cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Axial or Helical? Considerations for wide collimation CT scanners capable of volumetric imaging in both modes

Purpose To determine whether axial or helical mode is more appropriate for a 16 cm collimation CT scanner capable of step-and-shoot volumetric axial coverage, in terms of radiation dose, image quality and scan duration. Methods All scans were performed with a Revolution CT (GE Healthcare) operating at 120 kV and 100 mAs. Using calibrated optically stimulated luminescence detectors, radiation dose along the axial scan profile was evaluated at the isocenter, including the overlap region between two axial sections. This overlap region measures 3 cm in the z-axis at the isocenter and is required to obtain sufficient projection data from the relatively large cone beam angles. Using an image quality phantom (Gammex Model 464), spatial resolution, CT number uniformity, image noise and low contrast detectability (LCD) were evaluated under five different conditions: in the middle of a helical acquisition, in the middle of a 16 cm axial section, at both ends of an axial section and in the overlap region between two axial sections. Scan durations and Dose Length Products (DLP) were recorded for prescribed scan lengths of 2.5 – 100 cm. Results The overlap region between two axial sections received a dose 83% higher than the single-exposure region at the isocenter. Within a single axial section the dose at the anode end was 37% less than at the cathode end due to the anode heel effect. Image noise ranged from a low of 13 HU for the cathode end of an axial section up to 14.7 HU for the anode end (p<0.001). The LCD was at lower at the anode end of the axial section compared to both the cathode end (p<0.05) and the overlap location (p<0.02). The spatial resolution and CT number uniformity were consistent among all conditions. Scan durations were shorter (0.28 s) for the axial mode compared to the helical mode at scan lengths ≤16 cm, and longer at scan lengths ≥ 16 cm where more than one table position was required, up to a difference of 13.9 s for a the 100 cm scan length (3.8 s for helical compared to 17.6 s for axial). DLPs were consistent between scan modes; slightly lower in axial mode at shorter scan lengths due to helical overranging, and slightly higher in axial mode at longer scan lengths due to the axial overlap regions. Conclusions To ensure the most consistent radiation dose and image quality along the scan length, we recommend helical mode for scans longer than the 16 cm coverage of a single axial section. For scan lengths ≤16 cm, axial scanning is the most practical option, with a shorter scan duration and higher dose efficiency. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Curriculum and Training among Health Professional Schools and Residency Training Programs in California

AbstractBackgroundImproving antimicrobial use is the single most important action to slow development and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial prescribing habits are likely developed early in education or clinical training, but information about curricula is lacking.MethodsIn November 2016, the California Department of Public Health Healthcare-Associated Infections Program distributed a 19-item survey to 65 health professional schools (dentistry, medicine, nurse practitioner, pharmacy, physician assistant) and 287 residency and fellowship training programs (dentistry, emergency medicine, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, pharmacy, infectious disease). The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to antimicrobial stewardship (AS) and antimicrobial resistance (AR) as well as antimicrobial stewardship curriculum and training activities.ResultsWe received data from 23 health professional schools and 78 residency training programs for response rates of 35% and 27%, respectively. Among 101 respondents, 89 (88%) agreed or strongly agreed that “AR is a major issue at my hospital” and 56 (55%) were satisfied with their current AS curriculum. Ninety-four (93%) respondents were interested in learning about successful strategies for implementing AS curricula or training from other schools or programs. Respondents incorporated a median of 7 of 8 specific AS principles and practices into their curricula and training [range, 0–8] (Figure 1) and used a median of 4 of 9 different teaching methods [range, 0–9] (Figure 2). The most cited barriers to incorporating AS curriculum and training were limited training infrastructure or resources (n = 58, 63%) and competing training priorities (n = 50, 54%). The least cited barrier was lack of interest or concern about AR and AS (n = 10, 11%) (Figure 3).ConclusionHealth professional schools and residency training programs recognize that antimicrobial resistance is a major public health issue and acknowledge the need to strengthen antimicrobial stewardship curricula. Public health agencies can facilitate sharing antimicrobial stewardship resources and materials as a strategy to enhance curricula in health professional schools and training programs.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Adaptive neural network based intelligent secondary control for microgrids

This paper proposes a neural network based intelligent secondary controller for microgrids to tackle system dynamics uncertainties, faults and/or disturbances. The proposed adaptive neural network controller is based on a class of feedforward artificial neural network, named multilayer perceptron (MLP). The learning capability of the proposed intelligent controller makes it a promising approach to take system uncertainties, faults and/or disturbances into account. The satisfactory performance of the proposed intelligent secondary controller is validated based on the simulation results of a microgrid with system uncertainties and disturbances, such as transition to the islanded mode.
Flow Limited Properties of Teflon and Silicone Diffusion Membranes

The mass spectrometer equipped with a diffusion catheter can detect partial pressures of gases in tissues and blood vessels. The catheter consists of a small gauge stainless steel conduit with small openings at one end covered by a thin teflon or silicone membrane. The entire catheter can be inserted through the lumen of a sixteen gauge needle.
Biomolecular Sensing for Cancer Diagnostics Using Carbon Nanotubes

The field of biomolecule sensing in the medical field is broad and rapidly evolving. The devices range in size from microns to centimeters across the sensing surface and rely on electronic, optical or other form of signals. If the sensing technology utilizes toxic reagents, then the use is limited to only in vitro application. In this chapter, biomolecule sensing using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is discussed with specific application to cancer diagnostics.
GENDER GAP IN POLITICAL TOLERANCE

While women and men do not differ in their attitudes in most areas, persistent gender differences have been identified in several issue domains, including support for civil liberties of political outgroups. Generally speaking, research shows that women are more reluctant than men to allow unpopular groups to exercise their constitutional rights; women also seem to differ from men in their choice of intolerance targets. While we have been cognizant of the existence of the gender gap in political tolerance since the beginning of survey research on the subject, we know less about its etiology. Using data from the 1987 Freedom and Tolerance National Survey and the General Social Survey from the same year, I explore the underpinnings of gender differences in political tolerance. To this end, I scrutinize explanations advanced in previous research on political tolerance (e.g., women's greater religiosity), propositions stemming from feminist theory (e.g., the notion of maternal thinking), as well as others that do not fit neatly into the above two categories (e.g., gender differences in commitment to democratic norms and political expertise). Because the implications of women's intolerance differ depending on whether their intolerance is focused on a single group or dispersed among several groups, I also examine the patterns in men's and women's choices of intolerance targets. Empirical analysis demonstrates that gender differences in commitment to democratic norms and political expertise (through the letter's influence on subscription to democratic norms), as well as threat perceptions, tolerance of uncertainty, and moral traditionalism (through the latter two's influence on threat perceptions), are the principal “culprits” for women's intolerance. Men's and women's choices of intolerance targets are largely pluralistically distributed and parallel, with only a few exceptions. Women exhibit a greater preference for the KKK and abortion groups (particularly those pro-choice in their orientation) as their least-liked targets. Men evince a preference for radical right-wing groups generally (and militarists in particular).
Topological Effects in Isolated Poly[n]catenanes: Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Rouse Mode Analysis

Poly[n]catenanes are mechanically interlocked polymers consisting of interlocking ring molecules. Over the years, researchers have speculated that the permanent topological interactions within the ...
Promising vaccines for treating glioblastoma.

Introduction: Conventional therapies for glioblastoma (GBM) typically fail to provide lasting antitumor benefits, owing to their inability to specifically eliminate all malignant cells. Cancer vac...
Rajca, Andrew C. Dissensual Subjects: Memory, Human Rights, and Postdictatorship in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Northwestern UP, 2018.

Consistindo em uma introducao, quatro capitulos, conclusao e uma ampla bibliografia, Dissensual Subjects: Memory, Human Rights, and Postdictatorship in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay tem como principal objetivo a analise das inter-relacoes entre a memoria historica e os direitos humanos nas sociedades pos-ditadura da Argentina, Brasil e Uruguai. Para alcancar seu objetivo, o autor apoia-se na retorica articulada no projeto Nunca Mas, desenvolvido na Argentina, e em sua versao brasileira, Nunca Mais.
Public Libraries, Political Speech, and the Possibility of a Commons

ABSTRACTPublic libraries are not only political institutions, they are enmeshed in the politics of society. This paper presents some of the more thoughtful conceptions of both conservative and liberal politics, to a specific end. That end is the suggestion that public libraries can act as commons within their communities. The intricacies of acting as commons are detailed here, along with some practical suggestions for realizing the goal of becoming a commons.
The promises and pitfalls of machine learning for detecting viruses in aquatic metagenomes

Tools allowing for the identification of viral sequences in host-associated and environmental metagenomes allows for a better understanding of the genetics and ecology of viruses and their hosts. Recently, new approaches using machine learning methods to distinguish viral from bacterial signal using k-mer sequence signatures were published for identifying viral contigs in metagenomes. The promise of these content-based approaches is the ability to discover new viruses, with no or few known relatives. In this perspective paper, we examine the use of the content-based machine learning tool VirFinder for the identification of viral sequences in aquatic metagenomes and explore the possibility of using ecosystem-focused models targeted to marine metagenomes. We discuss the impact of the training set composition on the tool performance and the current limitation for the retrieval of low abundance viral sequences in metagenomes. We identify potential biases that could arise from machine learning approaches for viral hunting in real-world datasets and suggest possible avenues to overcome them.
Eliminating Systematic Errors in DFT via Connectivity-Based Hierarchy: Accurate Bond Dissociation Energies of Biodiesel Methyl Esters

We present a computational study focusing on the determination of accurate bond dissociation energies (BDEs) involved in the combustion of biodiesel methyl esters. We have adapted our previously de...
Status of Robotic-Assisted Surgery (RAS) in the Department of Defense (DoD).

Introduction Since inception of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) in 1999, there has been an exponential rise in RAS in both number and complexity of surgical cases performed. The majority of these cases are gynecologic surgery in nature, with only a quarter of them labeled as general surgery. The purpose of this study is to determine if RAS in the Department of Defense (DoD) mirrors these trends. Methods A total of 6,204 RAS cases from across the DoD were reviewed between 01 January 2015 and 30 September 2017 from every Military Treatment Facility (MTF) that employs a robotic surgical device (various models of the da Vinci robotic surgical system by Intuitive Surgical). Specialty, number, and surgeon were recorded for each case. These end points were also examined for trends overtime and compared to similar civilian data. Results The number of MTFs performing robotic surgery and the number of cases performed increased significantly. An average of 373 cases per quarter-year were performed in 2015, 647 in 2016, and 708 in 2017. The number of RAS cases increased by about 10% every quarter-year during this time period. RAS was most commonly performed by general surgery in 10 of the 14 MTFs examined. Conclusions MTFs implemented RAS much later than the civilian world. However, since its implementation, the frequency of RAS use has increased at a faster rate in the DoD than in the civilian world. Possible reasons for this are a younger pool of surgeons in the military and less demands on cost-effective productivity, allowing these younger surgeons to focus on emerging technology rather than maximizing surgical cost efficiency. General surgery constitutes the majority of RAS cases in the DoD. It is unclear why this difference from the civilian world exists.
Derivation and Validation of a Novel Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Admission Risk Score for Mortality.

Background There are no risk scores designed specifically for mortality risk prediction in unselected cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) patients. We sought to develop a novel CICU‐specific risk sc...
Prediction of Ankle Dorsiflexion Moment by Combined Ultrasound Sonography and Electromyography

To provide an effective and safe therapy to persons with neurological impairments, accurate determination of their residual volitional ability is required. However, accurate measurement of the volitional ability, through non-invasive means (e.g., electromyography), is challenging due to signal interference from neighboring muscles or stimulation artifacts caused by functional electrical stimulation (FES). In this work, a new model-based intention detection method that combines signals from both surface electromyography (sEMG) and ultrasound (US) sonography to predict isometric volitional ankle dorsiflexion moment is proposed. The work is motivated by the fact that the US-derived signals, unlike sEMG, provide direct visualization of the muscle activity, and hence may enhance the prediction accuracy of the volitional ability, when combined with sEMG. The weighted summation of sEMG and US imaging signals, measured on the tibialis anterior muscle, is utilized as an input to a modified Hill-type neuromusculoskeletal model that predicts the ankle dorsiflexion moment. The effectiveness of the proposed model-based moment prediction method is validated by comparing the predicted and the measured ankle joint moments. The new modeling method has a better prediction accuracy compared to a prediction model that uses sole sEMG or sole US sonography. This finding provides a more accurate approach to detect movement intent in the lower limbs. The approach can be potentially beneficial for the development of US sonography-based robotic or FES-assisted rehabilitation devices.
Lung Transplantation in COVID 19 ARDS - Short Term Outcomes

Introduction COVID-19 associated severe acute respiratory syndrome rapidly progress to irreversible lung injury, multiple organ failure and death. Lung transplantation is considered as the rescue therapy for these patients. Herein, we reported a case series of two successful life-saving bilateral lung transplantations for COVID-19-associated respiratory failure. Case Report Case 1: A 69-year-old male was admitted for hypoxia and altered mental status. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia by abnormal CT findings and positive PCR result. After receiving a course of dexamethasone, convalescent plasma, remdesivir and broad-spectrum antibiotics, he remained to be profoundly hypoxic, requiring non-invasive ventilation. Following two negative PCR results, he underwent bilateral lung transplantation on day 57. He was discharged to rehab unit on postoperative day 26. No desaturation was observed with the 6-min walk test on 30-day follow-up. Case 2: A 63-year-old male was presented with cough, and dyspnea. He was hemodynamically stable, SpO2 was 94%, chest x-ray was normal and tested positive for COVID-19. He was discharged home with dexamethasone and bronchodilators. However, he presented back on day 6 with worsening dyspnea. He was admitted and received a course of dexamethasone, remdesivir, convalescent plasma and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Due to persistent hypoxic respiratory failure, the patient underwent bilateral orthotopic lung transplantation on day 68. His postoperative course was complicated by primary graft dysfunction stage 3 and required open tracheostomy. His condition gradually improved and decannulated. He is currently on room air and able to walk 30 ft using a roller walker. Summary SARS-CoV-2 recovery is characterized by post inflammatory fibrosis and multi organ dysfunction. Lung transplantation can be successfully performed in patients with final stage respiratory failure of COVID-19 related pulmonary fibrosis.
Identifying Strategies for the Management of Interruptions for Novice Triage Nurses Using an Online Modified Delphi Method

Purpose To use the Delphi Method to identify strategies used by triage nurses to effectively manage interruptions. Design This study was based on the concepts of Benner's Novice to Expert Model. An online, modified Delphi approach was used to engage triage, education, and operational management experts in generating consensus recommendations on successful strategies to address triage interruptions in the emergency department. Methods and analysis A panel of nine triage, education, and operational management experts were selected based on their publication and presentation history. This panel participated in three Delphi rounds, providing individual responses during each round. All responses were entered into a RedCap database, which allowed research team members to synthesize the results and return summaries to the participants. Final consensus was reached among this panel regarding recommendations for successful strategies to address triage interruptions that can be encompassed in a training module. The experts were then asked to identify the best instructional modality for teaching each of the interruption management strategies. Findings Eight strategies to mitigate the impact of interruptions were identified: (a) ensure nurses understand impact of interruptions; (b) ensure nurses understand consequences of interruptions on cognitive demands of healthcare workers that could influence behavior and lead to errors; (c) apologize to current patient before tending to interruption and give expectation of when you will return; (d) triage the interruption and decide to (i) ignore interruption, (ii) acknowledge, but delay servicing, interruption, or (iii) acknowledge and service interruption, delaying completion of interrupted task; (e) identify urgent communication as anything clinically significant that impacts the patient immediately or requires immediate intervention; (f) use focused questions to clarify whether interruption can wait; (g) redirect nonpriority interruptions; and (h) finish safety-critical task or tasks near completion before tending to an interruption. The Delphi participants recommended the best teaching modality was simulation for six of the strategies. Conclusions Participants agreed that there are strategies that can be taught to novice triage nurses to mitigate the impact of interruptions. The experts in operations management, emergency nursing, and education agree that creating simulations to teach each of these strategies is an effective way to educate nurses. Clinical relevance Interruptions impact the quality of care provided to patients. Training nurses to prevent interruptions and mitigate the impact of interruptions when they occur has the potential to improve patient outcomes.
A phase 1b/2 study of azacitidine with PD-L1 antibody avelumab in relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia

Background Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have limited treatment options. In preclinical models of AML, inhibition of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis demonstrated antileukemic activity. Avelumab is an anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) approved in multiple solid tumors. The authors conducted a phase 1b/2 clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of azacitidine with avelumab in patients with R/R AML. Methods Patients aged ≥18 years who had R/R AML received azacitidine 75 mg/m2 on days 1 through 7 and avelumab on days 1 and 14 of 28-day cycles. Results Nineteen patients were treated. The median age was 66 years (range, 22-83 years), 100% had European LeukemiaNet 2017 adverse-risk disease, and 63% had prior exposure to a hypomethylating agent. Avelumab was dosed at 3 mg/kg for the first 7 patients and at 10 mg/kg for the subsequent 12 patients. The most common grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia and anemia in 2 patients each. Two patients experienced immune-related adverse events of grade 2 and grade 3 pneumonitis, respectively. The overall complete remission rate was 10.5%, and both were complete remission with residual thrombocytopenia. The median overall survival was 4.8 months. Bone marrow blasts were analyzed for immune-related markers by mass cytometry and demonstrated significantly higher expression of PD-L2 compared with PD-L1 both pretherapy and at all time points during therapy, with increasing PD-L2 expression on therapy. Conclusions Although the combination of azacitidine and avelumab was well tolerated, clinical activity was limited. High expression of PD-L2 on bone marrow blasts may be an important mechanism of resistance to anti-PD-L1 therapy in AML. Lay summary This report describes the results of a phase 1b/2 study of azacitidine with the anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor avelumab for patients with relapsed/refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The clinical activity of the combination therapy was modest, with an overall response rate of 10.5%. However, mass cytometry analysis revealed significantly higher expression of PD-L2 compared with PD-L1 on AML blasts from all patients who were analyzed at all time points. These data suggest a novel potential role for PD-L2 as a means of AML immune escape.
Enacting maturity during adolescence: Extending theory, developing a measure, and considering implications for problem behaviors

A challenge of early adolescence is the “developmental mismatch” between adolescents’ need for autonomy and the lack of opportunities to enact maturity via adult-like roles. We identified ways that...
Autobiography and Black Identity Politics: Racialization in Twentieth-Century America

Why has autobiography been central to African American political speech throughout the twentieth century? What is it about the racialization process that persistently places African Americans in the position of speaking from personal experience? In Autobiography and Black Identity Politics: Racialization in Twentieth-Century America, Kenneth Mostern illustrates the relationship between narrative and racial categories such as 'colored', 'Negro', 'black' or 'African American' in the work of writers such as W. E. B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Paul Robeson, Angela Davis and bell hooks. Mostern shows how these autobiographical narratives attempt to construct and transform the political meanings of blackness. The relationship between a black masculine identity that emerged during the 1960s, and the counter-movement of black feminism since the 1970s, is also discussed. This wide-ranging study will interest all those working in African American studies, cultural studies and literary theory.
Attachment, Perceived Support, and the Transition to Parenthood: Social Policy and Health Implications

For some people involved in certain relationships, the transition to parenthood is associated with precipitous declines in marital satisfaction and increases in depressive symptoms. After briefly reviewing the transition to parenthood literature, we explain why attachment theory is particularly well suited to account for how and why certain people involved in certain relationships are so vulnerable to these negative outcomes. Testing diathesis-stress models, we present evidence from our own research indicating that more anxiously attached women who enter parenthood perceiving lower levels of spousal support or greater spousal anger are especially susceptible to experiencing significant pre-to-postpartum decreases in marital satisfaction and increases in depressive symptoms across the first 6 months of the transition. We also present evidence isolating some of the psychological processes that may be partially responsible for generating and sustaining these negative outcomes. We conclude by discussing how specific prevention programs, experimental interventions, or individually based therapies could be developed to buffer vulnerable people from negative postpartum outcomes.
Compulsive buying. Demography, phenomenology, and comorbidity in 46 subjects

Compulsive buying has been generally ignored in the psychiatric literature, although it is apparently frequent, underrecognized, and can lead to severe financial and legal consequences for its sufferers. The current investigation was designed to assess the overall life-style and problems of subjects identified as compulsive shoppers. Forty-six compulsive buyers were assessed for comorbid psychiatric disorders with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule, the Structured Interview for DSM-III-R Personality Disorders, and a semistructured interview to assess buying behavior. The typical shopper was a 31-year-old female who had developed compulsive buying at age 18 years. Subjects spent their money on clothing, shoes, and records/compact discs. The average debt load accrued was $5,422 out of an average yearly income of $23,443. More than two-thirds met lifetime criteria for a major (Axis I) mental disorder, most commonly anxiety, substance abuse, and mood disorders. Nearly 60% were found to meet criteria for a DSM-III-R personality disorder, most commonly the obsessive-compulsive, borderline, and avoidant types. The authors conclude that compulsive buying is a definable clinical syndrome which can cause its sufferers significant distress and is associated with significant psychiatric comorbidity.
Strategies for the implementation of a simple, implantable sensor across different in vivo applications

The resonant behavior of passive sensor systems are affected electrical properties of nearby materials. Encapsulation of passive sensors allows them to be deployed across a wide range of applications without the need for significant redesign. The effects of different materials and media in close proximity to the sensor were compared between a sensor before and after encapsulation. The thickness of the encapsulating layer, (1.0 mm), was determined by defining the distance at which the change in resonant behavior reduced to 10% of the original value. Encapsulation reduced the variability and magnitude of the changes to the resonant frequency of the sensor induced by the surrounding media by 72% and 70% respectively. It also increased the average signal strength by 85% and reduced variability in signal strength between all treatments by 73%. Encapsulation resulted in a significant improvement of sensor performance and consistency across a range of media and packaging. Future work includes the incorporation of these findings into the batch fabrication process and the investigation of the effect of encapsulation using higher permittivity capping layers.
Summary-Table-By-Example: A database query language for manipulating summary data

In this paper we introduce the notion of summary table and a high level nonprocedural language, Summary-Table-By-Example (STBE) to manipulate summary data in databases. STBE is similar to Query-by-Example in that it uses graphical two-dimensional objects such as relations and summary tables in formulating a relational database query. STBE is an extension of the Aggregates-by-example database language. STBE may be used in general-purpose databases and statistical databases to extract and format summary data in a tabular form. It is believed to be user-friendly and sufficiently powerful to be used in application areas such as medical research, health planning, energy production and consumption, scientific experiments, political planning and office automation. STBE is relationally complete, i.e., its expressive power is at least that of the relational calculus extended to allow set-valued attributes and aggregate functions.
Music of the Spheres at the Atomic Scale

Atomic force microscopy is an established technique for studying surfaces at high resolution, but the surface-tip interaction can also be used to make detailed images of the atoms in the tip. In his Perspective, de Lozanne discusses results reported in the same issue by Hembacher et al., in which the higher harmonics observed in the interaction of a vibrating tungsten tip and a graphite surface were measured. These higher harmonics can be used to improve the spatial resolution of the scanned image, and in particular, allow precise mapping of the tungsten atoms in the tip itself.
The Probabilistic Life Table and Its Applications to Canada

Traditionally, life-table variables are assigned certain values at all ages, and hence are treated as deterministic. But the survival process of the hypothetic cohort is uncertain; hence, the nature of life tables is probabilistic. This paper introduces a newly developed method to produce the probabilistic life table, in which each variable has a probability distribution rather than a sample value, at all ages except the first one. Applying the probabilistic life table to Canada, it concludes that the recent changes in mortality are statistically significant mostly at old ages, which cannot be estimated by the traditional life table.
Power operations in elliptic cohomology and representations of loop groups

The first part describes power operations in elliptic cohomology in terms of isogenies of the underlying elliptic curve. The second part discusses a relationship between equivariant elliptic cohomology and representations of loop groups. The third part investigates the representation theoretic considerations which give rise to the power operations discussed in the first part.
Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Rathke's Cleft Cysts: Histological Study of 45 Cases

Pituitary cysts are fairly often found incidentally in anatomical studies, but symptomatic cysts are relatively uncommon. In this study, the histological characteristics of 42 asymptomatic and three symptomatic Rathke's cleft cysts were examined and compared. The 42 cysts found incidentally at autopsy were classified as small (less than 1 mm in diameter), medium (1 to 5 mm), or large (over 5 mm). There were 23 small (55%), 13 medium (31%), and six large (14%) cysts. The mean ages of the three patient groups were 66, 60, and 53 years, respectively. Flattened epithelial cells were the most common cells in small cysts, while cuboidal to columnar epithelial cells were more prevalent in medium and large cysts. The larger cysts tended to contain cilia. The three symptomatic cysts were histologically confirmed to be Rathke's cleft cysts by their characteristic ciliated columnar epithelial lining. No essential histological differences were observed between asymptomatic and symptomatic cysts, and the mechanism of change from asymptomatic to symptomatic Rathke's cleft cyst was not clarified. Small nests of epithelium at the junction of the pars tuberalis and pituitary stalk are considered to be remnants of Rathke's pouch and are thought to give rise to craniopharyngioma. In their most typical forms, Rathke's cleft cysts and craniopharyngiomas are histologically distinguishable, craniopharyngiomas being composed of stratified squamous epithelium and simple Rathke's cleft cysts of a layer of cuboidal or columnar epithelium on a basement membrane.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ab initio molecular orbital calculations on beryllium and magnesium atom reactions with water

Abstract Ab initio molecular orbital calculations are reported for beryllium and magnesium atom complexes with water, Be. OH 2 and Mg OH 2 , and for species resulting from insertion of the metal atom(s) into the water molecule, HBeOH, HMgOH, HBeOBeH, and HMgOMgH
The Translational Hop Junction and the 5′ Transcriptional Start Site for the Prevotella loescheii Adhesin Encoded by plaA

The Prevotella loescheii adhesin gene, plaA, contains a coding gap between a small open reading frame (ORF-1) and a large open reading frame (ORF-2). Translation of the plaA mRNA requires bypassing this 29-nt coding gap on the plaA transcript. We have determined the N-terminal peptide sequence of the SO34 adhesin beyond the gap sequence. This sequence shows that the peptide junction between ORF-1 and ORF-2 is continuous in the adhesin and supports the conclusion that synthesis of the SO34 adhesin occurs by a ribosomal hop mechanism. To elucidate upstream signals, we used the 5′ RACE (rapid amplification of cDNA ends) technique to map the start point of the plaA mRNA. DNA sequencing of plasmids with the 5′ RACE products placed the 5′ end of plaA mRNA 270 nt upstream from the plaA start codon. A region corresponding to a Bacteroides fragilis promoter consensus sequence precedes this start site.
`Alea jacta est': at the gaming table with Alfonso the Learned

Games are serious business, and the medieval monarch who took this business most seriously was Alfonso X (1252–1284). As patron of the ludic arts, he commissioned the richly-illustrated Libro de los juegos, featuring a panoply of games of skill and chance; as legislator, he ordered Maestre Roldan to compose the unique Ordenamiento de las tafurerias, an effort to regulate gambling; and as Marian troubadour, he devoted nine songs in his lavish Cantigas de Santa Maria to generally ill-fated dicers. Notwithstanding this diverse presentation of games and gambling, Alfonso is consistent in his iconographic, juridic, and literary condemnation of gambling not only as an evil in itself but, more importantly, as a catalyst for an unholy host of other sins, including anger, despair, image desecration and, especially, blasphemy.
The effects of embryo competition with mixed mating on the genetic load in plants

Many plant species abort a large number of seeds, often producing an increase in the fitness of progeny, and a decrease in the proportion of inbred offspring. Where genetic load is caused by deleterious recessive mutations in mutation-selection balance, the removal of inbred offspring may prevent the expression of mutations as homozygotes. This would shelter the mutations from selection, and permit an increase in the genetic load relative to the case with no competition among embryos. This study employs existing models of genetic load to assess the effects of embryo competition on load. Mutations which are not expressed in the embryo (e.g. chlorophyll deficiency mutations) are sheltered from selection by the removal of inbred seed, and increase in frequency relative to the case without embryo competition. Moreover, if embryo competition is discontinued after several generations, expression of the accumulated load causes a temporary, but pronounced drop in mean fitness. By contrast, mutations which are expressed in the embryo may affect the outcome of competition, and thus experience added selection relative to the case with no competition. Genetic load at these loci may thus be reduced, although the exact outcome depends upon the expression of the mutations in heterozygotes. The mechanism of embryo competition must be known before the long-term effects of management practices which enhance embryo competition can be predicted. Even where selective abortion increases the fitness of stocks over the long term, the accumulation of additional mutations can produce a dramatic loss of fitness if selective seed abortion is discontinued. Thus, once a programme to enhance selective abortion is begun, it may be impossible to cease this programme without irreparable damage to the stocks.
Polar surface vibration strips on GaN/AlN quantum dots and their interaction with confined electrons

Abstract The conditions are found for the existence of polar surface vibrational modes on a spheroidal quantum dot. These conditions determine allowed windows in the frequency-surface coordinate plane. The modes found are either truly localized of leaky states. The latter can provide effective energy relaxation of the confined electrons.
Culture stability of morphogenetic properties of chick limb-bud mesoderm

Stability of morphogenetic properties of leg bud cells (stage 20+) after two culture procedures was tested with a technique described by Zwilling ('64). This technique involves the placing of the cells to be tested into ectodermal jackets obtained from stage 20–21 limb buds and then grafting the composites either to the dorsum of the wing bud or over the somites of a host embryo. There is a decline in the limb properties between 12 and 18 hours of either shaking flask or plate culture. This decline parallels that observed in the limb bud in vivo. The distal area of the wing dorsum as a graft site partially overcomes the decline of the limb properties. Plating at high cell density retards the decline in morphogenetic properties. It is concluded that the culture conditions used in the present experiments have little, if any, effect on the stability of the morphogenetic properties of leg bud cells. Loss of these properties appears to be time dependent. This situation has possible implications for future in vitro studies of the molecular basis for the properties of the morphogenetic phase of chick limb development.
Homeless is required for RNA localization in Drosophila oogenesis and encodes a new member of the DE-H family of RNA-dependent ATPases.

The homeless (hls) gene of Drosophila is required for anteroposterior and dorsoventral axis formation during oogenesis. At a low frequency, females homozygous for mutations in hls generate early egg chambers in which the oocyte is positioned incorrectly within the cyst. At a high frequency, late-stage egg chambers exhibit a ventralized chorion. Sequence analysis of the hls cDNA predicts a protein with amino-terminal homology to members of the DE-H family of RNA-dependent ATPases and putative helicases. Similarity of 51% in the amino-terminal third of the protein was found to two yeast splicing factors, PRP2 and PRP16, and to Drosophila Maleless, which is required for dosage compensation. To analyze Hls function, RNA localization patterns were determined for seven different transcripts in hls mutant ovaries. Previtellogenic transport to the oocyte was unaffected for all transcripts examined. Transport and localization of bicoid and oskm messages during vitellogenic stages were strongly disrupted, and the distribution and/or quantity of gurken, orb, and fs(3)KIO mRNAs were also affected, but to a lesser degree. In contrast, hu-li tai shao and Biicaudul-D transcripts were transported and localized normally in hls mutants. In addition, Kinesin heavy chain:p-Galactosidase fusion protein failed to localize correctly to the posterior of the oocyte in vitellogenic egg chambers. Examination of the microtubule structure with anti-a-Tubulin antibodies revealed aberrant microtubule organizing center movement and an abnormally dense cytoplasmic microtubule meshwork. We discuss potential roles for Hls in organizing a cytoskeletal framework essential for localizing specific RNAs.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF BARGAINING FOR ADOPTION ASSISTANCE PAYMENTS

Families that adopt children who are in foster care may receive monthly adoption assistance payments to offset the cost of raising the adopted child. The amount of the adoption assistance payment is the subject of bargaining between the family and the child welfare authority. This article uses a bargaining model to highlight factors that, in addition to the expected costs of raising the child, might influence the outcome of bargaining over adoption assistance payments. Findings indicate that married parents who adopt children already in their care have an advantage in bargaining, and single women who adopt their kin or foster children have a disadvantage in bargaining.
Abnormal nuclear matter and pion condensation

Abstract The possibility of nuclear matter undergoing a combined phase transition into abnormal matter and a pion condensate is investigated. Various lagrangians for the meson (σ and π i ) fields, based on the σ-models, are used in mean-field approximation, and the entire system (mesons + nucleons) is treated fully relativistically. Equilibrium conditions of nuclear matter are obtained with NN repulsion, parametrized by the excluded volume approximation. It turns out that the formation of abnormal matter depends crucially on the choice of the σ-model lagrangian and considerably less on the additional pion condensate.
Acrylamide cytotoxicity in chick ganglia cultures.

Abstract The short-term effects of acrylamide (AcA), singly or in combination with added nucleotides (NAD, NADP) and selected cofactors (nicotinamide, glutathione), on chick dorsal root ganglia (DRG) in culture were investigated. Examination by phase-contrast and light microscopy for chemically induced morphological alteration of neurons and neuroglia provided the criteria for assessment and quantitation of the cytotoxic effects. The concentrations of AcA to produce half-maximal effect for nerve fibers and neuroglia were found to be 2.1 × 10 −4 and 3.8 × 10 −4 m , respectively. There were no observable effects on any type of cell below 10 −5 m AcA, while complete inhibition of cell growth was apparent at 10 −2 m . Cytoplasmic vacuolization, nerve fiber swelling, and degenerative changes of the mixed nerve elements were minimal. Addition of NAD, NADP, nicotinamide, and glutathione (10 −4 m ) prevented the cytotoxic effects of 10 −3 m AcA to a varying degree. Results indicated that AcA is slightly more toxic to nerve fibers than to neuroglia in vitro , and that these cytotoxic effects can be protected by nucleotides and cofactors nicotinamide and glutathione.
The independence of combinatory semantic processing: Evidence from event-related potentials

Abstract We recorded event-related brain potentials (ERPs) while participants read sentences, some of which contained an anomalous word. In the critical sentences (e.g., The meal was devouring…), the syntactic cues unambiguously signaled an Agent interpretation of the subject noun, whereas the semantic cues supported a Theme interpretation. An Agent interpretation would render the main verb semantically anomalous (as meals do not devour things). Conversely, the Theme interpretation would render the main verb syntactically anomalous (as the -ED form, not the -ING form, is syntactically appropriate for this interpretation). We report that the main verbs in such sentences elicit the P600 effect associated with syntactic anomalies, rather than the N400 effect associated with semantic anomalies. We conclude that, at least under certain conditions, semantic information is “in control” of how words are combined during sentence processing.
Synthesis and characterization of a 29-amino acid residue DNA-binding peptide derived from α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore proteins (SASP) of bacteria

A 29-amino acid residue peptide (SASP-peptide) derived from the sequence of the putative DNA-contacting portion at the carboxyl terminus of an α/β-type small, acid-soluble spore protein (SASP) of Bacillus subillis has been synthesized by automated solid-phase methods and tested for its ability to interact with DNA. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy reveals an interaction between this SASP-peptidc and DNA, both by an increase in α-helix content of the peplide (which alone has a mostly random conformation) and by enhancement of the 275-nm CD band of the DNA. In contrast to results with intact α/β-type SASP, however, the peptide does not induce a B → A cenformational transition in the DNA. The SASP-peptide also binds to poly(dG)·poly(dC) and prtects this polynucleotide against DNase I digestion and UV light-induced cylosine dimer formation, parallel to Findings made previously with native α/β-type SASP. The results confirm the hypothesis that the carboxyl-terminal region of the α/β-type SASP directly contacts DNA and possesses some, but not all, or the functional characteristics of the intact molecule.
Cellular Studies of X‐Ray Induced Inhibition of Lens Regeneration

Whole-body X-irradiation of adult newts 0 to 3 days after lentectomy inhibits transformation of the dorsal iris epithelium into a lens in all cases. The first question raised was whether irradiation affects infiltration of the iris area by macrophages, and the phagocytic activities of these cell types in the iris epithelium (prominent phenomena in this system). The number of macrophages infiltrating into the iris epithelium, and their phagocytic activities (indicated by uptake of melanosomes) were not affected by irradiation under those conditions. The second group of experiments concerns the possible effects of irradiation on DNA replication of iris epithelial cells, which become transformed into lens cells in the non-irradiated system. Autoradiographic studies of iris epithelial cells in vivo revealed a significant suppressive effect of irradiation on the frequencies of cells incorporating 3H-thymidine 7 and 14 days after lentectomy. When autoradiography was applied to the primary pure culture of iris epithelial cells at different time intervals after the start of culture and irradiation in vitro, significant and persistent reduction of cell labelling due to irradiation, was demonstrated. Multiplication of spread cells in the iris epithelial culture was strongly and persistently inhibited throughout a period of 2 months. Inhibition of cell labelling and of cell multiplication was always accompanied by reduction in the extent of de-pigmentation of iris epithelial cells. De-pigmentation is one of the requirements for the cells become transformed into lens cells. The possible mechanism of radiation-induced inhibition of lens regeneration is discussed.