cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A duration constant for worker-to-larva trophallaxis in fire ants.

The allocation of liquid food by workers to larvae, a central process in ant biology, could be regulated by the frequency of trophallaxis, its duration, or both. In 4th-instar fire ant larvae, the duration of trophallaxis, bolus size, and the rate at which boluses were swallowed were all constant, indicating that the volume of food ingested during each worker-larva trophallaxis was both small and constant. Neither larval size over a 20-fold volume range nor larval starvation had a significant effect on duration of trophallaxis (mean = 11s, SD = 2s), bolus swallowing rate (mean = 2/s, SD = 0.5/s), or bolus volume (mean = 0.0675 nl, SD = 0.0002 nl, based on the assumption that the stomodaeum's epithelial layer is not expandable). Larval body orientation and larval location within the brood pile also had no effect on duration. Durations of trophallaxis by workers of different sizes were similar. Durations of trophallaxis for 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-instar worker larvae were also constant but greater than that for 4th-instar worker larvae. Fourth-instar minim larvae (from founding colonies) and 4th-instar worker larvae (from mature colonies) were fed for the same duration by workers but for different durations by founding queens. Founding queens fed minim larvae longer than they fed worker larvae. The durations of feedings to 4th-instar sexual larvae were more variable than those to worker larvae. Altogether, these findings indicated that 4th-instar worker larvae ingested a small, nearly constant volume of food (mean = 1.50 nl, SD = 0.005 nl) during each trophallactic event. Consequently, the long-term allocation of liquid food by workers to these larvae is regulated by the frequency of trophallaxis. Several other ant species showed a similar brevity and constancy in the duration of worker-larva trophallaxis. This brevity of worker-larva trophallaxis is in contrast to the duration of worker-worker trophallaxis. Although the duration of worker-larva trophallaxis appears to be determined by the worker, the data are not totally consistent with this interpretation.
A hinge region cis-proline in ribonuclease A acts as a conformational gatekeeper for C-terminal domain swapping.

Domain swapping, the process in which a structural unit is exchanged between monomers to create a dimer containing two subunits of the monomeric fold, is believed to be an important mechanism for oligomerization and the formation of amyloid fibrils. Structural studies have implicated proline as an important residue for domain swapping due to its increased frequency in hinge regions preceding swapped arms. We hypothesized that proline's unique ability to populate both cis and trans peptide bond conformations may allow proline to act as a conformational gatekeeper, regulating interconversion between monomer and domain-swapped dimer forms. The hinge region of RNase A contains a proline at residue 114 that adopts a cis conformation in the monomer and extends to a trans conformation in the C-terminal domain-swapped dimer. Substitution of P114 with residues that strongly prefer a trans peptide bond (Ala, Gly) results in significant population of the C-terminal domain-swapped dimer under near-physiological conditions (pH 8.0, 37 °C). This is in stark contrast to dimerization of wild-type RNase A, which requires incubation under extreme conditions such as lyophilization from acetic acid or elevated temperature. In addition, we observe similar results when cis-P114 is mutated to glycine in a homologous RNase, human pancreatic RNase 1. Our results suggest that isomerization at P114 may facilitate population of a partially unfolded intermediate or alternative structure competent for domain swapping and provide support for a more general role for proline isomerization as a conformational gatekeeper in domain swapping and oligomerization.
Occupational Medicine and Health Affairs Interest

My interest in occupational medicine and related health affairs stems from both professional and personal perspectives. Professionally, the capacity to physically perform work in an effective and efficient manner has always been curious to me. Whether a person is a first responder, carpenter or someone performing filing, the ability to physically accomplish the task in a given amount of time, without being overly fatigued, is important not only to the worker, but the employer and the health system. Physical tasks that result in abnormal physiological responses could eventually contribute to pathologic tendencies. Pathology, which could in time result in impairments and functional limitations, may limit worker productivity and mean more health care. Studying occupational medicine and applying pertinent findings could facilitate greater worker productivity and more prudent use of health care. More recently, worker apparel has become a consideration in not only worker safety at a plant, but also worker productivity. Apparel needs to protect the worker but not increase physical fatigue, or productivity could be limited. This study consideration has been another example of an important occupational medicine and health affairs issue.
A Quantitative Determination of the Ammonia, Amino Nitrogen, Lactose, Total Acid, and Volatile Acid Content of Cows’ Milk

Summary The amino nitrogen content of the same sample of milk varied widely with the method of preparing the amino solution for use in the Van Slyke apparatus. Closely duplicating results were obtained from the same solution under the same conditions by the use of the Van Slyke micro-apparatus. All samples of milk, when subjected to steam distillation, gave off a volatile sulphide.
Why Teachers Must Learn: Student Innovation as a Driving Factor in the Future of the Web

Abstract User innovation is the key to the development and vitality of technology. As Huatong Sun wrote, “expanding the scope of localization practices and linking user localization efforts” to design cycles—including pedagogical design—will help bridge the gap between what teachers/designers create and what skills users/students need and want. This article theorizes the role of modern composition students and teachers as co-constructors of productive spaces for learning critical inquiry based on students’ statuses as digital natives. It focuses on a class of first-year composition students who reshaped an assignment to fit their own needs within the physical classroom and also enacted a shift to a virtual classroom. While doing so, they provided ways for each class member to individualize space within that digital environment, and they focused their project on examining the ways in which social networking forums colonize their daily lives. This article argues that by letting student innovation drive pedagogical practice—just as social media creators let user innovation drive the digital structures they produce—composition teachers can be assured of having a text for critique that blurs the lines between “private” student underlife and “public” classroom practice and legitimizes the creation of student-produced learning spaces. Using critical and cyberfeminist theories as lenses, this article draws conclusions about the future of computer usage in composition pedagogy based on students’ abilities to re-appropriate physical and digital classroom space.
Adjoint Optimization of Volumetric Sources in Steady, Supersonic Flow: Energy Addition

Adjoint optimization methods have proven successful for the control of turbulence and boundary layers and in the design of airfoils and aircraft. In this paper, the adjoint equations are extended to the problem of controlling steady, inviscid, supersonic flow with volumetric source terms in the Euler equations, that is, mass, momentum, and energy addition. The adjoint solutions are shown to indicate both the optimal location for the source placement and cost gradient. In the particular case of drag reduction by energy deposition, the gradient is proportional to energy efficiency and becomes a key factor in optimization. The general form of the problem makes these results applicable to all forms of volumetric control with the goals of drag reduction, lift enhancement, and the generation of pitching moments.
Differential expression of Tbx4 and Tbx5 in Zebrafish Fin buds

In here we report the identification of two new members of the T-box gene family, zf-tbx5 and zf-tbx4, from the Zebrafish, Danio rerio. The amino acid sequences within the T-box domain share high homology with the mouse, chick, and newt orthologs. Whole mount in situ hybridization revealed specific expression of these genes in the eye and Fin buds. zf-tbx5 expression is restricted to the pectoral Fin bud, whilst zf-tbx4 transcripts are confined in the pelvic Fin bud. These results reveal the conserved expression pattern of Tbx5 and Tbx4 during appendage development in all animal species studied to date.
Corrigendum to “Temperature effects on the hydrophobic interaction of parallel plates in the framework of the probabilistic approach to hydrogen bonding” [J. Colloid Interface Sci. 343 (2010) 510–521]

Fig. 3. The solvent-mediated contribution U to the potential of mean force between two hydrophobic parallel plates as a function of interplate distance x in water at The authors regret that the printed version of the above article contained a few errors. The authors would like toapologise for any inconvenience caused. On the RHS of Eq. (3), there must be an additional, constant term U sb , so that the correct Eq. (3) is U x 1⁄4 U hs xs þ U hs xb þ U hs sb ; ðx 6 5gÞ ð3Þ
Automatic target recognition using acousto-optic image correlator

using an acousto-optic correlator and digital electronics. The optical system performs thecomputationally intensive correlation operation on the large 2-D input scenes. The electronicsprovide the decision making capability and also performs part of the normalization needed forincreasing the peak-to-sidelobe ratio in cluttered scenes. The system is able to analyze eachcorrelation plane and apply a real-time template selection algorithm to accommodate scale orrotation changes of the target. A demonstration of the current system capabilities is presented
Effects of plant size and distribution on the numbers of invertebrate species and individuals inhabiting the brown alga Pelvetia fastigiata

The invertebrates living on specimens of the brown alga Pelvetia fastigiata, growing in the intertidal zone at La Jolla, California (USA) in November 1975 were enumerated. Within 7 collecting sites, larger plants generally shelter more animal species and individuals than smaller plants. The number of species on a given plant can be described as an equilibrium number; numbers of species and individuals can become similar on defaunated and transplanted algae of comparable sizes placed at the same experimental site. Such equilibria are site-specific because the colonization, immigration and loss rates of animals differ among the sites studied. Relationships between plant size and the number of animal species and individuals on P. fastigiata also differ among the collecting sites. The between-site differences are related to tidal level, to habitat diversity and to habitat patch-size. Small isolated plants without epiphytes shelter few species. The faunas of larger isolated plants at mid-tide levels generally include many thallus-dwelling, tubiculous, vagrant and epiphyte-dwelling species, but few such species commonly inhabit plants within aggregations of P. fastigiata. Within aggregations, the plants host relatively few epiphytes and thus lack habitat diversity, and the net emigration rates of many animals including epiphyte-dwellers are relatively high. Plants within aggregations, however, usually shelter more animal indivuduals than isolated plants. Thus, faunal diversity is reduced, not increased within the largest patches of P. fastigiata.
Improving system structure and its affect on vertical migration

Abstract Microprogramming is a widely accepted processor implementation technique. It is also used as a means for improving the performance of systems by migrating software functions to microcode. This is called vertical migration. To perform vertical migrations complexities of operating systems and firmware must be addressed. An experiment is performed that takes an existing software design methodology and assesses its impact on the complexity problems faced in migration. Specific improvements in understandability and performance are attained. The results are generalized by developing a multi-level hierarchical model based on the object concept. Using the model, a ‘new’ opportunity for performance improvement in performing vertical migrations is identified.
Histologie Evaluation of Formocresol and Oxpara Pulpotomies in Rhesus Monkeys

Twenty teeth, treated with either Oxpara or Formocresol, were evaluated in histologic examinations 22, 85, 167, and 260 days after pulpotomies were performed. The histologic findings were comparable at the four periods. Treatments of 9 teeth with Formocresol and of 8 of 11 teeth with Oxpara were successful. The three failures are thought to result from loss of the restorations. Thus, either medicament can be used effectively as a germicide and fixative.
Cyclization of eleostearic acid

1. Methyl eleostearate has been thermally cyclized in good yields, and a concentrate of the cyclic product has been prepared. 2. Using small amounts, a technique has been devised for a) aromatization of the resultant cyclohexadiene, b) oxidation to orthophthalic acid, and c) characterization of the acid as the anhydride and the imide. 3. The significance of cyclic fatty acids in industrial processes is discussed.
Smoking, Drinking, and Drug Use in Young Adulthood: The Impacts of New Freedoms and New Responsibilities

Why do some young adults substantially change their patterns of smoking, drinking, or illicit drug use after graduating from high school? In this book, the authors show that leaving high school and leaving home create new freedoms that are linked to increases in the use of cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine. They also show that marriage, pregnancy, and parenthood create new responsibilities that are linked to decreases in drug use. The research is based on more than 33,000 young people followed from high school through young adulthood by the nationwide Monitoring the Future project. Every two years, participants reported on their drug use, as well as their schooling, employment, military service, living arrangements, marriages, pregnancies, parenthood, and even their divorces. The unique qualities of this research--large nationally representative samples, follow-ups extending up to 14 years beyond high school, and multiple approaches to analysis and data presentation--allowed the examination of several important influences simultaneously, while retaining much of the rich detail encountered in the real world. On the whole, the results are encouraging, suggesting that the potentials for change and improvement during the transition to adulthood are as important as the detrimental effects of problem behavior in adolescence. This research is a "must" read for anyone concerned with how new freedoms and responsibilities impact adolescents, young adults, and the use of licit and illicit drugs.
Development of the Mosquito Aedes dorsalis (Diptera: Culicidae) in Relation to Temperature and Salinity

Larvae and pupae of Aedes dorsalis were reared at constant temperatures of 21°, 25°, and 30°C in media with salinities ranging from 0-30,000 ppm NaCl. At the most favorable temperature, 25°, adults emerged when the medium contained 28,000 ppm. In high-saline media, survival rates of 1st-stage larvae were reduced considerably at 21°. At 30°, a concentration as low as 5000 ppm was toxic to pupae. The maximal concentration tolerated by larvae delayed development from 1st-stage larvae to the adult stage by ca. 1 day, regardless of temperature. When reared in 25,000 ppm NaCl for 4 generations at 25°, survival rate increased from 18% in the 1st generation to 57% in the 4th generation. The increased tolerance had no effect on growth rate.
Ratchet patterns sort molecular shuttles

Molecular shuttles based on microtubules propelled by motor proteins can be guided on surfaces by adsorbing motors in chemical patterns or by using open guiding channels. While chemical patterns can guide microtubules based on a Brownian ratchet mechanism, the rigidity of the microtubules limits guiding to features with dimensions on the order of their persistence length (5 mm). To achieve guiding on micron-scale dimensions, physical barriers are required which can exploit the forces exerted by multiple motors to bend tubules into tight radii of curvature. Microtubule guiding is illustrated for the case of a special ratchet pattern that is capable of sorting microtubules on the basis of the direction of their motion.
A human CR1-like transcript containing sequence for a binding protein for iC4 is expressed in hematopoietic and fetal lymphoid tissue.

Abstract Primate immune adherence receptors are erythrocyte complement receptors (E-CR) that favorably influence the clearance of circulating immune complexes (IC). The human E-CR is the type one complement receptor (CR1), most commonly expressed as a 220 kDa protein containing 30 short consensus repeats (SCRs). The chimpanzee E-CR is a 75 kDa protein composed of eight SCRs, and is encoded by an ortholog of human CR1-like (CR1L), a genetic element related to CR1. Human CR1L was previously identified from genomic clones that predict exons for seven SCRs, and there have been no reports of CR1L expression. The purpose of this study was to determine if human CR1L is expressed. Amplification of human bone marrow cDNA using primers specific for CR1/CR1L yielded a product similar to chimp CR1L encoding sequence. The first 6.5 SCRs matched 100% with the predicted human CR1L sequence, while the second half of SCR 7 was homologous to the comparable chimp CR1L sequence but with a stop codon. Expression in COS-7 cells yielded a human CR1L protein of approximately 50 kDa that exhibited binding specificity for iC4 but not for iC3. Neither northern nor western blot analysis of human bone marrow revealed the presence of the CR1L transcript or protein. However, northern blot analysis of various other lymphoid tissue identified a candidate CR1L transcript in human fetal liver. PCR amplification of a cDNA panel of human fetal tissue confirmed the presence of the CR1L transcript in fetal liver, and to a lesser extent in fetal spleen and thymus. Thus, expression of the CR1L transcript appears to be limited to hematopoietic and fetal lymphoid tissue.
A 76-year-old man with recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea: review of C. difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a common and increasingly severe nosocomial infectious disease. The case of Mr S, a 76-year-old man with multiple recurrences of CDI, illustrates the difficulties in treating recurrent disease and the way it complicates the management of other medical conditions. Risk factors for CDI include antimicrobial use, hospital admission, advancing age, and severe underlying disease. A clinical diagnosis of CDI is usually confirmed by identifying C difficile toxins in a stool sample. Evidence supports metronidazole, 500 mg every 6 hours for 10 to 14 days, as the treatment of choice for mild to moderately severe CDI. Oral vancomycin, 125 mg every 6 hours for 10 to 14 days, is recommended for severe CDI, for which it is more effective than metronidazole. Recurrent CDI occurs in more than 20% of patients when metronidazole or vancomycin treatment is discontinued. Few studies have evaluated treatment options for recurrent CDI, but a prolonged, tapering, and pulse-dosed regimen of oral vancomycin is commonly used. Careful attention to antimicrobial stewardship and infection control practices is essential to curb this nosocomial, iatrogenic disease.
Polyacrylamide-boronate beads saturated with biomolecules: A new general support for affinity chromatography of enzymes

Aminoethyl polyacrylamide beads (P-150) were quantitatively coupled to m-aminobenzeneboronic acid to yield a product containing 1.3 mmoles of boronic acid per gram (dry weight) of gel. The average pKa of the insolubilized boronic acid was determined to be 9.2. At pH 8.45 a number of enzyme substrates and cofactors, including NAD+, citric acid, pyridoxal, and epinephrine, were shown to bind to P-150-boronate beads packed in chromatography columns. At saturation, the P-150-boronate beads bound 2.5 to 80 μmoles of substrate or cofactor per ml of wet packed gel. A P-150-boronate column saturated with uridine 5′-triphosphate was used to achieve a 1000-fold purification of the enzyme uridine 5′-diphosphate glucose pyrophosphorylase (EC 2.7.7.9) from the slime mold, Physarum polycephalum.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words: Preventive Self-Defense as a Cascading Norm

How and to what extent is the preventive use of force becoming the future of foreign policy for states around the world? We explore the spread of preventive logic to increasing numbers of states and examine the degree to which an international norm toward preventive self-defense is cascading in the international system. Through content and comparative case study analysis, we investigate leaders’ rhetoric and security policies concerning what we theorize is the key indicator of a country's emulation of the United States: assertion of the right to the unilateral, preventive use of force outside of its borders. Our evidence indicates that there has been a shift away from the established international norm—which considers the use of preventive force illegal and illegitimate—toward growing acceptance of unilateral preventive strategies, a shift largely propelled by the precedents set by the United States in the war in Iraq and its use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) in the global war on terror. Our findings also reveal that some states are applying the strategy of preventive self-defense beyond the use of UAVs for targeted killings to the extreme contingency plan for nuclear war. We conclude by discussing possibilities for further research and considering the implications of this phenomenon.
Pregnancy and eating disorders: A review and clinical implications

Pregnancy and eating disorders is a subject that has received relatively little attention in the literature. Yet, several serious complications have been found in both the mother and the fetus when a woman with an eating disorder becomes pregnant. In this paper the literature is reviewed for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and suggestions for future research are offered. Clinical implications for the treatment of the pregnant eating disordered patient are discussed.
Approximate dominance-based rough sets using equivalence granules

The rough set theory introduced by Pawlak has provided a solid foundation for developing many useful learning algorithms and tools for data analysis. Dominance-based rough set introduced by Greco et al. is an extension of classical rough sets for dealing with multiple criteria decision analysis problems. In this paper, we look into the relationship between the two theories and introduce a procedure for approximating dominance-based rough sets by a family of equivalence relations. We use the concept of indexed blocks to represent dominance-based approximation space, and it is assumed that the family of indexed blocks forms a partition on the universe of objects. Objects in lower approximations are used to approximate the dominance-based approximation space. An example is given to illustrate the feasibility of our approach.
Investigating the Utility of Previously Developed Prediction Scores in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients in the Stroke Belt

Background To assess the utility of previously developed scoring systems, we compared SEDAN, named after the components of the score (baseline blood Sugar, Early infarct signs and (hyper) Dense cerebral artery sign on admission computed tomography scan, Age, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale on admission), Totaled Health Risks in Vascular Events (THRIVE), Houston Intra-arterial Therapy (HIAT), and HIAT-2 scoring systems among patients receiving systemic (intravenous [IV] tissue plasminogen activator [tPA]) and endovascular (intra-arterial [IA]) treatments. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all IV tPA and IA patients presenting to our center from 2008-2011. The scores were assessed in patients who were treated with IV tPA only, IA only, and a combination of IV tPA and IA (IV-IA). We tested the ability of THRIVE to predict discharge modified Rankin scale (mRS) 3-6, HIAT and HIAT-2 discharge mRS 4-6, and SEDAN symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH). Results Of the 366 patients who were included in this study, 243 had IV tPA only, 89 had IA only, and 34 had IV-IA. THRIVE was predictive of mRS 3-6 in the IV-IA (odds ratio [OR], 1.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30-2.91) and the IV group (OR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.43-2.04), but not in the IA group. HIAT was predictive of mRS 4-6 in the IA (OR, 3.55; 95% CI, 1.65-7.25), IV (OR, 3.47; 95% CI, 2.26-5.33), and IV-IA group (OR, 6.48; 95% CI, 1.41-29.71). HIAT-2 was predictive of mRS 4-6 in the IA (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.03-1.87) and IV group (OR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.18-1.57), but not in the IV-IA group. SEDAN was not predictive of sICH in the IA or the IV-IA group, but was predictive in the IV group (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.01-2.36). Conclusions Our study demonstrated that although highly predictive of outcome in the original study design treatment groups, prediction scores may not generalize to all patient samples, highlighting the importance of validating prediction scores in diverse samples.
Use of non-indicated cardiac testing in low-risk patients: Choosing Wisely

In 2011, the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation created the Choosing Wisely initiative, which encourages physicians to be responsible stewards of finite healthcare resources.1 Through this programme, specialty societies have created lists of “Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question”. Cardiac testing in low-risk patients appears on the Choosing Wisely lists of six specialty societies (see online supplementary table S1). A challenge in studying potential waste or creating incentives for improving healthcare efficiency is the scarcity of accepted definitions of low-value or potentially harmful care. To date, Choosing Wisely recommendations have not been translated into claims-based algorithms for measurement purposes and thus neither the prevalence of these services nor the associated spending has been estimated at a population level. Using Medicare administrative data from 2006 to 2011, we estimated the proportion of low-risk Medicare beneficiaries receiving non-invasive cardiac screening tests without a clear, pertinent symptomatic indication, as well as the regional variation in and spending associated with these tests. For comparison and as a validation of our patient risk assignment, we measured cardiac testing in beneficiaries with or at high risk for cardiac disease. Using the Medicare 40% denominator file, we identified all fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Parts A, B and D (inpatient, outpatient and prescription coverage), 2006–2011, and created six annual enrolment cohorts (see online supplementary table S1 for an expanded version of methods). Each beneficiary was assigned a cardiovascular disease risk status (low or high) based on records in Medicare Carrier, Outpatient, MedPAR, Hospice and Prescription Drug Event files using a combination of International Classification of Disease codes and drug ingredient codes. For each annual enrolment cohort, beneficiaries with no evidence of significant cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular risk were deemed low-risk, and the remaining beneficiaries were deemed high-risk for cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular events. …
Pharmacokinetic properties and stability of continuous-infusion meropenem in adults with cystic fibrosis

Abstract Background: Meropenem is commonly used to treat lung infections in adults with cystic fibrosis (CF). Although continuous infusion is the ideal method to maximize the pharmacodynamic properties of this betalactam antibiotic, meropenem is stable for only ∼4 to 6 hours at room temperature, and its pharmacokinetic (PK) properties, when administered by continuous infusion to patients with CF, are largely unknown. Objective: This study was undertaken to determine the PK properties and stability of meropenem when administered to adults with CF by a continuous ambulatory drug-delivery infusion pump stored in a cold pouch between 2 freezer packs. Methods: This open-label, multidose, randomized, crossover PK study was conducted at the Clinical Research Center at Hartford Hospital (Harford, Connecticut). Adults aged ≥ 18 years with CF were eligible. Study participants were randomized to receive meropenem 125 mg/h or 250 mg/h (equivalent to 3 g and 6 g, respectively, over 24 hours) by continuous IV infusion for 12 hours. Serum samples were collected throughout the infusion and then for 6 hours after infusion to determine the PK properties (volume of distribution [V d ], elimination rate constant, total body clearance [CL], terminal half-life [t12], and steady-state concentration [C ss ]). Serum meropenem concentrations were assayed using high-performance liquid chromatography, and PK profiles were determined using compartmental analysis. Meropenem stability was ascertained by sampling the drug directly from the infusion pump at prespecified time points. Meropenem tolerability was assessed throughout the study by questioning subjects on how they felt. In addition, laboratory values of serum chemistries and liver enzymes were compared with baseline values. Results: Seven adult volunteers with CF (4 women, 3 men; mean [SD] age, 27 [10] years [range, 19–46 years]) participated in the study. Mean (SD) C ss values were 8.31 (0.68) mg/L and 18.50 (3.31) mg/L for the 125-mg/h and 250-mg/h infusion rates, respectively. V d , CL, and t12 were dose independent and similar between the 2 infusion rates. Meropenem stability was maintained over 12 and 24 hours. Meropenem by continuous infusion was well tolerated. One patient complained of a headache during the study. Conclusions: In this study of adults with CF, meropenem infusion rates of 125 mg/h and 250 mg/h provided serum drug concentrations greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration for pathogens considered meropenem susceptible (≤ 4 μg/mL) and intermediately resistant (8 μg/mL), respectively.
Continuity or Replacement; Controversies in Homo Sapiens Evolution

Continuity or Replacement; Controversies in Homo Sapiens Evolution. Gunter Brauer and Fred H. Smith (eds). Rotterdam/Brookfield, Vermont: A. A. Balkema, 1992. 315 pp., b/w illustrations, line drawings, bibliographies, index. $80.00 (cloth).
Axisymmetric ring solutions of the 2D Gray–Scott model and their destabilization into spots

This article concerns annular ring solutions of the Gray–Scott model. In the monostable regime, annular rings are far-fromequilibrium patterns supported on annuli inside of which the activator is concentrated. The diffusive flux of inhibitor over long length scales toward such an annulus feeds the production of activator there, and the interaction is semi-strong. Numerical and experimental observations show that annular rings often split into spots, and the main result presented in this article is a method to predict the number of spots that an annular ring, unstable to angular disturbances, will split into. This method is an extension to 2D circular geometries of the nonlocal eigenvalue problem (NLEP) method developed for pulse solutions of the 1D Gray–Scott problem, in which the full eigenvalue problem—a pair of second-order, nonautonomous coupled equations—is recast as a single, second-order equation with a nonlocal term. We also continue the results for the monostable regime into the bistable regime of the Gray–Scott model, where target patterns exist and their rings are observed to destabilize into rings of spots, as may be shown using a classical Turing/Ginzburg–Landau analysis. Thus, for these 2D circular geometries, the NLEP method is to the instability of annular rings in the monostable regime what the Turing analysis is to the instability of target patterns in the bistable regime near criticality. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Swimming in shear

The complex patterns observed in experiments on suspensions of swimming cells undergoing bioconvection have fascinated biologists, physicists and mathematicians alike for over a century. Theoretical models developed over the last few decades have shown a strong similarity with Rayleigh–Benard thermal convection, albeit with a richer dynamical behaviour due to the orientational degrees of freedom of the cells. In a recent paper, Hwang & Pedley (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 738, 2014, pp. 522–562) revisit previous models for bioconvection to investigate the effects of an external shear flow on pattern formation. In addition to casting light on new mechanisms for instability, their study demonstrates a subtle interplay between shear, swimming motions and bioconvection patterns.
Study finds that the combination gabapentin plus nortriptyline reduces neuropathic pain more than either drug alone

Commentary on: I Gilron, JM Bailey, D Tu, et al.. Nortriptyline and gabapentin, alone and in combination for neuropathic pain: a double-blind, randomised controlled crossover trial. Lancet2009;374:1252–61.
Do some corals like it hot

Global increases in sea temperatures threaten coral reef resilience because thermal stress can cause corals to bleach; that is, to lose their photosynthetic microalgal symbionts. Recent evidence suggests that some corals associate with genotypes of microalgae that resist future thermal stress, however, these genotypes might provide less energy for growth when thermal stresses are curtailed. Coral reef resilience depends on whether phenotypic and genotypic changes in host-symbiont associations can match projected increases in the frequency and severity of thermal stress, as well as on our ability to ameliorate continuing human impacts.
Sociocultural Approaches to Language and Literacy: An Interactionist Perspective

Sociocultural Approaches to Language and Literacy: An Interactionist Perspective Vera John-Steiner Carolyn P. Panofsky, and Larry W. Smith, eds. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1994. 402 pp.
Relationships among Swimming Ability, Current Velocity Association, and Morphology for Freshwater Lotic Fishes

Abstract We determined swimming ability for 37 warmwater stream fishes in Texas and Louisiana and assessed relationships among swimming ability, habitat selection, and fish morphology. Mean absolute speeds (cm/s) were 17.8–81.9 cm/s for Cyprinidae, 50.9 cm/s for Characidae, 70.0 cm/s for Ictaluridae, 33.0 cm/s for Cichlidae, 40.0 cm/s for Percidae, 30.7–43.4 cm/s for Cyprinodontidae, 30.2 cm/s for Atherinidae, 15.7–18.6 cm/s for Poeciliidae, and 23.4–40.5 cm/s for Centrarchidae. Absolute swimming speeds were correlated (P < 0.01) to reported habitat descriptions (i.e., sloughs, lakes, streams, and rivers) of fishes. Absolute swimming speeds also were good predictors of spatial (i.e., runs, pools, and riffles) distributions of fishes from Independence Creek, Texas (P = 0.03), and Banita Creek, Texas (P = 0.06). Multivariate ordination of nine morphological attributes identified the linear combination of relative body depth, dorsal fin length, and caudal span width as an adequate predictor (P < 0.01) of swi...
Molecular identification and localization of cellular titin, a novel titin isoform in the fibroblast stress fiber.

We previously discovered a large titin-like protein—c-titin—in chicken epithelial brush border and human blood platelet extracts that binds α-actinin and organizes arrays of myosin II bipolar filaments in vitro. RT-PCR analysis of total RNA from human megakaryoblastic (CHRF-288-11) and mouse fibroblast (3T3) nonmuscle cells reveal sequences identical to known titin gene exon sequences that encode parts of the Z-line, I-band, PEVK domain, A-band, and M-line regions of striated muscle titins. In the nonmuscle cells, these sequences are differentially spliced in patterns not reported for any striated muscle titin isoform. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies raised against expressed protein fragments encoded by the Z-repeat and kinase domain regions react with the c-titin band in Western blot analysis of platelet extracts and immunoprecipitate c-titin in whole platelet extracts. Immunofluorescent localization demonstrates that the majority of the c-titin colocalizes with α-actinin and actin in 3T3 and Indian Muntjac deer skin fibroblast stress fibers. Our results suggest that differential expression of titin gene exons in nonmuscle cells yields multiple novel isoforms of the protein c-titin that are associated with the actin stress fiber structures. Cell Motil. Cytoskeleton 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The tetragonal–monoclinic, ferroelastic transformation in yttrium tantalate and effect of zirconia alloying

Abstract Oxide compositions of equimolar YO1.5 and TaO2.5 in the Y–Ta–Zr–O system have attractive properties for high-temperature applications, including as thermal barrier coatings. The effect of zirconia concentration, from 0 to 20 mol.% cation, on the tetragonal-to-monoclinic phase transition has been studied using high-temperature X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and electron microscopy. The transformation is reversible and the temperature variation of an order parameter based on the spontaneous strain is consistent with the transformation being ferroelastic, a critical feature for toughening at high temperatures. The presence of twin domains further supports this conclusion. Additionally, stabilization of the tetragonal phase with increasing ZrO2 is evident from the amount of partially retained tetragonal phase at room temperature.
Overview of Nosocomial Infections Caused by Gram-Negative Bacilli

We analyzed data from the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance (NNIS) System from 1986-2003 to determine the epidemiology of gram-negative bacilli in intensive care units (ICUs) for the most frequent types of hospital-acquired infection: pneumonia, surgical site infection (SSI), urinary tract infection (UTI), and bloodstream infection (BSI). We analyzed >410,000 bacterial isolates associated with hospital-acquired infections in ICUs during 1986-2003. In 2003, gram-negative bacilli were associated with 23.8% of BSIs, 65.2% of pneumonia episodes, 33.8% of SSIs, and 71.1% of UTIs. The percentage of BSIs associated with gram-negative bacilli decreased from 33.2% in 1986 to 23.8% in 2003. The percentage of SSIs associated with gram-negative bacilli decreased from 56.5% in 1986 to 33.8% in 2003. The percentages pneumonia episodes and UTIs associated with gram-negative bacilli remained constant during the study period. The proportion of ICU pneumonia episodes associated with Acinetobacter species increased from 4% in 1986 to 7.0% in 2003 (P<.001, by the Cochran-Armitage chi2 test for trend). Significant increases in resistance rates were uniformly seen for selected antimicrobial-pathogen combinations. Gram-negative bacilli are commonly associated with hospital-acquired infections in ICUs. The proportion of Acinetobacter species associated with ICU pneumonia increased from 4% in 1986 to 7.0% in 2003.
Jesus Q. Politician: Religious Rhetoric in the United States, Australia, and Canada

Sociologist Peter Berger once said that if India is the most religious country and Sweden the least, then the United States is a nation of Indians ruled by Swedes. In terms of use of religious rhetoric by politicians, however, the United States actually comes closer to being a nation of Indians ruled by Indians, while Australia a nation of Swedes ruled by “Swindians,” and Canada a nation of “Swindians” ruled by Swedes. This article provides evidence for these claims and assesses theories as to what causes greater use of religious rhetoric by politicians. Size of the religious population and the rights revolution are not decisive in determining whether politicians heavily use religious rhetoric. The article argues that the politicization of religion is related to coalition-building incentives with Catholics.
Characteristics of cell-mediated, anti-listerial immunity induced by a naturally avirulent Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4a strain HCC23

The characteristics of cell-mediated, anti-listerial immune response initiated by an avirulent Listeria monocytogenes serotype 4a strain HCC23 was assessed. Similar to virulent strain EGD, avirulent strain HCC23 grew readily within macrophage-like J774 cells, but nonhemolytic strain ATCC 15313 did not. Compared with EGD, HCC23 induced a relatively low level of gamma interferon (IFN-γ) in mice, and ATCC 15313 stimulated no detectable IFN-γ. The percentages of gated CD4 T cells from mice immunized with EGD and HCC23 showed a notable drop (to 30%) at 21 days post exposure in comparison with that (about 50%) from ATCC 15313-injected or untreated mice; and the percentage of gated NK cells from EGD-immunized group was markedly higher than those from other treatment groups. Mice immunized with HCC23 and EGD developed an equally strong protective immunity against listeriosis that was effective in both short and long terms, but those injected with ATCC 15313 or saline succumbed to listeriosis within 6 days of challenge.
Multimorbidity, Depression, and Mortality in Primary Care: Randomized Clinical Trial of an Evidence-Based Depression Care Management Program on Mortality Risk

Two-thirds of older adults have two or more medical conditions that often take precedence over depression in primary care. We evaluated whether evidence-based depression care management would improve the long-term mortality risk among older adults with increasing levels of medical comorbidity. Longitudinal analyses of the practice-randomized Prevention of Suicide in Primary Care Elderly: Collaborative Trial (PROSPECT). Twenty primary care practices randomized to intervention or usual care. The sample included 1204 older primary care patients completing the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) and other interview questions at baseline. For 2 years, a depression care manager worked with primary care physicians to provide algorithm-based care for depression, offering psychotherapy, increasing the antidepressant dose if indicated, and monitoring symptoms, medication adverse effects, and treatment adherence. Depression status based on clinical interview, CCI to evaluate medical comorbidity, and vital status at 8 years (National Death Index). In the usual care condition, patients with the highest levels of medical comorbidity and depression were at increased risk of mortality over the course of the follow-up compared to depressed patients with minimal medical comorbidity [hazard ratio 3.02 (95 % CI, 1.32 to 8.72)]. In contrast, in intervention practices, patients with the highest level of medical comorbidity and depression compared to depressed patients with minimal medical comorbidity were not at significantly increased risk [hazard ratio 1.73 (95 % CI, 0.86 to 3.96)]. Nondepressed patients in intervention and usual care practices had similar mortality risk. Depression management mitigated the combined effect of multimorbidity and depression on mortality. Depression management should be integral to optimal patient care, not a secondary focus.
Will China's Development lead to Mexico's Underdevelopment?

China has become an important global actor in the arenas of production, trade, and foreign investment. In 1948, China contributed slightly less than 1 percent to global exports; by 2013, it had grown to almost 12 percent. Has China's vertiginous trade growth come at the expense of other exporters or does it represent an expansion of new consumer markets? For policy makers in the so-called "emerging markets," this is most relevant since many have adopted the export-led model as their engine of development. The goal of this article is to add to the current literature on the effect of China's growth on Mexico. Combining elements of world-systems, race-to-the-bottom, and global commodity chain frameworks, I analyze the consequences of China's export growth in garlic. The evidence strongly suggests that China's entrance into this global market has had deleterious consequences for Mexico's production and exports.
Observation of the Mössbauer effect in238U following Coulomb excitation

Abstract Experiments performed on uranium show that the Mossbauer effect can be observed following Coulomb excitation of an actinide. There is evidence of structure in the observed spectra which may be due to quadrupole hyperfine splitting.
Sticky Gender Stereotypes and the Unfulfilled Promise of Alternative Family Forms

Reproductive technologies, in mediating the conceptual fracture of parenthood, have generated a strong impetus to re-evaluate what it means to be a legal parent. Given the increasing visibility of family forms that deviate from the heterosexual, nuclear norm, this moment of legal uncertainty presents a unique opportunity to re-imagine the parent in an expanded, more inclusive manner that reflects and affirms the social transformation of the family. This paper examines trends in the adjudication of parenthood and investigates the interplay of those trends with the legal affirmation of non-traditional family forms. I argue that the stickiness of stereotypically gendered notions of maternity and paternity continue to restrain and distort the legal re-imagination of parenthood, despite the destabilizing challenges to those notions posed by non-traditional families and reproductive technologies. I then argue that this sexist vision of parenthood serves to restrict the legal affirmation of non-traditional families, hindering an inclusive legal response to the social transformation of the family. In other words, gender remains highly relevant not only in the adjudication of legal parenthood, but also in the legal affirmation of family form.
Analytical Velocity Distribution

The concepts and solutions presented here should be helpful not only for their academic value but also as aids for modeling and interpreting velocity distributions in open channel and pipe flows. Their applicability should be limited only by the requirements of fully developed uniform and the assumption of a parabolic distribution of turbulent diffusivity.
Early-onset prosthetic valve endocarditis.

BACKGROUND Endocarditis following cardiac valve implantation is a rare but serious complication. OBJECTIVE To determine the risk and outcome of early-onset prosthetic valve endocarditis (EO-PVE) in adult patients at The Cleveland Clinic. METHODS Retrospective review of a 5-year case series of patients who acquired bloodstream infections within 60 days of surgery identified through a prospective surveillance program. RESULTS Sixty-eight of approximately 2100 patients acquired bloodstream infections; 16 (24%) contracted EO-PVE and 52 (76%) did not. Risk factors for EO-PVE included younger age, at least three sets of positive blood culture results, and an organism other than a gram-negative bacillus. The majority of patients with EO-PVE had a recognized source of infection (wound or vascular catheter site), but no infections were attributed to a pulmonary or urinary tract site. Eleven patients (69%) were cured, including six who underwent emergent second operations. CONCLUSION Patients with multiple blood cultures positive for organisms other than gram-negative bacilli are at risk of EO-PVE, even when a primary wound infection or vascular catheter site infection is recognized and treated.