cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Determination of Diffuse Brain Injury Thresholds Using Retrospective Analysis

Diffuse brain injury (DBI) severity can be clinically diagnosed as concussion or diffuse axonal injury (DAI). Concussion the least severe DBI, is associated with neurological deficit limited to disorientation and unconsciousness lasting minutes to hours [1–4]. In contrast, DAI, a severe injury, commonly results in death or permanent vegetation [1]. It is generally accepted that injury severity is modulated by increased mechanical measures such as rotational acceleration and velocity [5–11].Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Octreotide Enhances Positive Calcium Balance in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Although receptors for somatostatin are found in bone cells, the effect of somatostatin analogs on calcium metabolism is unknown. The authors studied, in a metabolic ward, the effect of octreotide (a long-acting somatostatin analog) and a placebo in two 6-day calcium balance periods in 8 children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. As expected, octreotide (2 μg/kg, subcutaneously, every 8 hours) reduced serum growth hormone and somatomedin (IGF-1) to levels found in growth hormone deflciency. Octreotide enhanced calcium retention by 30% (96 mg daily [P < 0.04]) in 7 boys for whom complete data (diet, urine, and fecal calcium) were available. In 6 children with urinary calcium excretion (UCa) greater than 50 mg daily, octreotide markedly lowered UCa, from 114 ± 23 mg daily to 61 ± 9 mg daily (P < 0.03). Calcium retention occurred in patients with or without initial hypercalciuria, but the higher the basal UCa, the greater was the inhibition by octreotide (r = 0.79; P < 0.03). Inactive, nonambulatory patients had a more pronounced response of UCa to octreotide (P < 0.02). Octreotide caused a mild, nonsignificant reduction in fecal calcium, with no major changes in serum calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, urinary excretion of sodium and potassium, or in creatinine clearance. Based on the current observations and the presence of receptors for somatostatin in bone cells, this hormone may have, at least on a short-term basis, an anabolic effect on calcium, perhaps favoring its deposition in bone.
Relation between impedance and temperature during radiofrequency ablation of accessory pathways

Temperature monitoring is a useful tool for radiofrequency ablation of accessory pathways. Impedance monitoring is also helpful, and an impedance fall of 20 ohm may predict coagulum formation. Therefore the purpose of this study was to prospectively quantitate the correlation between impedance and temperature during radiofrequency ablation. Thirty-three consecutive patients underwent radiofrequency ablation with a thermistor ablation catheter with continuous temperature and impedance monitoring during each energy application. The initial and final impedance and temperature measurements for 319 applications of radiofrequency energy were 109 +/- 17 ohm and 102 +/- 17 ohm (p or = 20 degrees C increase in tissue temperature, and 10 were associated with coagulum formation. A > or = 20 degrees C increase in tissue temperature was observed in 84 of 104 applications associated with a 5 to 10 ohm decrease in impedance (81% positive predictive value and 93% negative predictive value). The mean change in impedance for applications associated with and without coagulum formation was -19 +/- 7 ohm and -6 +/- 6 ohm (p < 0.0001), respectively, and coagulum formation never occurred with less than a 12 ohm decrease. In conclusions successful tissue heating without coagulum formation can be achieved by titrating the power to achieve a 5 to 10 ohm decrement in impedance. Impedance decrements beyond 10 ohm increase the likelihood of coagulum formation.
The influence of fluid properties on electrohydrodynamic heat transfer enhancement in liquids under viscous and electrically dominated flow conditions

Abstract Fluid property effects on electrohydrodynamic (EHD) heat transfer enhancement were investigated. Heat transfer, pressure drop, electrical power requirements, and the transition between the viscous dominated and electrically dominated flow regimes as a function of fluid properties were examined using three cooling oils having widely varying physical properties. Low viscosity and low electrical conductivity gave the greatest heat transfer enhancement for a given electrical power input. The required electrical power to achieve a specified heat transfer enhancement was greater for working fluids that had a small charge relaxation time, defined as the ratio of the electrical permittivity to the electrical conductivity. These results correlate well with available experimental and analytical data. A theoretical prediction of the effect of fluid properties and forced flow rate on the onset of EHD enhancement was experimentally verified. The onset of significant EHD heat transfer enhancement occurs most readily in low viscosity liquids at low Reynolds number flows for a given electrical power input.
Cellular localization of nodule-enhanced aspartate aminotransferase in Medicago sativa L.

Aspartate aminotransferase (AAT; EC 2.6.1.1) catalyzes the synthesis of the amino acid aspartate which, in alfalfa root nodules, serves as the immediate precursor of the primary N-transport compound, asparagine. The enzyme AAT may also be important in providing substrates for host-plant and bacteroid respiration. The enzyme occurs as two isoenzymes, AAT-1 and AAT-2, with AAT-1 more abundant in roots and AAT-2 predominant in root nodules. To further elucidate the role of AAT in root-nodule metabolism, subcellular fractionation and immunocytochemical methods were used to determine the intra- and intercellular localization of these two isozymes. Fractionation of nodule subcellular components showed that AAT-2 was localized in amyloplasts. Immunogold labelling with AAT-2 antibodies unequivocally confirmed this, showing that AAT-2 was localized in nodule amyloplasts and leaf chloroplasts. In root nodules, the density of immunogold labelling of infected cell plastids was almost four times that of uninfected cell plastids. The data suggest that aspartate biosynthesis in alfalfa root nodules occurs primarily in the plastids of infected cells.
A Program for Facilitating Scholarly Writing

ABSTRACT This paper abstracts an empirically based scheme for faculty development that helps faculty increase their productivity and satisfaction with scholarly writing. The step‐wise format focuses around workshops and office‐based contacts. Its steps include demystifying the writing process (e.g., belief that good writing is done in binges), generating momentum and ideas for writing (e.g., free writing), establishing self‐control in writing (e.g., contingencies), controlling mal‐adaptive self‐talk, and making writing more socially skilled. Faculty writers in this program have shown substantial increases in productivity and satisfaction over periods of at least two years. Success in implementing this program has borne little relationship to formal training or expertise of faculty developers as writers.
Creativity and chronic disease. Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890).

A striking feature of van Gogh's famous painting “The Starry Night” is the yellow corona surrounding each star. The use of yellow characterizes many of the paintings of this Dutch post-impressionist, and much speculation surrounds van Gogh's fascination with this vibrant pigment. Did he simply like the color, or was his preference influenced by some medical condition? Because numerous disorders have been diagnosed posthumously in this artist, various theories have been proposed to explain how van Gogh's physical state may have influenced his work. Two theories center on why he used so much yellow. First, he was fond of absinthe, a popular liqueur containing thujone. Excessive consumption of this liqueur may cause the consumer to see all objects with a yellow hue. Investigations conducted in 1991, however, showed that a person must drink 182 liters of absinthe to produce this visual effect, so we can discount this theory. A second and more likely explanation involves overmedication with digitalis. People receiving large and repeated doses of this drug often see the world with a yellow-green tint. They complain of seeing yellow spots surrounded by coronas, much like those in “The Starry Night.” The artitists's physician, Paul-Ferdinand Gachet, may have treated van Gogh's epilepsy with digitalis, a common practice at that time. In one of van Gogh's three portraits of Gachet, the physician holds a stem of Digitalis purpurea, the purple foxglove from which the drug is extracted (see figure). Plagued by psychiatric illness throughout his life, van Gogh committed suicide in 1890. Evidence suggests that he had manic depression, a chronic mental illness thought affects many creative people. Although treatment with lithium carbonate is now available, the drug also dampens creative abilities. Many people believe that artists overcome suffering with their creative acts, but suffering may also overwhelm the artist. Had lithium carbonate therapy been available, van Gogh might have defeated his manic depression, avoided his tragic fate, and grown further as an artist. “If I could have worked without this accursed disease, what things I might have done,” he wrote in one of his last letters.
Chk2 Protects against Radiation-Induced Genomic Instability

Abstract The murine Chk2 kinase is activated after exposure to ionizing radiation and is necessary for p53-dependent apoptosis, but the role Chk2 plays in determining genomic stability is poorly understood. By analyzing the sensitivity of Chk2-deficient murine and human cells to a range of DNA-damaging agents, we show that Chk2 deficiency results in resistance to agents that generate double-strand breaks but not to other forms of damage. Surprisingly, the absence of Chk2 results in increased sensitivity to UV-radiation-induced DNA damage. Defective apoptosis after radiation-induced DNA damage may result in genomic instability; therefore, the consequences of Chk2 deficiency on genomic instability were assayed using an in vitro screen. Gene amplification was not detected in untreated Chk2−/− cells, but the rate of gene amplification after irradiation was elevated and was similar to that found in p53 compromised cells. A synergistic increase in genomic instability was seen after disruption of both Chk2 and p...
R9AP and R7BP: traffic cops for the RGS7 family in phototransduction and neuronal GPCR signaling.

RGS (regulator of G protein signaling) proteins have emerged as crucial regulators, effectors and integrators in G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling networks. Many RGS proteins accelerate GTP hydrolysis by Gα subunits, thereby regulating G protein activity, whereas certain RGS proteins also transduce Gα signals to downstream targets. Particularly intriguing are members of the RGS7 (R7) family (RGS6, RGS7, RGS9 and RGS11), which heterodimerize with Gβ5. In Caenorhabditis elegans, R7-Gβ5 heterodimers regulate synaptic transmission, anesthetic action and behavior. In vertebrates, they regulate vision, postnatal development, working memory and the action of psychostimulants or morphine. Here we highlight R9AP and R7BP, a related pair of recently identified SNARE-like R7-family binding proteins, which regulate intracellular trafficking, expression and function of R7-Gβ5 heterodimers in retina and brain. Emerging understanding of R7BP and R9AP promises to provide new insights into neuronal GPCR signaling mechanisms relevant to the causes and treatment of neurological disorders.
Characterization of the volatile decomposition products of oxidized methyl arachidonate

The volatile thermal and oxidative decomposition products of methyl arachidonate were separated by capillary gas chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry. Various aldehydes, ketones, aldehyde esters, hydrocarbons and alcohols were identified. The major products included hexanal, methyl 5-oxopentanoate, pentane, methyl butanoate and 2,4-decadienal, which could be important to off-odor development in oxidized food systems containing arachidonate.
Isotopic mixed crystal exciton spectra in the far infrared: Naphthalene

Abstract The far infrared vibrational exciton spectra of isotopic mixed crystals of naphthalene- h 8 and d 8 were studied. The two observed translational phonon modes were determined to fall into the amalgamated band limit while the lowest energy B 3u , A u and B 1u vibrational exciton bands were found to be in the separated band limit. The lowest energy B 3u “butterfly” mode with its large (15 cm −1 ) exciton splitting was found to agree well with CPA calculations of mixed crystal spectra. A peak at 185 cm −1 was also assigned as a peak in the vibrational exciton density-of-states of the B 3u mode.
Correlation inequalities and bound states in QCD

Abstract The results of a number of authors on mass inequalities for mesons and baryons in QCD are reviewed. These results which follow from the Cauchy-Schwarz and Holder inequalities provide rigorous constraints on the mass spectrum of hadrons. Similar inequalities for glueballs are investigated. For non-zero spin J , and parity (±) in the large N c limit we find m J − ≥ m j + . (For J = 0, the existence of an 〈 F 2 〉, gluon vacuum expectation value, can modify our statements.) There are also constraints on how fast m J can grow with J in the large N c approximation. Namely, for m J = a + bJ α , 0 ≤ α ≤ 1, is derived, a result consistent with Regge behavior and a string picture of hadrons.
Episymploce sundaica australiensis, a new subspecies from Australia and Papua New Guinea (Blattellidae: Blattellinae).

Abstract Based on a difference in shape of the left style, Episymploce sundaica australiensis new subspecies, from Australia and Papua New Guinea, is described. The nominate species, Episymploce sundaica (Hebard), is more widely distributed in Java, Kalimantan (East Borneo), Laos, Okinawa, Philippines, Sabah, Sarawak, Sumatra, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Capacitance-voltage characteristics of microwave Schottky diodes

Based on an analytical solution of Poisson's equation, the authors calculate/capacitances of metal circular dots and metal stripes on the surface of a doped semiconductor material. When the dimensions of the dot or stripe are much larger than the depletion region, the results are reduced to the conventional formula for a parallel-plate capacitor. In the opposite limit, the overall capacitance is determined by the edge effect. This edge capacitance is proportional to the device periphery, with the coefficient of proportionality dependent on the shape of the metal. The parallel-plate component of the device capacitance is modulated by the applied voltage; the edge component is nearly independent of the applied voltage. Hence, the largest capacitance modulation is achieved in devices with the smallest ratio of the device periphery over the device area, which has the smallest edge effect. The measured capacitances of small round GaAs Schottky barrier diodes are in reasonable agreement with calculated results. >
It’s More than the Economy after All: Continuing the Debate about Urban Regimes

The study of urban regimes is an evolving activity and not a tightly defined form of analysis. With ongoing research new questions and issues arise, and old ones stand in need of refinement. Recent...
Microwave, Flux Flow, and Fluctuation Resistance of Dirty Type-II Superconductors

We have reexamined the recent theories by Caroli and Maki of the dynamic response of dirty superconductors and find them inconsistent and incomplete. Additional contributions, which were not included by them, are calculated, and new expressions are presented for the microwave and flux-flow resistance. In particular, we find that the use of the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equation for the order parameter, coupled with the static Ginzburg-Landau equation for the current, is not generally adequate to calculate the leading superconducting contributions to the resistance. These results imply that the theory of Aslamazov and Larkin for the extra conductivity due to fluctuations above the transition temperature is also incomplete and that, in general, additional contributions of the type suggested by Maki must be included.
Long-term outcome of extratemporal resection in posttraumatic epilepsy.

Object Posttraumatic epilepsy (PTE) is a common cause of medically intractable epilepsy. While much of PTE is extratemporal, little is known about factors associated with good outcomes in extratemporal resections in medically intractable PTE. The authors investigated and characterized the long-term outcome and patient factors associated with outcome in this population. Methods A single-institution retrospective query of all epilepsy surgeries at Regional Epilepsy Center at the University of Washington was performed for a 17-year time span with search terms indicative of trauma or brain injury. The query was limited to adult patients who underwent an extratemporal resection (with or without temporal lobectomy), in whom no other cause of epilepsy could be identified, and for whom minimum 1-year follow-up data were available. Surgical outcomes (in terms of seizure reduction) and clinical data were analyzed and compared. Results Twenty-one patients met inclusion and exclusion criteria. In long-term follow-up ...
Conservation of Energy, Uncertainty Reduction, and Swift Utilization of Medical Care Among the Elderly

This study examined age differences in the timing of the decision to seek medical care. Two cohorts, one of middle-aged (40 to 55 years, n = 88) and one of older patients (65 and over, n = 80), who sought medical care when symptomatic were interviewed at the time of their visit. Age differences were examined with respect to total delay (the time from first noticing symptoms until calling for care), as well as its two constituent phases: appraisal delay (symptom onset until deciding one was ill) and illness delay (decision one was ill until calling for care). Older persons were expected to be more conserving of physical and psychic resources, and thus quicker in seeking care. The cohort effect was expected to be most visible for symptoms judged to be of uncertain seriousness. The delay results and ancillary findings on reasons given for delay are generally supportive of the hypotheses, with the caveat that the cohort difference also reflects higher levels of avoidance behavior by the middle-aged than by the older subjects.
Spectral Shakespeares: media adaptations in the twenty-first century

Although I do not know Maurizio Calbi, after reading Spectral Shakespeares, I am sure I would like to go to the cinema with him; and perhaps just as importantly, I would like to read Jacques Derrid...
Feeding Preference of Native Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae: Reticulitermes) for Wood Containing Bark Beetle Pheromones and Blue-Stain Fungi

Surprisingly little research has been conducted to investigate interactions between subterranean termites and bark beetles. Facilitative interactions between these organisms could easily alter stand dynamics and impact wood utilization strategies. A series of American Wood Protection Association Standard E1-09 “choice tests” were carried out to determine the feeding preference of Reticulitermes flavipes Kollar (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) for blue-stained sapwood and sapwood impregnated with various bark beetle pheromones. Reticulitermes flavipes exhibited a feeding preference for both air-dried and kiln-dried blue-stained sapwood, unstained sapwood treated with frontalin, and air-dried blue-stained sapwood treated with a 0.02% solution of both frontalin and endo-brevicomin. The implications of these results are far reaching, with particular relevance to forest health, ecology, and utilization.
The effect of insulin infusion upon protein metabolism in neonates on extracorporeal life support.

Critically ill surgical neonates, requiring extracorporeal life support (ECLS), exhibit extremely high rates of protein catabolism even when compared with other hospitalized infants.1–5 This protein loss is the hallmark of the metabolic stress response, and its extent is largely governed by the severity of illness.6–11 If net protein loss persists in hospitalized patients, it is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.12,13 Limiting protein degradation and maximizing protein accretion are thus important; however, it is of even more concern in neonates and infants because of their restricted protein reserves14–16 and their requirement for growth and development. Stable isotopic studies undertaken in critically ill neonates on ECLS demonstrate a net protein balance of −2.3 ± 0.8 g/kg per day17,18 (mean ± SD) while normal full term neonates manifest protein accrual.19,20 Although both protein breakdown and protein synthesis increase in neonates on ECLS, it is the former that predominates.1 Thus, the search for novel means to optimize protein balance, primarily through a reduction in protein breakdown, is of metabolic interest and clinical relevance in ECLS patients. Various anabolic agents have been used in clinical studies in critically ill adults to promote net protein accretion during periods of metabolic stress, including growth hormone (GH),21,22 insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I),23 and testosterone analogs.24,25 All have shown, at best, modest success, and some have proven dangerous. Insulin is a potent anabolic hormone that has been used experimentally and therapeutically in humans for over 80 years,26 and its actions are well studied. The administration of insulin, utilizing a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp,27 has been shown to decrease protein breakdown in normal adults, burned patients, and preterm neonates.9,28–39 Further, insulin infusion, with a goal of maintaining euglycemia, is associated with a significant mortality reduction in critically ill adults.40 Using stable isotopic techniques and a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp, this study sought to determine if the administration of insulin improved net protein balance in neonates and infants on ECLS. Given the direct effects of IGF-I and GH on protein balance,41–43 as well as the metabolic effects of cortisol and thyroid hormone concentrations in critically ill patients,44–46 these hormones were also followed to detect any effect of insulin on their concentrations. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 1 (IGF-BP1), secreted constitutively by the liver, is elevated in hepatic insulin resistance and is suppressed with adequate insulin effect in the liver; hence, it was measured here as a surrogate marker for hepatic insulin resistance.
High‐Pressure Liquid Chromatographic Assay for Griseofulvin in Plasma

A high-pressure liquid chromatographic procedure was developed for griseofulvin assay in human plasma. The method utilized warfarin as an internal standard and easily quantitated griseofulvin plasma levels as low as 0.10 micrograms/ml. The method was compared to two fluorometric assay methods and was more specific for griseofulvin. Assay of 6-demethylgriseofulvin isolated from human urine demonstrated that this material was not responsible for the interferences apparent in the fluorometric procedures.
Femtosecond laser nanofabrication of hydrogel biomaterial

In recent years, biomaterial investigators have increasingly focused their research on hydrogels and their capability to be fabricated into tissue engineering scaffolds. Although several fabrication methods have been used to produce hydrogel scaffolds, those methods are unable to routinely produce three-dimensional submicron and nanoscale scaffolds with precise control of the geometry, a crucial factor necessitated by the recent developments in the field of tissue engineering. Femtosecond laser-induced two-photon polymerization is a promising technique that fulfills these requirements. In our work, we used a femtosecond laser to fabricate three-dimensional submicron-scale scaffolds with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). The modulus, dimensions, and shape of the scaffold can be readily adjusted by changing both the laser parameters and the molecular weight of the PEG prepolymer. With the femtosecond laser, we also fabricated two-dimensional topographical patterns, which have important applications in basic biological research. To improve the throughput of femtosecond laser fabrication, we integrated the femtosecond direct-write process with a nano-imprint process by which the femtosecond laser is used to produce nano-patterned molds. We then carried out nanoimprinting to transfer the nanofeatures in the mold to the hydrogel in a massively parallel fashion.
Balancing the cost and value of medications: the dilemma facing clinicians.

In the current complex healthcare environment, considerations of medication efficacy, risk, cost, reimbursement, and regulation compete to influence the physician’s clinical decision making in an atmosphere marked by curtailed physician autonomy, adversarial doctor-patient relationships, and conflict between clinical and managerial goals. Often, pharmaceutical expenditures are managed as if they exist in a universe separate from that occupied by all other aspects of patient care, even when a societally based cost-effectiveness analysis might favour more aggressive use of drug therapy for the long-term benefits it can generate. One response to these conflicting pressures is the creation of institutional resources to help reconcile the inevitable conflicts between such forces. At the author’s institution, the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a new clinical Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics seeks to develop a reservoir of expertise to address the issue of appropriate medication use in a proactive way. Its goal is to help the hospital remain on the cutting edge of therapeutics while containing its drug budget within reasonable bounds. The programme consists of a system of ongoing formulary review, surveillance of current prescribing patterns, the production of educational monographs, a computer-based order entry system, a curriculum on cost effectiveness for interns, residents and medical students, and deployment of hospital-based ‘detailers’ to discuss problematical prescribing decisions with practitioners. The dissemination of such an approach in multiple sectors of the healthcare system could lead to greater sophistication by payers, prescribers, patients, and policy makers concerning how best to balance benefits, risks, and costs in pharmacotherapy.
Isotopic fingerprinting of the world's first nuclear device using post-detonation materials.

In the event of a rogue nuclear attack or interception of illicit nuclear materials, timely forensic investigations are critical for accurate source attribution. Uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) isotopic ratios of intercepted materials or postdetonation samples are, perhaps, the most valuable evidence in modern nuclear forensics. These ratios simultaneously provide information regarding the material’s ‘‘age’’ (i.e., time elapsed since last purification), actinide concentrations, and relevant isotopic ratios/enrichment values. Consequently, these isotope signatures are invaluable in determining the origin, processing history, and intended purpose of any nuclear material. Here we show, for the first time, that it is feasible to determine the U and Pu isotopic compositions of historic nuclear devices from their postdetonation materials utilizing in situ U isotopic measurements. The U isotopic compositions of trinitite glass, produced subsequent to the world’s first atomic explosion, indicate two sources: the d...
A Test of the Learning Potential Hypothesis with Hearing and Deaf Students.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to determine if a learning potential training procedure would significantly improve the cognitive performance of high- and low-achieving hearing and deaf students to the levels of their higher-achieving peers. High-achieving (A = 20) and low-achieving ( V = 20) hearing children aged 12 to 14, and high-achieving (A = 14) and low-achieving (A = 14) deaf students aged 12 to 15 years were assigned to either a training or no-training group. Participants were given the Representational Stencil Design Test in a test-train-test format. For some designs, children were told which stencils were necessary to solve the task (input). With other stencils, they were not told which designs were needed (no input). A2x2x2x2 ANOVA (group x achievement level x training condition x input) with repeated measures on input indicated significant main effects for achievement level, training, and input. Significant interaction effects for achievement level x training, achievement level x input, ...
Is frequency information extracted from electrical stimulation of the auditory system

Abstract The nictitating membrane response of rabbits was conditioned to brain stimulation (15 pps) and acoustic clicks (25 Hz). With electrode tips located in medial geniculate bodies, a summated generalization gradient with a peak at 20 Hz was obtained when animals were tested in extinction to various frequencies of acoustic clicks ranging from 5–35 Hz. By contrast, animals with electrode tips located in nonauditory structures (optic tract, lateral geniculate nuclei, reticular formation) produced generalization gradients resembling those obtained from animals conditioned only to the 25-Hz click train.
Morphological studies on the reproductive organs of blinded male hamsters and the effects of pinealectomy or superior cervical ganglionectomy

The testes, seminal vesicles and coagulating glands of hamsters subjected to bilateral optic enucleation (blinding) involuted within 6–8 weeks. During the first several weeks after blinding there was relatively little change in the weights of the reproductive organs, however, between 4–6 weeks the weights of these organs declined precipitously. Finally, the testes and accessory sex organs of 8-week blinded hamsters were about one-tenth and one-third their normal size, respectively. The atrophic testes exhibited a complete loss of spermatogensis and an apparent diminished secretion of androgens since the seminal vesicles and coagulating glands also regressed significantly. Despite the involution, the testes showed a high degree of deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis as evidenced by the large number of spermatogenic cells which took up tritiated thymidine. These findings indicate that the testes retained a certain level of regenerative capacity even in the presence of advanced tubular damage. If hamsters blinded for 9 weeks, had either their pineal gland or superior cervical ganglia removed, the involuted testes and accessory organs regenerated and returned to the normal size, and presumed function, within approximately 8 weeks. Regenerated testes were histologically indistinguishable from those of normal animals. Eyeless hamsters killed after 17 weeks still possessed involuted reproductive organs.
Reversal Learning in Young Children as a Function of Number of Choice-Alternatives.

Abstract Discrimination learning and reversal problems were given to 128 children aged two and three years in which there were either two, three, six, or nine choice-alternatives per problem. The position of the correct object (either a toy car on the original problem and a ball on the reversal problem or vice versa) was varied randomly among all the possible positions, all other positions being occupied by duplicates of the incorrect object. It was found that two-choice reversal problems were much more difficult than all others. There was also a direct and monotonic relationship between ease of solution and number of choices present during reversal learning. Additional analysis inlicated that position response biases were probably responsible for this effect.
Silicone oil emulsification in the anterior chamber after vitreoretinal surgery.

Abstract Background The use of silicone oil as an endotamponade for the treatment of complicated retinal detachment is common, but long-term complications can occur if the oil is not removed later. This article documents a case of emulsified silicone oil migration into the anterior chamber after vitreoretinal surgery and provides a discussion and review of common anterior segment complications from this condition. Case report A 59-year-old man reported to the eye clinic complaining of a “growth” over his right eye that had increased in size over the last month. Slit lamp examination found a “reverse pseudohypopyon” in the right eye, which was actually emulsified silicone oil that had migrated from the posterior chamber after a previous retinal detachment repair. The patient was referred for surgical removal of this oily obstruction. Although surgical treatment was delayed for 18 months, his vision improved and his intraocular pressure was lowered through surgical and medical management. Conclusions The use of silicone oil as an endotamponade in cases of complex retinal detachment has become common, but it also may lead to postoperative complications if it is not surgically removed later. This case highlights possible complications from the migration of emulsified silicone oil into the anterior chamber and illustrates the importance of follow-up care for every ophthalmic surgical procedure.
I. RENAL THRESHOLDS FOR HEMOGLOBIN IN DOGS : DEPRESSION OF THRESHOLD DUE TO FREQUENT HEMOGLOBIN INJECTIONS AND RECOVERY DURING REST PERIODS.

We use the term "renal threshold for hemoglobin" to indicate the smallest amount of hemoglobin which given intravenously will effect the appearance of recognizable hemoglobin in the urine. The initial renal threshold level for dog hemoglobin is established by the methods employed at an average value of 155 mg. hemoglobin per kilo body weight with maximal values of 210 and minimal of 124. Repeated daily injections of hemoglobin will depress this initial renal threshold level on the average 46 per cent with maximal values of 110 and minimal values of 60 mg. hemoglobin per kilo body weight. This minimal or depression threshold is relatively constant if the injections are continued. Rest periods without injections cause a return of the renal threshold for hemoglobin toward the initial threshold levels-recovery threshold level. Injections of hemoglobin below the initial threshold level but above the minimal or depression threshold will eventually reduce the renal threshold for hemoglobin to its depression threshold level. We believe the depression threshold or minimal renal threshold level due to repeated hemoglobin injections is a little above the glomerular threshold which we assume is the base line threshold for hemoglobin. Our reasons for this belief in the glomerular threshold are given above and in the other papers of this series.
Femtosecond Charge Transfer Dynamics of a Modified DNA Base: 2‐Aminopurine in Complexes with Nucleotides

As a fluorescent isomer of adenine, 2-aminopurine (Ap) is a powerful probe of DNA dynamics and DNA-mediated charge transfer processes. Here, we report studies with femtosecond resolution of the excited-state dynamics of Ap in various solvents and in bimolecular complexes with nucleotides. Using time-resolved transient absorption and fluorescence up-conversion methods we identify charge transfer as the origin for the quenching of the Ap fluorescence by all four DNA nucleotides. The direction of the redox process is, however, dependent on the base, and from the rates we deduce the nature of the transfer, hole versus electron transfer. The pH and the kinetic isotope effects of these charge transfer reactions revealed no evidence for proton transfer involvement in the rate-determining step. From the measured rates and using electron transfer theory we estimate the driving force for charge transfer between all four nucleobases and Ap. The results are important for the studies of dynamics using Ap in DNA assemblies.
The near-miss bias in decision making

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report states that NASA needs to develop an organizational culture that reflects the best characteristics of a learning organization and that NASA historically has not demonstrated such characteristics. When there is a technical failure, most organizations are good at identifying the technical cause and learning not to repeat that same mistake. However, it is more difficult to learn from near-misses and lucky successes (i.e., situations where a technical failure does not occur but nearly did) (MacCormack, 2004). This research shows that managers whose decisions ended in a failure were perceived as significantly less competent, as having made poorer decisions, and as less deserving of promotions than managers that made the same decisions but whose project outcomes were either a success or a near miss. Moreover, there were no significant differences in the perceptions of a manager's competence or promotability when that manager's decisions resulted in a near-miss or a complete success. Therefore, even when a problem occurs that is linked to prior managerial decisions, if the project outcome is successful, that manager may not be held as accountable for any faulty decision making compared to managers of projects that fail. These results indicate a potential mechanism to explain why organizations fail to learn from their successes.
Embryonic vs. Adult Myogenesis: Challenging the ‘Regeneration Recapitulates Development’ Paradigm

A popular theory in the stem cell field is that 'regeneration recapitulates development', or that adult stem cells function similarly to embryonic ones. In a recent Nature article, Lepper et al. questioned this approach, highlighting the differences in requirements for Pax7 during myogenesis for embryonic, juvenile and adult muscle.
Integration of metal oxide nanowires in dye sensitized solar cells

One of the most promising architectures of third generation solar cells is integration of single crystalline nanowires as electron transporters in anodes of electrochemical cells. [1–3] The nanowire-based cells aim at significantly increase cell efficiency thanks to the higher mobility of electrons along the single crystalline lattice of the nanowires with respect to traditional polycrystalline networks, greatly reducing electron-hole recombination controllable by passivation, functionalization or coaxial coating of the nanowire. The nanonetworks have been integrated in DSCs using the traditional N719 dye and the I− 3 / I− redox couple. The functional properties of the cells under 1 sun irradiation have been compared with traditional polycrystalline TiO 2 photoanodes.
Physical and Functional Interaction between DNA Ligase IIIα and Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase 1 in DNA Single-Strand Break Repair

The repair of DNA single-strand breaks in mammalian cells is mediated by poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP-1), DNA ligase IIIα, and XRCC1. Since these proteins are not found in lower eukaryotes, this DNA repair pathway plays a unique role in maintaining genome stability in more complex organisms. XRCC1 not only forms a stable complex with DNA ligase IIIα but also interacts with several other DNA repair factors. Here we have used affinity chromatography to identify proteins that associate with DNA ligase III. PARP-1 binds directly to an N-terminal region of DNA ligase III immediately adjacent to its zinc finger. In further studies, we have shown that DNA ligase III also binds directly to poly(ADP-ribose) and preferentially associates with poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated PARP-1 in vitro and in vivo. Our biochemical studies have revealed that the zinc finger of DNA ligase III increases DNA joining in the presence of either poly(ADP-ribosyl)ated PARP-1 or poly(ADP-ribose). This provides a mechanism for the recruitment of the DNA ligase IIIα-XRCC1 complex to in vivo DNA single-strand breaks and suggests that the zinc finger of DNA ligase III enables this complex and associated repair factors to locate the strand break in the presence of the negatively charged poly(ADP-ribose) polymer.
Strength-interval relation for ventricular functional refractoriness

Successful initiation and termination of presumed reentrant ventricular tachycardia frequently depends on the ability to deliver closely coupled impulses to the region of the tachycardia origin. To evaluate systematically the relative influence of local latency and large-scale conduction delay in limiting the delivery of closely coupled impulses, the strength-interval relation of the effective refractory period (RP), and the local and remote functional RP in 35 patients at paced cycle length of 500 ms were measured. The pacing threshold was ≤0.25 mA in all patients. The drive-train (S1 and the extrastimulus (S2) were applied from the same site, the right ventricular (RV) apex, in 25 patients, and from separate sites (RV apex and RV outflow tract) in 10 patients. The effect of procalnamide (plasma concentration 10.1 ± 2.3 μg/ml) on the strength-interval relations in 10 patients was also assessed. Although effective RP decreased significantly with each successive increase in current strength (p < 0.001), local functional RP decreased only up to current strength of 4 mA, and remote functional RP decreased only up to 2 mA. Procainamide shifted the effective RP and local and remote functional RP strength-interval curves uniformly to the right without altering their relation. These data indicate that large-scale conduction delay provides the principal limitation for using increasing current strengths of a single extrastimulus to initiate or terminate ventricular tachycardia.
Bulk-edge correspondence in (2 + 1)-dimensional Abelian topological phases

The same bulk two-dimensional topological phase can have multiple distinct, fully chiral edge phases. We show that this can occur in the integer quantum Hall states at $\ensuremath{\nu}=8$ and 12, with experimentally testable consequences. We show that this can occur in Abelian fractional quantum Hall states as well, with the simplest examples being at $\ensuremath{\nu}=\frac{8}{7},\frac{12}{11},\frac{8}{15},\frac{16}{5}$. We give a general criterion for the existence of multiple distinct chiral edge phases for the same bulk phase and discuss experimental consequences. Edge phases correspond to lattices while bulk phases correspond to genera of lattices. Since there are typically multiple lattices in a genus, the bulk-edge correspondence is typically one-to-many; there are usually many stable fully chiral edge phases corresponding to the same bulk. We explain these correspondences using the theory of integral quadratic forms. We show that fermionic systems can have edge phases with only bosonic low-energy excitations and discuss a fermionic generalization of the relation between bulk topological spins and the central charge. The latter follows from our demonstration that every fermionic topological phase can be represented as a bosonic topological phase, together with some number of filled Landau levels. Our analysis shows that every Abelian topological phase can be decomposed into a tensor product of theories associated with prime numbers $p$ in which every quasiparticle has a topological spin that is a ${p}^{n}$th root of unity for some $n$. It also leads to a simple demonstration that all Abelian topological phases can be represented by $\mathrm{U}{(1)}^{N}$ Chern-Simons theory parameterized by a $K$ matrix.
Stand Establishment and Persistence of Perennial Cool-Season Grasses in the Intermountain West and the Central and Northern Great Plains

Abstract The choice of plant materials is an important component of revegetation following disturbance. To determine the utility and effectiveness of various perennial grass species for revegetation on varied landscapes, a meta analysis was used to evaluate the stand establishment and persistence of 18 perennial cool-season grass species in 34 field studies in the Intermountain and Great Plains regions of the United States under monoculture conditions. Combined across the 34 studies, stand establishment values ranged from 79% to 43% and stand persistence values ranged from 70% to 0%. Intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium [Host] Barkworth & D. R. Dewey), tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum [Podp.] Z.-W. Liu & R.-C. Wang), crested wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.), Siberian wheatgrass (Agropyron fragile [Roth] P. Candargy), and meadow brome (Bromus riparius Rehmann) possessed the highest stand establishment (≥ 69%). There were no significant differences among the 12 species with the largest stand persi...
Museum Specimens and Phylogenies Elucidate Ecology's Role in Coevolutionary Associations Between Mites and Their Bee Hosts

Abstract Coevolutionary associations between hosts and symbionts (or parasites) are often reflected in correlated patterns of divergence as a consequence of limitations on dispersal and establishment on new hosts. Here we show that a phylogenetic correlation is observed between chaetodactylid mites and their hosts, the long-tongued bees; however, this association manifests itself in an atypical fashion. Recently derived mites tend to be associated with basal bee lineages, and vice versa, ruling out a process of cospeciation, and the existence of mites on multiple hosts also suggests ample opportunity for host shifts. An extensive survey of museum collections reveals a pattern of infrequent host shifts at a higher taxonomic level, and yet, frequent shifts at a lower level, which suggests that ecological constraints structure the coevolutionary history of the mites and bees. Certain bee traits, particularly aspects of their nesting behavior, provide a highly predictive framework for the observed pattern of ...
Quantum constraints on quantum error correction with laser pulses

In a quantum computation which uses lasers to implement the logical gates, the number of photons per coherence time may set a limit to the duration of the calculation, even with error correction.
Nonlinear circuit simulation based on adaptive wavelet method

A novel numerical method, Fast Wavelet Collocation Method (FWCM), was first proposed to explore a new direction of circuit simulation. However, it has not been studied in detail how to effectively apply the FWCM to solving nonlinear systems. In this paper, we explore the iterative and adaptive schemes which extend the FWCM to the nonlinear systems. Numerical results are presented which match well with the SPICE simulation.
Loading, guiding, and manipulating neutral atoms in atom chip magnetic traps

We describe a method of efficiently loading and manipulating neutral atoms in atom chip traps. Cooled 87Rb from a MOT is transported via coil-based magnetic traps into chip-based wire traps and precisely directed in wire-guides.
Association of the Dictyostelium 30 kDa actin bundling protein with contact regions

ated with the plasma membrane primarily through interactions with actin filaments. Calcium ions are known to decrease the interaction of actin with 30 kDa protein in solution. Surprisingly, membrane-associated complexes of actin and the 30 kDa protein are much less sensitive to dis sociation by micromolar levels of free calcium ions than are complexes in solutions lacking membranes. These results suggest that the interaction of the 30 kDa protein with Factin at regions of cell-cell contact may be less sensitive to disruption by free calcium ions than elsewhere in the cell cortex. The positively cooperative assembly of stable complexes of actin and the 30 kDa protein at contact regions may be an important factor in the organization of both the cortex and these membrane domains that are specialized for intercellular adhesion. SUMMARY