprisingly dynamic within the parasitophorous vacuole and are continuously exchanged or replenished by the host cell. The results presented here suggest a new model for development of the parasitophorous vacuole whereby the host provides a continuous stream of lipids to support the growth and maturation of the PVM and IVN.
Thinking Aloud: Insights Into Information Processing

John W. Payne Duke University Protocol Analysis: Verbal Reports as Data, rev. ed., by K.A. Ericsson and H.A. Simon. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1993. 443 pp. + liii. Cloth, $40.00; paper, $19.95. The "information processing" label is now widely accepted among psychologists. One feature of information processing, or cognitive, approaches to psychology is a concern not only with the product of thought but with the processes or mechanisms of thought as well. For example, information processing researchers interested in decision making are concerned with the cognitive processes that lead to a decision in addition to the nature of the expressed judgment or choice.
Innovations in Practice: Supporting parent and teen communication during outpatient psychotropic medication appointments.

Background Encouragement of youth participation in mental health treatment is relatively new and there have been few specific interventions to improve engagement, particularly as it relates to medication management. This article describes the development of a tool to support engagement during medication appointments by identifying areas of agreement/disagreement between parents and teens. Method Data were analyzed from 240 parent/teen dyads visiting an outpatient community mental health center for medication management. Frequencies and percentages were calculated for all items. Kappa scores were used to assess agreement between parent and teen dyads. Results The level of agreement between parents and teens was low. Overall, teens expressed preference for discussion of ‘positive’ aspects of treatment such as what is going well, whereas parents preferred to focus on ‘negative’ aspects of treatment such as problematic symptoms. The lowest level of agreement was found for the item: ‘My teen seems to be having problems with energy levels’ (Kappa = .19; 95% CI = .05–.34). The strongest level of agreement was for the question ‘How has your teen been using the medication since the last appointment?’ (Kappa = .56; 95% CI = .44–.69). Conclusions The findings support the utility of the tool for illustrating the variation in needs of teens and parents during medication appointments. Knowledge of these differences can be used by providers to encourage teen participation and may enhance overall communication.
Hybrid FDTD and single-scattering theory for simulation of scattering from hard targets camouflaged under forest canopy

A hybrid target-foliage model is developed to investigate the scattering behavior of hard targets embedded inside a forest canopy. The proposed model is composed of two existing electromagnetic-scattering models, one for the foliage and the other for the hard targets that are coupled in a computationally efficient manner. The connection between these two models, which accounts for the interaction between the foliage scatterers and the target, is accomplished through the application of Huygens' principle. Wave penetration through the forest canopy and near-field and far-field scattering from its constituents is calculated using a coherent single-scattering theory, which makes use of realistic tree structures. Defining a Huygens' surface enclosing the hard target and calculating the illuminating field (the scattered fields from the nearby vegetation scatterers and reduced incident field), the interaction between the foliage and the hard target is accounted for. Computing the scattered field from target on the Huygens' surface and using a reciprocity theorem target-foliage interaction is captured very efficiently. Calculation of scattering from a hard target is carried out using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) technique. For a typical vehicle dimensions, the required time and memory for the FDTD computation and exact field calculation inside the foliage limits the simulation frequency to upper very high frequency (VHF) band
Enzymatic mechanisms of thyroxine.

THE general metabolic effects following the removal of the thyroid gland and replacement therapy by thyroxine are well known and firmly established by many observations on patients and experiments in animals. However, the actual site of action of thyroxine in metabolic exchange in cells is obscure. Barker (1) in his recent review on thyroid mechanisms states that no in vitro response to thyroxine has been obtained which gives consistent enough results to be used as a means of testing further the mechanisms of the action of thyroxine. It was in this unsatisfactory state of knowledge that this present work was started. Several actions of thyroxine on oxidative systems have been described (2, 3) and a hypothesis has been formulated for thyroxine action for future work. The first positive experiment on an enzyme system with thyroxine was derived from a study (2) of the action of this hormone on ascorbic acid oxidase, a copper enzyme from a plant source. Thyroxine stimulated the uptake of oxygen in the ascorbi...
“What—Me Worry?”“Why So Serious?”: A Personal View on the Fukushima Nuclear Reactor Accidents

Infrequently, it seems that a significant accident precursor or, worse, an actual accident, involving a commercial nuclear power reactor occurs to remind us of the need to reexamine the safety of this important electrical power technology from a risk perspective. Twenty-five years since the major core damage accident at Chernobyl in the Ukraine, the Fukushima reactor complex in Japan experienced multiple core damages as a result of an earthquake-induced tsunami beyond either the earthquake or tsunami design basis for the site. Although the tsunami itself killed tens of thousands of people and left the area devastated and virtually uninhabitable, much concern still arose from the potential radioactive releases from the damaged reactors, even though there was little population left in the area to be affected. As a lifelong probabilistic safety analyst in nuclear engineering, even I must admit to a recurrence of the doubt regarding nuclear power safety after Fukushima that I had experienced after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. This article is my attempt to "recover" my personal perspective on acceptable risk by examining both the domestic and worldwide history of commercial nuclear power plant accidents and attempting to quantify the risk in terms of the frequency of core damage that one might glean from a review of operational history.
Characterization of recombination intermediates from DNA injected into Xenopus laevis oocytes: evidence for a nonconservative mechanism of homologous recombination.

Abstract Homologous recombination between DNA molecules injected into Xenopus laevis oocyte nuclei is extremely efficient if injected molecules have overlapping homologous ends. Earlier work demonstrated that ends of linear molecules are degraded by a 5'----3' exonuclease activity, yielding 3' tails that participate in recombination. Here, we have characterized intermediates further advanced along the recombination pathway. The intermediates were identified by their unique electrophoretic and kinetic properties. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and hybridization with oligonucleotide probes showed that the intermediates had heteroduplex junctions within their homologous overlaps in which strands ending 3' were full length and those ending 5' were shortened. Additional characterization suggested that these intermediates had formed by the annealing of complementary 3' tails. Annealed junctions made in vitro were rapidly processed to products, indicating that they are on the normal recombination pathway. These results support a nonconservative, single-strand annealing mode of recombination. This recombination mechanism appears to be shared by many organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants, and mammals.
Vehicle to vehicle RF propagation measurements

We present results from vehicle to vehicle RF propagation measurements centered at 900 MHz. We focus on determining delay spread probability distribution parameters (in particular the Rician K factor) and path loss rates. Our results are discussed with implications for the use of RF communication between automobiles in Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS). Our paper consists of a description of the IVHS concept along with a brief overview of wireless propagation theory. We then discuss our measured parameters with respect to implementing an RF transmission system between vehicles. >
Mo1442 Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Biliary Drainage Comes of Age: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

www.giejournal.org EUS-guided biliary drainage (n[46) Technical success, n (%) 40 (86.9) Clinical success, n (%) 34 (94.4) Reasons for clinical failure Rapid progression of liver metastases (1) Failed expansion of the stent due to tumor progression (1) Complication, n (%) 11 (23.9) Stent occlusion/migration, n (%)
Hydraulic Friction Loss in Small Diameter Plastic Pipelines

: Although estimation of hydraulic friction loss in pipelines is one of the most frequent routine computations made by water supply engineers, almost no post-construction analysis of the accuracy of these calculations exists in the literature. This paper reports the field measured friction losses in three one-mile sections of small diameter pvc pipe which had been in service for 10 years. Hazen-Williams and Darcy-Weisbach equations are examined to provide a framework for comparing Hazen-Williams coefficients recommended by pipe manufacturers to those obtained by the field measurements. The conclusion is that the CHW factor of 150 recommended by most pvc pipe manufacturers is too high for the diameter-velocity combinations encountered in rural dead-end small diameter lines. The measured coefficients averaged 133 which is close to that predicted by superimposing Hazen Williams coefficients on the Moody diagram from which the friction factor for the Darcy-Weisbach equation is obtained.
The Sunk-Cost Fallacy in Penny Auctions

This article theoretically and empirically analyses behaviour in penny auctions, a relatively new auction mechanism. As in the US dollars or war-of-attrition, players in penny auctions commit higher non-refundable costs as the auction continues and only win if all other players stop bidding. I first show that, in any equilibria that does not end immediately, players bid probabilistically such that the expected profit from every bid is zero. Then, using two large data sets covering 166,000 auctions, I calculate that average profit margins actually exceed 50%. To explain this deviation, I incorporate a sunk-cost fallacy into the theoretical model to generate a set of predictions about hazard rates and player behaviour, which I confirm empirically. While players do (slowly) learn to correct this bias and there are few obvious barriers to competition, activity in the market is rising and concentration remains relatively high.
Revolution in the Stock Exchange Industry: Two-Sided Platforms, Battle for Liquidity, and Financial Centres

In 2000s regulation in the USA and subsequently in Europe responded to the needs of investors and traders, allowing them to take advantage of modern technology, and unleashing competition never before witnessed in the stock exchange industry, with a singular focus on liquidity. By 2010 new exchanges in the USA and Europe proved successful in the battle for liquidity. Essential to their success was the adoption of a simple and efficient business model of two-sided platforms, which contrasts with and threatens the model of diversification and vertical integration embraced by incumbent exchanges. The increased competition and network effects in the industry have been accompanied by its continued concentration in the New York City area in the USA, and emerging dominance of London in Europe, driven primarily by the value of proximity between exchanges and their major customers in terms of computers and human relations. While their iconic incumbent exchanges may suffer, revolution in the stock exchange industry benefits New York City and London as financial centres.
Zebrafish as a Model to Assess the Teratogenic Potential of Nitrite

High nitrate levels in the environment may result in congenital defects or miscarriages in humans. Presumably, this is due to the conversion of nitrate to nitrite by gut and salivary bacteria. However, in other mammalian studies, high nitrite levels do not cause birth defects, although they can lead to poor reproductive outcomes. Thus, the teratogenic potential of nitrite is not clear. It would be useful to have a vertebrate model system to easily assess teratogenic effects of nitrite or any other chemical of interest. Here, we demonstrate the utility of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to screen compounds for toxicity and embryonic defects. Zebrafish embryos are fertilized externally and have rapid development, making them a good model for teratogenic studies. We show that increasing the time of exposure to nitrite negatively affects survival. Increasing the concentration of nitrite also adversely affects survival, whereas nitrate does not. For embryos that survive nitrite exposure, various defects can occur, including pericardial and yolk sac edema, swim bladder noninflation, and craniofacial malformation. Our results indicate that the zebrafish is a convenient system for studying the teratogenic potential of nitrite. This approach can easily be adapted to test other chemicals for their effects on early vertebrate development.
Fetal morbidity and mortality following motor vehicle accident: two case reports.

OBJECTIVE: To report two unusual cases of fetal morbidity and mortality following motor vehicle accident (MVA). STUDY DESIGN: The authors retrospectively reviewed two MVA episodes involving pregnant mothers that resulted in unusual mortality and morbidity to the fetus. RESULTS: Of the two infants, one died from complications related to disseminated intravascular coagulation. The other infant survived after surgical repair of a full-thickness tear of the small bowel at the level of the duodenal-jejunal junction. This type of injury is due to acceleration and deceleration forces, a classic mechanism for bowel injury to the restrained passenger in an MVA. CONCLUSION: We report two unusual cases of fetal morbidity and mortality from MVA, including the first case of fetal bowel injury secondary to maternal MVA (a case that demonstrates that the fetus is subjected to similar mechanical forces as any restrained passenger in an MVA).