cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reconciliation of diverse telepathology system designs. Historic issues and implications for emerging markets and new applications

Telepathology, the distant service component of digital pathology, is a growth industry. The word "telepathology" was introduced into the English Language in 1986. Initially, two different, competing imaging modalities were used for telepathology. These were dynamic (real time) robotic telepathology and static image (store-and-forward) telepathology. In 1989, a hybrid dynamic robotic/static image telepathology system was developed in Norway. This hybrid imaging system bundled these two primary pathology imaging modalities into a single multi-modality pathology imaging system. Similar hybrid systems were subsequently developed and marketed in other countries as well. It is noteworthy that hybrid dynamic robotic/static image telepathology systems provided the infrastructure for the first truly sustainable telepathology services. Since then, impressive progress has been made in developing another telepathology technology, so-called "virtual microscopy" telepathology (also called "whole slide image" telepathology or "WSI" telepathology). Over the past decade, WSI has appeared to be emerging as the preferred digital telepathology digital imaging modality. However, recently, there has been a re-emergence of interest in dynamic-robotic telepathology driven, in part, by concerns over the lack of a means for up-and-down focusing (i.e., Z-axis focusing) using early WSI processors. In 2010, the initial two U.S. patents for robotic telepathology (issued in 1993 and 1994) expired enabling many digital pathology equipment companies to incorporate dynamic-robotic telepathology modules into their WSI products for the first time. The dynamic-robotic telepathology module provided a solution to the up-and-down focusing issue. WSI and dynamic robotic telepathology are now, rapidly, being bundled into a new class of telepathology/digital pathology imaging system, the "WSI-enhanced dynamic robotic telepathology system". To date, six major WSI processor equipment companies have embraced the approach and developed WSI-enhanced dynamic-robotic digital telepathology systems, marketed under a variety of labels. Successful commercialization of such systems could help overcome the current resistance of some pathologists to incorporate digital pathology, and telepathology, into their routine and esoteric laboratory services. Also, WSI-enhanced dynamic robotic telepathology could be useful for providing general pathology and subspecialty pathology services to many of the world's underserved populations in the decades ahead. This could become an important enabler for the delivery of patient-centered healthcare in the future.
Comorbid social anxiety disorder in clients with depressive disorders: Predicting changes in depressive symptoms, therapeutic relationships, and focus of attention in group treatment

The current study examined whether depressed outpatients with comorbid SAD respond differently to a cognitive-behavioral group intervention and if so, how and why. Using growth curve modeling, we found evidence that depressed clients with comorbid SAD had rapid improvement in depressive symptoms over the course of treatment and generally did not differ from those without comorbidity in developing close therapeutic relationships and modifying the direction of attentional focus away from the self. Non-linear effects demonstrated that rates of change in depressive symptoms, relationship variables, and focus of attention, were most rapid early in treatment. In contrast to hypotheses, trajectories of change in therapeutic relationships and attentional focus did not mediate the effect of SAD on treatment improvement in depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that comorbid SAD does not have a detrimental effect on the course of depression treatment and group-based treatments can be as beneficial for depressed individuals with comorbid SAD. It may be that group-based treatments for depression provide explicit opportunity for emotional processing in social situations (i.e., exposure) and hence mimic efficacious therapies for SAD.
471 DIFFERENTIAL MEASUREMENT OF VITAMIN D2 AND D3, METABOLITES: ASSESSMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH VITAMIN D2THERAPY

An adolescent boy with pseudohypoparathyroidism was treated with massive doses of vitamin D2 (D2) and oral calcium for 8 years. At age 13 he had a convulsive episode due to severe hypocalcemia (serum calcium 5.8mg/dl). Serum 25-OH vitamin D (25-OHD) concentration was high, (40ng/ml) but much lower than his “usual” therapeutic levels which varied between 300 and 600ng/ml. The patient and his parents denied any lack of compliance. Manufacturing error was excluded by measuring D2 concentration in the D2 preparation taken, and malabsorption of lipid-soluble nutrients was ruled out by normal serum levels of vitamin A, E, and carotene. Differential analysis of D2, D3, 25-OH D2 and 25-OH D3 showed: a normal serum concentration of D3 and of 25-OH D3 while D2 and 25-OH D2 concentrations were slightly above the normal range. Normal 25-OH D3 levels indicated a normal hepatic 25-hydroxylation; on the other hand, a low 25-OH D3 serum concentration was expected in this patient receiving massive doses of D2, due to preferential binding of D3 to serum D-binding-protein, wnich allows more “free” D2 to be available for 25-hydroxylation. Non-compliance with treatment was demonstrated, and the patient admitted not having taken his medication for a month. Differential analysis of D metabolites allowed direct assessement of compliance with vitamin D2 therapy in this patient.
Inhibition of nitrogenase-catalyzed reductions

Abstract Inhibition of nitrogenase-catalyzed reductions was studied under such conditions that the concentration of electron acceptors and inhibitors did not affect nitrogenase-catalyzed ATP hydrolysis, and the concentration of the electron acceptor was at least 1.8 times its Michaelis constant to reduce the effect of H 2 evolution. Thus, the effects were centered on the reduction site. Based on Lineweaver-Burk plots, CO was noncompetitive with N 2 , acetylene and NaN 3 and did not inhibit H 2 evolution; H 2 inhibited N 2 fixation competitively, but it did not inhibit reduction of azide, acetylene, cyanide, isocyanide, and H + ; acetylene and cyanide were noncompetitive with N 2 ; acetylene and azide acted noncompetitively with each other; cyanide and methylisocyanide were competitive with NaN 3 . According to these observations, the following five sites or modified sites are proposed for the nitrogenase complex: (1) N 2 and H 2 site, (2) acetylene site, (3) azide, cyanide and methylisocyanide site, (4) CO site, (5) H + site.
Monte Carlo analysis of the propagation of fusion neutrons in a high enriched uranium system

Abstract Monte Carlo methods were used to calculate experimental observables related to the propagation of pulses of fusion neutrons in a compact and highly enriched (90%) subcritical system. These observables are the amplitude and phase of the Fourier transform of the detection rate of a 3 He moving detector, they correspond to the propagation of neutron waves excited by a sinusoidal neutron source. The MCNP code was used to model in great details all the heterogeneities of the experimental set up allowing in particular to have a good model of the neutron leakage in the direction perpendicular to the propagation. The very good results of the comparison with the experimental results contrast with previous comparisons with diffusion and transport theory models. The Monte Carlo modeling allows a full analysis of neutron wave experiment in space, time and energy allowing to define asymptotic regions where global complex wave vector exists. We propose to use the extensive literature of neutron wave experiments for further benchmark of MCNP.
Sex, race, and the adverse effects of social stigma vs. other quality of life factors among primary care patients with moderate to severe obesity

Patients with obesity face widespread social bias, but the importance of this social stigma to patients relative to other quality of life (QOL) factors is unclear. Our aim was to examine the importance of obesity-related social stigma relative to other QOL factors on reducing patients’ overall well-being. We used a cross-sectional telephone interview. The study was conducted at four diverse primary care practices in Greater Boston. Three hundred and thirty-seven primary care patients aged 18–65 years and with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 kg/m2 or higher participated in the study. Patients’ health utility (preference-based QOL measure) was determined via responses to a series of standard gamble scenarios assessing willingness to risk death to lose various amounts of weight or to achieve perfect health. We used the Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-lite instrument to assess QOL domains specific to obesity (physical function, self-esteem, sexual life, public distress or social stigma, and work), and we examined variation in utility explained by these domains. Depending on patients’ race/ethnicity, mean health utilities ranged from 0.92 to 0.99 among men and from 0.89 to 0.93 among women. After adjustment for race, BMI, and education, none of the QOL domains explained much of the variation in utility among men, except for work function among Hispanic men. In contrast, social stigma was the leading QOL contributor to utility for Caucasian women (explaining 6 % of the marginal variation beyond demographics and BMI). In contrast, sexual function was the most important contributor among African American women (3 % marginal variation), and work life was most important among Hispanic women (> 20 % in variation). Lower scores in one domain did not always translate into lower well-being. Moreover, QOL summary scores often explained less of the variation than some individual domains. Obesity-related social stigma had disproportionate adverse effects on Caucasian women patients’ well-being, whereas weight-related impairment in work function was particularly important among Hispanic patients and impaired sexual function was important to diminished well-being among African American women although its impact appeared modest.
Increased tree carbon storage in response to nitrogen deposition in the US

Spatially extensive evidence for nitrogen-induced stimulation of forest growth has been lacking. Analysis of forest inventory data from the northeastern and north-central US collected during the 1980s and 1990s indicates that nitrogen deposition enhanced above-ground carbon storage by 61 kg per kg of nitrogen deposited. Human activities have greatly accelerated emissions of both carbon dioxide and biologically reactive nitrogen to the atmosphere1,2. As nitrogen availability often limits forest productivity3, it has long been expected that anthropogenic nitrogen deposition could stimulate carbon sequestration in forests4. However, spatially extensive evidence for deposition-induced stimulation of forest growth has been lacking, and quantitative estimates from models and plot-level studies are controversial5,6,7,8,9,10. Here, we use forest inventory data to examine the impact of nitrogen deposition on tree growth, survival and carbon storage across the northeastern and north-central USA during the 1980s and 1990s. We show a range of growth and mortality responses to nitrogen deposition among the region’s 24 most common tree species. Nitrogen deposition (which ranged from 3 to 11 kg ha−1 yr−1) enhanced the growth of 11 species and decreased the growth of 3 species. Nitrogen deposition enhanced growth of all tree species with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associations. In the absence of disturbances that reduced carbon stocks by more than 50%, above-ground biomass increment increased by 61 kg of carbon per kg of nitrogen deposited, amounting to a 40% enhancement over pre-industrial conditions. Extrapolating to the globe, we estimate that nitrogen deposition could increase tree carbon storage by 0.31 Pg carbon yr−1.
The SLC4 family of HCO3 − transporters

The SLC4 family consists of ten genes. All appear to encode integral membrane proteins with very similar hydropathy plots-consistent with the presence of 10-14 transmembrane segments. At least eight SLC4 members encode proteins that transport HCO(3)(-) (or a related species, such as CO(3)(2-)) across the plasma membrane. Functionally, these eight proteins fall into two major groups: three Cl-HCO(3) exchangers (AE1-3) and five Na(+)-coupled HCO(3)(-) transporters (NBCe1, NBCe2, NBCn1, NDCBE, NCBE). Two of the Na(+)-coupled HCO(3)(- )transporters (NBCe1, NBCe2) are electrogenic; the other three Na(+)-coupled HCO(3)(-) transporters and all three AEs are electroneutral. At least NDCBE transports Cl(-) in addition to Na(+) and HCO(3)(-). Whether NCBE transports Cl(-)-in addition to Na(+) and HCO(3)(-)-is unsettled. In addition, two other SLC4 members (AE4 and BTR1) do not yet have a firmly established function; on the basis of homology, they fall between the two major groups. A characteristic of many, though not all, SLC4 members is inhibition by 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate (DIDS). SLC4 gene products play important roles in the carriage of CO(2) by erythrocytes, the absorption or secretion of H(+) or HCO(3)(-) by several epithelia, as well as the regulation of cell volume and intracellular pH.
Using Community Insight to Understand Physical Activity Adoption in Overweight and Obese African American and Hispanic Women A Qualitative Study

Ecologic models suggest that multiple levels of influencing factors are important for determining physical activity participation and include individual, social, and environmental factors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to use an ecologic framework to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying behavioral mechanisms that influence physical activity adoption among ethnic minority women. Eighteen African American and Hispanic women completed a 1-hour in-depth interview. Verbatim interview transcripts were analyzed for emergent themes using a constant comparison approach. Women were middle-aged (age M = 43.9 ± 7.3 years), obese (body mass index M = 35.0 ± 8.9 kg/m(2)), and of high socioeconomic status (88.9% completed some college or more, 41.2% reported income >$82,600/year). Participants discussed individual factors, including the need for confidence, motivation and time, and emphasized the importance of environmental factors, including their physical neighborhood environments and safety of and accessibility to physical activity resources. Women talked about caretaking for others and social support and how these influenced physical activity behavior. The findings from this study highlight the multilevel, interactive complexities that influence physical activity, emphasizing the need for a more sophisticated, ecologic approach for increasing physical activity adoption and maintenance among ethnic minority women. Community insight gleaned from this study may be used to better understand determinants of physical activity and develop multilevel solutions and programs guided by an ecologic framework to increase physical activity in ethnic minority women.
Abnormal gastroduodenal motility in children and adolescents with recurrent functional abdominal pain

To determine whether motor activity of the stomach and proximal small intestine is a factor in recurrent abdominal pain in adolescents, we prospectively investigated eight patients with recurrent abdominal pain and compared them with seven normal adolescents. All patients underwent a detailed examination to exclude other known organic causes of the pain. The gastroduodenal motor activity during fasting was studied with a semiconductor recording probe. The recordings were analyzed for periodicity, duration, and propagation velocity of the activity front of the migrating motor complex. The amplitude of the antral and duodenal contractions was also determined. The patients with recurrent abdominal pain had more frequent migrating motor complexes, but these were shorter in duration and moved more slowly down the intestine (slower propagation velocities). The patients also had high-pressure duodenal contractions that were associated with abdominal pain during the study period. These studies suggest that altered intestinal motility may be the underlying mechanism of recurrent abdominal pain in some children.
Vowel and Diphthong Production by Young Users of Cochlear Implants and the Relationship between the Phonetic Level Evaluation and Spontaneous Speech.

This investigation assessed how the vowel and diphthong production of young users of cochlear implants varied over time and how performance on the Phonetic Level Evaluation (PLE, Ling, 1976) corres...
During acute Trypanosoma cruzi infection highly susceptible mice deficient in natural killer cells are protected by a single α-galactosylceramide treatment

The protective immune response against Trypanosoma cruzi is improved by treatment with the natural killer (NK) T-cell glycolipid antigen alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer). A single alpha-GalCer treatment of mice before T. cruzi infection decreases parasitaemia and prolongs survival. This protection is dependent on CD1d-restricted NKT cells and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) suggesting that alpha-GalCer-activated NKT cells produce IFN-gamma, which stimulates the cells of the innate and adaptive immune responses to provide protection. To learn which cells provide protection we investigate here alpha-GalCer treatment of mice deficient in different immune cells. Surprisingly, although NK cells provide protection against T. cruzi, and are a major source of IFN-gamma following alpha-GalCer treatment, NK cells are not required for the alpha-GalCer-induced protection. The alpha-GalCer treatment of NK-cell-depleted mice controlled parasitaemia and prevented death. In contrast, phagocytes, helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells are required. Furthermore, alpha-GalCer treatment of MHC II(-/-) or CD8alpha(-/-) mice exacerbated the infection, demonstrating that alpha-GalCer treatment induces some responses that favour the parasite. In summary alpha-GalCer protection against T. cruzi required multiple cellular responses, but not the response of NK cells. These results provide useful information because alpha-GalCer is being developed as therapy for infections, autoimmune diseases, allergy and cancers.
All primary care trainees are not the same: the role of economic factors and career choice

Historically, the specialties classified as "primary care" have been pediatrics, internal medicine, and family medicine. Often, primary care disciplines are aggregated in workforce or career-preference studies, and any differences among them are not assessed or reported. However, such aggregation is likely unwarranted and may actually lead to false or misguided policy direction in the name of "primary care disciplines" when, in fact, there may be substantive differences among these specialties. We examine here the data available to assess whether the physicians who make up 2 of the primary care specialties are necessarily the same with regard to their perspectives on the economic aspects of medicine in general, or their own personal economic preferences regarding career choice in particular. Recent research has demonstrated that there are substantive differences among internal medicine trainees and pediatric trainees. As such, we must be cautious when using data from 1 primary care specialty to suggest structural and/or policy changes regarding the economic structure of training for the others.
Permutation tests for comparing marginal survival functions with clustered failure time data.

We propose a class of two-sample non-parametric permutation tests to compare the marginal survival distributions of two groups when the failure times are correlated within cluster, with clusters nested within each group. The permutation distribution effectively takes into account the correlation between failure times within a cluster. The method is able to handle data with clusters of either fixed or variable sizes. Moreover, this class of test statistics is sensitive to various alternatives. The size and power of the proposed tests are assessed by a series of simulation studies. The method is illustrated by application to data from the Hypertension Detection and Follow-up program trial.
Efficient decentralized monitoring of safety in distributed systems

We describe an efficient decentralized monitoring algorithm that monitors a distributed program's execution to check for violations of safety properties. The monitoring is based om formulae written in PT-DTL, a variant of past time linear temporal logic that we define. PT-DTL is suitable for expressing temporal properties of distributed systems. Specifically, the formulae of PT-DTL are relative to a particular process and are interpreted over a projection of the trace of global states that represents what that process is aware of. A formula relative to one process may refer to other processes' local states through remote expressions and remote formulae. In order to correctly evaluate remote expressions, we introduce the notion of KNOWLEDGE VECTOR and provide an algorithm which keeps a process aware of other processes' local states that can affect the validity of a monitored PT-DTL formula. Both the logic and the monitoring algorithm are illustrated through a number of examples. Finally, we describe our implementation of the algorithm in a tool called DIANA.
Treatment of abnormal vaginal flora in early pregnancy with clindamycin for the prevention of spontaneous preterm birth: A systematic review and metaanalysis

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the administration of clindamycin to women with abnormal vaginal flora at <22 weeks of gestation reduces the risk of preterm birth and late miscarriage. We conducted a systematic review and metaanalysis of randomized controlled trials of the early administration of clindamycin to women with abnormal vaginal flora at <22 weeks of gestation. Five trials that comprised 2346 women were included. Clindamycin that was administered at <22 weeks of gestation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation and late miscarriage. There were no overall differences in the risk of preterm birth at <33 weeks of gestation, low birthweight, very low birthweight, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, stillbirth, peripartum infection, and adverse effects. Clindamycin in early pregnancy in women with abnormal vaginal flora reduces the risk of spontaneous preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation and late miscarriage. There is evidence to justify further randomized controlled trials of clindamycin for the prevention of preterm birth. However, a deeper understanding of the vaginal microbiome, mucosal immunity, and the biology of BV will be needed to inform the design of such trials.
Signal strength differentiation based navigation of mobile robot in wireless sensor networks

This paper addresses the task of navigating a mobile robot through an open area assisted by a pre-deployed wireless sensor network that monitors the area. The locations of all the sensor nodes are unknown. From the robot's starting location to its destination, the robot will follow a sequence of sensor nodes. The sequence of sensor nodes is assumed to be known and will guide the robot to move from a sensor to another, until reach the destination. A novel navigation algorithm is developed, which does not use any GPS, range sensing device, nor any location estimation algorithm. The proposed algorithm utilizes augmented differentiation of received signal strength to guide the robot to move into the desired sensor node at each step. The advantage of this algorithm is that any range estimation or localization algorithm is not needed, thus, its computational cost is much lower. Simulation experiments are conducted to demonstrate the algorithm.
Authenticated secret key extraction using channel characteristics for body area networks

Simultaneously realizing device authentication and fast secret key extraction is a challenging issue in wireless networks. Most existing works solve this problem by utilizing either advanced hardware or out-of-band channel, which is not always available for commercial-off-the-shelf wireless devices. In this work, we solve this challenging issue under the setting of Wireless Body Area Network (BAN) and propose a lightweight authenticated secret key extraction scheme, namely ASK-BAN. The proposed scheme is just based on wireless channel measurement and does not introduce any advanced hardware or rely on any out-of-band channel. Experimental results show that our proposed scheme can offer a high secret key extraction rate while providing effective device authentication simultaneously.
Determination of Attenuation from Impedance Measurements

Heretofore, the determination of attenuation from impedance measurements has been applied to cases in which the reflections from the attenuator terminals were negligibly small. In the proposed method no restrictions are placed upon the attenuator except the requirement that it be a linear, passive, four-terminal network. The dissipative and reflective components of attenuation A D and A R are measured separately. A D is shown to be a function of the efficiency of the attenuator. The efficiency is determined from reflection coefficient measurements of the short-circuited attenuator. A R is determined from a single voltage-standing-wave ratio measurement of the attenuator when terminated in a matched load. Experimental data show close agreement with an independent method of determining attenuation.
Generating requirements for complex embedded systems using State Analysis

Abstract It has become clear that spacecraft system complexity is reaching a threshold where customary methods of control are no longer affordable or sufficiently reliable. At the heart of this problem are the conventional approaches to systems and software engineering based on subsystem-level functional decomposition, which fail to scale in the tangled web of interactions typically encountered in complex spacecraft designs. Furthermore, there is a fundamental gap between the requirements on software specified by systems engineers and the implementation of these requirements by software engineers. Software engineers must perform the translation of requirements into software code, hoping to accurately capture the systems engineer's understanding of the system behavior, which is not always explicitly specified. This gap opens up the possibility for misinterpretation of the systems engineer's intent, potentially leading to software errors. This problem is addressed by a systems engineering methodology called State Analysis, which provides a process for capturing system and software requirements in the form of explicit models. This paper describes how requirements for complex aerospace systems can be developed using State Analysis, using representative spacecraft examples.
Children's understanding of the necessity of logically necessary truths

Abstract This study examined the development of an appreciation of logical necessity. Participants were 100 children from three age groups (7-, 9-, and 11-year-olds), each of whom responded to tasks drawn from four categories: logically necessary truths, physical laws, social conventions, and arbitrary facts. Questions following each task were intended to tap criteria traditionally ascribed to necessary truths, including universality, unchangeability, and the unimaginability of any alternative. Even the 7-year-olds showed some appreciation of the necessity of necessary truths, generally claiming that such outcomes hold true everywhere and will never change. Developmental changes were of two main sorts. Older children were more successful than younger children at differentiating the various forms of knowledge. Older children also showed greater appreciation of the literal unimaginability of the violation of a logical truth.
Bushman birth spacing: A test for optimal interbirth intervals

Abstract Long interbirth intervals (IBIs) are reported by Lee and by Howell for !kung women, averaging around 4 years between births. Is this low rate of births maladaptive? An earlier analysis of the ecological constraints upon !kung women suggested that it might not be. Given the observed features of !kung ecology, shorter IBIs require a mother to carry much greater loads (backload) of baby and food on her foraging trips. Calculating this load for each IBI shows a sharp upturn in backload when IBIs fall below 4 years. It was suggested that sharply increased backload might lead to such a severe increase in mortality of offspring that the observed 4-year IBI actually maximized the number of offspring that the woman raised. This proposition is tested in this article using reproductive histories of individual !kung women collected by Howell. Backload calculated in the previous study is the best predictor of the observed losses of children at each IBI. Furthermore, mortality of the children is indeed so sharply related to IBI that the 4-year IBI appears to be the interval that maximizes reproductive success for most women.
Some suggestions for auroral and magnetic observations in polar regions

The frequency of the occurrence of aurorae has been found to increase rapidly with the magnetic latitude of the observing station, reaching a maximum zone about 23° from the north, or south, magnetic pole and decreasing at higher latitudes. Records from antarctic expeditions, notably those of Sir Douglas Mawson, show that strong auroral displays are usually most frequent in the evening hours before midnight at all latitudes above 60° south, that the frequency of the-quiet aurorae are a maximum before midnight for magnetic latitudes below 67°, and that the maximum shifts to the early morning hours at magnetic latitudes above 67°; at certain stations in the very high latitudes there were two maxima, one in the evening and one in the morning. The records from the arctic regions, which are less complete than those from the antarctic, show much the same diurnal distribution of the aurorae. In general it seems that the geographical distribution of the various types of aurorae, as arches, glows, streamers, etc., is roughly known for latitudes above the zone of maximum auroral frequency, but is not so well known at lower latitudes. Detailed observations in the lower latitudes, as well as at the higher latitudes, might be of value. If such records are obtained it is to be hoped that they will be published in full. A complete report would be of immeasurably greater value to the development of a theoretical explanation than a summary or an abbreviated outline.
Spin label studies of sulfhydryl environment in plasma fibronectin

The local environment of the free sulfhydryl groups in plasma fibronectin has been investigated by ESR techniques using a series of maleimide spin labels, varying in chain length between the maleimide and nitroxide free radical groups. Chemical modification with these analogs does not affect either the CD spectra or the cell adhesion activity of the protein molecule. The ESR results show that the free sulfhydryl group of plasma fibronectin is in a cleft about 10.5 A in length. The significance of this finding is discussed.
Can systems biology help to separate evolutionary analogies (convergent homoplasies) from homologies

Convergent evolutionary analogies (homoplasies) of many kinds occur in diverse phylogenetic clades/lineages on both the animal and plant branches of the Tree of Life. Living organisms whose last common ancestors lived millions to hundreds of millions of years ago have later converged morphologically, behaviorally or at other levels of functionality (from molecular genetics through biochemistry, physiology and other organismic processes) as a result of long term strong natural selection that has constrained and channeled evolutionary processes. This happens most often when organisms belonging to different clades occupy ecological niches, habitats or environments sharing major characteristics that select for a relatively narrow range of organismic properties. Systems biology, broadly defined, provides theoretical and methodological approaches that are beginning to make it possible to answer a perennial evolutionary biological question relating to convergent homoplasies: Are at least some of the apparent analogies actually unrecognized homologies? This review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of important aspects of this topic area. It also provides a resource describing many homoplasies that may be fruitful subjects for systems biological research.
Differentiated staining of osmium tetroxide-fixed, Vestopal-W-embedded tissue in thin sections.

Tissues were fixed at 20° C for 1 hr in 1% OsO4, buffered at pH 7.4 with veronal-acetate (Palade's fixative), soaked 5 min in the same buffer without OsO4, then dehydrated in buffer-acetone mixtures of 30, 50, 75 and 90% acetone content, and finally in anhydrous acetone. Infiltration was accomplished through Vestopal-W-acetone mixtures of 1:3, 1:1, 3:1 to undiluted Vestopal. After polymerisation at 60° C for 24 hr, 1-2 μ sections were cut, dried on slides without adhesive, and stained by any of the following methods. (1) Mayer's acid hemalum: Flood the slides with the staining solution and allow to stand at 20°C for 2-3 hr while the water of the solution evaporates; wash in distilled water, 2 min; differentiate in 1% HCl; rinse 1-2 sec in 10% NH,OH. (2) Iron-trioxyhematein (of Hansen): Apply the staining solution as in method 1; wash 3-5 min in 5% acetic acid; restain for 1-12 hr by flooding with a mixture consisting of staining solution, 2 parts, and 1 part of a 1:1 mixture of 2% acetic acid and 2% H2SO4...
A maternal effect that eliminates pupal diapause in progeny of the flesh fly, Sarcophaga bullata

Flesh flies that have experienced pupal diapause produce progeny that will not enter diapause even when reared in a strongly diapause-inducing environment. The effect is determined, not by diapause itself, but by the short days previously received by the larvae during the programming of pupal diapause. Reciprocal cross matings indicate that the effect is transmitted solely by the female parent. Though the embryos develop within the uterus of the female, the maternal effect is transmitted prior to the onset of embryogenesis, probably during odgenesis. Only by rearing a generation in long-day (nondiapausing) conditions can the capacity for pupal diapause be restored in the progeny. The effect is likely to provide an adaptive mechanism for preventing an untimely diapause response among the progeny of overwintering females that emerge early in the spring.
Relationship between light, calcium influx and cAMP in the acute regulation of melatonin production by cultured chick pineal cells.

Abstract Chick pineal cells in primary culture ‘spontaneously’ synthesize and release melatonin at ‘night’. Exposing the cells to ‘unexpected’ white light, or to agents which retard calcium influx (nitrendipine, low external calcium), or which reduce cAMP levels (norepinephrine), acutely decreases nocturnal melatonin production. Conversely, agents which promote calcium influx (Bay K 8644) or mimic cAMP (8BrcAMP) increase nocturnal melatonin output. When these agents were used in combination, neither nitrendipine nor low external calcium reduced melatonin output in the presence of 8BrcAMP. Norepinephrine, however, did lower melatonin release in the presence of Bay K 8644. Addition of 8BrcAMP blocked the acute inhibitory effect of ‘unexpected’ light, but Bay K 8644 did not. Taken together with previous data, these results favor the hypothesis that both light and calcium influx acutely regulate melatonin production in the chick pineal through cAMP.
3-Nitropropionic Acid Inhibition of Succinate Dehydrogenase (Complex II) Activity in Cultured Chinese Hamster Ovary Cells

3-Nitropropionic acid (3-NPA) is an inhibitor of the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase (SDH, a part of complex II) that links the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle to the respiratory electron transport chain. 3-NPA inactivates SDH by covalently and irreversibly binding to its active site. We previously examined the effects of 3-NPA on the histochemical activity of SDH in vivo, by using the reduction of a yellow tetrazolium dye (nitro blue tetrazolium) to a blue formazan as an indicator. In studies of cultured cells, the related dye methylthiazoletetrazolium (MTT) has commonly been used as an indicator of the presence and number of viable cells; that is cells that are capable of producing energy via the TCA cycle. Here we observed that doses of 3-NPA as low as 10(-8) M inhibited formazan production in an in vitro model system using CHO cells. This effect was antagonized by l-carnitine, which greatly increased the production of formazan, indicating a considerable improvement in energy production by the cultured cells. CHO cells appear to be a convenient model for the evaluation of therapeutic compounds that may modulate cellular bioenergetics.
Prolapse of the mitral valve (floppy valve) associated with Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve

Prolapse of the mitral valve is described in two patients with the Ebstein's anomaly of the tricuspid valve. This association has not been described previously. It is probable, however, that this association is not a rare one, but that clinical features of the prolapsing mitral valve are obscured by those resulting from the malformed tricuspid valve. Opportunity also was provided to study anatomically the mitral valve of a patient known to have a systolic click and a late systolic murmur (the Barlow syndrome). Although there have been several anatomic descriptions of floppy mitral valve at necropsy, they have been extremely rare in patients known to have the classic auscultatory features of the Barlow syndrome.
Enhancement of limiting dilution in cloning mouse myeloma-spleen hybridomas by human low density lipoproteins.

Abstract The limiting dilution technique is a critical step in the cloning of hybridomas for the preparation of monoclonal antibodies. We have found that culture medium supplemented with human plasma low density lipoproteins (LDL) markedly enhanced the yield of hybridoma clones derived for P3×63 Ag or FO mouse myeloma cell lines upon limiting dilution. Such enhancement was dependent on the concentration of LDL employed, being optimal at 1–10 μg/ml. At LDL concentrations greater than 20 μg/ml, the increase in yield of hybrid clones was not significant. The mechanism by which LDL enhances the yield of hybrid clones was partially elucidated by the demonstration that LDL could increase the DNA synthesis of hybridomas as assessed by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation. The data suggest that LDL play a role in the proliferation of hybridomas. It also indicates that LDL can be utilized for limiting dilution to increase the yield of desired clones. Since LDL is one of the most abundant lipoprotein fractions (approximately 500 μg/ml) in human plasma and the isolation procedure is simple, hybridoma culture medium supplemented with human LDL will prove to be a valuable reagent for investigators currently employing monoclonal antibody technology.
Effect of Ethephon and UV Irradiation on Auxin Destruction in «Little Marvel» Dwarf Pea (Pisum sativum)

Summary Treatment of «Little Marvel» dwarf pea (Pisum sativum) seeds with 3 ppm ethephon was followed by subsequent exposure to: 1. complete darkness; 2. visible light; and 3. ultraviolet irradiation (UV). Cell free extracts of distal root, root tip, proximal stem, and leaf tissues (20-day-old) were assayed for IAA-1-14C destruction. Distal root and root tip tissue extracts of ethephon-treated seeds and subsequent exposure of the seedlings to UV showed marked IAA-1-14C destruction compared to proximal stem and leaf cell-free extracts. The present study suggests that IAA-1-14C destruction may be enzymic in nature and different in all four tissues (root tip, dorsal root, proximal stem, and leaf) depending upon the exposure treatment (dark, visible light and UV), with or without ethephonpretreatment.
Nuclear mean field dynamics in the lattice Hamiltonian Vlasov method.

The lattice Hamiltonian method for solving the Vlasov equation with exact energy conservation is developed, with a view to understanding low-energy phenomena in heavy-ion collisions. An accurate method of creating initial nuclear ground states is presented, and breathing mode excitations in these states are studied. Heavy-ion collisions are simulated using classical and Thomas-Fermi time-dependent mean field theory to study the effects of the quantum Fermi motion in such collisions.
Multistate demography and its data: a comment

Much of sociology and practically all of demography deal with transitions of people from one state at a certain moment to another state a year or more later. It is now clear that all such calculations of transition or movement are formally identical with what may be called the basic migration problem. The arithmetic for handling people moving from the single to the married state is identical with that for them moving from New York to Pennsylvania. The papers in this issue cover a wide range of substantive problems and exemplify several points concerning the methodology of demography. They provide a fair sample of multidimensional theory, of the means of application to data, and of the results of that application. They demonstrate the advantage of incorporating several demographic processes in a single model, even though they leave some questions unanswered.
Properties of amorphous hydrogenated silicon, with special emphasis on preparation by sputtering

Abstract The properties of amorphous hydrogenated silicon are reviewed, with special emphasis placed on results obtained by the method of reactive sputtering in an argon-hydrogen plasma. The subjects treated include characteristics of the sputtering method; structural characterizational methods; determination of the hydrogen bonding configurations and the hydrogen content by several different techniques; trends in optical and electrical properties as a function of the substrate temperature and hydrogen partial pressure used in the preparation; the determination of th e density of states in the energy gap by spin resonance, light induced spin resonance, photoemission, field effect, capacitance methods, deep level transient spectroscopy and tunneling spectroscopy; electrical transport, especially as modified by the existence of structural and chemical inhomogeneity; optical absorption near and below the optical absorption edge; photoluminescence as a function of photon energy, temperature, excitation photon energy and intensity; time-domain spectroscopy; and photoconductivity, both steady state and transient. Throughout the discussion an attempt is made to relate the results on a-Si:H prepared by the several methods now current to those of the particular sputtering technique emphasized.
Nanometer-scale patterning of surfaces using self-assembly chemistry. 2. Preparation, characterization, and electrochemical behavior of two-component organothiol monolayers on gold surfaces

We report a study of the physical and electrochemical properties of two-component self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) composed of both electroactive (4-aminothiophenol, 4-ATP) and electroinactive (n-octadecanethiol, ODT) species. In all of the experiments reported here, relatively short (3 h) assembly times were used to prepare the mixed SAMs. We have characterized the macroscopic composition and the microscopic structure of these SAMs using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), coulometry, grazing angle Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and lateral force microscopy (LFM). The adsorption isotherms determined by AES and coulometry show significant deviation from Langmuirian behavior and are suggestive of phase separation. LFM images obtained at three points near the critical region of the isotherm ([4-ATP]/[ODT] ∼ 4) indicate that these two-component SAMs display complex phase behavior: At relatively low 4-ATP coverages, the surface consists of small islands of 4-ATP imbedded in an ordered film of ODT. A...
A comparison of personality characteristics between in vitro fertilization patients and other infertile patients.

Fifty patients of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program were compared to 25 individuals undergoing fertility investigation other than IVF. Each subject was given the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and a social history interview during which behavioral signs of anxiety were noted. The CPI profile indicated the IVF subjects to be higher on characteristics of ambitiousness, creactivity, and independence. No major differences were noted on the interview questions and behavioral ratings. Both groups may view IVF as a possible treatment for their infertility; however, the IVF patients have certain personality characteristics which make them more likely to actually become involved.
Spatial patterns in the fruiting bodies of the cellular slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum

During morphogenesis in the slime mold Polysphondylium pallidum cell masses are periodically pinched off from the base of the developing sorogen. These masses round up and differentiate into secondary sorogens, which become radially ordered arrays of secondary fruiting bodies called whorls. Here we describe the morphogenesis of P. pallidum and characterize the spacing of whorls along the central stalk of the fruiting body and the spacing of sorocarps within whorls. We find both are highly regular. We propose that the linear spacing of whorls can be accounted for satisfactorily by a model that views the periodic release of cell masses from the base of the developing sorogen as the consequence of an imbalance between forces that orient amoebae toward the tip of the culminating sorogen, and cohesive forces between randomly moving cells in the basal region of the sorogen, which act as a retarding force. The orderly arrangement of fruiting bodies within whorls can be explained most easily by models that employ short-range activation and lateral inhibition.
Radiation Stability of Spark‐Plasma‐Sintered Lead Vanadate Iodoapatite

Spark-plasma-sintered lead vanadate iodoapatite Pb9.85(VO4)6I1.7, a promising nuclear waste form for the immobilization of I-129, was irradiated with energetic ions, electrons, and gamma rays, to investigate its radiation stability. In situ TEM observation of the 1 MeV Kr2+ irradiation shows that lead vanadate iodoapatite generally exhibits higher tolerance against ion irradiation-induced amorphization than lead vanadate fluorapatite, and the spark plasma sintering can further enhance its radiation stability attributed to the enhanced crystallinity, reduced defect concentration, and denser microstructure. The critical amorphization dose and critical temperature for the SPS-densified iodoapatite at 700°C are determined to be 0.25 dpa at room temperature and 230°C, respectively. No significant phase transformation or microstructural damage occurred under energetic electron and gamma irradiations. Raman spectra of gamma-ray-irradiated iodoapatite indicate improved V–O bond order at 500 kGy dose. Generally, the spark-plasma-sintered iodoapatite exhibits excellent radiation stability for nuclear waste form applications. The significantly enhanced radiation stability of the SPS-densified iodoapatite suggests that SPS holds great promise for fabricating iodoapatite waste form with minimum iodine loss and optimized radiation tolerance for effective management of highly volatile I-129.