cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Myocardial injury: quantitation by cell sorting initiated with antimyosin fluorescent spheres

Spheres coated with antibodies specific for myosin were used to detect myocardial cell membrane disruption by scanning electron microscopy. Injury in a population of cultured myocytes as then followed and measured by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. This approach provides a unique method for quantitating the evolution of myocardial injury and potentially for assessing the efficacy of interventions aimed at myocardial protection.
PPADS, an ATP antagonist, attenuates the effects of a moderately intense sound on cochlear mechanics

Abstract Increasing attention is being given to the role of neurotransmitters and other signaling substances in the damage induced by intense sound to the cochlea. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is one example of a putative neurotransmitter that may alter cochlear mechanics during sound exposure. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that endogenous extracellular ATP has a role in the generation of the changes in cochlear mechanics induced by moderate intense sound exposure. Guinea pigs were exposed to either: (1) a perilymphatic administration of pyridoxal-phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid (PPADS, 1 mM), an ATP antagonist; (2) a moderately intense sound (6 kHz tone, 95 dB SPL, 15 min); or (3) a combination of the PPADS and the sound. The effects on the cubic distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs; 2f1−f2) were monitored using three sets of equal level primaries (f1=9.25 kHz, f2=10.8 kHz, 2f1−f2=7.7 kHz; f1=7.2 kHz, f2=8.4 kHz, 2f1−f2=6 kHz; f1=5.55 kHz, f2=6.5 kHz, 2f1−f2=4.6 kHz). PPADS alone had no effect on the cubic DPOAEs monitored. The intense sound alone suppressed all three cubic DPOAEs. The combination of PPADS with the intense sound induced a suppression of the cubic DPOAEs that was equal to or greater than induced by the intense sound alone at f2=10.8 kHz but was equal to or less than induced by the intense sound at f2=8.4 and 6.5 kHz. After washing the PPADS out of the cochlea with artificial perilymph, all three cubic DPOAEs were suppressed less in the PPADS with intense sound treatment group than in the intense sound alone group. The PPADS appeared to provide protection from the intense sound. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that extracellular ATP is involved in the changes in cochlear mechanics induced by moderately intense sound exposure.
A micromechanical model for high strain rate behavior of ceramics

A constitutive model applicable to brittle materials such as ceramics subjected to biaxial compressive loading is developed. The model is based on non-interacting sliding microcracks that are uniformly distributed in the material. Tension cracks nucleate and propagate from the tip of the sliding cracks in the direction of maximum applied compression when the stress-intensity factor reaches its critical value. For high strain rate deformation, the rate of crack growth is governed by a universal relation in dynamic fracture. The constitutive model provides strain components for plane deformation which consists of an elastic part and a part due to sliding and growth of the tension cracks. The failure of the material is linked to a critical density of damage and hence a critical length for the tension cracks. The constitutive model is used to study material behavior under uniaxial compressive constant strain rate loading. A critical strain rate beyond which the material would exhibit rate sensitivity is proposed. The model predicts the failure or peak strength to increase with increasing strain rate. For engineering ceramics, the rate sensitivity exponent is found to be a function of the relation between the rate of crack growth and the toughness of the material. The model predictions are compared with the rate-dependent behavior of a hot pressed aluminum nitride tested in uniaxial compression in the strain rate range of 5 × 10^(−6)−2 × 10^3 s^(−1).
The replication band of ciliated protozoa.

Publisher Summary The replication band (RB) of ciliates is unique in cell biology. The entire complement of nuclear DNA is duplicated by a migrating, highly organized structure which can be conveniently studied using a variety of microscopy techniques. Most other eukaryotic nuclei exhibit hundreds of dispersed foci of replication which activate at different times during the S-phase. RBs initiate at species-distinctive positions within the ciliate macronucleus, signaling the beginning of the S-phase, and progress as a wave of chromatin modification and replication, which disappears at the termination of the S-phase. Throughout this entire period of migration and DNA replication, the RB maintains a remarkable ultrastructural stratification spanning the diameter of the MAC. These regular fibers disperse at the junction with the rear zone, which is the site of DNA synthesis. Condensed chromatin reappears at the distal end of the RZ. In the RB, the temporal events of DNA synthesis and chromatin assembly are displayed in a vectorial fashion. This vectorial property forms the basis for a significant scientific utility; namely, cytochemical and immunochemical mapping of chromatin replication components and events.
An institutional analysis of the US foreign sales corporation

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how institutional analysis can be applied to the study of an evolving institution—the Foreign Sales Corporation (FSC). The FSC was created by the US government to provide a tax incentive to domestic exporters. It has a checkered history because the European Union views it as an export subsidy. After establishing that the FSC is definitely an institution, Scott’s institutional synthesis is utilized as a conceptual prism to demonstrate how his framework can be utilized to examine complex phenomena. The study also tests a crucial proposition for institutional theory and explores a research question critical to the continuing development of the theory. That question deals with the persistence of the FSC as an institution.
A laboratory study on the thermal tolerance of four southeastern stream insect species (Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera)

The acute thermal tolerances of four southeastern stream insect species, Ephemerella invaria (Walker), Stenonema ithaca (Clemens and Leonard), Symphitopsyche morosa (Hagun), and Brachycentrus lateralis (Say) were determined using an artificial stream enclosure. All species were acclimated at 10°C for 72 hours prior to instantaneous immersion into heated water for 96 hours. Percent mortality was recorded and the temperature at which 50% mortality occurred determined (LT5o). Data were subjected to standard statistical analysis.
Global citizenship and national (re)formations: Analysis of citizenship education reform in Spain

In recent years, many European education systems have embarked on a process of education policy and curriculum reform related to citizenship education. This article explores citizenship education reform in the context of Spain. It considers how and to what extent Spain’s 2006 citizenship education addressed issues of national and global citizenship, as well as cultural diversity and immigration. Against a typology of four distinct approaches to national and global citizenship education, including traditional, skills-based, valuesbased, and reflexive approaches, the article draws on qualitative content analysis of Spain’s recent Education for Citizenship and Human Rights curriculum and associated textbooks. Findings focus on themes of human rights, national and global citizenship, and cultural diversity and co-existence.
Prediction of Volatile Anesthetic Binding Sites in Proteins

Computational methods designed to predict and visualize ligand protein binding interactions were used to characterize volatile anesthetic (VA) binding sites and unoccupied pockets within the known structures of VAs bound to serum albumin, luciferase, and apoferritin. We found that both the number of protein atoms and methyl hydrogen, which are within approximately 8 A of a potential ligand binding site, are significantly greater in protein pockets where VAs bind. This computational approach was applied to structures of calmodulin (CaM), which have not been determined in complex with a VA. It predicted that VAs bind to [Ca(2+)](4)-CaM, but not to apo-CaM, which we confirmed with isothermal titration calorimetry. The VA binding sites predicted for the structures of [Ca(2+)](4)-CaM are located in hydrophobic pockets that form when the Ca(2+) binding sites in CaM are saturated. The binding of VAs to these hydrophobic pockets is supported by evidence that halothane predominantly makes contact with aliphatic resonances in [Ca(2+)](4)-CaM (nuclear Overhauser effect) and increases the Ca(2+) affinity of CaM (fluorescence spectroscopy). Our computational analysis and experiments indicate that binding of VA to proteins is consistent with the hydrophobic effect and the Meyer-Overton rule.
TH-C-213AB-09: State-Driven Mathematical Model Simulations of Tumor Response to Radiotherapy: How Does High FDG Uptake Relate to Classical Radiobiological Principles?

Purpose: High FDG‐PET tracer tumor uptake is well‐established to correlated to increased local failures and shorter overall survival. However, the relationship between uptake and classical radiobiological mechanisms is unclear. We explore the potential relationship between FDG‐PET uptake and classical radiobiolocial mechanisms using a mathematical framework. Methods:Tumor response was simulated using a novel, state‐driven tumor response model, including proliferating, hypoxic, and intermediate cell sub‐populations. Different potential relationships between FDG uptake and these cell populations were simulated. The uptake of FDG was assumed to be associated either with (1) the total number of viable cells, (2) the number of proliferative cells or (3) the number of intermediate cells. The predicted tumordoses for 50% control (TD50) in 2 Gy/fx were estimated for all possible initial conditions and correlated with the FDG uptake level for each assumption. Results: When the FDG uptake pattern was assumed to reflect the level of proliferation, the TD50 decreased with high FDG uptake. When the FDG was assumed to reflect the fraction of viable cells, only a weak positive correlation was observed between FDG uptake and TD50. As a surrogate of metabolically‐viable hypoxic cells, FDG uptake exhibited a strong positive correlation with TD50, consistent with clinical observations. Conclusions: Several different FDG uptake patterns were simulated using the model. Given the established clinical fact that FDG uptake correlates to a requirement of higher dose to achieve local control, the results support a potential avidity of FDG for cells in the intermediate stress state between being well‐oxygenated (and proliferating) and very poorly oxygenated (extremely hypoxic). Supported by the Enid A. Haupt Endowment for Medical Physics
VDAC2 inhibits BAK activation and mitochondrial apoptosis.

The multidomain proapoptotic molecules BAK or BAX are required to initiate the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. How cells maintain the potentially lethal proapoptotic effector BAK in a monomeric inactive conformation at mitochondria is unknown. In viable cells, we found BAK complexed with mitochondrial outer-membrane protein VDAC2, a VDAC isoform present in low abundance that interacts specifically with the inactive conformer of BAK. Cells deficient in VDAC2, but not cells lacking the more abundant VDAC1, exhibited enhanced BAK oligomerization and were more susceptible to apoptotic death. Conversely, overexpression of VDAC2 selectively prevented BAK activation and inhibited the mitochondrial apoptotic pathway. Death signals activate “BH3-only” molecules such as tBID, BIM, or BAD, which displace VDAC2 from BAK, enabling homo-oligomerization of BAK and apoptosis. Thus, VDAC2, an isoform restricted to mammals, regulates the activity of BAK and provides a connection between mitochondrial physiology and the core apoptotic pathway.
The emergence of patterning in life’s origin and evolution

Three principles guide natural pattern formation in both biological and non-living systems: (1) patterns form from interactions of numerous individual particles, or agents, such as sand grains, molecules, cells or organisms; (2) assemblages of agents can adopt combinatorially large numbers of different configurations; (3) observed patterns emerge through the selection of highly functional configurations. These three principles apply to numerous natural processes, including the origin of life and its subsequent evolution. The formalism of functional information, which relates the information content of a complex system to its degree of function, provides a quantitative approach to modeling the origin and evolution of patterning in living and nonliving systems.
Part-period balancing with uncertainty: a fuzzy sets theory approach

SUMMARY The part-period balancing lot-sizing algorithm is modified to use fuzzy data for the single-stage lot-sizing problem. Triangular fuzzy numbers are used to represent uncertainty in the master production schedule. This paper shows that uncertain demand can be easily incorporated into the part-period balancing lot-sizing algorithm and that a fuzzy master production schedule can be used to determine production lot sizes. A detailed example is presented to illustrate the technique.
A critical examination of the curcumin method foe boron analysis of plant tissues, waters and soil extracts. I. Sample size

Abstract The apparent boron content of plant tissues was found to vary with the amount of tissue used. The effect was observed in both ashed and acid extracted plant tissue and is related to the salt content of the material which affects the value of boron obtained in the absence of salts.
Role of liver and plasma lipoproteins in selective transport of n-3 fatty acids to tissues: a comparative study of 14C-DHA and 3H-oleic acid tracers.

We conducted a study aimed at a direct comparison of the plasma dynamics and uptake of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and oleic (OA) fatty acids by various organs. 14C-DHA and 3H-OA were intravenously co-injected into mice. At 5 min after injection, more than 40% of the 14C-DHA, but less than 20% of the 3H-OA, labels was associated with the liver. Heart uptake of 14C-DHA was three to four times greater compared to the 3H-OA label. Brain incorporation of 14C-DHA slowly rose to 0.7% at 24 h, but it remained at the 1–1.5% level for 3H-OA. Total 14C activity in plasma reached 2% of the injected dose at 20 min and leveled off at 0.5% after 1.5 h. Fifteen percent of 14C-DHA plasma activity at 30 min was associated with non-esterified fatty acids, whereas about 85% was recovered in triglycerides in very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and LDL fractions. Only 30% of 3H-OA derived activity was found in the VLDL fraction at 30 min. All 3H activity in plasma at later time points was in catabolite fractions. These findings demonstrate that liver plays an important role in the initial selectivity for DHA. It is likely that DHA is specifically taken up by liver, esterified, loaded into lipoproteins, and then delivered to brain, heart, and other target tissues.
Atrial natriuretic peptide in acute coxsackievirus murine myocarditis.

Abstract Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is a vasoactive substance secreted from human atrial tissues in response to increased intraatrial pressure. 1 It induces vasodilatation and blood pressure reduction, decreases renal and hepatic blood flow and produces a natriuretic and diuretic effect. 2 Plasma levels of ANP are elevated in a wide spectrum of heart diseases 3–5 ; however, it has not been measured in patients with acute myocarditis. In this study, we assessed the kinetics of plasma ANP levels during the course of acute Coxsackievirus B3 myocarditis in a murine model.
Surface Chemistry and Surface Charge Formation for an Alumina Powder in Ethanol with the Addition of HCl and KOH

Abstract Surface charge and surface adsorption on an alpha-alumina powder were investigated in a 99.5/0.5 wt% ethanol/water suspension. A model is proposed in which ethanol molecules are dissociatively adsorbed as ethoxide ions and protons to Lewis acid and base sites on the surface. These ions can then desorb separately from the surface. The surface, therefore, acts as a catalyst for the autoprotolysis of the solvent and creates its own ionic atmosphere which cannot be predicted directly from chemistry in the bulk of the solvent. 3.5μmol/m 2 of HCl is reversibly adsorbed to the surface by replacement of ethoxide ions adsorbed to surface acid sites by chloride ions. 2.4μmol/m 2 of KOH is adsorbed to the surface by replacement of surface adsorbed protons with potassium ions. More rapid desorption of negative ions from the surface leaves the particles with a net positive surface charge except when the concentration of negative ions in solution is sufficient to supress this desorption and net surface charge goes to zero. Surface charge is found to be a function only of the activity of the negative ions in solution at the surface. No significant negative surface charge was measured under any conditions here. Equilibrium constants for surface adsorption and charge density as a function of surface activity of ethoxide and chloride ions are calculated. No effect of adsorbed potassium ions on the surface potential was found.
Treatment of stage IV breast cancer with intact primary tumor: A case for resection?

Surgical removal of the intact primary breast tumor for patients who present with stage IV disease remains controversial. The classical view is that resection of the intact primary will have no survival benefit in stage IV disease; however, resection may prevent the development of uncontrolled chest wall disease. Multiple retrospective reviews have compared survival in stage IV patients who do or do not undergo resection of the intact primary, and have demonstrated longer survival with the use of primary site surgery. These are all compromised by the selection of women with favorable characteristics for surgical therapy and the inability to confirm important disease and treatment parameters in registry and retrospective data. Additionally, there are no data that allow examination of the value of radiotherapy in addition to surgery. These important questions cannot be addressed without Level 1 evidence, and randomized trials comparing primary site therapy versus none are ongoing.
Krull dimension in serial rings

Abstract The main result of this paper is that if a serial ring R has right Krull dimension α, then it also has left Krull dimension α.
Analysis tools for assessing the impact of wind power on weak grids

The integration of inherently variable wind generation into weak grids, particularly sub-transmission networks that are characterized by low X/R ratios, affects bus voltages, regulating devices and line flows. The meshed structure of these networks adds to the complexity, especially when wind generation is distributed across multiple nodes. This paper considers a range of techniques for analyzing the impact of wind variability on weak grids. Sensitivity analysis, based on the power-flow Jacobian, is used to highlight the sections of the system that are most severely affected by wind-power variations. A continuation power flow is used to determine parameter changes that reduce the impact of wind-power variability. It is also used to explore interactions between multiple wind-farms. Two optimization problems have been formulated to identify line segments that are most vulnerable to congestion as wind-power varies. The DC optimization is computationally more efficient, whereas the AC sensitivity-based optimization provides greater accuracy.
Surface area of human cerebral cortex and its gross morphological subdivisions: In vivo measurements in monozygotic twins suggest differential hemisphere effects of genetic factors

We measured the surEdce area of the cerebral cortex and its gross morphological subdivisions in 10 pairs of monozygotic twins. Cortical surface area was estimated in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging and threedimensional computer models of the intra-and extrasulcal pial surface. The means and standard deviations of regional (e.g., gyral), lobar, hemisphere, and total cortical surface area were tabulated for the entire population of 20 young, right-handed adults (10 females, 10 males). To determine whether genotypic differences were associated with morphometric differences, analyses of variance were carried out on each measure across unrelated twin pairs (genotype factor) and within co-twins (birth order factor). Across unrelated pairs, there was wide variation in regional cortical surface area for the left hemisphere (normalized by total cortical surface area, p ≤ 0.0001) but not for the right hemisphere (normalized, p = 0.12). More variation in lobar surface area was also observed for the left hemisphere (normalized, p = 0.05) than for the right (normalized, p = 0.48). Within co-twins, no signifcant variation in regional surface area or lobar surface area was found for the left or right hemisphere. Although normalized regional and lobar surface area in the left hemisphere differed across unrelated pairs, overall left hemisphere surface area normalized by total cortical surface area did not (p = 0.73). Total cortical surface area normallzed by body weight varied across unrelated pairs (p = 0.001) but not within co-twins (p = 0.39). The effects observed across unrelated pairs were not attributable to sex differences. These results suggest: 1) both the total area and folding of the cortical surface are heavily influenced by genetic factors in humans; and 2) the cerebral hemispheres may be differentially affected by genetic influences on cortical morphogenesis, with the languagedominant left cerebral cortex under stronger genetic control than the right.
Development of short-pulse soft x-ray lasers

X-ray lasers with pulse duration shorter than 20 ps allow the possibility of imaging laser produced plasmas with micrometers resolution. In addition, the high peak brightness of these new sources will allow us to study nonlinear optics in the xuv region. In this paper we will describe our efforts to produce collisionally pumped short pulse x-ray lasers. Initial results, which have produced approximately 45 ps (FWHM) x-ray lasers, using a double pulse irradiation technique are presented along with a discussion of the prospects for reducing the pulse width.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Measurement, sorting and tuning of LCLS undulator magnets

Abstract Currently, a Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) prototype undulator is under construction. The prototype is a 3.4-m-long hybrid-type undulator with fixed gap of 6 mm. The period length is 30 mm and the number of poles is 226. For this undulator, 450 NdFeB magnet blocks are used. This project does not have demanding requirements for multipole component errors, but the field strength at x =0 should be as precise as possible to provide proper particle steering and phase errors. The first set of magnetic blocks has been measured. The strength and direction of magnetization of the magnet blocks are measured using a Helmholtz coil system. In addition to this, Hall probe measurements are performed for magnet blocks while they are mounted in a specially designed cassette with vanadium-permendur poles. The magnet blocks will be sorted using these data to minimize errors. Computer simulations show that magnets may be sorted in decreasing strengths with little or no additional tuning of the undulators.
Myocardial fat infiltration.

Abstract Myocardial fat metaplasia occurs with greatest frequency in women in the seventh decade. In approximately half the cases there is concomitant myocardial fibrosis and an increased incidence of postinfarction myocardial rupture, myocardial hypertrophy, and increased thickness of the ventricular walls. These changes are not due to the general aging process or to fat infiltration per se. Uncomplicated fat metaplasia has a histologic appearance distinct from that seen with associated myocardial fibrosis. The cardiac parameters herein studied were not significantly different from those of a control population of the same sex and age distribution. The two types of myocardial fat metaplasia are thus different on both morphologic and quantitative comparison.
Extensive regions of the FADD death domain are required for binding to the TRAIL receptor DR5.

Extensive regions of the FADD death domain are required for binding to the TRAIL receptor DR5
Flavonoid chemistry of Chenopodium fremontii. Infraspecific variation and systematic implications at the interspecific level

Abstract Four flavonoid geographical races based on twenty flavonol 3-O-glycosides were found to exist in Chenopodium fremontii with those populations from the northern part of the range (northern Colorado, Wyoming. and western Nebraska) producing 7-methyl ethers and 3-O-galactosides and glucosides. Plants from Arizona. southern Colorado and New Mexico lack 7-methyl ethers and contain 3-O-rhamnogalactosides and rhamnoglucosides (rutinosides). California populations are chemically similar to those from Arizona, southern Colorado and New Mexico but contain arabinosides while lacking rutinosides. No morphological features could be correlated with the chemical races. Chenopodium fremontii can be distinguished chemically from other closely related diploid species of the western U.S., all of which exhibit simpler flavonoid patterns. It is suggested that the simpler chemical patterns for the latter species (which include C. atrovirens, C. desiccatum, C. hians. C. incanum, C. leptophyllum, and C. pratericola) are a derived condition relative to C. fremontii.
The role of complement in neonatal hypoxic-ischemic cerebral injury

Complement activation participates in tissue injury after temporary loss of blood flow (ischemia-reperfusion injury). Recently reported evidence indicates that complement activation is a pathologic mechanism of injury in the post-hypoxic-ischemic neonatal brain. Therefore, recently developed complement inhibitors may find a role in the amelioration of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic cerebral injury. Further research is needed to better define the role of complement in human neonatal cerebral injury and to determine the neuroprotective effect and safety of pharmacologic agents designed to inhibit complement.
DDT Metabolism: Oxidation of the Metabolite 2,2-bis(p-Chlorophenyl) ethanol by Alcohol Dehydrogenase

A metabolite of DDT, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethanol, is a substrate of crystalline liver alcohol dehydrogenase. The oxidation of the substrate was detected spectrophotometrically. The p-nitrophenylhydrazone derivative of the product, 2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)acetaldehyde, was identified by comparing its mass spectrum and thin-layer chromatographic behavior with that of an authentic sample.
Topographical effects in emission microscopy

An analysis of image formation and the origins of topographical effects in emission microscopy are presented. Simplified models of positive and negative surface relief are used in a quantitative treatment of several topographical effects. Negative surface relief is modeled by a trough having a hyperbolic field. The model for positive relief is a rounded ridge simulated by an equipotential surface of the electric field surrounding a half cylinder on a plane. The electron trajectories for the trough model are calculated in the principal azimuths, and analytical expressions are obtained for the time of flight and apparent distance from the anode of the virtual specimen surface formed in the acceleration process. Corresponding expressions for the ridge are derived for trajectories in the principal azimuth containing the cylinder axis. These expressions show that there is a very large depth magnification caused by relief. The effect is larger for negative than for positive topography of comparable geometries. The depth magnification for a trough or ridge is different for trajectories in different azimuths. The resulting astigmatic effect is greater for the trough than for the ridge. Topographical contrast is examined by calculating the trajectories of electrons emitted from the sloping walls of the trough. Tilting of the cone of electrons results in pronounced contrast, particularly when a limiting aperture stop is present. This treatment of topographical effects in emission microscopy differs from previous work in that the effects on the image are calculated analytically for simplified models of negative and positive topography. These results are generalized for the interpretation of photoelectron images of specimens with topography.
Budding in Hydra attenuata: Bud stages and fate map

Ten bud stages are defined and their profiles illustrated. A fate map of the developing bud of Hydra attenuata was made using vital intracellular marking. Marks made at increasing distances from the young bud tip end up in increasingly more proximal regions of the bud. There is no major difference between the recruitment patterns of cells from above, below and lateral to the bud tip. The angular positions of cells on the parent is directly correlated with their final angular positions on the bud axis. Therefore, tissue is recruited in concentric rings around the young bud tip and is distorted directly outward into the bud column. At the youngest bud stages, the fate map of the bud extends about 180° around the parent. Tissue recruitment from the parent ends at the time that tentacle rudiments appear on the bud. Thus, tissue recruitment and hydranth morphogenesis are separate processes.
Electronic Structure and Bonding Analysis in K-Ag Alloys

The electronic structures of two K-Ag alloys (K2Ag and K3Ag) formed under high pressure have been investigated with First Principles calculations. Although the participation of the K 3d orbitals is crucial in the bonding of these compounds, unlike elemental K, the s→d hybridization is found to be relatively small. The stablity of the K-Ag alloys and the short K-K distances (ca. 3. 2-3. 4A) are a consquence of the reduction of K s - K s antibonding interactions and the enhancement of the K-Ag bonding interactions via the transfer of the electrons from the valence K 4s-bands to the Ag 5s bands.
Observer Perceptions of Low Back Pain: Effects of Pain Report and Other Contextual Factors1

This study examined the impact of reported pain level (low vs. high) and three other contextual factors on observers' perceptions of the symptoms and personality of persons with chronic low back pain. In addition to pain level, the availability of medical evidence, the valence of the relationship between the observer and the person in pain, and the amount of control the person in pain had over circumstances of pain onset were varied in a 2 × (2 × 2 × 2) mixed experimental design. Eighty undergraduate subjects read descriptions of hypothetical persons with chronic low back pain and then estimated the amount of pain, disability, and emotional distress they would expect the person to manifest. Subjects also described the target person's personality using 10 semantic differential scales. Significant main effects for medical evidence, relationship valence, and control emerged for personality ratings of adjustment, character, and judgment. Main effects emerged for medical evidence, relationship valence, and pain level on ratings of pain, disability, and distress. Significant two-way, three-way, and four-way interactions also were found for symptom ratings. The results indicate that perceptions of chronic pain are sensitive to contextual factors, potentially biasing the assessment of persons with pain as a primary complaint.
Tilted post arrays for separating long DNA.

Recent simulations by Chen and Dorfman [Electrophoresis 35, 405–411 (2014)] suggested that “tilting” the electric field with respect to the lattice vectors of a hexagonal post array would lead to a substantial improvement in electrophoretic DNA separations therein. We constructed such an array where the electric field is applied at an angle equidistant between the two lattice vectors. This tilted array leads to (i) baseline resolution of 20 kbp DNA and λ DNA (48.5 kbp) in a 4 mm channel and (ii) measurable separation resolutions for electric fields up to 50 V/cm, both of which are improvements over untilted post arrays of the same post density. The predicted time required to reach a resolution of unity is approximately 5 min, independent of electric field. The separations are more reproducible at higher fields.
A-Type proanthocyanidin trimers from cranberry that inhibit adherence of uropathogenic P-fimbriated Escherichia coli.

Three proanthocyanidin trimers possessing A-type interflavanoid linkages, epicatechin-(4β→6)-epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin (4), epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin (5), and epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin (6), were isolated from the ripe fruits of Vaccinium macrocarpon (cranberry) and prevented adherence of P-fimbriated Escherichia coli isolates from the urinary tract to cellular surfaces containing α-Gal(1→4)β-Gal receptor sequences similar to those on uroepithelial cells. The structure of 4 was elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic methods and acid-catalyzed degradation with phloroglucinol. Also isolated were the weakly active epicatechin-(4β→8, 2β→O→7)-epicatechin (procyanidin A2) (3) and the inactive monomer epicatechin (1) and the inactive dimer epicatechin-(4β→8)-epicatechin (procyanidin B2) (2).
Comparison of Crop Rotation for Verticillium Wilt Management and Effect on Pythium Species in Conventional and Organic Strawberry Production

The effects of broccoli and lettuce rotations on population densities of Verticillium dahliae and Pythium spp. in soil and on strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) growth, yield, and Verticillium wilt were evaluated in conventional and organic production systems in California for 2 years. Under both management systems, strawberry was planted after two successive crops of broccoli or lettuce. The control treatment in the conventional field was strawberry planted in soils fumigated with methyl bromide + chloropicrin. Preplant densities of V. dahliae and Pythium sp. did not differ in these fields. At the end of the second broccoli crop, V. dahliae densities in conventional plots had declined by 44% in both years. In contrast, after the second broccoli crop, densities in organic fields decreased 47% in 2000 and 25% in 2001. In general, there were no differences in V. dahliae inoculum densities in organic and conventional plots following lettuce rotations. After the second vegetable production cycle, population densities of V. dahliae in broccoli rotated organic (24 CFU/g of soil in 2000 and 27 CFU/g of soil in 2001) or conventional (23 CFU/g of soil in 2000 and 19 CFU/g of soil in 2001) fields were significantly lower than those in lettuce rotated organic (40 CFU/g of soil in 2000 and 42 CFU/g of soil in 2001) or conventional (39 CFU/g of soil in 2000 and 35 CFU/g of soil in 2001) fields. However, crop rotation treatments had no consistent effect on the inoculum densities of Pythium spp. Canopy diameters of strawberry plants grown in rotation with broccoli were not different from those in fumigated control plots, whereas those from lettuce plots were 10% smaller. Strawberry plant nutrient analysis showed that fertilizer inputs into organic or conventional production were not responsible for the observed differences in plant size. Increases in strawberry yields were not consistent between years. Verticillium wilt incidence on strawberry was 12 to 24% lower in fields rotated with broccoli compared with fields rotated with lettuce. Wilt severity on strawberry was 22 to 36% lower in fields rotated with broccoli compared with those rotated with lettuce. The strategy of using broccoli rotation coupled with postharvest incorporation of broccoli residue continues to show promise as a tool in the management of Verticillium wilt in both conventional and organic strawberry production systems.
Power and the canon, or: How to rewrite an author into a classic

Summary The article sets out to describe various modes of rewriting such as interpretation, commentary and anthologyzing as instruments serving the stability of the literary system. Traditionally, interpretation and commentary were to remain true to the ‘Book’ and to prescribed hermeneutic procedures. Since the authority of the text is being discarded in modern pluralistic interpretative practices, it has become clear that authority of interpretation rests in the power, vested in the various literary corporations, which in their turn are dependent on institutionalized educational bodies protecting cultural interests. It is argued that systems theory allows for the description of the constraints determining rewriting. Defining the subordinate position of the literary expert to the powers regulating the system and drawing upon the tendency to self‐maintenance which characterizes systems, it is made clear why rewriting tends to censure and reduce the original text to the norms of a given time and audience. T...
Quadricuspid aortic valve: a rare entity.

glycerin at a total dose of 0.8 mg into the RCA, the vasospasm disappeared, ST-segment elevation resolved (Fig. 2B), and an ostial lesion (52% diameter stenosis by quantitative angiography) was unmasked (Fig. 1B) and treated by subsequent stent implantation (Fig. 1C, 1D). A defibrillator was implanted for prophylaxis of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The patient was discharged 6 days after the interventional procedure and remained asymptomatic for 12 months.
The Near Ultraviolet Band System of Singlet Methylene

Author Institution: Laboratoire Aim\'e Cotton, National Research Council of Canada; Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences, Bergische Universit\""at - Gesamthochschule Wuppertal; FB 9 - Theoretische Chemie, Bergische Universit\""at - Gesamthochschule Wuppertal
Where the Camera Was, Take Two

Since Kxl has (IJ) = 136 edges, we can 3-color 135 of these without forming a solid-color triangle! We can also clone more than one point. For example, it is sufficient to remove only five of the 45 edges of Kxo so that the remaining 40 edges can be 2-colored without forming a solid-color triangle. To achieve this, start with the triangle-free 2-coloring of the edges of K5. We then clone each of the five original points of K5, sequentially, adjoining one at a time, following the procedure in the proof of the Theorem. When we are done, the only edges missing from Kxo are the five that connect each of the original points to their clones. If we try to use this procedure when adjoining more than one clone to the same original point, all edges connecting the points in the same clone set must be omitted. For example, we can 2-color all but 15 of the 105 edges of KX5 without forming a solid-color triangle, by adjoining two clones to each of the five original points of K5. When we use only one color, the Ramsey number Rx is 3. (We can color the single edge of K2, but not all three edges of K3, using only one color, without forming a solid-color triangle.) The reader is encouraged to experiment with adjoining clones to the two original points of K2, using only one color, and avoiding triangles, as just described. (What results are the complete bipartite graphs connecting the two clone sets, and these graphs are all triangle-free.) Graham, Rothschild, and Spencer [2] give an extensive treatment of generalizations of Ramsey's Theorem.
Metastatic leiomyosarcoma mimicking polycystic liver disease.

eiomyosarcoma is a well-recognized, but rare, malignant nonepithelial mesenchymal tumor that occurs predominantly in the gastrointestinal tract. It occurs with equal frequency in men and women, usu- ally in the sixth and seventh decades. The liver is the most common site of metastases.' Leiomyosarcoma fre- quently becomes necrotic and has been described as cystic by ultrasound and computed tomographic (CT) scan.2.3 Metastatic disease can be difficult to diagnose. We describe a case of metastatic leiomyosarcoma mim- icking polycystic liver disease on ultrasound,
Ferritin uptake in the Japanese quail retina.

Abstract A fine structural investigation of the transport of intravenously-injected ferritin (110 A) through the external vascular barrier (choriocapillaris and Bruch's membrane) of the Japanese quail retina has been sequentially detailed. One minute after injection ferritin is found mainly within the vascular lumina of the choriocapillaris but also is seen in pinocytic vesicles within the capillary endothelium and dispersed throughout the various components of Bruch's membrane. Ferritin transport through the capillary endothelium appears to occur via pinocytic vesicles in the thickened portions and diaphragmatic pores (single and double) in the attenuated areas. Within 5–10 min post-injection ferritin is observed within the basal infoldings of the pigment epithelium.
Risk Factors for Emergency Department Use Among Children With Asthma Using Primary Care in a Managed Care Environment

Objective.— To identify risk factors for emergency department (ED) use among children with asthma using primary care in a managed care environment. Design.— Using automated data sources, children with asthma were identified and followed for 2-year periods. We fit logistic regression models using generalized estimating equation approaches to identify ED risk factors. Patients.— Children with asthma aged 5–14 with a visit to a pediatrician practicing with a large group practice and enrolled in an HMO for 2 consecutive years between 1992 and 1996 (N = 411 children). Main Outcome Measures.— Asthma-related ED use. Results.— Twenty-three percent of children incurred an asthma-related ED visit. Asthma-related ED use was greater among children with prior asthma-related ED use (OR [odds ratio] = 8.26, 95% CI [confidence interval] = 4.79–14.25), decreased with increasing age (OR = 0.87, 95% CI=0.79–0.96) and frequency of visits to a primary care physician for asthma (OR = 0.82, 95% CI=0.70–0.96), and tended to be less among children who saw an allergist (OR = 0.59, 95% CI=0.33–1.04). No significant relationship was found between asthma-related ED use and race, household income, or other patient characteristics. Conclusions.— Targeting children with prior asthma-related ED use and encouraging routine primary care visits as well as the use of an allergist may afford opportunities to reduce ED use among children with asthma currently receiving primary care.
Hull-mounted sonar/ship design evolution and transition to low-frequency applications

The author traces the development of hull-mounted sonars over the past 70 years in terms of their impact on the ship design and construction process, with emphasis on the transducer arrays. He then identifies the technology issues involved in making the transition from today's midfrequency sonars to their future low-frequency counterparts. >
A modified electroactive polymer-ceramic hybrid actuation system (HYBAS) for aerodynamic control applications

As previously reported, a NASA Langley-developed electroactive polymer-ceramic hybrid system (HYBAS) has demonstrated significant enhancement in actuating displacement. The displacement of the system is derived from both the electrostrictive polymer and from single crystal elements. The electroactive elements are driven by a single power source. Recently, a modification of HYBAS has been made to increase the capability of air driving for synthetic jet devices (SJ) used in aerodynamic control technologies. The dependence of the air driving capability of the modified HYBAS on the configuration of the actuating device has been investigated. For this particular application, the modified HYBAS demonstrated a 50% increase in the volume change in the synthetic jet air chamber, as compared with that of the HYBAS without the modification.
Graphical techniques for the study of biasing in common-emitter amplifiers

Abstract The role of symmetrical swing and voltage gain specifications in the design of a common-emitter amplifier stage which is required to have acceptable performance over a given temperature range is considered. It is shown that a hierarchical approach, wherein the original problem is converted into one of coordinating the solutions to a set of appropriately structured subproblems, leads to a set of graphical representations which are quite useful in depicting the constraints of this design problem. A design procedure and some interesting bounds on the attainable specifications arc developed from these results and are illustrated via two design examples.
Are adolescents able and willing to pay the fee for confidential health care

We studied the ability and willingness of adoleslcents attending a suburban-based Adolescent Health Service to pay a fee for health care. Self-administered, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to 180 predominantly middle-clalss adolescent patients prior to the establishment of a fee-for-service payment plan. One hundred sixty-five respondents planned to continue as patients of the Adolescent Health Service; of these, 155 (94%) indicated that they would be able and willing to pay a fee. All of the 155 respondents indicated they could pay $5 per visit, two thids could pay as much as $10, half could pay $15, and one fifth could pay $20 or more. Sources of fee money would be job earnings, a friend, allowance, and savings; 75% of respondents planned to pay without any help from parents. Analysis revealed few significant correlates of ability and willingness to pay with demographic, socioeconomic, and attitudinal factors. These data demonstrate that, although few of these middle-class adolescent patients indicated that they were able and willing to pay a full fee of $20 or more, most were albe and willing to pay more than a token amount for health care.
The Effects of Syllable Structure on Diadochokinetic and Reading Rates

Paragraphs with controlled phonetic structures were matched to similarly structured diadochokinetic (Maximum Repetition Rate) tasks in an effort to devise a more valid measurement for (1) assessing...
A case of frontal neuropsychological and neuroimaging signs following multiple primary-blast exposure

Blast-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars represents a significant medical concern for troops and veterans. To better understand the consequences of primary-blast injury in humans, we present a case of a Marine exposed to multiple primary blasts during his 14-year military career. The neuropsychological profile of this formerly high-functioning veteran suggested primarily executive dysfunction. Diffusion-tensor imaging revealed white-matter pathology in long fiber tracks compared with a composite fractional-anisotropy template derived from a veteran reference control group without TBI. This study supports the existence of primary blast-induced neurotrauma in humans and introduces a neuroimaging technique with potential to discriminate multiple-blast TBI.
Recent advances in the sonographic assessment of vascularity and blood flow in gynecologic conditions

Objective This overview presents recent advances in sonographic depiction of vascularity and blood flow in the uterus, ovaries, and breasts. Enhanced sonographic visualization and evaluation of intraorgan vascularity has resulted from improved image processing and display. Future advances, such as the use of contrast enhancement, are also mentioned in this overview as one of many topics for future investigation. Study design This is an overview of the topic based on review of the literature and the authors' experience. Results Specifically, the sensitivity of color Doppler sonography has been enhanced with the use of amplitude or power Doppler techniques. Spatial depiction of vascularity has improved because of 3-dimensional and “live 3-dimensional” processing. Conclusion The combination of more sensitive color Doppler sonography and 3-dimensional imaging provides both anatomic and physiologic assessment of the vascularity and blood flow of the ovary, uterus, and breast.