cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Challenge of Managing Bilateral Acute Angle-closure Glaucoma in the Presence of Active SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma associated with hyponatremia in the setting of chlorthalidone use and SARS-CoV-2 infection, and to demonstrate the challenges of managing this patient given her infectious status. METHODS: This was a case report. CASE: A 65-year-old woman taking chlorthalidone for hypertension presented to the emergency room with headache, pain, and blurry vision in both eyes and was found to be in bilateral acute angle closure. On laboratory investigation, she was severely hyponatremic and also tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. B-scan ultrasound demonstrated an apparent supraciliary effusion in the right eye. Following stabilization of her intraocular pressures with medical management, she ultimately underwent cataract extraction with iridectomies and goniosynechiolysis in both eyes. CONCLUSIONS: We report a rare case of bilateral acute angle-closure glaucoma associated with hyponatremia. Chlorthalidone use and perhaps SARS-CoV-2 infection may have contributed to this electrolyte abnormality and unique clinical presentation. In addition, we discuss the challenges of managing this complex patient with active SARS-CoV-2 infection during the pandemic.
Cardiac Transplantation after Heparin Induced Thrombocytopenia: A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis

Purpose Heparin induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) presents a unique challenge in patients requiring orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT). However, data on management and outcomes are lacking. We sought to pool the existing evidence in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods Electronic search was performed to identify all relevant studies published on OHT in patients with HIT. Overall, 20 were selected comprising 30 patients with HIT who required OHT. Patient-level data were extracted for statistical analysis. Results Median patient age was 51 [IQR 41.8, 55.0] years old, with 73.3% (22/30) male. All patients had a clinical diagnosis of HIT, and PF4-Heparin antibodies were positive in 86.7% (26/30). Overall, 67% (20/30) required mechanical circulatory support preoperatively, including temporary support in 53% (16/30), and durable assist devices in 30% (9/30). Durable devices consisted of pulsatile 78% (7/9) and continuous-flow 22% (2/9) LVADs. Median duration from HIT to OHT was 21 [IQR 12, 61] days, and from MCS to OHT 28 [IQR 18, 66] days. Of 30 patients, 17 (56.7%) underwent OHT using unfractionated heparin (UFH), while 13 used other agents. In non-UFH patients, agents included 54% (7/13) Bivalirudin, 15% (2/13) Danaparoid, and 8% (1/13) each of enoxaparin, Argatroban or Lepirudin. Intraoperatively, non-UFH patients required more antifibrinolytics [54% (7/13) vs. 5.9% (5/17), p=0.01] and clotting factors [69.2% (9/13) vs. 11.8% (2/17) p=0.004]. Peri-operative thrombosis occurred in 53.8% (7/13) of non-UFH patients and 0% (0/17) of UFH patients (p=0.002). More non-UFH patients developed serious perioperative bleeding [62% (8/13) vs. 18% (3/17), p=0.04] and required post-operative transfusions [54% (7/13) vs. 0% (0/16), p=0.003]. Postoperative anticoagulation was utilized in 68.8% (11/16) of UFH patients and 7.7% (1/13) of non-UFH patients (p=0.003), with no difference in warfarin use [6.2% (1/16) vs.7.7% (1/13) respectively, p=1.00]. Median follow-up time was 20 [IQR 5, 24] months for UFH patients and 12 [IQR 10, 25] months for non-UFH patients (p=0.46). At the time of last follow-up, 82% (14/17) of UFH and 85% (11/13) of non-UFH patients were alive (p=1). Conclusion Non-UFH anticoagulation during OHT was associated with thrombotic and bleeding complications compared to UFH. However, there was no significant difference in overall survival.
Probing water partitioning in unsaturated weathered rock using nuclear magnetic resonanceRock moisture partitioning using NMR

ABSTRACT”Rock moisture” (exchangeable water stored in weathered bedrock beneath the soil) is a key and yet overlooked component in hydrologic cycles. It can be partitioned to free water and capilla...
The Routine Follow-up Head CT: Is it Still a Necessary Step in the Thrombolysis Pathway?

The 24-h head computed tomography (CT) scan following intravenous tissue plasminogen activator or mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is currently part of most acute stroke protocols. However, as evidence emerges regarding who is at highest risk for treatment complications, the utility of routine neuroimaging for all patients has become less clear. Four hundred seventy-five patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center between 2004 and 2018 and treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator and/or MT were evaluated. Neuroimaging performed during the first 48 h of hospitalization was reviewed for edema, hemorrhagic transformation (HT), or other findings altering management. Early imaging (< 24 h), performed for neurologic deterioration, was compared with imaging performed per protocol (24 ± 6 h). Factors predictive of radiographically and clinically significant findings on per-protocol imaging were determined. One hundred fifty-three patients (32%) underwent early imaging. These patients generally had more severe strokes. HT was found in 15% of cases. For the remaining patients (n = 322), imaging at 24 h impacted acute management for only 24 patients: resulting in emergent hemicraniectomy in 1 (0.3%) and leading to additional imaging to monitor asymptomatic HT or edema in 23 (7.1%). Advanced age, higher stroke severity, MT, and atrial fibrillation were associated with significant findings on the 24-h CT scan. Only 2 of the 24 patients had an initial National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of < 7. The 24-h head CT scan does not change management for most patients, particularly those with low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores who do not undergo MT. Consideration should be given to removing routine follow-up imaging from postthrombolysis protocols in favor of an examination-based approach.
Building a vocabulary self-learning speech recognition system.

This paper presents initial studies on building a vocabulary selflearning speech recognition system that can automatically learn unknown words and expand its recognition vocabulary. Our recognizer can detect and recover out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words in speech, then incorporate OOV words into its lexicon and language model (LM). As a result, these unknown words can be correctly recognized when encountered by the recognizer in future. Specifically, we apply the word-fragment hybrid system framework to detect the presence of OOV words. We propose a better phoneme-to-grapheme (P2G) model so as to correctly recover the written form for more OOV words. Furthermore, we estimate LM scores for OOV words using their syntactic and semantic properties. The experimental results show that more than 40% OOV words are successfully learned from the development data, and about 60% learned OOV words are recognized in the testing data. Index Terms: Vocabulary learning, OOV word detection and recovery, lexicon expansion
Chapter 2 Application of Padé Approximants to Dispersion Force and Optical Polarizability Computations

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the Pade approximant technique with emphasis on the leading (dipole-dipole) dispersion force term and demonstrates its applicability to the computation of the closely related optical polarizabilities. The dynamic (dipole) polarizability of an atom or molecule is given by the familiar Kramers-Heisenberg dispersion formula, which can be expressed as an integral over the (dipole) oscillator-strength distribution of the system. The properties of the integrand serve to identify the polarizability as a series of Stieltjes, for which bounds are provided by Pade approximants determined from the moments of the oscillator-strength distribution. Introduction of the Pade approximants into the Casimir-Polder integral formula gives the desired bounded estimates for the dispersion force coefficients. The chapter also presents the necessary formalism for the dispersion force, demonstrates that the polarizability is a series of Stieltjes, and shows that the Pade approximant to this series leads to upper and lower bounds on the polarizability at imaginary frequencies. The chapter illustrates the effectiveness of the Pade approximant in summing the Cauchy series for the polarizability within its radius of convergence for atomic hydrogen and helium along with a discussion of a number of alternative methods for obtaining bounded estimates of dispersion force coefficients.
Efficacy Versus Effectiveness Research

Over the past several decades, researchers have sought to examine the beneficial effects of psychotherapy using methods that have been shaped over time by seminal studies. One such methodology considered to be the “gold standard” in psychotherapy research is the efficacy trial, which tests a treatment under highly controlled conditions. An additional approach, the effectiveness trial, tests an efficacious treatment under more naturalistic conditions to determine how it will perform in typical clinical settings. Examples of these two types of design are provided, as well as a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of methodology. Given these advantages and disadvantages, researchers often conduct studies that combine the best elements of efficacy and effectiveness trials based on their particular research question. The different ways that these two methods are combined in hybrid efficacy-effectiveness studies also are discussed. Keywords: experimental design; psychotherapies; evidenced based practice; methodology; randomized controlled trial
Gastrointestinal tract spindle cell lesions—just like real estate, it’s all about location

Interpretation of gastrointestinal tract mesenchymal lesions is simplified merely by knowing in which anatomic layer they are usually found. For example, Kaposi sarcoma is detected on mucosal biopsies, whereas inflammatory fibroid polyp is nearly always in the submucosa. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are generally centered in the muscularis propria. Schwannomas are essentially always in the muscularis propria. Mesenteric lesions are usually found in the small bowel mesentery. Knowledge of the favored layer is even most important in interpreting colon biopsies, as many mesenschymal polyps are encountered in the colon. Although GISTs are among the most common mesenchymal lesions, we will concentrate our discussion on other mesenchymal lesions, some of which are in the differential diagnosis of GIST, and point out some diagnostic pitfalls, particularly in immunolabeling.
Information Systems' Approaches and Designs and Facility Information: Survey of Acute Care Hospitals in the United States

These survey results are based on a national survey of acute care hospitals. A random sample of 813 hospitals was selected with 115 responding and 33 incorrect address returns resulting in a 15% response rate. The purpose of the study was to measure the extent of information systems integration in the financial, medical, and administrative systems of the hospitals. The rate of adoption of information technology or technology transfer is discussed. Facility demographics are presented. Characteristics of information systems' approaches and designs are reviewed and their implications discussed. This information will provide benchmarks for hospitals to determine their information systems position and to set goals.
Endocrinological and Metabolic Responses to Acute and Chronic Heat Exposures

The sections in this article are: 1 Fluid and Electrolyte Regulation 1.1 Hydration Levels 1.2 Acclimation/Acclimatization 1.3 Sedentary Heat Exposure 1.4 Exercise in the Heat 1.5 Comparative Studies 2 Anterior Pituitary 2.1 Growth Hormone 2.2 Prolactin 2.3 Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Adrenocorticotropin 2.4 Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone 2.5 Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone 3 Posterior Pituitary 3.1 Arginine Vasopressin 3.2 Oxytocin 4 Thyroid and Metabolism 5 Sympathoadrenomedullary System 6 Hypothalamic Oligopeptides 7 Pancreatic Hormones 8 Atrial Natriuretic Peptide 9 Conclusion
Individual Differences in L2 Learning and Long-Term L1-L2 Relationships.

In this article, I describe studies conducted over 25 years with secondary and post-secondary L2 learners in the United States. The evidence from these studies shows that there are important connections between students’ early L1 skills and their L2 aptitude and L2 proficiency and that individual differences in students’ L1 skills in elementary school are related to differences in their L2 achievement several years later.
A first approach to global runoff simulation using satellite rainfall estimation

Many hydrological models have been introduced in the hydrological literature to predict runoff but few of these have become common planning or decision-making tools, either because the data requirements are substantial or because the modeling processes are too complicated for operational application. On the other hand, progress in regional or global rainfall-runoff simulation has been constrained by the difficulty of measuring spatiotemporal variability of the primary causative factor, i.e. rainfall fluxes, continuously over space and time. Building on progress in remote sensing technology, researchers have improved the accuracy, coverage, and resolution of rainfall estimates by combining imagery from infrared, passive microwave, and space-borne radar sensors. Motivated by the recent increasing availability of global remote sensing data for estimating precipitation and describing land surface characteristics, this note reports a ballpark assessment of quasi-global runoff computed by incorporating satellite rainfall data and other remote sensing products in a relatively simple rainfall-runoff simulation approach: the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) runoff Curve Number (CN) method. Using an Antecedent Precipitation Index (API) as a proxy of antecedent moisture conditions, this note estimates time-varying NRCS-CN values determined by the 5-day normalized API. Driven by multi-year (1998-2006) Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis, quasi-global runoff was retrospectively simulated with the NRCS-CN method and compared to Global Runoff Data Centre data at global and catchment scales. Results demonstrated the potential for using this simple method when diagnosing runoff values from satellite rainfall for the globe and for medium to large river basins. This work was done with the simple NRCS-CN method as a first-cut approach to understanding the challenges that lie ahead in advancing the satellite-based inference of global runoff. We expect that the successes and limitations revealed in this study will lay the basis for applying more advanced methods to capture the dynamic variability of the global hydrologic process for global runoff monlto~ngin real time. The essential ingredient in this work is the use of global satellite-based rainfall estimation.
Effect of dopamine on the esophageal smooth muscle in vivo.

Intravenous administration of dopamine caused a dose-dependent reduction in thelower esophageal sphincter pressure and contractions in the lowermost part of the body of the esophagus in the opossum. A dose of 5 µg per kg produced maximal response. The onset of contractions in the body occurred around 20 sec after the onset of the sphincter response. The effect of dopamine was different from isoproterenol, which caused no contractions in the body and caused reduction in sphincter pressure, and from phenylephrine, which also caused no contractions in the body but caused contraction of the sphincter. Moreover, the effect of 5 μg per kg of dopamine was blocked by halo-peridol but not by phentolamine, propranolol, bilateral cervical vagotomy, or tetrodotoxin. These studies suggested the presence of selective dopamine receptors which mediated contraction of the esophageal body and relaxation of the sphincter muscle. Since vagal stimulation also causes contraction in the body and relaxation of the sphincter, it was possible that vagal effect on the esophagus was mediated by dopamine receptors. However, haloperidol did not block the effect of electrical stimulation of vagus nerve on body of the esophagus or the lower esophageal sphincter.
Dual effects of angiotensin II on calcium currents in neonatal rat nodose neurons

Angiotensin II (AII) reversibly modulates calcium current in isolated neonatal rat nodose ganglion cells by two different pathways. A maximum inhibitory effect of 43 +/- 6% (n = 25) of the peak calcium current at -10 mV was observed at 10 nM AII. The IC50 of the inhibitory response was 100 pM. Losartan, a specific antagonist for the AT1 type of AII receptor, abolished the AII-induced inhibition, as did preincubation with pertussis toxin (PTX). When omega-conotoxin GVIA (CTX) was added to the bath solution, AII produced no inhibition of the remaining calcium current, indicating that the AII inhibition was mediated through CTX-sensitive calcium channels. Reversible facilitation of calcium current was seen more rarely. The AII-induced facilitation was unaffected by losartan and PTX, indicating that the effect is mediated by a non-AT1 receptor and does not depend upon a PTX-sensitive G-protein. The facilitation is present when the CTX-sensitive current has been blocked and involves activation of a reserve pool of dihydropyridine (DHP)-sensitive channels. In general, a particular neuron exhibited either inhibition or facilitation. However, in some neurons both inhibition and facilitation could be demonstrated in the presence of the appropriate blocking agents.
Cell Culture as a Model

The sections in this article are: 1 Historical Development of Cell Cultures for the Study of Aging 2 Relevance of in Vitro Cellular Senescence to in Vivo Aging 2.1 Cell Cultures as Models 2.2 Cellular Mortality, Cellular Clocks, and Death as an End Point for Aging 2.3 Aging and Evolution 2.4 In Vivo–In Vitro Parallel Changes 3 Caveats in the Use of Cell Cultures as Models 4 Cellular and Molecular Markers of Senescence in Vitro and in Vivo 5 Mechanistic Studies of in Vitro Replicative Senescence 5.1 Stochastic Mechanisms 5.2 Signal Transduction Pathways 5.3 Genetic Mechanisms 6 Summary and Conclusions
Continuation rights, precautionary principle, and global change

Implementing a Precautionary Principle can mean different things to different people. Policy analysts may believe that finding a quantitative approach to the Principle would remove ambiguity over fundamental issues. We demonstrate that one approach to quantifying the Precautionary Principle does not necessarily solve what we call the ‘continuation framing problem’. That problem is based in the competing perspectives of stakeholders when they view their own activity as the status quo and a change in that activity as causing irreversible costs. Even a shared analytic framework, here that of real options analysis, does not remove the need for political decisions about property rights in differing uses of the atmosphere.
Autonomic computing: research challenges and opportunities

Summary form only given. The wide deployment of Internet technology has resulted in exponential growth in Internet application services (e.g., content hosting for data with Web-based access, shared payroll applications, firewall-based security services, email and shared file services). The management and control of these application services is a challenging research problem due to the huge amount of data that needs to be collected and coordinated, the heterogeneity and the independence of resources and components required by these services and the fact that they run under different organizations and administration policies. This complexity has led to a situation where the cost to manage such systems is actually a lot more than the actual systems themselves. Consequently, the growing complexity of the IT infrastructure threatens to undermine the very benefits information technology aims to provide. A potential solution to these challenging research problems is autonomic computing that calls for designing distributed information systems that can automatically configure, deploy, secure, tolerate faults, optimize, and anticipate loads by themselves without the manual involvement of human administrators. This approach has been inspired by the human autonomic nervous system that has the ability to self-configure, self-tune and even repair themselves without any human conscience involvement. The concept of developing the next era of computing systems is driven by the convergence between the biological systems and the digital computing systems. In this paper, the author reviews the basic principles of autonomic computing, related research projects in industry and academia and future research directions and opportunities. In addition, the author describes our on-going research projects to develop autonomia: an autonomic control and management environment.
Purification of tau, a microtubule-associated protein that induces assembly of microtubules from purified tubulin.

Abstract Tau, a microtubule-associated protein which copurifies with tubulin through successive cycles of polymerization and depolymerization, has been isolated from tubulin by phosphocellulose chromatography and purified to near homogeneity. The purified protein is seen to migrate during electrophoresis on acrylamide gels as four closely spaced bands of apparent molecular weights between 55,000 and 62,000. Specific activity for induction of microtubule formation from purified tubulin has been assayed by quantitative electron microscopy and is seen to be enhanced three- to fourfold in the purified tau when compared with the unfractionated microtubule-associated proteins. Nearly 90% of available tubulin at 1 mg/ml is found to be polymerizable into microtubules with elevated levels of tau. Moreover, the critical concentration for polymerization of the reconstituted tau + tubulin system is seen to be a function of tau concentration and may be lowered to as little as 30 μg of tubulin per ml. Under depolymerizing conditions, 50% of the tubulin at only 1 mg/ml may be driven into ring structures. A separate purification procedure for isolation of tau directly from cell extracts has been developed and data from this purification suggest that tau is present in the extract in roughly the same proportion to tubulin as is found in microtubules purified by cycles of assembly and disassembly. Tau is sufficient for both nucleation and elongation of microtubules from purified tubulin and hence the reconstituted tau + tubulin system defines a complete microtubule assembly system under standard buffer conditions. In an accompanying paper (Cleveland et al. , 1977) the physical and chemical properties of tau are discussed and a model by which tau may function in microtubule assembly is presented.
Barley Flour Level and Salt Level Selection for a Whole‐grain Bread Formula

Thual hull-less barley from Alaska and Tennessee was ground into whole-grain flours (10.5 and 14.4% protein, respectively). A potentially feasible bread formula was identified from response surfaces depicting effects of barley and salt levels within barley source on dough development parameters. Breads containing 20% barley, 30% whole-wheat and 50% bread flours and 2.0% salt were prepared from each flour; a control contained 50:50 whole-wheat:bread flour with 2% salt. Barley decreased specific loaf volume 5–6%. Instron hardness, cohesiveness, springiness, and chewiness were similar; lower protein barley bread was more gummy than the control. Overall flavor, appearance, and texture acceptability did not differ. Barley bread as prepared was feasible, suggesting the usefulness of response surfaces in formula development.
Diamond Smuggling and Taxation in Sub-Saharan Africa

This paper provides an overview of diamond mining in sub-Saharan African countries, and explores the reasons for substantial differences in their tax rates and fiscal revenues from the sector, which mainly arise from differences in the incentives for smuggling. In a theoretical model, we show that optimal diamond tax rates increase with the degree of competition among diamond buyers, as well as with the corporate share of diamond production, which is confirmed by the data. We then discuss policies to increase revenue, including by enhancing mining productivity, stimulating the exploration of new areas, reducing barriers to entry, and attracting investment into value-adding downstream operations.
Uptake, translocation, and accumulation of manufactured iron oxide nanoparticles by pumpkin plants

Rapid development and application of nanomaterials and nanotechnology make assessment of their potential health and environmental impacts on humans, non-human biota, and ecosystems imperative. Here we show that pumpkin plants (Cucurbita maxima), grown in an aqueous medium containing magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles, can absorb, translocate, and accumulate the particles in the plant tissues. These results suggest that plants, as an important component of the environmental and ecological systems, need to be included when evaluating the overall fate, transport and exposure pathways of nanoparticles in the environment.
Complexified real arrangements of hyperplanes

LetV be a finite dimensional vector space over the real or complex numbers. Areal (orcomplex)arrangementA inV is a finite collection of real (or complex) affine hyperplanes. A real arrangement inV can becomplexified to form a complex arrangement in the complex vector spaceA. The (complex)complement of a real arrangementA is defined byM(A)=V⊗ℂ−⋃H∈AH⊗ℂ. There are two different finite simplicial complexes which carry the homotopy type ofM(A), one given by M. Salvetti, the other by P. Orlik. In this paper we describe both complexes and exhibit a simplicial homotopy equivalence between them.
Primary lymphoma of the spleen. Clinical features and outcome after splenectomy

A retrospective review was made of patients with primary splenic non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (PSL) diagnosed at surgery at Memorial Hospital between 1970 and 1981. Four patients had splenic involvement only (Group I), three patients had splenic and splenic hilar nodal involvement (Group II), and 14 had involvement of the spleen and other sites including liver (11 patients), bone marrow (eight patients), and distant abdominal lymph nodes (five patients) (Group III). Three of the seven Group I and II patients are alive without disease at 24, 42, and 144 months. There was a trend toward a longer survival for the Group I and II patients as compared with the Group III patients. Patients with truely localized PSL seem to have the same outlook as other Stage I non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients.
Seeing Through the Heart's Eye: The Interference of System 1 in System 2

Dual process models conceptualize two systems of processing that are activated when presented with a decision task, the quick and affective System 1 and the deliberative and rule-based System 2. In this article, we explore whether the affective component of System 1 has the potential to interfere with the information integration component of System 2 by utilizing everyday consumer decision-making situations that require the integration of provided information to make optimal choices. We posit that if the provided information has an affective System 1 element, then the affective reaction serves as an input to the System 2 process of information integration. Such an affective input has the potential to cause improper information integration resulting in a biased mental representation, which in turn leads to suboptimal choices. Across three experiments, we test the interfering role of affect in information integration. Experiment 1 establishes the mediating role of the affective System 1 generating a preference for the suboptimal option and rules out the alternate account of analytical skills. Experiments 2 and 3 provide converging evidence for the proposed account that System 1 interferes with System 2 and argue against the alternate account of System 1 directly influencing choice.
Potential molecular mechanisms of oxidant-induced carcinogenesis.

Chronic exposure to oxidants is associated with an increased incidence of malignancy; however, the mechanism(s) by which oxidants contribute to carcinogenesis is unknown. Since oncogene activation ...
SYNOPTIC: Finite Deflection Discrete Element Analysis of Sandwich Plates and Cylindrical Shells with Laminated Faces

A discrete element analysis capability for predicting the geometrically nonlinear behavior of sandwich plate and cylindrical shell structures with unbalanced laminated faces is reported. The geometric admissibility conditions of the principle of minimum total potential energy are conveniently satisfied by employing bicubic Hermite interpolation polynomials to approximate the displacement behavior. Specialization for the finite deflection analysis of thin anisotropic and transversely heterogeneous plate and cylindrical shell systems is achieved by simply considering one face of the sandwich. Numerical solutions are obtained by direct minimization of the total potential energy using a scaled conjugate gradient algorithm. Several problems are solved which illustrate the potential of the method for predicting the finite deflection and elastic postbuckling behavior of sandwich and thin laminated structures.
Calculation of specific heat from measured phonon frequencies

Abstract An expression is derived by which the anharmonic specific heat may be calculated from the measured phonon frequencies.
The protein-encoding gene T-urf13 is not edited in maize mitochondria

RNA editing of T-urf13, a gene specific to the mitochondria of cytoplasmic male-sterile, type-T (cms-T) maize, and an adjacent, cotranscribed gene orf221, have been studied by cDNA sequencing. No editing was detected in 22 cDNA clones. This is the only report of a polypeptide-encoding gene in higher-plant mitochondria that is not edited. T-urf13 may not be edited because it is derived largely from the coding and flanking regions, which are rarely edited, of a ribosomal RNA gene. orf221 is edited; however, the similarity between the predicted amino acid sequences of orf221 in cms-T and normal cytoplasms is not increased.
Evaluating toxicologic end points to derive minimal risk levels for hazardous substances

Abstract The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) uses chemical-specific minimal risk levels (MRLs) to assist in evaluating public health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances. MRLs are estimates of daily human exposure to a chemical that are likely to be without an appreciable risk of adverse noncancer health effects over a specified duration of exposure. MRLs serve as screening levels for health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of concern for populations living near hazardous waste sites and chemical releases. MRLs are derived from toxicologic data compiled from a comprehensive literature search and are presented in ATSDR's toxicological profile for that substance. They are based on the most sensitive substance-induced end point considered to be of relevance to humans. MRLs for each substance are derived for acute (1 – 14 days), intermediate (15 – 364 days), and chronic (365 days and longer) exposure durations, and for the oral and inhalation routes of exposure. In this paper, we present an overview of the approach used for evaluating the toxicologic end points in deriving the MRLs. Examples are given to illustrate the agency's efforts to achieve increased understanding, reduced uncertainty and improved public health guidance.
Incorporation of 1-14C-acetate into fatty acids and sterols by isolated hepatocytes of thermally acclimated rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Rates of 1-14C-acetate incorporation into specific fatty acids and sterol fractions were determined at assay temperatures of 5°C and 20°C in hepatocytes isolated from warm (20°C)- and cold (5°C)- acclimated rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri). Rates of sterol lipogenesis were 2.5- to 3-fold higher in hepatocytes from cold-acclimated trout. Rates of acetate oxidation and of total fatty acid lipogenesis did not differ significantly between acclimation groups. Fatty acid compositions did not change significantly during the experiment (9–12 h), but hepatocytes from cold-acclimated trout possessed significantly higher levels of polyunsaturates and unsaturates of the linolenic acid (n-3) family, and significantly lower levels of monounsaturates than did hepatocytes from warm-acclimated animals. Hepatocytes from cold-acclimated trout channeled a larger percentage of their total acetate incorporation into unsaturated fatty acids at 5°C than at 20°C due primarily to increased recovery of acetate in polyunsaturates and monoenes at 5°C. In contrast, hepatocytes from warm-acclimated trout channeled a slightly smaller percentage of their total acetate incorporation into unsaturates at 5°C than at 20°C. Hepatocytes from warm-acclimated trout incorporated significantly more 1-14C-acetate into the unsaturated fatty acid fraction (due primarily to incorporation into the diene fraction and less importantly all other classes of unsaturates) and significantly less into the saturated fatty acid fraction than hepatocytes from cold-acclimated trout when assayed at 20°C; similar but less dramatic differences were observed at 5°C. Consequently, unsaturated/saturated ratios for acetate incorporation ranked: warm-acclimated at 20°C≃warm-acclimated at 5°C≧cold-acclimated at 5°C>cold-acclimated at 20°C. These results suggest that regulation of the relative rates of unsaturated and saturated fatty acid synthesis is involved in lipid restructuringduring adaptation from one temperature regime to another, but that other mechanisms must be invoked to explain the maintenance of observed steady state differences between the fatty acid compositions of warm- and cold-acclimated trout.
The Precambrian metamorphic rocks of Ceylon: A critique of a radical interpretation

Die neue Hypothese von M. B.Katz (1971), da\ die Vijaya-Gneise und -Migmatite das ursprungliche Grundgebirge unter den metamorphen Sedimenten der Highland-Serie sind, hAlt einer kritischen Prufung nicht stand. Die Altere Auffassung, die Vijaya-Gesteine seien durch retrograd-metamorphe Amphibolit-Fazies-uberprAgung aus der vorher in Granulit-Fazies entwickelten Highland-Serie hervorgegangen, ist aufrechtzuerhalten und kann durch neue Explorationskartierung und strukturelle und isotopische Analysen wesentlich gestutzt werden.
Predicting protein localization using a domain adaptation na¨ıve Bayes classifier with burrows wheeler transform features

The reduced cost of the next generation sequencing technologies provides opportunities to study non-model organisms. However, one challenge is the large volume of data generated and, thus, the need to use automated approaches to annotate these data. Machine learning algorithms could provide a cost-effective solution but they need lots of labeled data and informative features to represent these data. Our proposed approach addresses both these problems by using a domain adaptation classifier in conjunction with features generated with unsupervised techniques to annotate biological sequence data.
Grading as a Reform Effort: Do Standards-Based Grades Converge With Test Scores?

Standards-based progress reports (SBPRs) require teachers to grade students using the performance levels reported by state tests and are an increasingly popular report card format. They may help to increase teacher familiarity with state standards, encourage teachers to exclude nonacademic factors from grades, and/or improve communication with parents. The current study examines the SBPR grade–state test score correspondence observed across 2 years in 125 third and fifth grade classrooms located in one school district to examine the degree of consistency between grades and state test results. It also examines the grading practices of a subset of 37 teachers to determine whether there is an association between teacher appraisal style and convergence rates. A moderate degree of grade–test score convergence was observed using three agreement estimates (coefficient kappa, tau-b correlations, and classroom-level mean differences between grades and test scores). In addition, only small amounts of grade–test score convergence were observed between teachers; a much greater proportion of variance lay within classrooms and subjects. Appraisal style correlated weakly with convergence rates, but was most strongly related to assigning students to the same performance level as the test. Therefore using recommended grading practices may improve the quality of SBPR grades to some extent.
Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers from fireweed, Senecio madagascariensis Poir. (Asteraceae)

Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from invasive fireweed (Senecio madagascariensis) populations in the Hawaiian archipelago. These loci provided markers with polymorphism of six to 24 alleles per locus within 96 individuals collected from two populations from the island of Maui. The expected and observed heterozygosities ranged from 0.31 to 0.91 and from 0.056 to 1. These markers should be useful to study the importance of genetic diversity in invasion success of this species.
Experimental and natural partitioning of Th, U, Pb and other trace elements between garnet, clinopyroxene and basaltic melts

Abstract Partition coefficients for Th, U, Pb, rare-earth elements (REE), high field strength elements (HFSE), alkaline-earth elements, Sc, Cr, V and K were measured by ion microprobe techniques in two experiments on a natural high-alumina basalt composition from Medicine Lake, California. All elements were measured at natural abundance levels except Th, U and Pb, which were each present in the starting mix at 1-wt% levels. The results show that garnet retains U preferentially over Th ( D gt melt U = 0.0059 , D gt melt Th = 0.0014 ), while clinopyroxene shows the opposite sense of partitioning ( D cpx melt U = 0.0127 , D cpx melt Th = 0.014 ). The experimental Th, U and Pb partition coefficients for garnet-melt and cpx-melt are consistent with garnet-cpx pairs from garnet-bearing ultramafic rocks which exhibit U-Pb isochrons, thus demonstrating equilibrium ( D gt cpx U = 0.30 , D gt cpx Th = 0.072 , D gt cpx Pb = 0.016 ). The partition coefficients for Th and U between clinopyroxene and basaltic melt vary systematically as a function of the tetrahedral Al content of clinopyroxene. Garnet/melt values for Th, U and Pb agree with previous determinations, indicating that mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) generation begins in the stability field of garnet lherzolite. However, high 226 Ra 230 Th ratios in MORB require very small porosities near the region where the melts lose chemical equilibrium with the mantle. Partitioning data for HFSE and REE suggest that this region of melt segregation is not in the spinel lherzolite field. This requires either rapid transport of MORB magmas from ϵ 70 km, or some degree of disequilibrium during melt generation and/or transport.
General and substance-specific predictors of young adult nicotine dependence, alcohol use disorder, and problem behavior: replication in two samples

Abstract Background This paper presents two replications of a heuristic model for measuring environment in studies of gene–environment interplay in the etiology of young adult problem behaviors. Methods Data were drawn from two longitudinal, U.S. studies of the etiology of substance use and related behaviors: the Raising Healthy Children study (RHC; N = 1040, 47% female) and the Minnesota Twin Family Study (MTFS; N = 1512, 50% female). RHC included a Pacific Northwest, school-based, community sample. MTFS included twins identified from state birth records in Minnesota. Both studies included commensurate measures of general family environment and family substance-specific environments in adolescence (RHC ages 10–18; MTFS age 18), as well as young adult nicotine dependence, alcohol and illicit drug use disorders, HIV sexual risk behavior, and antisocial behavior (RHC ages 24, 25; MTFS age 25). Results Results from the two samples were highly consistent and largely supported the heuristic model proposed by Bailey et al. (2011). Adolescent general family environment, family smoking environment, and family drinking environment predicted shared variance in problem behaviors in young adulthood. Family smoking environment predicted unique variance in young adult nicotine dependence. Family drinking environment did not appear to predict unique variance in young adult alcohol use disorder. Conclusions Organizing environmental predictors and outcomes into general and substance-specific measures provides a useful way forward in modeling complex environments and phenotypes. Results suggest that programs aimed at preventing young adult problem behaviors should target general family environment and family smoking and drinking environments in adolescence.
The computational speed of supercomputers

Problems related to the evaluation of computational speeds of supercomputers are discussed. Measurements of sequential speeds, vector speeds, and asynchronous parallel processing speeds are presented. A simple model is developed that allows us to evaluate the workload-dependent effective speed of current systems such as vector computers and asynchronous parallel processing systems. Results indicate that the effective speed of a supercomputer is severely limited by its slowest processing mode unless the fraction of the workload that has to be processed in this mode is negligibly small.
Characteristics of the Quenching of 9-Aminoacridine Fluorescence by Liposomes Made from Plant Lipids

Several laboratories have determined the surface charge density of membranes utilizing methods based on vesicle-induced quenching of the fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine and its relief by other cations. However, the computational methods by which surface charge density were calculated have not been verified in a model system. In this study, the quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence by liposomes made from varying amounts of digalactosyldiacylglyceride and phosphatidic acid and relief of quenching by salts was examined. Quenching of 9-aminoacridine fluorescence increased with increasing amounts of phosphatidic acid added, independent of the composition of the added liposomes. In certain instances, the computational methods did not yield the surface charge density of the liposomes expected from their composition. However, when the effects of background ionic strength on surface potential were considered, there was a positive correlation between expected and calculated values. Therefore, the data support the contention that changes in the fluorescence of 9-aminoacridine can be used to calculate surface charge density of membranes.
Switching Bait as a Method to Improve Freshwater Turtle Capture and Recapture Success with Hoop Net Traps

We surveyed freshwater turtles at sites in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Bastrop Lost Pines ecoregions of Texas annually since 2008 and 2009, respectively, and found that captures and recaptures per unit effort (CPUE and RPUE, respectively) decreased annually. In 2011, we tested whether or not switching the type of bait used to attract turtles affected CPUE and RPUE. Under the assumption that bait preferences af- fect capture probabilities both among and within species, we hypothesized that switching bait would increase CPUE in 2011 by attracting individuals not captured in previous years. We also hypothesized that low recapture success in previous years was due to an olfactory-induced trap-shy response. We tested this hypothesis by determining if RPUE increased when we switched the type of bait used to attract turtles. We found that switching from fi sh-based bait to red meat signifi cantly increased CPUE, but not RPUE, for Trachemys scripta elegans (Red-eared Slider). We also found weak evidence that Apalone spinifera emoryi (Texas Spiny Softshell) preferred red meat over fi sh-based bait. The results of this study indicate that switching bait can be an effective way to maximize CPUE across multiple years when monitoring freshwater turtles using baited hoop nets. However, switching bait did not affect RPUE, which indicates that the apparent trap-shy behavior of turtles in our study areas is not driven by an olfactory-induced response to the type of bait used.
On the Theory of Electrons and Protons

In a recent paper, Dirac has suggested that the reason why the transitions of an electron to states of negative energy, which are predicted by his theory of the electron, do not in fact occur is that nearly all of the states of negative energy are already occupied.
Stimulation of intermoult cuticle deposition by a haemolymph trophic factor in the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta

Abstract Isolation of a haemolymph trophic factor from last instar larvae of Manduca sexta was achieved using gel filtration and an in vitro epidermal bioassay. More than one haemolymph factor augments in vitro cuticular deposition; the principal haemolymph trophic factor (HTF) studied here manifests peptidyl characteristics when subjected to heat, proteolytic digestion and protein staining techniques. Dose response kinetics indicate that HTF does not provide simple precursors such as glucose or amino acids but plays a more specific, though unclear, role in intermoult cuticular deposition; heterologous protein cannot successfully substitute for HTF in augmenting cuticular growth. PAGE and SDS electrophoresis suggest that HTF is an anodally migrating, oligomeric protein of two subunits with estimated mol. wt of 69,000 and 74,000; the mol. wt and number of subunits of the native protein are not yet known. The physiological role of HTF is discussed in light of current knowledge of cuticular physiology.
The effects of dihydroquercetin on the cut surface of seed potatoes

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects which dihydroquercetin (DHQ) has on the natural healing process of suberization and wound periderm initiation in cut seed potatoes. Dihydroquercetin is a phenolic compound extracted from the bark of Douglas Fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco. Anatomical studies of treated seed potato tissue showed that treatment with bark-383, the cork-rich fraction of the whole bark containing approximately 2% pure DHQ, increases the thickness of the suberized layer formed below the cut surface. Treatment with 4% bark fraction I, which is blended to that concentration with the inert carrier dust Pyrax and contains approximately the same amount of DHQ as does the bark-383, also promoted the formation of a thicker layer of suberized cells. The thickness of the wound periderm did not significantly vary as a result of the use of any treatments containing DHQ. The use of Captan (Orthocide 50W) as a cut seed treatment in these studies was found to inhibit the formation of a suberized layer and subsequently the initiation of a wound periderm. The combination of bark-383 and Orthocide 50W in a treatment mixture reversed the inhibitory affect of the Orthocide 50W alone and therefore allowed for the formation of a well suberized layer and a wound periderm. It was found that wound healing on the cut surface of seed potatoes is largely dependent on the type of tissue present at any given point on that cut surface. Therefore, the response to treatment of the stolon end, center, and blossom end tissues was related to the type of tissue which was present in each of those tuber regions. The fungal mold growth on treated seed pieces incubated in a controlled environment was adequately retarded when Orthocide 50W was combined with bark-383 in a mixture ratio of 1:9 respectively. The longer the treatment material was allowed to remain on the seed piece, the greater was the protection against mold growth afforded by the mixture.