cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioactivation mechanism of the cytotoxic and nephrotoxic S-conjugate S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine

The bioactivation of S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine (CTFC) was studied with purified bovine kidney cysteine conjugate beta-lyase and with N-dodecylpyridoxal bromide in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide micelles as a pyridoxal model system. The beta-lyase and the pyridoxal model system converted CTFC to chlorofluoroacetic acid and inorganic fluoride, which were identified by 19F NMR spectrometry. 2-Chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethanethiol and chlorofluorothionoacetyl fluoride were formed as metabolites of CTFC and were trapped with benzyl bromide and diethylamine, respectively, to yield benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide and N,N-diethyl chlorofluorothioacetamide, which were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The bioactivation mechanism of CTFC therefore involves the initial formation of the unstable thiol 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethanethiol, which loses hydrogen fluoride to form the acylating agent chlorofluorothionoacetyl fluoride; hydrolysis of the thionoacyl fluoride affords the stable, terminal metabolites chlorofluoroacetic acid and inorganic fluoride. The intermediate acylating agent and chlorofluoroacetic acid may contribute to the cytotoxic effects of CTFC.
Is the learning curve endless? One surgeon's experience with robotic prostatectomy

Introduction: After performing 1,000 robotic prostatectomies we reflected back on our experience to determine what defined the learning curve and the essential elements that were the keys to surmounting it. Method: We retrospectively assessed our experience to attempt to define the learning curve(s), key elements of the procedure, technical refinements and changes in technology that facilitated our progress. Result: The initial learning curve to achieve basic competence and the ability to smoothly perform the procedure in less than 4 hours with acceptable outcomes was approximately 25 cases. A second learning curve was present between 75-100 cases as we approached more complicated patients. At 200 cases we were comfortably able to complete the procedure routinely in less than 2.5 hours with no specific step of the procedure hindering our progression. At 500 cases we had the introduction of new instrumentation (4th arm, biopolar Maryland, monopolar scissors) that changed our approach to the bladder neck and neurovascular bundle dissection. The most challenging part of the procedure was the bladder neck dissection. Conclusion: There is no single parameter that can be used to assess or define the learning curve. We used a combination of factors to make our subjective definition this included: operative time, smoothness of technical progression during the case along with clinical outcomes. The further our case experience progressed the more we expected of our outcomes, thus we continually modified our technique and hence embarked upon yet a new learning curve.
Gene expression profiling in the type 1 diabetes rat diaphragm.

Background Respiratory muscle contractile performance is impaired by diabetes, mechanisms of which included altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, oxidative stress and changes in membrane electrophysiology. The present study examined to what extent these cellular perturbations involve changes in gene expression. Methodology/Principal Findings Diaphragm muscle from streptozotocin-diabetic rats was analyzed with Affymetrix gene expression arrays. Diaphragm from diabetic rats had 105 genes with at least ±2-fold significantly changed expression (55 increased, 50 decreased), and these were assigned to gene ontology groups based on over-representation analysis using DAVID software. There was increased expression of genes involved in palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase activity (a component of lipid metabolism) (P = 0.037, n = 2 genes, fold change 4.2 to 27.5) and reduced expression of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism (P = 0.000061, n = 8 genes, fold change −2.0 to −8.5). Other gene ontology groups among upregulated genes were protein ubiquitination (P = 0.0053, n = 4, fold change 2.2 to 3.4), oxidoreductase activity (P = 0.024, n = 8, fold change 2.1 to 6.0), and morphogenesis (P = 0.012, n = 10, fold change 2.1 to 4.3). Other downregulated gene groups were extracellular region (including extracellular matrix and collagen) (P = 0.00032, n = 13, fold change −2.2 to −3.7) and organogenesis (P = 0.032, n = 7, fold change −2.1 to −3.7). Real-time PCR confirmed the directionality of changes in gene expression for 30 of 31 genes tested. Conclusions/Significance These data indicate that in diaphragm muscle type 1 diabetes increases expression of genes involved in lipid energetics, oxidative stress and protein ubiquitination, decreases expression of genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, and has little effect on expression of ion channel genes. Reciprocal changes in expression of genes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism may change the availability of energetic substrates and thereby directly modulate fatigue resistance, an important issue for a muscle like the diaphragm which needs to contract without rest for the entire lifetime of the organism.
A stochastic mixed finite element heterogeneous multiscale method for flow in porous media

A computational methodology is developed to efficiently perform uncertainty quantification for fluid transport in porous media in the presence of both stochastic permeability and multiple scales. In order to capture the small scale heterogeneity, a new mixed multiscale finite element method is developed within the framework of the heterogeneous multiscale method (HMM) in the spatial domain. This new method ensures both local and global mass conservation. Starting from a specified covariance function, the stochastic log-permeability is discretized in the stochastic space using a truncated Karhunen-Loeve expansion with several random variables. Due to the small correlation length of the covariance function, this often results in a high stochastic dimensionality. Therefore, a newly developed adaptive high dimensional stochastic model representation technique (HDMR) is used in the stochastic space. This results in a set of low stochastic dimensional subproblems which are efficiently solved using the adaptive sparse grid collocation method (ASGC). Numerical examples are presented for both deterministic and stochastic permeability to show the accuracy and efficiency of the developed stochastic multiscale method.
Calcium containing lysosomes in the normal chick duodenum: A histochemical and analytical electron microscopic study

Abstract Absorptive cells of the normal chick duodenum contain numerous supranuclear vesicular/vacuolar structures. By routine transmission electron microscopy, such structures are membrane bound and demonstrate a granular content. These vesicles appear to move laterally and eventually coalesce with the lateral plasma membrane (exocytosis). The granular contents are resistant to high temperature microincineration, thus revealing their mineral-containing nature. The granular vesicular matrix also stains intensely with osmium pyroantimonate. EGTA chelation of pyroantimonate-stained vesicles selectively extracts the granules indicating a high concentration of calcium. X-ray microanalysis also demonstrates a significant intravesicular calcium localization. When tissues were incubated for the presence of acid phosphatase, the supranuclear vesicles were markedly positive for this lysosomal enzyme. A possible role for these calcium-containing lysosomes in the transcellular flux of calcium ions across the intestinal absorptive cell is discussed.
In regard to Shen et al.

To the Editor: The study by Dr Shen and colleagues suggested that brachytherapy (BT) or the combination of BT and EBRT was associated with a reduction in prostate cancer-specific mortality (1). However, the results might have been due to confounding by indication. Although the authors restricted their analysis on patients with poorly differentiated histological grade, the heterogeneity of patientsmay not be fully adjusted in the analysis. For example,more patients who underwent BT or combination therapy had T1 stage cancer (BT, 37.4%; BTþEBRT, 26.0% vs EBRT, 22.4%) and much less T3 cancer (BT, 3.4%;BTþEBRT, 5.4%vs EBRT, 10.8%). It has been shown that patients diagnosed with cancer in later years had favorable cancer characteristics (2). In Table 2, authors showed that patients diagnosed in 2001-2002 and those diagnosed in 1994-2000 were 5.74 and 3.70 times more likely to receive BT or BTþEBRT, respectively, when compared to patients diagnosed in 1988-1993. In addition, older patients with later stage cancer were less likely to receive BT or combination therapy. All of the above observations support the notion that patients with low-risk disease aremore likely to receive BT or combination therapy. Accordingly, the lower prostate cancer-specific mortality observed among patients receiving BT reported by Shen et al might be due to the selection of patients with more favorable prognoses.
Inhibition of polynucleotide kinase by agar, dextran sulfate and other polysaccharide sulfates.

Abstract In certain preparations of lambda DNA, the phosphorylation of their 5′-ends as catalyzed by polynucleotide kinase was inhibited. The inhibitor appeared to be due to traces of agar left in the DNA preparation. Of the several polysaccharides and their sulfuric acid esters tested for their inhibitory activity, all the polysaccharide sulfates are found to be strong inhibitors of the polynucleotide kinase whereas the non-sulfated polysaccharides are non-inhibitory. Since agar is sometimes used in growing the phages and dextran sulfate is often used in purifying the phages or DNA preparations, these potential inhibitors must be carefully removed from the final DNA preparations before a polynucleotide kinase reaction can be successfully carried out. However, the effect of small amounts of these inhibitors on the kinase can be counteracted by the addition of either polylysine or spermine.
The calorie deficiency hypothesis of ketogenesis tested in man

Abstract According to the calorie deficiency hypothesis of ketogenesis, ketosis is due to calorie deficiency per se rather than to a specific lack of carbohydrates at the cellular level. The demonstration of adequate supplies of Krebs cycle intermediates in ketosis and the alleviation of ketosis by ketogenic fat diets in calorically adequate amounts in rats have been considered to support the calorie deficiency hypothesis. In this study, acetone concentrations in alveolar air were determined by means of gas chromatography in four non-obese fasting human subjects. The concentrations of acetone during the first 2–3 days of fasting rose from 0.3 μg. to approximately 3 μ g. 100 mg. of alveolar air. During the subsequent 2 days the acetone concentrations increased sharply in a linear pattern until they reached a plateau at approximately 30 μ g. 100 ml. alveolar air. It was demonstrated that a “ketogenic” diet furnishing over 92 per cent of its calories in the form of fat delayed the development of ketosis when administered from the beginning of the experimental period. Once maximal starvation ketosis has developed, 2000 calories of this diet per day no longer had an “antiketotic” effect. In contrast, only 1000 calories of pure carbohydrates taken in one meal resulted in the complete alleviation of ketosis during the sebsequent 2 days, in spite of continued calorie deficiency. These observations are suggestive of a ketosisretarding effect of “ketogenic” diets when compared with complete fasting. The results obtained during maximal starvation ketosis however, are incompatible with the calorie deficiency hypothesis of ketogenesis in man, and support an antiketotic effect specific for carbohydrates.
Interpretation of the Electric Field Sensitivity of the Primary Charge Separation in Photosynthetic Reaction Centers

Popovic et al. (Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1986, 851: 38–48) have shown that the efficiency of light-induced charge separation in a monolayer of oriented photosynthetic reaction center (RC) is sensitive to the electric field. With the data provisionally interpreted as indicating a sensitivity of the picosecond electron transfer to field-induced free-energy change of the charge-separated states, current models for the light-induced picosecond electron transfer in the RC from bacteriochlorophyll dimer (BChl2) to bacteriopheophytin, assisted by an interposed bacteriochlorophyll monomer (BChl), are challenged to fit the results. A model presuming a simple field-sensitive Franck-Condon overlap between BChl2 and BChl, based on single classical vibration coupled to electron transfer, can only fit the data if the free-energy change does not match the reorganization energy. An even simpler model presuming a rapid field-sensitive thermal equilibrium between BChl2 and the nearby BChl fits equally well. However, a model involving a superexchange electronic coupling between the excited BChl2 and BChl, with or without similar field-dependent Franck- Condon overlap factors, provides the best fits to the data and suggests that the relevant dielectric constant of the RC may be about 1 with a BChl2-BChl energy gap of about 100 meV.
A neural-counting model based on physiological characteristics of the peripheral auditory system. IV. Application to response of individual neural fibers

For part III, see Acustica (in press). An energy-based neural-counting model, incorporating refractoriness and spread of excitation, has recently been applied to intensity discrimination and loudness estimation for a variety of acoustic stimuli. In this model, refractoriness was the sole means of achieving the saturation effect of the afferent fiber's response. Though refractoriness (or an effect like it) should be included in a proper Poisson-based model to produce a neural count variance less than the count mean (in accordance with experiment), there is a strong additional saturation effect associated with the response of the receptor. This earlier model is now extended to incorporate the effects of receptor saturation and spontaneous neural activity. In this paper the behavior of individual neural channels is investigated. Theoretical firing-rate curves are obtained as a function of stimulus level and frequency (isointensity contours). These are found to be in good agreement with neurophysiological data. It is shown that it is possible to fit human psychophysical tuning curves with a double-tuned linear filter, by judicious choice of the tuning parameter.
An immunologically distinct milk protein in mouse whey.

Abstract 1. 1. A protein has been partially purified from mouse whey by various chromatographic techniques. 2. 2. The protein was insoluble in 33% ammonium sulfate, migrated toward the cathode in an electrophoretic field and produced a monovalent antibody in rabbits. 3. 3. The resultant antibody recognized a substance in mouse whey, but failed to react with components of mouse casein, mouse serum, homogenates of mouse liver, spleen and kidney, or samples of bovine milk. 4. 4. Although globulin-like in nature, the exact identity of this protein is still unknown.
Effect of antidiuretic hormone on water and solute permeation, and the activation energies for these processes, in mammalian cortical collecting tubules: evidence for parallel ADH-sensitive pathways for water and solute diffusion in luminal plasma membranes.

The present studies were designed to assess the ways in which antidiuretic hormone (ADH) alters water and solute permeation across isolated, rabbit cortical collecting tubules. In earlier work, it was observed: that ADH produced a tenfold increment inPf (cm per sec), the osmotic water permeability coefficient, and a fourfold increment inPDw (cm per sec), the diffusional water permeability coefficient; that small hydrophilic solutes such as urea, thiourea and acetamide (each having oil/water partition coefficients≦0.0008) had vanishingly low permeation coefficients and unity reflection coefficients, even in the presence of ADH; that lumen to bath osmosis involved a transcellular route; and, that the disparity betweenPf andPDw, either with or without ADH, could be rationalized in terms of cellular diffusion constraints, i.e., that water transport across luminal membranes was diffusional.
The Flexner Report of 1910--a scholarly accomplishment.

To the Editor.— The recent attack on the Flexner Report of 1910 criticizes many things, including Flexner's eliteness and the actual accomplishments long attributed to Abraham Flexner and his most famous manuscript. 1 It may be true, as King maintains, that the Flexner Report of 1910 did not result in fundamental changes in American medicine but rather only delineated conditions that were also observed by others before him and that were, in fact, being rectified at the time. Nevertheless, his assault on Flexner and his contributions is a bit overzealous. Much of Flexner's work, as he himself noted, was done by him as a nonphysician educator who relied on analysis of a given medical school's educational environment rather than its statistics. 2,3 Flexner would evaluate an institution to see how the dynamics of the educational process were achieved; King would prefer that he look at how many anatomy professors were
Pathways of aqueous Cr(VI) attenuation in a slightly alkaline oxic subsurface.

Column experiments combined with geochemical modeling, microscopic inspections, spectroscopic interrogations, and wet chemical extractions were used to study sediment-dependent Cr(VI) desorption, physical location, mineral association, and attenuation mechanism(s) in four freshly or naturally aged contaminated sediments exposed to concentrated Cr(VI) waste fluids. Results showed that majority of Cr(VI) mass was easily removed from the sediments (equilibrium site Kd varied from 0 to 0.33 mL g−1 and equilibrium site fraction was greater than 95%). Long tailings of time-dependent Cr(VI) concentrations above maximum contaminant level of 1.9 μmol L−1 were also observed (kinetically controlled fraction Kd and desorption reaction half-lives varied from 0 to 45 mL g−1, and from 76.1 to 126 h, respectively). Microscopic and spectroscopic measurements confirmed that Cr was concentrated within fine-grained coatings in small areas mainly rich in phyllosilicates that contained both Cr(III) and Cr(VI). However, Cr(VI) ...
Rhabdite formation in planaria: the role of microtubules.

The differentiation of rhabdite-forming gland cells from neoblasts and elaboration of rhabdites in planaria was investigated. Undifferentiated neoblasts containing numerous cytoplasmic ribosomes acquire an extensive rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and elaborate Golgi apparatus. The rhabdite initially appears as a large Golgi saccule containing opaque granules. The rhabdite becomes enclosed by an extensive system of microtubules. Microtubules are oriented in the long axis of the rhabdite and terminate in the vicinity of the Golgi apparatus situated at the apex of the rhabdite. Golgi vesicles and vacuoles are located external to the microtubules, and some fuse with the limiting membrane of the rhabdite. It is suggested that microtubules mediate the migration of vesicles and vacuoles containing secretory material along their length from the Golgi apparatus to the periphery of the rhabdite where they contribute to its growth. Following elaboration of the rhabdite, the cellular organelles undergo regression. The rhabdite-containing cell migrates from the mesenchyme to the epidermal surface.
Development, use, and availability of a job exposure matrix based on national occupational hazard survey data

A job exposure matrix has been developed based on potential exposure data collected during the 1972-1974 National Occupational Hazard Survey (NOHS). The survey sample was representative of all U.S. non-agricultural businesses covered under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and employing eight or more employees. Potential worker exposure to all chemical, physical, or biological agents was recorded during the field survey if certain minimum guidelines for exposure were met. The job exposure matrix (JEM) itself is a computerized database that assists the user in determining potential chemical or physical exposures in occupational settings. We describe the structure and possible uses of the job exposure matrix. In one example, potential occupational exposures to elemental lead were grouped by industry and occupation. In a second example, the matrix was used to determine exposure classifications in a hypothetical case-control study. Present availability as well as future enhancements of the job exposure matrix are described.
Influence of mobile dislocations on phase separation in binary alloys

We introduce a continuum model to describe the phase separation of a binary alloy in the presence of mobile dislocations. The kinetics of the local composition and dislocation density are coupled through their elastic fields. We show both analytically and numerically that mobile dislocations modify the standard spinodal decomposition process, and lead to several regimes of growth. Depending on the dislocation mobility and observation time, the phase separation may be accelerated, decelerated, or unaffected by mobile dislocations. For any finite dislocation mobility, we show that the domain growth rate asymptotically becomes independent of the dislocation mobility, and is faster than the dislocation-free growth rate.
Detection of Botulinum Neurotoxin/A Insertion Using an Encapsulated Interface Bilayer

Many signaling mechanisms in living cells occur at biological boundaries via cell surface receptors and membrane proteins embedded in lipid bilayers. The coordination of actions of sensory and motor neurons in the nervous system represents one example of many that heavily depends on lipid membrane bound receptor mediated signaling. As a result, chemical and biological toxins that disrupt these neural signals can have severe physiological effects, including paralysis and death. Botulinum neurotoxin Type A (BoNT/A) is a proteolytic toxin that inserts through vesicle membranes and cleaves membrane receptors involved with synaptic acetylcholine uptake and nervous system signal conduction.In this work, we investigate the use of a Bioinspired liquid-supported interface bilayer for studying the insertion of BoNT/A toxin molecules into synthetic lipid bilayers. DPhPC lipid bilayers are formed using the regulated attachment method (RAM), as developed by Sarles and Leo, and we perform current measurements on membranes exposed to BoNT/A toxin to characterize activity of toxin interacting with the synthetic bilayer. Control tests without toxin present are also presented. The results of these tests show an increase in the magnitude of current through the bilayer when the toxin is included. We interpret these initial results to mean that incorporation of BoNT/A toxin at a high concentration in an interface bilayer increases the permeability of the membrane as a result of toxin molecules spanning the thickness of the bilayer.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
The accountants are coming! How accountants can help policymakers in social program evaluation

Recently, numerous writers, accountants and non-accountants alike, have considered the relative merit of extending the scope of accountants' activities to include a role in social program evaluation. This paper attempts, firstly, to offer a framework which identifies various aspects of the evaluation process and, secondly, to highlight the contribution accountants can make within that framework. The paper consists of three sections. The first section considers activities which are typically performed by accountants in the profit-seeking sector of economy. The second section describes various facets of evaluation and the stages of program development, and attempts to integrate the two via a differential evaluation process. In the concluding section, it suggests that accountants do have a significant contribution to make to social program evaluation, and that this contribution is consonant with their role in profit-seeking enterprises. However, the paper also seeks to caution about the areas where accountants cannot and should not be expected to make contributions without specific training beyond their accounting expertise.
The Spectrum of the Corona

A CORRESPONDENCE, which may be important, has been found between the ‘unknown’ spectral lines of the solar corona and the spectrum of argon. It has been found possible to connect about two-thirds of the coronal lines given by Campbell and Moore with the argon lines and terms in Meissner's recent investigation.
Impact of pre-transplant pulmonary hypertension on survival after heart transplantation: A UNOS registry analysis

article Introduction: Severe pre-transplant pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been associated with adverse short-term clinical outcomes after heart transplantation in relatively small single-center studies. The impact of pre- transplant PH on long-term survival after heart transplantation has not been examined in a large, multi-center cohort. Methods:Adults (≥18 years) who underwent first time heart transplantation in the United States between 1987 and 2012 were retrospectively identified from the United Network for Organ Sharing registry. Pre-transplant PH was classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), trans-pulmonary gradient (TPG), and pulmonary artery (PA) mean pressure. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Results: Data from 26,649 heart transplant recipients (mean age 52 ± 12 years; 76% male; 76% Caucasian) were analyzed. During a mean follow-up of 5.7 ± 4.8 years, there were 10,334 (39%) deaths. Pre-transplant PH (PVR ≥ 2.5 WU) was a significant predictor of mortality (hazard ratio 1.10, 95% confidence interval 1.05-1.14, p b 0.0001) in multivariable analysis. However, the severity of pre-transplant PH (mild/moderate vs. severe) did not affect short or long-term survival. Similarly, even in patients who were supported with either a left ventricular assist device or a total artificial heart prior to transplant, severe pre-transplant PH was not associated with worse survival when compared to patients with mild/moderate pre-transplant PH. Conclusion:Pre-transplant PH (PVR ≥ 2.5 WU) is associated with a modest increase in mortality when compared topatientswithoutpre-transplantPH.However,theseverityof pre-transplantPH,assessedbyPVR,TPG,ormean PA pressure, is not a discriminating factor for poor survival in patients listed for heart transplantation.
Mapping Craft in Contemporary India: Dilli Haat and Dastkari Haat Samiti's Crafts Maps

AbstractThis paper examines craft in contemporary India by looking closely at Dilli Haat, a popular commercial craft-village in New Delhi, alongside a series of crafts maps. Produced by the non-governmental organization Dastkari Haat Samiti in collaboration with local artists, the visual depictions on the maps identify, classify, and catalog a range of objects and artistic labor unique to the subcontinent. Both these crafts maps and the space of Dilli Haat serve in defining, fixing, and ultimately producing craft as specific forms of labor and types of objects, which are dependent on geography and inhabit an ambiguous relationship between “the village,” “the city,” and “the nation.”
Description of the immature stages of Paracantha gentilis (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Descriptions are provided of the egg, larvae, and puparium of Paracantha gentilis Hering, a native, stenophagous tephritid which infests the capitula of thistles. Detailed examination of larvae led to the discovery of a median oral lobe between the mouth hooks. This is the first structure of this kind described for Tephritidae. Two sensory structures on the anterior lobes of P. gentilis also were discovered, the lateral sensory organ and the pit sensory organ. In comparing the anterior sensory apparatus of P. gentilis larvae with those in Anthomyiidae, Calliphoridae, Drosophilidae, Muscidae, and Syrphidae, striking similarities were apparent. Photographs that illustrate the development of the spiracular system of the puparial stage are the first offered for a nonfrugivorous tephritid.
Relationships between behavioral syndromes and cognitive domains in Alzheimer disease: the impact of mood and psychosis.

Objectives Behavioral disturbances occur in nearly all Alzheimer disease (AD) patients together with an array of cognitive impairments. Prior investigations have failed to demonstrate specific associations between them, suggesting an independent, rather than shared, pathophysiology. The objective of this study was to reexamine this issue using an extensive cognitive battery together with a sensitive neurobehavioral and functional rating scale to correlate behavioral syndromes and cognitive domains across the spectrum of impairment in dementia. Design Cross-sectional study of comprehensive cognitive and behavioral ratings in subjects with AD and mild cognitive impairment. Setting Memory disorders research center. Participants Fifty subjects with AD and 26 subjects with mild cognitive impairment; and their caregivers. Measurements Cognitive rating scales administered included the Mini-Mental State Examination; the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination; the Boston Naming Test; the Benton Visual Retention Test; the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease Neuropsychology Assessment; the Controlled Oral Word Test; the Wechsler Memory Scale logical memory I and logical memory II task; the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised digit span; the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised digit symbol task; and the Clock Drawing Task together with the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results Stepwise regression of cognitive domains with symptom domains revealed significant associations of mood with impaired executive function/speed of processing (Δ r 2 = 0.22); impaired working memory (Δr 2 = 0.05); impaired visual memory (Δr 2 = 0.07); and worsened Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (Δr 2 = 0.08). Psychosis was significantly associated with impaired working memory (Δr 2 = 0.13). Conclusions Mood symptoms appear to impact diverse cognitive realms and to compromise functional performance. Among neuropsychological indices, the unique relationship between working memory and psychosis suggests a possible common underlying neurobiology.
Effects of LF-14, THA and physostigmine in rat hippocampus and cerebral cortex.

Abstract The effects of physostigmine, tetrahydroaminoacridine (THA) and LF-14 [3,3-dimethyl-1(4- amino-3-pyridyl)urea], a 3,4-diaminopyridine derivative, were compared on inhibition of acetyl- cholinesterase (AChE) activity, and release of [ 3 H]acetylcholine (ACh) from rat brain cortical and hippocampal slices. All three compounds caused a concentration dependent inhibition of AChE, with an order of potency physostigmine > THA > LF -14. The electrically stimulated release of ACh from hippocampal and cortical slices was decreased by 10 −5 M physostigmine, although the effect was significant only in cortex. THA (5 × 10 5 M) caused a slight, but not significant, decrease in ACh release from both tissues. In contrast, LF-14 (5 × 10 −5 M) caused an approx. 3-fold enhancement of stimulated release. When AChE was inhibited by prior addition of physostigmine, THA caused only a slight enhancement of ACh release, whereas LF-14 greatly increased release. ACh release was also reduced by stimulation of presynaptic muscarinic receptors with oxotremorine. In this case, THA had no effect on ACh release, while LF-14 was able to reverse the inhibition. This study suggests that LF-14 acts to promote ACh release through blocking K + channels, and has a less potent AChE inhibitory effect. It is possible that a compound like LF-14 could be useful in treating diseases of cholinergic dysfunction such as Alzheimer's disease, by both promoting the release of ACh and inhibiting its breakdown.
The Blue Hills Igneous Complex, Massachusetts: Whole-Rock Rb-Sr Open Systems

Whole-rock samples of the post-Middle Cambrian to Middle or Late Pennsylvanian Blue Hills igneous complex were analyzed for Rb, Sr, and Sr isotopic composition. An apparent Rb-Sr age of 365 ± 7 m.y. and an initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratio of 0.703 ± 0.004 was obtained for the Quincy Granite. The Blue Hill Granite Porphyry has an apparent isochron age of 282 ± 8 m.y. and an initial Sr 87 /Sr 86 ratio of 0.717 ± 0.002, although there is considerable scatter of data points. The Blue Hills aporhyolite does not yield an isochron, and the “ages” range from 235 to 420 m.y. Published K-Ar hornblende ages and Pb 207 -Pb 206 zircon ages for the Quincy Granite are 442 ± 22 m.y. and 450 ± 50 m.y., respectively. These ages plus the scatter of the Blue Hills whole-rock Rb-Sr data show that these rocks have not remained closed systems with respect to Rb and Sr since crystallization. We suggest that the low ages are due to loss of *Sr 87 (radiogenic) and possibly some common Sr from the Blue Hills lithologic units.
Variably Blurred Prompting: I. Methodology and Application to the Analysis of Paired-Associate Learning

(1960). Variably Blurred Prompting: I. Methodology and Application to the Analysis of Paired-Associate Learning. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 43-52.
The condition of insomnia: etiopathogenetic considerations and their impact on treatment practices.

Insomnia is conceived as the subjective complaint of reduced sleep quantity and/or quality, even in the absence of objective verification of sleep loss; it is the outcome of the interplay of many environmental, biological, and psychological factors, which can be distinguished into predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating. Predisposing and precipitating factors include various demographic characteristics and the occurrence of psychiatric or somatic illnesses as well as other stressful life events. The perpetuating factors, responsible for the development of chronicity of the complaint of insomnia, mainly involve a 24-hour state of hyperarousal and a vicious cycle of sleeplessness causing fear of sleeplessness which in turn leads to further hyperarousal and more sleeplessness. Particular psychological characteristics, including excessive use of denial and repression as well as a strong propensity for internalisation of emotions, are also among the main factors contributing to the psychophysiological act...
Large-amplitude semidiurnal temperature variations in the polar mesopause: evidence of a pseudotide

Current atmospheric tidal models1,2 predict an amplitude of ≲2 K for the solar semidiurnal temperature variations in the polar mesopause (∼85 km altitude) during the winter solstice period. In contrast, here we report an amplitude of about 13 K for the 12-h variations in the mesopause temperature at Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen (78.2° N) on UT day 359 in 1984. The kinetic temperature of the mesopause was deduced from the thermalized rotational distribution of the mesopause airglow OH(8,3) vibrational–rotational band emission in the near-infrared spectral region. A semidiurnal ‘pseudotide’ is proposed as the source of the observed large-amplitude 12-h temperature variation. This pseudotide is generated by gravity-wave momentum fluxes modulated by the true semidiurnal tide3. The semidiurnal pseudotide is very efficiently excited at very high latitudes. Based on conservative values of gravity-wave amplitudes, we estimate a temperature amplitude of ∼10 K.
Drug controversies in ambulatory anesthesia

With the growth of ambulatory surgery, a number of new drugs have become available to the anesthesiologist. This access to supposedly superior anesthetics has led us to rethink the traditional role of some of our older drugs. Propofol is an example of such a new drug, and has largely replaced thiopental as the gold standard in the ambulatory setting. Propofol's popularity would inevitably lead to the production of a generic formulation. However, its transition from the original to a cheap generic product has been far from smooth. How significant are the claims in this "propofol war"? We will try to provide the facts with our interpretation of their possible significance. We also now live in an era of designer drugs such as remifentanil. Although specifically developed for the rapid turnover of a busy ambulatory center, remifentanil just does not seem to have been embraced for this role. We will discuss the possible reasons for its lukewarm reception, and suggest applications in which remifentanil may provide the greatest advantages for the ambulatory surgery patient. Probably the most controversial of the older drugs in modern day anesthesia is nitrous oxide. Until now, the general consensus had been to use nitrous in almost every anesthetic, because we believed that its "ubiquitous utilization" had survived the test of time. Despite having been administered to more patients than any other inhaled anesthetic, we continue to read new articles about the pros and cons of the continued use of this drug. We will discuss this topic in the ambulatory surgery setting.
Function of nuclear co-repressor protein on thyroid hormone response elements is regulated by the receptor A/B domain

Recently, a family of nuclear co-repressor proteins (TRACs) have been identified that interact with thyroid hormone (TR) and retinoic acid receptors to mediate ligand-independent repression of gene transcription. In this report, we have cloned and characterized a human TRAC, which when expressed as a truncated protein lacking its repressing domains, can abolish endogenous cellular TRAC activity. Use of this inhibitor has uncovered a differential function of TRACs on negative versus positive thyroid hormone response elements and has demonstrated the importance of the TR A/B domain in modulating TRAC function. Thus, isoform-specific functions of the TR may be mediated by their functional interaction with co-repressor proteins.
Finite size effects on the QCD spectrum revisited

We have continued our study of finite size effects in the QCD spectrum on lattices ranging in size from 8[sup 3][times]24 to 16[sup 3][times]24. We have increased our statistics for quark mass am[sub q]=0.025 for the smallest lattice size. In addition, we have studied quark mass 0.01225 for lattice sizes 12[sup 3][times]24. These lattice sizes correspond to a box 1.8-3.6 fm on a side when the rho mass at zero quark mass is used to set the scale. We discuss the nucleon to rho mass ratio at a smaller value of m[pi]/m[rho] than previously studied with two dynamical flavors.
Maladaptive Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Emotion Experience and Emotion Regulation

Maladaptive behavior is common in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, the factors that give rise to maladaptive behavior in this context are not well understood. The present study examined the role of emotion experience and emotion regulation in maladaptive behavior in individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) participants. Thirty-one individuals with ASD and 28 TD participants and their parents completed questionnaires assessing emotion experience, regulation, and maladaptive behavior. Compared to TD participants, individuals with ASD used cognitive reappraisal less frequently, which was associated with increased negative emotion experience, which in turn was related to greater levels of maladaptive behavior. By decreasing negative emotions, treatments targeting adaptive emotion regulation may therefore reduce maladaptive behaviors in individuals with ASD.
Meta-Planning: Representing and Using Knowledge About Planning in Problem Solving and Natural Language Understanding†

This paper is concerned with those elements of planning knowledge that are common to both understanding someone else's plan and creating a plan for one's own use. This planning knowledge can be divided into two bodies: Knowledge about the world, and knowledge about the planning process itself. Our interest here is primarily with the latter corpus. The central thesis is that much of the knowledge about the planning process itself can be formulated in terms of higher-level goals and plans called meta-goals and meta-plans. These entities can then be used by the same understanding and planning mechanisms that process ordinary goals and plans. However, the meta-planning knowledge now enables these mechanisms to handle much more complicated situations in a uniform manner. Systems based on meta-planning would have a number of advantages over existing problem solving and understanding systems. The same knowledge could be shared by both a planner and understander, and both would be able to handle complex situations elegantly. In addition, in planning, the use of metaplanning has several advantages over more traditional methods involving constraints or critics. Meta-planning allows the full power of a problem solver to be applied to situations that are generally amenable only to special purpose processing. In addition, meta-planning facilitates the representation of some situations that are difficult to express otherwise. We have begun to introduce metaplanning knowledge into two systems: PAM, a story understanding program, and PANDORA, a problem solving and planning system.
Evaluation of apical pouches in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy using cardiac MRI

The presence of apical pouches in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) may portend poor prognosis. We sought to study if the use cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) improves the detection of apical pouches in HCM compared to echocardiography. A retrospective review was performed of all consecutive HCM patients with an apical pouch identified by CMR at Mayo Clinic from May 2004 to Sept 2011. Clinical data was abstracted and CMR and echocardiographic images were analyzed. There were 56 consecutive HCM patients with an apical pouch identified by CMR. The predominant morphological type was apical in 41 (73.2 %), followed by sigmoid in 6 (10.7 %), reversed curve in 6 (10.7 %) and neutral in 3 (5.4 %). Obstructive physiology or systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve leaflet was evident in 23 (41.1 %). Late gadolinium enhancement was present in 47 (87.0 %) patients. Apical pouches were detected in only 18 (32.1 %) patients on echocardiography. Even when intravenous contrast was used (29/56 patients), in 16/29 (55.2 %) pouches were missed on echocardiography. Pouch length and neck dimensions in systole and diastole, measured on CMR, were larger among those patients in whom pouches were detected on echocardiography suggesting only larger pouches can be identified on echocardiography. In the largest CMR series to date of apical pouches in HCM, we show that while apical pouches are most commonly seen in apical HCM, they can be found in other phenotypic variants. CMR is better suited for the evaluation of apical pouches compared to echocardiography even with the use of intravenous contrast. CMR is likely a better tool for evaluating the cardiac apical structures including apical pouches when clinically indicated.
Scattering of light by deformed three‐dimensional spherulites

Abstract : The report gives an account of some theoretical calculations, based upon two different 'affine transformation' models, as described previously. The preliminary results for two dimensional, disc-like spherulites are now extended to the three dimensional case and at the same time reorientation of the crystallites inside the spherulite is included. Although the calculations are carried out for the case of the stretching direction coinciding with the direction of polarization of the incident beam, the calculations are set up more generally and from the formulas derived in this report one can easily perform the calculations for the case that the stretching direction makes a certain angle psi with the polarization direction of the incident beam. The theory in this report is developed for non-ringed spherulites, that is, spherulites in which no regular helicoidal twisting of the crystallites around the spherulite radius occurs. We can, however, on the same basis develop equations for ringed spherulites. Light scattering intensity contours are presented for various combinations of the spherulitic parameters. (Author)
Hypnotic susceptibility, imaging ability, and the detection of embedded words within letters

Two experiments were conducted to determine the role of hypnotic susceptibility level (high or low) and imaging ability (vivid or poor) in the performance of a visual search for words embedded within matrices of letters. In Experiment 1, subjects searched for target words from a list; however, distractor words were also embedded in the matrices. Results indicated that subjects judged both high in hypnotic susceptibility and vivid in imaging ability demonstrated the fastest search speed with a greater percentage of target words found. These subjects also made fewer false alarm errors (locating distractor words not on the target list). The poorest performance was exhibited by subjects judged both low in hypnotic susceptibility and poor in imaging ability. The amount of variance accounted for by hypnotic susceptibility and imaging ability was approximately equal for each dependent measure. In Experiment 2, when subjects searched for target words from a list without distractor words embedded in matrices, similar results to those reported for Experiment 1 were produced, except that the percentage of words found was equivalent across groups. This was attributed to the elimination of potential false alarm errors. The results are explained in terms of the use of either a holistic or a detail strategy in the performance of a visual search.
Melanoma of the Anal Canal: A Case Series

Anal melanoma is an uncommon and aggressive cancer. Different surgical modalities have been used in managing the disease with no clear evidence to favor one approach over another. The medical records of patients with anal melanoma treated at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute between 1987 and 2004 were reviewed. Published anal melanoma studies, including more than ten patients with outcome data, also were reviewed. Twelve patients were identified (8 percent of all cancer of the anal canal). Nine were females with a median age of 67 (range, 27–86) years. Four patients had nodal involvement, and one had bone metastases at the time of diagnosis. Five patients had abdominoperineal resection, and six had local excision. Adjuvant radiation therapy with or without interferon was used. Five of the 11 patients without metastatic disease relapsed or died within the first year of diagnosis (4 had local excision and 1 had abdominoperineal resection). Median time to relapse was 6.5 (range, 4–31) months. The liver was the most common site for relapse. Only one patient treated with local excision followed by interferon was a long survivor (no evidence of recurrence at 54 months). Anorectal melanoma is a rare and challenging disease. The preoperative staging influences the treatment schedule. In the absence of strong survival benefit of abdominoperineal resection in managing the nonmetastatic form of the disease, it is reasonable to consider local excision as the initial treatment of choice. Adjuvant radiation therapy is well tolerated and is promising in improving locoregional control.
Corrosion of Metals Exposed to Combustion Products Generated by Burning Electrical Power Cables

The post-fire corrosion hazard of the materials used in shipboard power and communication cables upon small specimens of HY80 steel, type 304 stainless steel, brass, and Monel 400 was investigated. The metal coupons were exposed to the combustion products generated by the burning cables in full-scale fire tests aboard an instrumented ship. Tests were conducted with cross-linked polyethylene cables and polyvinylchloride (PVC) cables. The test scenarios for the two cable materials were quite different, with the PVC cables producing an extensive fire with large quantities of smoke while the poly ethylene cables resisted propagation of the fire and produced only small quanti ties of smoke. The metallic coupons were stored under both moderate and high- humidity conditions after the fire tests. During the post-fire period, which lasted nearly a year, the specimens were weighed and observed periodically to assess the degree of corrosion.The HY80 steel coupons which were exposed to the PVC cable smoke ex perience...