cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poly(GR) impairs protein translation and stress granule dynamics in C9orf72-associated frontotemporal dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The major genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a C9orf72 G4C2 repeat expansion1,2. Proposed mechanisms by which the expansion causes c9FTD/ALS include toxicity from repeat-containing RNA and from dipeptide repeat proteins translated from these transcripts. To investigate the contribution of poly(GR) dipeptide repeat proteins to c9FTD/ALS pathogenesis in a mammalian in vivo model, we generated mice that expressed GFP-(GR)100 in the brain. GFP-(GR)100 mice developed age-dependent neurodegeneration, brain atrophy, and motor and memory deficits through the accumulation of diffuse, cytoplasmic poly(GR). Poly(GR) co-localized with ribosomal subunits and the translation initiation factor eIF3η in GFP-(GR)100 mice and, of importance, in c9FTD/ALS patients. Combined with the differential expression of ribosome-associated genes in GFP-(GR)100 mice, these findings demonstrate poly(GR)-mediated ribosomal distress. Indeed, poly(GR) inhibited canonical and non-canonical protein translation in HEK293T cells, and also induced the formation of stress granules and delayed their disassembly. These data suggest that poly(GR) contributes to c9FTD/ALS by impairing protein translation and stress granule dynamics, consequently causing chronic cellular stress and preventing cells from mounting an effective stress response. Decreasing poly(GR) and/or interrupting interactions between poly(GR) and ribosomal and stress granule-associated proteins may thus represent potential therapeutic strategies to restore homeostasis.
Medications for Treating Alcohol Dependence

Medications for treating alcohol dependence primarily have been adjunctive interventions, and only three medications--disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate--are approved for this indication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Disulfiram, an aversive agent that has been used for more than 40 years, has significant adverse effects and compliance difficulties with no clear evidence that it increases abstinence rates, decreases relapse rates, or reduces cravings. In contrast, naltrexone, an anticraving agent, reduces relapse rates and cravings and increases abstinence rates. Acamprosate also reduces relapse rates and increases abstinence rates. Serotonergic and anticonvulsant agents promise to play more of a role in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Although not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for this indication, the anticonvulsant topiramate and several serotonergic agents (e.g., fluoxetine, ondansetron) have been shown in recent studies to increase abstinence rates and decrease drinking.
Rare alleles, MHC and captive breeding.

In recent years, more detailed genetic information has become available for individuals of endangered species in captive breeding programs. There have been suggestions that this information be used to identify rare alleles, particularly those at the MHC, that can be subsequently selected for captive breeding programs. First, we summarize the current information on the MHC relevant to conservation genetics, so that such a possible breeding program is seen in a proper perspective. For example, very few specific alleles at the MHC have been identified as selectively advantageous, even though there has been substantial effort to find such alleles in humans and a few other organisms. Further, many of the balancing selection models suggested for MHC variation are based on heterozygotes in general having a higher fitness than homozygotes and not on specific selectively advantageous alleles.
What Can the U.S. Supreme Court and the European Court of Justice Learn from Each Other's Tax Jurisprudence?

Comparing the US and EU experiences shows that there is more than one way of constructing a single market without tax distortions, and that some level of distortion can be accepted. Thus, the U.S. Supreme Court can afford to be a bit harsher on state tax competition without trampling down on state sovereignty on tax matters, and the ECJ can afford to be more lenient without creating unacceptable barriers to trade and investment within the EU. As long as Member States continue to have different tax rates, which is a likely and in my view desirable outcome, the ECJ should allow them to protect their base by measures such as thin capitalization, prevention of loss importation, or CFC rules. While these rules may deviate from strict open market orthodoxy, I believe that the U.S. experience shows that a well functioning open market can exist despite some level of tax distortion resulting from the disparate choices of the states.
A Novel Event Detection Method Using PMU Data With High Precision

To take full advantage of the considerably high reporting rate of phasor measurement units (PMU) data, this paper develops a novel PMU-based event detection methodology. Considering the huge amount of streaming PMU data, a data compression algorithm, swinging door trending (SDT), is first used to compress the PMU data and generate multiple compression intervals. Then, dynamic programming is utilized to solve the optimization problem, which is recursively constituted by a score function. Based on predefined PMU event rules, dynamic programming merges adjacent compression intervals with the same slope direction. Finally, all the PMU event features are characterized. A conventional wavelet-based event detection method is compared with the developed dynamic programming based SDT (DPSDT) method. Numerical simulations on the real-time and synthetic PMU data show that the DPSDT method can accurately detect the start-time of an event and the event placement with relatively high precision. Also, the PMU event features, including the magnitude and duration of strokes, are characterized.
Dual-pass upgrade to the Thomson scattering diagnostic on the Prototype-Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (Proto-MPEX).

The Thomson scattering (TS) diagnostic on the Prototype-Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment has been upgraded to measure electron temperature (T e ) and density (n e ) simultaneously at two axial locations. After the first pass through the vacuum vessel, the exiting laser beamline is re-collimated in the atmosphere and rerouted into the vacuum vessel for the second pass. The upgrade will help diagnose axial T e and n e gradients between the "central chamber" and the target region which are located 1 m and 2.5 m, respectively, downstream from the Helicon radio-frequency source. The TS measurements have given T e ≈ 4-15 eV and n e ≈ 2-4 × 1019 m-3 at the central chamber and T e ≈ 1-2 eV and n e ≈ 1-2 × 1019 m-3 at the target region. The upgrade also increases the number of sampling points at the target region from 3 fibers to 5 fibers, measuring 3 cm radially across the plasma column, and 25 fibers in the central chamber, radially spanning 8 cm. The intensified CCD camera is double triggered for each laser pulse in order to measure (1) the TS and laser stray light and (2) the plasma background light that contains nuisance emission lines and bremsstrahlung. Subtracting the background light from the TS photons improves the temperature and density measurements. Details of the diagnostic setup, axial and radial measurements, and areas for further optimization are discussed.
Outcomes for Patients Undergoing Ambulatory Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy.

Abstract Introduction: Multiple studies have concluded that ambulatory percutaneous nephrolithotomy (aPCNL) is safe. However, selection criteria remain vague and no investigators have assessed the ...
Evaluating literacy levels of patient education materials for a sickle cell transition group education programme

Objective:A multidisciplinary team from a US midwestern urban medical centre developed written patient education materials for a group education programme designed to prepare adolescents and emergi...
Sexual Health and Body Image After Breast Cancer

Young breast cancer (BC) survivors are at increased risk for experiencing distressing treatment-related changes in body image and sexual function. However, these issues are not addressed for the majority of young survivors. This chapter overviews common problems around sexual function and body image and discusses how these issues are experienced within the developmental context of young adulthood. Awareness of sociocultural factors is emphasized, and concrete guidance on inquiry and intervention for young survivors is also offered.
Impact of anti-CD38 therapy in multiple myeloma with high-risk cytogenetics: systematic review and meta-analysis

Multiple myeloma (MM), is the second most common hematologic malignancy [1]. High-risk cytogenetics have traditionally included del(17p), t(14:16) and t(4:14), but other cytogenetic abnormalities a...
P31 Associations Between Snack Food and Demographics, Family Meals and Fruit/Vegetable Intake Among Rural 7- to 10-Year-Old Children

Background Snacking is common among children; often including low-nutrient dense foods. Children from rural areas consume fewer fruits and vegetables (FV) than recommended but little is known about their snacking patterns. Objective Examine associations between different types of snacks and demographics, family meal frequency and FV intake among rural children. Study Design, Setting, Participants Baseline data (2017/2018) were used from 106 parent/child dyads in the NU-HOME randomized controlled trial designed to prevent childhood obesity in rural communities. Children were mostly female (60%), 8.9 years old on average (SD = 104) and 28% of families received economic assistance. Parents reported on their child's snacking via text surveys on 7 random evenings over a 2-week period. Past week family meal frequency and demographics (child age, sex, economic assistance, parent education) were collected via parent survey. FV servings were averaged over 2 dietary recalls. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Snack categories were created using factor analysis: Fruit/Yogurt (Fruit, yogurt, 100% juice), Vegetables/Cheese, Granola bars/Chips (including cereal and crackers), and Sugar-sweetened snacks (sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, baked sweets, ice cream). Items in each snack category were summed over 7 days. Correlations and t-tests examined associations between the number of items from each snack category and demographics, family meal frequency, and FV servings. Results Children ate a variety of foods for snacks with most being sugar-sweetened snacks (M = 5.52, SD = 3.64) followed by Fruit/Yogurt (M = 4.97, SD = 3.39), Granola bars/Chips (M = 3.67, SD = 2.38), and Vegetables/Cheese (M = 2.24, SD = 2.10). Children whose families received economic assistance were more likely to eat Fruit/Yogurt snacks (6.2 vs 4.5 snacks; P = .02) and less likely to eat Sugar-sweetened snacks (4.2 vs 6.0 snacks; P = .02) than those who did not receive economic assistance. Family meal frequency was negatively correlated with Sugar-sweetened snacks (r = −0.25; P = .009). Servings of FV was positively correlated with Fruit/Yogurt snacks (r = 0.19; P = .046). Conclusions Innovative, real-time snacking data indicate nutrition educators should encourage nutrient-dense snacks particularly among families who do not regularly eat family meals.
Parental incarceration and children's oral health in the United States: Findings from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health.

Objective This study aimed to examine the association between parental incarceration and children's oral health in the United States and assess the degree to which household socioeconomic factors, children's healthcare insurance and oral healthcare utilization/preventive care explain this association. Methods Using data from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH; N = 99 962), a series of logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between parental incarceration and a variety of children's oral health conditions. The Karlson-Holm-Breen method was used to assess the degree to which household socioeconomic factors, children's healthcare insurance and oral healthcare utilization/preventive care visits reduced the association between parental incarceration and children's oral health. Results Results from logistic regression analyses demonstrated that net of control variables, children of incarcerated parents have significantly worse oral health including poor or fair teeth condition (OR = 2.71, 95% CI = 2.23-3.29), toothaches (OR = 1.72, 95% CI = 1.36-2.18), gum bleeding (2.12, 95% CI = 1.52-2.94), cavities/tooth decay (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 1.26-1.77) and are more likely to have unmet dental care needs (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.28-2.46). Attenuation analyses demonstrated this relationship is partially explained by household material hardship and children's health insurance. Conclusions Parental incarceration is associated with worse oral health and unmet dental care needs. Household material hardship and children's health insurance partially attenuate this association. Efforts to expand oral health literacy to incarceration-exposed parents, and policies that buffer against material hardship and inadequacies in children's health insurance may be useful for improving oral health of children whose parents have been incarcerated.
Quasihyperbolic metric universal covers

We prove that the natural metric universal cover of a quasihyperbolic plane domain is a Hadamard metric space with injectivity radius π. This in turn provides sharp constants for several conjectures by Vaisala.
How To Voice

This chapter discusses various voicing options for Voicesumers in today’s digital platforms by using anecdotes and cases. The chapter conceptualized Direct and Indirect Consumer Voices by spring boarding traditional consumer complaint literature. Online consumer ratings and reviews as well as electronic WOM (e-Word-of-Mouth) are discussed as newly developing consumer voicing tools. The potential fraudulent use of consumer voice is also discussed. The importance of such voicing tools for consumer voice and market democracy is discussed from business and legal point of views.
Going the dHis-tance: Site-Directed Cu2+ Labeling of Proteins and Nucleic Acids.

ConspectusIn this Account, we showcase site-directed Cu2+ labeling in proteins and DNA, which has opened new avenues for the measurement of the structure and dynamics of biomolecules using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In proteins, the spin label is assembled in situ from natural amino acid residues and a metal complex and requires no post-expression synthetic modification or purification procedures. The labeling scheme exploits a double histidine (dHis) motif, which utilizes endogenous or site-specifically mutated histidine residues to coordinate a Cu2+ complex. Pulsed EPR measurements on such Cu2+-labeled proteins potentially yield distance distributions that are up to 5 times narrower than the common protein spin label-the approach, thus, overcomes the inherent limitation of the current technology, which relies on a spin label with a highly flexible side chain. This labeling scheme provides a straightforward method that elucidates biophysical information that is costly, complicated, or simply inaccessible by traditional EPR labels. Examples include the direct measurement of protein backbone dynamics at β-sheet sites, which are largely inaccessible through traditional spin labels, and rigid Cu2+-Cu2+ distance measurements that enable higher precision in the analysis of protein conformations, conformational changes, interactions with other biomolecules, and the relative orientations of two labeled protein subunits. Likewise, a Cu2+ label has been developed for use in DNA, which is small, is nucleotide independent, and is positioned within the DNA helix. The placement of the Cu2+ label directly reports on the biologically relevant backbone distance. Additionally, for both of these labeling techniques, we have developed models for interpretation of the EPR distance information, primarily utilizing molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Initial results using force fields developed for both protein and DNA labels have agreed with experimental results, which has been a major bottleneck for traditional spin labels. Looking ahead, we anticipate new combinations of MD and EPR to further our understanding of protein and DNA conformational changes, as well as working synergistically to investigate protein-DNA interactions.
The Federal-State Conflict of Laws:

This paper sets up a new framework for thinking about the "vertical" federal/state choice-of-law problem, by comparing it to the "horizontal" interstate choice-of-law problem. In both contexts, it argues, courts get only limited purchase on cases by superimposing abstract analyses on them. The federal/state cases, whatever help the doctrines of preemption and supremacy may provide, in the end, like the interstate cases, must come down to careful consideration of the policies and interests of the concerned sovereigns. The paper concludes with a demonstration of such analysis as applied to current Supreme Court cases.
Design of a Resonant Reactive Shielding Coil for Wireless Power Transfer System

An investigation of a resonant reactive shielding coil for wireless power transfer (WPT) systems is presented in this work. The shielding coil attenuates the magnetic field above and to the side of air-core WPT coils. A parameterized coil model is used to allow arbitrary circular winding geometry and current direction. Detailed modeling and mathematical calculations are provided, and an optimized design algorithm is proposed. The design method is validated using an experimental prototype shielding coil applied to a 3.03 MHz electric vehicle (EV) WPT system operating at 500 W output power. Experimental results show that the peak flux density on the top-center area of the coil is suppressed from 105 μT to 50 μT, and the magnetic field to the side of the vehicle is maintained well below the safety standard. In addition, effect of the shielding coil in WPT systems with metal and ferrite plates is investigated.
Tense and Aspectual be in Child African American English

Adolescent and adult African American English (AAE) is characterized by well-defined tense and aspect patterns; however, the stages of development in which child AAE speakers acquire these patterns have not been identified. For instance, aspectual f be functions as a habitual marker in adolescent and adult AAE, but the extent to which child AAE speakers use it in this way has not been explained. This paper presents an overview of properties of aspectual be and describes the way the marker is distinguished from the copula and auxiliary be along syntactic and semantic lines. For example, the copula and auxiliary be occur in C° in questions and license V’-ellipsis, but aspectual be does not. In addition, verbs naming states do not generally occur in the progressive (with auxiliary y be), but state verbs in their -ing form can occur with aspectual be. In this account, predicates in aspectual be constructions are argued to take an eventuality argument. Data from comprehension and production experiments show that child AAE speakers distinguish auxiliary be and aspectual be semantically and syntactically. For instance, children as young as 4 years respond to auxiliary be and aspectual be scenarios as if they depict different types of activity, recognizing that aspectual be refers to habitual situations. In addition, AAE speaking children distinguish auxiliary be and aspectual be by using appropriate negation strategies for each form. The ability to negate aspectual be constructions appropriately using do insertion increases with age.
Tartaric Acid Metabolism: III. The Formation of Glyceric Acid

Abstract The formation of glyceric acid from either l(+)- or mesotartaric acid by Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas acidovorans involves a dismutation by which the tartaric acids are oxidized by DPN to oxaloglycolic acid which, in turn, undergoes a DPNH-linked reductive decarboxylation. Oxaloglycolic acid is readily decarboxylated nonenzymatically to form a mixture of hydroxypyruvic acid and tartronic semialdehyde, each of which serves as a substrate for specific, pyridine nucleotide-linked reductases which catalyze the formation of d-glyceric acid. Enzymes for each of the steps noted are present in both organisms when growth occurs on either of the tartaric acids. The end product is d-glyceric acid, regardless of the route utilized.
Models of control and their implications for programming language design

This work uses denotational models to understand and improve the part of a programming language concerned with non-local control operators. These operators let the programmer identify and restore arbitrary control contexts in the program execution path, and thus form a powerful component of many modern programming languages. We use a variety of denotational models to tackle the issues of (1) describing a control language mathematically, and (2) using the model's apparatus to obtain information useful for designing the language. For this, the full abstraction criterion of testing a model against a language is viewed as a feedback loop that suggests language changes. The results from radically different models, for a variety of control manipulation languages, uniformly emphasize the need for delimiting control actions. In the case of higher-order control, this takes the form of a systematic handling of control objects. To check the pragmatics of the new control techniques, we present an implementation and many examples where these delimiters and handlers provide elegant solutions.
Database Requirements for Supporting End-User Visualizations

Databases have traditionally been architected with large, datacrunching batch applications in mind. This is especially evident to user interface researchers who are trying to tightly couple visualization front-ends to state-of-the-art database backends. This paper discusses the areas of impedence mismatch between databases and user interfaces. It proposes mechanisms that need to be incorporated into databases to reduce the systems integration problems involved in integrating visualization applications to databases. Motivating examples have been drawn from the VLSI domain.
CLARIFYING THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH ACT AND COMMUNITY-BASED INTERVENTIONS

The passing of the Community Mental Health Act was supposed to signal a change in the treatment of mental disorders. The idea was to embed interventions as much as possible in a community, so that treatment is accessible and appropriately designed. However, many programs that strive to be community-based never achieve this status. The problem is that becoming community-based is often treated as merely a methodological or tactical change, rather than a new philosophy. Clinics were built and services offered without a coherent theory to explain why better assessments and treatments should accompany a community-based strategy. The purpose of this article, therefore, is to clarify the basis for such an approach so that mental health services are not simply placed in communities, but rather are defined and controlled by the persons who reside in these neighborhoods.
Antimicrobial effect and mode of action of terpeneless cold‐pressed Valencia orange essential oil on methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Aims: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the antistaphylococcal effect and elucidate the mechanism of action of orange essential oil against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains. Methods and Results: The inhibitory effect of commercial orange essential oil (EO) against six Staph. aureus strains was tested using disc diffusion and agar dilution methods. The mechanism of EO action on MRSA was analysed by transcriptional profiling. Morphological changes of EO-treated Staph. aureus were examined using transmission electron microscopy. Results showed that 0·1% of terpeneless cold-pressed Valencia orange oil (CPV) induced the cell wall stress stimulon consistent with the inhibition of cell wall synthesis. Transmission electron microscopic observation revealed cell lysis and suggested a cell wall lysis–related mechanism of CPV. Conclusions: CPV inhibits the growth of Staph. aureus, causes gene expression changes consistent with the inhibition of cell wall synthesis, and triggers cell lysis. Significance and Impact of the Study: Multiple antibiotics resistance is becoming a serious problem in the management of Staph. aureus infections. In this study, the altered expression of cell wall-associated genes and subsequent cell lysis in MRSA caused by CPV suggest that it may be a potential antimicrobial agent to control antibiotic–resistant Staph. aureus.
Polarzied 3He targets

This is an account of the attempts, made in Toronto in the years 1968 to 1973, to construct a dense polarized 3He target by compressing 3He polarized by optical pumping.
Spread and maintenance of a dominant methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clone during an outbreak of MRSA disease in a Spanish hospital.

It was not until November 1989 that the 1,000-bed University-affiliated Hospital de Bellvitge "Princeps d9Espanya" in Barcelona first acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Since that time, the outbreak of MRSA disease has continued. We have analyzed by genomic DNA fingerprinting 189 MRSA isolates collected between late 1989 and the end of 1993. The isolates include both invasive and colonizing strains as well as isolates from health-care workers and environmental sources. In addition, 52 clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) collected in the same hospital were also analyzed. Isolates were classified into clonal types on the basis of molecular typing techniques. A single MRSA clone (I::B::a) belonging to ClaI type I, pulsed-field gel electrophoretic pattern B, and Tn554 pattern a was responsible for the great majority of infections (73% of blood cultures and 79% of specimens from other clinical sources). This clone appeared at the very beginning of the outbreak, spread throughout the hospital wards, and was also carried by inpatients and health-care workers and on environmental surfaces. In contrast, no dominant lineage was apparent among MSSA isolates (33 distinct pulsed-field gel electrophoretic patterns among 52 isolates). Two MSSA isolates seem to have originated from the dominant clone by deletion of the mecA gene and some additional DNA. In several isolates, different mecA polymorphs were present in identical chromosomal backgrounds or cells with distinct chromosomal backgrounds carried the same mecA polymorph, suggesting horizontal transfer of the mecA gene. Images
On going too far

In the vernacular ideology of humour there are definite ideas about where the limits of joke acceptability lie. In practice, many joke performances seem to go beyond those limits and yet arouse little if any opposition. This paper considers the role that limits play in humour through case studies of two successful practical joke performances. I argue that the performance and appreciation of jokes consists in the playful transgression of limits, but not just those that happen to be contentious in a particular socio-political moment. Even in an apparently innocuous and widely supported joke there are indications of hypothetical disagreement that index awareness of transgression. The acceptability of specific jokes is socially constructed in very context-specific ways that transmute limits without obliterating them. The reception of practical jokes suggests that awareness of limits is ever-present, even in jokes that are completely successful.
Pediatric testicular torsion: demographics of national orchiopexy versus orchiectomy rates.

Purpose: While the timely diagnosis and management of pediatric torsion can lead to testicular salvage, limited data exist on rates of orchiopexy vs orchiectomy and associated factors. Thus, we examined the Pediatric Health Information System database for torsion outcomes and demographics at American pediatric hospitals.Materials and Methods: Using the Pediatric Health Information System database we performed a 7-year retrospective cohort study in children 1 to 17 years old with a primary ICD-9 diagnosis of torsion, assessing CPT codes for orchiopexy and orchiectomy. Data were analyzed with SPSS®, version 17.0.Results: Of 2,876 patients who underwent surgery for an ICD-9 diagnosis code of testicular torsion 918 (31.9%) underwent orchiectomy at a mean age of 10.7 years and 1,958 (68.1%) underwent orchiopexy at a mean age of 12.6 years (p <0.0001). In the age groups 1 to 9, 10 to 13 and 14 years or greater 274 (49.9%), 311 (29.4%) and 333 patients (26.2%), respectively, underwent orchiectomy. A higher orchi...
Conditions for static balance for the post-Newtonian two-body problem with electric charge in general relativity

Abstract The usual condition for static balance, for two bodies with masses and charges mi and ei (i = 1, 2), is e i =±G 1 2 m i . From a post-Newtonian analysis of the two-body problem, an alternate condition for static balance e i =±(Gm 1 m 2 ) 1 2 has been found. We do not know if this condition is exact beyond the post-Newtonian approximation.
On Differentiating Myotis yumanensis and Myotis lucifugus in the Field: A Reply to Carraway

The central concern of Rodhouse et al. (2008) was the identification of Myotis yumanensis and Myotis lucifugus under field conditions. We demonstrated the potential utility of morphological key characteristics for differentiating the 2 species but also found that the expression of these characteristics could be contradictory within individual bats. We ex pressed concern over the possibility of high misidentification rates for these 2 species and of spurious conclusions that may result. We suggested that multiple lines of diagnostic evi dence should be considered, including those from acoustic and genetic tools. We encouraged future studies of this kind to be undertaken to improve field identification approaches, and we noted several opportunities for improving our study, including the limited use of voucher spec imens and involvement of multiple observers. Carraway (2009) raises several salient and
Couples' evaluations of foreknowledge of fetal impairment.

The Western cultural presumption that knowledge is a right and a good is integral to current discussions of prenatal diagnosis. Little is known, however, about how couples obtaining positive fetal diagnoses evaluate this knowledge for their own lives and whether or how, they are advantaged in relation to couples learning about their baby's impairment after birth. Findings from 40 Interviews with expectant parents obtaining positive prenatal diagnoses suggest that couples both value and question the value of fetal foreknowledge and that this knowledge temporally relocates, rather than substantively alters, parental responses and infant outcomes.
Slow Crack Growth in Sapphire Fibers at 800° to 1500°C

Sapphire fibers with (near) c-axis orientation were tested in tension over a range of strain rates (10−5 to 0.5 min−1) at elevated temperatures (800° to 1500°C). The strength of the fibers was dependent on the strain rate. Slow crack growth was confirmed as the degradation process by direct inspection of the fracture surfaces and estimation of fracture stresses from measured flaw sizes. The slow crack growth parameter, N, decreased with increasing temperature. At 1400°C a threshold in strength was observed; the threshold stress intensity factor was estimated to be ≅ 1 MP·m1/2 at 1400°C. Thermally activated bond rupture (e.g., lattice trapping model) is postulated as the mechanism responsible for the slow crack growth.
Test Directions as a Critical Component of Test Design: Best Practices and the Impact of Examinee Characteristics

The purpose of test directions is to familiarize examinees with a test so that they respond to items in the manner intended. However, changes in educational measurement as well as the U.S. student population present new challenges to test directions and increase the impact that differential familiarity could have on the validity of test score interpretations. This article reviews the literature on best practices for the development of test directions as well as documenting differences in test familiarity for culturally and linguistically diverse students that could be addressed with test directions and practice. The literature indicates that choice of practice items and feedback are critical in the design of test directions and that more extensive practice opportunities may be required to reduce group differences in test familiarity. As increasingly complex and rich item formats are introduced in next-generation assessments, test directions become a critical part of test design and validity.
Uptake and processing of 59Fe-labelled and 125I-labelled rat transferrin by early organogenesis rat conceptuses in vitro

The delivery of iron to the early organogenesis rat embryo has been studied, using 59Fe- and 125I-labelled rat transferrin. Rat conceptuses at 9.5 days postconception were cultured for 27 or 51 h in whole rat serum. Rat transferrin labelled with 59Fe was added for the final 0.1, 0.5, 6, 24 or 48 h of culture. Radioactivity accumulated progressively in both the embryo and the visceral yolk sac. Similar results were obtained when unconjugated 59Fe3+ was added to the rat serum used as culture medium. Both acid-soluble and acid-insoluble 59Fe were substantially present in the embryo and yolk sac after all exposure periods. When conceptuses were cultured in the presence of 125I-labelled rat transferrin, acid-soluble radioactivity was progressively released into the culture medium, but accumulation into the embryo and visceral yolk sac was slight and did not change with duration of exposure to the labelled protein. Similar findings were obtained using 125I-labelled bovine serum albumin. In these experiments, there was a close correspondence between the amount of iron accumulated by the embryo and visceral yolk sac in the final 24 h of a 51-h culture and the amount of transferrin converted into acid-soluble products in the same period. Visceral yolk sacs from 17.5-day pregnant rats were explanted and cultured in the presence of 59Fe-labelled rat transferrin, 125I-labelled rat transferrin or 125I-labelled bovine serum albumin, for periods up to 3 h. Again uptake of 59Fe increased with time of incubation, and the 125I-labelled proteins were digested to acid-soluble products which were released into the culture medium. The results indicate that transferrin delivers iron for incorporation into both the embryo and the visceral yolk sac, and are consistent with a mechanism involving receptor-mediated endocytosis of iron-laden transferrin by the cells of the visceral yolk sac. The transferrin itself appears to be quantitatively degraded, following delivery of iron to the yolk sac cells, a result that differs from findings in other cell types, in which the protein is not degraded but returns to the plasma membrane to participate in further cycles of iron acquisition and delivery.
Synthesis of dihydropallescensin D via manganese(III) mediated cyclization of an olefinic β-keto ester

Abstract Free radical oxidative cyclization of keto ester 5 with manganese(II) acetate and copper(II) acetate gave bicyclo[4.3.1]decanone 6 which was transformed into the furanosesquiterpene dihydropallescensin D.
Cyclic fatigue life of cables

Abstract Methods for calculating the fatigue life of cables with an infinite number of parallel wires are presented. The methods account for the effects of cable legnth and the increase in stress range that occurs as cable wires break. Comparisons are made with fatigue lives of cables with finite numbers of wires calculated by Monte Carlo simulation. A previously published model is extended and applied to the case where the fatigue lives of short pieces (test specimens) of the cable wire have a log-normal distribution. Also, an approximate solution for the life of long cables is presented.
Photochemical transformations. 36. Intramolecular electron transfer from photoexcited benzene rings to carbon-mercury bonds. Stereochemical fate of zwitterionic biradicals leading to Wagner-Meerwein rearranged products.

Abstract Irradiation of cis -8-X-mercuri-2,3;5,6-dibenzobicyclo[2.2.2]-octa-2,5-diene-7-ol acetate (X = Cl and OAc) ( 3 ) and the trans -diastereoisomer ( 4 ) (X = Cl) in glacial acetic acid, in acetonitrile, or in a mixture of glacial acetic acid and acetonitrile with 254-nm and 285-nm light gives metallic mercury and Wagner-Meerwein rearranged photosolvolysis or ion-pair return products. The reactions are stereoconvergent. A mechanistic path involving intramolecular electron transfer and an excited-state πp cation biradical is suggested to rationalize the results.
Cell-type-specific level of DNA nucleotide excision repair in primary human mammary and ovarian epithelial cell cultures.

DNA repair, a fundamental function of cellular metabolism, has long been presumed to be constitutive and equivalent in all cells. However, we have previously shown that normal levels of nucleotide excision repair (NER) can vary by 20-fold in a tissue-specific pattern. We have now successfully established primary cultures of normal ovarian tissue from seven women by using a novel culture system originally developed for breast epithelial cells. Epithelial cells in these cultures aggregated to form three-dimensional structures called “attached ovarian epispheres”. The availability of these actively proliferating cell cultures allowed us to measure NER functionally and quantitatively by the unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay, a clinical test used to diagnose constitutive deficiencies in NER capacity. We determined that ovarian epithelial cells manifested an intermediate level of NER capacity in humans, viz., only 25% of that of foreskin fibroblasts, but still 2.5-fold higher than that of peripheral blood lymphocytes. This level of DNA repair capacity was indistinguishable from that of normal breast epithelial cells, suggesting that it might be characteristic of the epithelial cell type. Similar levels of NER activity were observed in cultures established from a disease-free known carrier of a BRCA1 truncation mutation, consistent with previous normal results shown in breast epithelium and blood lymphocytes. These results establish that at least three “normal” levels of such DNA repair occur in human tissues, and that NER capacity is epigenetically regulated during cell differentiation and development.
Conjugation, hybridization, and steric hindrance in relation to bond lengths

Abstract Three theories which have been proposed to explain the observed shortening of a single bond when it is adjacent to a double bond are discussed. Possible predictions from these theories are examined, especially for comparison with various quantities measurable by microwave spectroscopy. It is concluded that the steric theory is probably untenable, that some conjugation appears necessary to explain observed barries to internal rotation, and that it is difficult to find testable predictions from the hybridization theory.
Introductory study of an oocyte membrane protein that specifically binds vitellogenin in the crayfish Orconectes limosus

Summary After solubilization of membranes from vitellogenic oocytes of the crayfish Orconectes limosus, a component with an apparent molecular weight between 28 and 30 kDa that specifically binds vitellogenin, could be identified by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and by electroblotting. Because this component was pronase sensitive, we assume that we are dealing with a protein. A polyclonal rabbit antiserum was produced against this component and its tissue specificity was verified.
The faunal structure of a mid‐Cretaceous rudist reef core

The macrofaunal distribution of the mid-Cretaceous El Abra Limestone reef core is quantified from two measured sections in Taninul Quarry, San Luis Potosi, central Mexico. The faunal structure is transitional between typical Lower Cretaceous reefs dominated by corals with low-density rudist bivalve packing; and densely-packed, rudist-dominated Upper Cretaceous reefs. The macrofauna is predominantly associations of unconnected individuals of caprinid rudists, with a low diversity of other shelly mollusks and corals. An examination of the alternation of paleocommunities defined by the dominant caprinid taxa reveals no pattern of biotic succession within the reef core. Large-scale sedimentologic features of mud and debris content, coupled with rudist growth type, suggest that paleocommunities may have been physically controlled.
Algorithm 872: Parallel 2D constrained Delaunay mesh generation

Delaunay refinement is a widely used method for the construction of guaranteed quality triangular and tetrahedral meshes. We present an algorithm and a software for the parallel constrained Delaunay mesh generation in two dimensions. Our approach is based on the decomposition of the original mesh generation problem into N smaller subproblems which are meshed in parallel. The parallel algorithm is asynchronous with small messages which can be aggregated and exhibits low communication costs. On a heterogeneous cluster of more than 100 processors our implementation can generate over one billion triangles in less than 3 minutes, while the single-node performance is comparable to that of the fastest to our knowledge sequential guaranteed quality Delaunay meshing library (the Triangle).
Invasion resistance, species build‐up and community collapse in metapopulation models with interspecies competition

Islands or habitat patches in a metapopulation exist as multi-species communities. Community interactions link eachspecies' dynamics so that the colonization of one species may cause the extinction of another. In this way, communityinteractions may set limits to the invadability of an island and to the likelihood of resident species extinctions uponinvasion. To examine the nature of these limits, I assemble stable multi-species Lotka-Volterra competition communities thatdiffer in resident species number and the average strength (and variance) of species interactions. These are then invaded withspecies whose properties are drawn from the same distribution as the residents. The invader success rate and the extinctionrate of resident species is determined as a function of community- and species-level properties. I show that the probabilityof colonization success for an invader decreases with species number and the strength and variance of interspecificinteractions. Communities comprised of many strongly interacting species limit the invasion possibilities of competingspecies. Community interactions, even for a superior invading competitor, set up a sort of “activation barrier”that repels the invader. This “priority effect” for residents is not assumed a priori in mydescription for the individual population dynamics of these species, rather it arises because species-rich andstrongly-interacting species sets have alternative stable states that tend to disfavour species at low densities. These modelspoint to community-level rather than invader-level properties as the strongest determinant of differences in invasion success.If an invading species is successful it competitively displaces a greater number of resident species, on average, as communitysize increases. These results provide a logical framework for an island-biogeographic theory based on species interactions andinvasions and for the protection of fragile native species from invading exotics.
Cancer of the pharyngeal wall

One hundred and sixty-four consecutive cases of cancer of the pharyngeal wall from 1951 through 1961 are reviewed. Most of these tumors present in advanced stages of disease. Neighboring structures such as the larynx are commonly involved and neck node metastases occur ultimately in about two thirds of cases. The disease is characterized by sore throat, dysphagia, hoarseness and weight loss and occurs in individuals of middle and later life. The present studies indicate that pharyngeal cancer is best treated by wide surgical excision, reserving radiation therapy for selected cases of recurrence. Although irradiation alone can cure some small localized lesions, it is much less effective in the more common advanced lesions with metastases to the neck where surgery plays an important part in the over-all treatment. Combinations of surgery and irradiation will salvage a few patients not controlled by either method alone. The gross 5-year cure rate in those without evidence of disease is 19% with a net (determinate) cure rate of 21%.
A philosophy to system measurement

Although a great deal of emphasis has been placed on system measurement during the past few years, each of us has his own opinion and ideas as to what it means. From a practical and immediate point of view, System Measurement is the process of obtaining useful information on the performance of software and software-controlled computer hardware. From the same viewpoint, System Measurement is the key to system efficiency. The measurement tools currently available commercially are normally artificially classed as either hardware or software, based on whether they are constructed with electronics or software elements. This particular distinction is rather meaningless to the user since what is being measured and how useful the measurements are, is of far more importance.
A testbed for evaluation of fault-tolerant routing in multiprocessor interconnection networks

This paper presents a comprehensive evaluation testbed for interconnection networks and routing algorithms using real applications. The testbed is flexible enough to implement any network topology and fault-tolerant routing algorithm, and allows the system architect to study the cost versus performance trade-offs for a range of network parameters. We illustrate its use with one fault-tolerant algorithm and analyze the performance of four shared memory applications with different fault conditions. We also show how the testbed can be used to drive future research in fault-tolerant routing algorithms and architectures by proposing and evaluating novel architectural enhancements to the network router, called path selection heuristics (PSH). We propose three such schemes and the Least Recently Used (LRU) PSH is shown to give the best performance in the presence of faults.
Sea Urchin Primary Mesenchyme Cells: Ingression Occurs Independent of Microtubules

The formation of primary mesenchyme cells in euechinoid sea urchin embryos involves the transformation of 32 epithelial cells into mesenchymal cells in a process referred to as ingression. The mechanism that drives this epithelial-mesenchymal transformation has yet to be identified. Previous studies (J. R. Gibbins, L. G. Tilney, and K. R. Porter, 1969, J. Cell Biol. 41, 201-226; L. G. Tilney and J. R. Gibbins, 1969, J. Cell Biol. 41, 227-250) implicated that microtubules are essential components for the normal development, including ingression, of the mesenchymal cells. In the present study I have reinvestigated the role of microtubules in ingression by using the microtubule-disrupting drugs colchicine and nocodazole, and the microtubule-stabilizing drug taxol. The effect of these drugs on microtubules was monitored by indirect immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibodies specific for alpha- and beta-tubulins. The microtubule array seen in control embryos disappeared in colchicine- and nocodazole-treated embryos, while it was enhanced in taxol-treated embryos. When premesenchyme blastulae of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus were treated with any of these reagents the primary mesenchyme cells ingressed on schedule and appeared to undergo cell-shape changes identical to those observed in untreated embryos. The conclusion of this study is that the mechanism of primary mesenchyme cell ingression does not include an essential role for microtubules; ingression occurs regardless of the presence or absence of microtubules.