cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Kantian Critique of Cognitive Psychotherapy

Modern cognitive psychotherapies such as those practiced by George Kelly, Aaron Beck, and Albert Ellis are examined from the perspective of Immanuel Kant's critique of eighteenth-century cognitive philosophy. Parallel strengths and weaknesses are found in the psychotherapeutic and philosophical systems. The major strengths of the systems are based upon their abilities to predict phenomena based upon an understanding of concepts used to organize experience. The major weaknesses of the systems arise when one takes such concepts to be too concrete. It is argued that modern psychiatrists interested in cognitive techniques may relearn some important but forgotten, facts about the strengths and limits of cognition by reviewing Kantian philosophy.
Intracellular Water, Metabolism and Cell Architecture: Part 2

Biologists seem to pay little attention to physical theories that attempt to explain living systems without detailed reference to the elaborate structure that we know exists, notably at the cellular and subcellular levels. I suspect this explains, at least to some extent, why Frohlich’s theory of coherent excitations (See Frohlich, 1980) has almost gone unnoticed by the biological community. Therefore, the present chapter will attempt to describe what we know about certain features of the structure and function of eucaryotic cells, selecting those aspects that seem to be most relevant to the theory.
Learning When to Listen: Detecting System-Addressed Speech in Human-Human-Computer Dialog.

New challenges arise for addressee detection when multiple people interact jointly with a spoken dialog system using unconstrained natural language. We study the problem of discriminating computer-directed from human-directed speech in a new corpus of human-human-computer (H-H-C) dialog, using lexical and prosodic features. The prosodic features use no word, context, or speaker information. Results with 19% WER speech recognition show improvements from lexical features (EER=23.1%) to prosodic features (EER=12.6%) to a combined model (EER=11.1%). Prosodic features also provide a 35% error reduction over a lexical model using true words (EER from 10.2% to 6.7%). Modeling energy contours with GMMs provides a particularly good prosodic model. While lexical models perform well for commands, they confuse free-form system-directed speech with human-human speech. Prosodic models dramatically reduce these confusions, implying that users change speaking style as they shift addressees (computer versus human) within a session. Overall results provide strong support for combining simple acoustic-prosodic models with lexical models to detect speaking style differences for this task.
Glycemic Variability and Brain Glucose Levels in Type 1 Diabetes

The impact of glycemic variability on brain glucose transport kinetics among individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) remains unclear. Fourteen individuals with T1DM (age 35 ± 4 years; BMI 26.0 ± 1.4 kg/m2; HbA1c 7.6 ± 0.3) and nine healthy control participants (age 32 ± 4; BMI 23.1 ± 0.8; HbA1c 5.0 ± 0.1) wore a continuous glucose monitor (Dexcom) to measure hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, and glycemic variability for 5 days followed by 1H MRS scanning in the occipital lobe to measure the change in intracerebral glucose levels during a 2-h glucose clamp (target glucose concentration 220 mg/dL). Hyperglycemic clamps were also performed in a rat model of T1DM to assess regional differences in brain glucose transport and metabolism. Despite a similar change in plasma glucose levels during the hyperglycemic clamp, individuals with T1DM had significantly smaller increments in intracerebral glucose levels (P = 0.0002). Moreover, among individuals with T1DM, the change in brain glucose correlated positively with the lability index (r = 0.67, P = 0.006). Consistent with findings in humans, streptozotocin-treated rats had lower brain glucose levels in the cortex, hippocampus, and striatum compared with control rats. These findings that glycemic variability is associated with brain glucose levels highlight the need for future studies to investigate the impact of glycemic variability on brain glucose kinetics.
Kinetic Isoconversion Loop Catalysis: A Reactor Operation Mode to Investigate Slow Catalyst Deactivation Processes, with Ni/Al 2 O 3 for the Dry Reforming of Methane

Deactivation of heterogeneous catalysts is an issue of high importance and extensive study. However, under normal isothermal plug flow operation the experimental conditions within the catalyst bed ...
Two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide based membranes for ionic liquids separation

Abstract Ionic liquids (ILs) are solvents with negligible volatility and corrosiveness that are non-flammable and thermally stable. These environmentally friendly properties allow ILs to be widely used in various applications. However, the high cost of ILs has been the major constraint that limits their widespread use in industry. In this paper, we report the application of a two-dimensional nanofiltration membrane, MoS2, to recover ILs from their aqueous solution since ILs are often diluted with water in many applications. MoS2 membranes from the common octahedral coordinated (1T) phase possess a laminar structure that allows water molecules to permeate through the interlayer nanochannels between nanosheets. Often the interlayer spacing is smaller than many ILs, enabling separation of water from ILs including 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (BmimBF4) and 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (HmimCl). In this paper we first demonstrated that the rejection rate of BmimBF4 and HmimCl from IL/water mixtures reached 40.8% and 86.2% respectively. More importantly, we found that IL rejection rate can be further increased by 25% for BmimBF4, 8% for HmimCl under higher operating pressures, indicating that the applied transmembrane pressure reduces the interlayer spacing of MoS2 membranes. This hypothesis was proved by our XRD characterization. Finally, the effects of hydrophilicity and charge of dopamine-modified 2D MoS2 membranes on the IL rejection were also investigated, revealing that increased surface hydrophilicity and more positively charged membrane surfaces enabled further increase in IL rejection.
Toxicoproteomic Analysis of Poly(ADP-ribose)-associated Proteins Induced by Oxidative Stress in Human Proximal Tubule Cells

2,3,5-Tris-(glutathion-S-yl)hydroquinone (TGHQ) is a nephrotoxic and nephrocarcinogenic metabolite of hydroquinone. TGHQ generates ROS, causing DNA strand breaks, hyperactivation of PARP-1, increases in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i), and cell death. PARP-1 catalyzes the attachment of ADP-ribose polymers (PAR) to target proteins. In human kidney proximal tubule cells (HK-2), ROS-mediated PARP-1 hyperactivation and elevations in [Ca2+]i are reciprocally coupled. The molecular mechanism of this interaction is unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify ROS-induced PAR-associated proteins to further understand their potential role in cell death. PAR-associated proteins were enriched by immunoprecipitation, identified by LC-MS/MS, and relative abundance was obtained by spectral counting. 356 proteins were PAR-modified following TGHQ treatment. 13 proteins exhibited gene ontology annotations related to calcium. Among these proteins, the general transcription factor II-I (TFII-I) is directly involved in the modulation of [Ca2+]i. TFII-I binding to phospholipase C (PLC) leads to calcium influx via the TRPC3 channel. However, inhibition of TRPC3 or PLC had no effect on TGHQ-mediated cell death, suggesting that their loss of function may be necessary but insufficient to cause cell death. Nevertheless, TGHQ promoted a time-dependent translocation of TFII-I from the nucleus to the cytosol concomitant with a decrease in tyrosine phosphorylation in α/β-TFII-I. Therefore it is likely that ROS have an important impact on the function of TFII-I, such as regulation of transcription, and DNA translesion synthesis. Our data also sheds light on PAR mediated signaling during oxidative stress, and contributes to the development of strategies to prevent PAR-dependent cell death.
Distributionally Robust XVA via Wasserstein Distance Part 2: Wrong Way Funding Risk

This paper investigates calculations of robust funding valuation adjustment (FVA) for over the counter (OTC) derivatives under distributional uncertainty using Wasserstein distance as the ambiguity measure. Wrong way funding risk can be characterized via the robust FVA formulation. The simpler dual formulation of the robust FVA optimization is derived. Next, some computational experiments are conducted to measure the additional FVA charge due to distributional uncertainty under a variety of portfolio and market configurations. Finally some suggestions for future work, such as robust capital valuation adjustment (KVA) and margin valuation adjustment (MVA), are discussed.
The Dynamics of Capacitive Compensated Grid Connected Squirrel Cage Induction Generators

A wind energy system connected to a series compensated line is studied. The series compensation enhances the power transfer capability but could lead to various forms of oscillations and probable instabilities. Computer simulation is used to show the dynamics of the system and establishes a safe operating region for the studied system. The qd per unit dynamic model of the system is developed while the turbine – generator sub – system is modeled also in per unit using the two mass mechanical model. Simulation studies and steady state analysis of the system are performed including the small signal eigenvalue analysis. It is shown that at high negative slip, the electromagnetic torque and hence the available power increases with increasing level of compensation. However, as the slip decreases to zero, the electromagnetic torque converges to a common value irrespective of the compensation level. For stable operation, increasing compensation level, required an increasing slip.
Release kinetics of cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, and thymol from sustainable and biodegradable active packaging films

Abstract Active packaging films can be formulated with biodegradable polymer loaded with natural antimicrobial compounds (NAC) as biodegradable alternatives to traditional plastic packaging for food. Essential oil compounds, naturally found in the plants, have antimicrobial activity against microorganisms. In this work, they are encapsulated in liquid lipid nanoparticles (LLN) or solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN) to control and enhance their solubility and stability and control kinetic release. In this study, the release kinetics of thymol, cinnamaldehyde, and eugenol, from pullulan-based films were studied as a function of lipid structure (liquid vs solid) and carrier particle concertation. The crystallization temperature of SLN (10.2 °C) decreased with incorporation of NAC (6.8 °C in SLN loaded with 1 % cinnamaldehyde). Increasing NAC significantly decreased (p 0.05). The NAC release rate from SLN films was twice than that from LLN films due to higher aqueous partitioning. The release rate in SLN films increased 100 %, 50 %, and 5 % for thymol, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, respectively, when NAC concertation in the particles increased from 1 % to 2 %. Thymol had highest release rate (0.93 ppm/min) from SLN loaded with 2 % NAC films than that of eugenol and cinnamaldehyde (0.40 and 0.15 ppm/min, respectively). This study shows that the NAC-loaded pullulan films can be used as active antimicrobial packaging film for food applications with controlled release of active compounds.
Predictors of ventilator weaning in children

Early weaning from mechanical ventilation in children will lead to an extubation failure, however, prolonging mechanical ventilation will increase the risk of ventilator associated complication and the economical burden of disease. Nowadays there is no unified and objective ventilator weaning indexes in pediatrics, so it is significant to searching for appropriate and feasible ventilator weaning indexes. This article detailed the current progress on the condition and predictors of ventilator weaning in children, and comparing the predictability and accuracy of ventilator weaning indexes in children, also looking forward to the possibility of higher accuracy or scheme in ventilator weaning that used for clinical purposes. Key words: Mechanical ventilation; Ventilator weaning predictor; Children
Exploring the Link between Fiscal Arrangements and the Quality of Public Services: Evidence from Major U.S. Urban Park Systems

There is a longstanding debate about whether the fiscal and institutional arrangements for the provision of quality urban services should be more dispersed or concentrated. We contribute to the deb...
Multivisceral Resection for Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.

Locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC) presents a therapeutic dilemma, particularly as it often involves adjacent organs through desmoplasia or true pathologic invasion. To obtain a margin-negative resection, these tumors require en bloc gastrectomy with multivisceral resection (G+MVR), and contention remains regarding its safety and oncologic benefit. We used the National Cancer Database to retrospectively evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of patients with LAGC treated in the USA between 2004 and 2016. Associations with margin status and perioperative outcomes were calculated using logistic regression. Survival was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression and the Kaplan-Meier method. Overall, 785 pathologic stage T4b (pT4b) patients diagnosed with LAGC underwent gastrectomy (n = 438) or G+MVR (n = 347). There was no association between G+MVR and short- or long-term mortality. Positive resection margins (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.40–2.03), the presence of nodal disease (HRs 1.46–1.50), treatment at a high-volume center (HR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68–0.85), and the receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51–0.80) were independently associated with overall survival. Diffuse-type histology was associated with higher rates of an R1 resection (OR 3.60, 95% CI 2.20–5.87). Perioperative and long-term survival metrics were comparable between patients with pT4a and pT4b LAGC who underwent a margin-negative G+MVR. Undergoing a margin-negative G+MVR imparted a 6-month survival benefit over non-curative gastrectomy alone (p < 0.001). Our study demonstrates the safety and long-term feasibility of G+MVR for disease clearance in well-selected patients with LAGC, and we advocate for their referral to high-volume centers for optimal care.
The accuracy of fitness watches for the measurement of heart rate and energy expenditure during moderate intensity exercise.

Background As new technology emerges and updated fitness watches are released to the market, it is important to examine their accuracy. The aim of the current study was to examine the accuracy of three commercially available activity trackers in assessing heart rate (HR) and energy expenditure (EE) during moderate intensity exercise. Methods Twenty healthy participants (Age: 20.5±0.7 yrs., Ht: 173.4±10.8 cm, BM: 72.8±13.9 kg, BMI: 24.0±2.5 kg/m2) wore two fitness watches (FB: Fitbit VersaTM, San Francisco, CA, USA; and PI: Polar IgniteTM, Polar Electro Oy, Kempele, Finland) and a chest-worn HR monitor (PTP: Polar TeamPro SensorTM, Polar Electro) during a 12-minute exercise protocol at incremental speeds. An electrocardiogram (ECG) and indirect calorimetry were used as criterion measures for HR and EE. Mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) was calculated to determine measurement error. Results The MAPE values for HR were 11.6±8.7% for the FB, 11.0±10.0% for the PI, and 6.3±5.2% for the PTP. For EE, MAPE values were 9.6±7.2% for the FB, 16.7±19.6% for the PI and 13.8±13.0% for the PTP. Conclusions Fitness watches relying on optical measures of HR underestimate HR compared to criterion measures during moderate intensity exercise. Despite providing a more accurate measure of HR, a chest-worn monitor does not provide a more accurate estimate of EE compared to fitness watches. The Fitbit provided the most accurate measure of EE when compared to the Polar Ignite watch and chest-worn device.
Internal Medicine Resident Work Absence During the COVID-19 Pandemic at a Large Academic Medical Center in New York City.

Background: Montefiore Medical Center (MMC) is a large tertiary care center in the Bronx, New York City, with 245 internal medicine residents. Beginning on February 29, 2020, residents became ill with COVID-19-like illness (CLI), which required absence from work. There was initially a shortage of personal protective equipment and delays in SARS-CoV-2 testing, which gradually improved during March and April 2020. Objective: We evaluated the relationship between CLI-related work absence rates of internal medicine residents and MMC's COVID-19 hospital census over time. Methods: Data on resident work absence between February 29 and May 22 were reviewed along with MMC's COVID-19 hospital census data. To determine the effect of patient exposure on resident CLI incidence, we compared the mean incidence of CLI per patient exposure days (PED = daily hospital census × days pre- or post-peak) before and after peak COVID-19 hospital census. Results: Forty-two percent (103 of 245) of internal medicine residents were absent from work, resulting in 875 missed workdays. At the peak of resident work absence, 16% (38 of 245) were out sick. Residents were absent for a median of 7 days (IQR 6-9.5 days). Mean resident CLI incidence per PED (CLI/PED) was 13.9-fold lower post-peak compared to pre-peak (P = .003). Conclusions: At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, a large portion of internal medicine residents at this single center became ill. However, the incidence of CLI decreased over time, despite ongoing exposure to patients with COVID-19.
Efficacy of a Novel Intraoperative Engineered Sharps Injury Prevention Device: Pilot Usability and Efficacy Trial

Background: The American College of Surgeons reports 88,320 intraoperative needlestick injuries (NSIs) per year, resulting in US $376 to US $2456 in costs per NSI. Engineered sharps injury prevention (ESIP) devices protect against NSIs. To our knowledge, no study has been published to date to demonstrate clinical effectiveness of an intraoperative ESIP device. Operative Armour is a wearable arm cuff that can be donned during surgical closure to allow surgeons to keep a suture pack and sharps protection container on their forearm. Objective: We characterize Operative Armour’s ESIP device effectiveness in a tertiary hospital, hypothesizing that this device will decrease NSI risk by decreasing behaviors associated with NSIs: needle passing and handling. Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted with institutional review board quality improvement designation in which authors observed skin closures of plastic surgery procedures. To ensure accuracy, one surgeon was observed at a time. Control surgeries were purely observational; intervention cases involved surgeon use of the device during skin closure. Outcomes of interest included needle passing, needle handling, lost needles, and loaded waiting needles. Results: Surgeons were observed in 50 control and 50 intervention cases. Operative Armour eliminated needle passing during skin closure. One NSI occurred in one control case; no NSIs were observed in intervention cases (P=.36). The mean number of loaded and unprotected waiting needles was also significantly decreased in the intervention group from 2.3 to 0.2 (P<.001). Furthermore, a multivariable linear regression established that Operative Armour significantly decreased the number of needle adjustments by hand per stitch observed (F4, 21.68=3.72; P=.01). In fact, needle adjustments by hand decreased overall (1 adjustment per 10 stitches vs 1 adjustment per 5 stitches, P=.004), and adjustments occurred half as frequently with use of Operative Armour in free flap reconstruction (1 adjustment per 10 stitches vs 1 adjustment per 5 stitches, P=.03) and a quarter as frequently in other breast reconstruction cases such as mastopexy (1 adjustment per 20 stitches vs 1 adjustment per 5 stitches, P=.002). Conclusions: Operative Armour effectively functions as an ESIP device by decreasing intraoperative needle passing and handling. Although sample size prohibits demonstrating a decrease in NSIs during observed cases, by decreasing behaviors that drive NSI risk, we anticipate an associated decrease in NSIs with use of the device.
Cage-screw and anterior plating combination reduces the risk of micromotion and subsidence in multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion-a finite element study.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is widely used to treat patients with spinal disorders, where the cage is a critical component to achieve satisfactory fusion results. However, it is still not clear whether a cage with screws or without screws will be the best choice for long-term fusion as the micromotion (sliding distance) and subsidence (penetration) of the cage still take place repeatedly. PURPOSE This study aims to examine the effect of cage-screws on the biomechanical characteristics of the human spine, implanted cage, and associate hardware by comparing the micromotion and subsidence. STUDY DESIGN A finite element (FE) analysis study. METHODS A FE model of a C3-C5 cervical spine with ACDF was developed. The spinal segment was modeled with the removal of the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL), posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL), and discectomy was then implanted with a cage-screw system. Three models were analyzed: the first was the original spine (S1 model), the second, S2, was implanted with cages and anterior plating, and the third, S3, was implanted with a cage-screw system in addition to the anterior plate. All investigations were under 1 N•m in flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation situations. RESULTS Finite element analysis (FEA) demonstrated that range of motion (ROM) at C3-C4 in the S2 model was significantly reduced more than that in the S3 model, while the ROM at both C4-C5 in the S3 model was reduced more than that in the S2 model in all simulations. The ROM at C3-C5 in the S1 model was reduced by over 5° in the S2 and S3 models in all loading conditions. The micromotion and subsidence at all contacts of C3-C5 in the S3 model were lower than that in the S2 model in all flexion, extension, bending, and axial simulations. The subsidence and micromotion could be seen in the barrier area of the S2 model, while they occurred near the edge of the screw in the S3 model. CONCLUSIONS These results showed that the cage-screw and anterior plating combination has promising potential to reduce the risk of micromotion and subsidence of implanted cages in two or more level ACDFs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE The use of double segmental fixation with cage-screw anterior plating combination constructs may increase the stiffness of the construct and reduce the incidence of clinical and radiographic pseudarthrosis following multilevel ACDF, which in turn, could decrease the need for revision surgeries or supplemental posterior fixation.
Inappropriate requesting of parathyroid scintigraphy at an academic medical center

BACKGROUND Primary hyperparathyroidism is a biochemical, not radiologic diagnosis. Parathyroid scintigraphy should only be requested for surgical planning, not to confirm diagnosis. Here we determined reasons for inappropriately ordered parathyroid scintigraphy. METHODS We generated a database of patients undergoing parathyroid scintigraphy over 5 years, who did not undergo parathyroidectomy. RESULTS Over 5 years 129 parathyroid scintigraphies (of 308 total scans) were performed in patients who did not undergo parathyroidectomy. We determined that only 58 (45%) had true primary hyperparathyroidism. The most common reason for the scan was to "confirm the diagnosis." Only 20% were ordered for adenoma localization, although surgery was not performed. Physicians requesting parathyroid scintigraphies specialized in a variety of disciplines. CONCLUSION Forty-two percent of parathyroid scintigraphies were requested inappropriately to "confirm" a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. We propose to change the ordering system to clarify that parathyroid scintigraphy is a functional tool to optimize surgery when the diagnosis is secure.
A Sociology of No-Self: Applying Buddhist Social Theory to Symbolic Interaction

Although fraught with complexity, the self is a central phenomenon of discussion and analysis within sociology. This article contributes to this discourse by introducing the Buddhist ideas of anatta (no-self) and prattyasamutpāda (interdependence) as analytic frameworks to deconstruct and rethink the self within sociology. We argue that the sociological self, most clearly articulated by symbolic interactionism, is premised on a self-other dualism. This dualism leads to a conceptualization of the self as constantly threatened and anxious. Using these Buddhist concepts we propose an alternative interpretive schema, a sociology of no-self, for analyzing social interaction and understanding the roots of social angst.
Two-dimensional strain fields on the cross-section of the human patellofemoral joint under physiological loading.

Abstract The objective of this study was to provide a detailed experimental assessment of the two-dimensional cartilage strain distribution on the cross-section of the human patellofemoral joint (PFJ) subjected to physiological load magnitudes and rates. The medial side of six human PFJs sectioned along their mid-sagittal plane was loaded up to the equivalent of two body weights on a whole joint, and strain measurements obtained from digital image correlation are reported at 0.5 s. Normal strains tangential to the articular surface and shear strains in the plane of the cross-section showed consistent patterns among all specimens, whereas normal strains perpendicular to the articular surface exhibited some variability that may be attributed to subject-specific variations in material properties through the depth of the articular layers. Elevated tensile and compressive principal normal strains were observed near the articular surface, around the center of the contact region, with additional locations of elevated compressive strains occurring at the bone–cartilage interface. Under an average contact stress of ∼3.3 MPa, the peak compressive principal normal strains for the patella and femur averaged −0.158±0.072 and −0.118±0.051, respectively, magnitudes that are significantly greater than the relative changes in cartilage thickness, −0.090±0.030 and −0.072±0.038 (p
THE MONOALKYLATION OF DIBENZOYLMETHANE

(1979). THE MONOALKYLATION OF DIBENZOYLMETHANE. Organic Preparations and Procedures International: Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 100-101.
Undernutrition and the development of brain neurotransmitter systems

While there are homeostatic mechanisms to protect the brain against wide fluctuations in the availability of essential nutrients, food deprivation is known to influence brain neurochemistry. Given the growing problem of infant undernutrition and the fact that the developing nervous system appears to be especially vulnerable to this type of insult, numerous studies have been conducted to define the relationship between nutritional factors and cellular growth and maturation in the brain. The data suggest that the development of both neural and nonneural elements are significantly affected by undernutrition. This includes processes and substances important for neurotransmission such as transmitter synthesis, degradation and receptor sites. Because many neuropsychiatric conditions can be traced to dysfunctions in synaptic neurochemistry, it is possible that some of the central nervous system abnormalities which result from childhood undernutrition may be a consequence of a modification in synaptic biochemistry. The present report reviews data relating to this issue with the aim of assessing its relevance to developmental neurobiology.
Controlling DNA adsorption and diffusion on lipid bilayers by the formation of lipid domains.

We describe the influence of membrane heterogeneity on the adsorption and diffusion of DNA. Cellular membranes are believed to contain domains (lipid rafts) that influence processes ranging from si...
ENZYME POLYMORPHISMS AS GENETIC MARKERS IN THE AVOCADO

Cultivated varieties (cvs) of the avocado (Persea americana) originate by selfing, hybridization or chance selections, and are then propagated by grafting. The mesocarps of a given cv are consequently all genetically identical. Mesocarp gene-enzyme systems were examined by starch gel electrophoresis and were found to be highly polymorphic. Alcohol dehydrogenase, phosphoglucomutase, glutamic- oxaloacetic transaminase and leucine aminopeptidase are coded by 10 genes with 20 condominant alleles. 'Seedling' populations have been produced by selfing or by hybridizing cvs. Seedlings were found to segregate in normal Mendelian fashion for any gene for which the parent or parents were heterozygous. No isozyme evidence contradicted the reported parentage of several cvs of hybrid or selfed origin. Outcrossing, as indicated by the presence of a non-parental isozyme, was detected among the seedlings of a supposed selfed population. To our knowledge, this is the first report of molecular genetics and of the genetics of any single-gene character for the avocado. Possible applica- tions are discussed. MULTIPLE molecular forms of enzymes (iso- zymes) have been found by electrophoretic methods in nearly every organism studied (Brew- er, 1970; Latner and Skillen, 1968; Lewontin, 1974). The number of isozymes detectable de- pends on several factors such as the number of genes coding for the enzyme, the number of al- leles of each gene which specify electrophoreti- cally distinct polypeptides, the quaternary struc- ture of the enzyme and the extent to which the subunits of polymeric enzymes can cross- multimerize as intergenic isozymes (Torres, 1974b, 1976). In addition, the zymogram may be supplemented by the presence of secondary bands caused by complexes with cofactors or other ions, conformers or even incompletely tran- scribed or translated polypeptides (Kaplan, 1968; Schwartz, 1975). Isozymes have been widely used as markers in systematic, genetic and evolu- tionary studies. Most genetic studies have, of course, employed micro-organisms, short-lived animals and annual plants. Long-lived animals and perennial plants are generally not favorable genetic tools and have been the subject of rela- tively few investigations.
The Witten index in supersymmetric gauge theories possessing no U(1) chiral symmetries

Abstract We compute tr(−1) F for N = 1 supersymmetric Yang-Mills in ten dimensions, and for the dimensionally reduced theory N = 4 extended supersymmetric Yang-Mills in four dimensions. Supersymmetry is unbroken. We discuss the meaning of the θ angle in these theories.
Language Awareness and Comprehension through Puns among ESL Learners.

The focus in studies of language awareness in L2 learning generally has been on the efficacy of teacher-generated attention to discrete elements of the forms of language through the manipulation of texts or corrective feedback. The study reported in this paper engaged learners in a collaborative task that involved learner-generated attention to the totality of form, meaning, and use. Pairs of learners in an instructional setting read a series of comic strips (Dennis the Menace, Blondie, Shoe) containing puns, and were instructed to work out the double meaning together. The results indicated that the task prompted the learners to focus on the phonological, morphological, syntactical, or lexical aspect of language that created the ambiguity in the puns, with a marked increase in comprehension of the puns at the end of the dialogue.
An unsteady wave driver for narrowbanded waves: modeling nearshore circulation driven by wave groups

In this paper, we derive an unsteady refraction-diffraction model for narrowbanded water waves for use in computing coupled wave-current motion in the nearshore. The end result is a variable coefficient, nonlinear Schrodinger-type wave driver (describing the envelope of narrow-banded incident waves) coupled to forced nonlinear shallow water equations (describing steady or unsteady mean flows driven by the short-wave field). Comparisons with experimental data show that good accuracy can be obtained for cases of nonbreaking wave transformation. Numerical simulations show that the interaction of wave groups with longshore topographic nonuniformities generates strong edge wave resonances, providing a generating mechanism for low-order edge waves.
Monozygotic Twins With Trisomy 21 and Partial Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

Trisomy 21 is the most common viable trisomy. Although it is invariably associated with mild to severe developmental delay and intellectual disability, no gross central nervous system malformation has been consistently identified in individuals with trisomy 21. We present the case of a monozygotic twin pregnancy in which both fetuses were identified as having trisomy 21 and partial agenesis of the corpus callosum. We discuss this rare association in the context of an emerging understanding of the neurobiology of trisomy 21.
Painful extensor digitorum brevis manus muscle

Diagnosis was confirmed of 10 extensor digitorum brevis manus muscles in 7 patients. The muscle is located on the dorsum of the hand, just distal to the wrist. It is most prominent with the wrist flexed to 30 degrees and the fingers fully extended. We propose that pain in the extensor digitorum brevis manus muscle is due to compression of the muscle in the rigid fibro-osseous fourth dorsal compartment. Extensor retinacular release is the treatment of choice.
Prophets, policy-makers and advocates: The World Council of Churches and institutional environmental ethics, 1991-2006

The World Council of Churches (WCC) addresses environmental issues in three modes in its institutional work as a religious non-governmental organization: in the prophetic mode, in the public policy expert mode and in the mode of an advocate. If one is to understand the WCC’s commitment to environmental issues, this three-tiered hermeneutic is necessary so that its complex institutional aims are represented accurately. Moreover, this hermeneutic also aids in sketching the WCC’s larger ethical commitments as a Christian body and as a consultative religious non-governmental organization within the United Nations. This paper affords a more complete vision than many scholars have offered in terms of how religious NGOs approach extraordinarily complex ethical issues in the world today.Le Conseil oecumenique des Eglises (COE) s’adresse aux questions environnementales en trois modes dans son travail institutionnel comme organisation non-gouvernementale religieuse : le mode prophetique, le mode d’expert en affaire...
The responses of one class of neurons in the optic tract of crayfish (Procambarus) to monochromatic light

Spectral sensitivity curves for four “sustaining” neurons in the optic tracts of Procambarus clarkii were determined under dark-adapted and chromatic light-adapted conditions. The λmax in the dark-adapted state is at 570 to 575 nm, and shifts to longer wavelengths in the violet-light-adapted state (Fig. 4). Red-light-adaptation suppresses the sensitivity of the yellow-green receptors of the eye and alters the discharge pattern of the “sustaining” neurons, thereby exposing an input with a λmax at 445 nm from the blue-sensitive receptors (Fig. 5). Such data raise the possibility that “sustaining” neurons may carry information that functions in color vision.
Subsequent cancer risk in the incidence cohort of Rochester, Minnesota, residents with diabetes mellitus

Subsequent cancer incidence was determined in the population-based incidence cohort of Rochester, Minnesota, residents diagnosed with diabetes mellitus between 1945 and 1969. The relative risk of having cancer, excluding cervical and non-melanoma skin cancers, was not significantly increased following the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus. The potential biases of increased medical surveillance among diabetics and exacerbation of subclinical diabetes by occult malignancy did not appear to be important except in the case of subsequent pancreatic cancer.
Intensities of rotational lines in first overtone bands for axially symmetric molecules of the group C3v

Abstract The interaction of vibration and rotation is considered in the computation of the intensities of rotational lines in the first overtone bands of axially symmetric molecules of the group C3v. The calculation utilizes the contact transformation method through first order of approximation as outlines by Hanson and Nielsen. General formulas for the intensities of the lines in the first overtone bands 2νn and 2νm are obtained, where n and m denote normal modes of species A1 and E, respectively. It is found that to this order of approximation the usual selection rules ΔJ = 0, ±1 and ΔK = 0 are observed for the parallel overtone band 2νn. For the overtone band 2νm, the selection rules are more complicated, being ΔJ = 0, ±1; Δlm = 0 and ΔK = 0, Δlm = ±2 and Δ K = ⊣1 , or Δlm = ±2 and ΔK = ±2.
Preoptic α1- and α2-noradrenergic agonists induce, respectively, PGE2-independent and PGE2-dependent hyperthermic responses in guinea pigs

We have shown previously that norepinephrine (NE) microdialyzed into the preoptic area (POA) of conscious guinea pigs stimulates local PGE2 release. To identify the cyclooxygenase (COX) isozyme tha...
Assessment of Residual Stress Profiles for Fitness for Service Assessment of Pipe Girth Welds

This paper aims to provide a detailed assessment of some of the existing residual stress profiles prescribed in widely used fitness-for-service assessment codes and standards, such as BS 7910 Appendix Q, by taking advantage of some comprehensive residual studies that become available recently. After presenting a case study on which residual stress measurements are available for validating finite element based residual stress solution procedure, residual stress profiles stipulated in BS 7910 for girth welds are evaluated in the context of a series of parametric finite element results and a shell theory based full-field residual stress estimation scheme. As a result, a number of areas for improvement in residual stress profile development are identified, including some specific considerations on how to attain some of these improvements.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Disruption of the csk gene, encoding a negative regulator of Src family tyrosine kinases, leads to neural tube defects and embryonic lethality in mice

Abstract All Src family non-receptor tyrosine kinases are negatively regulated by phosphorylation at a carboxyterminal tyrosine. To analyze the significance of this regulation during development, we have generated mice deficient in Csk, a kinase that phosphorylates this tyrosine, by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Homozygous mutant embryos exhibit a complex phenotype that includes defects in the neural tube and die between day 9 and day 10 of gestation. Cells derived from these embryos exhibit an order of magnitude increase in activity of Src and the related Fyn kinase. Phosphorylation at the carboxy-terminal tyrosine of Src was reduced but not eliminated and was accompanied by increased phosphorylation at another key tyrosine residue. These results demonstrate that Src family kinase activity is critically dependent on phosphorylation by Csk and suggest that the regulation of kinase activity may be essential during embryogenesis.
Pigmented Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Eyelids

In a retrospective study of 100 cases of basal cell carcinoma treated by surgical excision, we found nine pigmented lesions. The clinical diagnosis of pigmented basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid was rarely considered and the lesion was often misdiagnosed as a melanoma. The pigmented basal cell carcinoma was no different from the nonpigmented basal cell carcinoma with respect to the sex and age of the patients and the locations, durations, and recurrence rates of the lesions.
Age-related differences in disease characteristics and clinical outcomes in polycythemia vera

The natural history and prognosis for young patients with polycythemia vera (PV) in the post-JAK2 V617F era are not well defined. Therefore, we retrospectively analyzed disease characteristics and clinical outcomes in 120 patients ≤ 45 years and 84 patients ≥ 65 years at diagnosis. Despite lower white blood counts (9.2 vs. 13.4 × 10(9)/L, p = 0.004) and a lower JAK2 V617F allele burden (51% vs. 66%, p = 0.015), younger patients with PV had comparable rates of vascular complications compared to older patients (27% vs. 31%, p = 0.64). However, splanchnic vein thrombosis occurred more frequently in younger patients (13% vs. 2%, p = 0.0056). Myelofibrotic and leukemic transformation, the most serious complications of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), occurred with similar frequencies in young versus older patients (15% vs. 10%, p = 0.29). Prevention or delay of these complications is currently the most urgent challenge in the care of younger patients with PV.
Interpolation-based Chase BCH decoder

BCH codes are adopted in many applications, such as flash memory and optical communications. Compared to hard-decision decoders, the soft-decision Chase BCH decoder can achieve significant coding gain by trying multiple test vectors. Previously, one-pass Chase BCH decoding schemes based on the Berlekamp's algorithm are used to share intermediate results among the decoding trials. In this paper, it will be shown that the interpolation-based one-pass Chase BCH decoder has much lower hardware complexity. Techniques for simplifying the implementation architecture for each step of the interpolation-based decoder are summarized. For a (4200, 4096) BCH code, the interpolation-based Chase decoder with 16 test vectors has 2.2 times higher hardware efficiency than that based on the Berlekamp's algorithm in terms of throughput-over-area ratio.
Adaptive Space-Polarization MIMO Testbed

A wideband 4x4 adaptive space-polarization multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications test bed has been developed at the University of Notre Dame for the evaluation of adaptive space-polarization MIMO communications in emulated space-polarization MIMO channels. The test bed incorporates baseband generators with adaptive precoding, a 4x4 MIMO channel emulation system, RF up-converters, a multi-channel coherent receiver, and a host computer. This paper describes the capabilities and flexibility of the powerful test bed to evaluate MIMO system performance. The test bed allows arbitrary transmitted signals to be propagated through emulated physical channels using up to 4x4 MIMO configurations, and channel state information at the transmitter can be leveraged to investigate the impact of precoding. Signal processing and system control are performed directly from a MATLAB environment allowing for rapid and modular system developments with minimum effort.
Human follitropin heterodimerization and receptor binding structural motifs: identification and analysis by a combination of synthetic peptide and mutagenesis approaches

Abstract The family of human glycoprotein hormones, including follitropin (FSH), are heterodimeric proteins, each composed of single α- and β-subunits that are tightly associated but non-covalently linked. To study structure and function relationships of FSH, synthetic peptides were used to inhibit subunit association, to map epitopes of FSH antibodies and as antigens to generate site specific antipeptide antibodies which could be used for topographic analysis. Interpretation of such results are generally more straightforward than when peptides are used with radioreceptor assays or in cell cultures which are complex systems. The data we collected using the synthetic peptide approach suggested that FSH residues homologous to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) loops L3β and L2α are involved in subunit contact. FSH residues homologous to hCG loops L2β and L3α seemed involved in receptor binding. Loop L2β also seemed involved in subunit contact. Those data provided a rationale for extensive mutagenesis of the four regions of hFSH. Mutagenesis data provided additional information and higher resolution of function when combined with the three dimensional structure of hCG. In the aggregate, this information has provided a reasonable model of the receptor binding site of hFSH. Our current model of the FSH receptor site is that of a discontinuous functional epitope including L3β, L2α and L3α. The juxtaposition of residues βD93, αK5 1, αY88 and of αY89 in the ‘binding-facet’ of hFSH suggest the feasibility of designing a synthetic peptide mimetic of FSH. Additional residues of the α-subunit are involved, along this facet of the molecule. The data collected studying hFSH therefore demonstrates that the α-subunit features prominently in the mechanism of FSH binding to and stabilizing the interaction with its receptor. In contrast, the β-subunit determinant loop serves as discriminator in addition to stabilizing the binding interaction whereas mutagenesis data indicates that L2β does neither. Instead, L2β appears to stabilize FSH conformation, possibly, the α-subunit, required for competent binding. In this regard, synthetic peptides provided data which were a useful guide to plan mutagenesis studies and which contributed to the process of understanding the structure and function of the gonadotropins.
Thermal degradation of the distributed-feedback cavity in cholesteric liquid crystal lasers

In this work, cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) laser emission from two different liquid crystal hosts doped with the same laser dye was studied. For both systems, the lasing thresholds were measured and the energy output was studied at different pump energies and at different temperatures. When the pump energy was increased, a shift of lasing wavelength and a decrease of emission in one sample were observed. We argue that this phenomenon is associated with thermal degradation of the distributed-feedback cavity caused by laser heating and the temperature induced changes of the cholesteric pitch.
Twelve-month running trends from Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) active-cavity radiometric measurements and global surface temperatures

Four earth-viewing nonscanning active cavity radiometers of the ERBS (Earth Radiation Budget Satellite) have been measuring the radiation arising from the earth-atmosphere system since its’ launch day, October 5, 1984. The ERBS spacecraft was placed in a non-sun-synchronous trajectory inclined at 57°. Two radiometers out of four, namely the wide field-of-view total (WFOV-T) radiometer which measures the radiation in the total spectral band of 0.2 - 100 μm, and the wide-field-of-view shortwave (WFOV-SW) radiometer measures the Earth’s reflected radiation in the wavelength region of 0.2 - 5 μm were used in this study. These sensors were calibrated continuously by observing the in-flight internal black bodies as well as the Sun every two weeks. The WFOV-T channel was found very stable within 0.1%. The monthly flux values of the ERBS nonscanning active cavity radiometers at satellite altitude and the corresponding NCDC (National Climatic Data Center) global surface temperature data for the period of fifteen years (1985-1999) were used in this paper. The effect of Mt. Pinatubo eruption is very clearly noticeable in the running trends of both WFOV-T and WFOV-SW radiometric measurements. Further the resulting twelve month running trends derived from the outgoing longwave radiation was found to follow the twelve month running trend determined from the global surface temperature data set. Both trends are real and increasing. The “global-cooling-like” event caused by the Mt. Pinatubo eruption was also found under both day and nighttime conditions.