cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What is orthodox quantum mechanics

What is called “orthodox” quantum mechanics, as presented in standard foundational discussions, relies on two substantive assumptions—the projection postulate and the eigenvalue-eigenvector link—that do not in fact play any part in practical applications of quantum mechanics. I argue for this conclusion on a number of grounds, but primarily on the grounds that the projection postulate fails correctly to account for repeated, continuous and unsharp measurements (all of which are standard in contemporary physics) and that the eigenvalue-eigenvector link implies that virtually all interesting properties are maximally indefinite pretty much always. I present an alternative way of conceptualising quantum mechanics that does a better job of representing quantum mechanics as it is actually used, and in particular that eliminates use of either the projection postulate or the eigenvalue-eigenvector link, and I reformulate the measurement problem within this new presentation of orthodoxy.
Risk-Adapted Treatment of Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma With PET-CT

Although patients with advanced-stage classic Hodgkin lymphoma have excellent outcomes with contemporary therapy, the outcomes of patients with refractory disease is suboptimal. Identification of these high-risk patients at diagnosis is challenging as the differences in outcomes using clinical criteria are less marked using current modern therapy. Data suggest that an interim PET-CT may be a powerful tool in risk-stratifying patients. Retrospective studies show that a negative interim PET-CT after two to four cycles of ABVD (doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine) is predictive of favorable outcome independent of IPS score. Currently, there are several ongoing trials that aim to determine whether early-response assessment can be used to select patients who might benefit from modifications of subsequent therapy, either by intensifying or abbreviating regimens and/or omitting radiotherapy with promising early results. Longer follow-up is required to assess whether this strategy impacts overall survival (OS). Herein, we review the results of recent trials using interim PET-CT-based adaptive design in the treatment of advanced HL.
Revision Tibiotalocalcaneal Arthrodesis With a Pseudoelastic Intramedullary Nail: A Case Study

Hindfoot (tibiotalocalcaneal or TTC) arthrodesis is commonly used to treat concomitant arthritis of the ankle and subtalar joints. Simultaneous fusion of both joints can be difficult to achieve especially in patients with impaired healing due to smoking, diabetes mellitus, or Charcot neuroarthropathy. Conventional intramedullary fixation devices allow for compression to be applied at the time of surgery, but this compression can be lost due to bone resorption or settling, leading to impaired healing. In contrast, the novel pseudoelastic intramedullary nail is designed to maintain compression at the arthrodesis sites throughout the healing process by the use of an internal pseudoelastic element. We present 2 cases of revision TTC arthrodesis using the pseudoelastic intramedullary nail. In the first case, an 80-year-old diabetic man with previous ankle and failed subtalar fusion with screws underwent revision TTC arthrodesis. In the second case, a 66-year-old man with Charcot neuroarthropathy and a failed TTC arthrodesis with a static intramedullary nail underwent revision tibiotalar arthrodesis. In both cases, computed tomography scan demonstrated successful union and patients were allowed full weight bearing by 3 months after surgery. These cases provide early evidence that sustained compression via an intramedullary nail can lead to rapid successful hindfoot fusion when standard approaches have failed. Levels of evidence Therapeutic, Level IV: Case study.
A New Non-Immunoglobulin Producing Human Myeloma Cell Line for Production of Hybridomas

We selected an 8-azaguanine resistant mutant of a human myeloma cell line (RPMI 826) by cloning the parental cells on a feeder layer of mouse spleen cells in the presence of increasing concentrations of 8-azaguanine. Culture media and cell-free extracts of both the parental and mutant (8226 AR/NIP4–1) cell lines were assayed for immunoglobulin heavy and light chain by Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion and for lambda chain by radioimmunoassay. Secretion of free lambda chain by the parental cell line was confirmed. In contrast, no immunoglobulin heavy or light chains were detected in culture medium of the mutant cell line by either immunodiffusion or radioimmunoassay. No intracellular lambda chain could be detected in the mutant cells by radioimmunoassay (< 100ng/4×107 cells) of cell free extracts or by immunofluorescence of fixed cells. Hybridomas were produced by fusion of 8226AR/NIP 4–1 cells with lymphocytes from a mesenteric lymph node recovered at surgery from a hyper-transfused (n=8) renal transplant recipient. Twenty hybrid culture media were assayed for immunoglobulin by double immunodiffusion and 15 contained either IgG (lamda) or IgG (kappa). None produced IgM or IgA. One hybridoma producing IgG (kappa) was shown by immunofluorescence not to reexpress lambda chain of the parental myeloma.
Oesophageal pacing and cardioversion-defibrillation

Indirect oesophageal cardiac pacing evolved from indirect (transcutaneous pacing) and direct (thoracotomy epicardial; transvenous endocardial) approaches to cardiac pacing [1]. Similarly, indirect oesophageal cardioversion and defibrillation (CV and DF) were developed for definitive or ‘rescue’ CV and DF, with the latter for failed transcutaneous CV or DF.
Recapitulating the Expression Pattern of Jak2 in Transgenic Zebrafish Using Jak2 Promoters and a GFP Reporter Gene.

Abstract The non-receptor tyrosine kinase Jak2 plays an important role in regulating erythro and thrombopoiesis. There has been intense interest in Jak2 since the observation that an activating mutation V617F is present in almost all patients with Polycythemia vera and many patients with Essential Thrombocytosis and Myelofibrosis. The analysis of Jak2 function in vivo has been limited as the murine jak2 knockout is lethal at day 10.5 of embryogenesis. Our laboratory has taken advantage of an ancestral partial duplication of the zebrafish genome, which has yielded two jak2 alleles — jak2a and jak2b to study jak2 expression and function. Whole mount in situ hybridization studies confirm that the jak2a gene is only expressed in hematopoietic tissues, while jak2b is expressed in the developing lens and nephritic ducts. We have cloned and characterized the full-length jak2a and jak2b cDNAs and characterized the jak2a and 2b genomic loci. The jak2b gene has 24 exons spanning 79kb of genomic DNA. We amplified a 4kb zebrafish genomic fragment upstream of the first exon of the jak2b gene and linked it to the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) cDNA reporter and then microinjected the construct into single-cell zebrafish embryos. At 24 hours post fertilization (hpf), we observed fluorescence in the lens and nephritic ducts of developing embryos, with some expression in skin, muscle and notochord. The jak2a gene locus is complex as the jak2a gene is linked to a gene of unknown function, STARD4, in a head-to-tail manner with a small intergenic region of 1kb. As observed with jak2b, the first exon contains the jak2b 5′-UTR and the second exon contains the translation initiation site. We cloned a 1.9kb DNA fragment that included exons 1 and 2 the intervening first intron and an additional 800bp upstream of exon 1. This 1.9 kb promoter fragment was sufficient to drive expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in injected embryos in a manner that recapitulated the native expression pattern of jak2a. In injected embryos 24hpf, GFP+ cells were present in the anterior intermediate cell mass (ICM) and the lens. Fluorescent circulating blood cells, largely erythrocytes, were detected in 12 of 124 microinjected embryos 48 hours after fertilization. The jak2-EGFP transgenic zebrafish strains should be useful in the study of normal and pathologic hematopoiesis and in future studies of the pathogenesis of the MPDs.
Wideband Dynamic Microwave Photonic Systems: From Photonics to Neuromorphic

Various microwave photonic systems – multiband RF filter, interference canceller, jamming avoidance system, and learning system, are developed based on photonic techniques and neuromorphic algorithms as the enabling technologies for wideband, dynamic and adaptive microwave systems.
From Biological Research to a Philosophy of Systems Biology: The Ground Covered and Some Challenges That Lie Ahead

“Despite the progress in explanatory adequacy that manifests itself in the practice of systems biology and the notable advances in thinking about explanation in the philosophy of systems biology, the objective of a comprehensive explanatory integration remains out of reach. Mutually complementary contributions from theoretical and pragmatic approaches promise to produce more reliable explanations, as systems biology continues to develop. But as complete understanding of biological systems continuously eludes us, it appears that the primary benefit from studying problems of explanation in systems biology is philosophical: it puts in context questions of methodology in science, as well as greater epistemological questions concerning meaning and the limits of intelligibility.”
Benzyltriboronates: Building Blocks for Diastereoselective Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation.

A highly diastereoselective carbon–carbon bond-forming reaction involving the tandem coupling of benzyltriboronates, enoates, and alkyl halides is described. This method was enabled by the discovery of α-diimine nickel catalysts that promote the chemoselective triborylation of benzylic C(sp3)–H bonds using B2Pin2 (Pin = pinacolate). The C–H functionalization method is effective with methylarenes and for the diborylation of secondary benzylic C–H bonds, providing direct access to polyboron building blocks from readily available hydrocarbons. Combination of the benzylic perborylation with a new deborylative conjugate addition–alkylation method enables a one-pot procedure in which multiple simple precursors are combined to generate diastereopure products containing quaternary stereocenters.
Value of prior imaging review before ordering renal sonography in the evaluation of abnormal renal function.

Background To determine the prognostic relevance of prior imaging studies in the evaluation of patients referred for renal ultrasound (US) examination to investigate abnormal renal function tests. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 208 consecutive renal US examinations performed for abnormal renal function tests. Results 68% (142/208) of patients reviewed for the study had prior abdominal imaging with 15% (21/142) receiving that imaging within 1 month prior to the renal US study and 56% (80/142) within the prior year. Of all patients with prior imaging studies, only 6/142 (4%) demonstrated any significant interval change, with development of hydronephrosis, which was also clinically evident as a substantial rise in serum creatinine level. Conclusions Review of prior imaging studies, in addition to other pertinent clinical data, should result in a significant reduction in the number of unnecessary renal US examinations performed in patients with abnormal renal function. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 45:537–541, 2017
Accuracy and robustness of stress intensity factor extraction methods for the generalized/eXtended Finite Element Method

Abstract This paper investigates the accuracy and robustness of three Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) extraction methods for the Generalized/eXtended Finite Element Method (G/XFEM): the Cutoff Function Method (CFM), the Contour Integral Method (CIM), and the Displacement Correlation Method (DCM). Challenges in SIF extraction from G/XFEM solutions using energy-based methods such as the CFM and the Interaction Integral Method are discussed. Numerical studies on problems with stress-free crack surfaces show that the CFM is path independent while the CIM is not. They also show that unless a proper enrichment scheme is adopted, SIFs extracted with the DCM are of low accuracy and sensitive to extraction parameters. Strategies to address both issues with the DCM are presented. This paper demonstrates that the DCM, with proper enrichment of the G/XFEM approximation, has an accuracy and robustness comparable to the CFM at a fraction of the computational cost. It is also shown that the DCM can be applied to problems where SIF extraction using domain integrals is not possible. Several problems aimed at investigating the applicability and accuracy of the various extraction methods are solved.
Differential effects of predictable vs. unpredictable aversive experience early in development on fear memory and learning in adulthood.

We examined the enduring effects of predictable versus unpredictable fear conditioning early in life on memory and relearning in adulthood. At postnatal Day 17 or 25 (P17 or P25), rats either remained naive, or were fear conditioned using paired (predictable) or unpaired (unpredictable) presentations of white noise and foot shocks. At 2 months of age (adulthood), each group was fear conditioned (or reconditioned) with either paired or unpaired training, and then was tested for fear extinction the next day. Initial findings replicate previous work from our lab and others, demonstrating a difference in adult memory retention based on age of acquisition. Specifically, rats that received paired conditioning at P25, but not P17, show increased freezing to the cue when tested in adulthood. We further show that paired as well as unpaired conditioning at P17 potentiates paired conditioning in adulthood; however, paired, but not unpaired, conditioning at P25 potentiates paired and unpaired conditioning in adulthood. These findings suggest that early predictable versus unpredictable aversive learning at P17 or P25 differentially modulate memory retention and future learning. (PsycINFO Database Record
An Algorithm for Computing a Smooth Nonparametric Process Capability Estimate

A program written in ANSI C that computes a kernel based estimate of the proportion nonconforming is presented. The bandwidth for the kernel estimate is computed using several multistage plug-in me...
System Theoretic Foundations of Modelling and Simulation

Considering a model to be a system specification, this chapter reviews the hierarchy of levels at which a system can be specified and the formalisms in which the specification can be done. Such an approach provides a unification of modelling and simulation concepts along both behavior-structure and discrete-continuous lines. Throughout its exposition we point out the utility of the framework for addressing such issues as correctness of simulation programs, valid simplification of models, transformation of models from one formalism to another, and attaining higher levels of model validity.
Role of Shh and Gli Signalling in Oligodendroglial Development

Recent molecular and genetic studies have demonstrated that early oligodendrocyte progenitor cells are induced from the ventral neural tube by the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) protein produced in the ventral midline structures. Whilst Shh signalling is required for ventral oligodendrogenesis in the entire central nervous system, Gli2 activity only regulates oligodendrocyte development in the ventral spinal cord. Gli3 plays a nonessential role in ventral oligodendrogenesis during normal development. However, in the absence of Shh signalling, Gli3 functions as a repressor of ventral oligodendrogenesis. In addition, there is growing evidence that a separate population of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells is also produced from the dorsal region of the neural tube independent of Shh signalling.
Message from General Chair

The following topics are dealt with: pattern classification; data mining; feature extraction; learning (artificial intelligence); Internet; support vector machines; statistical analysis; cloud computing; Big Data; software development management.
The future is now: Amplicon sequencing and sequence capture usher in the conservation genomics era

The genomics revolution has initiated a new era of population genetics where genome-wide data are frequently used to understand complex patterns of population structure and selection. However, the application of genomic tools to inform management and conservation has been somewhat rare outside a few well studied species. Fortunately, two recently developed approaches, amplicon sequencing and sequence capture, have the potential to significantly advance the field of conservation genomics. Here, amplicon sequencing refers to highly multiplexed PCR followed by high-throughput sequencing (e.g., GTseq), and sequence capture refers to using capture probes to isolate loci from reduced-representation libraries (e.g., Rapture). Both approaches allow sequencing of thousands of individuals at relatively low costs, do not require any specialized equipment for library preparation, and generate data that can be analyzed without sophisticated computational infrastructure. Here, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method and provide a decision framework for geneticists who are looking to integrate these methods into their research programme. While it will always be important to consider the specifics of the biological question and system, we believe that amplicon sequencing is best suited for projects aiming to genotype 1,500) or for species where continued monitoring is anticipated (e.g., long-term pedigrees). Sequence capture, on the other hand, is best applied to projects including fewer individuals or where >500 loci are required. Both of these techniques should smooth the transition from traditional genetic techniques to genomics, helping to usher in the conservation genomics era.
Distributed Leadership in Context: Teacher Leaders’ Contributions to Novice Teacher Induction:

Research has affirmed the importance of principals and mentors in supporting novice teachers; however, little is known about how teacher leaders contribute to this work. We employed a mixed methods...
Criteria for Living Donation from Marginal Donors: One, No One, and One Hundred Thousand.

Context: The increasing need for kidney grafts has led to a progressive expansion in the selection criteria for deceased and living donors (LDs). While concerns regarding the use of organs from suboptimal deceased donors relate to the quality of the graft, donation from “marginal” LDs may pose potential harm to the donor. Subject of Review: Living kidney donation is a safe procedure, but is associated with a small risk of end-stage kidney disease in the long- term. When elderly subjects and those with comorbidities are considered, long-term post-donation data are missing, making decisions regarding donation from these populations challenging. Further, vague guidelines have led to a wide heterogeneity in the criteria for living donation from marginal donors across centers and individuals. A recent survey by Lafranca et al. [PLoS One 2017;12:e0181846] collected information from 331 members (mainly physicians) of the European Society of Transplantation regarding several expanded LD criteria. Median refusal rate for potential expanded criteria (ECD) LDs is 15% and the authors found significant differences across regions in Europe in the acceptance of donors with ECD. Some transplant specialists did also deviate from their own transplant center policy, mainly to consider donors with high body mass index. Second Opinion: The survey by Lafranca et al. [PLoS One 2017;12:e0181846] documents extreme variability in the criteria for marginal LD selection. Many centers are deviating from the few agreed upon guideline criteria and are considering individuals with hypertension and minors for kidney donation. Intriguingly, one-fourth of the surgeons even deviate occasionally from center policy, especially when the issue is donor obesity. By and large, these data indicate that transplant community has a generally open approach toward extension of criteria for living donation, but long-term follow-up studies are needed to draw solid conclusions and guidelines.
Potential well hopping and performance of ocean energy harvesters

Abstract This paper examines a gimballed horizontal pendulum and studies how it can be used to harvest energy from ocean waves. The system's behavior is analyzed under both static and dynamic scenarios. Threshold escape behavior for parametrically excited systems with a time dependent term in the potential energy function is discussed and a criterion is proposed for predicting escape events. Performance metrics are identified to quantify and compare different responses. Numerical and experimental studies are conducted showing how the system can be designed for enhanced performance by altering geometric parameters to suit various excitations. The system's response to both deterministic single frequency and stochastic multi-frequency excitations is investigated. Design implications are discussed.
Advancing a Theory of Police Officer Training Motivation and Receptivity

There is little evidence about “what works” in police training. The good news is that training evaluations are becoming more common. As we build this evidence base, we need to explore the factors t...
Chapter 1 – Basic Concepts

Starting out with the familiar “hello world” program example, this chapter transforms the example into an object method, thereby introducing the notions of object and method. It also serves as an initial introduction to the object diagrams and to the C++ syntax. The importance of object identity is illustrated. More examples follow, introducing the notions of object structure, captured by instance variables. The need to describe groups of objects, instead of single objects, introduces the notion of class. How to create objects from classes is explained and illustrated. A first taste of other programming languages is given with a discussion of how they use slightly different terms for the same basic concepts.
Enumerating in Coxeter Groups (Survey)

Coxeter groups are of significant interest to communities in combinatorics, algebra, and geometry. Their structures and properties are both deeply beautiful and still not entirely understood. We explore some of the many enumerative aspects of these objects. We count elements with desirable properties, we give size orderings to certain features of all group elements, and we relate some of these statistics in ways that give bounds and rankings—if not exact values—to their sizes. Our primary tools come from leveraging different group presentations against each other, and interpreting element properties at the level of generator representations. In this article, we present a sampling of results in this area, putting them into context and hopefully inspiring future research.
Microengineered systems with iPSC-derived cardiac and hepatic cells to evaluate drug adverse effects

Hepatic and cardiac drug adverse effects are among the leading causes of attrition in drug development programs, in part due to predictive failures of current animal or in vitro models. Hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold promise for predicting clinical drug effects, given their human-specific properties and their ability to harbor genetically determined characteristics that underlie inter-individual variations in drug response. Currently, the fetal-like properties and heterogeneity of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes differentiated from iPSCs make them physiologically different from their counterparts isolated from primary tissues and limit their use for predicting clinical drug effects. To address this hurdle, there have been ongoing advances in differentiation and maturation protocols to improve the quality and use of iPSC-differentiated lineages. Among these are in vitro hepatic and cardiac cellular microsystems that can further enhance the physiology of cultured cells, can be used to better predict drug adverse effects, and investigate drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics to facilitate successful drug development. In this article, we discuss how cellular microsystems can establish microenvironments for these applications and propose how they could be used for potentially controlling the differentiation of hepatocytes or cardiomyocytes. The physiological relevance of cells is enhanced in cellular microsystems by simulating properties of tissue microenvironments, such as structural dimensionality, media flow, microfluidic control of media composition, and co-cultures with interacting cell types. Recent studies demonstrated that these properties also affect iPSC differentiations and we further elaborate on how they could control differentiation efficiency in microengineered devices. In summary, we describe recent advances in the field of cellular microsystems that can control the differentiation and maturation of hepatocytes and cardiomyocytes for drug evaluation. We also propose how future research with iPSCs within engineered microenvironments could enable their differentiation for scalable evaluations of drug effects.
Republished: A novel route of revascularization in basilar artery occlusion and review of the literature

Ischemia of the basilar artery is one of the most devastating types of arterial occlusive disease. Despite treatment of basilar artery occlusions (BAO) with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator, antiplatelet agents, intra-arterial therapy or a combination, fatality rates remain high. Aggressive recanalization with mechanical thrombectomy is therefore often necessary to preserve life. When direct access to the basilar trunk is not possible, exploration of chronically occluded vessels through collaterals with angioplasty and stenting creates access for manual aspiration. We describe the first report of retrograde vertebral artery (VA) revascularization using thyrocervical collaterals for anterograde mechanical aspiration of a BAO followed by stenting of the chronically occluded VA origin. Our novel retrograde–anterograde approach resulted in resolution of the patient9s clinical stroke syndrome.
Does acute and persistent metabolic dysregulation in COVID19 point to novel biomarkers and future therapeutic strategies

When the COVID19 pandemic first appeared in December of 2019, the pathophysiologic underpinnings of the disease were largely unknown. Scientists, physicians and government institutions from around the globe took an “all-hands on deck” approach with the hope of identifying potential therapies to treat as well as understand the pathophysiology of the disease [1]. Currently, more than 4800 clinical trials listed on clinicaltrails.gov have been performed or proposed around the world, many with subjects from vastly different ethnic and racial backgrounds, as well as different standard-of-care strategies [2]. Despite this effort, apart from monoclonal antibodies, few therapies have emerged as effective treatments of COVID-19; vaccines remain the best approach to control and mitigate the pandemic [3].
Application of Load Pulsing to the Fractographic Study of Stress-Corrosion Cracking of Austenitic Stainless Steels

A study has been made of stress-corrosion fracture surfaces produced in a Type 310S and a Type 304 steel tested in boiling aqueous magnesium chloride (154°C). During cracking, small load pulses were periodically superimposed onto an otherwise constant load, and, in the case of transgranular cracking, these produced markings on the fracture surfaces that delineated the instantaneous position of the crack front. A one-to-one correspondence was observed between these crack-front markings and the number of load pulses for time intervals between pulses exceeding 15 s. For smaller intervals, there were fewer markings than pulses. Moreover, the distance between the markings did not decrease to zero as the intervals decreased below 15 s but attained an approximately constant value. These observations are considered to indicate that trans-granular cracking is a discontinuous process and that crack advance involves brittle mechanical fracture. No crack-front markings were detected on intergranular stress-corrosion surfaces, presumably because the crack tip is normally blunt in this case. The authors suggest that intergranular stress-corrosion cracking in this system occurs by continuous anodic dissolution at the crack tip, probably by the film-rupture model.
Modified Nucleosides of Nuclear and Nucleolar Low Molecular Weight Ribonucleic Acid

Abstract Modified nucleosides have been found in some types of low molecular weight nuclear RNA of Novikoff hepatoma ascites cells in addition to 4 S RNA. The low molecular weight nuclear RNA species have been defined on the basis of their size as well as their content of uridylic acid as 4 S, 4.5 S, 5 S, U-1, U-2, and U-3 RNA (Busch, H., and Smetana, K. (1970) The Nucleolus, p. 285, Academic Press, New York). In particular, the U-2 RNA contained 11 pseudouridine residues and the unusual nucleoside, N2,N2-dimethyl 7-methyl guanosine, which was not found in transfer RNA or any other nuclear RNA except U-3. Nuclear 4.5 S RNAiii contained 3 pseudouridine residues and 1 residue each of N6-methyl adenosine and N2-methyl guanosine. Nuclear 5 S RNAiii contained 2 pseudouridine residues. Although the content of modified nucleosides in the 4 S RNAs from cytoplasm, ribosomes, and nuclei was the same, significantly lower amounts of dihydrouridine and N2-methyl guanosine were found in the nucleolar 4 S RNA. No modified nucleosides were found in 4.5 S RNAi, 4.5 S RNAii, 5 S RNAi, 5 S RNAii, U-1a RNA, and 5.5 S RNA.
Developmental expression of glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and manganese superoxide dismutase mRNAs during spermatogenesis in the mouse.

: We have examined in mouse testis the steady-state levels of mRNAs encoding glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD-2), three enzymes essential for the antioxidant protection of cells. In RNA preparations derived from prepuberal and adult testes and from isolated populations of meiotic and post-meiotic germ cells, one major GSHPx mRNA of about 0.8 kilobases (kb) and one major CAT mRNA of about 2.4 kb were detected. Three SOD-2 mRNAs of about 2.2, 1.2, and 1.0 kb were found in testis. In contrast to GSHPx and CAT, the mRNA levels of SOD-2 were higher in testis than in liver. SOD-2 mRNA levels are developmentally and translationally regulated with maximal levels of expression in early post-meiotic germ cells, whereas the levels of GSHPx and CAT mRNAs are relatively constant in both prepuberal and adult testes. These data suggest that translational regulation plays a more prominent role for SOD-2 expression than for GSHPx or CAT expression in the mammalian testis.
Dynamic interactions between the G protein, Gαs, lipid rafts and adenylyl cyclase are altered by chronic antidepressants, cholesterol removal, cytoskeletal modification and acylation or prenylation (LB159)

Numerous studies suggest that chronic, but not acute antidepressant treatment increases physical coupling between Gαs and adenylyl cyclase resulting in increased cAMP signaling. Biochemical studies have demonstrated that this is due, at least in part, to the translocation of Gαs from lipid rafts into non-raft membrane fractions where it is more effectively coupled to adenylyl cyclase. Although this effect is highly reproducible, 4° C lipid raft extractions require millions of cells and are criticized because they may not reflect the same physiology as living cells (whether or not detergents are used to extract lipid raft fractions). Here we describe a novel monomeric variant of our previously developed GFP-Gαs fusion protein. The monomeric variant has allowed stable transfection of Gαs-GFP into C6 glioma cells from which clones have been selected. Gαs-GFP not only relocalizes out of lipid rafts similar to endogenous Gαs in response to antidepressant treatment, but can be used to study individual cells und...
Context-Sensitive Coding in Speech Recognition, Articulation and Development

This paper describes a theory of the coding of speech at the phonetic level and applies that theory to the problems of speech recognition, articulation, and development. The theory specifies the elementary structural components of words and has nothing to say about the higher-level syntactic and semantic aspects of language. The theory is not contradicted by any of the facts that I know, and it provides a very simple explanation of many facts concerning speech recognition and articulation. However, the theory is extremely speculative, and no one should be misled concerning the amount of direct evidence for the theory. My enthusiasm for the theory is based largely on the clarity and simplicity with which it handles many of the basic problems of speech recognition and articulation, rather than on the definitiveness of its empirical support.
Similar neuronal alterations induced by axonal injury and learning in Aplysia

Learning in the marine mollusk Aplysia has been associated with enhanced sensory function, expressed in mechanosensory neurons as (i) decreases in action potential threshold, accommodation, and afterhyperpolarization, and (ii) increases in action potential duration, afterdischarge, and synaptic transmission. These alterations also occur, with a delay, after sensory axons are injured under conditions in which synaptic transmission is severely reduced. The latency and specificity of injury-induced alterations indicate that induction signals are generated at the site of injury and conveyed centrally by axonal transport. Similarities in neuronal modifications support the hypothesis that some memory mechanisms evolved from mechanisms of injury-induced sensory compensation and repair.
Description and evaluation of a short‐term reproduction test with the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Due to the time and expense associated with full life-cycle testing, most current toxicity tests with fish do not explicitly consider reproductive output as an endpoint but, rather, focus on early life-stage survival and development. However, some classes of chemicals could adversely impact reproduction at concentrations below those that affect development. Further, estimates of the effects of toxic compounds on reproductive output can be critical to the ecological risk assessment process. In this manuscript, we describe a short-term reproduction test with the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and evaluate the test using two model reproductive toxicants, methoxychlor (an estrogenic compound) and methyltestosterone (an androgenic chemical). The test is initiated with reproductively mature animals and is comprised of a pre-exposure phase of 14 to 21 d, followed by a chemical exposure of up to 21 d. During and at completion of the test, several endpoints related to reproductive fitness and endocrine function are assessed. Both chemicals evaluated in our study caused a significant decrease in fecundity of the fish at nominal concentrations of 5.0 μg/L (methoxychlor) and 0.2 mg/L (methyltestosterone). Methoxychlor decreased plasma concentrations of one or more steroids (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, β-estradiol) in both sexes and caused a significant induction of plasma vitellogenin in males, a response consistent with activation of the estrogen receptor by the pesticide (or its metabolites). Methyltestosterone decreased plasma concentrations of sex steroids and adversely affected gonadal status (as evaluated by relative weight and histopathology) in both sexes. The androgenic nature of methyltestosterone was clearly expressed as masculinization of exposed females via formation of nuptial tubercles, structures normally present only in reproductively active males. The chemical also caused a significant induction of plasma vitellogenin in both males and females; this unexpected estrogenic response was most likely due to aromatization of the androgen to a form capable of binding to the estrogen receptor. These studies demonstrate the utility of this short-term assay for identifying chemicals that exert reproductive toxicity through alterations in endocrine systems controlled by estrogens and androgens.
Rapid tubulin synthesis during ciliated cell differentiation

Using pulse-chase conditions in culture we have investigated the incorporation of 3H-leucine into tubulin of isolated oviducts from 5 day-old mice. Label appears in soluble, particulate and axonemal fractions minutes after incubation. In the latter two fractions, but not in the soluble fraction, this label is rapidly diluted under chase conditions. The data do not fit a simple model of sequential transfer of radioactively labeled, newly synthesized tubulin from a soluble fraction through centriole precursors to assembled ciliary axonemes.
Thermochemistry of uranium compounds IX. Standard enthalpy of formation and high-temperature thermodynamic functions of magnesium uranate (MgUO4) A comment on the non-existence of beryllium uranate

Solution and drop-calorimetric studies of magnesium uranate are described. From the solution experiments, the standard enthalpy of formation, ΔHfo(MgUO4, c, 298.15 K) was found to be −(1857.0 ± 1.3) kJ mol−1. The drop-calorimetric experiments gave values for the enthalpy increment {Ho(T) − Ho(298.15 K)} and heat capacity Cpo(T), which, over the temperature range 298.15 to 1400 K, are best represented by the equations: {H°(T) − H°(298.15K}J mol−1 = 110.268(TK + 3.3398 × 10−2(TK)2 −7.8127×10−6(TK3 − 35638; C°p(T)J K−1mol−1 = 110.268 + 6.6796 x 10−2(TK) −2.3438 × 10−6(TK)2 The complete thermodynamic functions of MgUO4 are tabulated from 298.15 to 1400 K. The spontaneity of the decomposition of BeUO4 to its component oxides is advanced as an explanation for the non-existence of this compound.
Differences in Performance Between Students with Learning Disabilities and Mild Mental Retardation: Implications for Categorical Instruction

We reviewed eight studies that described learning differences between students with learning disabilities (LD) and students with mild mental retardation (MMR). A total of 639 students, 6–20 years old, participated in these studies. Study authors examined students' inductive reasoning and their performance during guided inquiry and more lengthy interventions in reading and math. Students with LD and students with MMR were assessed in terms of learning ease, pre- to posttreatment gains, and the maintenance, transfer, and application of knowledge acquisition. Students with LD statistically significantly outperformed students with MMR on both inductive reasoning and guided inquiry tasks. They made reliably larger gains following interventions in reading and math. Across all learning tasks and contexts, students with LD displayed greater consistency transferring and applying conceptual knowledge to new tasks. Regarding maintenance, results were mixed. Implications for categorical instruction are discussed.
Jack B. Townshend: 50 years of service

There is little doubt that magnetograms recorded on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks from the 1940s on are the most widely used magnetograms in the world. What made their wide use possible was the fact that any researcher who wanted these “college magnetograms” on any specific day or for any specific period could invariably get them, and it is Jack Townshend who accomplished this incredible record of dependable data collection. Townshend became interested in magnetic observatory work watching his father at the Cheltenham Magnetic Observatory near Washington, D.C., and officially succeeded his father in the job in 1947. He came to the University of Alaska Fairbanks as chief of the college observatory in 1963. Since then he has been responsible for the most reliable operation of the magnetic observatories at the university and Barrow.
Simultaneous measurement of cerebral blood flow and energy metabolites in piglets using deuterium and phosphorus nuclear magnetic resonance

This report demonstrates the feasibility of using deuterium (2H) and phosphorus (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to make multiple simultaneous determinations of changes in cerebral blood flow, brain intracellular pH, and phosphorylated metabolites for individual animals. In vivo spectra were obtained from the brains of newborn piglets immediately following an intracarotid bolus injection of deuterium oxide. Experiments were performed at magnetic field strengths of 1.9 T (2H NMR only) or 4.7 T (interleaved 2H and 31P NMR). The rate of clearance of deuterium signal was used to calculate cerebral perfusion rates (CBFdeuterium) during a stable control physiologic state and conditions known to alter blood flow. CBFdeuterium values measured at 1.9 T under conditions of control (normocarbia, normotension), hypercarbia, hypocarbia, and varying degrees of ischemia induced by hypotension showed a significant positive correlation with values measured simultaneously using radiolabeled microspheres (CBFdeuterium = 0.4 x CBFmicrospheres + 8; r = 0.8). Simultaneous interleaved 2H and 31P NMR measurements under control conditions indicate that brain energy metabolites and intracellular pH remained at constant levels during the time course of the administration and clearance of deuterium oxide. Also, brain phosphorylated metabolites and intracellular pH did not differ significantly from their preinjection levels. Under control physiologic conditions, CBFdeuterium varied by +/- 6% and phosphorylated metabolite levels did not show a significant change with time, as measured from 15 blood flow determinations collected over 4 h. The results indicate that CBFdeuterium determinations have excellent reproducibility and do not affect brain energy metabolite levels. The procedures described here have the potential to bring a novel methodology to bear on investigating the relationship between cerebral perfusion and energy status during conditions such as ischemia or asphyxia.
Biomechanical performance of examination gloves.

The purpose of this study was to compare the biomechanical performance of new powder-free commercially available synthetic examination gloves to that of commercially available powder-free latex examination gloves. The synthetic gloves were significantly thinner than the latex gloves. Despite the decreased thickness, all three nitrile gloves, as well as the polyvinyl chloride glove, exhibited a greater resistance to glove puncture. The glove donning forces varied considerably among all gloves, and wet donning forces were greater than dry donning forces. Under dry conditions, the donning forces for the synthetic gloves were less than or equal to the forces for the latex gloves. Because of their increased puncture resistance and similar donning forces, synthetic gloves are a safe alternative to latex examination gloves.
Individual Variation in Behavioral Economic Indices of the Relative Value of Alcohol: Incremental Validity in Relation to Impulsivity, Craving, and Intellectual Functioning

There is increasing interest in the role of individual variation in behavioral economic indices of the relative value of alcohol in relation to alcohol use and misuse. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of behavioral economic indices of demand for alcohol generated from an alcohol purchase task (APT), a task that measures estimated alcohol consumption and price sensitivity above and beyond established risk variables, including dimensions of impulsivity and craving for alcohol. In addition, the study examined the APT indices in relation to intellectual functioning. Hierarchical regressions revealed that the behavioral economic index of Omax and intellectual functioning were significantly and uniquely associated with weekly alcohol consumption. In contrast, Intensity, and craving for alcohol were uniquely associated with alcohol misuse. These results provide further support for the importance of behavioral economic indices of demand in relation to both alcohol use and alcohol mis...
IUE observations of the perplexing bipolar planetary nebula NGC 2346

A preliminary analysis of International Ultraviolet Explorer (IUE) low-dispersion spectrograms of NGC 2346, obtained at various phases of the eclipsing nucleus, shows features typical of a high-excitation planetary nebula. Variations in line profiles, intensities, and stellar continuum are observed as a function of time. An orbital period of 16.0 days was determined from 1.8m(v) variations measured by the IUE Fine Error Sensor (FES) and agrees with the period derived from radial velocity measurements by Mendez.
Transport of Carbon Dust Particles in Tokamaks

Summary form only given. Dust in fusion devices has been identified as having a potentially large impact on tokamak performance and operation safety. In this work transport of carbon dust particles in fusion devices is studied using the DUST transport (DUSTT) code. The code simulates 3D trajectories of dust particles in realistic geometry and plasma conditions of tokamaks taking into account dust heating, charging, acceleration and ablation in the plasma as well as dust-wall collisions. Recent developments of the DUSTT code are reported, which include: i) thermionic and secondary electron emission, ii) dust size correction for thermal radiation, iii) presence of impurities in the plasma. The effects of these processes on dust dynamics are discussed. In particular, it is shown that thermionic electron emission provides a feed back mechanism for enhanced dust heating in the plasma, and that dust can grow due to deposition of impurities in relatively cold contaminated plasma regions of tokamaks. A zone picture of tokamak plasmas is introduced to describe dust survivability conditions. Results of dust particle dynamics simulations for current tokamaks (NSTX, DIII-D, and Alcator C-Mod) are presented. The simulations demonstrate that dust particles are very mobile and can be accelerated by plasma flows to large velocities (a few 100 m/s). An important role of dust inertia and dust-wall collisions in the dust transport is shown. Spatial profiles of dust particle density, average radius, and other dust parameters in the tokamaks are obtained using statistical averaging over a large number of dust trajectories. It is predicted that dust particles can significantly enhance penetration of carbon impurities toward the plasma core.
Stimulation of Myoglobin-Dependent Lipid Peroxidation by Adriamycin

Abstract The objective of this investigation was to determine whether myoglobin can serve as a physiological source of iron in the catalysis of Adriamycin-stimulated lipid peroxidation. In vitro peroxidation of arachidonic acid was stimulated 2-fold by 50 μM Adriamycin, the extent of lipid peroxidation being dependent on the duration of incubation and the concentrations of both Adriamycin and myoglobin. Differential inhibition studies suggest that hydroxyl radicals are involved in this reaction; however, superoxide and hydrogen peroxide were not implicated. The results demonstrate a potentially important stimulation by Adriamycin of myoglobin-dependent membrane-lipid peroxidation. In light of the abundance of myoglobin and the deficiency of oxygen radical detoxifying enzymes in the heart, this interaction may be a significant determinant of the cardioselective toxicity of Adriamycin.