cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying fertility? Direct-to-consumer ovarian reserve testing and the new (in)fertility pipeline.

Abstract Frequently branded the “egg timer” or “biological clock test,” anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) testing for women is becoming widely available in the United States (US) through online, direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing services. The level of AMH in the blood reflects the remaining egg supply or “ovarian reserve”—a potential fertility indicator. AMH level is primarily used as a diagnostic tool prior to ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or oocyte cryopreservation (OC; i.e., egg freezing). This article describes the first ethnographic research on DTC ovarian reserve testing in the US, with a recruited sample of 21 participants interested in pursuing testing who consented to participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Fieldwork took place from January 2018 to July 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Ethnographic cases explore how experiences with ovarian reserve testing are shaped by relationship status, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, racial/ethnic identity, and medical insurance coverage. Thematic analysis suggests that DTC ovarian reserve testing is a unique means of investigating fertility; participants felt empowered by receiving testing outside of traditional medical contexts. It was an alternative tool for family planning, particularly for LGBTQ + individuals and single women. However, participants experienced varying degrees of certainty about test results and the appropriate next steps to take to confirm fertility status, preserve fertility, or conceive, thus suggesting that DTC testing may confound reproductive decision-making. I argue that DTC ovarian reserve testing is a new tool in a larger medical and social project to mitigate anticipated future infertility and is an entry point into what I term the new (in)fertility pipeline encouraging entanglement with reproductive technologies across the lifespan. Due to its low cost and widespread availability, DTC ovarian reserve testing reaches a broader demographic, encourages testing across diverse identities and backgrounds, and increases awareness of more advanced assisted reproductive technology (ART), including egg freezing.
Returns to work, child labor and schooling: The income vs. price effects

Abstract This study examines the impact of returns to work, for adult labor and child labor, on child work and schooling outcomes. We propose an empirical strategy that sheds light on the underlying income and price effects. Specifically, we exploit variations in child labor intensity across crops and exogenous changes in crop tariffs following the 1991 Indian trade liberalization. Exploiting pre-reform district variations in crop composition, we find opposite effects of tariff reductions for adult labor-intensive crops and child labor-intensive crops: while reductions in the returns to adult labor lead to a negative income effect that reduces schooling, reductions in the returns to child labor increase schooling due to the countervailing price effect. We further document substantial heterogeneity across gender: the price effect outweighs the income effect for boys, but not for girls. Using a back-of-the-envelope calculation, we estimate the schooling elasticities with respect to returns to adult labor and child labor to be 0.23 and −0.86 respectively.
Does Alcoholics Anonymous Help Grow the Spiritual but not Religious Movement

Both the 12 Step movement of Alcoholics Anonymous and the spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNR) movement insist there is an important difference between spirituality and religion. Briefly, it is claimed that spirituality is personal and heart-felt, while religion consists of human-created doctrines, institutions, and outward rituals. However, the two routes to that definition differ in significant ways. For AA the dichotomy has been functional to allow a diverse membership and reduce an undercurrent of societal judgmentalism. For SBNRs, the claim has been boundary-marking, facilitating the movement away from organized religion. Nevertheless, as AA has progressed, it has become more of a portal away from religion and toward the SBNR ethos. This essay shows some of the more significant theological themes that have facilitated this movement.
Prognostic value of HER2 status on circulating tumor cells in advanced-stage breast cancer patients with HER2-negative tumors.

Discordance between HER2 expression in tumor tissue (tHER2) and HER2 status on circulating tumor cells (cHER2) has been reported. It remains largely underexplored whether patients with tHER2−/cHER2+ can benefit from anti-HER2 targeted therapies. cHER2 status was determined in 105 advanced-stage patients with tHER2− breast tumors. Association between cHER2 status and progression-free survival (PFS) was analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox models and survival differences were compared by Kaplan–Meier method. Compared to the patients with low-risk cHER2 (cHER2+ < 2), those with high-risk cHER2 (cHER2+ ≥ 2) had shorter survival time and an increased risk for disease progression (hazard ratio [HR] 2.16, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20–3.88, P = 0.010). Among the patients with high-risk cHER2, those who received anti-HER2 targeted therapies had improved PFS compared with those who did not (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.10–0.92, P = 0.035). In comparison, anti-HER2 targeted therapy did not affect PFS among those with low-risk cHER2 (HR 0.70, 95% CI 0.36–1.38, P = 0.306). Similar results were obtained after adjusting covariates. A longitudinal analysis of 67 patients with cHER2 detected during follow-ups found that those whose cHER2 status changed from high-risk at baseline to low-risk at first follow-up exhibited a significantly improved survival compared to those whose cHER2 remained high-risk (median PFS: 11.7 weeks vs. 2.0 weeks, log-rank P = 0.001). In advanced-stage breast cancer patients with tHER2− tumors, cHER2 status has the potential to guide the use of anti-HER2 targeted therapy in patients with high-risk cHER2.
Synthesis of azetidines via visible-light-mediated intermolecular [2+2] photocycloadditions.

Intermolecular [2+2] photocycloadditions represent a powerful method for the synthesis of highly strained, four-membered rings. Although this approach is commonly employed for the synthesis of oxetanes and cyclobutanes, the synthesis of azetidines via intermolecular aza Paterno–Buchi reactions remains highly underdeveloped. Here we report a visible-light-mediated intermolecular aza Paterno–Buchi reaction that utilizes the unique triplet state reactivity of oximes, specifically 2-isoxazoline-3-carboxylates. The reactivity of this class of oximes can be harnessed via the triplet energy transfer from a commercially available iridium photocatalyst and allows for [2+2] cycloaddition with a wide range of alkenes. This approach is characterized by its operational simplicity, mild conditions and broad scope, and allows for the synthesis of highly functionalized azetidines from readily available precursors. Importantly, the accessible azetidine products can be readily converted into free, unprotected azetidines, which represents a new approach to access these highly desirable synthetic targets. Although azetidines represent highly desirable building blocks in drug discovery, methods for their efficient and straightforward synthesis remain underdeveloped. Now, it has been shown that highly functionalized azetidines can be prepared via an intermolecular [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction between cyclic oximes and alkenes, in a process enabled by a visible-light-mediated triplet energy transfer.
The Role of Temperature Variability on Seasonal Electricity Demand in the Southern US

The reliable and affordable supply of energy through interconnected systems represent a critical infrastructure challenge. Seasonal and interannual variability in climate variables – primarily precipitation and temperature – can increase the vulnerability of such systems during climate extremes. The objective of this study is to understand and quantify the role of temperature variability on electricity consumption over representative areas of the Southern United States. We consider two states, Tennessee and Texas, which represent different climate regimes and have limited electricity trade with adjacent regions. Results from regression tests indicate that regional population growth explains most of the variability in electricity demand at decadal time scales, whereas temperature explains 44-67% of the electricity demand variability at seasonal time scales. Seasonal temperature forecasts from general circulation models are also used to develop season-ahead power demand forecasts. Results suggest that the use of climate forecasts can potentially help to project future residential electricity demand at the monthly time scale
Racial and ethnic disparities in the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacement in the State of Connecticut.

BACKGROUND Although prior national reports have identified trends in the underutilization of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in Afro-American and Latino populations, racial and ethnic healthcare disparities in TAVR use in the State of Connecticut have not been previously reported. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1461 patients undergoing TAVR at our institute between from 2012 to 2020. Baseline demographics, procedural characteristics, clinical outcomes, median incomes and insurance coverage were compared between 1417 Caucasian and 44 minority patients, including 23 patients designated as Afro-American and 10 designated as Latino. Demographics of TAVR utilization at our institution were further compared to 6 additional Connecticut TAVR centers using Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) ChimeData detailing hospital discharges for DRG 266 and 267. RESULTS In comparison to Caucasian patients, minority cohorts were younger (75.7 ± 9.0 vs 81.5 ± 5.1 years, p < 0.001) and had more co-morbidities including diabetes (64% vs 34%, p < 001), coronary artery disease (95% vs 78%, p = 0.039), end stage renal disease requiring dialysis (9% vs 3%, p = 0.009) and atrial fibrillation (77% vs 62%, p = 0.041). The two groups did not differ with respect to other risk factors or co-morbidities, baseline echocardiographic or CTA findings, STS risk score, or procedural technique. Minority patients had a longer length of hospital stay (9.5 ± 9.0 vs 6.4 ± 6.9 days, p = 0.003), but did not differ with respect to procedural complications. Socioeconomic differences between the two groups included lower median incomes and higher rates of Medicaid or no insurance coverage for minority versus Caucasian patients. CHA ChimeData revealed a similar underutilization of TAVR in minority subgroups in the remaining 6 Connecticut TAVR centers. CONCLUSIONS Despite statewide demographics describing 10.7% and 15.7% of the total population as Afro-American and Latino, respectively, only 3.0% of the total TAVR procedures performed at a large Connecticut health care facility were performed in minority subgroups. Despite having a higher burden of co-morbidities, minority patients had similar outcomes compared to Caucasian patients. Similar racial and ethnic disparities in TAVR utilization were confirmed statewide using CHA ChimeData.
Capsule Commentary on Chan et al., The Effect of a Care Transition Intervention on the Patient Experience of Older, Multi-lingual Adults in the Safety Net: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

The standardized HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey does not capture patient- and provider-level contextual factors. This makes the survey susceptible to a range of different interpretations by respondents.1 Utilization of patient-centered interventions may improve HCAHPS scores. Chan assesses the impact of receipt of inpatient and post-discharge phone calls by language-concordant providers to reinforce the care plan and to address acute complaints on patient experiences as assessed by HCAHPS.
On the multiplicity of platelet prostaglandin receptors. II. The use of N-0164 for distinguishing the loci of action for PGI2, PGD2, PGE2 and hydantoin analogs.

Abstract The ω-chain variant analogs of prostacyclin (PGI2) and PGD2 in which the n-amyl side-chain has been replaced by a cyclohexyl group have been prepared and their cardiovascular activities have been compared to those of BW-245C(Fig. 1)(1) a potent anti-aggregatory vasodilator bearing a cyclohexyl-terminated side-chain on a hydantoin skeleton. The cyclohexyl group has little effect on PGI2, but converts PGD2 to a long lasting hypotensive agent and increases the platelet anti-aggregatory potency of PGD2 by a factor of 8. The prostaglandin antagonist N-0164 selectively blocks the anti-aggregatory actions of PGD2, cyclohexyl-PGD2, and BW-245C; with essentially no effect on PGI2, cyclohexyl-PGI2 and PGE2 at comparably effective doses. The latter observation is contrary to an earlier report by MacIntyre (2,3), but supports the view that the anti-aggregatory effect of high doses of PGE2 ( EC 50 =50μ M ) is mediated by the PGI2 receptor (4). The hydantoin acts at the platelet PGD2 receptor.
Formaldehyde binding by 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate aldolase. Formation and characterization of an inactive aldolase-formaldehyde-cyanide adduct.

Abstract 2-Keto-4-hydroxyglutarate aldolase (2-oxo-4-hydroxyglutarate glyoxylate-lyase:2-oxo-4-hydroxyglutarate ⇌ pyruvate + glyoxylate), which catalyzes a terminal step in the catabolism of l-hydroxyproline by mammals, selectively interacts with formaldehyde; a Schiff-base complex is formed with apparently the active site lysyl residue of the enzyme. This was established by showing that (a) aldolase activity is destroyed when the enzyme is treated with NaBH4 in the presence of formaldehyde; (b) the stoichiometry of binding (formaldehyde to enzyme) is 1:1 on a molar basis; (c) formaldehyde competes with the binding of pyruvate or glyoxylate in the presence of NaBH4; and (d) the isolated reducedenzyme-formaldehyde adduct is N5-methyllysine. Advantage was taken of this finding to show that the irreversible inactivation of 2-keto-4-hydroxyglutarate aldolase by cyanide in the presence of formaldehyde (or, by inference, with any one of a number of other aldehydes) is due to the formation of an aminonitrile. This conclusion is based upon the demonstration that the mole per mole stoichiometry of the complex formed with the enzyme is 1:1:1 (aldolaseformaldehyde-cyanide) and that N6-carboxymethyllysine can be isolated after strong acid hydrolysis of the enzyme-[14C]-formaldehyde-cyanide adduct.
Estimation of river discharge, propagation speed, and hydraulic geometry from space: Lena River, Siberia

[1] Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)–derived measurements of Lena River effective width (We) display a high predictive capacity (r2 = 0.81, mean absolute error 60–90 km (∼2–3 time valley width), satellite-derived We − Q rating curves and hydraulic geometry (b exponents) converge upon stable values (b = 0.48), indicating transferability of the discharge retrieval method between different locations. Put another way, at length scales exceeding ∼60–90 km all subreaches display similar behavior everywhere. At finer reach length scales (e.g., 0.25–1 km), longitudinal extraction of b exponents represents the first continuous mapping of a classical hydraulic geometry parameter from space. While at least one gauging station is required for calibration, results suggest that multitemporal satellite data can powerfully enhance our understanding of water discharge and flow conveyance in remote river systems.
Arithmetic Special Relativistic Mechanics in Three Space Dimensions

This chapter discusses the way to formulate the basic physical concepts of relativity using only arithmetic processes. Attention is restricted to a very special class of particle and rocket frame motions, but, even so, all the basic consequences related to momentum, symmetry, energy, and momentum-energy vectors are deduced within this arithmetic framework. The chapter explains the concept of proper time. It is common in relativity to call the reference frame in which an object is at rest the proper frame and the time of an event in this frame, the proper time. The definition of proper time yields a certain unity of space and time, often called space–time. The chapter reviews the motion of a particle P and assumes that its motion is also in the X direction only. To analyze the motion of P, it will be convenient, in analogy with the development of Newtonian mechanics, to have arithmetic concepts of velocity, of acceleration and of a dynamical difference equation that is symmetric (invariant) under the Lorentz transformation. The chapter also examines the concepts of rest mass and linear momentum. The rest mass is also called the proper mass. From experiments in which electrons are accelerated until their velocities are close to the speed of light, it is known that the masses of such particles increase with velocity. The chapter highlights rest energy or proper energy and the momentum–energy vector.
When Does Simulated Data Match Real Data? Comparing Model Calibration Functions Using Genetic Algorithms

Agent-based models can be manipulated to replicate real- world datasets, but choosing the best set of parameters to achieve this result can be difficult. To validate a model, the real-world dataset is often divided into a training and test set. The training set is used to calibrate the parameters and the test set is used to determine if the calibrated model represents the real-world data. The difference between the real-world data and the simulated data is determined using an error measure. When using an evolutionary computation technique to choose the parameters, this error measure becomes the fitness function, and choosing the appropriate measure becomes even more crucial for a successful calibration process. We survey the effect of five different error measures in the context of a toy problem and a real world problem (simulating on-line news consumption). We use each error measure in turn to calibrate on the training dataset, and then examine the results of all five error measures on both the training and testing datasets. For the toy problem, one measure was the Pareto-dominant choice for calibration, but no error measure dominated all the others for the real-world problem.
Spacetime and Four-Vectors

Einstein taught us to regard events as the basic data of physics. He showed us the full significance of inertial frames and inertial observers. It was he who found that every inertial observer has his own privately valid time, and, correspondingly, his own “instantaneous three-spaces” consisting of all events (x, y, z, t) with fixed time coordinate. But it was the mathematician Minkowski (in 1908) who taught us to think of the totality of events in the world as the “points” of an absolute four-dimensional manifold called “spacetime.” Different inertial observers draw different sections through spacetime as their “instants.” In fact, each inertial observer, with his standard x, y, z, and t, coordinatizes all of spacetime, just as a choice of x and y axes coordinatizes the Euclidean plane. Figure 2.3 represents spacetime with two dimensions suppressed, but that suffices to illustrate how two observers make different instantaneous sections (for example, the x and x’ axes) and how they have different time axes. Certain lines in spacetime correspond to the history of material particles, and are aptly called “particle worldlines.” They are straight if the particles are free. Extended bodies have “world tubes” in spacetime.
Unusual Effects of Reducing Agents on o-Diphenoloxidase of Mycobacterium leprae

Reducing agents had no effect on the oxidation of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) to quinone by Mycobacterium leprae; no quinone formation by o-diphenoloxidase of mammalian or plant origin was detected under similar experimental conditions. Ascorbic acid and reduced glutathione prevented further oxidation and polymerization of the quinone to melanin by M. leprae; cysteine was less effective. In the presence of reducing agents, the quinone (indole-5,6-quinone) formed from DOPA by M. leprae was not reduced back to diphenol. On the other hand, the quinone (dopachrome) produced from DOPA by mammalian or plant phenolase was rapidly decolorized by reducing agents. Oxidized glutathione and cystine had little effect on o-diphenoloxidase from all of the three sources. Cyanide, which completely inhibited mammalian and plant phenolases, had only a partial effect on the enzyme in the bacilli. Various lines of evidence suggest that the properties of o-diphenoloxidase in M. leprae are different from those of similar enzymes obtained from other sources.
Correlation Functions for Wind and Geopotential on Isobaric Surfaces

Abstract The fact that the geostrophic wind equations describe a large fraction of the relation between wind and geopotential and that the atmosphere approximates horizontal homogeneity and is nearly isotropic leads to two differential equations relating the correlation coefficients for geopotential with those for longitudinal and transverse wind components. Consequently, empirical formulas for any one of these correlation coefficients cannot be reasonably considered without reference to both the others. A family of three such related correlation coefficients must simultaneously fit observed correlations for all three quantities concerned. Several such self-consistent sets of correlation coefficients are compared with the data.
Degradation of GaAs injection devices

Abstract The degradation characteristics of GaAs tunnel diodes, electroluminescent diodes, and injection lasers were investigated in detail. The degradation of all devices is manifested by an increase in excess current (tunneling via interband states). The rate of increase of the excess current is proportional to the injection current density for all, both at 78°K and in the 300°K region. The radiation output is proportional to the injection current and the proportionality factor does not change with the degradation. Thus, although degradation occurs, the quantum efficiency is not reduced when the injection current is not held constant during ageing. The degradation is found to be a bulk effect. The results are consistent with a model in which energy released by the reconbination of injected electrons creates Frenkel defects, and the excess current results from tunneling via the interband states associated with these defects. Other characteristics of degradation, such as the decrease in peak current for tunnel diodes, the decrease in capacitance and the increase in built-in voltage in lightly doped electroliminescent diodes, and the increase in the threshold current in lasers are explained in terms of the model.
Localization of glutamate receptors to distal dendrites depends on subunit composition and the kinesin motor protein KIF17

Correct glutamate receptor localization in neurons is crucial for neurotransmission in the brain. Here we investigated the mechanisms underlying localization of kainate GluR5 receptors to dendrites in cultured hippocampal neurons. We find that the GluR5 distribution depends on association with GluR6 and KA2 subunits. The GluR5 subunit was expressed in distal dendrites only when GluR6 and KA2 subunits were present, whereas it was restricted to proximal dendrites in the absence of these subunits. The overlap between GluR5 distribution and the organization of microtubules in dendrites led us to examine whether KIF17, a microtubule motor protein expressed in distal dendrites, is involved in GluR5 localization to distal dendrites. We show here, for the first time that the microtubule motor protein KIF17 interacts with GluR6 and KA2 subunits and is required for GluR5 localization to distal dendrites, defining a novel mechanism that controls receptor localization in neurons.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Best Practices in SACS Accreditation

We are pleased to be able to write the introduction to this special issue on accreditation in the Southern Region. With our everchanging landscape in higher education, including community colleges ...
Decreased axon caliber and neurofilaments in hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, Type I

The axons of large- and intermediate-diameter myelinated fibers of sural nerves of patients with hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, type I (HMSN-I), were previously found to be attenuated relative to their myelin spiral length. We inferred that axonal atrophy might account for secondary segmental demyelination and remyelination. To assess whether the observed axonal atrophy could be explained by a decrease in neurofilaments, we have evaluated the number of neurofilaments, microtubules, and other axon organelles in sural nerves of patients with HMSN-I. Whereas the density per square micrometer of neurofilaments or microtubules in diseased nerves was not significantly different from that in control specimens, the number of neurofilaments per axon as related to myelin spiral length was significantly less for intermediate and large myelinated fibers in HMSN-I nerves. The regression lines for the number of microtubules per axon on myelin spiral lengths were also less steep in HMSN-I, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. These results indicate that the number of neurofilaments is proportional to axon diameter but significantly below that expected considering myelin spiral length. Decreased neurofilament synthesis, assembly, or transport may underlie the axonal atrophy in HMSN-I.
Nonparametric and Semiparametric Group Sequential Methods for Comparing Accuracy of Diagnostic Tests

Summary. Comparison of the accuracy of two diagnostic tests using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves from two diagnostic tests has been typically conducted using fixed sample designs. On the other hand, the human experimentation inherent in a comparison of diagnostic modalities argues for periodic monitoring of the accruing data to address many issues related to the ethics and efficiency of the medical study. To date, very little research has been done on the use of sequential sampling plans for comparative ROC studies, even when these studies may use expensive and unsafe diagnostic procedures. In this article we propose a nonparametric group sequential design plan. The nonparametric sequential method adapts a nonparametric family of weighted area under the ROC curve statistics (Wieand et al., 1989, Biometrika 76, 585-592) and a group sequential sampling plan. We illustrate the implementation of this nonparametric approach for sequentially comparing ROC curves in the context of diagnostic screening for nonsmall-cell lung cancer. We also describe a semiparametric sequential method based on proportional hazard models. We compare the statistical properties of the nonparametric approach with alternative semiparametric and parametric analyses in simulation studies. The results show the nonparametric approach is robust to model misspecification and has excellent finite-sample performance.
The contemporary management of renal and ureteric calculi

I have put a mini-review into this section this month; this is from one of the leading experts in this field, and gives an up-to-date overview of the contemporary management of renal and ureteric calculi.
A simple-shear rheometer for linear viscoelastic characterization of vocal fold tissues at phonatory frequencies

Previous studies reporting the linear viscoelastic shear properties of the human vocal fold cover or mucosa have been based on torsional rheometry, with measurements limited to low audio frequencies, up to around 80 Hz. This paper describes the design and validation of a custom-built, controlled-strain, linear, simple-shear rheometer system capable of direct empirical measurements of viscoelastic shear properties at phonatory frequencies. A tissue specimen was subjected to simple shear between two parallel, rigid acrylic plates, with a linear motor creating a translational sinusoidal displacement of the specimen via the upper plate, and the lower plate transmitting the harmonic shear force resulting from the viscoelastic response of the specimen. The displacement of the specimen was measured by a linear variable differential transformer whereas the shear force was detected by a piezoelectric transducer. The frequency response characteristics of these system components were assessed by vibration experiments with accelerometers. Measurements of the viscoelastic shear moduli (G' and G") of a standard ANSI S2.21 polyurethane material and those of human vocal fold cover specimens were made, along with estimation of the system signal and noise levels. Preliminary results showed that the rheometer can provide valid and reliable rheometric data of vocal fold lamina propria specimens at frequencies of up to around 250 Hz, well into the phonatory range.
Calcium-45 and potassium metabolism by rat liver slices.

Abstract Aerobically, liver slices from fed rats gained Ca 45 rapidly during the first few minutes and then at a much slower rate. Anaerobically, the rapid uptake phase was absent. Potassium was gained under both conditions. Slices from fasted rats differed from those from fed rats in that the Ca 45 uptake anaerobically was greater and K + was lost. Initial aerobic incubation of liver slices from fed or fasted rats followed by anaerobic incubation, caused a drop in the Ca 45 content during the anaerobic phase. Radiocalcium gained aerobically at 38 °C. was not lost at 0 °C. either aerobically or anaerobically; whereas K + was rapidly lost.
Methylation studies on various uracil derivatives and on an isomer of uridine isolated from ribonucleic acids.

Abstract 1. 1. Various uracil derivatives including uridine and the recently isolated isomer of uridine were methylated with dimethylsulfate and the course of the reaction followed by isolating chromatographically and characterizing spectrophotometrically the products which were formed after various time intervals. 2. 2. The methylation products of the isomer of uridine indicate that the 1, 2, 3 and 6 positions are not involved in glycosidic linkage and that the C-4 is much less likely than the C-5 to be the point of attachment of the sugar moiety, thus indicating that the isomer of uridine is 5-ribosyluracil.
Video-rate Multicolor Fiber-optic Microscopy

A scanless multicolor fiber-optic microscopy for real-time in vivo and in situ cellular imaging is presented. The system acquires images at a video frame rate of 30Hz and displays multispectral images at 15Hz.
Using map algebra to explain and project spatial patterns of wind energy development in Iowa

Abstract Rapid ongoing development of wind power raises the question of where new wind turbines will be placed. This study uses locational decisions made through 2010 to develop a logistic regression model of wind turbine location among one square kilometer cells in Iowa, the U.S. state with the highest density of wind turbines. An 8-variable model correctly predicts 85 percent of cells. Wind energy density at 50 m and 80 m height are positively related to wind power; so also is population density within a 200 km radius and cropland. Distance from mid-voltage power lines and interstate highways are negatively related as is an airport within 5 km and population density within a 50 km radius. Using map algebra, the logit model generates a map of the likelihood of wind energy development. Locations that would most benefit from augmented electrical transmission are also identified. This form of empirical locational analysis can thus help predict and guide wind power development where spatial data to calibrate a high-fit logit model are sufficient.
Zygomycosis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in a Tertiary Transplant Center and Review of the Literature

Zygomycetes are ubiquitous fungi that can cause invasive disease associated with high mortality. We report 10 solid organ transplant recipients with zygomycosis (incidence 2 per 1000) and reviewed 106 cases in the English-language literature. These included renal (n = 73), heart (n = 16), lung (n = 4), heart/lung (n = 2), liver (n = 19) and kidney/pancreas (n = 2) transplant recipients. All patients were receiving immunosuppression and the vast majority steroids. The clinical presentation included rhino-sino-orbital (n = 20), rhinocerebral (n = 16), pulmonary (n = 28), gastrointestinal (n = 13), cutaneous (n = 18), renal (n = 6) and disseminated disease (n = 15). Most frequently isolated genera were Rhizopus (73%) followed by Mucor (13%). The overall mortality was 49%. While rhino-sino-orbital disease had the best prognosis, rhinocerebral disease had high mortality (93%) comparable to disseminated disease. A favorable outcome was associated with limited, surgically accessible disease and early surgical intervention along with amphotericin B administration.
Chloroplast Oxa1p homolog albino3 is required for post-translational integration of the light harvesting chlorophyll-binding protein into thylakoid membranes.

Multiple sorting pathways operate in chloroplasts to localize proteins to the thylakoid membrane. The signal recognition particle (SRP) pathway in chloroplasts employs the function of a signal recognition particle (cpSRP) to target light harvesting chlorophyll-binding protein (LHCP) to the thylakoid membrane. In assays that reconstitute stroma-dependent LHCP integrationin vitro, the stroma is replaceable by the addition of GTP, cpSRP, and an SRP receptor homolog, cpFtsY. Still lacking is an understanding of events that take place at the thylakoid membrane including the identification of membrane proteins that may function at the level of cpFtsY binding or LHCP integration. The identification of Oxa1p in mitochondria, an inner membrane translocase component homologous to predicted proteins in bacteria and to the albino3 (ALB3) protein in thylakoids, led us to investigate the potential role of ALB3 in LHCP integration. Antibody raised against a 50-amino acid region of ALB3 (ALB3-50aa) identified a single 45-kDa thylakoid protein. Treatment of thylakoids with antibody to ALB3-50aa inhibited LHCP integration, whereas the same antibody treatment performed in the presence of antigen reversed the inhibition. In contrast, transport by the thylakoid Sec or Delta pH pathways was unaffected. These data support a model whereby a distinct translocase containing ALB3 is used to integrate LHCP into thylakoid membranes.
MAP3K4/CBP-Regulated H2B Acetylation Controls Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Trophoblast Stem Cells

Epithelial stem cells self-renew while maintaining multipotency, but the dependence of stem cell properties on maintenance of the epithelial phenotype is unclear. We previously showed that trophoblast stem (TS) cells lacking the protein kinase MAP3K4 maintain properties of both stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we show that MAP3K4 controls the activity of the histone acetyltransferase CBP, and that acetylation of histones H2A and H2B by CBP is required to maintain the epithelial phenotype. Combined loss of MAP3K4/CBP activity represses expression of epithelial genes and causes TS cells to undergo EMT while maintaining their self-renewal and multipotency properties. The expression profile of MAP3K4-deficient TS cells defines an H2B acetylation-regulated gene signature that closely overlaps with that of human breast cancer cells. Taken together, our data define an epigenetic switch that maintains the epithelial phenotype in TS cells and reveals previously unrecognized genes potentially contributing to breast cancer.
Isocitrate metabolism in normal and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient red cells.

Abstract The G6PD deficient red blood cell does have a normal level of NADP-dependent isocitrate dehydrogenase. The high affinity of this enzyme for isocitrate indicates that even low red cell isocitrate levels could be effective in regenerating NADPH. The enzyme is very stable and is not cell age dependent. The incubation of isocitric acid with the deficient cell resulted in greater GSSG reduction than when glucose was substrate. The injection of isocitric acid and sodium isocitrate was well tolerated and did stimulate significant increases of GSH in rabbits.
Revisiting Searles's paper "The Patient as a Therapist to the Therapist": the analyst's personal in the interpersonal.

In his provocative paper “The Patient as a Therapist to the Therapist,” Searles (1999) proposed that through interactions with patients, therapists often come to realize aspects of themselves they had previously been unaware of. Searles did not attribute these experiences to enactment or projective identification. Instead, he attributed them to the unconscious desire of patients to experience themselves as therapists to their own therapists. For Searles, all humans, or at least all humans who willingly embark in a psychotherapeutic journey, are likely to experience innate conscious or unconscious strivings for the practice of psychotherapy, regardless of the kind or severity of the conflicts they experience. In fact, according to Searles, “the more ill a patient is the more does his successful treatment require that he becomes and be implicitly acknowledged as having become a therapist to his officially designated therapist, the analyst” (p. 381). To this day, Searles’s assumption of an innate therapeutic striving in all humans, and more specifically, his contention that all patients need to experience themselves as facilitators to their therapists, is quite radical and iconoclastic. Although one can find seeds of Searles’s ideas in other psychoanalytic papers, notably Ferenczi’s (1931) writings on mutual therapy, Wolstein’s (1973, 1976) on shared experience and, more recently, Fiscalini’s (2004) on coparticipant psychoanalysis, his views stand in stark contrast with the basic assumption that permeates the psychoanalytic or psychotherapeutic process, wherein the patient is typi
The Lapita cultural complex: Origins, distribution, contemporaries and successors ∗

(1984). The Lapita cultural complex: Origins, distribution, contemporaries and successors. The Journal of Pacific History: Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 202-223.
Mary Astell's Response to the Enlightenment

(1984). Mary Astell's Response to the Enlightenment. Women & History: Vol. 3, No. 9, pp. 13-40.
Kinetics of C60 Fullerene Dispersion in Water Enhanced by Natural Organic Matter and Sunlight

The industrial-scale production of Buckminster fullerene C60 elicits concerns over its impact on human health and ecosystems because of the reported, albeit debatable, toxicity. Assessment of the overall environment risk requires a good estimate of the level of exposure and careful characterization of the physicochemical properties of C60 in natural aqueous environments. The reported study investigates the role of various environmental factors, i.e., ionic composition, natural organic matter (NOM), and light in dispersion of C60 in the aqueous phase by simple mixing. The presence of NOM greatly enhances C60 dispersion, and the dispersion process is further accelerated by sunlight. At typical NOM concentrations found in natural waters, C60 concentrations of a few to tens of milligrams per liter can occur within 10 days of mixing, regardless of its extremely low water solubility. The rate of dispersing decreases with the increase of ionic strength. However, calcium ions significantly increase C60 concentrat...
A network based approach to the hybrid electromagnetic/circuit modeling of the power grid of multifunctional planar integrated circuits

A methodology is presented for the development of a numerical model for the power distribution network of the multi-functional, hybrid planar, integrated circuits. The discrete model of the structure of interest is developed in terms of two-dimensional finite element models for the domains between the closely spaced, adjacent power/ground planes and frequency-dependent multi-port network descriptions of the various three-dimensional features (e.g., pins, vias, metallization voids, and plan edges). Passive rational function fits of these network matrices allow for the development of a state-space model for the entire structure. A specific type of a network macromodel used for vias is described. Also included is a rational function model for the skin effect impedance of the metallization. A novel alternating direction implicit time-domain update scheme is used for the unconditionally stable integration of the state-space model under arbitrary current switching waveforms exciting the power distribution network.
Carrier concentration dependence of Tc in the layered copper oxides

Abstract The electron-phonon coupling is shown to depend on the carrier concentration n. As a result of this dependence, Tc reaches a maximum at some value of n. This maximum of Tc has been observed in the high Tc oxides. At a higher n, there is a superconductor-normal metal transition. The calculated carrier concentration which corresponds to Tmaxc is in agreement with experimental data. The dependence of the Sommerfeld constant λ on n is predicted to be non-monotonic.
Inhibitors of store‐operated calcium channels: Imidazoles, phenothiazines, and other tricyclics

Imidazoles, such as SKF 96365, clotrimazole, and miconazole, have represented the major class of inhibitors of store-operated calcium (SOC) channels. In HL60 cells, ATP and thapsigargin cause depletion of intracellular calcium stores, resulting in activation of SOC channels. Tricyclic phenothiazines and other tricyclics, such as amitriptyline and clozapine, were found to inhibit SOC channels of HL60 cells, with trifluoperazine being of comparable potency to the imidazoles. The effects of the imidazoles and tricyclics on intracellular calcium levels in HL60 cells were compared. In addition to inhibiting SOC channels, imidazoles, in particular, miconazole, caused a marked release of intracellular calcium, apparently from the same intracellular pool depleted by ATP and thapsigargin. The phenothiazines and the other two tricyclics caused little or no release of intracellular calcium compared to that caused by miconazole. However, these compounds did cause a significant decrease in the release of intracellular calcium elicited by subsequent addition of ATP or thapsigargin. Loperamide, which appears to selectively and positively modulate activated SOC channels, augments the elevation of intracellular calcium elicited by the imidazoles and, to a lesser extent, the tricyclics. The augmentation of calcium levels by loperamide indicated that these agents had, through release of intracellular calcium, caused activation of SOC channels.
Chemical Ecology of Red Mangroves, Rhizophora mangle, in the Hawaiian Islands

Abstract: The coastal red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle L., was introduced to the Hawaiian Islands from Florida 100 yr ago and has spread to cover many shallow intertidal shorelines that once were unvegetated mudflats. We used a field survey approach to test whether mangroves at the land-ocean interface could indicate watershed inputs, especially whether measurements of leaf chemistry could identify coasts with high nutrient inputs and high mangrove productivities. During 2001–2002, we sampled mangroves on dry leeward coasts of southern Moloka'i and O'ahu for 14 leaf variables including stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C, δ15N), macronutrients (C, N, P), trace elements (B, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn), and cations (Na, Mg, K, Ca). A new modeling approach using leaf Na, N, P, and δ13C indicated two times higher productivity for mangroves in urban versus rural settings, with rural mangroves more limited by low N and P nutrients and high-nutrient urban mangroves more limited by freshwater inputs and salt stress. Lea...
Continuous x-ray spectrum from 8A to 14A

The continuous x-ray spectrum has been studied at voltages from 1.1 kv to 2 kv and at wave-lengths from 8A to 14A using a vacuum single crystal Geiger counter spectrometer. The measurements were corrected for window absorption and counter efficiency but were not corrected for absorption in the target or for the reflecting power of the crystal. The total intensity in the continuous spectrum, as measured and partially corrected, is found to be proportional to the atomic number of the target, a result similar to results obtained for shorter wave-lengths, but the total intensity is not proportional to the square of the voltage applied to the tube. The shapes of the curves approach the shape to be expected from a thin target.
Vasopressin-induced translocation and proteolysis of protein kinase Cα in an amphibian brain: Modulation by corticosterone

In urodele amphibians, the hypothalamic neuropeptide arginine vasotocin and the adrenal steroid corticosterone interact to regulate reproductive behavior by actions in the brain. The present study investigated signal transduction pathways underlying acute effects of vasotocin and corticosterone, presumably mediated via "non-genomic" steroid action, in an amphibian brain. We used Western blot to examine the effects of corticosterone and the vasotocin receptor agonist arginine vasopressin, alone and in combination, on the subcellular localization and proteolytic processing of protein kinase C-alpha (PKCalpha) in tiger salamander brain tissue. Treatment of whole brain minces with vasopressin or vasotocin led to increases in PKCalpha in membrane fractions and concurrent decreases in PKCalpha in cytosolic fractions. Vasopressin or vasotocin treatment also induced the appearance in membrane and cytosolic fractions of a PKCalpha-immunoreactive band that corresponds to PKMalpha, the proteolytically generated, free catalytic subunit of PKCalpha. Treatment with corticosterone alone had no consistent effect on either PKCalpha or PKMalpha in either fraction. However, pretreatment with corticosterone reliably blocked vasopressin-induced increases in cytosolic PKMalpha. These data provide new information about the cellular mechanisms of action of vasopressin and corticosterone in the vertebrate brain and suggest a cellular mechanism by which the two hormones interact to regulate neuronal physiology and behavior.
APPLYING HIERARCHICAL COMPLEXITY TO POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT

Hierarchical complexity's unidimensional measurement can help rectify policy confusion and debates about democratization and terrorism reduction. Stages of political development examined using the method yield task analyses demonstrating why stages cannot be skipped or rushed. Composites of stages and societies' transitions implicate policy change for anti-corruption and nation-building. New indexes for the political domain should be developed using hierarchical complexity to account for and measure a multitude of political tasks regardless of content or context. Measurement offers a reliable, empirical basis to resist attempts to rush development. Hierarchical complexity accounts for why such efforts are doomed in advance to fail.
Fractionation of proteolytic enzymes by affinity chromatography on sepharose aminocaproyl proflavin

Abstract The serine proteinases trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and acrosin bind to the proflavin resin, the sulfhydryl proteinases ficin, bromelain, and papain are retarded by the resin, whereas most proteins and enzymes tested are not bound. Elution of the bound activities is accomplished by NaCl or by variation from the pH optimum of the enzyme. Commercially available enzymes that are bound or retarded are easily further purified by the column. The acrosin activity of sperm acrosomal extracts is separated into bound and unbound activities. Acrosin is purified 120-fold from sperm acrosomal extracts in a single step, yielding a specific activity of 96.
Theory-based assessment of acquired dyscalculia

This article describes a theory-based approach to assessment of acquired dyscalculia. A model of the normal cognitive number-processing/calculation system is presented, and methods are discussed for characterizing number-processing/calculation deficits in terms of functional damage to the mechanisms specified in the model.