cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Red cell salvage and reinfusion in pediatric bone marrow donors

We evaluated the use of a semi-automated processing technique to salvage red blood cells from pediatric bone marrow donors to minimize the risk of severe anemia following bone marrow harvest and ABO incompatibility in the recipient. Sixty healthy, HLA-matched, pediatric donors of bone marrow hematopoietic cells with a median age 8.0 years (2-19) were studied. Thirteen of the donor-recipient pairs were ABO incompatible. There were 60 recipients with a median age of 8.6 years (2 months to 20.8 years). Bone marrow was harvested under general anesthesia, filtered in the operating room and then transferred to the stem cell laboratory for processing. Samples were obtained for cell count, CD34+ quantification, colony assay, viability, and bacteriologic cultures before and after processing. The cells were processed in a semi-automated closed system (Stericel, Terumo) by density gradient separation with Ficoll-Hypaque and then washed. Two aliquots were obtained: one containing the mononuclear cell layer to be infused to the recipient and the other the washed red cells to be infused to the donor. The median volume harvested was 608 +/- 40.42 ml (278-1409), while the final volume infused was 174 +/- 10.75 ml (30.2-380) P < 0.0001, representing a decrease of 72% of the volume infused. The nucleated cell count harvested was 1.6 x 10(10) +/- 0.1 (0.56-3.2), while the count infused was 6.9 x 10(9) +/- 0.1 (0.12-5.4) P < 0.0001. The median mononuclear cell count (MNC) per kg harvested was 0.67 x 10(8) +/- 0.05 (0.18-2.0) vs an infused cell number of 1.3 x 10(8) MNC/kg +/- 0.1 (0.6-33.6) P < 0. 0001. The CD34+ cells harvested were 2.8 x 10(6)/kg +/- 0.1 (0.25-10.2) vs an infused number of 6.0 x 10(6)/kg +/- 0.5 (0.84-31.0) P < 0.0001. The viability before and after processing was 99%. Red cell salvage performed in a semi-automated closed system is safe and reduces the risk of post-bone marrow harvest anemia in pediatric donors, decreases the volume infused into the donor and enriches the mononuclear and CD34+ cell population, without affecting hematopoietic reconstitution.
Retinal prosthetics, optogenetics, and chemical photoswitches.

Three technologies have emerged as therapies to restore light sensing to profoundly blind patients suffering from late-stage retinal degenerations: (1) retinal prosthetics, (2) optogenetics, and (3) chemical photoswitches. Prosthetics are the most mature and the only approach in clinical practice. Prosthetic implants require complex surgical intervention and provide only limited visual resolution but can potentially restore navigational ability to many blind patients. Optogenetics uses viral delivery of type 1 opsin genes from prokaryotes or eukaryote algae to restore light responses in survivor neurons. Targeting and expression remain major problems, but are potentially soluble. Importantly, optogenetics could provide the ultimate in high-resolution vision due to the long persistence of gene expression achieved in animal models. Nevertheless, optogenetics remains challenging to implement in human eyes with large volumes, complex disease progression, and physical barriers to viral penetration. Now, a new ...
A Hartree-Fock Study of Small Carbon Cluster Anions

Results from Hartree-Fock calculations on optimized C n - clusters are presented for n ≤ 7. An extended basis set has been used for these calculations to obtain correct electron affinities. Equilibrium geometries are all linear. The geometries, binding energies, and electron affinities are discussed in the light of available theoretical and experimental data.
Asynchronous device discovery and rendezvous protocol for D2D communication

This poster addresses asynchronous device discovery problem in D2D communication. We preset Tic-Toc, asynchronous, autonomous device discovery and rendezvous protocol, which targets optimal trade-off between energy consumption and discovery latency.
The 'new' epidemiology of measles and rubella.

Both diseases have been effectively controlled in the pediatric population that, in the prevaccine era, harbored them. However, with the shift in prevalence to adolescents and young adults, it is possible the diseases may be "time bombs."
Statistical Computation Methods

Within the context of linear models, there are different algorithms that have been developed to make computations more accurate and/or efficient (fewer basic operations). One problem deals with the size of a matrix.
The Effect of Real Earnings Management on Auditor Scrutiny of Management's Other Financial Reporting Decisions

ABSTRACT Recent research reveals that accruals-based earnings management (AEM) is decreasing while real earnings management (REM) is increasing, suggesting the correlation is due to regulatory scru...
The Formation of Islam: The medieval Islamic Near East

Some readers will take exception to the use of the term “medieval” to describe a phase of Islamic history. The term is borrowed from European history, where it signifies a period, the “Middle Ages,” distinguished from the “classical” one that preceded it and the “Renaissance” by which it was followed. In European history the term originally had something of a pejorative connotation – that the Middle Ages constituted a sort of valley between the peaks of classical and Renaissance culture and learning – although most historians would today describe the Middle Ages as considerably less “dark” than was earlier thought. The risks of abstracting the term from the European context that produced it, and applying it to the wholly different circumstances of the Islamic Near East, are obvious. On the other hand, there were peculiar characteristics of the Islamic society and its religious institutions that took shape in the period between the beginning of the eleventh and the end of the fifteenth centuries. In the “Islam” which emerged over the course of these centuries are to be found various patterns of religious authority, affiliation, and relationship which distinguish it from what came before, which laid the foundation for the Islamic societies (particularly in the form of the Ottoman and Safavid empires) that followed, and which shaped the Islamic identities of those Muslims who suddenly found themselves faced with the changed circumstances of the modern period.
Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide over iron carbide prepared from alkali metal promoted iron oxalate

Abstract Iron carbide was prepared by the carburization of iron oxalate doped with various alkali metals in flowing CO at 400 °C. The addition of alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb or Cs) to iron oxalate was found to decrease the bulk iron carbides formation. However, the amount of carbon deposited on Fe as inferred from temperature programmed hydrogenation and high-resolution transmission electron microscopic studies show an increasing trend with the increase of the basicity of alkali added. The CO2 and H2 conversions of all alkali doped iron catalysts were initially higher but they declined over time irrespective of alkali. The benefits of addition of alkali to iron without any structural and reduction promoters, such as copper, is found to lower the selectivity for methane, higher olefins and oxygenates formation for CO2 hydrogenation.
A Sortase A Programmable Phage Display Format for Improved Panning of Fab Antibody Libraries.

Phage display of combinatorial antibody libraries is a versatile tool in the field of antibody engineering, with diverse applications including monoclonal antibody (mAb) discovery, affinity maturation, and humanization. To improve the selection efficiency of antibody libraries, we developed a new phagemid display system that addresses the complication of bald phage propagation. The phagemid facilitates the biotinylation of fragment of antigen binding (Fab) antibody fragments displayed on phage via Sortase A catalysis and the subsequent enrichment of Fab-displaying phage during selections. In multiple contexts, this selection approach improved the enrichment of target-reactive mAbs by depleting background phage. Panels of cancer cell line-reactive mAbs with high diversity and specificity were isolated from a naive chimeric rabbit/human Fab library using this approach, highlighting its potential to accelerate antibody engineering efforts and to empower concerted antibody drug and target discovery.
Early Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Provides Superior Outcomes When Compared With Delaying Surgical Treatment Beyond 6 Months

Background:There is literature on the association between chronic preoperative pain and worse outcomes among patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS). Ho...
Variation in False Negative Rate of RT-PCR Based SARS-CoV-2 Tests by Time Since Exposure

ABSTRACT SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR based tests are being used to “rule out” infection among high-risk individuals such as exposed inpatients and healthcare workers. It is critical to understand how the predictive value of the test varies with time from exposure and symptom onset in order to avoid being falsely reassured by negative tests. As such, the goal of our study was to estimate the false negative rate by day since infection. We used previously published data on RT-PCR sensitivity on samples derived from nasal swabs by day since symptom onset (n=633) and fit a cubic polynomial spline to calculate the false negative rate by day since exposure and symptom onset. Over the four days of infection prior to the typical time of symptom onset (day 5) the probability of a false negative test in an infected individual falls from 100% on day one (95% CI 69-100%) to 61% on day four (95% CI 18-98%), though there is considerable uncertainty in these numbers. On the day of symptom onset, the median false negative rate was 39% (95% CI 16-77%). This decreased to 26% (95% CI 18-34%) on day 8 (3 days after symptom onset), then began to rise again, from 27% (95% CI 20-34%) on day 9 to 61% (95% CI 54-67%) on day 21. Care must be taken when interpreting RT-PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 infection, particularly if performed early in the course of infection, when using these results as a basis for removing precautions intended to prevent onward transmission. If there is high clinical suspicion, patients should not be ruled out on the basis of RT-PCR alone, and the clinical and epidemiologic situation should be carefully considered.
Noncompete Clauses in Applied Behavior Analysis: A Prevalence and Practice Impact Survey.

The field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) has grown substantially in the past decade. Behavior analysts seeking out new employment may have to weigh benefits such as pay, health care, and conditions of employment during negotiations. One condition of employment used in employment contracts is noncompete clauses (NCCs). NCCs are agreements between employers and employees that restrict the employee’s ability to work in a specific field after employment ends. Although they can provide businesses with security, NCCs have the potential to impact how, when, and whom practitioners can serve after employment ends. Although NCCs and their effects have been studied in other fields, to our knowledge no analysis has occurred in the field of ABA. We surveyed 610 practicing behavior analysts to determine the prevalence of NCCs in the field of ABA and how respondents viewed the impact of NCCs on the field; one third (33.1%) of respondents indicated that their contract contained an NCC, and opinions on their potential impact were largely unfavorable. Results are discussed with regard to how NCCs can impact the growth of ABA, possible behavioral functions, possible alternatives to their use, and directions for future research.
The expected prisoner's dilemma - With rationally arising cooperation

Currently, there is no satisfying answer to how cooperation arises rationally in a single-play prisoner's dilemma game with complete information. When player types are known, as well as payoffs and actions, economic analysis through payoff-optimizing computation does not provide a clear path for cooperation. We propose a new form of game-the 'expected' game-and illustrate its implications for theory and practice based on the prisoner's dilemma example. We prove that cooperation can be a rational choice for players in reality in such games defined by a weighted set of payoffs of two or more different reference games.
A-Train estimates of the sensitivity of warm rain likelihood and efficiency to cloud size, environmental moisture, and aerosols

Abstract. Precipitation efficiency has been found to play an important role in constraining the sensitivity of the climate through its role in controlling cloud cover, yet understanding of its controls are not fully understood. Here we use CloudSat observations to identify individual contiguous shallow cumulus cloud objects and compute the ratio of cloud water path to rain water path as a proxy for warm rain efficiency (WRE). Cloud objects are then conditionally sampled by cloud-top height, relative humidity, and aerosol optical depth (AOD) to analyze changes in WRE as a function of cloud size (extent). For a fixed cloud-top height, WRE increases with extent and environmental humidity following a double power-law distribution, as a function of extent. Similarly, WRE increases holding environmental moisture constant. There is surprisingly little relationship between WRE and AOD when conditioned by cloud-top height, suggesting that once rain drop formation begins, aerosols may not be as important for WRE as cloud size and depth. Consistent with prior studies, results show an increase in WRE with sea surface temperature. However, for a given depth and SST, WRE is also dependent on cloud size and becomes larger as cloud size increases. Given that larger objects become more frequent with increasing SST, these results imply that increasing precipitation efficiencies with SST are due not only to deeper clouds with greater cloud water contents, but also the propensity for larger clouds which may have more protected updrafts.
Judicious History and Examination Revealing a Rare Diagnosis of Familial Partial Lipodystrophy in a 32-Year-Old Woman With Life-Threatening Pancreatitis due to Hypertriglyceridemia

Abstract Background Familial partial lipodystrophy type 2 (FPLD2) is a rare genetic condition characterized by partial lack of subcutaneous tissue and can predispose an individual to complications such as hypertriglyceridemia with pancreatitis, insulin resistance, and diabetes. This report describes a case of FPLD2 identified with judicious history and examination. Case Report This case describes a 32-year-old patient with recurrent pancreatitis who developed complications requiring multiple surgeries, fistulas, ostomy, and parenteral feeding. The diagnosis of FPLD2 was made after a thorough history, observation, and examination leading to genetic testing. With the underlying etiology and diagnosis being known, appropriate counseling, family testing, and medical follow-ups can be sought. Discussion Our patient’s case highlights the values of judicious physical examination and thoughtful inquiry of medical and family histories in arriving at the diagnosis of FPLD2. A thorough physical examination most of the time is necessary to diagnose this condition as some of the traits associated with the lack of adiposity may be seen as desirable to the general public. Conclusion It is important that physicians obtain a thorough history and physical examination that may help in the prompt diagnosis of rare diseases like FPLD2, with subsequent multidisciplinary care that includes endocrinology, hepatology, cardiology, and nutrition.
Congruences between the coefficients of the Tate curve via formal groups

Let Eq: y2 + XY = X3 + h4X + h6 be the Tate curve with canonical differential, w = dX/(2Y + X). If the characteristic is p > 0, then the Hasse invariant, H, of the pair (Eq, w) should equal one. If p > 3, then calculation of H leads to a nontrivial separable relation between the coefficients h4 and h6. If p = 2 or p = 3, Thakur related h4 and h6 via elementary methods and an identity of Ramanujan. Here, we treat uniformly all characteristics via explicit calculation of the formal group law of Eq. Our analysis was motivated by the study of the invariant A which is an infinite Witt vector generalizing the Hasse invariant.
Measure and Category on the Line

The notions of measure and category are based on that of countability. Cantor’s theorem, which says that no interval of real numbers is countable, provides a natural starting point for the study of both measure and category. Let us recall that a set is called denumerable if its elements can be put in one-to-one correspondence with the natural numbers 1, 2, …. A countable set is one that is either finite or denumerable. The set of rational numbers is denumerable, because for each positive integer k there are only a finite number (≦2k - 1) of rational numbers p/qin reduced form (q > 0, p and q relatively prime) for which |p| + q = k. By numbering those for which k = 1, then those for which k = 2, and so on, we obtain a sequence in which each rational number appears once and only once. Cantor’s theorem reads as follows.
Zip code-level risk factors for tuberculosis : Neighborhood environment and residential segregation in New Jersey, 1985-1992

OBJECTIVES: This study examined zip code-level risk factors associated with very high tuberculosis (TB) rates among non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asians in New Jersey (1985-1992). METHODS: Exposure indices (poverty, crowded housing, and dilapidated housing) and segregation indices (contact with immigrants, isolation, and density) were used to characterize zip codes. A Boolean-logic methodology was used to determine which configurations of risk factors significantly distinguish zip codes where TB rates are very high from other zip codes. RESULTS: For Whites and Asians, risk factors were rare in zip codes with very high TB rates. In agreement with the distribution of TB cases by age and foreign-born status, this suggests that cases among Whites may be caused by reactivation, whereas cases among Asians may be imported. In contrast, Hispanics and African Americans were exposed to risk factors that may facilitate TB transmission. Among Hispanics, high contact with immigrants was an important factor. African Americans were the group most frequently exposed to multiple risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: For Hispanics and African Americans, zip code-level risk factors were associated with very high TB rates.
Relativistic Nonlinear Optics

The physics and applications of a new field of optics, involving the nonlinear interactions of ultra-intense light with matter, are discussed. They are characterized by many familiar nonlinear optical effects, such as self-focusing and harmonic generation, but based on a mechanism that became accessible experimentally only relatively recently, namely, the nonlinear motion of unbound electrons oscillating relativistically in strong electromagnetic fields. These phenomena form the basis of a new generation of compact and ultrashort-duration particle accelerators and X-ray light sources, with applications ranging from nuclear fusion to cancer therapy.
Access with Pseudonyms

In some systems, users might want to identify themselves by their pseudonyms. If access control is necessary, then a certificate of authorized access employing pseudonyms must be unforgeable. We call a certificate of authorized access a credential. If different pseudonyms which identify a user are to be unlinkable, the user must be able to choose his pseudonyms at random and to transfer the credential issued on one pseudonym to another pseudonym untraceably. However, in order to prevent forgery of the certificate, pseudonyms must be formed in a specific way. This work presents a pseudonym validation process based on discrete logarithms without using cut-and-choose. The certificates issued with pseudonyms are unforgeable. The privacy of users is protected unconditionally. This pseudonym system has the novel feature that each user has a validated public key relevant to each pseudonym, so that signatures can be made by pseudonyms.
Chemotherapy in a pregnant rat model: 1. Mitomycin-C: Pregnancy-specific kinetics and placental transfer

Although cancer complicates pregnancy infrequently, its occurrence jeopardizes maternal and fetal well-being. Treatment with chemotherapeutic agents may adversely affect rapidly dividing fetal tissue, while physiologic changes in pregnancy may alter maternal drug disposition. Previous work on placental transfer and pregnancy-specific kinetics of antineoplastic agents is limited, making the establishment of treatment guidelines for the pregnant cancer patient difficult. Using a pregnant rat model and sensitive HPLC methodology we quantitated the placental transfer and resulting fetal exposure of mitomycin-C (MMC), an alkylating agent. Following maternal dosing, the relative fetal exposure was 6.4%, indicating that MMC does cross the placenta, although to a limited degree. Significant pregnancy-specific alterations in drug disposition, including higher plasma concentrations and decreased clearances in pregnant animals, highlight the need for drug-level monitoring and possible dosage modification when these agents are used in pregnancy.
FACTORS WHICH CONTROL MAXIMAL GROWTH OF BACTERIA

Abstract Sinclair, N. A. (Washington State University, Pullman) and J. L. Stokes. Factors which control maximal growth of bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 83:1147–1154. 1962.—In a chemically defined medium containing 1% glucose and 0.1% (NH4)2SO4, both of these compounds are virtually exhausted by the growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens. If these carbon, energy, and nitrogen sources are added back to the culture filtrate, maximal growth to the level of the original culture is obtained. This process can be repeated several times with the same results. Eventually, however, the supply of minerals in the culture limits growth. When the nutrient levels are raised to 3% glucose and 0.3% (NH4)2SO4, lack of oxygen and low pH limit growth before the supply of nutrients is exhausted. There is no evidence that specific autoinhibitory substances are produced either in chemically defined or complex nitrogenous media or that physical crowding of the cells limits growth. The results with Escherichia coli are similar to those with P. fluorescens. However, after a few growth cycles aerobically and after only one growth cycle anaerobically, inhibitory substances, probably organic acids, accumulate and limit growth.
Recognition and Recall-Like Processes in the Long-Term Reconstruction of Order

Four experiments examined whether the recovery of an item's position in a sequence taps processes similar to recognition and/or recall. Across the experiments, subjects either recalled, recognised, or made position judgements about list items that differed in word frequency. Typical word frequency effects were found in recall and recognition, but frequency failed to affect measures of position memory consistently across the four experiments. Despite the apparent procedural similarities across tasks, it appears that the recovery of position information may tap mnemonic processes that are different from those tapped by recognition and recall. Implications of these findings for current models of position memory are discussed.
Seasonal and experimental variation in population structure of earthworms in tallgrass prairie

Abstract Estimates of the season of reproduction, period of growth to maturity, and patterns of recruitment are presented for six species of the North American earthworm genus Diplocardia and two European Lumbricidae. Reproduction and recruitment is facultatively continuous in D. smithii and D. verrucosa , while D. rugosa reproduces in the autumn and the remaining Diplocardia reproduce in the spring. The period required for growth to maturity is estimated at 1 yr. The lumbricid Octolasion cyaneum has a single spring episode of reproduction, and matures in the second spring after hatching. Aporrectodea turgida reproduction and recruitment are depressed in summer, with the primary episode in the spring. However, hatching may be delayed by climatic factors, rendering estimation of age to maturity difficult. Population structure responses to burning and irrigation were largely manifested as changes in numbers, rather than in proportions, in different stages. It does not appear that population structure is more sensitive to experimental conditions than biomass measures under the experimental regime employed. Consequently there was little to gain by a finer level of analysis.
The Determinants of Legislators' Support for Judicial Reorganization

This article attempts to extend the concept of support into anarea that to date has received little attention—support for change in one institution by members of another. Specifi cally, we try to identify the determinants of support in the Kentucky legislature for structural reform of the state's judicial system. We suggest that legislators' expectations concerning impact of the proposed changes on both the administration of justice and local autonomy, as well as other variables like constituency opinion, urbanization, and occupation, affect legislative support for judicial reform. In testing the support model, we find that one institution's support for change in another institution is not only a function of the performance of the institution being evaluated (judiciary), but also results from certain political concerns of the evaluating institution (legislature) that have nothing to do with the merits of the actual reform.
Microinjections of nanogram amounts of sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide into the rat nucleus accumbens attenuates brain stimulation reward

Microinjections of nanogram amounts of sulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8S) into the nucleus accumbens were examined for effects on intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) derived from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The results showed that CCK-8S dose-dependently antagonized VTA intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) without affecting maximum response rates. CCK-8S also increased the current threshold required for ICSS. These findings were interpreted to suggest that CCK-8S attenuates brain stimulation reward derived from the VTA.
The untouchables: Benefits, costs, and risks of tenure in real cases

The exceptional importance of the Ceci et al. study for the debate over tenure is noted, particularly the perceived importance of academic rank relative to tenure status. Beyond the significance of academic freedom lie important issues of the costs and benefits of tenure that now need to be addressed in equally rigorous research involving extensive, detailed consideration of actual cases.
Hemophagocytic Syndrome In Association With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS) is a potentially life-threatening complication of rheumatic disorders characterized by the infiltration of morphologically benign hemophagocytic macrophages in the bone marrow and in various other organs. It is known to be associated with several conditions, such as viral or bacterial infection, malignancies, and autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and adult onset Still’s disease and less commonly with rheumatoid arthritis(RA). We report a case of a 59-year-old lady known to have SLE and RA who developed worsening anemia, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, renal failure and was diagnosed with hemophagocytic syndrome. In spite of aggressive supportive management, intravenous steroids and immunoglobulins, the patient eventually died due to intracranial bleeding. Although cases of HPS have been previously described in association with SLE or RA, this is the first case of HPS to our knowledge to be diagnosed in a patient who had both RA and SLE. doi:10.4021/jmc589w
URETHROSCOPY IN SMALL NEONATES WITH POSTERIOR URETHRAL VALVES AND URETEROSCOPY IN CHILDREN WITH URETERAL CALCULI

Abstract Objectives To describe our recent experience using a 6.9F cytoscope in the fulguration of posterior urethral valves (PUVs) in premature neonates and distal ureteroscopy with stone extraction in children. Methods Fulguration of PUVs was performed in S premature neonates born at 34 to 36 weeks' gestation with weights of 2480 to 2900 g. The PUVs were fulgurated during a single endoscopic procedure using a 6.9F cystoscope and a 3F bugbie electrode. In addition, 11 children (8 girls, 3 boys; mean age, 11.1 years; range 5 to 16) with symptomatic calculi underwent 15 distal ureteroscopic procedures using the 6.9F cystoscope. Results In the neonates with fulguration of PUVs, vesicostomy, the only reasonable alternative, was avoided, and each infant now voids with an excellent stream 3 to 16 months later, without evidence of stricture or residual valves. In the children with distal ureteroscopy, the ureteral calculi were retrieved using a 3F fourwire stone basket. With one exception, distal ureteroscopy was performed without dilation of the ureteral orifice. Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was not recommended because of stone position and difficult radiographic visualization. Nine children were rendered stone free with one procedure. Two procedures were required in 1 child and three in another. In both cases, ureteral edema was present, and the stone was embedded in the ureteral wall. One child underwent separate procedures for bilateral calculi. In all cases general anesthesia was used, with a mean duration of 63 minutes (range 28 to 96). Temporary ureteral stenting was performed in 10 (93%) patients, and 9 (81 %) were discharged home on the same day or the next morning. A mean follow-up period of 8.5 months (range, 0.5 to 22) has failed to show any problems related to ureteral stricture or injury. Conclusions Endoscopic fulguration of PUVs is now possible in small neonates and is minimally invasive compared with vesicostomy. Distal ureteroscopy with stone retrieval should be considered in children, especially those with calculi that are not suitable for ESWL.
Multicellular development in a choanoflagellate

Summary Little is known about how the first animals evolved from their single-celled ancestors. Over 120 years ago, Ernst Haeckel proposed that animals evolved through " repeated self-division of [a] primary cell, " [1] an idea supported by the observation that all animals develop from a single cell (the zygote) through successive rounds of cell division [2]. Nonetheless, there are multiple alternative hypotheses [3], including the formal possibility that multicellularity in the progenitor of animals occurred through cell aggregation, with embryogenesis by cell division being secondarily derived. The closest known relatives of animals, choanoflagellates, are emerging as a model system for testing specific hypotheses about animal origins [4–6]. Studying colony formation in choanoflagellates may provide a context for reconstructing the evolution of animal multicellularity. Here, we find that the transition from single cells to multicellular colonies in the choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta (previously known as Proterospongia sp.) occurs by cell division, with sister cells remaining stably attached.
The desired level of market orientation and business unit performance

Existing studies of market orientation have hypothesized that the strength of the market orientation/performance relationship depends on environmental variables such as market turbulence, technological turbulence, and competitive intensity. To date most empirical studies have failed to confirm these hypotheses; however, these studies (1) assumed that performance is a linear function of the achieved level of market orientation and (2) tested whether environmental uncertainty moderates this relationship. A complementary explanation for the impact of environmental variables on a firm’s market orientation arises from studies of organizational behavior that link the need for coordination and control to environmental uncertainty and organizational strategy. Building on this perspective, the authors argue that (1) environmental uncertainty influences the desired level of market orientation and (2) the gap between the desired and achieved levels of market orientation influence business unit performance. The authors test these hypotheses with data collected from multiple respondents in 308 US firms. The data analysis confirms that the desired level of market orientation is a function of market turbulence, competitive intensity, technological turbulence, and innovation strategy. In addition, the desired level of market orientation positively influences the achieved level. Finally, when the achieved level of market orientation is less than the desired level, business unit performance is a negative function of the gap between the desired and achieved levels of market orientation.
Cell-autonomous action of zebrafish spt-1 mutation in specific mesodermal precursors

In zebrafish, as in Xenopus, the well-orchestrated cell movements of gastrulation can be dissected into several components, including epiboly, involution, convergence and extension. Embryos homozygous for the recessive lethal mutation spt-1(b104) or 'spadetail' have a complex set of defects in the trunk of the embryo that may arise secondarily after loss of one of these movements, convergence, from those precursors that would normally have given rise to trunk somitic mesoderm. We have now tested this hypothesis by transplanting cells between wild-type and mutant embryos, to identify the cells that spt-1 affects directly. Our results show that the mutation autonomously affects only those mesodermal precursors located along the lateral margin of the early gastrula blastoderm. Other mesodermal cells and all ectodermal precursors seem not to require function of the wild-type gene. Our findings reveal an unexpectedly delicate genetic control of vertebrate gastrulation.
Stopping cross section of bulk graphite for α particles

The stopping cross section of bulk graphitic carbon for $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles of energy 0.3-2.0 MeV has been measured absolutely and relative to vapor-deposited carbon, and is found to be \ensuremath{\sim}6-28% higher than the corresponding value of vapor-deposited carbon. The difference is attributed to an allotropic effect.
Using the Position Paper to Teach Higher-Level Thinking Skills in American History

William I. Mitchell is Assistant Professor in the Department of History and Social Stud ies Education at Buffalo State College. In an article published in the Fall 1991 issue of the Magazine of History, Kline Capps and David Vocke provided a ratio nale for using writing activities to teach higher-level thinking skills and suggested an instructional technique that should ac complish this goal (1). Their approach has a solid foundation but requires further de velopment. Too often teachers concentrate on supplying knowledge content, expecting thought processes and writing skills to de velop spontaneously. The thought pro cesses must be given direction by guiding the student through the writing assignment to its conclusion.
Comparative effects of prazosin and hydrochlorothiazide on sexual function in hypertensive men

Evidence suggests that there may be differences in the incidence of drug-induced sexual dysfunction among the antihypertensive agents. This study assessed objective and subjective aspects of sexual dysfunction in hypertensive male patients in relation to two antihypertensive agents--prazosin and hydrochlorothiazide. A total of 12 hypertensive patients were evaluated in a crossover study utilizing a sleep laboratory to obtain polysomnographic evaluations of sleep patterns along with changes in nocturnal penile tumescence and buckling pressure. Objectively, no significant changes were observed between the two antihypertensive agents in relation to rapid eye movement-related sleep architecture, serum testosterone levels, or penile blood flow. Decrements in buckling pressure and subjective aspects of sexual dysfunction were greater during hydrochlorothiazide treatment than during prazosin treatment. Both drugs were effective in controlling blood pressure.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol depresses inward sodium current in mouse neuroblastoma cells

Whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques were used in order to define the effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the voltage-gated sodium current in neuroblastoma cells. With regard to the inward sodium current, THC decreased the peak amplitude and increased both the time to peak and tau for recovery. The reversal potential was unchanged, suggesting that channel selectivity for sodium was not altered by the drug. With regard to the outward sodium current, THC had no effect on the peak amplitude, time to peak or tau for recovery. This functional alteration of the voltage-gated sodium channel may contribute to the depressant effects of the cannabinoid.
Indications of environmental schemata from thoughts about environments

Abstract Information—oriented, person—environment—behavior frameworks ordinarily assume that memory-based environmental knowledge is organized into environmental ‘representations’, but to some extent, previous research has questioned the plausibility of such a supposition. This discussion examines peoples' spontaneous ‘what comes to mind’ thoughts activated by three different environments, for what they might reveal about internal information regarding the three settings. The discussion also addresses two inquiries. The first is concerned with structural implications and asks to what extent peoples' thoughts about attributes of environments are conceptually patterned, and thus suggestive of schema-like representations. The second focuses on differences and asks whether attribute thoughts about a specific environment are likely to be the same for all adult individuals of a given social system. For the three environments investigated, findings tend to support the current assumption that individuals cognitively organize internal attribute-information into schema-like representations as guides perhaps for immediate environmental apprehensions. More than one distinctive environmental scheme seems to be in use for at least two of the environments examined, even among individuals in a sample of only 93 adults. The study, in its overall method, also offers a design for working with verbal form ‘data’.
Reduced amygdala volumes in first-episode bipolar disorder and correlation with cerebral white matter.

Background Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings on amygdala volume abnormalities in bipolar disorder have been inconsistent, which may partly reflect clinical heterogeneity. It is unclear whether amygdala abnormalities are present early in the course of illness and/or are the consequence of disease progression. Methods Twenty patients with first-episode bipolar disorder and 23 matched healthy comparison subjects were included. Magnetic resonance images were used to measure amygdala volumes, as well as whole brain measures of gray and white matter volume. Results First-episode bipolar patients had significant reductions in amygdala volume relative to healthy subjects in an analysis of covariance that accounted for the effects of age, sex, and whole brain volume. First-episode patients also showed a trend reduction in cerebral white matter volume, and there was a significant correlation between cerebral white matter volume and total amygdala volume in patients but not control subjects. Conclusions These findings indicate that amygdala volume deficits are present early in the course of bipolar disorder and may occur within a neuroanatomical context of reduced cerebral white matter. Additional research should examine whether the nature of regional white matter deficits, particularly in frontal-temporal tracts, may help parse the pathophysiology of amygdala volume abnormalities in bipolar disorder.
IgA Targets the Troublemakers

Resident microbes within the gastrointestinal tract are known to influence the progression of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD); however, the identity of the bacteria that exacerbate inflammation remains unknown. In the most recent issue of Cell, Palm et al. (2014) utilize the host immune response as a way to identify colitogenic bacteria.
Several predictions for dynamic critical phenomena in percolating systems

Abstract Several new predictions for the dynamic critical behavior of an infinite percolation cluster and its backbone near a percolation threshold are proposed on the basis or geometrical concepts developed recently by the authors. A distribution function for self-diffusion, a crossover time for trapping of excitations and a fractal dimensionality of a random fractal confined in percolating systems are given.
Nonlinear Equilibration of Baroclinic Instability: The Growth Rate Balance Model

A theoretical model is developed, which attempts to predict the lateral transport by mesoscale variability, generatedandmaintainedbybaroclinicinstabilityoflarge-scaleflows.Theauthorsareparticularlyconcerned by the role of secondary instabilities of primary baroclinically unstable modes in the saturation of their linear growth. Theory assumes that the fully developed equilibrium state is characterized by the comparable growth rates of primary and secondary instabilities. This assumption makes it possible to formulate an efficient algorithm for evaluating the equilibrium magnitude of mesoscale eddies as a function of the background parameters: vertical shear, stratification, beta effect, and bottom drag. The proposed technique is applied to two classical models of baroclinic instability—the Phillips two-layer model and the linearly stratified Eadymodel.Theorypredicts that theeddy-driven lateral mixingrapidlyintensifies withincreasing shear and weakens when the beta effect is increased. The eddy transport is also sensitive to the stratification pattern, decreasing as the ratio of upper/lower layer depths in the Phillips model is decreased below unity. Theory is successfully tested by a series of direct numerical simulations that span a wide parameter range relevant for typical large-scale currents in the ocean. The spontaneous emergence of large-scale patterns induced by mesoscale variability, and their role in the cross-flow eddy transport, is examined using a suite of numerical simulations.
Bone mineral density in newly diagnosed children with neuroblastoma

Background Neuroblastoma is the second most common extracranial malignant tumor of childhood and the most common solid tumor of infancy which is characterized by bone metastasis. Previous reports on bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with leukemia and solid malignancies concentrate on long-term survivors and on the effect of chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation. Also, evaluation of BMD in neuroblastoma was reported in few studies which were conducted upon adult survivors of childhood cancer. Previous studies on both acute leukemia and lymphoma patients suggested that the disease process itself played a role in decrease BMD. Methods We evaluated 27 patients with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma for both lumbar (L2–L4) BMD and total BMD using dual energy X-ray absorptiometery (DXA) scan to highlight the effect of neuroblastoma as a disease process on BMD as this disease characterized by bone metastasis. Results Three out of the 27 patients showed low bone mass in both lumbar and total BMD studies. Conclusion Low bone mass may occur in early disease process of neuroblastoma and it is important to consider BMD assessment during the early course of the disease as well as the long-term survivors as a part of the patient screening in suspected cases. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2011;56:202–205. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Nova target physics program and the Nova upgrade laser

Recent advances in ICF target design and performance have made possible the achievement of ignition and gain with 1–2 MJ laser drive energy, as against the 5–10 MJ necessary to achieve high gain in the earlier designs. Ignition and propagating burn can be achieved at the lower energy by increasing the hohlraum temperature and, thereby increasing the pressure driving the imploding fusion capsule. Nova experiments continue to address the target physics of radiatively driven targets, such as laser-plasma interaction physics, the efficiency of laser light conversion to X-rays, hohlraum characterization and design, hydrodynamic stability, and implosion physics. Recent experiments on Nova have also demonstrated 1.3 times higher hohlraum temperature than previously predicted. This latter demonstration is the key achievement leading to the Nova Upgrade proposal. These combined results, together with those from experiments to study the interaction of high-power laser light with target plasmas, indicate that the capsule drive and symmetry conditions required for ignition and net gain can be achieved with a properly designed upgrade of the existing Nova facility. Success in the Nova Upgrade objective would firmly establish target and driver requirements for achieving high yield and high gain and would support a decision to construct a Laboratory Microfusion Facility (LMF) for defense applications and an Engineering Test Facility (ETF) for energy applications by the end of the first decade of the next century. Nova Upgrade experiments would focus on the target physics necessary to determine the minimum driver energy required to achieve ignition and high-gain laser fusion. The thermonuclear yield produced (up to 20 MJ) would be used to study the effects of fusion microexplosions on potential LMF and ETF reactor chamber materials. This information would permit development of the most efficient and least costly designs for the LMF and the ETF.
Brain serotonin and norepinephrine after convulsions and reserpine.

Decreased brain norepinephrine (Schildkraut, 1969) and decreased brain serotonin (Shaw, Camp and Eccleston, 1967; Bourne et al., 1968) have been implicated in current hypotheses about the psychiatric syndrome, depression. Reserpine, which causes depression in some people, depletes brain norepinephrine and serotonin and, possibly, replicates in laboratory animals some of the biochemical changes in brains of depressed patients. Electrically-induced convulsions are an effective treatment of depression. There have been numerous studies of the effects of convulsive electrical stimulation on norepinephrine and serotonin in brains of laboratory animals. They have employed different schedules of administration of convulsions, short (minutes) or long (hours to days) periods after convulsion before killing the animals, and various methods of extraction and assay of the amines. Results have varied. For example, Kato, Gozsy, Roy and Groh (1967) found that a series of convulsions, administered daily for 11 days elevated whole brain serotonin but not norepinephrine. On the other hand, Hinesley, Norton and Aprison (1968) observed that a series of seven convulsions, one every other day, elevated norepinephrine only in cerebral hemispheres, whereas serotonin was elevated only in midbrain and pons-medulla. Our present report is the first to deal with both norepinephrine and serotonin in animals given both serial injections of reserpine and a series of electrically-induced convulsions.