cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simple Field Storage of Fish Samples for Measurement of DNA Content by Flow Cytometry.

Flow cytometry is an effective and widely used tool for determination of ploidy in fish, but it is not always possible to access the fresh samples for analysis. We investigated the potential for extended storage of fish tissue with sterlet and tench as representative species of Chondrostei and Teleostei, using blood and fin of subadult/adult specimens and tail of larvae. Thirteen procedures for extending storage, selected for rapidity and simplicity in both field and laboratory conditions, were tested for each tissue sample. Flow cytometry was applied to fresh tissue immediately after sampling and to tissue subjected to experimental protocols, always along with species-specific standard, after 1, 5, and 10 days storage at 0-4°C or freezing at -80°C. The fluorochrome 4',6-diamidine-2'-phenylindole dihydrochloride was used with excitation/emission maximum 358/461 nm. Based on the measurability of stored samples, evaluation of directly measured coefficients of variation of their DNA peaks and the changes in fluorescence intensity compared to fresh tissue, optimal procedures for extended storage of the selected tissue types of the model species are suggested. © 2020 The Authors. Cytometry Part A published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. on behalf of International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Surgical treatment of colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Overview:Treatment strategies for patients with stage IV colorectal cancer have changed markedly in the last decade. Patients with colorectal cancer metastases to the liver have always been a fasci...
Steroid resistant hypereosinophilic syndrome found to be Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Hyperoeosinophilic syndrome (HES) is rare, and clinicians may not recognize its potential association with malignancy. Red flag signs of HES include steroid resistance, older age, and significant lymphadenopathy that can be indicative of malignancy. In this case, an elderly male presenting with right chest wall erythema and axillary lymphadenopathy was initially diagnosed with and treated for cellulitis. Labs were significant for hypereosinophilia. Evidence of end organ damage raised concern for HES. Over the course of three hospitalizations, he was found to have a rising eosinophil count despite high-dose corticosteroid treatment. Further investigation eventually revealed a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This case highlights steroid-resistant HES as a presenting sign of malignancy and allows for discussion of potential investigative approaches for HES therapy. Though corticosteroids are first-line treatment for hypereosinophilia and HES, they are well known to have many adverse effects. Biologics, such as mepolizumab and benralizumab, have more acceptable side effect profiles and are effective in treating non-myeloid HES. The use of biologics as first-line treatment for HES has yet to be investigated.
Psychotropic Drug Treatment Patterns in Persons with Fragile X Syndrome.

Objective: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in fragile X syndrome (FXS) and often addressed through pharmacological management. Here we examine data in the Fragile X Online Registry With Accessible Research Database (FORWARD) to characterize specific symptoms being treated with psychotropic medication, patterns of medication use, as well as the influence of gender, intellectual disability (ID), age, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Methods: Data were drawn from the 975 participants who have a completed clinician form. We explored the frequency of psychotropic medication use for the following symptom clusters: attention, hyperactivity, anxiety, hypersensitivity, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), mood swings, irritability/agitation, aggression, and self-injury (IAAS). Results: A majority of participants (617 or 63.3%) were taking a psychotropic medication, including investigational drugs. Medications were often targeting multiple symptoms. Psychotropic medication use was more common in males, adolescents, and those with comorbid ID and ASD. Anxiety was the most frequently targeted symptom, followed by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms and IAAS. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were the most frequently prescribed medication class among all patients (n = 266, 43%), followed by stimulants (n = 235, 38%), each with no gender difference. Antipsychotics were the third most frequently prescribed medication class (n = 205, 33%), and were more frequently prescribed to males and those with ID and ASD. Conclusions: Anxiety, attention and hyperactivity were the most common symptom targets for psychopharmacologic intervention in FXS. Our results support clinical knowledge that males with comorbid ASD and ID have a more severe presentation requiring more intervention including medications. These results highlight the need for examination of symptom overlap and interaction.
Jilek‐Aall, Louise

Louise Jilek-Aall was born on April 21, 1931 in Oslo, Norway. She studied philosophy at the University of Oslo and pursued medical studies at the University of Tubingen and University of Saarland in Germany and at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, where she defended her dissertation on epilepsy in East Africa under Professor Manfred Bleuler and received the degree of Doctor of Medicine. She holds diplomas in tropical medicine from the Swiss Institute of Tropical Medicine in Basle and in psychiatry from McGill University in Montreal, and a Master of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Keywords: health; indigenous psychology; psychotherapies
Activation of protein kinase C by selective binding of arginine-rich polypeptides.

Protein substrates for protein kinase C (PKC) have phosphorylation domains that are typically rich in the basic amino acids arginine and lysine. However, arginine-rich proteins may interact with PKC differently than lysine-rich proteins, i.e. lysine-rich histone requires phospholipid and Ca2+ to be phosphorylated, whereas the arginine-rich protein, protamine, can bypass these effector requirements. We have studied the interaction of PKC with protamine, histone, poly-L-arginine, and poly-L-lysine to better understand the role of basic protein domains in PKC activation, effector dependence, and substrate specificity. Using a microtiter binding assay, PKC was found to bind tightly to protamine and poly-L-arginine, but not to histone or poly-L-lysine, in the absence of phospholipid, Ca2+, and MgATP. Furthermore, poly-L-arginine was much more potent than poly-L-lysine at inhibiting protamine phosphorylation; i.e. 1-2 nM poly-L-arginine was sufficient to cause 50% inhibition of protamine phosphorylation, whereas over 300 microM poly-L-lysine was needed to reach 50% inhibition. Autophosphorylation of PKC in the absence of activators was potently stimulated by protamine and poly-L-arginine, but not by histone or poly-L-lysine, suggesting selective stimulation of PKC by arginine-rich polypeptides. Double-reciprocal plots of protamine phosphorylation using either a mixture of isozymes (alpha/beta/gamma) or isolated PKC-beta were parabolic, and analysis of the kinetic data on velocity/[protamine] versus velocity plots indicated positive cooperativity with respect to protamine. These findings are consistent with those from autophosphorylation experiments in that PKC appears to be selectively stimulated by arginine-rich polypeptides. These results suggest that PKC can preferentially bind arginine-rich proteins in the absence of phospholipid and Ca2+. This interaction appears to be distal to the catalytic site and thus binding of arginine-rich proteins may allosterically activate PKC. Selective stimulation of PKC by arginine-rich proteins may be a mechanism by which protamine can bypass activator requirements. Furthermore, control of PKC activity by activator-independent binding of arginine-rich polypeptides suggests that altering access to certain cellular proteins may be a mechanism for PKC regulation in vivo.
Macrophage growth factors introduced into the kidney initiate renal injury.

CSF-1 expression precedes renal injury in autoimmune MRL-lpr mice and is responsible for macrophage (Mϕ) proliferation and survival in the kidney. By comparison, C3H-lpr mice do not express CSF-1 in the kidney, and despite the lpr mutation, kidneys remain normal. The purpose of this study was to test the capacity of local and systemic expression of Mϕ growth factor, CSF-1 to initiate renal injury in normal (C3H-++, MRL-++) and autoimmune (C3H-lpr, MRL-lpr) mice. We designed a gene transfer system to deliver cytokines into the kidney by transducing renal tubular epithelial cells (TEC) using retroviral vectors expressing CSF-1 or another Mϕ growth factor, GM-CSF. We placed transduced syngeneic cytokine-TEC under the renal capsule of normal and autoimmune prone mice prior to renal injury and evaluated renal pathology at 3, 7, 14, 28, and 90 days postimplant. CSF-1-TEC and GM-CSF-TEC, but not uninfected TEC, caused extensive local renal injury in strains with the lpr mutation. At 3–7 days the infiltrating cells were mainly Mϕ, and by 28 days they were predominantly lymphocytes. By comparison, the kidneys of MRL-++ and C3H-++ mice remained normal. Implanted genetically modified TEC caused a sustained increase of CSF-1 or GM-CSF in the circulation which did not modify the contralateral kidney. Gene transfer of Mϕ growth factors into the kidney initiates severe local renal injury in autoimmune prone mice with the lpr mutation, but does not compromise the kidney in nonautoimmune hosts. Of note, introduction of Mϕ growth factors into the kidney of C3H-lpr mice which do not spontaneously develop renal injury incites renal damage. These studies offer a gene transfer approach to explore the impact of local and systemic cytokine production on renal injury.
Incomplete Lambda Bacteriophage Heads Produced by a Gene F Mutant

Abstract The defective head subassembly produced when λsusF423 grows in a nonpermissive host is made functional by a factor in other mutant lysates.
Simulation study on a 3-dB quadrature coupled structure

The circuit presented here is a variation of the classic unfolded Lange coupler. The structure is to provide equal power output, while maintaining a 90° phase difference, for as wide a frequency range as possible, between the coupled and through ports. This coupler has the advantage of using coplanar waveguide and microstrip transmission lines, while avoiding the use of air bridges as the traditional Lange coupler does. The proposed coupler instead uses a defected ground plane, vias, and short PCB traces to connect the interdigitated structure. The circuit is designed on a single-layer substrate and can easily be manufactured with PCB processes. For low-cost fabrication, FR-4 substrate, with one-ounce copper, is proposed. The Sonnet™ simulation results show that the structure can provide a tight coupling factor of 3.6 dB when dielectric and conductor losses are included. The circuit is able to maintain a phase difference between 86° and 100° from 0.1–2 GHz.
International Space Station Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (ISS CDRA) Concepts and Advancements

An important aspect of air revitalization for life support in spacecraft is the removal of carbon dioxide from cabin air. Several types of carbon dioxide removal systems are in use in spacecraft life support. These systems rely on various removal techniques that employ different architectures and media for scrubbing CO2, such as permeable membranes, liquid amine, adsorbents, and absorbents. Sorbent systems have been used since the first manned missions. The current state of key technology is the existing International Space Station (ISS) Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), a system that selectively removes carbon dioxide from the cabin atmosphere. The CDRA system was launched aboard UF-2 in February 2001 and resides in the U.S. Destiny Laboratory module. During the past four years, the CDRA system has operated with varying degrees of success. There have been several approaches to troubleshooting the CDRA system aimed at developing work-around solutions that would minimize the impact on astronaut time required to implement interim solutions. The paper discusses some of the short-term fixes applied to promote hardware life and restore functionality, as well as long-term plans and solutions for improving operability and reliability. The CDRA is a critical piece of life support equipment in the air revitalization system of the ISS, and is demonstrated technology that may ultimately prove well-suited for use in lunar or Mars base, and Mars transit life support applications.
Abstract 18799: Correlation of 2D Strain for Intraoperative Assessment of Right Ventricular Mechanics with Admittance Catheters in Juvenile Pigs

Background: Surgical manipulations such as opening the chest and volume loading have the potential to alter ventricular function. There is paucity of data on the effects of such manipulations on right ventricular (RV) function. We measured tricuspid annular plane excursion (TAPSE) and RV strain by two-dimensional echo (2DE) speckle tracking to assess systolic and diastolic RV function in juvenile pigs under conditions that simulate the intraoperative environment. These were compared to simultaneously obtained parameters of RV function using admittance catheters. Methods: Epicardial 2DE was performed (Philips iE33) in 6 juvenile pigs (19-23kg). TAPSE and systolic and diastolic 2D RV longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate (LSR) (TomTec Image Arena, TomTec, Germany) were measured offline. RV systolic and diastolic pressure/volume data was acquired simultaneously using admittance catheters (Scisense Inc, Canada) under conditions including closed chest, open chest and volume loading. Comparisons were made us...
Abstract 18154: Can Longitudinal Strain Profile Reliably Distinguish Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy from Acute LAD Territory MI?: Analysis Using Speckle Tracking Imaging

Background: Stress cardiomyopathy (SC) is an increasingly recognized syndrome. However after nearly 3 decades of study, it is still challenging to discriminate SC from acute left anterior descending artery (LAD-MI) at presentation by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), let alone clinically. Objective: to characterize global and regional left ventricular (LV) function using two-dimensional (2D) strain imaging Methods: We studied 22 female patients; 12 with apical variant SC and 10 LAD-MI pts. All pts underwent TTE and cardiac catheterization within 48h of the hospital admission. 2D longitudinal strain analysis from the 3 standard apical views (total of 18 segments per patient) was performed in a blinded fashion. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was the average of all 18 segments. Results: The mean age (SC 62.7 ± 7.1 vs. MI 55.4 ± 14 yrs) and LVEF (SC 44.3 ± 8.7 vs. MI 44.0 ± 11.0 %) were not different between groups. When compared to SC, MI pts had a significantly higher troponin (31.9 ± 9.4 vs. 2.6 ± 0....
Pallasites—metal composition, classification and relationships with iron meteorites

A comparative study was conducted of the metal composition of 34 pallasites in order to shed further light on the origin of these meteorites. Concentrations of Au, As, Co, Ga, Ge, Ir, Ni, and W in pallasitic metal were determined. Most pallasites are found to have similar compositions indicating a close genetic relationship, and are designated as main group. The Eagle Station Trio is unrelated to the main group as indicated by higher Ni, Ge, and Ir and lower As, Au, and Ga contents in the metal, and olivine richer in Fe and Sc and poorer in Mg and Mn. The trio of Springwater, Rawlinna and Phillips County have metal compositions appropriate to high-Ni main group members, but their fayalite contents suggest they are not closely related to it. Pavlodar and Glorieta Mountain appear to be unique pallasites, and Brenham an anomalous main group member. Krasnoyarsk is classified as a main group member. Main group pallasites have metal compositions which overlap those of IIIAB iron meteorites on a Ga-Ge plot, and they have similar Au, As, Cr, Ir, Ni and W contents to high-Ni IIIAB irons.
Deep Percolation in a Sand Hill Area

Records for two rivers flowing in a Sand Hill area are used to derive a value for the infiltration reaching the water table. The infiltration is 0.23 feet per year which is 13 per cent of the precipitation.
A note on “A simplified account of polymorphic references”

In the paper [1] a proof of the soundness of type inference for a functional language combining polymorphism and references is presented. The sense in which soundness is established merits further clarification, provided in this paper.
Stealing Time at Work: Attitudes, Social Pressure, and Perceived Control as Predictors of Time Theft

Organizations have long struggled to find ways to reduce the occurrence of unethical behaviors by employees. Unfortunately, time theft, a common and costly form of ethical misconduct at work, has been understudied by ethics researchers. In order to remedy this gap in the literature, we used the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to investigate the antecedents of time theft, which includes behaviors such as arriving later to or leaving earlier from work than scheduled, taking additional or longer breaks than is acceptable, and on-the-job daydreaming. We surveyed 135 employed undergraduate business students regarding the TPB variables at Time 1. Two months later, participants reported the frequency they engaged in time theft since Time 1. Results indicate that behavioral, normative, and control beliefs significantly predicted attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, respectively. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, in turn, were significantly related to time theft intentions, which predicted later enactment of time theft. Thus, employers can decrease time theft by primarily focusing on altering employees’ attitudes toward time theft, followed by reducing social pressures to engage in it, and lastly, by implementing organizational practices that make it difficult to commit time theft.
Large second-order nonlinearity in poled fused silica.

A large second-order nonlinearity [ χ(2)~1 pm/V~0.2 χ22(2) for LiNbO3] is induced in the near-surface (~4 μm) region of commercial fused-silica optical flats by a temperature (250–325°C) and electric-field (E ~ 5 × 104 V/cm) poling process. Once formed, the nonlinearity, which is roughly 103–104 times larger than that found in fiber second-harmonic experiments, is extremely stable at room temperature and laboratory ambient. The nonlinearity can be cycled by repeated depoling (temperature only) and repoling (temperature and electric field) processes without history effects. Possible mechanisms, including nonlinear moieties and electric-field-induced second-order nonlinearities, are discussed.
Environment-responsive polymers for coating of pharmaceutical nanocarriers

Polyethylene glycol derivatives, such as block copolymers of polyethylene glycol and diacyllipids (for example, phosphatidylethanolamine) are widely used for surface modification of various pharmaceutical carriers in order to impart them longevity in the body. To make polyethylene glycol detachable from the surface of pharmaceutical carrier and facilitate the interaction of the carrier with target cells when in pathological zone, we have prepared a set of polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine block copolymers with the pH sensitive hydrazone bond between polyethylene glycol and phosphatidylethanolamine, which destabilizes at lowered pH values typical for tumors and inflammation zones. We have demonstrated that the stability of the hydrazone bond at normal physiological pH (7.4) as well as the rate of its hydrolysis at pH 6 and below strongly depend on the type of substitutions at this bond. Using aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes and ketones, polyethylene glycol-phosphatidylethanolamine block copolymers were prepared with different stabilities and degradation rates, which can be useful in constructing stimuli-sensitive pharmaceutical carriers.
Circulation during hypoxia in birds.

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of hypoxia on the avian cardiovascular system are reviewed. 2. 2. The avian cardiovascular system seems well adapted to deal with the stress of hypoxia. In general, birds are remarkably tolerant of hypoxia, with some species being capable of performing vigorous exercise at extreme altitude. 3. 3. During hypoxia at rest, the circulation maintains arterial pressure, increases cardiac output, and redistributes blood flow so oxygen delivery to the heart and brain is maintained. During exercise, further adjustments are required, since exercising muscle has large oxygen requirements. 4. 4. The mechanisms responsible for producing these circulatory changes are largely unknown. The transport steps that limit O2 delivery during hypoxia are also poorly understood.
Local Independent Control of Cognitive Radio Networks

Many different algorithms for managing cognitive radio networks have been proposed. While these algorithms have applied the whole range from centrally managed to distributed control schemes, a common feature of previous work is the reliance on explicit communication to exchange and negotiate configuration information. This paper describes a new class of cognitive radio control algorithms employing local independent control based upon swarming behavior found in nature. We examine the feasibility of such local independent control in a testbed implementation of the algorithm, configuring and dynamically adapting a cognitive radio network. We find that approach is suited to coordinate a cognitive radio network based on passive observation of its environment only and may coordinate with other control algorithms deployed in heterogeneous secondary user networks.
Analysis of meconium for cocaine in neonates.

Abstract A solid-phase extraction method was developed for the extraction of first-day meconium samples from premature infants of cocaine-dependent mothers. Extracts were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography—mass spectrometry for cocaine and its metabolites. Control stools showed no drug. Meconium from cocaine-dependent mothers showed cocaine in the range 0.1–0.78 μg/g. Benzoylecgonine, ecgonine and ecgonine methyl ester were not present in the samples, which suggests that the metabolism of cocaine in the premature neonate is limited.
Costa Rican Research Experiences: Mid‐1950s and Early 1960s

Qualitative research projects with rural Costa Rican women in two different villages are reported. One dealt with possessed, desired, and (by default) rejected kitchen facilities. A pictorial method was used to prompt the homemakers' decisions. The other research explored time activity patterns of homemakers based on observed activities compared to their predictions and recollections of their activities for the day observed. Time use goals were inferred from the data. Detailed methodological procedures are provided for each study. Research data as well as field journal quotations are included to illustrate the cultural learning experiences and the work is written in first person.
Differential removal of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in rat serum by solvent extraction procedures

Solvent extraction of serum and other biological fluids at an acidic pH is a convenient method to remove the insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs); however, an incomplete removal of IGFBPs can occur and this can potentially interfere with the radioimmunoassay of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs). This study compared the removal of IGFBPs from normal adult rat serum and 5-day old neonatal rat serum by acid-gel filtration, and three solvent extraction methods, i.e., acid-ethanol (AE), acid-cryo-ethanol (ACE) and formic acid-acetone (FAA) treatments by western ligand blotting and slot-blotting analysis. In adult rat serum all three extraction methods removed nearly 75% of total IGFBPs present. For the neonatal serum, AE and FAA were very inefficient in eliminating the IGFBPs, while ACE was somewhat better, as it removed nearly 30% of IGFBPs. Ligand blots of extracted samples showed that IGFBPs of lower size range, 24 to 32 kDa (IGFBP-4, IGFBPs-1 and-2), were resistant to solvent extraction. Acid-gel filtration, in contrast, eliminated >95% of IGF-binding components in both sera. Determination of IGF-I concentrations in samples after gel filtration and extraction methods revealed lower IGF-I values in neonatal serum in acid extracted samples. These data caution against using solvent extractions for IGFBP removal in fetal/neonatal serum.
Symptomatic hepatitis secondary to disseminated coccidioidomycosis in an immunocompetent patient

A young man from California presented with acute onset of cough, fevers, night sweats and pruritus with dark urine. Laboratory studies were notable for moderate transaminitis with elevated bilirubin and eosinophilia. Hepatitis panel, HIV screen and heterophile antibodies were negative. CT scan showed multiple bilateral focal opacities with hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy with no ductal dilation or gallbladder stones. The patient had positive coccidioidomycosis serologies and he was started on fluconazole with resolution of symptoms and improvement in transaminitis over the next month. This article highlights a rare manifestation of disseminated coccidioidomycosis with symptomatic hepatitis. Although an increasingly prevalent infection found in southwest USA, dissemination is rare in immunocompetent hosts. Postmortem studies suggest hepatic involvement is common in disseminated infection. However symptomatic hepatitis is rare, with only three cases of symptomatic hepatitis found in the literature.
Delayed childbearing in the United States

This article analyzes the phenomenon of delayed childbearing in the United States. It begins by exploring problems associated with the definition and measurement of delayed childbearing. Existing empirical evidence of the phenomenon is reviewed and some new evidence is presented. A general theoretical framework for analyzing delayed childbearing is outlined and discussed in relation to existing theories. The article also provides a critical substantive and methodological review of evidence on the correlates and implications of delayed childbearing. Finally, public and private policy-related aspects of delayed childbearing are considered.
The Heat Capacity of 4He Monolayers Adsorbed on Evaporated Gold

The specific heat of 4He condensed on an evaporated gold surface has been measured for coverages between 0.007 and 0.096 A−2 and temperatures between 0.4 and 3.0 K. There are at least two types of physisorption site on the gold surface with binding energies −83 ± 7 and −94 ± 7 K. For coverages below 0.06 A−2 (∼0.5 monolayers), the 4He is a two-dimensional classical gas at sufficiently high temperatures. At lower temperatures and higher coverages, the 4He forms condensed phases, including liquids, solids commensurate with the gold lattice, and incommensurate solids. The phase diagram of 4He/evaporated gold is similar to that for 4He/graphite, but the phase boundaries are shifted and not well defined, nor is the diagram as rich in structure.
LCOGT Imaging Lab

The Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) is an ambitious project to build and operate, within 5 years, a worldwide robotic network of 50 0.4, 1, and 2 m telescopes sharing identical instrumentation and optimized for precision photometry of time-varying sources. The telescopes, instrumentation, and software are all developed in house with two 2 m telescopes already installed. The LCOGT Imaging Lab is responsible for assembly and characterization of the network's cameras and instrumentation. In addition to a fully equipped CNC machine shop, two electronics labs, and a future optics lab, the Imaging Lab is designed from the ground up to be a superb environment for bare detectors, precision filters, and assembled instruments. At the heart of the lab is an ISO class 5 cleanroom with full ionization. Surrounding this, the class 7 main lab houses equipment for detector characterization including QE and CTE, and equipment for measuring transmission and reflection of optics. Although the first science cameras installed, two TEC cooled e2v 42-40 deep depletion based units and two CryoTiger cooled Fairchild Imaging CCD486-BI based units, are from outside manufacturers, their 18 position filter wheels and the remainder of the network's science cameras, controllers, and instrumentation will be built in house. Currently being designed, the first generation LCOGT cameras for the network's 1 m telescopes use existing CCD486-BI devices and an in-house controller. Additionally, the controller uses digital signal processing to optimize readout noise vs. speed, and all instrumentation uses embedded microprocessors for communication over ethernet.
Evolution of macromolecular complexity

Abstract A unified model for the evolution of macromolecular complexity is presented. This evolution is seen as a cyclic process in which the gene product first evolves to a dimeric state, the underlying gene then duplicates (two copies per genome), and their gene products then evolve to become a dimer of related rather than identical subunits. Subsequently the two underlying genes fuse, leading to a gene product that is no longer actually a dimer, but which in fact has the biological properties of the dimer that was its ancestor. Thus a molecule approximately twice the size of the starting molecule has evolved. Acting on this new molecule, the cycle then produces a molecule of about twice its size, and so on. This cyclic doubling mechanism is taken to be the basis for the evolution of all macromolecular complexity, for the ribosome as well as for proteins.
On the Use of Hierarchical Clustering for the Analysis of Nonsymmetric Proximities

Rao and Sabavala (1981) recently proposed a hierarchical clustering methodology applied to normalized brand switching matrices to assess competitive market structure. We introduce a recently developed clustering method that appears to be more suited to the analysis of such nonsymmetric data, and describe an application and comparison of the various approaches.
Visual Imagery: Its Psychophysiological Components and Levels of Information Processing

The patterns of the psychophysiological components of visual imagery were investigated for three simple verbally-presented imagery stimuli, the letter P, pencil, and pasture, and the control stimulus go blank. The stimuli were assumed to represent different codes and levels of information processing based on McGuigan's model of neuro-muscular circuits. The responses shown by the EOG of horizontal and vertical eye movement activity, the EMG of lip and covert right arm movement, and to a lesser degree, the EEG of alpha activity in the right occipital area differentiated among the three stimuli and also the control stimulus. The results are seen as supporting the concept of images as mental phenomena with differential psychophysiological patterns involving peripheral and central stores of information processing.
Developing a framework for critical science agency through case study in a conceptual physics context

In this manuscript we examine how two students develop and express agency in and through high school physics. We tell the stories of two youth from a low-income, urban community to elucidate the important components of critical science agency in a physics context, and to situate a set of claims about how youth develop and express this concept. This research is part of a larger multiyear study of democratic practice in middle- and high-school science. We present three claims: (a) that critical science agency is intimately related to the leveraging and development of identity, (b) that critical science agency involves the strategic deployment of resources , and (c) that developing critical science agency is an iterative and generative process. Two university researchers have co-written this paper with the two students whose experiences serve as the cases under investigation, to provide both an “emic” perspective and student-focused voices that complement and challenge the researchers’ voices.
Mode dependent scattering of phonons by domain walls in ferroelectric KDP

Thermal conductivity and ballistic phonon imaging measurements in KH2PO4 (KDP) at low temperature (T<3K) indicate that scattering from domain walls has a large effect on phonon transport. kDP has a ferroelectric phase transition from tetragonal to orthorhombic structure atT c =122 K. BelowT c domains of opposite electric polarization and crystal orientation form unless the sample is colled in an electric field. Thermal conductivity measured along the [100] (tetragonal) axis drops 30% when domain walls are present, which is independent of sample size and temperature. We attribute this decrease to phonon polarization-dependent scattering at the domain boundaries. This is verified by measurements of ballistic transport, using phonon imaging techniques, which reveal the phonon polarization and mode dependence of the scattering. The scattering is successfully modelled using continuum acoustics with simple acoustic mismatch at the domainwall. The interface scattering is found to be mode dependent: Caustic structures in the phonon images due to slow transverse phonons are most affected by the domain wall scattering, which channels these phonons along parallel planes by multiple reflections without mode conversion. Mode conversion scattering, though possible for a number of phonons, has little effect on the overall phonon transmission.
Octreotide-induced asystolic events in an intensive care unit patient with gastrointestinal bleeding

Octreotide is a somatostatin analogue used to control upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We report a case of a patient with no significant cardiac history who had multiple asystolic events during an octreotide infusion at a relatively low dose. Although octreotide leading to bradycardia and heart block has been documented in several case reports, to our knowledge, octreotide-associated asystole has not been described. It is pertinent that physicians must be aware of this significant cardiac effect for vigilant cardiac monitoring and management, preferably in an intensive care setting. Furthermore, this suggests that although dose- and route-related effects have been described, some individuals may be susceptible at low doses, even in the absence of heart disease. There were no further recurrences after the drug was discontinued.
Empirical study of the infrared lattice vibrations (1100–350 cm−1) of phlogopite

A detailed evaluation of the assignments given to the infrared (IR) vibrations in the lattice stretching region is presented here based on observations of the effects of various chemical substitutions in synthetic analogues of phlogopite, KMg3(AlSi3)O10(OH)2. As in previous studies, this study has confirmed that the 995, 960, and 460 cm−1 vibrations are influenced by Si, the 822 and 760 cm−1 vibrations by Al, the 915 and 725 cm−1 vibrations by Al and Si, and the 592 cm−1 vibration by OH. Contrary to previous studies, it is shown here that the 690, 495, and 375 cm−1 vibrations are strongly linked with Mg and not just Si. The 655 cm−1 band in phlogopite is attributed to an in-plane Al-O vibration rather than an Al-O-Si vibration. As a check on the band assignments made here, IR spectra were obtained for synthetic clintonite, CaMg2Al(Al3Si)O10(OH)2, as well as its chemical analogues and compared with the IR spectrum of phlogopite. The band intensities for the Si-O, Al-O, and Si-O-Mg vibrations changed in accord with the composition of clintonite. The most intense band in clintonite at 660 cm−1 appears to be associated only with Al and is assigned here to a tetrahedral Al-O-Al vibration which must be present, if not dominant, in this mineral. The near coincidence of an in-plane Al-O vibration at 655 cm−1 (phlogopite) and an in-plane Al-O-Al vibration at 660 cm−1 (clintonite) makes the identification of tetrahedral Al-Si order-disorder in trioctahedral layered silicates by IR spectroscopy very difficult. The ratio of the 822/995 cm−1 bands may, however, prove to be very useful for discerning the amount of tetrahedrally coordinated Al in these types of minerals.
The impact of GAAP guidance on asset retirement obligations

Abstract In this study, we assess issues faced by accountants in implementing Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (SFAS) 143, Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations (AROs) and Financial Interpretation Number (FIN) 47, which was issued to clarify accounting for conditional AROs. The assessments were made by accountants of companies belonging to the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) since the EEI originally initiated the Financial Accounting Standards Boards’ (FASB’s) ARO agenda item. The findings suggest that SFAS 143 and FIN 47 have provided accountants with increased clarity for ARO identification and have resulted in more meaningful recognition. In addition, more liabilities are reported even though it can be argued that ceteris paribus management will choose the method that minimizes the amount of the liability. Overall, the findings suggest that the FASB’s guidance on asset retirement obligations improved the reporting model and their implementation guidance improved companies’ application of the rules.
Novel treatment for the management of ifosfamide neurotoxicity: Rationale for the use of methylene blue

Objective. To provide an overview of the proposed pathophysiology of ifosfamide encephalopathy and the role of methylene blue for the treatment and prevention of this toxicity.Data Source. A Medlin...
Evaluation of the portable chamber technique for measuring canopy gas exchange by crops

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the portable chamber technique for concurrent measurement of canopy evapotranspiration (ET) and carbon exchange rate (CER) and to validate the ET measurements using weighing lysimeters. Hourly gas exchange measurements were made on a half-day diurnal basis over a wide range of leaf area indices (0.2–3.8 m2 m−2) on peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) for both irrigated and dry soil conditions. The chamber technique used the LI-COR LI-6200 portable photosynthesis system with an open leaf chamber inside the canopy chamber. Measurement of vapor pressure was achieved with the leaf chamber humidity sensor and thermocouple, while carbon dioxide was cycled through the system infra-red gas analyzer. Full-sun and dark CER measurements were made to compute gross photosynthesis (PG). Based on replicated measurements, the average coefficients of variation for PG and ET were 15% and 17%, respectively. The field and lysimeter sites gave comparable values of ET and PG. The PG responses to varying light and LAI conditions were consistent with previously cited values. Computed chamber ET must be extrapolated back to the time the chamber is closed to obviate underestimation of the ET rate (1% s−1) owing to the increase in vapor pressure in the chamber. A correction in ET for reduced light owing to radiation transmission losses appears to be unnecessary. Under varying light conditions where measurements were intentionally made during the sunny periods, the chamber overestimated the instantaneous lysimeter ET. Under clear sky conditions, chamber ET compared well with both instantaneous and hourly lysimeter ET. In the latter comparison, errors were less than 0.13 mm h−1 with and R2 of 0.90. This good agreement was consistent over the morning hours, across the range of leaf area indices, and for both wet and dry soil conditions.
Identification of predictive factors for perioperative blood transfusion in colorectal resection patients

Background Blood transfusion is associated with higher postoperative complication. With the availability of autologous blood and erythropoietin, it would be advantageous to identify patients who are at higher risk for requiring blood transfusion. Our aim is to identify possible predictive factors for perioperative blood transfusion in patients undergoing colorectal resection. We examined 206 patients who underwent colorectal resections.
High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis of Single-Origin Chocolates for Methylxanthine Composition and Provenance Determination

A quantitative and qualitative high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of single-origin chocolates is presented as a laboratory experiment for an advanced analytical chemistry course. The quantitative portion involves the determination of caffeine and theobromine content by an internal standard calibration method and then a validation by comparison to a certified reference material. The qualitative component introduces students to chemometrics through the use of discriminant analysis to determine the provenance of an unknown single-origin chocolate sample.
BASIC OPERATIONS OF DIGITAL LOGIC.

This paper presents the basics of digital logic operations, discusses the functional operation of electronic circuits which accomplish these operations and analyzes the operation of complexes of these circuits which may be used for counting, timing, and amplitude registration of the phenomena of interest in psycho-physiological research.
Connecting Anticodon Recognition with the Active Site of Escherichia coli Glutaminyl-tRNA Synthetase

Escherichia coli glutaminyl-tRNA synthetase (GlnRS) specifically recognizes nucleotides in the anticodon and acceptor stem of tRNA(Gln). Extensive conformational changes in the tRNA(Gln):GlnRS complex and requirement for tRNA in glutaminyl-adenylate formation suggests that accurate anticodon recognition is required for aminoacylation. A 17 amino acid loop in GlnRS (residues 476 to 492) that connects two beta-ribbon motifs was targeted for saturation mutagenesis as the motifs span the anticodon binding domain and extend to the active site. Opal suppressor tRNAs (GLN) derived from tRNA(Gln) are poor substrates for GlnRS, and compensating mutations in glnS (the structural gene for GlnRS) were selected by the ability of the mutant gene product to aminoacylate such a suppressor (GLNA3U70). A number of mutations in loop 476 to 492 were identified by genetic selection, and two of the GlnRS purified mutant enzymes showed elevated specificity constants (kcat/Km) for aminoacylation of a tRNA(Gln)-derived transcript with the opal (UCA) anticodon when compared with the wild-type enzyme. The specificity constants for the mutant enzymes with the cognate tRNA(Gln) transcript (anticodon CUG) were unchanged. Therefore, region 476 to 492 has been identified in communicating anticodon recognition with the active site at a distance of more than 30 A away, supporting a proposed model from the structure of the complex between tRNA(Gln):GlnRS. A previous study has identified residues that interact with the inside of the L-shaped tRNA as communicating accurate anticodon recognition. Therefore, at least two pathways of communication have been identified in the accurate recognition of tRNA by GlnRS.
Nonpolar Metabolites of Trifluoperazine in Rats

Urinary excretion of nonpolar metabolites of trifluoperazine was studied in six albino rats which were administered intraperitoneally with 5 mg. trifluoperazine dihydrochloride daily for a period of 5 days. The 24-hr. urine specimens were collected and analyzed for trifluoperazine sulfoxide and the unchanged drug by means of a spectrophotometric and thin-layer chromatographic techniques. The average urinary excretion of trifluoperazine sulfoxide was found to be 10.77% of the administered dose in the first 24-hr. period. Only a trace or a negligible amount of the unchanged drug was found in urine.
Determination of the portfolio selection for a property-liability insurance company

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of a portfolio model which can be used to assist a property-liability insurance company in determining the optimal composition of the insurance and investment portfolios. By introducing insurer's threshold risk and relaxing some non-realistic assumptions made in traditional chance constraint insurance and investment portfolio models, we propose a method for an insurer to maximize his return threshold for a given threshold risk level. This proposed model can be used to optimize the composition of underwriting and investment portfolios regarding the insurer's threshold risk level, as well as to generate the efficient frontier by adjusting insurer's threshold risk levels. A numerical example is given based on the industry's aggregated data for a sixteen year period.
C4 isotype deficiency in IgA nephropathy.

C4 and factor B typing were performed in 37 pediatric patients with primary IgA nephropathy. Null alleles for C4B occurred with a frequency of 26% in patients, as compared to 15% in healthy controls (NS). The phenotype of C4B deficiency (homozygous C4B null), however, was found in 16% of patients and 4% of controls (P<0.05). Comparison of observed C4B phenotypes with those predicted from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium also confirmed an excess of C4B deficiency (P<0.0005). In contrast, there was no evidence of distortion in the frequencies of the C4A null allele or phenotype, or of the factor B alleles. The data suggest that C4B deficiency may be one of multiple interacting factors contributing to the development of this glomerulopathy.
Regulation of lipases by lipid–lipid interactions: implications for lipid-mediated signaling in cells

Abstract Lipases are extracellular peripheral proteins that act at the surface of lipid emulsions stabilized, typically, by phospholipids. At a critical composition lipase activity toward substrates in phospholipid monolayers is discontinuously switched on by a small increase in substrate mole fraction. This occurs in part because lipase binding is inhibited by phospholipids. Binding of the lipase cofactor, colipase, is also inhibited by phospholipids. The initial rate of colipase binding increases abruptly at a substrate mole fraction that is approximately half the critical composition for lipase activity and just above that in substrate-phospholipid complexes. Moreover, complex collapse areas show an ∼1:1 correlation with phospholipid excluded areas determined from an analysis of colipase adsorption rates. Thus, complexes inhibit colipase binding rate. Additionally, the switching of lipase activity likely occurs when uncomplexed substrate becomes the majority species in the interface. Lipase substrates, e.g. diacylglycerols, are typically the same lipids generated in the cytoplasmic surface of the plasma membrane of stimulated cells. As colipase binding is nonspecific and complexes involving lipase substrates form on the basis of lipid–lipid interactions alone, complexes should form in the plasma membrane of stimulated cells and may regulate protein translocation to the membrane.
Transaction cost economics: a cross‐cultural perspective for understanding and communication

The globalization of management theory and practice is becoming a reality for academics and practitioners alike. Little has been written which examines received theories of management from trans-national and multi-cultural perspectives. The article discusses one management theory of organizing and conducting enterprise, transaction cost economics, in light of differences which occur across cultures. Implications are discussed and areas of suggested additional inquiry are posed.
Modeling the effect of control on the wake of a utility-scale turbine via large-eddy simulation

A model of the University of Minnesota EOLOS research turbine (Clipper Liberty C96) is developed, integrating the C96 torque control law with a high fidelity actuator line large- eddy simulation (LES) model. Good agreement with the blade element momentum theory is obtained for the power coefficient curve under uniform inflow. Three different cases, fixed rotor rotational speed ω, fixed tip-speed ratio (TSR) and generator torque control, have been simulated for turbulent inflow. With approximately the same time-averaged ω, the time- averaged power is in good agreement with measurements for all three cases. Although the time-averaged aerodynamic torque is nearly the same for the three cases, the root-mean-square (rms) of the aerodynamic torque fluctuations is significantly larger for the case with fixed ω. No significant differences have been observed for the time-averaged flow fields behind the turbine for these three cases.