cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hidden Markov Models for Studying the Evolution of Binary Morphological Characters

Biologists now have the capability of building large phylogenetic trees consisting of tens of thousands of species, from which important comparative questions can be addressed. However, to the extent that biologists have applied these large trees to comparative data, it is clear that current methods, such as those that deal with the evolution of binary morphological characters, make unrealistic assumptions about how these characters are modeled. As phylogenies increase both in size and scope, it is likely that the lability of a binary character will differ significantly among lineages. In this chapter, we describe how a new generalized model, which we refer to as the “hidden rates model” (HRM), can be used to identify different rates of evolution in a discrete binary character along different branches of a phylogeny. The HRM is part of a class of models that are more broadly known as Hidden Markov models because it presupposes that unobserved “hidden” rate classes underlie each observed state and that each rate class represents potentially different transition rates to and from these observed states. As we discuss, the recognition and accommodation of this heterogeneity can provide a robust picture of binary character evolution.
Corepressor proteins and control of transcription in yeast

The identity and function of a eukaryotic cell are defined to a large extent by the complex program of gene expression that each cell undertakes. The importance of maintaining tight regulation over the expression of the eukaryotic genome is intuitively obvious on many levels. From a competitive standpoint, it is important to reduce the metabolic load on a cell by keeping genes encoding synthetic or catabolic functions silent until such time as nutritional and environmental conditions warrant their expression. From a functional standpoint, certain processes in the cell must be temporally regulated, as many processes are contingent upon the completion of previous ones. Developmentally, the ectopic expression of a cell fate determinant can drastically alter the identity of a cell. Thus, the proper control over transcription is critical for nearly all aspects of cell function.
Modes of Resting Functional Brain Organization Differentiate Suicidal Thoughts and Actions: A Preliminary Study.

Objective A major target in suicide prevention is interrupting the progression from suicidal thoughts to action. Use of complex algorithms in large samples has identified individuals at very high risk for suicide. We tested the ability of data-driven pattern classification analysis of brain functional connectivity to differentiate recent suicide attempters from patients with suicidal ideation. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging in depressed inpatients and outpatients of both sexes recruited from a university hospital between March 2014 and June 2016: recent suicide Attempters within 3 days of an attempt (n = 10), Suicidal Ideators (n = 9), Depressed Non-Suicidal Controls (n = 17), and Healthy Controls (n = 18). All depressed patients fulfilled DSM-IV-TR criteria for major depressive episode and either major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, or depression not otherwise specified. A subset of suicide attempters (n = 7) were rescanned within 7 days. We used a support vector machine data-driven neural pattern classification analysis of resting-state functional connectivity to characterize recent suicide attempters and then tested the classifier's specificity. Results A binary classifier trained to discriminate patterns of resting-state functional connectivity robustly differentiated Suicide Attempters from Suicidal Ideators (mean accuracy = 0.788, signed rank test: P = .002; null hypothesis: area under the curve = 0.5), with distinct functional connectivity between the default mode and the limbic, salience, and central executive networks. The classifier did not discriminate stable Suicide Attempters from Suicidal Ideators (mean accuracy = 0.58, P = .33) or presence from absence of lifetime suicidal behavior (mean accuracy = 0.543, P = .348) and was not improved by modeling clinical variables (mean accuracy = 0.736, P = .002). Conclusions Measures of intrinsic brain organization may have practical value as objective measures of suicide risk and its underlying mechanisms. Further incorporation of serum or cognitive markers and use of a prospective study design are needed to validate and refine the clinical relevance of this candidate biomarker of suicide risk.
Exploiting upper approximation in the rough set methodology

In this paper, we investigate enhancements to an upper classifier - a decision algorithm generated by an upper classification method, which is one of the classification methods in rough set theory. Specifically, we consider two enhancements. First, we present a stepwise backward feature selection algorithm to preprocess a given set of features. This is important because rough classification methods are incapable of removing superfluous features. We prove that the stepwise backward selection algorithm finds a small subset of relevant features that are ideally sufficient and necessary to define target concepts with respect to a given threshold. This threshold value indicates an acceptable degradation in the quality of an upper classifier. Second, to make an upper classifier adaptive, we associate it with some kind of frequency information, which we call incremental information. An extended decision table is used to represent an adaptive upper classifier. It is also used for interpreting an upper classifier either deterministically or nondeterministically.
Ciencia y razon en el cine y la tv

Una preocupante ola de lo sobrenatural y esoterico inunda hoy dia a las pantallas del cine y la television. El poder de fuerzas paranormales y magicas puede mas que la ciencia y el pensamiento racional, los escepticos son unos tontos dogmaticos. Esta ola, cuya Mecca es Hollywood, representa un solapado ataque al raciocinio y al metodo cientifico, fomenta la supersticion, lo irracional y representa un retroceso. El autor presenta la respectiva situacion en los Estados unidos pero esta no deja repercutir en America Latina.
Single-cell Motility Analysis of Tethered Human Spermatozoa

Vigorous sperm flagellar motility is essential for fertilization, and so the quantitative measurement of motility is a useful tool to assess the intrinsic fertility potential of sperm cells and explore how various factors can alter sperm's ability to reach the egg and penetrate its protective layers. Human sperm beat their flagella many times each second, and so recording and accurately quantifying this movement requires a high-speed camera. The aim of this protocol is to provide a detailed description of the tools required for quantitative beat frequency measurement of tethered human sperm at the single-cell level and to describe methods for investigating the effects of intracellular or extracellular factors on flagellar motion. This assay complements bulk measurements of sperm parameters using commercially-available systems for computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA).
Attraction to Physical Activity for Youth Who Are BVI/DHH at a Residential School

Youth who are blind or visually impaired (BVI) and youth who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) often have low participation in sport and regular physical activity. Minimal research has sought to explore the variables associated with relatively low involvement in sport and physical activity among youth with BVI and/or DHH at residential schools. Financial situations and budget cuts have forced many states to combine residential schools for low incidence disabilities such as BVI & DHH. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the nature of attraction to physical activity for those attending a residential school for DHH and BVI. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 school residents (n = 5 blind; 3 male, 2 female and n = 6 deaf; 4 male, 2 female) who ranged in age from 10-18 years. Deductive content analyses revealed a number of meaningful themes in each category for both disability groups. Findings suggest that both hearing and visually impaired youth enjoyed physical activity and valued health benefits. However, this desire did not translate into being physically active. Youth suggested barriers for this including low parental encouragement for sport and physical activity and some social exclusion from non-disabled peers in game settings.
Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy with gaps in spatial frequencies

Localized plasmonic structured illumination microscopy (LPSIM) is a super-resolution fluorescent microscopy method to image samples at a high speed with a wide field of view and low phototoxicity. Here we propose a methodology to extend the resolution capability of LPSIM by shifting spatial frequencies farther away from the diffraction-limited cutoff frequency with a plasmonic nano-array. We analyze the performance and accuracy of image reconstruction by using simulations of standard structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and blind-LPSIM. LPSIM experiments were also performed by using various LPSIM substrates and different microscope objectives. The experiments and simulations show that by shifting spatial frequencies farther away, resolution improvement can be extended up to 5 times beyond the diffraction limit with minimal deformation and artifacts in the reconstructed image.
Comparison of Subjective Entropy and User Estimates of Software Complexity

We investigated subjective entropy, a new information-theoretic measure of program comprehensibility which accounts for semantics and pragmatics involved in programmer-program interaction. Student subjects were administered subjective entropy tests on program samples in dBase III and Lotus 1-2-3 Macro Languages. Since the test employed an automated tool and required an average of only 20 minutes, we found it practical to administer. Subjective entropy scores indicated that the program in Lotus 1-2-3 macro language was more difficult to understand. The scores were consistent with expert opinion and with the subjective ratings of the subjects.
Molecular assessment of pretransplant chemotherapy in the treatment of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia

Background Despite the intensity of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT), relapse remains the most common cause of death in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). In contrast to other leukemias where therapy is used to reduce leukemic burden prior to transplant, many patients with JMML proceed directly to HCT with active disease. The objective of this study was to elucidate whether pre-HCT therapy has an effect on the molecular burden of disease and how this affects outcome post-HCT. Procedure Twenty-one patients with JMML who received pre-HCT therapy and were transplanted at UCSF were analyzed in this study. The mutant allele frequency of the driver mutation was assessed before and after pre-HCT therapy, using custom amplicon next-generation sequencing. Results Of the 21 patients, seven patients (33%) responded to therapy with a significant reduction in their mutant allele frequency and were classified as molecular responders. Six of these patients received moderate-intensity chemotherapy, one patient received only azacitidine. The 5-year progression-free survival after HCT of molecular responders was 100% versus 61% for nonresponders (P = .12). Survival of molecular nonresponders was not improved by use of high-intensity conditioning, but patients were salvaged if they experienced severe graft versus host disease. There were no baseline clinical characteristics that were associated with response to pre-HCT therapy. Conclusions Despite the myelodysplastic nature of JMML, patients treated with pre-HCT therapy can achieve molecular remissions. These patients experienced a trend toward improved outcomes post-HCT. Importantly, molecular testing can be helpful to distinguish between responders and nonresponders and should become an integral part of clinical care.
Francis Abiola Irele: contemplations on the ‘power of events and the African experience’ in African literature.

Throughout his professional career, Professor Francis Abiola Irele worked to celebrate African arts and letters. His reflective life of the mind sought meaning in both traditional and contemporary ...
Development and Assessment of a Novel Lung Ultrasound Interpretation Criteria for the Detection of Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis

OBJECTIVE Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a frequent complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and ILD screening, characterization, and monitoring are important for therapeutic decision-making and prognostication. Lung ultrasonography (US) is a potential alternative imaging modality for ILD detection. In this study, our objective was to develop and test a novel lung US examination technique and interpretation criteria for detecting SSc-ILD. METHODS Lung US acquisition was performed by collecting short US movies at 14 lung positions. Lung US interpretation criteria for SSc-ILD detection focused on visualized pleural changes. To assess the performance of our methodology for SSc-ILD detection, we prospectively enrolled SSc patients with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) imaging within 3 months of lung US. Lung US examinations were scored independently by 2 blinded readers (1 ultrasonographer and 1 nonultrasonographer). The sensitivity and specificity for SSc-ILD detection were assessed, and agreement was measured with Cohen's kappa statistic. RESULTS To test the performance of our lung US acquisition technique and interpretation criteria, 20 SSc patients were evaluated by lung US (278 lung zones) and HRCT. HRCT confirmed ILD in 9 patients (45%). Lung US was positive for SSc-ILD in 11 patients (55%) with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 82% versus HRCT, with perfect agreement between the 2 readers (κ = 1). Analysis by individual lung zones found excellent agreement between readers, with 93.8% concordance and κ = 0.82. CONCLUSION We developed a novel lung US examination technique and interpretation criteria that are highly sensitive and specific for SSc-ILD detection in an SSc cohort, affording perfect agreement between ultrasonographer and nonultrasonographer readers.
Early career mathematics teachers: Concepts, methods, and strategies for comparative international research

Abstract In this article, we report on the challenges entailed in the development of concepts, methods, and strategies for designing and implementing a cross-national research study of the first-years of school-mathematics teaching, including an exploration of how beginning mathematics teachers differ in their preparation, knowledge for teaching, teaching practice, working conditions, and pupil characteristics. The study was designed as a proof-of-concept for a study of teaching and teacher education to be implemented by educationalists, teacher educators, and early career teachers as an ongoing professional endeavor. Primary among the challenges was the development of the sampling design and the construction of measures.
Hybrid systems framework for modeling host-parasitoid population dynamics

Discrete-time models are the traditional approach for capturing population dynamics of insects living in the temperate regions of the world. These models are characterized by an update function that connects the population densities from one year to the next. We revisit classical discrete-time models used for modeling interactions between two insect species (a host and a parasitoid), and provide novel result on the stability of the population dynamics. In particular, for a class of models we show that the fixed point is stable, if and only if, the host equilibrium density is an increasing function of the host’s reproduction rate. We also introduce a hybrid approach for obtaining the update functions by solving ordinary differential equations that mechanistically capture the ecological interactions between the host and the parasitoid. This hybrid approach is used to study the suppression of host density by a parasitoid. Our analysis shows that when the parasitoid attacks the host at a constant rate, then the host density cannot be suppressed beyond a certain point without making the population dynamics unstable. In contrast, when the parasitoid’s attack rate increases with increasing host density, then the host population density can be suppressed to arbitrarily low levels. These results have important implications for biological control where a natural enemy, such as a parasitoid wasp, is introduced to eliminate a pest that is the host species for the parasitoid.
On the non-classical crystallographic slip in Tin+1AlCn MAX phases

Abstract In this work, we investigate the effect of atomic stacking on non-classical (non-Schmid) crystallographic slip in a class of atomically layered ternary carbides referred to as MAX phases with general formula Mn+1AXn, where the value of n represents the stacking sequence. To this end, we have carried out compression tests on single crystal micropillars of Ti3AlC2 with a range of crystallographic orientations and compared the results with that of Ti2AlC. Our results show that similar to Ti2AlC, Ti3AlC2 also exhibits non-classical crystallographic slip, wherein the crystallographic slip depends on both the resolved shear stress and the stress normal to the slip plane. However, for crystallographic slip, the intrinsic critical resolved shear stress in Ti3AlC2 is greater than Ti2AlC, while the frictional resistance in Ti3AlC2 is smaller than Ti2AlC. The implications of these findings on the macroscopic response of polycrystalline aggregates of these two MAX phases is also discussed.
Surgical Infection Society Guidance for Restoration of Surgical Services during the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic.

Background: As the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues globally, high numbers of new infections are developing nationwide, particularly in the U.S. Midwest and along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The need to accommodate growing numbers of hospitalized patients has led facilities in affected areas to suspend anew or curtail normal hospital activities, including elective surgery, even as earlier-affected areas normalized surgical services. Backlogged surgical cases now number in the tens of millions globally. Facilities will be hard-pressed to address these backlogs, even absent the recrudescence of COVID-19. This document provides guidance for the safe and effective resumption of surgical services as circumstances permit. Methods: Review and synthesis of pertinent international peer-reviewed literature, with integration of expert opinion. Results: The "second-wave" of serious infections is placing the healthcare system under renewed stress. Surgical teams likely will encounter persons harboring the virus, whether symptomatic or not. Continued vigilance and protection of patients and staff remain paramount. Reviewed are the impact of COVID-19 on the surgical workforce, considerations for operating on a COVID-19 patient and the outcomes of such operations, the size and nature of the surgical backlog, and the logistics of resumption, including organizational considerations, patient and staff safety, preparation of the surgical candidate, and the role of enhanced recovery programs to reduce morbidity, length of stay, and cost by rational, equitable resource utilization. Conclusions: Resumption of surgical services requires institutional commitment (including teams of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, dieticians, and administrators). Structured protocols and equitable implementation programs, and iterative audit, planning, and integration will improve outcomes, enhance safety, preserve resources, and reduce cost, all of which will contribute to safe and successful reduction of the surgical backlog.
Phylogeny of the CDKN2a/p14ARF locus.

3272 The CDKN2a locus on human chromosome 9 at 9p21 encodes two tumor suppressor proteins: CDKN2a protein (p16, Ink4a), a cell cycle inhibitor in the RB pathway, and p14ARF (ARF), which is linked to both the p53 and RB pathways. This locus is of considerable evolutionary interest for several reasons. Adjacent to CDKN2a is CDKN2b; these proteins are likely the result of a duplication event from an ancestral gene, although only CDKN2a appears to be important in carcinogenesis. The CDKN2a (p16) and ARF proteins share exon 2 in different reading frames, but have distinct first exons. It appears that ARF exon 1β was inserted into this locus, but it is uncertain when in evolutionary history this occurred. It also has been suggested that a gene conversion event has occurred in exon 2 of the human gene. We have updated the CDKN2a phylogenetic tree based on published sequences and data from ongoing genome projects, and we performed computational studies of intragenic evolution. Our data suggest that no gene conversion event has occurred in CDKN2a evolutionary history. We cannot determine whether exon 1β inserted into the region before or after the CDKN2a/b duplication. Additionally, the amount of evolutionary variation among the existing set of p16 sequences is lower than a similar set of p53 sequences. The observed evolutionary variation is not sufficient to state with statistical significance whether a given amino acid within p16 is “absolutely conserved”. Further phylogenetic comparisons of CDKN2a cDNA and genomic DNA are ongoing to reconstruct the evolutionary history of this important growth control locus.
A Phenomenology of Intimate Relating and Identification with the Whole (and the Tale of the Woefully Misguided Aspirations of the Common Land Barnacle)

In an attempt to insulate ourselves from danger and pain, our anthropocentric culture coaxes us into a psychological survival strategy which involves constructing, identifying with, and inhabiting the constricted and impermeable boundaries of a supposedly separate and detached self. The foreclosure of the boundaries of a constricted self isolates and alienates the self from others and from the world, shackling, restricting, and perverting the full and natural experience of our sense of care, compassion, and connection. Habitually experiencing ourselves as separate, we are denied the fullness of the experience of our whole selves, and we strive in vain to fill up the resulting vague sense of emptiness and discontent. Further, this sense of alienation from nature inevitably leads to the possibility of devastating effects for nature. A description of the experience of “self as part of nature” is presented and elaborated using results from phenomenological research on the structure of this experience: The grip of exclusive identification with one’s habitual, constricted sense of self is relaxed, allowing one’s self to reinhabit genuine but habitually vacated regions of self, to reemerge from its supposed separateness and extend its relatedness out into what was formerly lived as dissociated aspects of self. The core constituents involve the simultaneous unfolding of the transcendence of the habitual constricted sense of self, an increase in permeability of self boundaries and sense of intermingling connectedness, and a transcendent psychological identification with a profound sense of wholeness of self-in-relation with the rest of nature. The contentions of Deep Ecology are supported: The experience fosters a more ecocentric identity, profoundly inclining one toward care and compassion toward the natural world. This experience is found to be of the transpersonal type, a necessary, but often lacking, compliment to the personally based form of identification.
Vulnerability Analysis for Environmental Hazards

This entry details a spatial social science perspective for environmental hazards vulnerability analysis. Vulnerability science is an interdisciplinary approach that integrates the characteristics of potential hazards such as magnitude, frequency, and duration (physical vulnerability) with characteristics of people and the built environment that either increase or decrease their impacts (social vulnerability). It is the combination of the physical and social processes and associated outcomes that contribute to the overall vulnerability of places. Spatial social science methods and tools (such as geographic information systems) provide the integrative mechanism for comparing vulnerability at various geographic scales such as census tracts, counties, or cities. Keywords: hazards; disasters; social vulnerability; geographic information systems; spatial social science
Chip-based frequency conversion by four-wave-mixing Bragg scattering in Si 3 N 4 microrings

We demonstrate frequency conversion via four-wave-mixing Bragg scattering in Si3N4 microrings. The intra-chip conversion efficiency in 40-μm-radius microrings is −17 dB, a >40 dB increased compared to 1.2-cm-long Si3N4 waveguides under equal pumping conditions.
Liquid chromatographic-fluorescence determination of ammonia from nitrogenase reactions: a 2-min assay.

The analytical potential of the reaction of ammonia with o-phthalaldehyde mercaptoethanol reagent at pH 7 (an atypical fluorescence) has already been demonstrated. This, coupled with additional findings reported here, has led to an ammonia determination well suited to nitrogenase studies. As a result, large numbers of samples can be rapidly analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatrography methods under mild conditions and without prior microdiffusion. Neither sodium dithionite (or other components of the usual nitrogenase assay), nor alternative substrates (cyanide, azide, methyl isonitrile), nor their products (methylamine, dimethylamine, hydrazine) interfere. High-pressure liquid chromatography showed that the fluorescent “product” of the o-phthalaldehyde mercaptoethanol reagent-ammonia reaction was, in fact, more than just a single compound. Despite this, once the proper solvent composition was found, high-pressure liquid chromatography with a small inexpensive C18 “guard” column proved quite fast and reproducible for this measurement. Fluorescence response to ammonia was linear to at least 40 nmol/ml. A previous problem, long-term stability of the fluorescence, was solved by running the reactions in the dark. Background ammonia in the buffer could be substantially reduced by an analogous o-phthalaldehyde mercaptoethanol reagent reaction, using t-butyl mercaptan, and solvent extraction.
Separating web applications from user data storage with BSTORE

This paper presents BSTORE, a framework that allows developers to separate their web application code from user data storage. With BSTORE, storage providers implement a standard file system API, and applications access user data through that same API without having to worry about where the data might be stored. A file system manager allows the user and applications to combine multiple file systems into a single namespace, and to control what data each application can access. One key idea in BSTORE's design is the use of tags on files, which allows applications both to organize data in different ways, and to delegate fine-grained access to other applications. We have implemented a prototype of BSTORE in Javascript that runs in unmodified Firefox and Chrome browsers. We also implemented three file systems and ported three different applications to BSTORE. Our prototype incurs an acceptable performance overhead of less than 5% on a 10Mbps network connection, and porting existing client-side applications to BSTORE required small amounts of source code changes.
Membrane deformation of living glial cells using atomic force microscopy

Using atomic force microscopy (AFM) it has been possible to detect actin filaments that are beneath the cell membrane of living cells despite the fact that the AFM tip is applied to the surface of the cell. To determine whether the AFM tip actually penetrates or deforms the cell membrane we determined whether an intracellularly trapped fluorescent indicator was lost from cells during AFM. Using epifluorescence illumination to monitor the presence of fluo-3 in the cell, we found that AFM did not cause dye leakage from the cell. Further, force-distance curves indicated that standard tips did not penetrate the membrane while sharper Supertips TM did. In addition, the physiology of cells was found to be unaffected by AFM with standard tips since volume regulatory signal transduction mechanisms were intact in such studies. Thus, traditional AFM tips deform the cell membrane in order to reveal the presence of subcellular structures.
Community–habitat relationships in coastal streams in Big Sur, California, USA: travertine influences macroinvertebrate abundance and community structure

Travertine deposition occurs in streams worldwide but its effects on stream communities are poorly understood. I sampled benthic macroinvertebrates, periphyton, and reach-scale environmental variables in coastal streams in Big Sur, central California, USA, to determine the specific effects of travertine that occurred at some sites as well as to provide a broader assessment of community–habitat relationships. Total density and biomass of macroinvertebrates varied 6- and 9-fold across sites, respectively, and chlorophyll a concentrations varied 10-fold, but invertebrate and periphyton abundances were not correlated. Baetis tricaudatus (Ephemeroptera), Simuliidae (Diptera), and Chironomidae (Diptera) dominated macroinvertebrate communities across all sites, although differences in the relative abundances of these and other taxa produced moderate variation in community structure among sites (Bray-Curtis similarity coefficients of 47–84). Variation in community structure was related to a number of habitat features, notably travertine but also including variables reflecting channel morphology, flow, substrate size, and riparian tree type. Median density and biomass of macroinvertebrates were more than twice as high at sites without travertine than sites with travertine. Taxa richness also was higher at sites without travertine, and community structure differed moderately between sites with and without travertine, although there were no particular assemblages associated with either group. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and cluster analysis of similarities in community structure appeared to separate sites with either travertine or high fines from sites without those conditions. These results demonstrate that travertine can have strong effects on stream communities, and additional studies are needed to identify the full range of effects on ecosystems and to evaluate the potential consequences of travertine for conservation efforts such as biomonitoring programs and threatened species management.
Glutarimides. IV. N-alkyl and N-aryl derivatives of 3-phenylglutarimide and 3-phenyl-2-methylglutarimide.

Derivatives of 3-phenylglutarimide were prepared for pharmacological testing. The investigation was directed toward determining the effect of an aryl group in the beta or 3 position as well as on the nitrogen and the effect of a methyl group in the alpha or 2 position. The synthesis of glutarimides was accomplished by preparing the corresponding acid, converting this to the anhydride, reacting the anhydride with ammonia or a primary amine, andthen heating to split out water and remove the excess ammonia or amine. The 3-phenyl glutarimide derivatives were synthesized by a modified Michael condensation reaction. The 2-methyl-3-phenylglutarimide derivatives were synthesized by the method of Michael and Ross. Eight glutarimide derivatives and ten other intermediate compounds were prepared. The glutarimide derivatives prepared are being investigated pharmacologically.
Chloride flux via a shunt pathway in frog skin: apparent exchange diffusion.

The mode of transepithelial Cl− passage through frog skin was studied by measuring Cl− outflux at different external Cl− concentrations as a function of applied potential. Results indicate that Cl− outflux is dependent on external Cl− concentration (trans-side), a condition typically interpreted as evidence for the presence of exchange diffusion. Concurrent measurement of urea outflux (providing a measure of shunt permeability; L. J. Mandel and P. F. Curran, J. Gen. Physiol., 59 (1972) 503) indicated that the changes in Cl− outflux were solely due to changes in shunt permeability. It is concluded, therefore, that transepithelial Cl− movements occur primarily through the shunt pathway.
Substitution chemistry of MM quadruply bonded complexes (M = Mo or W) supported by the anion of 2-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine

The compounds M2(mhp)4, where M = Mo or W and mhp is the anion formed from deprotonation of 2-hydroxy-6-methylpyridine, are shown to react with carboxylic acids RCOOH to give an equilibrium mixture of products M2(O2CR)n(mhp)4−n where R = 2-thienyl and phenyl. The equilibrium can be moved in favor of M2(O2CR)4 by the addition of excess acid or by the favorable crystallization of these products. The latter provides a facile synthesis of the W2(O2CR)4 compound where R = 9-anthracene. Reactions involving 2,4,6-triisopropyl benzoic acid, TiPBH, yield M2(TiPB)2(mhp)2 compounds as thermodynamic products. Reactions involving Me3OBF4 (1 and 2 equiv.) yield the complexes Mo2(mhp)3(CH3CN)2BF4 and Mo2(mhp)2(CH3CN)4(BF4)2, respectively. The latter compound has been structurally characterized and shown to have mirror symmetry with two cis mhp ligands: MoMo = 2.1242(5) A, Mo–O = 2.035(2) A, Mo–N(mhp) = 2.161(2) A, and Mo–N(CH3CN) = 2.160(3) and 2.170(3) A. Reactions involving Mo2(mhp)3(CH3CN)22+ and Mo2(mhp)2(CH3CN)42+ with nBu4NO2CMe (1 and 2 equiv.) yield the complexes Mo2(mhp)3(O2CMe) and Mo2(mhp)2(O2CMe)2 which are shown to be kinetically labile to ligand scrambling. Reactions between Mo2(mhp)3(CH3CN)2+BF4− (2 equiv.) and [nBu4N+]2[O2C–X–CO2]2− yielded dimers of dimers [Mo2(mhp)3]2(µ-O2C–X–CO2] where X = nothing, 2,5- or 3,4-thienyl and 1,4-C6H4. Reactions between Mo2(mhp)2(CH3CN)42+(BF4−)2 and tetra-n-butylammonium oxalate and terephthalate yield compounds [Mo(mhp)2bridge]n which by MALDI-TOF MS are proposed to be a mixture of molecular squares (n = 4) and triangles (n = 3) along with minor products of [Mo2(mhp)3]2(bridge) and Mo2(mhp)4 that arise from ligand scrambling.
Risk of severe acute hypersensitivity reactions after rapid paclitaxel infusion of less than 1-h duration

On the basis of the safety of the 1-h paclitaxel infusion schedule in prior studies we attempted to evaluate the feasibility of a shorter infusion schedule (<1-h), given the general lack of published data or of attempts at applying this strategy. Before receiving paclitaxel, all patients were premedicated with promethazine, dexamethasone, and ranitidine; they were then given paclitaxel at a dose of 175 mg/m2 diluted in 150 ml normal saline. Four patients were evaluated, two with breast cancer, one with ovarian carcinoma, and one with non-small-cell lung cancer. All had received at least two prior cycles of paclitaxel and had never exhibited any hypersensitivity reaction. In all four patients, adverse signs and symptoms were observed at 5–15 min after the start of paclitaxel administration. These included generalized erythema (three patients), angioedema (all patients), sinus tachycardia (all patients), dyspnea (all patients), and increased sweating (all patients). One patient experienced acute diarrhea. Significant changes in vital signs were recorded in all patients, but there was no dysrhythmia or syncope. Thereafter, drug infusion was interrupted and supportive measures were initiated with dimethidene maleate, ranitidine, and methylprednisolone. In all patients, symptoms resolved over the next 15–30 min, and paclitaxel was reinstituted at the standard 1-h rate with no further sequelae. Paclitaxel administration in <1 h did not prove to be safe in the current pilot experience and, therefore, cannot be recommended.
A Systematic Effort to Reduce Smoking at the Worksite

Smoking control is a key element of worksite health promotion. This three-stage study in a large state human services agency included a baseline survey, an assessment of the effects of competition on recruitment to a self-help cessation program, and examination of the outcome of the cessation program. In stage 1, scales for measuring smoking-related attitudes and the social environment were developed and used to study norms for smoking. Regression analysis was used to ascertain correlates of smokers' intentions to quit and to join a self-help program and non-smoker assertiveness. In stage 2, an evaluation using a quasi-experimental design indicated that competition was moderately effective in increasing the recruitment of all employees to the Great American Smoke-Out (70 vs. 17%) and of smokers to a self-help cessation program (28 vs. 6%). In stage 3, the self-reported quit rate at the end of the program was 28% and the biochemically-verified six months' cessation rate was 7%. Efforts are needed to strengthen, using ethical means, the norms for not smoking at the worksite and to increase both the recruitment to and the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs.
A Bayesian hierarchical model for multi-level repeated ordinal data: analysis of oral practice examinations in a large anaesthesiology training programme.

Oral practice examinations (OPEs) are used in many anaesthesiology programmes to familiarize anaesthesiology residents with the format of the oral examination administered by the American Board of Anesthesiology. The OPE outcome (final grade) consists of 'Definite Not Pass', 'Probable Not Pass', 'Probable Pass' and 'Definite Pass'. In our study to assess the validity of the OPE, residents took an average of two (ranging from one to six) OPEs, each of which was evaluated by two board certified anaesthesiologists randomly selected from a pool of 12. A key question of interest was to identify factors, for example, the length of training, didactic experience and other characteristics, that most influence OPE outcome. In addition, we were interested in assessing the reliability of the final grade, that is, the covariance parameters are of interest as well. However, estimating variance components in multi-level data with an unequal number of repeated ordinal outcomes presents several statistical challenges, such as how to estimate high dimensional random effects parameters, especially for ordinal outcomes. We propose a Bayesian hierarchical proportional odds model for data with such complexity. The flexibility of such a model allows us to make inference on the association of OPE outcomes with other factors and to estimate the variance components as well.
Earmarks and Subcommittee Government in the U.S. Congress

In recent years, considerable scholarly attention has focused on earmarks, the quintessential example of pork barrel politics. We assess the degree to which existing theories can explain the distribution of earmarks in the U.S. House of Representatives. First, drawing on informal interviews with individuals on Capitol Hill regarding the earmark process, we argue that assessing institutional and constituency-level factors that affect the earmark receipts of individual members requires examination at the level of the Appropriations subcommittees. Second, we demonstrate that both distributive and partisan theories of legislative organization are applicable to the distribution of earmarks. Finally, we present results indicating that contrary to the conventional wisdom, most subcommittees do not distribute pork based on electoral vulnerability. Rather, legislators’ status in the appropriations process has the most influence. These findings offer insights into the path forward as debate continues over congressi...
A 10-step intraoperative surgical checklist (ISC) for laparoscopic cholecystectomy-can it really reduce conversion rates to open cholecystectomy?

The recent introduction of a Surgical Safety Checklist has significantly reduced the morbidity and mortality of surgery. Such a simple measure that can impact so highly on surgical outcomes causes all surgeons to pause for thought. This paper documents the introduction of a 10-step intraoperative surgical checklist (ISC) to standardize performance, decision-making, and training during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The checklist’s impact on conversion rates to open cholecystectomy (OC) is presented. In 2004, a 10-step ISC was introduced by a single consultant surgeon for the performance of LCs. Data were collected comparing LCs between 1999–2003 (period 1) and 2004–2008 (period 2). Data on sex, age, American Society of Anesthesiology grade, previous abdominal surgery, severity of gallbladder pathology, and conversion to OC were recorded. The chi-squared test with Yates correction was used to compare groups. In total, 637 LCs were performed, 277 during period 1 and 360 during period 2. Risk factors for conversion (gender, age, previous abdominal surgery, and severity of gallbladder pathology) were not significantly different in the two periods studied. The overall conversion rate to OC fell significantly in period 2 (p = 0.001). Subgroup analysis also showed a significant reduction in conversion rates in female patients (p = 0.002) and patients with grades III and IV gallbladder disease (p = 0.001). The introduction of a 10-step ISC was temporally related to reduced conversion rates to OC. The standardization of a frequently performed operation such as a LC that could potentially lead to an impact as great the one we observed warrants further attention in prospective, appropriately designed studies.
Experimental-anatomical studies on the "middle temporal visual area (MT)" in primates. I. Efferent cortico-cortical connections in the marmoset Callithrix jacchus.

The efferent cortico-cortical fiber connections of the middle temporal visual area (MT) have been studied. The primate area MT was shown by various authors to receive a fiber projection from area 17; physiologically it shows a retinotopical organization. Lesions placed in area MT of Callithrix revealed a surprising variety of cortico-cortical connections. Termination sites of degenerating axons were found ipsilaterally in the frontal eye field and in eight regions of the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes all known to be photically responsive. Callosal fibers terminated in the contralateral area MT and in two adjoining areas. The termination site in area MT suggested a homotopic point to point connection meaning that in area MT the entire retinal representation is connected transcallosally, whereas in the classical visual areas only the regions of midline representation are connected. The projection of intrinsic interlaminar fibers from the supragranular layers upon layer V was weakly developed in area MT.
Nicotine elicits changes in expression of adrenal catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes, neuropeptide Y and immediate early genes by injection but not continuous administration

Nicotine, a major pharmacologically active component of tobacco smoke, is generally believed to be one of the factors responsible for the deleterious consequences of cigarette smoking. Nicotine activates the sympathoadrenal system and increases the synthesis and release of catecholamines into circulation. In this study we show that single and repeated injections of nicotine increase the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), a rate limiting enzyme in the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway. These treatments also regulated the expression of dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in rat adrenals. The effect of nicotine on several transcription factors in the adrenal medulla was examined. Nicotine administration by injection increased the phosphorylation of CREB and induced c-Fos protein without affecting members of the jun family. In contrast to the results with injections, continuous infusion via osmotic pumps did not affect any of these parameters. These data indicate that activation of several transcription factors and increased expression of TH, DBH, and NPY is dependent on the mode of nicotine administration.
Evaluation of Dietary Soy Sensitivity in Snake River Cutthroat Trout

AbstractThe shift in commercial diet formulations for Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss toward formulations that include more plant ingredients, specifically an increased inclusion of soy products, may have negative implications for less-domesticated trout species fed these modern diets. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of increasing dietary soybean meal and soy protein concentrate inclusion on growth efficiency and intestinal health of Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii. To achieve this objective, a feeding trial was conducted with juvenile Snake River Cutthroat Trout O. clarkii behnkei fed a practical type formulation that included 0, 5, 10, 15, or 30% dietary soybean meal or soy protein concentrate. Feed and consumption, weight gain, proximate composition, intestinal health, and survival were compared. Juvenile Snake River Cutthroat Trout (initial weight, 28.1 ± 1.0 g/fish [mean ± SD]) were stocked at 20 fish per tank in 200-L tanks with three replicate tanks per diet. Fish wer...
Thermal denaturation and template properties of DNA complexes with purified histone fractions.

Abstract Well-defined DNA complexes with calf thymus histories Ia, Ib, IIb and IV have been prepared by salt gradient dialysis in the presence of 5 m -urea. The complexes with subequivalent histone:DNA ratio exhibit biphasic melting profiles. The first-step transition is due to the melting of free DNA segments, and the second-step transition to that of the histone-complexed regions. The second-step transition temperature is characteristic for each DNA-basic protein complex. T m (°C) of the complexes in 2.5 × 10 −4 m -sodium EDTA, pH 8.0, is as follows: DNA, 47.2; chromatin, 74.3; DNA-histone Ia, 75.4; DNA-histone Ib, 76.3; DNA-histone IIb, 81.5; DNA-histone IV, 83.7; DNA-protamine, 92.5; DNA-polyarginine, 98.0; and DNA-polylysine, 99.5. The ratios of histone lysine plus arginine residues to nucleotide residues for the histone-complexed DNA are for DNA-histone Ia or Ib, 0.8; DNA-histone IIb, 1.2; and for DNA-histone IV, 1.5. The general shape of the ultraviolet absorption spectrum of DNA is not changed by complexing with the various histone species. All DNA-histone complexes are inactive in support of RNA synthesis by the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase system.
Photophysics and evidence of excimer formation, linear bipyridines in solution and solid films

Abstract The photophysical properties of 1,4-bis(4′-pyridylethynyl)-2,5-di( n -hexyloxy)benzene and 1,4-bis(4′-pyridylethynyl)benzene in both solution as well as in solid films were investigated. Both compounds exhibit concentration-dependent fluorescence in solution. The fluorescent bands red shift in solution at high concentration and in solid films and the emission is ascribed to the formation of excimers.
Augmented therapeutic results elicited by splenectomy in combined modality treatment of spontaneous murine breast cancer.

Because it had been reported that splenectomy produces a tumor-inhibitory effect in several transplantable tumor systems when the surgery is performed before tumor challenge, we attempted to examine this putative immunological manipulation in a therapeutic situation.
Disordering of the Ni3Si intermetallic compound by mechanical milling

The ordered f c c intermetallic compound Ni3Si was mechanically milled in a high-energy ball mill. The severe plastic deformation produced by milling induced transformations with increasing milling time as follows: ordered f c c → disordered f c c → nanocrystalline f c c. The structural and microstructural evolution with milling time was followed by X-ray diffraction, TEM, hardness tests, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Complete disordering occurred at milling times of 2 h and kept the saturated ΔH of the DSC peak in the range of estimated enthalpy even after 60 h milling. The structural development during milling of the f c c solid solution for Ni3Si was presumably dominated by the formation and refinement of a dislocation cell structure into microcrystallites which eventually reached nanometre dimensions.